The Gospel treasury opened, or, The holiest of all unvailing discovering yet more the riches of grace and glory to the vessels of mercy unto whom onely it is given to know the mysteries of that kingdom and the excellency of spirit, power, truth above letter, forms, shadows / in several sermons preached at Kensington & elswhere by John Everard ; whereunto is added the mystical divinity of Dionysius the Areopagite spoken of Acts 17:34 with collections out of other divine authors translated by Dr. Everard, never before printed in English.

THE Gospel-Treasury Opened: OR, The Holiest of All unvailing. The Second Part. Containing

• I. Two Sermons on Psal. 68. 17. intituled, Militia Coelestis, or the Heavenly Host.
• II. Two sermons on Cant. 1. 7. Where Christ feedeth, and where his flock resteth.
• III. A Sermon on Rev. 2. 17. Of eating hidden Manna.
• IV. Heads of Sermons on Ier. 6. 13. Covetousness anatomized, or the generality of Covetousness.
• V. A short Exposition on Psal. 148. The Plus Ultra of the creatures.
• VI. The substance of several Sermons on Luke 7. 40. Milk for babes, meat for strong men.
• VII. Two Sermons on Exod. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. The mysterie, or the life and marrow of the Scriptures.
• VIII. The substance of several Sermons on Mark. 1. 25, 26. True and divine Exorcism, or the Devil conjured by Iesus Christ.
• IX. A Sermon on Mat. 28. 18. All power is given to Jesus Christ in heaven and in earth.

Also added,

• I. Dionysius the Areopagite his mystical Divinity.
• II. Grave and notable sayings in Latin and English.
• III. Sayings of a certain Divine of great note.
• IV. Taulerus his holy glass or example of our Lord Iesus Christ.
• V. Another short instruction by the same Author.
• VI. A short Dialogue between a learned Divine and a beggar.

LONDON, Printed for Rapha Harford, At the Bible and States-Armes in Little Brittain, 1657.

Militia Coelestis: OR, The Heavenly Host: Two Sermons upon Psal. 68. 17.

The Chariots of God are twenty thousand thousands of Angels. The Lord is a∣mong them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.

Out of which the Bishops pretended matter of high accusation against the Author in their High Commission Court.

Preached at Giles Cripplegate when those masking Chariots and great shews were presented and acted at the Court, the Tem∣ple, and in the City, after which there was so much running to be Spectators: He

chosing Texts on purpose constantly (as his manner still was) and being our Saviours practice in the Gospel, he making use of present things most in use, and most affect∣ed, to take men off from admiring such va∣nities: or rather to take an advantage by them, and thereby improving them, to raise up the mind to real Glories, which have so few Lovers and Followers. Saith our Saviour, Matth. 11. 17.* 1.1 But we have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned,* 1.2 and ye have not lament∣ed. And again (saith he) Wide is the Gate, and broad is the way that leadeth unto destruction, and many there be that go that way: but strait is the Gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it, Mat. 7. 13.

SERM. I.

AS this Psalm was undoubtedly Da∣vids, so it is more then probable the occasion of penning it (as you may see at the b••ginning thereof) was upon the removing of the Ark to Ierusalem, the City of David, from the house of Abinadab, 2 Sam. 6.* 1.3 At which time David with the rest of the people of Israel, played on all manner of Instruments, and danced before the Ark: Whereupon Michal his wife Sauls daughter despised him for a fool: An extasie of joy seizing upon his spirit, he enjoying so much of God in it, caused him to leap and dance before it: She hereupon takes upon her to reprove, censure, and revile him, and in her heart scorned him, sayes the text, v. 16.* 1.4 But David being lifted up, filled with divine joy, slighted her, and told her, he would yet be more vile.

And the reason of this conjecture, is, because this Psalm begins with that very Proverb that was appointed to be said at the rising of the Ark out of its place, Num. 10. 25.* 1.5 Arise O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered; let them that hate him, flee before him.

I dare not offer at any Method in the whole, nor at any connexion in the parts; For I find that all your curious Dichotomizers do but dream & play with the Scripture, feeding themselves with

fancies and not truth. For sure I am, the onely method that holy men of old observed, was to speak as they were moved by the holy spirit, 2 Pet. 1. 21.* 1.6

But these words we have now read, they be∣ing a clause in this Psal•• I take them as a Mel∣chizedeck, without Father, without Mother, Heb. 7. 3.* 1.7 so having no dependance, We will come to open the words, as having a sufficient sense lying within themselves. There be many Expositions on this place, which I will not trouble you withall; for men speak according to men; but the Scriptures were written by Gods spirit, dictated by his own finger; for holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy spirit, 2 Pet. 1. 21.* 1.8 We must therefore labour to find out (if it be possible) what is Gods mind in the Scrip∣tures, whatever men say.

I may call this Text as it is Luke 2. 13.* 1.9 Mili∣tia Coelestis, the Heavenly Host; There was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God; or as Iacob did the Angels, Gen. 32. 2.* 1.10 when he saw the Angels, he said, This is Gods host; for there is in them both greatness and terribleness, which is proper to the Angels of God.

But that we may give you the parts of the wo••ds, There are four things represented in them.

• 1 Their Nature, they are called Chariots.
• 2 Their Number, they are said to be twenty thousand, or thousands of thousands: that is,

• they are innumerable or numberless.
• 3 In regard of their Names, they are here cal∣led Angels.
• 4 In regard of the Commander of all these numberless number of Chariots and Angels; and that is God himself.

The Chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of Angels.

•• Their Nature, they are called Currus, Chariots.

The mention of Chariots is as ancient as any History either sacred or profane: they being used both for peace and warre.

In the first Book of Moses, Gen. 41. 43.* 1.11 there is mention made of Pharaohs triumphant Cha∣riot for Ioseph, he that exalted Ioseph. And again in Exod. 14. 9.* 1.12 of the Chariots of new Pharaoh that arose, which knew not Ioseph, who pursued Israel with Chariots, being drowned in the Sea, He and all his Chariots. And it is said of Solomon that his Chariots were twelve thousand. But the greatest number we read of in Scripture, is in 1 Chron. 19. 7.* 1.13 were Hanun hired 32000 out of Mesopotamia, Syria and Zobah.

Now I say, Chariots were used in two regards: As the great men and Princes of the Earth (besides that common use for ease) they had them ei∣ther for their state and glory, and those were for triumph; or else for terror and dreadfulness, and those were for warre.

Some Chariots were drawn with two horses, some with 4, some with 6 or else for the more

glory, they were sometimes drawn with men: So also as Chariots were to several ends, so they were of divers fashions; some were made of wood, and some of Iron, and some were made with Hooks, according to their several uses and Ends for which they were.

So our great God, when he will appear in

Triumph, or Terror,

Hath Chariots at command, without borrow∣ing, buying or hiting, &c.

And these Chariots are in one word HIS CREATURES: in which he rides when he pleaseth:

• Either for Glory and Triumph, or else Terrour and Battel.

1 Triumphant: As he is said to be fairer then all, Psal. 45. 2.* 1.14 that is, there is none like him in mercies and compassions to those he loves; Thou art fairer then the children of men; therefore Grace is poured into thy lips: So he is terrible above all in fury and dreadfulness to those he hates, Psa. 66. 5.* 1.15 Come and see the works of the Lord; he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.

Those are Gods Chariots of Triumph, when

h•• rides upon the Cherubims, and walks upon the wings of the wind; when he is clothed with Ma∣jesty and Honour, and covereth himself with light as with a garment; when he layes the beams of his Chambers in the waters, and maketh his spirits Messengers, Psal. 104.* 1.16 When he is clothed with Glory and Ma••esty, and cometh forth like a Bride∣groom, and as the Sun is his Tabernacle, Psal. 19. 5.* 1.17 Then we may say, O Lord our God, how excel∣lent is thy Name in all the Earth,* 1.18 who hast set thy glory above the Heavens! And as it is here in the 24.* 1.19 vers. of this Psalm, so we may say, They have seen thy goings, O God, even the goings of my God and my King, which art in the Sanctuary: The Singers go before, and the players of Instruments followed after; among them were the d••msels play∣ing with Timbrels.

2 For Terror: Let us see which are Gods Cha∣riots for Terror and War; as he is fairer then all, so he is terrible above all, as I said before; as he is the God of peace, Rom. 16. 20.* 1.20 so he is the Lord of Hosts, Psal. 24. 8.* 1.21 God then rides in his Chariots of Terror, when he makes darkness his secret place; and at the brightness before him thick clouds passed, hail-stones and coals of fire. The Lord thun∣dered in Heaven, and the Most High gave out his voyce, Hail-stones and coals of fire. Psal. 18.* 1.22 When he rents the Heavens, and comes down, and causeth the Mountains to flow down at his presence, as when the melting fire burneth to cause the waters to boil, to make his name known to his Adversaries, that the Nations may tremble at his presence, when

he doth terrible things which they looked not for, Isai. 64. 1, 2, 3.* 1.23

And as in that Psalm 18. v. 26.* 1.24 With the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure; so with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward. That is, with those that will be at peace with him, he will be ••t peace with them: and with those that are at war with him, he will be at war with them. Yet think not that God changeth. But so as it is in a Looking glass, you know it represents unto you such shapes as is set before it; yet all the change is in your selves, not in the glass; for the glass is alwayes the same in it self. If you frown up∣on it, it will frown upon you; if you laugh up∣on it, it will laugh upon you; if you hug it, it will hug you; if you strike it, it will strike you; if you embrace it, it will embrace you; if you turn your back upon it, it will turn its back up∣on you.

Just so it is with our righteous God; as a man behaves himself toward him, so will he shew himself towards him: If we forsake him, he will forsake us, Chr. 15. 2.* 1.25 If we be stubborn toward him, he will be stubborn towards us. But if we cleave to him, he will cleave to us; if we em∣brace him, he will hug and embrace us; if we run toward him, he will run towards us: As you know what the Prodigals father did; when he was y••t afar off, but a coming and returning to his father,* 1.26 His father ran to meet him, and fell on his neck and kissed him: And yet for all this, God changes not, our God is alwayes the same;

there is no shadow of change in him, but the change is in us:* 1.27 And he appears so to us because we are changed: but in himself he is not nor cannot be changed,* 1.28 but is ever the same, like Mount Sion which cannot be moved.

•• But we go onto our Text, The Chariots of God.

Quest.* 1.29 What are these Chariots of God?

Answ.* 1.30 Look but round about thee, and thou shalt see those innumerable Chariots and Angels here spoken of; for so many Creatures as thou seest, so many Angels and Chariots of God thou seest; they are all his Host, they are all his Cha∣riots wherein he rides; and whether you see it or no, Th•• Lord is among them as in Sinai, in his holy place. The glory of the Lord fills them all, had we but our eyes open to see it so: and they are all at his command, and there is no creature but doth his pleasure.

Oh Brethren! how glorious and blessed a thing it is to behold and see, that look how many Creatures visible and invisible thou seest, or conceivest to be;* 1.31 For the soul now to look on them as so many fiery Chariots and Horsmen for its defence and preservation! and on the other hand,* 1.32 how a fearful a thing it is to fall into the hand of the living God, who hath all these Angels and Chariots at his command, to execute his will and vengeance on those that hat•• and oppose him! Amos 3. 8.* 1.33 when this Lion roareth who can but tremble? when God by any Creature roars a∣gainst a man, and threatens terrour to a∣ny

one; for when the Creature roars and threa∣tens, or when it comforts and smiles, it is God in it: I say, who is he then that dare com∣fort? And if God speaks peace to a man, what Creature dares, nay what Creature can terrifie? If God be on our side,* 1.34 who can be against us? 〈◊〉〈◊〉 likewise if God be against us,* 1.35 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 wea∣pon, 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 crea∣tures 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,* 1.36 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,* 1.37 & the noise of the ratling of the wheels, & of the pra••sing horses, and of the jumping Chariots. He striks with visible swords; his Chariot-wheels shall rattle against thee in poverty, disgrace, im∣prisonments in this life &c. these are his rods, & whatever else seems bitter to us.* 1.38 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, Strapa∣does, 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 spi∣rit of a man may sustain his infirmity,* 1.39 but a wound∣ed spirit who can bear?

I but now if a man shall say (with David) Psal. 139. 11.* 1.40 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,* 1.41 no; Then hath thy God invisible Chari∣ots 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.* 1.42 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 bo•••• and soul into hell.* 1.43 But let us not fear any 〈◊〉〈◊〉:* 1.44 and I hope (espe∣cially some among us) we have not so learned Christ, as either to fear them or trust in them.

Some (saith David) Psal. 20. 7.* 1.45 put trust in Cha∣riots, 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.* 1.46 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,* 1.47 Psal. 33. 17. And again, put not you your trust in Princes, nor in the son of man,* 1.48 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,* 1.49 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;* 1.50 The snare is broken, and our souls are e∣scaped; 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 grea∣ter,

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 Eli••ah, and afterward as Ioash to Elisha, 2 King. 13. 14.* 1.51 so let us cry to God a∣lone, O my father, my father, the Chariots of Is∣rael 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 di∣vers 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 Al∣mighty; 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 Crea∣tures, God rides more close, in some he rides more open: In some Creatures God is more ap∣parently 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.* 1.52 The Heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the Earth sheweth his handy Work; d••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.* 1.53 Ca•• 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. Tis true, he fills Heaven and Earth, but in the Earth we can∣not 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.* 1.54 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.* 1.55

He in himself is always invisible; but in his ex∣pressions & workings, he is more secret, & more manifest,* 1.56 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,* 1.57 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 adjoyn∣ing Creeks & Arms, but into every one accord∣ing 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 ex∣pressions 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 re∣ceive him, and according to their capacity.

For if God should fill his creatures, or com∣municate himself to them beyond their capacities, he should destroy his creatures:* 1.58 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 inter∣cepted & 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,* 1.59 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 appa∣rent 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,* 1.60 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 can∣not 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 re∣verence, we seeing the fulness of his presence e∣very 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.* 1.61 Tis 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 Hea∣ven?

Ans.* 1.62 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 en∣joy the infinite God, who is heaven it self: Then we shall come to see, and say, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts,* 1.63 heaven and earth are full of the ma∣jesty 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 Saints and Angels do: to the one he is not manifested to be in them; to the other he is glo∣riously; but they think they have an Essence and Being of their own, even as all we poor ignorant men think, who live not with and in God; And they think they are governed by their own pow∣ers and wills and look on themselves as living out of God, and at a distance from him (as indeed they do) because he is not manifested to be in them, as he was to Iacob; and so farre as any of us live at this remoteness, and as strangers to God, we live in Hell, and in the very condi∣tion of Devils and Reprobates.

But, O Lord, where am I? and to whom do I speak? I pray God I do not cast pearls before swine:* 1.64 Though these be glorious and undeniable truths, yet if you see them not so; I expect no other then that you should turn again, and all to rent me, as our Saviour speaks: But the truth is also, I have out-run my self, & my own purpose; for I feared (as the Apostle saith) I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual; for hitherto ye have not been able to bear these things,* 1.65 neither yet are ye able, I am afraid: But you must be led to the under∣standing of them by low, mean and carnal things, and you must still be dealt with as with children, because ye are not yet fit for strong meat, Heb. 5. 13, 14.* 1.66 For, when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are be∣come

come such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat: for every one that useth milk, is unskilful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

But seeing providence hath opened my mouth, the Lord open your ears, and your eyes to see and understand, and that I may declare and shew forth his praise and Glory.

But our God himself describes himself what he is, & what his name is, Exod. 3. 14.* 1.67 I am that I am; and yet also that expression comes infinitely short of what God is, for he is inexpressable, unutter∣able; therefore I hope you would not have me to set him forth to you, & give you to see and handle him who is not to behandled nor to be seen; would you have me to shew you him, that is, the un∣known God spoken of, Act. 17. 23.* 1.68 I confess I have read in some Authors, of the occasion of that Altar that was erected To the unknown God; for (as they relate) they having been a long time to∣gether afflicted with a great plague, they sacri∣ficed to all their own Gods, and to all the Gods they ever heard of, & were not delivered; at last (they knowing & believing there was a God that could help them, but they knew him not) they then sacrificed to that unknown God, & were de∣livered; whereupon they erected that Altar, and ever after sacrificed To the unknown God.

But I would willingly (so far as humane ca∣pacity can reach, & by the assistance of Almigh∣ty God) unfold something of this our great God, who fills all things; even this Vnknown God: but so, as you must then say with Balaam,

Numb. 24. 17.* 1.69 I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh: While you live in the creature, and have your dependance upon the creature, you cannot now see nor know God.

Beloved, if I go about to describe him to you by the way of Honour, by the way of Credit, by the way of Health, by the way of Riches, or the like, or by any creature, or by any worldly glo∣ries, happiness or enjoyments, it is impossible to find him,* 1.70 or ever to come near him; for the rich he sends empty away: Or to find him out by the way of addition or multiplication, we shall never find him; for if you go from one glorious crea∣ture to another, and so multiply and adde one to another, higher and higher, till you come to the glorious heavens, and put them altogether, yet these are infinitely short of God; for Is. 40. 12.* 1.71 He hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heavens with a span, and com∣prehended the dust of the earth in a measure; he hath weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a ballance: Therefore none of all these things can fully set forth what God is.

Quest.* 1.72 What then? how shall we finde him?

Answ.* 1.73 It must be by way of substraction, and taking away all that ever you can, and then you come nearest to God (as Dionysius saith in his Book of Mystical Theology) In the way of pover∣ty ye may find him; for our Saviour saith expresly, Mat. 5. 3.* 1.74 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; And the Virgin in Mary, He

hath filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he hath sent empty away, Luk. 1. 53. by the way of substracting and taking away, many have found him:* 1.75 If you seek after him thus, happily ye may feel after him and find him, though he be not farre from every one of us, Acts 17. 27.* 1.76 but by adding or multiplying, you shall never come to see him.

For if you conceive God to be any thing that you can imagine; go as high as you can, you do no other then make an Idol of him: For if you conceive God to be [Light] which is the most glorious thing, he is no such thing; for he dwels in light inaccessable: but take away this, and all sensible Accidents, as Hardness, Soft∣ness,* 1.77 Heat, Cold, Greatness, Littleness, and all that you can conceive, and this is the way to know and to find out God: Then shall you come and draw near to Him, who is the very image of the invisible God, ••ol. 1. 15.* 1.78 To him, who is the b••ight∣ness of his Fathers glory, and the express image of his person; To him, who upholdeth all things by the word of his power, Heb. 1. 3.* 1.79 and to Him who is the Ancient of Dayes, Dan. 7. 9.* 1.80 and to Him that is I am that I am, Exod. 3. 24.* 1.81 and to Him that that is Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, Rev. 1. 8.* 1.82 This our great Jehovah is not to be measured or compared with any thing competible to the creatures; for He infinitely transcends all the excellency of all creatures, yea though all the glory and excellency, yea the quintes∣sence of all were gathered and summed up in one.

It may be when you have thought of God you would resemble him to some glorious thing, and then you have thought of [Light,] when you have thought of him to resemble him by; so, it may be you have sometime thought him to be [Sweet] but he is not sweet, as we conceive of sweetness; for he is not the sweetness of a Rose, nor of Honey, nor any such thing: he is not the lightness of the light, nor the pleasantness of fruit, nor any such thing: But he is that by which all these have their pleasantness, light and sweetness; and whatever excellency any creature hath, he is not that thing (as some have foolishly con∣ceited) because God is in them, therefore they are Gods &c. this declares in such much igno∣rance and weakness: But he is the cause and be∣ing of all such excellencies; and he himself in∣finitely transcends whatever can be thought or imagined. For he that conceives in his God, that there is in him light, or sweetness, or glory, (as we accont glory, or light, or sweetness) or that he should be Musick to the ear, or some glo∣rious or glittering sight to the eye: he that con∣ceives God or Heaven to be any such thing whatsoever, he is deceived.

Beloved, I hope (though I have some cause also to fear it) that you are not so childish as to conceive that there is Musick, Viols, or Harps, or Organs, or any such thing in Heaven; He transgresses against the first Commandement, whosoever he be, that apprehends any of these things to be in God or in heaven, according to

the letter;* 1.83 and he is as great an Idolater as he that makes A Golden Calf, and then falls down and worships it; nay he is a more dangerous I∣dolater and Transgressor: for the other Idola∣ters were so gross and absurd, that very reason condemns them; but this is more spiritual, and more close Idolatry, and therefore more dangerous; For the Kingdom of heaven consisteth not in meats and drinks, but in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom. 14. 17.* 1.84 that is, it consist∣eth not in food or rayment; in riches or honours, or whatever is accounted precious or amiable to the world: but saith our Saviour, The King∣dom of God is within you; and again, My King∣dom is not of this world, neither cometh it with observation.

But I say more then al this, he that would find God, let him be silent, and sit in darkness, neither to see any thing, nor to hear any thing; for he that thinks he hears or sees any thing, or thinks of a∣ny thing, that hath any manner of form or thing in his imagination when he thinks of God, he is an Idolater: As for instance, will you see God in a man? as he is in a good man, so he is also in an e∣vil man: God or Christ dwels in them both, in regard of Essence, both in good and bad: but here is the difference, Christ lives not, is not formed in them, (as to them) in the one; but in the other he is, as to them: the one sees it, and knows it, and prizeth, & rejoyceth in the seeing, knowing, and believing of it; the other doth not, but is Anathema Maranatha, and separated from Christ, 1 Cor. 16. 22.* 1.85

Christ lives in every man, in regard of himself, and is as much in the one, as in the other: But, I say, here is all the difference, to the one Christ is manifested, to the other he is not; God lives in al, but all know it not: A good man hath God in him, and he seeth, knoweth and believeth it; the other do neither see, know, nor believe it, and so rejoyce not in the manifestations of God in them: but they believe they have a power,* 1.86 will, and a Being of their own, and this they glory and rejoyce in, presume on,* 1.87 and live to themselves, and sacrifice to their own drags, and regard not God, in whom they live, move, and have their being.

Again, would you see God in the Sun, Moon, and Stars, or in Beasts or Trees, and in all other creatures? Know, he is the Life, Act, Motion of all creatures: take away from all or any of these all that may be taken away, all Accidents, and then that which remaineth is God. In the Sun, or Moon, or any thing else, you must first strip it of all visibility, and of all form and representati∣on, Glorious or Base, and then you shall behold God, not as that form; but as the Cause, Essence, and Being of whatever is in it: Or, as in a man, take from him highness and lowness (for those are Accidents) weight and lightness, great∣ness and littleness, youth and age, for all these are Accidents; & what remains then but he that was, & is,* 1.88 and is to come? the All in all;* 1.89 he that is Alpha the first of all; and shall be Omega the last of all: What remains then but the first begotten of the Father, Jesus Christ? even him that is the Ancient

of dayes, he that is above all, through all, and in all, Ephes. 4. 6.* 1.90

For beloved, there was something of me, be∣fore I was either hot or cold; before I was either dry or moist; before I had either weight or light∣ness; yea, before I had any manner of shape; These things, I say, being taken away, what remains then but he that is I am? He that is Alpha and Omega: For take away heights and depths, things present, and things to come, and then nothing can separate Christ and us, as the Apostle in that case reasons, Rom. 8. ult.* 1.91 He was perswaded no∣thing could separate him from Christ; neither death, nor life, nor angles, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor heights, nor depths, nor any other creature, should be able to sepa∣rate him from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord: For nothing hinders or separates us from Christ in this case but these things: Although I know many men say and teach in a general way, sin is the cause of separation, which is a truth, but too general a truth: But this is a cause more particular, and the cause of abun∣dance of particular sins. Seek therefore to re∣move the root and cause; and then particular fruits, effects and branches will wither and dye of themselves.

For were it not for the vail of Accidents that is between God and us, we should see God: we might then see God in the Gold, and God in the Light, God in the Sun, and God in the Wa∣ter, and God in the Earth, God in the Trees,

and God in the Flowers, and God in every pile of Grasse, and God to be All in All: were but those things, those Accidents removed from our sight; for where any thing moves, God is the mover; nay, where any thing hath a Being, a Sub∣stance, he is the Being of that Being, the Substance of that Substance, (if we may call any thing Sub∣stance or Being but God.) For he is the Motion and being of every thing, great or little, glori∣ous or mean, they are all, not onely his work∣manship, as most men teach and believe, but he is also their Substance and Being: and the Saints, They see that the Lord is among them as in Sinai: and that he was not more present and glo∣rious in Mount Sinai, then he is in all Crea∣tures.

And further let me tell you, this is The Angel of the Covenant spoken of in the Revelation, whom these types and shadows not onely repre∣sent, and point to; but they are also those which hide and blind him from our sight, Isa. 12. 6.* 1.92 Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Zion, Great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee; He that is an Inhabitant of Zion, will upon the sight of God in any Creature, fall down be∣fore him, in a holy extasie and amazement of spirit fall down and worship him; The seeing him to be so Infinite and Great, and filling all things; that they must with the Prophet (in an holy ravishment and extasie, as being made drunk, overcome and swallowed up) cry out and shout, Great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

The word in the Original signifies, in the in∣most inwardest part of thee. When this Divine Being shall arise, discover and rouse up it self be∣fore the poor soul that never saw him before: Oh! how amazed, ashamed & confounded is it in it self! This seeing of God is onely peculiar to the Saints, God is onely manifested in them, and to them; but not at all in Reprobates: but he is hidden and removed from their sight and believ∣ing, though not at all out of them.

The Chariots of God are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thousand, yea, even thousands of Angel••; the Lord is among them as in Sinai.

You see I hope by this what sweet and glori∣ous truths are couched in these few words: These words I think many of you have read of∣tten; but how few have 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them? You may see now by this Doctrine, what a glorious privilege the Saints have, to have Christ dwelling in them by faith;* 1.93 so that they see not onely that their bodies are the Temples of that great & Holy One,* 1.94 but they by faith see him filling and dwelling in all Creatures: And know this, that God is not revealed or manifested, but onely in and to the Saints; not effectually and operatively, though notionally and in words men may acknowledge these things; but they are not inwardly thus filled, amazed, overcome, and swallowed up with the glory of the Lord, even as the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

For they can and must say and cry out of all 〈◊〉〈◊〉,* 1.95 Oh! How amiable are thy Tabernacles,

O Lord of Hosts! my soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God! A day in thy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is better then a thousand elsewhere. I had rath•••• be a Door∣keeper in the house of my God, 〈…〉〈…〉 dwel in the Tents of wickedness. Those are 〈…〉〈…〉 wickedness where God is not seen; and 〈…〉〈…〉 in 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and have their habitatio•• the Tents of ••edar. But that man that enjoyes God thus, his soul is filled with the fulness 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••reatness of his presence: even as the house 〈…〉〈…〉 with the odour of that ointment, Ioh. 12. 3.* 1.96 How was blessed Mary taken with those sweet drops that fel from her Saviours lips! Luk. 10. 39.* 1.97 who made it her whole business, content, & happiness: nay, whose All it was, so she could but sit at his feet, stare in his face, hang upon his lips, and hearken to his honey-dropping & healing words! Oh! blessed is that man that thus seeth thee, & trusteth in thee! & no marvel that these men undervalue all the afflictions and all the glory of the world, and see that they are not worthy to be compared with this glory revealed in them; as the Apostle saith concerning afflictions, Rom. 8. 18.* 1.98 All glories are nothing, & all afflictions are light and vain, com∣pared to this fulness of God, filling all things.

The next thing considerable, is their number, & they are said to be twenty thousand, even thou∣sands of Angels: many Interpreters differ in the explanation of this number, but I having view∣ed al or most of their judgments, I conclude that

here a certain number is put for an uncertain, as it is often in Scripture, as Numb. 10. 36.* 1.99 when the Ark was set down and rested, this Proverb was appointed to be said at its seting down, Re∣turn O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel: there is put an uncertain number, but in the margin you may see the word signifies a certain as well as an uncertain number, and an uncertain as well as a certain, either of both. Which In∣terpretation gave Hierome and Novatianus the hint to say in plain words twenty thousand, or thousands of Angels: that is, they are innumera∣ble, infinite, immense: And I think that inter∣pretation is best and most agreeable to the manner of the Scriptures expressions, and to the meaning of the word here used, and elsewhere: For the Hebrew word Ribboth signifies ten thousand in all numbers, and Ribbaboth is in∣terpreted, 2 Sam. 18. 7. ten thousand: and Re∣baboth the plural number, is rendred Numb. 10. 36. the many thousands of Israel, which come all from the Verb Rabbah multiplicavit, and Rab¦multus, which gave Hierome and Novatianus that hint before expressed.

Then the Chariots of God are numberless, that is, no man can number them; not but that God can number them, and call them all by their names, as David sayes of the Stars, Psal. 147. 4.* 1.100 for any number that can be numbered, is but like the number of the Beast, Rev. 13. 18. which is according to the number of a man: but God numbereth all things: for as he made all things

in weight and measure, so in number, Wisd, 11. 17.* 1.101 Suppose as great a number as can be numbered, as great as can be called or named, yet Gods num∣bering is beyond all thought, and to us it is im∣possible to number them. If all the words that ever I spake, or ever shall speak, were unmbered: if the minutes that are past since the world began were numbered, this is beyond the num∣ber of a man. But God can number all things, he hath made all things both in number, weight, and measure▪ but himself is the plot, the stan∣dard, the measure of all; and the measure, scales, and weights, are all his own: for he numbers not according to the number of a man, nor he weighs not as man weighs. It sufficeth there∣fore that the number of his Chariots are as the number of his wayes, both in difficulty and number; no man can find them out, they are unsearchable, and past finding out, so that we may well with the Apostle, Rom. 11. 33.* 1.102 cry out, Oh, How unsearchable are his judge∣ments, and his wayes past finding out!

He weighs the World in a ballance; but what is all the world to him? tis but as the drop of a Bucket, and as the dust of the Ballance, and as the drop of the morning dew to the Ocean: yea, infinite∣ly far less & inconsiderable; Tis true, that in Esay 40. 12.* 1.103 He measures the waters in his fist, and metes out the Heavens with his Span, and comprehends the dust of the earth in a measure; but the Omer & Ephah are both his own.* 1.104 And tis true, he telleth

the number of the Stars, and calleth them all by their names: but as they are his Stars, so they are numbered by his Arithmetick; for they are not according to the number of a man. As God saith to Abraham, Gen. 15. 5.* 1.105 Look towards Heaven, and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them, so shall thy seeed be.

I hope Beloved by this time you begin to see what a numberless number of Chariots and Angels God hath ready prest at his command for any errand he pleaseth to send them on: and also how easily our Saviour, the great Arch-An∣gel of the Covenant, and Michael Captain of the Lords hosts, could have commanded more then 12 Legion of Angels, Mat. 26. 53.* 1.106

Beloved, I will propound it very briefly to you in two things, or two Scriptures, wherein ye may a little have a glimpse of God, and a smal scantling of God, and of God Almighties Arithmetick: and if this smal scantling and lit∣tle glimpse be so wonderful, what is his per∣fection? what is himself? what is his Essence and glorious Being?

One shall be from that which David saith, Ps. 90. 4.* 1.107 A thousand years with God are but as yester∣day, or as one day: there is no succession of time with him. In a thousand years (you know) are 365000 dayes, and all this time is to God but as one day is to us: Then who can number dayes with God? so who can number Gods An∣gels, his Armies and his Chariots? they are to us infinite, and numberless as to men; we must

not nor cannot number them, no, not according to the number of a man: As we must not mea∣sure God by mans measure, so God numbers not by mans number, nor measures not by mans measure: for whensoever ye read of God expressed under any Name or Attribute, mea∣sure him not as you apprehend of that Attribute; but as infinitely beyond it, as the Ocean to the Drop, and farre, farre beyond.

Beloved, when we think of God, we must go backward from our first principles that were born with us, or instilled into us by our Teachers, or acquired by our industry, and unlearn what we have been learning so long, or rather transcend and forget and forsake all that knowledge of him: we must be stript from all carnal appre∣hensions of God, so as to measure him by any thing we can comprehend. And to teach us this Arithmetick,* 1.108 we had need have line upon line, line upon line, and precept upon precept, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, before ever we can learn these things: for they are farre above us.

As all the wayes of God are unknowable, un∣searchable, Rom. 11. 33.* 1.109 so all the Armies of God are unsearchable, unknowable: and the Cha∣riots of God are all the wayes of God. And both Chariots and Wayes are his Creatures: God hath his wayes in all his Creatures: his goings forth and workings in all the Creatures, are but the goings forth of himself; they are but the displayings of his own wisdom, power and

greatness. Be hmoth is called The Prince of the wayes of God, Iob 40. 19.* 1.110 And David saith Ps. 77. 19.* 1.111 Thy wayes are in the Sea, and thy paths are in the deep; and the Lord hath his wayes in the whirlwinds, and in the Storms, and the clouds are the dust of his feet, Nah. 1. 3.* 1.112 And whatever God is, he is infinitely so as he is: If he be called [good] he is infinitely good: If Being, he is infinite in Being, & he only hath a Being: for if any thing else hath a being, he cannot be infinite; All things but God, are but shadows, bubbles, soon vanish, soon up and soon down: and if he be all power, and all wisdom, &c. as most certainly he is; then there is no power nor wisdom, &c. but onely his, either in Heaven or Earth: and if his be all the glory,* 1.113 then no Creature hath any glory: if his be all the power, Kingdome, and glory, as in the con∣clusion of the Lords Prayer; then no Creature can claim any; and yet how commonly do men ascribe & appropriate these to themselves, and wipe their mouths, and say, I have done no evill?

The second thing, wherein I would have you take a scantling of God, or of Gods Arithmetick, or of his wayes, is from that place, Dan. 7. 10.* 1.114 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministred unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. I could make a strange inference upon his calculation; but the bed is shorter then a man can stretch himself upon it, and the covering narrower then he can wrap himself in it, Isa. 28. 20.* 1.115 Therefore well may

we (with the Prophet) conclude, v. 23.* 1.116 Precept must be upon precept,* 1.117 and line upon line, &c. that ye may go backward and be broken, snared and taken.

Beloved, ye must be undone, and broken, (as to your selves and your own wisdom & parts:)* 1.118 and then begin again, Line upon line, and line upon line, here a little and there a little: for saith he, whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall be make to understand Doctrine? even them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For we have hitherto made lyes our refuge, and un∣der falshood have we hid our selves, v. 15.* 1.119

Then Beloved, if God be so infinitely great as he is, so that he is all greatness, all wisdom all pow∣er, so that he comprehends, commands, acts all things, fils all things in Heaven and Earth: Oh! All you, the people and children of God, look a∣bout you, and behold your Portion: none hath such a God as you; none hath such a Protector as you; none hath such a Father, such a Provider as you have:* 1.120 Oh happy! Oh happy! yea, thrice happy indeed art thou that hast but these ever∣lasting arms under thee, & his right hand to defend thee, and his care to provide for thee; what needest thou to fear? what needest thou to care? thou art safe for ever.

Henceforth let not any proud flesh quarrel at, or any doubtful soul wonder at, or question our Saviours words,* 1.121 saying how can it be that all the hairs of our heads are numbered? and that not one can fall to the ground without him? for by

infinite wayes he is infinitely present with all things in all places.

But let all that hate or slight this great God, tremble at his stupendious presence greatness and power: For Nahum 1. 3, 4,* 1.122 5. Though the Lord be slow to anger, yet he is of great power, and will not at all acquit the wicked, who hath his way in the whirle∣wind and in the storm; and the cloud are the dust of his feet: for at his pleasure he rebuketh the Sea, and maketh it dry, and dryeth up the Rivers; Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, & the flower of Lebanon; The Mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burnt up at his presence, yea the world and all that dwell therein: who can stand be∣fore his indignation? and who can abide the fierce∣ness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. Think upon this all you that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver, Psal. 50. ult.* 1.123

But (saith he) Psal. 61. 3.* 1.124 The Lord is good and is a strong Hold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him.

Oh Beloved! Let us all then give glory from our souls to this our great God: to this infinite and everlasting Being, who fills all things; & let us all poure out o••r souls before him like Water, and be melted to nothing in his presence. And to that end.

First, Let us subscribe to the infiniteness of our ••od in all his Attributes, in all his ways, & in all his Creatures; Let us alwayes believe it, and

have him continually before us, that we may tremble to offend him, even the wickedest man; And that godly men may both fear and love him, and that they may with strong confidence be rooted; resting, and depending on him who is the rock of Ages: And

Secondly, Let us cry out (with Moses) in con∣tinual acclamations in that powerful Orarion,* 1.125 when ever we think of him, or behold him, There is none like the God of Iesurun, who rideth upon the Heavens for thy help, and in his excellency upon the skie: For the eternal God is thy refuge, and un∣derneath are the Everlasting Arm. Thou canst be in no trouble but he is by thee, with thee; in the fire, or in the water, where ever thou art. Ps. 34. 7, 8.* 1.126 The Angels of the Lord encamp round about them that fear him: O taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man that trusteth in him: O fear the Lord ye his Saint,* 1.127 for there is no want to them that fear him: The young Lions may lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any thing.

Iacob when he went from his fathers house, was afraid he should have wanted, Gen. 28.* 1.128 but God appeared to him in a dream, and he beheld a Ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven. The longest Ladder that ever was read of, or ever heard of, and the greatest builder hath made it, and onely for his own use: And Iacob by it saw that the providence of God was every where, and Angels were continually passing up and down upon it; being sent of the Almighties Er∣rands,

not onely for protection, but to be mi∣nistring spirits, sent forth not onely for the good of those who shall be heirs of Salvation, but for the good of all his Creatures. So that we may say of the providence of God as David saith of his presence, for they are both one, Psal. 139. 7.* 1.129 Whither shall I go from thy presence? if I ascend into Heaven thou art there; there is the top of the Ladder: if I descend into the deep, thou art there; there is the bottome of the Ladder.

The builders of Babel aimed to make such a Ladder;* 1.130 but that which they could never do, the builder of Heaven and Earth hath done: but were they not very fools to think to build a Tower of ten thousand times 1000000 miles high? But let us labour to see the eternal God at the top of this Ladder,* 1.131 and everlasting arms at the foot of it, & then how can we doubt?* 1.132 He that hears the Ra∣vens when they cry unto him, who have neither faith nor understanding, shall he not hear thee, O thou of little faith? It is against both the pro∣mise & against the practice of your Father, that any of you should want any good thing; Yet how full of complaints are all the sons of men? one wants children, another friends, others ho∣nour, others riches, others health, others prefer∣ment, some all these: but certainly you are de∣ceived, you do not want any of them; for if they were good for you, & you had them not, then in∣deed you wanted them: but being not good for you, you want them not; for they in such a case will do you more hurt then good. Therefore I

say let the servant of God that thinks he wants any of these things, pray for what he will, & he shall have it, if he do really want them: for not onely all inanimal or unreasonable Creatures (which are Gods Angels when he pleaseth) do owe their Suit and Service unto those that fear the Lord, but even all the Angels of God in heaven, they are all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heirs of Salvation, Heb. 1. 14.* 1.133

Nay let me tell thee, if thou wilt command the Sun to stand still, and the Moon in the val∣ley of Ajalon as Ioshuah did, it shall be done: or the Sun to go backward upon the Dial,* 1.134 as Hezekiah did, or the Rocks to gush out water, and the Heavens rain down Manna, or the wa∣ters to be divided,* 1.135 and the Sea to stand up as a wall, as Moses did;* 1.136 all shall be done, and they shall obey rather then any of Gods people shall want any good thing.* 1.137 Or if he will command Iron to swim, as Elisha did;* 1.138 Nay let him com∣mand the Covenant of night and day to be broken, and time to be no more,* 1.139 and it shall be done;* 1.140 for Gods word can never fail; nay, heaven & earth shall pass away,* 1.141 but not one jot of his word shall fail.* 1.142

But for all this, I know, and methinks I hear your murmuring thoughts still; for all this you are not yet satisfied: And you say with Iob, Doth the wild Asse bray when he hath grass, or low∣eth the Oxe over his fodder?* 1.143 can that which is un∣savoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg? We are sure we do want

these things, or else we would not complain, we are sure we have them not: and is there any sweetness in nothing? had we fodder, we would not lowe nor complain.

I answer, Indeed that may be, that you are without them.

1. It may be you are not of the family of your heavenly father; then what right or interest have you to expect them? but you are servants to sin, and to his enemies, and yet would have him let you want nothing.

2. There is a great difference between not ha∣ving and wanting: It may well be that you have not riches, and honour, and preferment, &c. but if you be the true servants of God, it cannot be that you should want them.* 1.144 David saith it was good for him that he wanted, and that he was in trouble. There is oftentimes more mercy from God and more comfort to us in Gods Rods, then in these outward things which are onely esteemed Blessings; for they are often no o∣ther but rods or else meat to fat us for slaugh∣ter: for our happiness and comfort lies not in that w^ch the tender & delicate, or wanton flesh and blood saith is good, as to eat Calves out of the stall, and Kids out of the flock, and then rise up and sing to the sound of the Vial,* 1.145 and the Harp. Can there be any true comforts in these discomforts? which if attained are but vanity, and if not at∣tained, are vexation of Spirit, Teshavah, Teshe∣lemoth; nay most commonly better not attain∣ed then attained, because they prove but snares

and destructions. But here may be applyed that of Sampsons riddle:* 1.146 out of the sowre came forth sweet, and out of the eater meat: therefore O that we could behold the love of God in all conditions.

Indeed there is nothing happens to the wick∣ed, that hath any thing of love in it; but if we belong to him, how he••vy soever the afflictions be, or how evil or unjust soever the Instru∣ment be, from him it is alwayes just, and is in love, and intended for our good: and the issue shall be sweet, just and good. Shall then any ser∣vant of God grudge at whatever such a Tender father lays upon him? we suffer the fathers of our bodies to correct us, as the Apostle saith, Heb. 12. 9.* 1.147 and we gave them reverence; and shall we not much rather be in subjection to the father of spirits and live? so verily they for a few dayes chastened us for their pleasure; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. I might shew you in many things wherein our profit by af∣flictions ariseth; but this is not our point in hand: we must return to it, that we may end at present, and commit you to God.

And let not me think, because there are so many men and creatures in the world, in Hea∣ven and in Earth, to provide for, defend and pro∣tect, that therefore I shall be neglected; or that he hath not Armies and Angels enough to defend me; or that thou, who ever thou art, that trustest in him, shalt be neglected: no, no.

To think, because Kings and Princes and great Ones have Angels to defend them; therefore to doubt there will be none or not enough to mind or to assist me. Yea, yea, fear not, he hath Chariots enough to assist all; yea all his Creatures in all places, in all times, through all ages.

Beloved, those sweet Babes, the Kings chil∣dren that now are; How pleasant are they? they take their sleep, their food, & their play, and care for nothing; And yet little do they think how many heads must bleed, and hearts must ake be∣fore their royal persons can be touched: but I say, they take their play and sleep quietly in their Cradles, & neither fear nor care toucheth them.

So my beloved, Let the true royal seed of God do so Let all Gods Servants lie down in peace and take their rest, and say, O Lord thou alone makest me dwel in safety, Psal. 4.* 1.148 for their Gods Armies lie round about them, and shall make them all dwel safely; They cannot be touched or hurt, For be∣sides al this, that these millions of Angels both in Heaven & Earth are their Guard; That great General himself, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, is their Saviour & Protectour: and his Everlasting Arms are under them for evermore.

But it may be their infirmities and their igno∣rance wil not let them see it or confess it; yet lit∣tle do they know, how many thousand thousands of the Armies of God must be overthrown be∣fore Gods people, or any one of his children can be touched; before ever any one member of Je∣sus

Christ can be hurt: for this God, as he is great & dreadful, so he is a God infinite in bowels and compassions, who fills and commands all Crea∣tures, and all his Armies and Chariots are for their defence, relief and protection.

And therefore, from henceforth and for e∣ver, let us all cry out in an holy admiration,

Oh the Heighth, Depth, Breadth, and Length, of his Power, and Mercy, and Loving-kindness.

1 HEIGHTH.

For saith David, Psal. 36.* 1.149 Thy Mercy O Lord is in the Heavens, and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

Thy righteousness is like the great Mount ains and thy Iudgements are a great deep:* 1.150 O Lord thou ••reservest man and beast.

How excellent is thy loving kindness O God!* 1.151 therefore the children of men put their trust under the ••adow of thy wings.

••hey shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house,* 1.152 and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures.

For with thee is the fountain of life,* 1.153 and in thy light we shall see light.

2 DEPTH.

Psal. 86. 13.* 1.154 Great is thy mercy toward me, thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Hell.

3 BREADTH.

Psal. 104. 24.* 1.155 O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

4 LENGTH.

Psal. 98. 3.* 1.156 He hath remembred his mercy and his truth toward the house of Isaael: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

And now Brethren, if this OUR great God be Lord and Governour of the House, what then can be out of order?

If he be our spenditory, our house of Store, what fear of want?

If he be our Treasurer, what fear of poverty?

Surely he hath enough and enough, infinitely more then enough: He can make the Philoso∣phers Stone, he can make gold, he can and will create comforts: and therefore let all these things stay your hearts, and depend on him, as on that Rock to whom there is none like him: though all the men, & all the Kings & Princes on earth should consult and conspire together, and all contribute their utmost to make thee happy, yet there is none like the God of Iesurun, who rideth upon the Heavens in his help, and in his ex∣cellency upon the skie: for the eternal God is thy re∣fuge, and underneath are

THE EVERLASTING ARMS.

And so I commit you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and bring you on to perfection.

Militia Coelestis: OR The Heavenly Host: The second Sermon upon Psal. 68. 17.

The Chariots of God are twenty thou∣sand thousands of Angels. The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.

At Giles Criplegate, in the Afternoon, the Re∣petition omitted.

WE may well call this Verse The hea∣venly warfare: wherein (as I told you) were contained four things.

• 1 Their nature, they are the (ha∣riots of God, because God was plea∣sed to ride in them.
• 2 Their number, the Text saith, that they are twenty thousand thousands of Angels; and I told you from the Text, that they were Infinite.
• 3 Their name, they are called Angels.
• 4 Their Commander, and that is [God] The

• Chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thou∣sands of Angels.

We spake of these two in the forenoon; we come now to the two last. The third is their name [Angels]

There is much adoo about this name of An∣gels, what they are, what their nature is; but we will not now stand much upon that; the most do con∣sent that all the creatures are Angels.

The word it self signifies especially in this pla••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 An∣gel; & 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 joynt∣ly 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 libe∣rality 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 sin∣ner 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 thou∣sand 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 in∣credible, 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 perfecti∣ons 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 com∣pleat body: As the perfections of a man cannot be known by any one man; for if one man have wis∣dom, another hath sobriety; if one hath patience, another man hath temperance; so that the beau∣ty 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,* 1.157 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 beau∣tiful 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, ano∣ther 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,* 1.158 Ps. 103. 20. Bless the Lord all ye hosts, ye Angels that do his pleasure; and al∣though it be more properly spoken of those An∣gels that are invisible in the air, & in the heavens: yet it may well be also applied to all creatur••••; for he hath made them very little lower then the Angels;* 1.159 onely in the Angels below, matter pre∣vails 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 thou∣sands 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, Spi∣rit 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 Arch∣angels, some Cherubims, and some Seraphims; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 therefore if you have observed it, if ever ye saw Angels pictured, they were drawn with com∣pleat 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 a∣bove our element,; but Arch-angels they are pictured with half bodies, cut off at the middle, with wings: shewing that they are further off from matter; but Cherubims they have faces one∣ly, with wings, shewing that they are further off then all these: but Seraphims they are pictured as it were, without any form or matter at all, onely with a kind of fiery flame, or yellowishness: Therefore now of these Angels that are above us, we can say little of them; because men being in Nature below, and they above our ele∣ment; Even as if we should ask a Toad, what man is? it could say nothing, because it is in a sphere below us: So if we should go about to define what Angels are, we might very well mis∣take; for though we may conceive somewhat to our selves, yet we may be easily deceived in

the knowledge of the Nature of Angels. So much at present concerning Angels.

But some may further Object to me, and it is a strong Objection.

Object.* 1.160 God being so constant, so unchangeable as he is, and he is in the creatures, what is the reason ••hen that the creatures are so changeable? the Scrip∣ture tells us God is Immutable.

Ans.* 1.161 Beloved, Almighty God is like the Sun, riding in his Chariot (we have no better ex∣pressions to set out these unexpressable things to you) the Sun shines to us, yet it is much chang∣ed to us, according to the several objects it shines through: The Sun is not the same to us that it is in its self; for it is exceeding light and exceeding hot, and its shining through the dull air changes it to us, though nothing changed in itself: so though the creature be changed, yet God is not changed; but his works are changed according to the several subjects he works on.

Again, that same beam that shines in at one win∣dow, is not the same that shines in at another; yet we say the Sun shines in at both, and yet it alters in a very small distance in one quarrel it shines red, in the next green, &c. now here is a change, but the Sun is the same; So though the creatures be changed, and turned upside down, and mountains be hurled here and there, yet God is the same, he is not changed, he cannot be moved: In him is no variableness nor shadow of changing, Iam. 1. 17.* 1.162 although ac∣cording to the several creatures he works in,

he seems to be changed to us; yet in himself he is not, nor cannot be.

Now we come to the fourth and last part; and that is, who this General and great Captain is that commands all these Armie of Angels? this great Army of Chariots and Angels, it is said, they are the Chariots of God.

Quest.* 1.163 But you will say to me, I pray how is God in the Creature? is he in the creature, as he was on Mount Sinai? for then God appeared to Moses in great Majesty and Glory; the mou•••• shook and trembled, and trumpets sounded lowder and lowder: and there was thunder & lightnings, insomuch that all the people were amazed; now if we could see God in the creature thus, we should then believe he were there; but we see no such thing in the Creature.

Answ.* 1.164 We must not imagine that God hath either trumpets, or thunders, or any such things material, but there was something answerable to them, something equivalent, God then appear∣ing in terrour; and we could not better conceive of God then by such expressions as these: But although God appear not the same to us in his creatures; Yet without all doubt he is as much in every creature, and as infinitely present as he was on Mount Sinai, as terribly, as gloriously, though he doth not manifest himself so much: For he is as much in the basest creature, in a Mouse, in a Frog, and yet no disparagement or abasing to his infinite Majesty and greatness (as some foolishly think) but it so much the more exalts him; yea I lay he is as much present in a

Flie, in a Flea, in a Pile of grass, as he was on the Mount; And to some God ••ounds as loud in their h••arts,* 1.165 in the manifestation of himself, as the trumpets then; though in others more stilly and wisperingly▪ In all he is alike, but he ma∣nifests himself but where he pleaseth: Some are 〈…〉〈…〉, and see not God at all.

In Balaa•••• 〈…〉〈…〉 as as much before he spoke; but when God 〈◊〉〈◊〉 himself in him, then he spake; for if God would he could raise unto himself children unto Abraham out of the very stones,* 1.166 as well as from among the wisest men: And therefore O Hierome! it was thy fault, it was thy weakness, when thou saidst that it was an a∣basing of God, to say he was in a Mouse, in a Toad, in the base creatures; for it is no dispraise at all to him, to say he is as much in a Flie, or in a pile of grass, as in an Angel; as much in the damnedst Devil in hell, as in the gloriousest Saint and Angel in heaven, but much to his praise and glory: for deny this and ye deny his 〈◊〉〈◊〉, his filling all places, and all creatures.

But know this, God is not in every 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as he is in himself, but as every creature 〈◊〉〈◊〉 him; as though it be true, that th•• sea flows into all the creeks & crannies of the earth, yet not according to the fulness of the sea, though to every cranny and brook the sea is not spaing. It is true, God is in heaven, yet not more in heaven then he is in the earth; and I remember I was taught when I was a child, by my nurse, or by my mother, that God was a∣bove

in heaven; but let us now put away childish things: I pray God too too many old men be not guilty of this childishness; yea, and many of these litteral Divines teach no otherwise; they never bring their he••rers any farther then to be Monsters, alwayes children, alwayes feeding them with milk, and never learn them to eat strong meat: So that if they come amongst strong men to feed with them, their stomachs are so squemish, they turn with at all. Or else casting pearls before swine, they trample them under their feet,* 1.167 and turn again and all to rent you.

One thing I had almost forgotten, concerning the name of Angels, which I will deliver to you, before I come to make use of these things: In every creature there is an Angel, and this Angel is as the beam that comes from the Sun: and this beam goes directly in a strait line to the Sun: So that let a man, th••••gh he be in never so dark, stinking a dungeon, and never so deep, yet if any little beam of the Sun can but come in, though it be but at a pinhole, yet go & lay your eye full in that beam, and you shall behold the Sun it self; therefore, and in that regard saith our Saviour Christ, Their Angels alwayes behold the face of their Father which is in heaven:* 1.168 So though there be never so much darkness in the soul, yet do but lay your eye (blinding all your sight be∣sides) in this beam or Angel that comes from God, and you shall behold God.

Now we come to make some use.

The first let it be this, To teach us charity and

love towards all the creatures, be they never so base; for we have all one Father & maker, & God is in them, though he manifests not himself as he doth in thee, wherein he is most manifested; for how came he to be manifested in thee? was it by thy pains or industry; or by his good will & pleasure? he might as well have refused to shine into thee, as into another? & might have made thee in his case whom thou despisest: Therefore behold and look upon all the creatures as thy bre∣thren: yea, they are all more truly thy bre∣thren, then if you had been begotten by one fa∣ther, and brought forth by one mother, in this regard; because, Almighty God is the com∣mon-Father of all; and therefore when thou lookest on any creature, though never so base, account and esteem it as thy brother;* 1.169 for it is a son to that Father of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is 〈◊〉〈◊〉: And therefore how∣ever some of our litteral and ignorant Divines do laugh at that of St. Francis, that he called every creature his Brother, he called the Ox his brother, the Ass his brother, and all cre••tures his brothers; if it came from an humble & low∣ly mind in him, I think him the better Christi∣an; for man is apt enough to boast himself, and to look upon his endowments;* 1.170 but he will fill the hun∣gry & the humble with good things:* 1.171 I tel you, here is such a brotherhood as shall never end; the other shall have an end; and therefore more cause of love to these then to the other; for we are all begotten by one Father; the other brotherhood

ceases;* 1.172 for saith our Saviour, You are deceived, not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God for in heaven there is no marrying, nor giving in mar∣riage, but they are as the Angels of God in heaven.

Vse 2. Lets learn to know our selves, and then we shall learn also to pay the creatures that which is due to them: Let us give them all due respect, shew no cruelty to them, but use them as brothers: those creatures God hath appointed for mans use, and used so, they serve their Crea∣tors will and appointment; let us use them so; though many of them lose their lives for us, yet shew as much compassio•• to them as we may; let us not exercise cruelty, or our domi∣nion or authority over them, beyond what we are allowed:* 1.173 do not begin to strike thy fellow-ser∣vant, shew no rigor or wrath to them, no, not to the dumb creatures, no, nor to men: When thou seest a wicked man, thy heart rises against him, thou wouldest have God presently destroy him, not knowing thy own heart how bad that is; and thou art ready to cal for fire from hea∣ven, as the Disciples did; but what answer makes Christ to their desire, Ye know not what spirit ye are of;* 1.174 no, no, leave them to God: Thou wonderest that God doth not send fire from heaven presently and destroy them, as he did Sodom, or open the earth to swallow them up, as it did Corah, &c. O fools, when will ye learn wisdom? certainly God knows what to do, without thy directions; yet vain man will be so wise,* 1.175 as to teach God wisdom, Isa. 40. 14. and

censure his actions; But who art thou that con∣tendest with thy maker? Isa. 45. 9.* 1.176

Though it be said in Psal. 8. 6.* 1.177 He hath given him dominion over the works of his hands; yet know, though they were made for thy use, they were much more for his; they were not made for thee, to use as you list, nor for thy will and plea∣sure, but to be used soberly according to his pleasure, and appointment.

Vse 3. And lastly, learn from hence that there is nothing of Fortune, but all comes and falls out by an infinite wise Providence; That the name of Fortune is an Idle, a Heathenish, and a wicked word, taking it as the word imports; for nothing comes by Chance or Fortune, but tis God that guides all; And yet knowing the right use of that word it may be used; for it is used in the Scriptures: saith Solomon; For Time and chance, or fortune (for 'tis the same) happeneth to all things; Though it first arose from an evil ground & from the Heathens, who because there were such cross events in the world, that when a business was brought to the heads and period, yet one thing or other oftentimes came be∣tween the cup & the lip; (as we say,) and quite turned all about: now hereat they were so amazed and at their wits end, they could not tell how this should come to pass, except there was a God call'd [Forune] and therefore they sacrificed to him; But I say the ground and mis-use being forgotten, it may come in time to be lawful to use it, at least by such who know

how to use it. But what it imports is wicked, and is condemned by this Doctrine as abomi∣nable.

We poor creatures stand and wonder at ma∣ny events in the world; here now God calls all the creatures Fools; for instance: When two dear friends, that have been long apart, not having seen one another in twenty or fourty years, he one falls to come in some great dan∣ger, his dear friend chanceth to come at a very instant, and saves his life: here now we stand and wonder; it is no wounder at all, if we eye God; ye are herein but fools and blinde: Again, for example if you see me strike these two hands together, if you saw not my body that guides these, we may wonder at it; but what wonder is it, if you see me strike these two togther? so far as you are blind and see not God, so far ye wonder▪ for it is as easie with God to do any of these things, as for me to make my hands meet. I can also by the power and guidance of the soul that is in me, lay my finger in the darkest night, upon any place about me; why? because my soul within me guides it: so it is as easie for God in any case, he being (as it were) the soul of the creatures, can cause the creatures to do whatever is his Will to have done, both in Heaven and earth and in the Seas, as David saith.

Thus I have spoken to you of this our Immense, Unknown, Unexpressible Great God; But O my Beloved, I have spoken but according to man all this while, infinitey short of him himself; and

therefore never scanty or circumscribe God by these things I have said; for he is this, and he is infinitly more: for if men Men and Angels, and Cherubims & Seraphims should all joyn together, to set out his praise to the utmost that they could conceive or relate, yet look further, fur∣ther still; for when they have said what they can, they have said nothing in comparison of what he is: As if a man should come from some forrein parts, and desire to see our Kingdom, and should but onely come to the out-coasts, and see onely the Cockle-s••ells that lie upon the shore, or the Oyster-shells, or the Pibble-stones that lie there; and should immediately go back and say, he hath seen England; do you think that he is able to describe the Kingdom to any one that shal ask him? Alas poor man, he is deceived! for he hath seen none of the pleasant Hills, & Vales, none of the stately Structures, Palaces, Buildings; none of the strong Castles & Towers, none of the Pro∣visions and Ammunitions, none of the Proper and Comely Men, Women and Children, none of the Healthful and Commodious Springs, none of the Silver-Gliding and Pleasant Streams; none of the Pleasant and and Fruitful Orchards, none of the Pleasant Walks and Gardens, nor any thing else, esteemed the Glory of the Na∣tion: Even so when Men and Angels, and all Creatures have seen and spoken to the utmost, what they can of God; Alas, alas, they have neither related nor seen any more then the Out-coasts, the Suburbs of this our great God,

or of his Kingdom, Glory and Majesty; I say when we have written and spoken to the utmost, even Men and Angels, and all Creatures, put all together, all that ever they can do or say, They all speak infinitely, infinitely short of him; they all can shew you but the Cockle-Shels, and the Pibble-stones of his Kingdom Glory and Majesty: they can describe nothing in comparison of what God is. They have not seen the City with twelve Gates the streets whereof are pure Gold, the foundations whereof are laid and gar∣nished with twelve manner of precious stones: and the twelve gates of several pearls, and the streets of the City Transparent as Chrystal. And the Glory of God and of the lamb, are the light and glory thereof.

O then, let us learn to give him the Glory, the surmounting praises of his glorious greatness, and incomprehensibleness:* 1.178 And do it heartily, freely: Pour out your very souls before him like water,* 1.179 ful∣ly and freely, nothing your selves in his Being: And although herein we may lose our selves and be annihilated, yet be assured, it is our greatest and onely Salvation and gain.

Learn we henceforth, to know wherein our Riches and happiness lies: O Beloved, deceive not your selves, and dote not on these outward temporal things, on Honours, Lands, Livings, Meat and Drink, and those despicable things, compared with these Riches and Pleasures, which indeed are but poor Cockle-Shels, for chil∣dren to play withall, and not for Grown-men

in Christ: These are but for the body, for the back and belly, and the outward and worser part of man: and as the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 6. 14.* 1.180 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meat, but God shall destroy both it and them: All these things perish with the using. Learn to distinguish and know what is true riches, true food; these out∣ward things are but as the Cockle-shels, and Pib∣ble-stones that lie on the Out-Coasts of the King∣dom: These are nothing of the State, Riches, Treasure, Magnificence of the Kingdom of God: You must learn to distinguish between the Rich∣es and Glory of the King, and the Cockle-shells at the shore: And You that have Plenty of these outward things, you have no more but shells; and you that have no more, you never enjoyed nor saw the Riches, the Pleasures, the Glory, the Magni∣ficence of this Great King, or of his Kingdom, which we have now been unfolding to you.

Beloved, Let us all call to mind what hath been set before us, and stand and wonder! and for ever hereafter, be amazed and astonished, and cry out, Oh the Glo••y, the Glory, the Infinite, Vnspeakable, and Vncomprehensible glory of our God, of his Kingdom, Majesty and Soveraignty! and therein to be lost and swallowed up in an everlasting A∣bysse of Silence and Serenity: And say to our selves, as that Rich man in the Gospel; and al∣though he deluded his poor soul with false Ioy and Treasure: yet this man may truly sing to his soul a Requiem as he did, Soul, soul, take thine ease, take thy rest, sing and rejoyce, leap & dance

Thou hast much goods laid up in thy God, not only for many years, but for ever and ever, Luk. 22. 12.* 1.181

O now, let us for ever take delight under His shadow, sitting there with great delight with the Spouse saying as it is, Cant. 2. 3. As the Apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved among the Sons: I sate me down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste being ravished in beholding him, as Guiding all things, as FILLING ALL THINGS; and seeing him more our selves, then ourselves; she was overcome by his Glory, and by her uni∣on with him, &c. O Beloved, let us curiously sur∣vey him in all his Riches, Attendance and Glory, even the Kingly-nakedness of his Divine Being: and let thy soul here set up her REST; see him, hear him, and adore him, and entertain all familiar and amorous parlyes with him, and re∣ceive his Rosy Kisses, close and amorous em∣bracements, and sugred expressions from him: in which condition thy soul will be (as it were) annihilated and lost, being swallowed up and drown∣ed in him; I tell thee thou blessed soul, thou wilt be inebriated, drunken and overcome with these Divine Pleasures & Glories which are at his right hand for evermore; looking upon, and de∣spising all things but him (or as enjoyed in him) as Empty Nothings, as Cockle-shells, and Pibble∣stones; but seeing him to be so Rich, so Full, so Ravishing, and more then transcendently glo∣rious and excellent, that this soul can truly, really & freely, and with all his soul say, O thou

whom my soul loveth,* 1.182 thee onely I Adore, Love, Prize, Admire and take full consolation and satisfaction in; and I hate all other Comforts, Houses, Lands, Father, Mother, Wife, Children, as compared with thee;* 1.183 For he that hates not all these, in comparison of thee, he is not worthy of thee.

Beloved, now I (for my part) am at my far∣thest; lost and confounded in the beholding this vast and stupendiou•• riches and glory of our Great and Almighty God; which like a deep Sea before me, stops my passage, I can go no farther: So that I must onely now stand upon the Banks, and cry out with St. Paul, Rom. 11. 33.* 1.184 O the depth of the Riches, Wisdom and Excellency of God! how unsearchable are they, and past finding out! which are as unsearchable as God himself, without brim, without bottom: And if things we see and behold here in the body, which are as Cockle-shells, and Pibble-stones, be so excellent, so rich and glorious,* 1.185 so full, so sweet, so ravishing; now we see but in part, as the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 13. 12. what will the fullness of this glory be to us hereafter, when we shall see as we are seen, and shall not onely possess it, but be possessed and swallowed up in it? So for present I conclude, and commit you all to the Lord, and to the word of his Grace. Farewell.

Where Christ FEEDETH AND RESTETH.

CANT. 1. 7.

Tell me (O thou whom my soul loveth) where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turn∣eth aside by the stocks of thy com∣panions?

In two Sermons preached for Mr. Hodges at the publick meeting place at Highgate in the Forenoon.

THIS Text may well be called the re∣quest of a fair Lady to her dearly belo∣ved Lord; it is clear it is so: for though she complains of her self in the verse before my Text, that she is black, & the Sun hath looked upon her: yet in the verse following my Text, he sayes, That to him she is the fairest

among women: and she cannot be so forward in requesting any thing at his hands, as he is ready to accommodate her: if she desire to have her name written in the palms of his hands, he will do more, he will set her as a Signet upon his heart; as you may perceive in reading over this Book,* 1.186 this Lord here spoken of is such a Lord, whose judgment, when you know him, you cannot dis∣allow; for it is Christ Jesus the Lord of life and death: and this Lady is the Spouse of this Lord, viz. the Congregation, or the body of this Saints and Servants: and wonder not that I call her a fair Lady; for though we see it not, yet He, her Lord says, she is all fair, and there is no spot in her: And I tell you,* 1.187 if we would see the beauty of the Church, we must not look upon any one particu∣lar member, for then we can never say, she is all fair; ye shall see many spots, many wrinkles in them: but if you look upon the whole Church, then she is all Fair, that is, the compleat body together: As any one species, the excellency there∣of cannot be known by any one Individu∣al; as in a horse, the best that is, though he may excell in one and many things, yet he may want something that is excellent in another; if he have strength; yet he may want comliness; if one have comliness, he may want swiftness, &c. but take all together, and then you may judge of the species of a horse, and so of a man, or any other kind: it is a vain thing to judge of the perfections of a man by any one m••n; one is comely of body, another is comely in mind; if

one be diligent, another is wise: so, if you look upon the whole kind of man, and the excellencies of all men put together I say, look upon him outwardly & inwardly, & then you must needs say, he is a glorious Creature, a rare workman∣piece: So, O Lord Christ, wherewilt thou shew us, & where shall we find that beautiful one thou speakest of, that is Altogether fair, that is Tota pulchraces amica mea, if we look upon any one Member? but take the religion of one, and the charity of another, the zeal of another, the faith of another, the patience of another, and go through the whole body, and look upon these as a compleat body, and then thou mayest say truly, Tota pulchraes amica mea, &c. There is no spot in thee; Thou art all fair my Love. And if any one man or member shall claim this beauty to himself,* 1.188 except it be as he stands in relation to the body, he claims a lye: for if ye will claim this Perfection, ye must look upon The whole body, both all below upon Earth and all that are in Heaven, all that ever were, and all that are, and all that ever shall be, and adde to them, Christ the head of all; then we shall confess that as she requests him not to look up∣on her as black in any one member, so he answers her, and acknowledgeth that she is all Fair.

This Text then is a request of a fair Lady to her dear & espoused Lord, whom he hath was••t and purified with his own blood. I hope be that is the weakest & the meanest in religion, will not ima∣gine this Sons to be a Dialogue between two

carnal Lovers: or as Solomon and his wife com∣plementing together; if ye consider them so, they are but the e••crements of flesh and blood, and they shall perish with them. But whereto then shall I liken these songs of the Canticles? They are like those three Tabern••cle•• that the Disciples would have made when Christ was transfigured, one for Moses one for Elias, and one for Christ.

1 One for Moses and for his Law; that is, for the legal and civil life.

2 The second Tabernacle is like the Book of Ecclesias••es and the Proverbs, leading a man a∣bove this life, when it condemns this civil & le∣gal life; reprehending whatsoever is in man as man; as wisdom, strength, power, and what ever power there is in him to act, and to bring any thing to pass.

3 But the third Tabernacle may well be cal∣led The Holy of Holies and such is this, namely this Book of the Canticles: Here Christ answers his Spouse familiarly face to face, even in the si∣lence of thunder, as it is in Psal. 81. 7.* 1.189 there he calls it the silence of thunder, and yet what is more ••ud then thunder? the meaning is, that to that soul to whom God speaks, it is as loud to him as thunder: but to them that stand by, it is silence, and secret wispering, because they hear not the voyce of Christ.

Beloved, this Book is a Mystical, Divine, High∣flown Book; the things herein contained, are not fit for every ear to hear, lest the dead Flie, as So∣lomon saith, corrupt this precious oyntment; Let the

flesh abuse it, and turn it to fleshly liberty; and for this end the Jews would not suffer their children to read this Book, lest the wan∣tonness of flesh should make them abuse it: but I hope well of you, that you are better instructed so that you will not abuse this Scripture to your own destruction;* 1.190 as the Apostle saith, Charity bids me judge the best: & I go on & propound them as to the immaculate Spouse of her dear Lord.

Ye may observe in the words (yet rather for memory then order sake) four things.

• 1 The first is her Request, Tell me, she is in a doubt, and cannot be satisfied, therefore she de∣sires to be taught.
• 2 The Adjuration, or the Poise or weight she hangs upon her request; it is not slight, weak, cold, or perfunctory: but she is violent in her request,* 1.191 & follows him with strong arguments, Oh thou whom my soul loveth; she offers violence to the Kingdom of God: to say the truth, she doth as it were commit a Rape upon the Kingdome of God.
• 3 The Matter of her Request, and that is double, she would know where he feeds, & where he rests at noon.
• 4 The Reason of all this, why she would be taught where he rests, and where he feeds: for why should I be as those that turn aside by the flocks of thy companions?

1 For her Request, Tell me, teach me; think it not strange that this Spouse who is so great and

familiar with her Husband and Lord, that thi Spouse doth desire to be taught of him: neither look upon her as guilty of curiosity or imperti∣nencies; Although she wants for no instruction, but is acquainted with all the counsel of God, and she knows all things, for she hath received an unction from the holy One,* 1.192 which abideth within her, and she knows all things; yet here she is com∣plaining that she wants something. In such passio∣nate speeches as these, so full of raptures of love, ye must not look for method, for they excel & fly above the regiment of reason, truth it is, Lo∣gick is the Art of reason, but passions are either above reason or beneath it; but here above it.

David was a man taught of God, and though wiser

Then either

• 1 His Enemies,
• 2 His Teachers,
• 3 His Elders.

Yet he cryes, teach me notwithstanding, which shews that the teachings of God are far above Nature and Reason: for they are but like the Sun, which when it shines, shews all beneath it, but hides all above it. This admirable and glorious Spouse of the Lamb, she desires to be taught of her Lord: And she doth it not re∣missely, as if she cared not whether she sped or no; but zealously, earnesty; tell me, Oh thou whom my soul loveth: she so presseth her suit, as if she would not be satisfied with out grant∣ing of it: tell me, she would (for all her know∣ledge)

still know more, that so she might do more:* 1.193 she would have her light shine before men, that they may magnifie & glorifie her Spouse & Husband. Hence take notice of the nature of the fire of Love; when Jesus Christ hath once kind∣led it in the heart, it is never satisfied: still feed∣ing & ever hungry; still she wonders at the glory & beauty of God, and of her Spouse, and is never satisfied with enjoying of him; she sees his ex∣cellency, sweetness and glory in every thing, & desires more and more to see it and taste it; still he fils her, and still she wonders at him: Oh how excellent is thy name in all the earth,* 1.194 who hast set thy glory above the Heavens! she never thinks she hath enough, and that she needs no more, as it is too great a fault in these self-wise dayes: but like David she cries, O teach me, Oh direct me, Oh lead me, so that I may draw nearer & nearer to thee! she answers the desire of God, Oh that there was such a heart in this people to seek after me,* 1.195 & to keep my commandements: and she hath good reason,* 1.196 for the rich & full God sends empty away; but he fils the hungry with good things: but now adays we are rich and full, with the Church, in Rev. 3.* 1.197 and know not that we are poor blind, and naked: no sooner one is entered into the Church (Christs School) and they begin to know any thing, but they will be presently Masters and Teachers; and he is a great Christian now adayes that is a great fault-finder, he that can pick a ma∣ny holes, and reprove the sins of other men, and this Forsooth must go for great profession, and a

good progress in Christianity: but for my part, I would ye were all Masters & Teachers;* 1.198 I would (as Moses) that all the people of God could prophe∣sy, and that the Lord would put his spi••it upon them: I would they were as sure Masters and Teachers as I am sure they are ignorant and without all knowledge;* 1.199 for the Apostle sayes, He that thinks he knows any thing, he knows nothing as he ought to know: and our Saviour commands, Be not many Masters, for one is your Master in Heaven; he that will learn, must still account himself a fool: and I pray God our wisdom be not so great that we scorn to learn even of God himself: And sure I am as long as ye go on in this conceit of your own knowledge, you cannot admire God and his wis∣dom, but you admire your selves and your own wisdome, your own parts; and you love your selves above God; and the truth is, the very summe and quintessence of this peoples Religi∣on, is to speak bitterly and largely against their neighbours sins, against their brethr••ns infirmi∣ties, and forsooth, they conceive they do it out of a zeal to Gods Glory, and consider not what a hook the Devil hath put into their own nostrils, who draws and puls them which way he pleases; and is under pretence of serving and glorifying God; They consider not how they serve nothing but the Devil and their own lusts; such a man (say they) he is a good man; were it not but that he hath such and such faults, he would be a good member in the Church, but he lives scandalously; never consider∣ing

how scandalously they live themselves to∣ward others, yea far more, but see it not.

Oh Beloved, what do we in all this, but say in practice, though not with our mouths, with that Pharisee,* 1.200 I thank God I am not as other men, he is a greater sinner then I, I am better then he; I am no whoremonger, as such a man; no Adulterer, as such a man; I live not in those sins as he doth. You know the Scripture tells us, that this poor sinner the Publican whom he despised, went home to his house justified, and not the other. Therefore I beseech ••ou for your own sakes, and for his sake that shed his blood for you; Nay I be∣seech you for his sake that could have written e∣very mans fault in his forehead if he had plea∣sed; Leave this (office of accusing, of back-bit∣ing, of slandering,) to the Divel, take not his office from him; it is the nature of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 files to be alwayes dwelling upon sores of horses, or other Beasts: so thou, whatever good or excellen∣cy he hath in him otherwayes, thou art content to run over that, and takest no notice thereof; But if thou meetest with a botch, with a sore, there thou ea••est, and there thou gallest, and makest it worse then thou foundst it, when thou shouldest rather dwell upon the other, and run over this: and the reason they do so, is, because they would seem wise▪ & be able to reprove sin: I do not speak against this, so that I would not have you reprove sin where you find it: Yes, yes, do it; but then do it to his face, and not behind his back. I confess that Christ called Her••d

Fox, not to his face; go tell that Fox: but he did it not blindly, in a censorious way as most do, but upon knowledge, when he knew he ought to do it: For he knew the hearts of men.

But you see the Spouse here not contented with that she had,* 1.201 but she seeks still, and forgets that which is behind, and presses hard toward the mark▪ what warrant then have these men, that as soon as ever they are within the pale of the Church, they will be Teachers, and they would fain be accounted great Rabbies, and they can expound Scriptures as well as any, and if need were, or if they durst, they can preach as well as any; and these people, if people will not hear them, presently, they are ignorant; They are so well instructed they can go no whither to learn anything; as though al wisdom were born with them, when God knows they are as full of ignorance, of pride, of self-conceitedness, as any men in the Town; but the Spouse she cryes, yea, and still will cry, till dooms day, Tell me, teach me; she sees her own imperfections, and strives after perfection; she knows and is sensible with Paul,* 1.202 she hath not yet attained: And therefore I once again beseech you, in the bowels of Jesus Christ, and for your own souls sake, leave off this kind of Religion, although I would have you to hate,* 1.203 even the garments spotted by the flesh.

We come to the second thing laid down, and that is the Poise or weight that she hangs upon her suit, she doth in a kind Adjure God. I had thought to have gone through this Text at this

time; indeed I had thought, when I began that you & I should have waited upon this beautiful Lady, our Mother, our Mistress, from Engedi to Eneglaim; from the beginning of the Text to the end; but you see here is a word hath bin cast in our way,* 1.204 as the Carkases of Amasa and Asah•••• which made us to make a stand, like the chil∣dren of Israel at the Red Sea;* 1.205 they could not the pass on, till waters were dryed up; and indeed the Red Sea is before us, a whole Sea of matter, but we must take what we can▪ & leave the rest.

Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth: Here is a true expression of Prayer; it is but a folly to pray to God▪ except we can thus put up our prayers to him, in this dialect, O thou whom my soul loves••▪ Many think that if they can pray to God in set∣ting forth his attributes, styling him Most High, Most Mighty, Most Gracious; and, it may be, adde Hebrew words, as O Most mighty Iehovah; then they think they have made an admirable Prayer; but be sure of this, except thou canst come to God, & truly say from thy heart, O thou whom my soul love; thy prayers (be they never so excellent otherwise) they all fal to the ground, he accepts them not: But when thou comest under this title & it is so indeed, he cannot chus•• but hear for then it is the voyce of his Spouse: but if you express his Attributes never so largely & amply, without this, yet thou hast prayed no bet∣ter then the Devil; for there is no Attribute but he can inlarge & amplifie above any of you all: herein he is able to out-strip the best of you.

And the Apostle saith, He that loves not the Lord Iesus,* 1.206 let him be An••thema, Maranatha, ac∣cursed from Christ: he prayes no better then the very Devils, and those that are accursed from Christ; as we see still when the possessed with Devils came and met our Saviour, wh••t a large confession & acknowledgement they make of him, I know thee who thou art,* 1.207 Iesus the Son of the most High God: but Christ many times stopped their mouthes, and would not accept their confession; All thy prayers, the best that ever thou madest, without this title of love,* 1.208 are but as milstones hung about thy neck, and will drag thee to the bottom of the Sea▪ But it may be you bless your selves for all this, & think your prayers are not so bad as we make them; or if they be you hope you shall do well enough hereafter, after you dye: But know, that as the tree falls, so it lies, as Solomon saith; If thou dye in this condition, so judgement shall find thee & you hope it may be, that you shall possess the Crown laid up for you in Heaven (as you conceive) but I fear you are so glued to the earth, you can relish nothing but the earth; so that, that is it your souls loves.

And (it may be) you think it shall be some ponderous thing you shall have in hea∣ven, some glorious visible, material, or some tangible thing; You think you shall have some such things▪ as you enjoy here: but alas, alas, thou shalt find, that as soon as ever thou art unriveted from the earth, (And happy were it for thee, if it were done here) That the King∣dom

of God consisteth not in meat and drinks, in riches, and wealth, and the like: for the King∣dom of heaven is not a creation, but a mul∣tiplication; And when you come to be received in∣to that Kingdom, it will not be demanded, What riches have ye? what honour have ye? but Christ will ask,* 1.209 How many loaves have ye? if ye are not in possession of some loaves, of some part of the Kingdome of heaven before in this world▪ there is none to be given then: Not what had you in this world? But it will be asked, how many loaves have ye? ••hat is how many loaves of love? How many loaves of Charity? how ma∣ny loaves of faith? how many loaves of patience? what wilt thou do, if thou hast none? wilt thou say? Stay Lord, I will go and buy; or I will go and borrow, as the foolish Virgins: no▪ no there is no body can lend, they have none to spare,* 1.210 they have but enough for themselves: If thou canst not say as here, O thou whom my soul loveth, never look to ent••r; but ye must look for the answer those foolish Virgins had Depart,* 1.211 I know ye not: if this love be not the salt that sea∣sons all your actions, all your sacrifices, he knows them not, he regards them not: where he sees no love in the actions, let it be never so glorious a duty, he knows it not, Depart from me.

But try your love to him: Try this secret seal by the Broad-seal of love to the creatures, to your brethren: if you be a living Member▪ you will sympathize in love and fellow-feeling wit the rest of the members; for the Apostle saith

Love is the fulfilling of the Law,* 1.212 the whole Law: for take the Commandements; first the Com∣mandements of the second Table: if a man love father and mother, let him dishonour them if he can: And so the next, Thou shalt not kill: if he love the creatures, and his brethren, he is so far from offering violence to any, that he will ra∣ther lay down his own life; And so the seventh, if he love all, he will not take the members of Ie∣sus Christ, and make them the members of an harlot; And love will make him in stead of stealing from any, to give plenteously and willingly: and to be so far from coveting and taking away, that he will rather adde what he can; and love can bear no false witness: nor covet any thing which is his Neighbours. And so likewise for the first Table, he that loves God, he knows him to be so full and satisfying, that he never need make him more gods; he knows that if the world were ten thousand times larger and pleasanter then it is, he knows that God he is so full, that he is sufficient for all; neither can he make Images, to worship them, nor to put him in remembrance of him, for he hath an apprehension of him beyond all manner of Images, the whole Crea∣tion is a glasse to him, he knows no Image can resemble him; as God said to Moses, Thou shalt make no image;* 1.213 for ye saw no Image, since the day I brought you out of Egypt: And if he love him, can he swear, and blaspheme, and prophane his name? and can he, if he love him, grudge him one day in seven? yea rather he wishes that

God had taken seven to himself, and given him but one.

Examine your selves by these things: Is the seal of your external love, a witness of your in∣ternal love?* 1.214 it is true, God is worshipped in spirit & in truth: and his love must be shed abroad in our hearts invisibly first, but yet that love never rests there; but it is like Aarons Rod a budding Rod, or else thou art not fit to be a Priest to God:* 1.215 if thy Rod be not a budding Rod,* 1.216 be not deceived, God is not mocked; Except this tree put out some fruit, some leaves, it is dead, and there is no sap or life in it; for God hath not left himself without witness: so that you see, if there be not this love in the heart, and expressed in the life & conversation, there can be no acceptance with God; thou must come to him under this title, O thou whom my soul loveth, not as a Mercenary, for gain or reward, or for what advantage thou shalt get by him, but for love to him, not to his; not as a Servant, but as a Son; No•• for fear neither, but for love to him.

Many (Beloved) can come to God under this title, O thou whom my body loveth; thou givest me health, thou givest me wealth, thou givest me wisdom, thou givest me a good report; this is but O thou whom my body loves; But this, O thou whom my soul loves, this proceeds forth from him that is invisible: generally most men fix their eyes upon the visible blessings of God, and they are much in prayer to God for them; but know, he regards none of these prayers; but when his Son▪

in whom he is well pleased, when he prays, he hears him alwayes;* 1.217 but if any other prayes, he re∣gards it not.

Ye pray, and it may be daily, Thy will be done; but yet saith the Husbandman, O let me have a good year of increase; and the Merchant he prays Thy will be done too: but saith he, O let the wind blow right for me, to send home my shipping: and the Tradesman he prays Thy will be done, but saith he, I desire store of customers to day, and good takings; what prayers are these think you? what submission is here to the will of God? mind thy own duty, leave the success to him.

From whence (do you think) come these pray∣ers, O give me my health again, O give me my wealth again, O give my children again; come these from Christ thinkest thou? are these his prayers in thee? or come they not from the flesh? O let my flesh be well housed, let my flesh be well clad, let my flesh be well provided for; a∣way, away, God is deaf, he can hear none of these prayers; these blessings he gives promiscuously to every man: these do not at all declare Gods love; for he as often, or oftner, gives them where he hates, as where he loves: These are goods that a man may do good with; but the other are goods that make a man good: & if thou dost good with them, coming from this ground, from love to Christ within, they are acceptable even the least of them; but if thou dost never so much good with them, without this, doing them to be seen of men,

or for any other by-end, then verily ye have your reward; ye did them to be seen of men, & ye are seen of men; ye did them that men might think well of you, and they do think well of you; verily I say unto you,* 1.218 you have your reward: As the Lord said to the rich Glutton, Son, thou hadst thy porti∣on in thy life time; now he is comforted, and thou art tormented: Examine thy self; do thy pray∣ers come from this root, O thou whom my body loves? O thou whom my flesh loves? or O thou whom my Soul loves for my body,* 1.219 for my flesh? then it is all one; search thy soul diligently•• for the day of the Lord will come, and burn up all our deeds, all our actions, all our dross, it will try out the gold; the gold will not consume, but be more refined; but all that is hay, and stubble, and dross, and such like stuff, wrought but by the power of the creature, and by the power of man, even all mens Religion, and their religi∣ous actions, and whatever is of man, shall be burnt up for ever.

Where Christ FEEDETH, And where his Flock RESTETH.

CANT. 1. 7.

Tell me (O thou whom my soul loveth) where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turn∣eth aside by the flocks of thy com∣panions?

Preached in the Afternoon for Mr. Hodges in the publick meeting-place at High-gate.

I Told you in the morning that we must not imagine this Book of the Canticles to contain any idle reverence, and foolish wanton complements between a man and his wife▪ on whom they either doted; but the expressions of entire vehement love between the Lord Christ & his dear Spouse. Beloved, this is the Eternal, Everlasting sense;

the other is but the Letter, which is nothing, nor may we look upon them as the Dialogue be∣tween Solomon and his wife: for what are they to us? they are dead & gone. Though the whole Book of the Canticles be in appearance but an E∣pithalamion, or a Love-song between Solomon and Pharaoh•• daughter his wife; and consequently may seem to rellish nothing but of sensual love, and the effects thereof, carnal enjoyments: yet know, this is but the chaff that covers the corn: And herein (by these expressions) the true Solo∣mons face is vailed (as was Moses his face by his vail) because we are not able otherwise to be∣hold him.* 1.220 Therefore still when ever you hear or read the Scriptures,* 1.221 seek to have the Book unclap∣sed, and the seals opened; for as it lies printed or written in the Letter,* 1.222 it is both clapsed, sealed, & walled about; and though it be a fountain, yet it is walled about by the Letter, & none see the mea∣ning,* 1.223 save onely they to whom it is given. And where-ever you see the Letter speaks, rest not in that, but look for One greater; for behold a grea∣ter then Solomon is here,* 1.224 Mat. 12. 42. when the Letter speaks, that is but Solomon; but the spirit is Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth:* 1.225 And when Solomons wife speaks, observe and mind the wife of Jesus Christ, his Church and Spouse, the dearly beloved of his soul: being professions of dearness, and intimateness of love to his wife, and of his wives to him, & do but set forth the unexpressible and reciprocal dearness between Christ and his Church.

The Letter is but a dead resemblance, or pi∣cture of the life within; as of good things promi∣sed, so evil threatned. It speaks of devouring fire, and everlasting burnings, Isa. 33. 14.* 1.226 and of the Tophet prepared of old, and of the worm that never dyeth,* 1.227 and of weeping and gnashing of teeth; and all these are but resemblances and shadows of the terrors of the Almighty; the thing it self is infi∣nitely beyond these expressions. As I have read of some who of old time kept for their security fierce dogs within the House, and were wont to have without doors upon the wall, a painted Dog with this Caution, Cave, Cave Canem, Beware, Beware the Dog.

And I have read of some ignorant people that would place burning Lamps made of combustible matter mixt with oil in the Sepulchres of their friends, and have likewise pourtraied fire on the stones on the outside to shew there was fire within. So the outward Letter is but the picture, the resemblance of the truth within: that is but the Literal, Historical sense: the life, the fire is another thing: Jesus Christ is the Spirit and Life, he is the fire: as Iohn 5. 35.* 1.228 Christ saith of Iohn, He was a burning and a shi∣ning light: that was, so far as Christ did shine and give light in him and by him.

As true fire is infinitely unspeakably beyond the shadow, resemblance, and re∣presentation both in heat and splendour, so is the truth beyond the Letter. And as a living Dog is more then a painted or a

dead Dog, for they bite not at all, but the Dog within is of another nature.* 1.229 Psal. 110. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool: that is, The Lord said unto his son, or unto his word; for so the word in the Original may be as well taken: The Lord said unto his Word, Sit thou on my right hand, &c. This great Kings word is like the Kings daughter,* 1.230 Psal. 45. 13. All glorious within.

And he that hath the Bride,* 1.231 is the Bridegroom: that is,* 1.232 He th••t hath the living sense given to him, he is instructed to the Kingdom of God: The living sense is the Word, & the Word is Christ himself: the letter th••t is but the shell, but this is the kernel, and is of perpetual use: As all the Scriptures are symbolical, and figurative, so this more especially. These words then are a request of the Spouse to her Husband, whose love and instruction she never wanted, and yet here she sues for it: though he was not wanting to her, yet still she desires to grow in the knowledge and love of him, that she might abound therein: as he filled her, so still she desires to be filled.

I gave you four things to consider of, which was rather for memory sake, then order.

• 1 Her request, Tell▪ or Teach her.
• 2 The weight she hangs upon her request, Oh thou whom my soul loveth.
• 3 The matter of her Request, what it is she s••eks; these two things, where thou feedest, and where thou restest at noon.
• ...

• 4 Lastly, The reason of all; For, why should I be as those that turn aside to the flocks of thy compa∣nions? thereby intimating if he did not conti∣nually teach her and direct her, she should pre∣sently turn aside to the flocks of his companion••: some are so full, their Omers run over, they are wiser then the Spouse here, as God said to Ty∣rus, Ezek. 28. 3. Art thou wiser then Daniel? these men they are wiser then Daniel. They, if they had been but with God at the Creation, they could have directed him to have done many things wiser then he hath done; they would have shewed him a better way, and in their prayers they are still teaching God what to do; but there are none of these things in Christs Spouse: this is not her voice, but in all her con∣ditions, and at all times, yea till the world shall be no more, she cries, Tell me, Teach me.

Let us dread the sentence of the Church of Laodicea, Thou sayest that thou art rich, and wantest nothing,* 1.233 and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked; There is nothing so pleasing to the ears of God, as this sound, this voice; Tell me, teach me, direct me; Oh thou whom my soul loveth. All other prayers are but the prayers of the Devil; they can confess God to be, and know him to be Mighty, Glori∣ous, Omnipotent, Omnipresent; to be the Mighty Lord Iah, Iehovah: they can herein out-strip any man living: therefore let us examine how much we love God, and how much more then any thing else; if thou canst not examine it by it

self, examine it by the fruits, for by their fruits ye shall know them.* 1.234 How much hath thy love increa∣sed toward him? or doest thou love him as well as ever thou didst? for thou lovedst him ever since thou wert born: that's never a whit. If thou bearest no fruit, thou art dead; yea, it may be twice dead, and pulled up by the roots: for if thou be rooted in him,* 1.235 thou canst not (if thou wouldst) but bring forth fruit. What ever prayers come from a soul that can truly say it loves God: from this root, I may boldly say, it never returns in vain: if it can say, Oh thou whom my soul loveth, thou art my God, and I will love thee: I would not com∣mit adultery with any creature; but my love is taken off all, and is towards thee: then is Gods love shed abroad in thy heart.

But we will go on to the next, to the Spouses request, Tell me: what? where thou feedest; it is a strange speech now at this time, that Christ should eat: yet it is a true speech, and a real question, not imaginative, but real; not a tran∣sitive, but a substantive. It is true he did eat when he was upon earth, you will say: but he eats not now:

For your answer, and for your better under∣standing of this, take this short Theory:

They that conceive Christ according to the short time of 33 years (that he lived upon earth) or there∣abouts, they do limit and circumcise, as I may say, and cut short the vastness of his greatness.

Yet it is very true he lived 33 years upon earth: and One only merit of his, One action that

he performed at that time, was sufficient to sa∣tisfie for the sins of all the world abundantly, and to perfect the work of Redemption: considering what person he was, viz. God equal with his Fa∣ther, & that he emptied himself of all his glory, & took upon him the form of a Servant, & made himself of no reputation: and One action from him was sufficient: this you will not deny:

And therefore in all the Scripture you may observe, that from the very instant of the Creation, the second person in Trinity took upon him a body: he had a body from the beginning, from the first man, and shall have a body to the last man:* 1.236 as David saith of him, a Body hast thou prepared me; consider of this, and compare it with the Scriptures, and see if this be not more agreeable unto the vastness of the largness of Christ, then to confine his body onely to the short time of 33 years. He it is that suffers in man, in the first man, and shall suffer in the last man; from the time of his suffering in the first righteous Abel, to the last, to the last righteous A∣bel:* 1.237 from the time of taking his Kingdom of his Father, till the time that he shall render up the Kingdom to his Father, it is he that suffers.

I know when at any time ye hear of Christs Body, and of his sufferings, you presently fly to that short time that he li∣ved upon Earth, to those 33 years that he was visibly seen to walk upon Earth: and I doubt many Divines intend no less when

they speak of his sufferings, they presently have recourse to that time, and to Pontius Pilate, and Herod,* 1.238 and the Iews, and intend no more; but Beloved, Christ is yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever: Christ suffers now as much as he did then, and before that, as much as he doth now, for while any of his members suffers, he suffers. I appeal to you, examine this truth, whether this be not more agreeable to truth, and to the Scripture, to acknowledge this Vast Larg∣ness of Christ, then to narrow and scant his body to that short time? for if ye say he wrought our redemption, and satisfied Gods wrath in those whole thirty three years, then you con∣tradict your selves; for none can deny, but any one of his actions alon•• considered, was abun∣dantly sufficient: and the Apostle Paul saith, That he did fill up in his body the measure of the sufferings of Christ:* 1.239 and certainly he that thus suffered in him, doth still, and shall do so to the end of the world.

And so I say, concerning this request of the Spouse to Christ, it is a strange question, if ye consider it according to the three & thirty years he was on earth, in the dayes of Herod, for to ask him where he fed? and where he rested? we know in that regard, where he fed, and where he rested at that time; but she asks where he feeds now, and where he rests now, to the very very last day, and from the first day; this is the Spouse her question, where he feeds, and where he feeds at noon? But by the way God

forbid, that we should go about to deny Christs coming in the flesh; for he did come in the flesh; and whatever the Scripture saith he did in the flesh, is really undeniably true▪ and let his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth that shall deny it: But yet give me leave to tell you, that is but the History, there is a mystery in all the words, there is a symbolical truth hid in them, that is not obvious to every eye:* 1.240 Tis true he cured the eyes of the blinde, and healed the lame, and cured the deaf: but, that is but the letter, the history, that dyed with them; for they are dead, their eyes are shut up, and their members are dissolved, and returned into their first elements: But he by that resembled to us, how he hath ever since, and before, and will for ever cure the eyes of the blind, and heal the lame, and cast out Devils, and cure the bloudy Issue in our souls; for the other was but the outside, the visible, sensible part of his actions and miracles; but that which Christ would represent to our understanding by that, that is the fixed and eternal truth; And so, Christ still hath, and shall have his food, and his resting place. And whoever shall eat of this Food, shall never hunger again: whosoever shall drink of this water that he shall give them, shall never thirst again.

Your Fathers have eaten Manna in the Wilder∣ness,* 1.241 and are dead (saith he) but whosoever shall eat of this manna,* 1.242 shall never dye: Those actions Christ did then; but these actions that those re∣presents, he doth alwayes: those were visible re∣presentations

presentations of them which he invisibly and mystically doth now, yet as really; Not onely I say, as truly, but more truly: The spirituality of those actions never end; for put all together that ever Christ raised from death, or cast out de∣vils out of, and healed, &c. they were but few: he could have healed and cured all, if he pleased; but that was not the end of his coming; but he did so much, and enough to manifest God come in the flesh, & that he will always do the same things to the end of the world, Spiritually.

Where thou feedest? what then may be Christs food?* 1.243 for even Christ now hath his diet, and food, though not of figs, after which he hun∣gred,* 1.244 nor of flesh which he did eat, nor of boil∣ed fish which he seemed to eat, &c. But Christ himself tells us,* 1.245 My meat is to do the will of my Fa∣ther, and to finish his work; and he tells us where he rests,* 1.246 Cant. 6. 2, 3. Among the beds of spices,* 1.247 among broken and contrite hearts: and his delight is to be among his lilies, and among his roses in his garden, there doth he refresh himself: Christ is fed in his members.

Take heed then ye suffer not Christ to starve within you, lest at the last day it be laid to your charge,* 1.248 I was a hungry, & ye gave me no meat; thir∣sty, and ye gave me no drink; naked, & ye clothed me not; in prison, and ye visited me not &c. But do you think, that Christ is fed with corporal food? I assure you this, for your comfort, that those that feed Christ shall never perish; but now to feed the hungry with bread externally, to put clothes

upon the naked, to give drink to them that are A-Thirst, to go to them that are shut up in prison, this every man may do, by his natural power; ye may do this, and yet give where there is no need; you may do this, and yet suffer your Sa∣viour to starve: This is not a true feeding on Christ; no, no, it is Another-guess feeding that he requires, or that he will Reward: The mean∣ing is I had a spiritual hunger, and a spiritual nakedness; this ye did not relieve, satisfie and supply; when I lay begging & knocking at your door for relief in this kinde,* 1.249 ye would not hear me; and now, I will not Hear you: You suffer∣ed me to starve, and do you look I should relieve you?* 1.250 Depart, I know you not: Lord (say they) we never saw thee a hungry, but we fed thee; or naked, but we clothed thee; or in prison, but we visited thee; They wonder, that Christ should lay that to their charge; for who more careful to relieve him out∣wardly? & yet you see Christ will not know them.

Therefore take notice, that it is not enough, that if no man demand, ye need not to give: or if you do give, you have done all; for ye may be guilty of neglecting Christ notwith∣standing: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness,* 1.251 for they shall be satisfied: Let Christ be fed and satisfied in thy soul, give Him such meat as he can eat:* 1.252 His meat is to do the will of his Father,* 1.253 and to f••nish his work; therefore in that regard also,* 1.254 take heed ye displease not the Son, left he be angry and ye perish in the way: Take heed ye suffer him not

to starve; Thou feedest him in his members, yea, Outwardly, but that is not enough: I tell you, that is but an embleme of feeding Christ, that is but the outside:* 1.255 thou dost but (as it were) perform the smal matter•• of the Law, and neglectest the weighty matters thereof.

Tell me, where thou feedest, and where thou rest∣est at noon? Beloved what need Christ any rest? he is in heaven, and is there any weariness? where there is no weariness, there is no need of rest;* 1.256 he is farre above the malice of men and devils, Isa. 66. 1. Where then is the place of my rest? ☞For Answer hereunto, we must consider Christ as a Body, not as any one particular member: for a member cannot suffer without the body: for if a member be cut off from the body, all actions cease in that member; and where there is no life or action, there can be no suffering: separate the action (which is the effect of life) from the body, or the life which is the cause of action, & the body is not capable of suffering: So in Christ, consider the body compleat, and so Christ suffers still,* 1.257 and hath need of Rest: As he is in every creature, so he is called The begin∣ning of all the works of God: and he indeed is All Things, and so he is at rest, and cannot suffer.

Here is a great mystery, Beloved, that Christ should be in the Creature▪ and yet be at Rest; that he should be in the Variation and Alteration of things in the world, and yet He not vary; that He should be the substance of things changed, and yet He not changed. I will shew you it in

an example. The light and heat of the Sun comes through the ayre: now you know, the wind and the ayre is subject to change, nothing more: it is changed and turned every way; and yet the sun, though it do come through the ayre, is the same, it is not moved, nor changed: though they suffer an alteration, yet it suffers none. Wonder not then (if such a thing may come to be in a Creature, as the Sun is) that he that is the Lord of all Creatures, should be so, and infinitely more: No marvel though he can turn them upside down as he pleases,* 1.258 and vary and alter them as the wind; They all shall wax old as doth a garment; they shall perish, but thou shalt endure; as a vesture thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years never end; that is, they shall all purifie and corrupt, but thou art the same, thou changest not: Dear freinds now we have answered you where He rests. Iesus Christ blessed for ever, he indeed suffers in his members, But he Rests in himself;* 1.259 in him there is no shadow of change: And in our temptations and aff••ictions we rest in him;

When we can in all troubles have recourse to him, as David did, and find succour under the shadow of his wings, this is a repose for our hearts in all conditions: in our selves we can do no∣thing; there we cannot rest, but in him we may and can: when as, we are in such an afflicti∣on like as our Saviour was, that he saw No com∣fort, every thing was Sad and dark round about, he was compassed with sorrows on every side; he

was in such a labyrinth of sorrow, as never man was; he saw no comfort at all, neither in life nor in death, above him nor below him, from God or men: I say, were our condition as b••d as his, (if it were possible) that we were in the very midst of the heat and fire of afflictions, when the flood of tentation ariseth fourty cubits above ourstrongest hold, yet then we might rest in our Head; even as he rested in himself, so we may rest in him, seeing that all things work toge∣ther and shall turn to the best to them that love God:* 1.260 It is a strange speech, and as rarely beleived, that though God bring us through never so many, and never so bitter tortures and torments, That yet we may be at rest, in an assured perswasion, that all shall turn to the best; which notwith∣standing are not punishments & judgements, as they are generally taken▪ nor so to be account∣ed; Ill indeed had it been for us, if it had been so; for they are not to be looked upon as ven∣geances, but as fatherly corrections; not as ministers of his wrath, but as Evidences of his love: and such love, that neither heighth, nor depth,* 1.261 death, nor life, &c. Nay, nothing can sepa∣rate us from Christ: Here is the rest of a Christian, and then they may be said to Rest with him at noon, in the very heat and height of tentations and afflictions: And if the soul shall ask, O my God, where art thou? Beloved, he is nigh thee he is with thee, he is so neatly joyned to thee that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor princi∣palities, nor things present nor things to come, shall

be able to sep••rate between him and you; And in his due time he will rouse up himself like a Lion; When the heat of tentation shall have hum∣bled us, and laid us low, and qualified the proud heart of man, and the Smart of affliction mellowed and tempered us, he then will appear for our comfort and rest.

The fourth thing is; For why should I be as those that turn aside to the flocks of thy companions? She would fain know, with an unsatisfiable desire, what pleases him, and where he rests, and where he feeds; for if he do not resolve her, and answer her, she shall turn aside to the creatures, to the flocks of thy companions; as anon we shall shew you what it is; There is in the souls of all men a propension to worship a God; if they find not the true God, they will worship somewhat, that w^ch their own fancy tels them is a God; It is the nature of gra∣titude, to be returning somewhat: The soul is given of God, & it would of its own nature return a service again; this is placed in every man natu∣rally, as you may see in the very heathens: Our souls are always calling, either for a Christ or a Barabbas; Th••y must worship▪ & therefore ye shall find God never commands, That thou shalt wor∣ship, but onely rectifies it, and shewes whom they should worship▪ & how; and therefore the Spouse of Christ cals upon him to direct her: if thou do not direct, I shall not be able to do any thing pleasing to thee; I shall presently be as those that turn aside to the flocks of thy companions: she freely consesseth, I am as apt to turn aside as they

which do: (I cannot now stand to tell you why the creatures are called the flocks of his companions.)

The soul cannot stand idle, as I was saying; it is a hard task to serve two masters;* 1.262 he shal; either hate the one, and cleave to the other; or else cleave to the one, and despise the other: If we turn to the creatures, we turn our backs upon God, he that loves the creatures (as who doth not too much?) let him but examine, whether the love of them hath not banished all love to God out of his heart: for if thou dost not love God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might, thou lovest not him at all: he will not be contented with a divided heart;* 1.263 As you know God is called Power, then God is all power, and there is none that hath any power but he: if any creature have a part, then he hath not all; so if any creature have a part of thy love, God hath not all, and he will then have none at all: No woman can love another and her husband too, with her chiefest love: So no man can love God and the creature too with his cheif∣est love; and no man comes to the Father but by the Son:* 1.264 he accepts whatever we do, and onely all in his Son, nothing pleases him but his Sons actions: And he that cleaves to the creature, falls when that falls; but he that cleaves to the Creator,* 1.265 shall stand fast for ever, as Mount Sion.

Beloved, behold, as Ioshua sayth, This d••y I set before you life and death,* 1.266 blessing and cursing; choose whether ye will cleave to the adulterous love

of the creature, or cleave to the immutable un∣changeable Creator.

I have read of an Allegory among the Jews that they had among them, to set forth the con∣dition and state between God and men, and it is an excellent one, the best I think that ever was.

Suppose A huge Rock of pure chrystal, and round about this rock, at the foot thereof, a pleasant torrent, or rapid River as pure as Chry∣stal, & round about the river all manner of plea∣sant trees, bearing all manner of pleasant fruit, & One standing on the top of this rock, a proper tall man, without blemish, as fair as Absalom, and over his head the Sun shining in his full strength and glory, Attended with the Moon and Stars, making a glorious firmament;

Now this Sun you may conceive to be God himself, and the fair Absalom to be Christ Jesus, the image of God the Father; and the rock of Chrystal, to be this word, and in the river is re∣presented all things in motion, all changeable things, all manner of trees and fruit, and all things below; but in the chrystal is clearly re∣presented [Him] that stands on the top, as if he were in the very midst of the rock, and a∣bove him the Sun in his full brightness, which is God the Father, of whom he is begotten: Now when a man shall come to the foot of this rock, and there he beholds choice of objects, to set his heart and mind upon: I say, when a man shall come and behold choice of beautiful objects,

and suppose he had power to choose which he will to set his heart upon; In the river he be∣holds all sublunary thing, All things which are in flux and motion, and whatever the earth can afford for delight.

Now let him choose whether he will set his heart upon these things which have their being in their flux and motion, that they are never the same, but they change as the object changes; and if they did not change, they could not be: As in the Thames, the river it is continually in mo∣tion and running, it is never the same, there is not the same water to day that was yesterday, for that is run into the sea, but is still a changing; And if Here we place our affections, and take up our delight, how unstable and uncertain are our comforts? Oh! we think it a great matter to be rich, to be strong, to be comely and well-featured and composed; to be beautiful, to be in honor and credit, to have great attendance, large reven••es, &c. Alas, Alas, dost thou place thy affections Here, in the very lowest and meanest condition of things, amongst these transitory & flitting things: Why, all these things are but toys, but bables, but rat∣tles, to please children: where is, and whats be∣come of the greatest Monarchs that ever were in the world? where is great Alexander, and Pompey, and Augustus? and all those Worthies (as the world esteems them) are they not all turned and tumbled into the dust? are not they, and all their glory, like a tale that is told and forgotten? are they not like a dream?

like a shadow? like a bubble in the water which arises on a suddain, and is beautiful, but as sud∣denly down again.

Beloved, then do you examine your selves, If you do not set your love, your hope, your delight upon these things that are ever chang∣ing? and as I said, so changing, that if they did not change,* 1.267 they could not be, which all perish with the using: Do they not all fall away, as you fall away, or fall before you? as Houses, Lands, Riches, Goodly and Sumptuous Buildings, Husbands, Wives, Children, Good name, &c. and yet will you set your affections upon such things as these, though you see them moul∣der and fall to dust and nothing before your face?

But some, they come here to the foot of this beautiful Mountain & behold, and they look higher, and they behold the Sun, moon and stars and the bespangled glorious firmament, and see how they reflect upon the chrystal, and wonder at their glory, and so they set their affections upon them; truly these are better then the former, because they set their affecti∣ons upon Celestial things, things that repre∣sent the glory of God more then these things below, and he is more glorious in them; but the other, their love is taken up with Terrestri∣al things, earthly and low; but both these are short of this true happiness.

But a third sort come, and take a veiw of these various objects, & they can rest in none of these

things, And they look Higher, till they come to behold that fair Absalom Christ Jesus,* 1.268 who is the brightness of his Fathers glory; And they, cannot rest till they see Him who is in the mid∣dle of the creature, Him that is in the midst of the Chrystal, even HE that is all in all, the very bottom and Foundation, and the SUM of all; and so in and through him, they come to behold the SUN over his head in its glory and splendor, e∣ven God himself Blessed for ever: for otherwise, God cannot be seen or approched unto, but onely through his Son: and these Spectators can never fail perish, or miscarry, because their love is set upon him that cannot change, fail, or miscar∣ry; For, they cannot rest till they are united and joyned, and made one with him.

As my eye can never be united to any thing, till my sight see and receive it, and by that means that thing be united together with my sight; so neither can we be made one with God, till we see and behold him being united to Him. And if once we see him, we cannot but love him; and this love brings thee into union with God: Now love is the knot that must unite us eternally, that must for ever k••it us together; and this knot being once knit, it is knit for ever: for we being knit and made one with him, we can never be lost; but so long as God lives, so long shall you:* 1.269 Here are Christs words verified, That which God hath joyned together, let no man put a∣sunder: but if to the creature you joyn your selves, God never made that conjunction, God never

knit that knot, and therefore that shall be put asunder: but this knot that God hath knit him∣self, shall never be loosed.

And further know this, that thou being thus joyned, to Christ, as a true member of his body, thou hast full right and title to him, and to all his vertues and excellencies, riches and glory; but otherwise thou hast no title at all: for as thou art a particular man, thou hast right to nothing of his; but as thou art a member of the Church of Christ, his love comes to thee by vertue there∣of; for thou hast nothing to do with heaven, or any thing that is Christs, but as thou art a mem∣ber; just as a man hath a portion & dowry with his wife, or a woman any riches or joyn••ure by her husband: she or He hath no right to any part thereof, as a single man, or a single woman, but by vertue of the knot that unites them toge∣ther, so as they are made One: even so the dowry, the joynture of eternal happiness was not made to Paul, nor to Peter, nor to thee, as ye are single and particular persons, but as you are members of his body, being united and made one with him as a Branch in the root.

Beloved, it is to the Church that Christ makes all his promises; still to the Church; still to his Spouse; and it is not to any visible Church neither, or an Assembly of men and women, as particular and separa∣ted from his body; but to the visible and in∣visible Congregation of Saints, which are his members, and make up his body; to these are all

the promises made, and upon no other account can any one promise be claimed; Therefore be∣loved, let not the Church be an odious name to you, as it is too too much: nor let not every par∣ticular man think himself the Church; for to thee separated from the Church belongs no good thing.

Now, if a man be knit to Jesus Christ by this knot of love, I will tell you what will follow: Love, you know, suffers not a man to be his own, but he hath given up himself to the thing loved, and that rules him, and it he obeys: So this soul once knit to Christ by this knot of love, then he cannot commit adultery with any creature; he is no longer his own: and therefore whenever ye find in the Proverbs, and there read of the a∣dulterous love of that whore that waits in the twi∣light to trap the young man: or of the adulterous love of Potiphars wife to Ioseph in Genesi••, or the like: the intention of the holy Ghost is to set forth unto us the adulterous love of the soul,* 1.270 and how our love is carried away from Christ:* 1.271 The Creature, is the Adulterous woman which takes our love.

And this love is diversly called in Scripture; sometimes it is called hope, and sometimes fear, somtimes trust &c. according to the several ob∣jects it is exercised upon; As the Attributes of God are one in themselves, though differenced to us according to the several ob••ects they work up∣on; Sometimes he is called Grace, somtimes Glo∣ry, somtimes Majesty, somtimes Patience, some∣times

Mercy, sometimes Anger, sometimes love; not that there are so many several things in God: but all these are one act in God: As the Sun, it causes one colour in the Rose, another in the Nettle▪ and it causes the Carrion to stink, and the Rose to smell sweet; yet one and the same thing in the Sun doth all, but it works to the several objects it meets with: so it is One and the same act in Religion, which is that, which joyns & unites us to our Creator, yet distinguished by divers names, as Hope, Faith, Fear, Love, Trust, yet all one thing in the soul: As, when it looks upon the promises of God, then it is called Faith: when it apprehends him to be a just revenging God, and that it apprehends that he is angry, then it is called Fear: and when it beholds the mer∣ciful and loving face of God in Jesus Christ, then it is called Love: again, when it Beholds the promises, and apprehends God to be faith∣ful, then it is called Hope &c. and therefore ye are not to apprehend these things, as several in God, or in your selves, but as One.

Yet I pray, do not mistake me, that because I say Love is the cord that unites us to God, do not think that I exclude Hope or Fear, or Trust, or Faith, or any other grace: do not think that I undervalue the rest; far be it from me; but on∣ly this I say, Love doth knit the band more sen∣sibly, and more feelingly to us: And in all this we must not ascribe any good, any power to our selves: whoever he be, he must acknowledge himself an unprofitable servant:* 1.272 and that the

work is Gods own work, and that you had no hand in it: and be sure, as ye have set to your seal that God is true, so also, that this is truth.

But if thou hast set thy seal to the creatures, and that they have stolen away thy heart, and thou art in love with them, and knit to them, made one with them, then when thou comest to dye, thou hast no refuge to trust to: they will all fail thee: for they all dye with thee, if not before thee: however, when thou failest, they fail: and when they fail, besure thou fail∣est: But if thou art dead to the creatures, and art daily dying to them by degrees, then it will be no grief for thee to part with any creature:* 1.273 but thou wilt be willing to do as Abraham did by Sarah,* 1.274 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 re••oycing: and then shalt thou know what is the benefit of eating The hidden manna:* 1.275 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,* 1.276 is bef∣ter 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 crea∣tures could ever afford thee: then shalt thou fee∣lingly say, as the Queen of Sheba by Solomon

She said to the King,* 1.277 It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wis∣dom, 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 ra∣vishing 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 Wednes∣day 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 re∣ceiveth it.

IN a little corner of Asia were these Chur∣ches seated, unto whom God by the Evan∣gelist Saint Iohn wrote: The words I have now read, are as David sayes of the blessed man,

whose tree never withereth,* 1.278 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 one∣ly 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 ••aith, Rom. 10. 6.* 1.279 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 confi∣dence 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 over∣comers: he that overcometh shall eat. But give me leave a little to wave the condition: the Apostle Iohn saith,* 1.280 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 Over∣come except he eat this hidden Manna: and he that eateth doth Overcome: as Christ tells the Disciples,* 1.281 without me ye can do nothing: so with∣out ye eat this hidden Manna ye can do no∣thing, ye can never overcome, for in eating this hidden Manna we get strength to Over∣come: 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 li∣eth: 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 e∣nemies enough, he shall have temptations to wrastle with, and to overcome. David sayes that he found his enemies innumerable,* 1.282 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,* 1.283 as Delilah to Sampson, A∣rise, the Philistines be upon thee, there be enemies enough, even in the chamber, within thee, ly∣ing 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,* 1.284 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 re∣ceiving the bright morning Star: All these pro∣mises they are one and the same thing: and they are pronounced by one and the same Spirit; and let him that hath an ear,* 1.285 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 root: And, what e∣ver priviledge or benefit Christ hath, they shall all receive of his fulness,* 1.286 grace for grace, they

shall all be made partakers of all the vertues of the head: but notwithstanding all these promi∣ses we are never the better without we have Christ, they are all blanks without him, all unsavoury: it is he that seasons all: Yea, trust as long as thou canst, and believe as much as thou wilt, without Christ thou canst never come unto him: God himself is nothing to us with∣out Christ: As every Iubar and Beam of light that comes from the Sun, they are all in∣cluded in the body of the Sun, but they are not communicated to us but by those Jubars and beams that come from the Sun: so God is like the Sun, and whatever good, benefit or bles∣sing we have, it comes from God: but all these are included in God himself: and there is no creature can partake of any good from him, but by his Son Christ, in those Iubars of light, that communicates them to us: This light had never come to us, but for those beams: so God the Father cannot communicate himself to any creature but by the Son, he is the first be∣gotten of every Creature:* 1.287 he came being sent from the father: yet God the Father is not a day,* 1.288 not a minute Ancienter then his Son: Christ he is called The word spoken, in the He∣brewes; As he is unspoken, so he is the word with God in the bosome of his Father, and this word is God, as Iohn 1. 1.* 1.289 but being once spoken and utered, he is the first begotten of God in every creature. The Alpha and Omega in every crea∣ture, from whom alone we receive grace for

grace; all the goodness and fulness of God is poured upon the head of this Aaron, which runs down not only to his beard,* 1.290 but to all the skirts of his garments, to all his members; God himself in himself to the creature is nothing without Christ: He cannot possibly be communicated but by and through Christ.

Secondly, All these promises to the seven Churches they imply that which hath its begin∣ning in this life, and perfected in the life to come; saith our Saviour, the Kingdom of Hea∣ven is within you; if ye find not the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven within you,* 1.291 and in this world, be assured ye shall never find it in the world to come; He that denyes me be∣fore men, him will I deny before my father which is in Heaven: he that enjoys me not in this world, he shall never enjoy me hereafter.

The poor dejected and oppressed soul, it longs to taste Christ here: nothing will satisfie him but to taste and eat Christ here: for if he eat him not here, he knows he shall not hereaf∣ter: as David saith,* 1.292 My soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God: when shall I come before God? What to do? Psal. 27. 4.* 1.293 To see his beau∣ty, and to taste of his goodness: if you see not God here, ye shall never see Him hereafter. Christ will ask thee as he did the Discsples, how many loaves have ye? when ye come to dye,* 1.294 what Angels food have ye to feed on? what Hidden Manna? How many loaves of that? if ye must say, none Lord, what a heavy answer will

this be to you? but if thou hast any, if but two loaves, if but a little oil in thy Lamp, he will then multiply thy loaves and that little oyl: the barrel of meal, and that cruse of oyl shall never fail:* 1.295 And he will say, come thou good and faith∣ful servant,* 1.296 thou hast been faithful in a little, I will now multiply thy reward: Come now, I will feed thee to eternity: If Christ shall say to thee, How much peace have you? if thou canst but say, here is a little Lord: Christ will say come, come, I will multiply and increase that peace in∣finitely: what love hast thou? if thou hast but any,* 1.297 though but as much as a grain of mustard seed, come, saith our Lord, I will cause it to grow and increase, and become a mighty tree, so that the fowls of the air shall build their nests therein. That is, I will enlarge it as my self in∣finitely: And which way soever else a man seeks for rest and peace, he shall never find it: for, as all the Creatures, so all the action and motion of the Creatures come out from him, and they can never rest till they return into him again: and therefore he is called the God of Sab∣bath, which signifies Rest: in him there is Rest, and no where else. The soul is the breath of God, and it is impossible that it should have a rest for the sole of her foot till it return, and this blessed Noah put forth his hand and take her in again.* 1.298 Lay up treasure for your selves in heaven: would you have treasure hereafter? ye must treasure it up while ye are on earth, that ye may have the reward and the wages hereafter: ye must

receive here the pledge, the Hire: The Portion and the reward comes hereafter. Your fathers (saith our Saviour) have eaten Manna and are dead:* 1.299 but blessed is he that eats Manna in the Kingdom of Heaven: he that feels Gods love shed abroad in his heart here, shall find that love in∣creased thirty, sixty, an hundred-fold in the life to come: here ye feed but are not filled, but then you shall be satisfied.

Thirdly, All these seven promises that are here made to the seven Churches, there is not one word to be taken according to the Letter: but think not strange of such sayings: be not startled, I would onely quicken up your attenti∣on. I undervalue not the Scriptures, but desire to give them all due honour: for do you think that you shall be Pillars in Heaven, or that you shall eat trees, or the fruit of trees there? or that ye shall have rods of iron in your hand, or that ye shall be burning stars? or as it is in Da∣niel,* 1.300 He that converteth a soul shall shine like the Stars? I say there is not one word true according to the Letter: yet I say, in all the words that e∣ver Christ spake, or that is written in this bles∣sed, blessed Book of God, they are all true; there is not the least tincture, not the least allay of untruth: I say, every word, every syllable, e∣very letter is true: bear me witness, you are my record: but they are true as he intended them that spake them: they are true as God meant them, not as men will have them.

As when Christ says,* 1.301 my Father is an husband∣man,

do you think, or are you so childish to think that God is a husbandman? and Christ sayes a∣gain, I am the vine, and ye the branches: will you have this to be literally spoken? Go to, I will speak a paradox to you, but I willl unfold it. It is impossible for any man either to speak a pre∣cise truth, or to hear a precise truth; for a precise truth, or to speak precisely, is to speak at once the truth, that is, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth: as for example, if I tell you this is a Church, this is not a precise truth: for in say∣ing it is a Church, I neither tell you whether it be built of wood, or stone, or brick: I neither tell you it is little or great: I neither tell you whether it be high or low, &c. which I not do∣ing, do not tell you the whole truth: Or, if I tell you I saw a man, I tell not his age nor sta∣ture, nor complexion, nor kindred, nor riches, nor bigness, &c. which is not the whole truth. I shall unfold this to you, these similies I use for your good: God onely is able to speak such a truth, A Precise Truth at once, in one word, as shall include all this: God could have spoken such a word as should have included the whole truth in one word: but where should he have found Auditors that were able to have heard him? where had been our ears to have heard such a word? or our understandings to have un∣derstood it? you know a great noise deafs us, and abundance of light blinds us: if there be too much light, it may as well blind a man as too little: now you know truth is the object of the

understanding, as light is of sight: so if there be an excessive truth spoken to us, it destroyes, it splits the understanding: as the people of Israel,* 1.302 they were not able to hear God speak, but they must dye for it: and Moses himself complains that he was afraid and trembled: we are not a∣ble to hear God speak: if he should speak to us (as he would, if we could hear) he should speak us all to pieces, he should speak us to nothing; Oh let not God speak to us lest we dye! We should cry out,* 1.303 Oh do not speak to us as thou art in thy self, for we are men: but let Moses speak to us, and we will hear him: O Lord speak to us as men, as we are able to hear.

Beloved, the not knowing of this truth, and our receiving the word, and understanding it ac∣cording to the Letter, hath the been the ground of all the Errours, of all the schisms, of all the rents in this poor Church of ours. But to go further, and to give you a little further light, I know the Scripture in the Letter speaks of ele∣ction, reprobation, and predestination: But if we take it according to men, we are much deceived. As for example, when I say this man is like such another man, And though he may be so in some things, yet not in all: and far be it from us to think, because God speaks according to the manner of men, that therefore we conclude his wayes are like our wayes, or his thoughts like our thoughts: but whatever God sayes of himself, those are sentences and expressions spoken but by way of similitude to make us understand,* 1.304 and

not that we should think that the almighty, infi∣nite God to be like weak, man: so when he speaks of any of these things, of election, or re∣probation, or his foreknowledge, there is indeed such a kind of thing in God 'tis true: but it is true as God intends it, and not otherwise.

It is said also that God made a Covenant, and the Scripture speaks of Gods knowledge: but do you think that Gods Covenants are like the Co∣venants of men, or his knowledge like means? God forbid: and wo be unto that man that takes it contrary to Gods intent and meaning: so also we read of Gods hatred and of Gods love: but his love and hatred is not like mens love and hatred: Are my wayes like your wayes, or my thoughts like your thoughts? As if he should say, will you wrest my word, and take it ac∣cording to your own ways? will you take me according to my literal words? away, away, As high as the Heaven is above the Earth, so high are my thoughts above your thoughts: And when God sayes he repented, doest thou think that he repents as man repents? He does repent, it is true: but according to his own sense and mean∣ing, not according to thine. Alas, alas, we poor, ignorant, low, narrow-spirited creatures, as we are not able to comprehend God, so neither can we Gods word: we can see but a glympse and a little glimmering of the Truths of God: As Elias,* 1.305 he could not apprehend God, nor dis∣cover him neither in the thunder nor in the lightning, nor in the mighty rushing, nor in the

f••re, though God was in them all; but when God came in a still, soft voice, then he could apprehend God, heard him and saw him; and then he came to see that God was also as much in all the rest, though he saw him not: but he being (as also we) of a low, soft, and tender na∣ture, and so much children that he could not en∣dure to hear the mighty God, but in a still, soft and tender voice; the thunder and the fire and the mighty rushing is too terrible, too destructive to our weak natures. For in God there all things coincide, even contradictories coincide in him, as the Vision of God shews at large in some Chapters.

So when God promiseth here, To him that overcometh, will I give him to eat of the hidden Manna, we must not take Gods meaning accor∣ding to the Letter, nor think it was, or is that Manna that God rained from Heaven, Num. 10. But by that expression he would win us to consi∣der the heavenlyness,* 1.306 and excellency, and the rare∣ness, and the welcomness of that Manna that feeds the soul, and what spiritual food is. How wel∣come was it to the Israelites at first, though af∣terwards the commonness made them loath it?

O lack! I am but newly entred into my Text, and now the time cuts me off; I have opened the Windows, to let in light into the Chamber, into this Subject, and the time bids me shut them again; and I now must let it alone till another opportunity, which is contrary to my purpose and full intent, which was to have dis∣covered what God hath revealed to me, con∣cerning

these deep points, now so much con∣troverted, and wherein there have been such errours and general mistakes, even among them who have thought themselves very knowing in the Scriptures,* 1.307 For vain man would be wise though he be born as a wild asses colt. And he in his foolish wisdom and in his humane Reason would fain frame and square out God like unto him∣self, that so he might (as he thinks) well near fathom & comprehend him within, the poor, weak, and narrow bounds of Reasons Line, or Rule.

So much for the present.

Covetousness Anatomized: AND THE Generality of Covetousness.

JER. 6. 13.

For from the least of them, even unto the greatest of them, every one is given to Covetousness: and from the Prophet, even to the Priest, e∣very one dealeth falsly.

Preached at Putney.

BEloved, this speech as it is bold, so it is a ve∣ry strange speech, and a home charge: but wonder not (for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is true boldness: as Solomon saith, Prov. 28. 1.* 1.308 The Righteous are as bold as a Lion For the Pro∣phet

here strikes at head and tail, root and branch, great and small, Prince and People, Priest and Pro∣phet.

The whole house of Israel are here

• 1 Accused of Covetousness.
• 2 Condemned for Covetousness.

The accusation is like an Indictment well laid, which expresseth▪ 1 The fault, the charge, which is Covetous∣ness.

2 The extent of the fault, it was Epidemical, from the greatest to the least.

3 The Intention, they gave themselves to it; they did it purposely and voluntarily: And

4 The Charge being proved, and they found guilty, the sentence or condemnation follows; which is onely implyed in the word [For] it being the connexion of this verse with the for∣mer: wherein is threatned, that God will pour out his fury and indignation upon the children and young men,* 1.309 upon the husband and wife, the aged with him that is full of dayes, and their houses and wive; should be turned to others.

I The matter of the accusation is Cove∣tousness. But this sin how evil soever, and however threatned here and elsewhere in the Scriptures, is hardly esteemed any sin at all; ye cannot perswade men of the Evilness thereof; but you are ready to think and

charge us, that we Church-men are strange fellows; To set up men of straw, and then fight against them: for our parts we find very few covetous; some indeed are Swear∣ers, Drunkards, Adulterers, Lyars, Pro∣phaners of the Sabbath; these they can see and acknowledge to be sins, and would have us preach against them; but to keep such a stir about Covetousness, they think is a vain thing, and time lost; for either they are but few that are so, or else tis not so great a sin as you make for; or else you call that Covetousness, which is not.

Indeed, I confess, other sins wear the Devils Cognizance and Livery openly, but this al∣wayes wears a Cloak; ye shall never see Covetousness without its Cloak; as the Apo∣stle terms it, 1 Thes. 2. 5.* 1.310 For our last Transla∣tion renders it very right, Nor a Cloak of Covet∣ousness.

For this sin is generally in credit in the world, and therefore they do not let it go naked, but clothe it, not with the name of any vice or sin, but under tolerable and credible names, as Thrift, Providence, Good Husbandry, Honest care of a mans own, and Care of the main chance: I, and so it should seem, they esteem it the main chance; a covetous man will part with his soul, before he will part with his Covetousness: and they have Scripture ready to protect and defend them, 1 Tim. 5. 8.* 1.311 He that provideth not for his own, especially for them of his own

house, is worse then an Infidel, and hath denied the faith: And so they bring it in as a duty, that they ought to be scraping and covetous.

We may endeavour to uncase this covetous man by two words; one is in the place before named, 1 Thess. 2. 5.* 1.312 Nor a cloak of Covetous∣ness: its never without a cloak, as I said; and the other is, 1 Tim. 6. 10.* 1.313 its hare called The root of all evil: What a world of evils grow up from covetousness? as if we had time we might shew: In brief, it excludes all love and fear of God, and all love and pity to men, and all care of our neighbours good, and so breaks the whole Law: it will make him Oppress, Cozen, Deceive, Lye, sell a good Conscience, for every tri∣fle: In short, it will make a man turn his back on all Religion, to forsake the faith, and conse∣quently Salvation; as is there exprest, and in the foregoing Verses,* 1.314 The love of money is the root of all evil, which while some have coveted after, have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows: It is such a sin, that if ever God touch the heart about it, it will pierce through with many sorrows, before ever they can forsake it: for saith he, They that will be rich fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in perdition and destruction: It is such a subtil snate, so cun∣ningly contrived, and so full of fair pretences, that let a man be once in love with money, he knows not which way to wind out, but it wil fetter him, even to everlasting perdition and destruction.

Indeed friends, it is a very hard thing to uncase this sin, because care and diligence there may and must be: and this is its Cloak; DILI∣GENCE is Covetousness his Cloak, never off his back, whereby its sheltred against all re∣proof.

I suppose, and sure it is, a man may pray A∣gurs prayer without Covetousness, Prov. 30. 8, 9. Give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me:* 1.315 A Competency of food and raiment, this certainly is the limitation and bound of our desires: But then will arise ano∣ther Question,

What is a Competency? or what is sufficient?

Therefore some in answer hereunto, have de∣••ined Covetousness to be an inordinate desire of more, and using unlawful means and ways to get it: But I conceive this is somewhat too favourably defined: for one may be covetous, yea deeply covetous, and yet get his goods without fraud, deceit, or oppression, &c. Aug. de lib. Arbit. lib. 3. Chap. 17. Avaritia est plus velle quam satis sit. It is Covetousness to desire more then is sufficient; which is But daily bread; and but, This day our daily bread, we have no warrant to seek more.

But we having daily bread, according as our Saviour teacheth us to pray in the Lords prayer; which includes all things necessary for this life, food and raiment, and the like: without question this is sufficient and the desire of more is Covetousness: As our Saviour com∣mands,

Matth. 6.* 1.316 latter end. Take no thought for the morrow, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? for after all these things do the Gen∣tiles seek: And as the Apostle exhorts, 1 Tim, 6. 8.* 1.317 Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content: When this will not content, then the desire is inordinate, when a man will hunt and seek after that which he dare not warrantably pray for, which is but daily bread: and why should we seek with carking care for any more?* 1.318 for any more? for our breath is in our nostrils▪ we are not sure of life, not an hour: then to what end is all this taking thought? and then thou fool, whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? within this bound we ought to keep our selves;* 1.319 for no sooner are we over this pale and bound SUFFI∣CIENT; but then we are in the wide wildernes, and boundless CHAMPAIGN of Covetousness: which consists in two things:

1. To be covetous, is to let our desires run out to seek eagerly after, beyond what is suffici∣ent to the preservation of nature, in its own kinde, and not to stand indifferently affected in the use of lawful means, whether God will give more or less.

2. An inordinate love of that a man hath, though he have not beyond the limits of suffici∣ency, is Covetousness: And in this sense a poor man may be covetous.

Covetousness may be either in—

Scraping or Holding

Rapacity or Tenacity

A large paw to grasp, or In a S••runk hand to hold fast.

In Sum, I conceive Covetousness, is an inordi∣nate desire and endeavor after these outward things, without the bounds of sufficieny, in the preservati∣on of nature in its own kinde, as I said.

Beloved, This sin is like poyson, destroyes and kills unobservedly, unseen, infects the blood by degrees, when as some other sins break out more openly and suddenly, in botches, and boyls, and plague-sores.

But we may observe the footsteps, and shew you some symptoms of this covetous man, wher∣by he may be discovered and detected, and chiefly to himself, that he may confess himself guilty; as,

1. In his course of life, and walking, and act∣ting; their time, their lives and their actings are wholly taken up in buying and selling, in traffick∣ing and trading and reaching which way to grow rich, and get more; all their thoughts and words, and all their mights and endeavors run in this channel: Here they are in their own ele∣ment, as a fish in the water: here their hearts run out freely, and never regard their immortal souls: just like them of the old world, Luke 17. 26, 27.* 1.320 They eat, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage:

and this was all they minded, they never thought of their end, till the flood came and destroyed them all: So do they; O how eager, and how full of contrivances to adde house to house, and bag to bag, and land to land, and never think how soon death may seize, and snatch them away. And then what fruit have ye of all those things you so pursued? you have onely heaped together sorrows,* 1.321 and snares, and darts to pierce through your very Livers.

And it may be, for all this toil, you could ne∣ver attain what you sought: but adventured to lay out your precious and immortal souls to pursue after that which is (when attained) but vanity;* 1.322 And much lighter then vanity, if not sure to attain it.

The second Symptome whereby you may know this man, and so know your selves, is his company; they still associate with such company as is like themselves: and they are the onely men for wisdom with them, and all others they make them either their Prey, by circumventing and o∣ver-reaching them, or else, they make others their laughing-stocks: he is their fool to make them merry, who neglects such a Price in their hands (as they conceive) & so much mindes things unseen, and in their opinion but air, emptiness, and vain things.

The third Symptome is his breath; he smells of that he is made of: he is like a dying man, his breath is strong, and savours earthly, Iohn 3. 31.* 1.323 He that is of the earth, is earthly, and speaketh of

the earth: The Egyptian garlick that he hath swallowed riseth in his stomach, and his breath smells strong thereof: There is Earth in his heart, & his breath that comes from thence smells strong of the earth: all his words and discourses savour of the world.

4. He keeps a Court of Faculties in his con∣science; for gain he can dispense with any sin: he is not so precise, but he wil drive a bargain, or take unnecessary jouneyes on the Sabbath: If his con∣science tell him of doing wrong or injustice, he can quiet it presently; O its but a trifle, a little in∣jury, whats that, he may live to give satisfacti∣on, I may do him a good turn another way; and so he thinks he hath made up the matter: If he for∣swear himself, he hopes he may live to ask God forgiveness, and he knoweth God is ready to par∣don, and forgive; and thus he dawbs up himself, and quiets his conscience with these ignorant excuses.

5. He is Homo omnium artium, or Nullius ar∣tis: A man of all Arts, or a man of no Art; that is, He hath either a multitude of business of his own, that he cannot look after nor minde any bo∣dy else: or else he is a busie-body, and hath his finger in every Pye, every mans business is his: or else he is idle, and hath no business; viz. He is an Usurer, and lives upon other mens labours and industry.

Oh but Sir, you make us amazed! is it possi∣ble that this should be so great a sin?

I thank God (saith he) I am found in Religi∣on,

I am free from Adultery, Fornication, Swear∣ing, Sabbath-breaking, Drunkenness, Murther: These indeed are Heinous sins & I would not be guilty of them for a world: but for a man to be covetous, this is slighted, its a thing of nothing, ra∣ther esteemed a vertue, then a vice, and every one extenuates and lessens it, with ••incing terms and excuses: say they, indeed he is a little with the hardest, or he is a little too much for the world: but in truth a marvellous honest man, a wondrous good man. But let me ask you, were it not a thing to be laught at, to say so by a Thief, he is no Adulterer, no Murtherer, but a very honest man?* 1.324 for you see Matth. 21. 31.* 1.325 God ranks him with no other then Thieves, and Whore∣mongers, and Murtherers, and yet you say he is A wondrous good, honest man.

But as honest a man as the world makes him to be, yet take a little view from some particu∣lar Scriptures, how God ranks him among them whom you account the most Heinou•• Transgres∣sors, Mark 7. 21, 22.* 1.326 For from within, out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts, Adulteries, Fornications, Murthers, Thefts, Covetousness, &c. all these come from within, and these de••ile the man: and 1 Corinth. 6. 9, 10.* 1.327 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? be not deceived, neither Fornicators, nor Adulter∣ers, nor Effemina••e, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor Thieves, nor Covetous, &c. shall in∣herit the Kingdom of God: And Rom. 1. 29.* 1.328 Being filled with all unrighteousness, Fornication,

Wickedness, Covetousness, &c. still Covetousness comes in a rank with all other the vil••st & gros∣sest sins.

A Christian professing the name of Christ, would be ashamed of such gross sins as are there named; as to instance, he would be ashamed to be an Idolater: what? to fall down to, and wor∣ship stocks and stones for his God? to seek re∣lief from them? God ranks covetous persons even with such, and with the grossest sinners in the world, even as gross and hateful as can be na∣med: and makes even it, a note of a Reprobate minde, and one given up to vile affections;* 1.329 there∣fore our Saviour gives special and particular warning against this sin, Luke 12. 14. Take heed and beware of Covetousness:* 1.330 for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Besides all this, that it is one of those Ingen∣tia Peccata, Mighty sins, as it is called in Amos 5. 12.* 1.331 appears:

By

• The practice of the Saints:
• The danger of the Sin.

Look over all the Saints: which of them do we read of, that were defiled with this mire of Covetousness?* 1.332 Noah once overtaken with the love of wine,* 1.333 never with the love of the world: David though once besotted with flesh, yet never bewitched with the world:* 1.334 but he ever accounted himself a Pilgrim and a Stanger in it:* 1.335 then he

was far from being in love with it: Zacheus he had been A Pinching Prowling Publican, and the chief among them, griping and grasping what he could get by cruelty and extortion, before he knew Christ, which is a sin incident to all such me••: but as soon as Christ entred into his heart, when he entred into his house, he threw away this sin with disdain;* 1.336 Lo, half my goods▪ I give to the poor, and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I will restore him four∣fold.

If Jesus Christ do not whip this Money-Merchant out of the Temple,* 1.337 it will bar even Him himself entrance.

Now Beloved, whats the reason these fore∣named Saints, though they had other, both infir∣mities and gross sins, yet not any of them tainted with this sin of Covetousness? surely it shews, that Christ and this sin, in the love of it, cannot cohabit together: if Christ be there, this sin must abandon; if this be retained, Christ is there a stranger: And the reason is, Grace and Religion may better stand with a sin once acted, or oftner, so it be not habitual, although it be gross and foul, as Adultery, Incest, Drunkenness, &c. then with an habitual Covetousness; for where that sin is, it can scarce be other then customary and habitual: Therefore Samuel, 1 Sam. 12. 3. did so abominate this sin,* 1.338 that he challenged all Israel to charge him with it, though he was their Governor and Ruler, and wanted not for tem∣ptations and opportunities; Behold, I have walked

before you from my childehood unto this day, and here I am; bear witness against me before the Lord, and before his Anointed: whose Ox have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe, to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you: And they all answer and bear witness, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou ta∣ken ought of any mans hand.

There was a pattern for Kings and Rulers, and for Saul their new chosen King! but who fol∣lows it? he presently, as soon as he could get the power of oppressing, fell to it, as God told them he would, 1 Sam. 8. 11, 12.* 1.339 This will be the manner of the King that will reign over you: he will take your sons for himself, for his Chariots and his Horsemen, and to run before his Chariots; and he will appoint them his Captains; and he will set you to ear his ground, and reap his harvest; and to make him instruments of war, and for his Chari∣ots; and he will take your daughters to be Confecti∣oners, Cooks and Bakers; and he will take your fields, and vineyards, and olive-yards, and give them to his servants, &c. and so goes on, and ye shall cry out in that day, because of your King which ye have chosen: And Beloved, what more frequent in all ages then covetous and oppressing Rulers and Governors? They take it successively from hand to hand: Having once got the power, ye shall soon feel it.

So Ier. 5. 10.* 1.340 He complains, that though he was free of this sin, yet every one hated him: Wo

is me, my Mother, thou hast born me a man of strife, a man of contention to the whole earth; I have nei∣ther lent on usury, nor men have le••t me on usury, yet every one doth curse me. So Paul, Acts 20. 33.* 1.341 I have coveted no mans silver, or gold, or apparel ye your selves know these hands have ministred to my necessities, and to those that were with me.

But what may be yet further the reason; why that of all sins, the Saints were freest from this sin of Covetousness?

Surely, These Reasons may be further ad∣ded:

I.* 1.342 Because they knew, that this sin was that which most staineth and blemi••••eth the good re∣port, and honest reputation of men professing Christ; that men who pretend for heaven, should live as men of the world whose portion is in this life: and that they should so far blemish them∣selves,* 1.343 and their master, to set their mindes and affections on such poor transitory trifles, and as if they had not better things to look after; or that they served a Master, not able to maintain them; rather then thi•• should be fastned on them or their Master, They would instead of being in love with them, trample them under their feet.

2.* 1.344 To inlarge a little of what I hinted be∣fore: It handeth in greatest opposition to the life and truth of grace; for where this sin getteth head, it eats out the heart of grace; that though it be not quite lost, yet scare Any to be percei∣ved,

the Life being almost quiet extinct: if he have life, yet none to be perceived by himself or others: and therefore saith the Apostle, 1 Tim. 6. 10.* 1.345 Love of money is the root of all evil, which while some have coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and peirced themselves through with ma∣ny sorrows: Nay, not onely hath it caused some to erre from the faith, and so wounded their own souls; but some it hath caused to fall quite a∣way from the faith, that is, from the profession of the faith, and turn Apostates, 2 Tim. 4. 13.* 1.346 Demas hath forsaken me, and hath embraced this present world: and yet now adayes where is there a man, yea especially among Professors, that would be accounted Christians, that are free from it, but are most deeply guilty of this defiling and dangerous sin of Covetousness? And I think in no age ever more.

Beloved, though your hearts were as moun∣tains of rich Mines, yet this one sin loved and delighted in, will consume and eat out all (for ought may be perceived) and make you as bar∣ren as the barrenest Heath.

This sin is like the seven lean ears of corn that Pharaoh dreamed of, which devoured the se∣ven full ears: And like the seven lean Kine,* 1.347 de∣vouring the seven fat, and were themselves as hollow and lean as before: and in Scripture is often compared to Caterpillars, Grashoppers, Can∣kers, and the Palmer-worm, because it doth feed upon the green and flourishing herb of grace,* 1.348 till it hath (as it were) quite eaten it out of the heart:

therefore David prayes, Psal. 119. 36.* 1.349 Incline mine heart unto thy Commandments, and not unto Covetousness; intimating, that those that love Covetousness, regard none of Gods Command∣ments: as, had I time I could shew you how Covetousness is the breach of all the Com∣mandments: But I will a little in brief shew

How Covetousness occasioneth the breach of all the Commandments.

I. COMMANDMENT.

The first Commandment is soon answered; for Covetousness is Idolatry; that is clear, which this Commandment forbids, Col. 3. 5.* 1.350 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon earth, for∣nication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil con∣cupisence, covetousness, which is idolatry: And the covetous is an Idolater, Ephes. 5. 5.* 1.351 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of God: But if the Scripture will not satisfie you, and you will not believe without a reason, and say,

How can that be, that a covetous man is an Idolater, and Covetousness Idolatry?

I answer, thus, Though thou sacrificest not beasts yet thou sacrificest that which is the chief∣est sacrifice, which God still calls for, and with∣out which all sacrifices are nothing to him;

namely, Thy heart, which includes thy minde, thy soul, thy might thy strength, Luk. 10. 27.* 1.352 then which thou wert better sacrifice beasts: for in this thou sacrificest thine own bowels: Therefore that is a true and remarkable saying, and agree∣able to Scripture, though Apocrypha, Ecclus. 10.* 1.353 9. There is nothing worse then a Covetous man; why art thou proud, O earth and ashes? there is not a more wicked thing then to love mony; for such a one would even sell his soul, and for his life every one is compelled to pull out his own bowels.

The fool indeed, that is, the Atheist, saith There is no God, Psal. 14. 1.* 1.354 but in some sense the Covetous man exceeds him; for he not onely dethrones God, and will not have him to be his God, but he sets up another in his seat; for, he saith to the Gold, Thou art my hope, and to the wedge of gold, Thou art my confidence, Job 31. 24.* 1.355 What need men love money, but that they dare not trust the providence of God? but they wic∣kedly say in their hearts, though not with their tongues, according to the proverb, Its good go∣ing a foot with a horse in hand: So say they to themselves, let Ministers talk and prate against Covetousness▪ but its good trusting God with a penny in purse: what desperate Hypocrisie and Idolatry is this! You know also, obedience is due to God, and tis better then sacrifice, I Sam. 15. 22.* 1.356 How cheerfully do men obey the com∣mands of Covetousness? how ready and free to run and go when it bids? so that without fur∣ther dispute, thou makest it thy God; and what∣ever

is due to God, thou sacrificest to Covetous∣ness: So that the Israelites in the 32 of Exodus, did not more heartily say to the Calf made of their Rings and Ear-rings, These be thy Gods, O Israel,* 1.357 which brought thee out of the Land of E∣gypt: then thou sayest, O Covetousness, Thou art my strength, my help, my joy, my trust, my Rock, my Tower: thou hast helped, saved and delivered me, And wilt help save, & deliver me: Though thy mouth confess not this, yet this is the plain English of thy practice: when thou look∣est upon thy money, and wealth, houses and lands, thou sayest, These be thy gods, O my soul.

Beloved, never mince the matter, for so it is; as the Prophet Isaiah saith, Isa. 2. 7, 8.* 1.358 Thou hast forsaken thy people, because they are replenish∣ed from the east, and they please themselves in the children of strangers: Their land also is full of sil∣ver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; and their land is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots: And then it fol∣lows in the next verse, Their land is full of Idols, they worship the works of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: So that you see, whatever a man relies on, trusts to, depends upon, or to its service, Dedicates his wisdom, strength, time, parts, and the like, that he makes His God.

2. COMMANDMENT.

And for the second Commandment, That de∣pends

upon the first: The first Commandment concerns the heart, and This, The purity of Gods outward worship: Is it not lamentable to see, how men for this Lucre of Covetousness, will vioate the laws of God, and of their own con∣science? and for gain and preferment sake sub∣scribe and submit to any thing, to any change in Religion; so they may keep in favour, and keep their livings and Benefices? so that the A∣postle may say of them, and God rather, as he of Demas, 2 Tim. 4. 10.* 1.359 Demas hath forsaken me, and hath embraced this present world; If men could be content to forsake, as Christ commands, Houses, Lands, Liberties, Lives, for his sake, and his worship, they would not so Creep and Cring and Issacar-like, stoop down to take up every burthen, and every command that men shall lay upon them, even against the pure worship of God: And, if any man speak against these practises, presently Up with him into the High Commission or Star-chamber; then Demetrius-like. Act. 19. 24.* 1.360 They all lay their heads together, not for fear, That the worship of God should go down, but for fear of their gain and their Sil∣ver-Trade, and with one unanimous voyce, cry up their God, Great is Diana of the Ephesians, pretending for their Goddess Diana: but it was because by that Craft they had their wealth:* 1.361 It is written, my House shall be called the House of pray∣er, but ye have made it a den of Thieves; and e∣very man is for his gain from his quarter:* 1.362 let men set up, and change Religion as they please, so

They,* 1.363 can but have their gain from their places, and from their quarter they are well.

Insomuch that the Keys of the Church, which God hath intrusted his Church withal, are now become and made very Picklocks: and the cause of all this is Covetousness. The Devil when he tempted Christ to idolatry, he did it by Covetousness; All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me, Mat. 4. 9.* 1.364 An Israelite cannot be familiar with a Midianite, but she will woo him to Baal-peor: How many are ready to renounce the Almighty, slight him, and turn their backs upon him, rather then slight or part with their wealth, their Mammon? if not in action and with their knees, yet how many in Heart and affection do this daily?

3. COMMANDMENT.

The third Commandment enjoyns, Not to take Gods name in vain:* 1.365 How ordinary this is, every one knows, taking his name in vain for their profit; an ordinary thing now a days to make bold with the sacred name of God for their gain sake to help away with their Commodities, though they swear falsly, and all this to serve their god Covetousness; nay, this is not the worst; Religion is taken up by many, and made a stalking-horse, a colour, a cloak for their gain: As you know what a many woes Christ pronounced against the Pharisees for making Religion a colour for their Hyprocrisie and covetousness, under pre∣tence

of long prayers, devouring poor widows and their houses, Matt. 23. 14, 15, 16.* 1.366 where he in∣stances in many other particulars; insomuch that by their evil example (which was then much looked upon) they shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men;* 1.367 for they neither go in them∣selves, nor suffer them that are entring to go in: This was the case of the Shechemites, Gen. 34.* 1.368 you see how desperately the two sons of Iacob, Simeon and Levi played the hypocrites, pre∣tending Religion to the Shechemites, that if they would be circumcised, they would marry with them, and give their daughters in marriage to them again: This was the Cloak, but what was their End and Ayme? you shall see Verse 23.* 1.369 say they, when they are circumcised, and not able to stir, shall not their cattle and their substance, and every beast of theirs be ours? And so in the 28. Verse,* 1.370 They fell upon them, and took their sheep, their oxen, their asses, and that which was in the field, and all their wealth, &c.

Thus the Devil is transformed into an Angel of light: he will be religious to serve his own turn, and to accomplish his own ends; when men instead of making Godliness great gain (which is pretended) 2 Tim. 6. 5.* 1.371 they make Gain godli∣ness; And, that is intended.

4. COMMANDMENT.

Fourthly, For the Sabbath, Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day;* 1.372 six dayes shalt thou la∣bour▪

but the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt do no manner of work &c.

The covetous man commonly is of Pharo∣ahs Religion, Exod. 5. 17.* 1.373 Ye are idle, ye are idle, therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord: They count that day a lost day; One day in seven, is above seven weeks in a year (say they) and what loss of time is this? And those covetous persons in Amos, who were weary of one day in seven, Amos 8. 5.* 1.374 When will the new Moon be gone, that we may sell corn; and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat? Many keep their Sabbaths in their Saddles, riding up and down for profit and gain about their worldly oc∣casions.

Nehemiah, when he saw how they prophaned the Sabbath, how zealous was he? the course he took you may see, Neh. 13, 15, 16.* 1.375 If he were a∣live now, and should see what is now done, to see how thrust the Lawyers chambers are on this day, what would he say? But you see all this is the fruit of Covetousness.

5. COMMANDMENT.

The fifth Commandment is,* 1.376 Honour Parents: by which is meant, not onely in brief, that we owe them first, Reverence. Secondly, Obedi∣ence. But thirdly, Maintenance also; but Co∣vetousness will keep back all these: As Levi in a good sense said of his Father and Mother, I have

not seen him, Deut. 32. 9. so it is through Cove∣tousness more often practised in a bad sense, as Prov. 28. 24.* 1.377 He that robbeth his father and mother, and saith it is no transgression, the same is a compa∣nion of a destroyer: This will Covetousness do, and wipe its mouth, and say, I have done no evil: This was the practise of the Pharisees, Matth. 15. 4.* 1.378 saith Christ, God command•• To honour fa∣ther and mother; and he that curseth father or mo∣ther, shall dye; but ye say, whosoever shall say to his Father or Mother, Corban, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, and ho∣nour not his father or his mother, he shall be free: They would give a small gift to the Temple, to be excused from a greater duty, and further charge; Still COVETOUSNES is in all this.

6. COMMANDMENT.

I, but you will say, though Covetousness be a breach of all the Commandments hitherto,* 1.379 yet the covetous man doth not kill, and break the sixth Commandment? yea, Covetousness also is a Blood-sucker, and the covetuous, man-slayers; those that are gold-thirsty, are blood-thirsty also, espe∣cially now in these hard times; in hard times those that pinch the poor, & grinde their faces, do (as it were) such their very lives and blood: see Prov. 1. 11.* 1.380 My Son, if sinners intice thee, con∣sent thou not; if they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent

without cause, let us swallow him up alive, and whole, as the grave: Why do all this? We shall finde all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil; and verse 19.* 1.381 saith he, So are the wayes of every one that is greedy of gain; for it ta∣keth away the life of the owners thereof.

Therefore Covetousness and Blood are joyned together, Ezek. 22. 13.* 1.382 I have smitten my hand•• at thy dishonest gain; and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee. I need not instance the case of Ahab and Naboth,* 1.383 Ahab taking away his life to get his vineyard▪ nor of Iudas,* 1.384 who for gain betrayed Jesus Christ his Lord to death, for thirty pieces of silver: And if the hands of ma∣ny covetous persons are not defiled Actually with shedding of blood, It is the Law, and not Conscience keepeth them clean; they have bloody hearts, tho••gh not bloody hands: and to God they are in that regard guilty of blood, as if they had shed blood: and though mans Law cannot finde them culpable, yet Gods Law doth: for that forbids the Murther of the wish, and of the heart.

7. COMMANDMENT.

But sure he is not guilty of Adultery? yea; for you know Covetousness was the cause that Ta∣mar suffered Iudah to lie with her, Gen. 38. 16.* 1.385 What wilt thou give me to lie with me?* 1.386 saith Ta∣mar to Iudah. What is the cause of the per∣mission of so many Stews and Brothel-houses

in the Popes Territories, at Rome, and Venice, and Dance, and other places, but Covetousness? for Gain they will a give dispensation for any sin: And on the other hand how common is it even among us That many refuse Marriage, meerly out of Covetousness, to avoid the charge of marriage?

8. COMMANDEMENT.

8. I, but He doth not steal? yea surely; for the world having stollen the heart of a Covetous man from God,* 1.387 he himself will make no bones to steal from men: and Thieves and Covetous are immediately joyned together in that I Cor. 6. 10. Iudas was a Thief,* 1.388 why? Iohn 12. 6.* 1.389 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a Thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein: You see he was called a Thief, because he was covetous; Defrauding, oppressing, over-reaching, cozening, cheating, gaming, extortion, vsury, all of them Worms bred in the dunghill of a covetous heart.

Nor is it any excuse to say, there is as much evil or more in spending it prodigally; that ex∣cuses not thee at all: as the end of evil asking, may be to spend it upon their lusts, Jam. 4. 3.* 1.390 so we may say of evil Cvetousness, for thy Covetous∣ness is to please thy lusts.

9. COMMANDEMENT.

The ninth commandement,* 1.391 Bear no false wit∣ness:

He also is guilty of the breach of this: As in the Commandement before, he made no scruple of false dealing; so here he makes none of false Accusing: Iohn Baptist to the Souldiers, he puts these together, Luke 3. 14.* 1.392 Accuse no man falsly, be content with your wages: There is seldom any false Accusation against our neighbour but Covetousness is in it. And here we may mention, as guilty of Covetousness, 1. The Flat∣terer. 2. Knights of the Post, that will for gain swear any thing. 3. Detractors or Defamers. And 4. Lawyers.

First, Flatterers, spoken of Iude v. 16.* 1.393 Whose mouthes speak proud things, having mens persons in admiration, for advantage sake: They will say as they say, Whom they flatter and fain with and fawn upon, for their advantage sake.

Secondly, Those pitiful poor creatures that will serve any one with Oaths and False-witness to get money; and may well be called Knights of the Post, which so hackney out their souls and consciences to such Hellish Monsters.

Thirdly, Defamers, Detractors, and Backbiters, are here reproved, as Covetous, and Breakers of this ninth Commandement, who watch to take up all the spew and vomit of the world to please those they seek a meals meat from, or some such small gain. And care not who they re∣proach, nor how unjustly so they can but please their Benefactors.

Lastly, Those Lawyers, who against their con∣sciences will give counsel in a wrong cause, and so

bear false witness for their Fee Sake: How com∣mon is this among Lawyers? If like Balacks Messengers to Balaam,* 1.394 they bring the Reward of Divination in their hands, they will (or it shall go hard, though they break their brains for it) make a bad cause seem good, when they know it to be otherewise: O hellish practise, and com∣mon among Lawyers! and yet they slight it as a thing of nothing: Must we not speak for our Clients? (say they) But they are herein deeply guilty of this foul sin of Covetousness.

10. COMMANDEMENT.

And then for the tenth Commandement, I hope you will not say they do not Covet: for this is their whole practise:* 1.395 and is directly against this Commandement: For what can a man have, that a covetons man doth not desire? if his hands could or durst be as nimble as his thoughts and wishes, he would be like Adam, Alone in the earth, No body should have any thing but He: for Adam had all, and no body shared with him: such are the desires of a covetous man, they are boundless. As the Conclave answered Pope Benedict the twelfth: If he would make more Cardinals, he must make another world too; for this world was scarce sufficient for them in being, which were already made.

Covetousness enlargeth her desire as hell: Look now upon thy self in this glass; set it before thee, and see (if thou hadst no more sins but this

One) if it be not a mighty sin, a massy sin, as heavy as a Talent of lead: O that thou didst but feel it so! It is such a Seminary and Nursery of so many other sins, that thou hast need to cry mightily against it, with David, Incline my heart to thy Commandments, but not to Covetousness, Psalm 119. 36.* 1.396

Beloved, I do not use to spend time thus against any one particular sin: because in doing so, in most sins, I cut off but the boughs and branches, but leave the root to grow ranker and stronger: I therefore still desire to strike at the root, and then the boughs and branches dye and wither of themselves: But this sin being so com∣mon and indeed Epidemical, as I have shewed you; and being a Root it self, from which so many evil branches spring and grow, I thought good to spend this short time (though not in my ordinary way of speaking to you) if so it may please God to bring any one here to abandon and detest this great and mighty sin of Covetous∣ness.

Now I come to speak a little in brief to the other parts of this Indictment; which I must run over, and give you but a touch of what I meant to say.

Now for the Extent and generality of this dis∣sease.

It is an Epidemical disease, an universal plague, from which no sort is free.

Some sins are peculiar to the place of Kings, They having gotten so much power in their hands, they would be Monarhs without con∣trol, whose assertion is, That they owe account of their actions to none but God alone; and they want not for flatterers and Sycophants to preach such Doctrine in their ears, That no power on earth ought to call them to Account, for that they are above the law: and then Covetousness will make them, Make their lusts their Law, and they will have what they will have, right or wrong; but in this Nation they have been still curbed and kept off from this Absolute power, by one means or other. You know what Iezebel said to Ahab, 1 Kings 21. 7.* 1.397 when he would fain have taken from Naboth his vineyard, but the Law manacled and restrained him: what, saith Iezebel, Dost thou now govern the King∣dom of Israel, and art so cast down for this thing, and wilt fast and eat no bread? up and eat, and be of good chear, I will give thee the vineyard of Na∣both: And when the Law would not give it him, she devised a wicked device, causing two sons of Belial, Knights of the Post, to swear blas∣phemy against him, and so confiscate not onely his vineyard, but his whole estate. Covetousness will cause even Kings to do this, and what not, if they have but Power enough?

2. Some sins are more peculiar to Noble∣men, as Ambition, Pride, desire of Honours and Preferments, boasting of their great de∣scent; yet there is none of all these but is

spiced and mixed, if not grounded and bottom∣ed on this general sin of Covetousness, for to uphold themselves in their state: Thy Princes are as Evening wolves,* 1.398 greedy and covetous, they all love gifts, &c.

3. The sin peculiar to rich men, is to op∣press and grind the faces of the poor through Covetousness, To joyn house to house, and field to field, Isa. 5. 8.* 1.399 therefore the Prophet David gave rich men a good Lesson, If riches increase, set not your hearts upon them, Psal. 62. 12.* 1.400 And we may see the covetous mind of rich men, in Nathans Parable, 2 Sam. 12.* 1.401 though he had Lambs enough of his own, yet he would have the poor mans One Ewe.

4. Learned men, they are more addicted to credit and applause, and to be had in great esteem; yet they are not free from this sin of Covetousness; Its plain in that story of Balack and Balam, who sent Nobles, but not without gifts in their hands; and when Balack told him, I will thee exalt to honour, yet he puts that clause in too.* 1.402 I would have filled thy house full of silver and gold;* 1.403 and Balaam was covetous, for Iude mentions his sin, Hired with the wages of un∣righteousness.

5. Wisemen, who wanting the true fear of God, they are Diaboli delitiae, The Devils delight, Fit men for his turn: and therefore They as most Fit must be set on work to act for him his Subtil and Cunning devices, his Glorious Stratagems, His splendida peccata, Those glistring sins, generosa

scelera, Noble Projects, Honourable policies, and Scarlet sins: These be, His Grave, Black, and Sage Complotters, Cunning Engineers, these are the fittest to carry on, his Sage and Grave, My∣steria iniquitatis, Mysteries of Iniquity; nay, and some of his Mysteries of iniquity must carry a Divine face, A reverend shew of holiness and Re∣ligion, or else they cannot be effected and ac∣complished: And whats the ground of all this, But Covetousness?

But why should I stand to deal with particu∣lars severally? Covetousness is an Epidemical plague, common to rich & poor; it is a disease incident to the several ages of man, Childehood, Manhood, Old age; incident to the several Complexions of men; none free from Covetous∣ness.

The Thief in the old Law, Covetousness caused him to steal: God made a Law for the Thief, to restrain him from coveting that w^ch was not his own, Exod. 22. 1.* 1.404 If he kill or sell it, He should restore five Oxen for one Ox, & four sheep for one sheep: It was not a law then, to Hang a man, and cut off the thred of his life for Thirteen pence half peny: but to make Restitution to the Owner; and not as it is now, The owner to be bound to prosecute if he accuse, and lose all himself, and all that can be found of the Malefactors, to fall to the King: and if the owner take restitu∣tion of, or to himself, to be as lyable to the Law as the Thief himself: Yet questionless it is meet that the Restitution should be given in a Le∣gal

way and openly (and not covertly under∣hand, and secretly) as it then was, whereby the Thief was known and detected, and condemned to make restitution, according to the Law: it could be wished these things were well consi∣dered by those whom it concerns.

Our Saviour gives a special caveat against this sin of Covetousness; Men think, O, if they had but such a thing,* 1.405 as such a man hath, Oh how it would content and please them! such a mans house, such a mans horse, such a mans Estate: I am now possessed of an hundred a year; O could I make it two hundred, and then three thousand, then five thousand a year; and thus the Devil deludes the vain heart of man, and steals from him this rare Iewel of [Contentment,] and intoduceth and juggels in the room there∣of, that Ugly and Gaping Fiend Covetousness: Therefore our Lord bids us beware of this de∣vouring foul Fiend, Luk. 12. 15.* 1.406 Take heed and beware of Covetousness; for though a man have a∣bundance, yet his life standeth not in his riches: This is such a Taking Evil with the sons of men, Christ had need bid them beware again and again: some other dangers and evils, if they be but seen, tis sufficient to make men eschew and avoid them: but for this of Covetousness ye must give item upon item, and caution upon caution, and caveat upon caveat, and yet how few Take heed and beware of Covetousness••

A word or two of the Intention, the third part of this Indictment, Are given unto Cove∣tousness.

This doth very much Aggravate this sin of Covetousness, and so all other sins, when men in this kinde do not onely peccare, but peccatum facere; not onely sin, but sin with delight; this is that which is exceedingly acceptable to the Devil; for as God commanded, Exod. 35. 5.* 1.407 that they should not onely bring offerings, but bring them from a willing heart, whether gold or silver, or brass, or silk, blue or purple or scarlet, &c. or of goats-hair; if never so small, the free and willing heart was all in all: So when men not onely sin, but sin with a willing heart, when men are not onely Covetous, but given up to it, are covetous with a willing heart, what more acceptable to Satan? and what more adominable to the Lord?

And hereupon when men thus Give them∣selves up freely to sin, so that they choose it, and delight in it, then God himself gives them up to it likewise, and lets them follow after the gods whom they have chosen; as 1 Iohn 3. 8.* 1.408 He that committeth sin is of the Devil: that is, he that Committeth himself to sin, he is a free and wil∣ling servant to sin: He hath chosen Sin to obey it, and to be his Lord and Master: Men ••ust give themselves up unto sin, and then God in his righteous judgement gives them up according to

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their own hearts lust, and according to their own choise and desire: And is not this a righteous thing with Almighty God? judge ye.

As Moses to Pharaoh, God sent him to Pha∣raoh to let his people go;* 1.409 who told him if he would not, these and these plagues would follow: Pha∣raoh hardens his heart, and would take no Be∣ware, no Caveat; then the Lord said (as it were) Seeing it is so, seeing he is hardned, and he chooses to be so, he shall be hardned, I will also harden his heart, that I may shew upon him my mighty wonders. Beloved, Do not your hearts Ake while you hear of these things? do you not tremble? had you not need to take heed and boware of Covetousness?* 1.410 especially of the love of Covetousness: For if once you are de∣livered up to this, first by your own choosing, & secondly by God Almighty in his righteous judgement, truly you are in a wo case: Then it may be said of you, as the Prophet Ieremiah concerning the Israelites, when they had vo∣luntarily forsaken the Lord, Ier. 13. 23.* 1.411 Can the Black amore change his skin? or the Leopard his spots? then may ye also do well, who are accusto∣med to do evil.

In all which regards, take heed and beware of Covetousness;* 1.412 for a mans life cansisteth not in a∣bundance; But having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.

Fourthly and Lastly, for the punishment of this sin here threatned, which is onely im∣plyed

in this word [For;] with reference to the former verses, which I may call, as I did at the beginning, The Zarah of my Text.

The sin goes before, and the punishment fol∣lows: But here like Iudahs two Sons, Pharez and Zarah, the last put forth his hand first to the birth, and they tyed a red thred to his finger, saying,* 1.413 This is born first, but he pulled it in again, and let his brother come first: So though the pu∣nishment offered it self first by this first word in my Text [For] yet sin being always the forerun∣ner of judgment, this word [For] pulled back its hand, and comes now last to the birth, name∣ly, To be handled and spoken to; wherein also I must be very brief, and gently touch, and not tarry upon any thing.

How many woes and sore punishments are threatned against this sin? as in that of Isa. 5. 7.* 1.414 He looked for judgment, and behold oppression; for righteousness, and behold a cry: Wo unto them that joyn house to house, and land to land; that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed Alone in the midst of the earth; that is, they cannot abide any to be so great as them∣selves, they must be Lords PARAMOUNT, to overtop all; therefore saith the Prophet, Verse 9. In mine ears said the Lord of Hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair without inhabitant:* 1.415 yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath; and the seed of an homer shall yield but an Ephah, &c. and therefore are my peo∣ple

gone into captivity, &c. and therefore Hell hath enlarged her self, and opened her mouth with∣out measure; And their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp shall descend into it:

And again, Mic. 2. 1, 2.* 1.416 Wo to them that devise iniquity, and work mischief upon their beds, and when the morning is light they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand: But what evil is this? it is Covetousness, as you may see, it fol∣lows there, They covet field, and take them by vio∣lence; and houses, and take them away: so they op∣press a man and his house, even a man and his heri∣tage: Therefore saith the Lord, Against this fa∣mily do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not re∣move your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily; for, this time is evil: And Hab. 2. 6.* 1.417 Wo to him that in∣creaseth that which is not his; how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay: Vers. 9.* 1.418 Wo to him that coveteth an evil C••vetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that so he may be delivered from the power of evil: Thou hast consul∣ted shame to thy house, and sinned against thy own soul: They think to bless themselves, and raise their houses and posterity by these devices and grasping at all; whereas you see there is no way like this to consult the Ruine of Them, & theirs; they think they are consulting to build their houses, and those very thoughts are consultati∣ons to destroy them: See then how the Lord o∣verrules the exorbitant thoughts of wicked men, to work his own purposes, which is their Ruine and destruction; and rather then it shal not

be thus, in Verse 11.* 1.419 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it: Indeed, he thinks he doth well, and the cove∣tous blesseth himself, Psal. 10. 3.* 1.420 but it follows in the same Verse, But the Lord abhorreth him; yea, he so abhorreth a covetous man, that he clappeth his hands at him, in token of disdain, and abhorreth his wicked devises. Ezek. 22. 13.* 1.421 Because thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast for gotten me; therefore have I smitten my hands at thy dishonest gain: yea, He smites at the covetous man Himself, with his hands, Isa. 57. 17.* 1.422 For the iniquity of his Cove∣tousness was I wroth, and smote him, and I suffered him to go on frowardly in the way of his own heart: What greater smiting can be, then this, for God to leave a man to guide himself, and to fol∣low his own devices, to be his own Guide and Counsellor, and for God to let him thus go on? Thus you see how this sin is threatned with the punishment in general.

And for the particular plagues, that God usual∣ly Dogs this sin at the heels with, they are either

• In his body, or In his goods, In his posterity, or In his Soul.

1. For the body: To speak nothing of what he makes his body suffer by his pains and tra∣vel,

and by his pinching and penuriousness, to save from his back and belly, and denying himself that for which the creature is made, and given him for; viz. to use moderately for his refreshing and comfort: which Use he deprives himself of, when tis in his power,* 1.423 and he hath no power to eat thereof; which Solomon saith, Eccles. 6. 2. is a great evil under the Sun: Though he have enough, yet he weares & weari••s out his body & minde; the one with hunger and hardship, travel and la∣bour; the other with care and thoughtfulness, so that he cannot take his sleep, nor rest night nor day: what a sore evil is this? That though he have Abundance, yet there is as great restraint lies upon him, as on him that hath nothing; for They dare not touch anothers goods; but He, dare not touch his own, but starves (as it were) in the midst of plenty; all which are whips of his own making for himself: But moreover, If he will make rods for his own Back, surely Gods rods will be Scorpions.

What got Gehazi by his rich booty he got from Naaman? 2 Kings 5. 27.* 1.424 for his Covetous∣ness God caused the Leprosie of Naaman, which he was freed from, to cleave to Gehazi, and un∣to his house for ever: A deer booty. And had not Achan better have left the wedge of gold be∣hinde him, then instead of heaps of gold and sil∣ver, to get a heap of stones on him?* 1.425 Ioshua 7. 26. And Balaams Covetousness got him a sword in his bowels:* 1.426 And Iudas his Covetousness got him a Halter: And Ananias and Saphira the

loss of their lives by sudden death, who were made a spectacle and trembling to all that heard thereof.

But on the contrary, there are many bles∣sings promised to those that hate Covetousness; as in that of Prov. 28. 16.* 1.427 He that hates Covetous∣ness, shall prolong his days. I will not now stand to name any more: All this considered, what cause hath a covetous man to boast or bless him∣self, though he be rich, and have abundance? tis as if Iudas should have boasted of thirty pieces of silver, while he swong in a halter: or for Ba∣laam to say,* 1.428 How sweet is the reward of Divinati∣on? when the sword was in his bowels: The wa∣ges was sweet, but how sweet was the sword? But you see in all this, how God hates and abhors this Sin, and this Sinner, and how just he is in punishing it: What more just and equal, that he who will covet Naamans silver and raiment, should be plagued with his Leprosie?

The second particular plague is in his goods, and that is, either

• In Gods denying them the use, or In depriving them of the possession.

1. In denying the use of what they have; as I hinted before, they dare not touch it, even as if it were none of theirs, but anothers: and so it is, for it is Gods, & not theirs; and he will not suf∣fer

them to make use thereof. Eccles. 6. 1, 2.* 1.429 There is an evil that I have seen under the Sun, and it is common among men; A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof: All the good they have thereof, is but to Look on them, Eccl. 5. 10, 11.* 1.430 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with in∣crease: when goods increase, they are increased to them that eat them; that is, make use of them: for what good is there to the owners thereof, save the beholding with their eyes? for as Iob saith, Job 20. 22.* 1.431 In the fulness of his sufficiency, he shall be in straits: I, In more straits then he that hath but little. Beloved, what a strange curse fol∣lows these men? to have Enough and Abun∣dance, and yet have Nothing: this is a sin by it self; for in all other Sins, though they lose E∣ternal pleasures, yet they have some pleasure here: But in this, None here, nor None here∣after.

2. In taking them away, though they may like fools, solace themselves in that poor com∣fort, to see and behold them with their eyes, which is vanity (saith Solomon) yet oftentimes this com∣fort also is taken away, they are removed from them, out of their sight; for God hath provi∣ded a Worm for this Gourd, and Vermine to cor∣rupt this Manna: as Iob 20. 20.* 1.432 He shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save ought of that which he desired, there shall none of his meat

be left: therefore shall no man look for hi•• goods; when he is about to fill his belly, God 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all cast the fu∣ry of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating: When men like Behemoth think to draw all Jordan into their jaws, they shall so oppress their stomachs by their greediness, that they shall vomit it as fast up again,* 1.433 Iob 20. 15. He hath swallowed down riches but he shall vo∣mit them up again; God shall cast them out of hi•• belly: As Augustine saith, Praedo minoris shall be Prada majoris,* 1.434 Psal. 37. The devourer of the lesser shall become the prey of the greater. And saith David, I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green Bay-••ree yet he passed away, and lo He was not, I sought him, but he could not be found.

3. The punishment of this sin is oftentimes and commonly executed in his children and po∣sterity: Though all his care be To raise his house, yet he doth all the while but consult evil to his own house, Hab. 2. 9. For as the Father was a rich Beggar; so his sons commonly are poor Gentlemen: for he that coveteth an evil Covetous∣ness to his house, troubleth it, and hath consulted shame to it: His children oftentimes are a great plague to him, Either worms to him to consume him while he lives, or else they are worms to his wealth when he dyes; Or else as the Pro∣phet Amos saith of Riches, and affirms it with a very great asseveration, That the Lord hath sworn By His HOLINES, Amo•• 4. 1, 2.* 1.435 That He will take them away with hooks, and their poste∣rity

with fish-hooks; they are plucked, and as it were rent from their estates, and they are left unto strangers, for whom they were Never in∣tended; or else their estates are rent from them.

I beseech you therefore, if none of the for∣mer Arguments will perswade,* 1.436 yet as Iob to his wife, For the childrens sake of your own bodies, be afraid of this sin: Alas, what have these poor sheep done, that thou shouldst consult misery and shame upon them?

4. And lastly, the punishments that attend his soul: not onely hast thou sinned against thine own soul, stuffing it with vexation and carking cares, but thou hast bereft thine eyes of sleep: As also in that earthly appetite, letting it minde nothing else, contrary to the divine na∣ture of thy soul, which is made to enjoy things above & heavenly, & not to live upon things be∣low, thou hast by custom quite altered the ve∣ry taste of thy soul, and its very food; for thou hast made it to live like a beast below, having no o∣ther then Caninus Appetitus, feeding like a Dog, and like a swine, always rooting in the mire and dirt of this world: And not onely so, but which is heaviest of all, thou hast sinned against thine own soul, in disinheriting it of heaven, Ephes. 5. 5.* 1.437 For no covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any in∣heritance in the kingdom of Christ, or of God.

Now by all this that I have said, thou that art alwayes rooting in the earth, I would intreat thee but to cast up thy accounts, and see what thou hast gotten, what hath it profited thee?

what hast thou gained by all thy care and ••oil, yea though thou hadst gained the whole world?

Beloved, God doth so hate this sin, and sin∣ner, that in one prophesie he hath sworn two oaths against it, Amos 4. 2.* 1.438 There he swears by his holiness, that he will take away with hooks and Fish-hooks them and their posterity: he cannot endure the sight of such Monsters; he so hates them, that he hates the very brood of them, because they descend from such whom his soul hates. Again, in the 8. of that prophesie, and verse 7. there he swears by his Excellency, that he will never forget any of their works,* 1.439 who buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shooes. Shall not (saith He) The land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? &c. Even the heaviest of Judgements are there threatned; Thus I have endeavoured to uncase this loathsom, unprofitable, and Bur∣thensom sin of Covetousness; and if the Lord hath been doing that in your hearts, which I have been doing to your ears, this will be a happy meeting.

But to all I have said, though the time be past, yet let me name, and onely name four or five Remedies, and so conclude.

REMEDIES.

THE first means I would commend to you, whereby this rooted and prevailing sin may be overcome,* 1.440 is by Faith; as the Apostle saith, 1 Ioh.

5. 4. This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith: To learn, To cease from living by sense, and to live upon God. Our Saviour useth many arguments to this end, to destroy this Co∣vetousness and carking care, and sends us in the 6.* 1.441 of Matthew, the latter end, to the fowls of hea∣ven, to learn of them; they neither reap, nor carry into barns, yet your heavenly father feedeth them: and to learn how the Lillies of the field grow, which neither Labor nor spin, yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Secondly, If the Lord would teach thee so∣briety in the use of them, to use them with mode∣ration and with weaned affections, to use them as if thou usedst them not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not, &c. Using them onely for re∣freshment and necessity sake; to use this world, as not abusing it, because the fashion of this world passeth away, 1 Cor. 7. 30.* 1.442 and therefore to live here without carefulness: This would be a nota∣ble means to bring you out of love with this de∣servedly hateful Monster, Covetousness.

Thirdly, Temperance in the desire of them; be not too much affected with them, rejoyce not overmuch in them, do not overvalue them; but labor to see how vain and empty these out∣ward things are, and that there is nothing in them to satisfie or feed thy soul, which must be fed with Heavenly Manna, and not with World∣ly trash.

Fourthly, Another means is, Freedom from that false conceit that men generally have of them,

viz. That they are full of content and satisfacti∣on; for none ever found them so: The best Happiness that is in them, is not, in having much of them, but in doing much good with them; and this will bring the owners there of the greatest comfort; though men in these days cannot as yet be brought to think so; but the time is coming when they shall be esteemed as they are, Empty and vain things: God will bring men to be more like himself; who being rich, delights infinitely to communicate of his Ri∣ches and Goodness to his creatures, but especial∣ly to those united and made one with him∣self.

Fifthly, With Moses before thou goest out of this world, go climb up to Mount Nebo, and take a view of the promised Land; learn to have a sight, and be acquainted with the pleasures of Gods Right hand;* 1.443 for all these things are but those of his Left; he gives them most plentifully to those, that (at the consummation of all things) shall stand on his left hand; And let me tell you, There is little, very little of the love of God in them; yea, no love at all, without the other: These means, if it please God to ena∣ble you to use them in good earnest, with a strong and eager desire to be freed from this ugly Fiend Covetousness; then will Hee without doubt drive him out of you, and dispossess him from his strong holds within you.

And Lastly, Let us commend all these Helps, Means and Remedies, and all that we have said

to the Lord by Prayer, resigning up our own Power and wisdom to God alone, who must by his own power cast him out, or he will never stir out of you, but keep his POSSESSION, till he hath dispossessed us of all our Comfort, Joy, and Happiness.

SOME things in this Sermon also very much offended the Bishops, and heightned his Charge in the High Commission: The Reader may per∣ceive wherein, without particulari∣zing.

THE PLUS VLTRA OF THE CREATURES. AN EXPOSITION, OCCASIONED By singing the 148. Psalm.

Spoken privately in Old-street.

BEloved, we have here sung a Psalm, but if we have not understood what we have sung, we have but prated like Parrots: for there is a threefold singing;* 1.444 there is a sing∣ing with understanding; as the Apostle commands, To sing with the heart, and with understanding: sing with the heart; that is,

sing with zeal; but as the Apostle saith, They have zeal, but not acording to knowledge: For a man may sing with his lips, and sing with zeal, but yet not according to knowledge not with understanding;* 1.445 if we understand not what we sing, we exalt not God in our hearts by our singing. I do not mean such as say they know not what, but they may know the litteral meaning, and sing with zeal too, and with their Spirit: but their eyes are not open to see The spiritual mystery of the words: As here in this Psalm, here be many things easie to be understood, they are clear to every eye; as when David doth exhort King•• and Prince••, Old men and Babes to praise god: this is easie to be done and we know the meaning as soon as we look on it: but here are some things again that are hard, and obscure, and they are two.

First, In that David doth exhort dumb, un∣reasonable and senseless Creatures to praise God, such as cannot hear, at least cannot under∣stand: Doth the Holy Chost in the Gospel bid us avoid impertinent speeches,* 1.446 and vain repe∣titions, and shall we think he will use them himself? no, no. But,

Secondly Not onely doth he call upon these creatures; but also he calls upon the deeps, and the seas to praise God: These two things are hard to be conceived.

But to give you some Reasons:

* 1.447 The first Reason may be this why David cals upon the unreasonable Creatures to perform this

duty: he doth his duty like a faithful Preacher, whether they will hear or no that he preaches to, yet he will discharge his own soul: a true Preacher, he speaks the truth, and calls upon them to hear, though his Auditors sleep, and regard it not: so likewise doth David in this sense, with these creatures; he doth his duty, and calls upon them to do it, though they un∣derstand not, though they comprehend it not.

The second Reason may be this;* 1.448 He doth it craftily, by way of pollcy, to incite others to perform this duty, that if such creatures as they ought to do this then those that are above them in degree, they have more cause, and may be ashamed to neglect it: as an ill-governed master, though he ••tay himself at home, yet he will send his servants to Church: so David being con∣scious of his own neglect, yet he calls upon o∣thers not to be slack and negligent; though he came infinitely short of that he should do, yet he shews his own desire to perform this duty.

But if these Reasons will not satisfie you, Though they have done Others,* 1.449 a third Rea∣son may be this, to set forth the sweet harmo∣ny that is among all Gods creatures; To shew how that all the creatures being Gods family, do with One consent, speak and preach aloud Gods praise; and therefore he calls upon some above him, some below him, on both sides him, every where, to speak Gods praise; for every one in their place, degree, and calling shew forth, though in a dumb sense and way, Their Creators praise.

Or Fourthly and Lastly,* 1.450 which I think to be a good Reason: zeal makes men speak and ur∣ter things impossible; the fire of zeal it will so transport him, that it will make him speak things unreasonable, impossible: as Moses in his zeal desired God for the safety of Israel to blot his name out of his book, and Paul wished him∣self Anathema Maranatha, accursed or separate from Christ,* 1.451 for his bre••••rens salvation: which was a thing impossible, it could not be: But I think David doth not intend this here; for he calls for nothing but that which is done, and therefore possible; for No creature can turn out of the way of His praise; for he is not only glori∣fied in their graces; but even also as much in their sins and rebellions against him: though men should spit their malice and their blasphe∣mies in the very face of God their maker, yet they hurt not him, they cannot touch him, nor his sacred glory; his praise shall as well and as much every whit arise from their confusion, as from their salvation; the hurt is their own, not his.

And now to shew you how the dumb and deaf creatures sing praise to God, as God de∣manded of Iob, when he thought as we, that man onely praises God, Iob 38. 7.* 1.452 saith God, Where wert thou, when the morning Stars sang to∣gether, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? God says there they Shouted and Sung; did not you heat them, did they not sing and shout in your ears? it is no matter, they did in his

and to him they sang melodiously, and Aloud, and he understands their voice, and their lan∣guage, though we understand not how they do praise him: As in a tree, it is the nature there∣of to grow and flourish in the spring, and in Autumn the leaves fall, and the sap returns to the root; Gods will is as well accomplished in this tree, as in a man; for these visible crea∣tures were made of invisible; and that which is invisible praised him before, and that praises him still; for all the creatures, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, yea the whole Creation, they all sing sweetly and make a melodious praise, wherein he is infinitely delighted; as Psal. 19.* 1.453 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the earth sheweth his handy-work: And the Song of the three Children, O all ye works of God, bless the Lord, praise him and magnifie him for ever.

There is in all these dumb, and insensible, and unreasonable creatures, A proper kind of Religion; God gives to every one according to their place, degree, nature and calling, A Ta∣lent, and accordingly he will require of them a∣gain; if he gives the gift of prophesie, we must prophesie according to the measure of faith: as in the University,* 1.454 we do not expect those parts and abilities in young beginners, and Sizars, that we expect in those that are of longer standing; Then by the way it is no wonder, though God give to those that sit at the Helm of his Church, more eminent and larger gifts, then he gives to those that are below, in lower offices; I may say

even these unreasonable creatures have a Reli∣gion in their way, according to Gods will; We see God ascribes moral vertues to them;* 1.455 As in the Proverbs, Go to the Pismire, thou sluggard; she provideth in summer for the Winter; & in Isai. 1. 3.* 1.456 The Ox knoweth his owner, and the Ass his Masters crib, but my people have not known me, saith the Lord: and in the Evangelists it is, He rebuketh the windes and sea,* 1.457 and they Obey him: Here are moral vertues in them; care and providence in the Pismire; thankfulness in the Ox and Ass, to them that feed them; we see they will ac∣knowledge their owner, and there is obedience even in the Seas. Nay every Creature doth its duty but onely MAN.

We will now also see if we can find out their Religion. Religion consists of four parts; All Religion I say may be reduced to four heads.

• The first is, A Creed, what we are to be∣lieve.
• 2. A Petition, what we are to pray for.
• 3. A Decalogue, what we are to do.
• And Lastly, A Sacrifice, what we are to give.

Now let us see how all these are competible to all these creatures. First, For their Creed, what they believe, what faith they have; it is true, they cannot speak as we do, yet they speak in their kind, and as they are able: We require no more of children then they are able, neither doth God of his Creatures: and so these creatures do in their kind both speak and believe

(this is an undeniable maxime,) That there is a God; for who can look upon an effect, but he must needs have recourse to the cause? there can be no effect without a cause; if we see a thing made, we know it hath a Maker; and if we look upon the creature in this kind, as an Effect, it plainly speaks a cause; so that, we can look upon no creature, but we must inquire after God; There is no attribute ascribed to God, but all the creatures speak it, and confess it.

As first (to speak of some of his Attributes) for instance, God is one Simple Essence; this unity is testified and declared by the Creatures, that God is one, and can be no more; for if there were more then one Creator of them, then the one would destroy, confouud, and overthrow the other; for, if they be Two, either they must be equal, or not equal; if they be not equal, then the one is greater then the other, and the greater will overcome the lesser; and if they be equal, then there must be bounds and limits set, how far the Ones dominion must reach, and how far the other: but this to affirm, is most ab∣surd and ridiculous.

Secondly, They all testifie that God is good, and if good, and the onely goodness, goodness it self, then likewise he must be Truth, Entity and Being; for all these are one: Whatever is one, is God; whatever is truth, is God; what∣ever is good, is God; whatever is Entity and Being, is God; for in saying he is good, or in saying, He is any of these; He is all these:

for these are terms convertible; if he be good, then he is Truth, Entity and Being; and if he be truth, entity and being, then he is good; these are all one: and so of any of the rest. And, if there be A goodness in the creatures, then what is He who is the fountain, that gives all these their goodness? These are but the Chanels that run from the Fountain and Head; but it so falls out in the world, and is so common, that many, yea most men are so taken up with the plea∣santness of the streames that come from him, that they are drowned in them: he gives us these outward comforts, that they may draw our eyes to him that bestows them, that so we may be in love with him, not them. But in our way to him we fall in love with the creatures: he lets down these cords to draw us up to him, & we hang our selves with these cords: as those that came a woing to Penelope, many, yea most of them fell in love with the Handmaids that were appointed to lead them to her, and so never saw the Mistress; So do we fall in love with the servants, The Handmaids of God, The creatures, and we make them The Mi∣stress; whereas we should never rest till we come by these servants and Handmaids, to the True Mistress indeed, God himself, Blessed for ever, and onely BEAUTIFUL.

Thirdly, God is called Light: that is a pro∣perty ••••••buted to him; but yet God is not the light we now see, but he is that fountain and being from whence it comes; and there∣fore

when we behold and see the Sun, Moon and Stars, and the glorious Firmament, we can∣not choose but ask, whose light is this? and they presently tell us Their Belief, That they are All The works of His hands: There is no creature but testifies the Goodness, the Wis∣dom, Excellency and Beauty of him: You may say, these indeed in themselves are glorious creatures; but say withal, Where is He that enlightens them, and makes them so glori∣ous? Oh! What and How glorious is He that thus shines in them, and through them? And as they All testifie the glory of their Creator, so they All suffer him to be their Lord and Ruler: Every thing is contented to stand in his place, and be obedient to him; the beasts they are appointed for food to man, as other things are for beasts, every one increasing and yielding their sweetness and fatness to the next creature above them; and this they do willing∣ly without grudging.

And, All these creatures, though they do speak [God] yet that they say of Him it is nothing in comparison of him: Though they say something, yet they all say not All of him: but in us there is such a deal of ignorance, (which I was about to say was the greatest sin) that we are so far from using them as we should, making them serviceable to us, and keeping them in their place, that we are rather serviceable to them, and are their servants, and we make them Masters; we are sooner turned into their kind, then they into ours.

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And the creatures, though they speak God, and speak aloud of him; yet know this, they still cry Plus ultra, plus ultra, there is more behinde still, look beyond us, for we are nothing: when thou beholdest The Beauty, glory, sweetness, or Excelencie of any Creature, or of all the Crea∣tures together, Hear This voice from Them, Look Beyond us for we All are Nothing Nothing, to Him who made us and gave us to be What we are: And we all speak infinitely short of Him. As when I see This Church, or House, I know he was a workman that built it, yet I know not All of him; I neither knew what age he was of, nor what means he had, but that he was a work∣man, this his works do tell me: So in the works of Creation, when I look upon any of the creatures, I must needs acknowledge he was a Rare workman, and a wise, that contri∣ved and made it: but they come infinitely far short of him; And they still cry with that man in the Gospel, We believe, But Lord, help our un∣belief.

2. For their prayers: You know prayer consists of two parts; Of Prayer or Invocati∣on: Of Praise and Adoration: As I told you, every creature praises God; the work praises the workman, and every creature praises God, I and with a loud voyce: But whoever heard and understood the noise and the language of the stones, and the voyce of the still and quiet earth? But even All these praise God Aloud, and he re∣ceiveth it at their hands; They all praise him, in

his Sanctum Sanctorum; The whole world and the Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens are all but His Temple; (as David saith) In this Tem∣ple doth every one speak of His glory. In this Temple they all sing praise and Hallelujahs to him; every one, even as it were vocally; as Psal. 84. 3.* 1.458 David complains that the Swallows, and the Sparrows were more happy then he; for they might draw nigh unto God in his Tem∣ple to praise him: for, what is their chirping, crying and singing, but the voice of nature? and to whom do they cry?* 1.459 and to whom do they sing, but to their Creator? and God knows their voice and their cry, as David saith, He feeds the young Ravens when they cry unto him: As a mother knows the signs the Child makes, knows by the nuzling what it craves; even so doth God by all his creatures,* 1.460 The eyes of all things look up unto thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season: What the eyes of all men? nay of all things; You know one crea∣ture understands the voice of another, they un∣derstands one anothers complaints, one anothers singing and rejoycing: one Dog understands the voice of another, and so every creature in its kind: and shall not God, who is the God of nature? he knows whereof we are all made, and He knows all our complaints and wants: The Lions seek their prey of God, and he feeds the Ravens when they cry unto him.

But if these should not preach Gods praise, yet the very stones do speak his praise, and cry

unto him, but yet in such a language as God understands who made them, and therefore you to whom God hath given rongues and under∣standing, if you do not praise God, and glorifie him, if you hold your tongues, all these dumb creatures, and even these senseless stocks and stones shall rise in judgement against you: for this is a true rule, Nature, hath done nothing in vain: Whats the reason the poor sheep bleats when it comes to the slaughter, and the swine Roars when he is killed? do you think they cry to us that pursue, them, & kill them; no no, but to God, who is witness of their surrendring up their precious lives according to his will: STEVEN when he was stoned to death, nor Jesus Christ when he was crucified, and said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: they did not cry, more Audibly, I say not* 1.461 more Audibly in Gods eares, to God to take notice of their innocent yielding up their lives, then these creatures do Cry to God, when they suffer cru∣elly and unjustly, crying to God, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge, And, Father, into thy hands I commit my life and my spirit, and fall asleep as Steven did, and return to their rest.

3. The third thing is their Decalogue; but this belongs onely to us, because they need none; they never broke their law, they alwayes walk according to Gods will; The water, and the sea, summer and winter, hay-time and har∣vest, with all other things, these all keep their appointed time, they all obey thy will, O God:

True it is, they have not that reason that we have; and therfore they have not so exact A Decalogue; Yet, God hath power even to break this exact Law: yea man also may, if God give him a dispensation: and then if he break any of these Laws, it is no sin: as God commanded Abraham to kill his son, and he did kill him in his intention;* 1.462 and he had killed him, had not the Angel staid his hand; and it was not Evil, but Obedience in Abraham: But if any one shall do this from their own will, then it were sin; for he that gave the Law, may break the Law: And for this third part we need say no more.

4. For their Sacrifices or Sacraments: I do not say they sacrifice as of themselves; but they are not onely an occasion of our praising God, and sacrificing to him, but they are also the matter of our sacrifices: yet David in that of I Chron. 16. 31, 32, 33.* 1.463 Exhorts, Let the Heavens be glad, and the earth rejoyce; and let men say among the Nations, The Lord reigneth: so withal saith he, Let the sea roar, and the ful∣ness thereof, let the fields rejoyce, and all that is therein: then shall the trees of the wood Sing Out, at the presence of the Lord; that is, To him to whom God hath revealed himself, and suffered His glory to pass before him: All creatures, yea the dumb and inanimate creatures sing out, and sing aloud the infinite praises of God Almighty, Psal. 145. 9, 10.* 1.464 The Lord is good to all, and his tender mereies are over all his works: All thy

works shall peaise thee, and thy Saints shall bless thee, and talk of thy Kingdom and Power: And so much shall suffice for these four parts of the creatures Religion. We will come to make use hereof to our selves:

First,* 1.465 Let it make us ashamed of our back∣wardness to give God praise: we that are exalt∣ed above these creatures, that they are more rea∣dy and cheerful in praising their Creator then we; we may blush and be ashamed: for, There is nothing that we can behold, but puts us in mind of our slothfulness: These poor servants that have received but one talent, do yeild more increase of praise to God, then I or you that have received many talents: These poor creatures do more sing forth Gods praise, then we with all our wisdom, reason and understanding: And let us with shame confess, Saying it is I, It is I, that have depressed thy glory, and caused thy praise to be evil spoken of: and say with David, when thou seest any of the creatures dye,* 1.466 It is I Lord, that have offended; but what have these poor sheep done, which are killed and slain for me, un∣worthy, unthankful sinner?

Second Use,* 1.467 Take notice hence of the vast circumference of Gods Kingdom, it reaches farther then we are aware of: we think that we are the onely creatures that God esteems of: Was not the earth made for me? and the Sun to shine upon me? and all creatures to feed and clothe me?* 1.468 and thou thinkest that thou art left alone to praise God: no no, deceive not thy self,

Gods praise is not confined to the Church of men, he hath reserved to himself seven thousand that have not bowed their knee to Baal: Dost thou think poor creature, that thou art onely He that I have appointed to worship me? and that my infinite praise depends onely upon thee? no no, His Kingdom is from one end of heaven to the other; and every creature praises him as much, or more, then thee, as Col. 1. 16.* 1.469 All things were created by him, both things in heaven, and things in earth, visible and invisible: all things were created by him, and for him, for his praise and glory; and Psal. 2. 10, 11.* 1.470 That at the name of Iesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Iesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father: Therefore alas, alas, do not think that Gods Temple is so narrowly scanted, that thon onely praisest him; thou art the least part of his Church and Temple.

Third Use,* 1.471 Let this teach us to go to God bold∣ly in the name of Iesus, and with great encou∣ragement to praise God; for though men and Angels be unfit to praise God, and they cannot do it as they ought; yet he that accepts the Ra∣vens and the Lions, and all the dumb creatures when they Cry unto Him, be assured, he will never refuse the sighs and the groans of any poor penitent dejected soul, that comes bleed∣ing and weeping to him for mercy: He that com∣eth to me, I will in no wise cast away, Joh. 6. 37.

Fourth Use,* 1.472 Let us learn also, that when we look upon the creatures, we take heed of, being taken with any of them: But let us consider, that these are but as Iaco bs Ladder,* 1.473 that by these steps, by these Angels of God, we may ascend to him that stands at the Top: And if God do not by one means or other, by one affliction and vex∣ation in the creature or other, drive us from the creature that we may look up to him, we shall for ever live and dye in the creature: And there∣fore happy is that man that God hunts from these things▪ that they may never have any Rest, till they find Him, where they shall find, Rest, to their souls: As if there be oyl put into a deep glass, it lies at the bottom, and will never rise to the top: but if you pour water into it, it will still be rising up to the top, till the oyl it self run over; I could apply it thus, A soul that is sunk in sin, and sunk in the creature, except God of his infinite mercy pour upon him the wa∣ter of afflictions, his soul will never Arise, and mount up to God; this drives us upward to seek rest there,* 1.474 for here is none; and so there∣by shall become more then conquerors through him that hath loved us; where as if these had not been, our souls had been drowned in the crea∣tures, and sunck for ever to the pit of Hell.

These things I thus unfold to you, that you may see the unspeakable and large bounds of Gods praise, That every thing may result and yield to him honour and praise.

A Fifth Use,* 1.475 To teach us, that though it be

impossible for us to search out the unspeakable praises of God that is hid in all the creatures, we may see them, yet we can never search them to the bottom; howbeit every creature saith to us, as the Angel to Iohn when he would have fallen down and worshipped him;* 1.476 See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow servant, Worship God: we are ready to fall down and worship the crea∣tures; but they all cry, See thou do it not, I am thy fellow servant, worship God; And they all cry to thee: Dost thou see the beauty of any creature? doth the sweetness of any creature take thee?* 1.477 I say they all cry to us, Arise and depart hence, for this is not your rest: Doth the Pleasantness, the sweetness, the Comeliness, &c. of any creature delight thee? it saith, and calls aloud to thee, Arise, and depart hence, for this is not your rest: how sweet, how beautiful, how fair soever, Rest not in that thou seest; but seek for HIM thou seest not:* 1.478 All creatures are like the waters to Noahs Dove, which could find no rest for the soal of her foot; but yet she brought an Olive leaf in her mouth: we may taste and use these things; But, take not too much of them, and hold them gently, and be alwayes ready to let them fall: take heed of resting, till you come to the Ark; all come out from him, and all return to him again.

Sixth Use,* 1.479 and the last, Take heed of abusing any creature; it is enough that you may use them? for they are one of the family you your selves are of, and they groan as well as you for

deliverance:* 1.480 as God complains, that ye make him serve your iniquities: so may they com∣plain to God of you, and say, thou hast ap∣pointed me to serve and comfort man, and to make him more fit to serve thee; but he abu∣ses us, and prostitutes us to serve his own in∣ordinate will and lust, and regards not thee: And God himself calls upon you,

Oh take heed you do not abuse them, and make them to serve your sins and lusts by Drunkenness,* 1.481 Gluttony, Pride, and Wantonness; for they are of that family, of whom is named the whole family in heaven and earth: They all call me Father and Maker, as well as your selves. And he that can look upon every creature as his BROTHER, he can never abuse it; he will never begin to strike his fellow-servants,* 1.482 and say, My Master deferreth his coming: and therefore I take that to be a godly speech of St. Francis, as they call him, for all he was of the Church of Rome: and therefore some of our literal Divines deride and mock at it; I would God they would practice it in a godly and re∣verent manner: It was his manner to call all the creatures his Brethren, the Ox his Brother, the Ass his Brother, the Dog his Brother: For God is Father of them as well as of thee: But proud man is ready to put honour upon himself, when no honour belongs to him; All honour is Gods: if all be his, what right hast thou to claim any? take heed of abusing then any of these thy brethren at thy pleasure, and thinking that

they were made Only to please and satisfie thee. Solomon saith,* 1.483 A good man is merciful to his Beast; that is, he useth them respectfully, and for ne∣cessity, and forbears Execrations and cursings of them, and tortures to them. And so to con∣clude, let us and all creatures together, sing and sound forth the Honour and Praise of our great God, from Generation to Generation, through∣out all Ages, Amen.

OF MILK FOR BABES; AND OF Meat for Strong Men.

Luk •• 2. 40.

And the C••ild grew, and waxed strong in Spirit, filled with wisdom, and the Grace of God was upon him.

Preached at Kensington Publick Meeting-place.

AS it is said of Iohn, Luk. 2.* 1.484 ult. That the child grew & waxed strong in spirit, & was in the desarts till the day of his shewing unto Israel: so likewise here the same is said of Jesus Christ; yet with this exception and

difference;* 1.485 Iohn hath an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or set time, after which he decreaseth and grows less, Iohn 3. 30.* 1.486 He must increase, but I must decrease: And so it is with Believers, they must grow less and less, and come to nothing, that so Jesus Christ may become all in all, according to that in Dan. 2. 34, 35.* 1.487 That stone cut out of the moun∣tain without hands, which smote the Image, and brake it to pieces and it became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth: This stone is Jesus Christ, which breaks to pieces all things; That is, That all Worships and Religions, and whatever is mixt with Iron, and Clay, and whatever is of Man, may decrease, that him∣self may increase and grow great, and fill the whole earth with the knowledge and mani∣festation of himself, He being all in all.

But I must forbear, for I prevent my self.

The Text contains:

• 1. A Hist••ry.
• 2. A Mystery.

And this, as I was speaking before, comes under the second part; viz. The Mystery.

For the History, that is brief, and shews onely the truth of his humane nature: which though Hypostatically united to the Divinity, even from the instance of his conception, as it followeth in the Text, that he was filled with wis∣dom, and the Grace of God was upon him; & Vers. ult. that he increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man; which cannot be

meant in regard of his Divine nature, as if there could be any Access or increase of, or to that which is infinite: but onely in the ex∣pression and manifestation thereof, in those Organs which the God of Order had therefore ordained and co-apted.

So that if any shall ask,* 1.488 How that which is full and perfect, can be said to increase?

I Answer,* 1.489 as before, not in Augmentation, but in Manifestation: God cannot grow great∣er or lesser, be more or less excellent or glorious, but his greatness, power, and glory is further manifested, more spread and made known; ac∣cording to that promise, Numb. 14. 21. and Isa. 6. 3.* 1.490 All the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord:* 1.491 Our great and infinite God filleth the whole earth, and the Heavens, yea, and the Heavens of Heavens, with his majesty and Glory, at all times, and in every place Alike. but then he is said to fill the Earth or Heavens with his glory and greatness when he is manifested more to men or Angels, and when he enlarg∣eth the knowledge of himself, And of his Power and Greatness.

As we have often shewed you concerning Iacob, Gen. 28.* 1.492 He dreamed and saw the Lad∣der reaching from earth to heaven; and the Al∣mighty, The God of Abraham and Isaac was at the top thereof; and from him Angels ascending and descending continually, thereby God ma∣nifesting himself to be with him whereever he was, and that he would keep him in all places

whereever he went, and that he would not leave him, but fulfill all he had promised: Iacob awak∣ing he saw God as present there as at home in his Fathers house, and cryes out, The Lord is in this place, and I knew it not; whereat he was ••ore afraid, and burst out into this ravishing accla∣mation, How dreadfull is this place! this is none other but the house of God! God was as much present in his glory and majesty over night, as well as then, but Iacob ••aw not his presence: God was not more there, but there was a greater manifestation: Iacobs sight was opened to see the presence of God more: Iacobs Portion and Treasure was nigh him alwayes, but he saw him not; as Hagar, God opened her eyes, and then she saw the well of water, Gen. 21. 19.* 1.493 Know this, that the fountain of all good is alwayes with us, nigh at hand, if we could but see him: and we need never fear, nor never despond and doubt so as we do: For as Moses saith concerning the command Deut. 30. 14.* 1.494 It is not hiddeu from thee: neither is it far off the: not in heaven, nor beyond the sea, but nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart: So the Apostle, Rom. 10. 6, 7.* 1.495 he applies that Scripture to Jesus Christ, who is, Col. 1 16.* 1.496 the first begotten of all creatures, by whom all things consist, and in whom they live, move, and have their being.

But the second part is the Mystery of the Text.

That which is more materiall, is the Mystery:

Though all Scripture be written for instructi∣on; yet know, The Scripture is a Mystery, of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.497 which as Eustathius saith, comes from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.498 claudo, because it is kept secret, sacr••d, and shut up: because in all Mysteries tis neces∣sary to keep close the mind, and not to shew the things which are to be concealed, as one saith; for as St. Paul saith concerning Circumcision▪ Rom. 2. 28, 29.* 1.499 He is not a lew which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is that of the flesh: but he is a Iew which is one in∣wardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God: So say I of saving knowledge; He that sees the Mystery of the Scripture, he hath the true knowledge of the Scripture: He is not taught of God, that knows only the Let∣ter, and the Flesh of the Scripture: but true understanding is that of the Spirit, and not of the Letter: and though men may ••ry up and praise literal knowledge, yet God onely esteems of inward knowledge, & the mind and inside of the Scriptures; All other knowledge is vain, and maketh a man not one hairs breadth the better before God.

Therefore we may observe also what Mi∣nisters the Apostle preferres; not the Mini∣sters of the Letter, but the Ministers of the New Testament; as in that of 2. Cor. 3. 6.* 1.500 Able Ministers, not of the Letter, but of the Spirit: And those also to be true Christians, having not the Law onely outwardly, in tables of

stone: but within, in the fleshy tables of the heart: he having made us able Ministers of the New Testament, not of the Letter, but of the Spirit; for the Letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life: all the knowledge of the history is but as the Law written in Tables of stone, which doth us no good; but it is onely the Spirit, the know∣ledge of the Mystery, And Marrow, That giv∣eth life.

But you will say to me,* 1.501 How doth the Letter kill?

I Answer,* 1.502 By resting therein, and not seek∣ing for the marrow, the food and the life; but contenting our selves with the knowledge of the History and outside: but because I have at other times unfolded this unto you, I shall here pass it by, and come to the Spirit and Mystery of our Text in hand.

So then, it resteth (This premised) being That we may safely conclude even thus much, that as our Saviour was typisied by others who went before him; he was the Substance of all those Shadows, both of persons and things: even so Christ Jesus himself, he is the resem∣blance and type of himself; his outward, tempo∣ral and visible actions in the flesh, were a type of his inward and internall actions in the souls of all Believers, He being their life and Resur∣rection; they being before but dead men in Tres∣passes and sins, untill his actions be their life and Regeneration. So likewise, as his life was Typical, and resembled himself; so in regard

of his death and crucifying: whatever he suffer∣ed externally in the flesh, it shews how he is internally crucifyed daily, even to the end of the world, Heb. 6. 6.* 1.503 Seeing they crucifie to them∣selves the Son of God a fresh, and put him to an open shame: So likewise for all his other actions and passages related of him; as his Nativity, it held out our spiritual birth, and Christ his being born in the soul; as the Apostle expresseth it, Gal. 4. 19.* 1.504 My beloved of whom I travel in birth, till Christ be formed, or brought forth in you. So also in his Circumcision, is held forth our Spiritual Circumcision:* 1.505 as in that of Col. 2 11. Ye are compleat in him▪ in whom also ye are circum∣cised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, &c. So also for holiness of life: Christs holiness shew us, what holiness shall be in them that are his children and peo∣ple, Mat. 5. 16.* 1.506 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glori∣fy your father which is in Heaven.

So also for his outward Teaching, it repre∣sents to us, that all His people should be taught of God; he himself would be the true Teacher in us, as Isa. 54. 13. All thy children shall be taught of the Lord,* 1.507 and great shall be the peace of thy children. And Jer. 31. 34.* 1.508 And they shall no more teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least to the greatest, saith the Lord. And Christ himself cites these places,

Iohn 6. 45.* 1.509 It is written in the Prophets, And they shall all be taught of God; every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the father cometh unto me. So also in Christs Miracles: as in opening the eyes of the blind, it shews that Christ him∣self must open our eyes, or else we remaine stark blind; yea as those born blind: And ne∣ver any man but he, was known to open the eyes of any born blind: David saith, Psal. 13. 3.* 1.510 Lighten thou mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death: And Psal. 18. 28.* 1.511 For thou wilt light my Candle: The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness: So also in opening the ears of the deaf: it is he alone can say to our ears Ephathah, be ye opened, & it is so: So also for his restoring of limbs, causing those that are Cripples from their Mothers womb, to leap like an Hart, and to run his wayes with delight.

The like also for his raising the dead, and feeding the Multitudes: And what shall I say more? you may apply them more to your selves: The time would fail me to undertake to speak of all his actions. So also of his Resur∣rection, If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, Col. 3. 2.* 1.512 And so of his Ascen∣sion, and all other his Actions and Miracles, to see all these things held forth and typi••ied in the Person, Actions and Miracles of our Saviour.

These are all Saving actions, wrought in us, and we thereby partake of the excellency and vertue thereof: The other, though wrought for us, yet if we are not quickned, vivified, and put

into act by these, we receive no benefit by them. An outward dead faith, to believe onely in an external Christ, is no better then a faith of De∣vils: This is that Christ whose day Abraham saw and rejoced in, Joh. 8. 56.* 1.513 and not in regard of the other onely; viz. Prophetically, but this chiefly; This is that Christ and him crucified, whom St. Paul desire onely to know, 1 Cor. 2. 2.* 1.514 in regard of which, Christ in him, working, acting, and expressing his own life, himself in him, he slighted the external knowledge of Christ according to the flesh, 1 Cor. 5. 16.* 1.515 Where∣fore henceforth know no wan after the flesh, yea though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet henceforth know we him no more.

Now then as all the other actions and passions of Christ were not onely meritorious in them∣selves, but also typical and Significant: so is this growth of Jesus Christ; he grows up in us, in wis∣dom and stature, and he in us waxeth strong in spi∣rit, being filled with wisdom and understanding: He teacheth us the true wisdom, He in us chus∣eth that good thing which shall never be taken a∣way: He is,* 1.516 The grace of God in us: I live, saith the Apostle, yet not I, but it is Christ his life in me: From him cometh all growth in grace, not from our selves; the work is his, none of ours: From him cometh Faith, Hope, Charity, Strength, Vertue, &c. If any of these come from man, from the power, industry or strength of man, they are false, and good for nought: yet how rea∣dy are most men to assume these to themselves?

or at least to think that by their power or wis∣dom, or industry they have attained them?* 1.517 From whence come wars? come they not from your lusts? So from whence comes pride, and the lifting up of the creature; high, towring and and swelling imaginations, that (in plain terms) exalt themselves against Jesus Christ? they are so far from being from him, or of him, that they are quite contrary to him: however to some may seem the vertues of Christ himself, but they they are the excrements of the Old man.

Hence it is said, That Iohn Baptist grew, and waxed strong in spirit, because Christ by his divine life in him brake forth in Iohn, and his light did shine before men; they seeing those good works in him, God was glorified, not Iohn; for saith he, I must decrease, but he must increase: Hence it is said here accentively, twice in this Chapter, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & versus ult▪ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.518 both in our Text, and Verse ult. And the childe grew, and waxed strong in Spirit, filled with wisdom▪ and the grace of God was upou him:* 1.519 And again, Iesus increased in wisdom, and stature, and in favour with God and men: As these things were in him, in his person then, so the same things are as really done in his Mystical body and members: All these influen∣ces are his, and flow from him the head; We are dead in trespasses and sins, bnt he is the Resur∣restion and Life:* 1.520 And he that believeth in him, shall never dye; nay though he were dead, yet shall he live.

When Jesus Christ doth once begin to display and declare the glory of himself in the soul,* 1.521 and to adorn the soul with himself, what a palace, what a Kingdom, what a Temple is that soul? Well might David say, Glorious things are spoken of thee, O thou City and Temple of God, Psal. 82. 3.* 1.522 more glorious then the Temple spoken of Rev. 21.* 1.523 and saith our Savi∣our, The Kingdom of heaven is within you: All that description Rev. 21.* 1.524 there at large, setteth out the Glory and light of that Temple, which was like Iasper, most precious and clear as Chry∣stal, and the wall high and stately, wherein were twelve gates, & the gates kept by twelve Angels, and the walls of Iasper, and the City pure gold, and the very foundation garnished with precious stones, a Iasper, a Saphir, a Chalcedony, an Emerald, a Sardonix, a Sardius, a Chrysolite, a Beril, a Topas, a Chrysophrasus, a Iacinth, an A∣methist,

I say all these things are accomplished in a great measure, in some less, in some more; in all those where Jesus Christ is pleased to dis∣play his glories, and in that soul where he is pleased to adorn it with his own graces, and with the fruites of the spirit, as Faith, Hope, Cha∣rity, Strength, Vertue, Love, Ioy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Meekness, Tempe∣rance, &c. Those that are thus qualified, in∣riched and adorned▪ let me tell you, they need no Law, no Light; for they are a Law to them∣selves; and there is a light within them, like

that City, Rev. 21. 23.* 1.525 That had no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon to shine in it, for, The Glory of God did lighten it, and the lamb is The light thereof. Nay I may say, and say truly (as I may say) they are gotten above Law, above Letter, in this regard: for they have the Gospel and the life within them; yet for all this, do not think that I speak against Law, or Letter, or Ordinances; use them (as I say) but Rest not in them: And know this also, that while the soul is Rapt up in the glory, sight and be∣holding of Jesus Christ, he knows this, that he enjoys that which is the Substance, and that which is as farre above the other, as the Sub∣stance is above the Shadow, and the Life above the Letter, and the Spirit above the Flesh; yet he will not slight nor cast away these means or Ordinances, because God hath often appeared in them and by them to him: as I have shewed more at large upon other Scriptures.

But I say, Let us look to find that in us, which Christ affirms, that the Kingdom of God is within us;* 1.526 and that you are in some beginnings of that glorious Temple and City mentioned before; for if you think the Kingdom of God or Hea∣ven, to consist of such things as are there de∣clared in the Letter, you are much deceived: But the holy Spirit is pleased to make use of such expressions and representations, that are so amiable and Glorious to the carnall eye, that so we may come to see the Truth and Sub∣stance of those Shadows and Representations

to be far and transcendenly more ravishing and glorious; as all those Saints and people of God, before whom God hath Unvailed his glory, can abundantly witness, and seal to the truth thereof.

Insomuch, that had they all those precious stones, and Houses, and Temples, built of them really; yet they in comparison of what they see and enjoy of God would trample them all un∣der their feet, as not worthy to be named the same hour with those true pearls, and those ra∣vishing, full and satisfying, and transparent pre∣cious stones which are within them: They need not (when they are in union and communi∣on with him, and when he is pleased to let but his back parts pass before them) they shall not desire the light of the Sun,* 1.527 or of the Moon, to give light in that Temple:* 1.528 for the glory of the Lord doth lighten it,* 1.529 aud the Lamb is the light thereof: And as it is expressed there in Ver. 14. The Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it; and the Kings of the earth shall bring their glory unto it: This Temple, and this Palace, and this Glory, darkens all the glory and splendor of all the Kings and Emperors under the Sun: All their glory vanisheth, and makes hast before this glory, as being abashed and ashamed once to ap∣pear in sight thereof.

Beloved, I hope, and I know there are some that hear me, which know, and see, and feel these things to be true, yea, (as you say) as true as Go∣spel; yea, so true, as nothing is, nor can be more

true. And some others I know there be, which will believe none of all these things▪ but they will dwel in the Letter, and think all the things spoken thereof, are some visible and Ocular glo∣ries: as the Disciples, while they were weak, and but babes, they pleased themselves with ap∣prehensions, of their Master his being a temporal King, and that he should sit upon his Throne▪ & they all should sit about him: and Zebedees chil∣dren, nothing would serve them, but That the one might sit at his right hand,* 1.530 and the other at his left: And such childish apprehensions have ma∣ny; yea most men, They please their fancies, hopes and imaginations with these things; viz. That the glory of heaven shall be onely hereaf∣ter; and that glory to consist in Thrones, and Crowns, and Scepters, in Musick, Harps and Vi∣ols, and such like carnal and poor things, com∣pared to that glory: and though they talk and prattle, that grace is glory begun, and glory is grace perfected; yet how farre wide are they in this practise? and how harsh and uncouth is this Doctrine to such men? but it is the rejoicing of my soul, that I speak to some that have seen and felt, farre, farre more then my tongue is able to express: for these things are known not so much by mans teaching, as by feeling and enjoying them, and by the Teachings of God,

But indeed and in truth, there is so much Litteralness, even among great Professors, and most Teachers, that they are alwayes but at the

very Beginning of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ;* 1.531 And if those that profess and think themselves able Teachers, do stick here, and go no further, how can they be a means to bring others on toward perfection? I tell you Be∣loved, this dwelling in the letter, is that which hath been the occasion of so many Errors, Rents and Differences as hath been in the Church: The truth is known by none, but by those that can come to the truth: In thy light we shall see light. You that are of the truth,* 1.532 you have re∣ceived the Anointing,* 1.533 and that Anointing teacheth you all things: Not as if any individual man knoweth all things; But Ye, Ye the Church, Ye the Body, Ye know all things, as I have shewed you at large upon that Text. Take the com∣pleat Body of Christ, both past, present and to come, & adde to them the Head: & then we may not onely say,* 1.534 Thou art all fair my Love, there is no spot in thee; but thou art altogether Ami∣able, and YE know all things,

Beloved, one runs away with one interpre∣tation,* 1.535 and another with another; as the Apo∣stle saith Every one of you hath a Doctrine, a Psalm, an Interpretation, a Tongue, a Revelation: But let us mind this Anointing, what that teacheth us: let us labour to see, that we must be All taught of God; that we may come to have the Mystery,* 1.536 and the Living sense; and this will instruct, guide, lead and conduct us aright and safely, that we shall not only SEE these hidden things, but we shall know, yea know undoubtedly that they are the

Truth, the life, & the Way, as Christ saith of him∣self: Did men but see things, and were led by the Spirit, and by the Truth, they would not run away with such poor, weak, carnal and em∣pty notions and interpretations as they do: The Book of the Revelation, is a most Divine High∣flowen Revelation of most glorious, and most Di∣vine things: and yet because men rest in the Letter (as they do in the rest of the Scriptures) we see how low, and empty, and poor they car∣ry on their works? what carnal apprehensions men please themselves withal? yet I deny not in the least, the truth of the Letter, far be it from me; I do not deny but those things may be fulfilled according to the Letter: But there∣fore shall we rest and dwell there? shall we not seek the Truth of all shadows?

Not that I would have men neglect preach∣ing the Letter, or whatever can be found out externally to be fulfilled; but let us not rest there; but seek for the Anointing, for the Spirit promised by Christ, that may lead us into all truth; even into that truth which Christ spake of, when he said,* 1.537 I have many things to say unto you, but as yet ye are not able to bear them; But I will send the Comforter,* 1.538 and he shall lead you into all truth:* 1.539 And of which Paul speaketh, 1 Cor. 3. 1, 2. And I Brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ: I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able [to bear it] neither yet are ye able;* 1.540 for ye

are yet carnal: that ye may come to see those things God reveals by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the DEEP things of God; for he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man: for who hath known the minde of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the minde of Christ; as there the Apostle, in that of 1 Cor. 2. expostulates, concerning the Hidden Mystery of the Scri∣ptures, which we cannot have, except it be freely given unto us of God.

He that is taught these things, hath the My∣steries of the Kingdom of God; he hath even this Scripture fulfilled in him: And the childe grew,* 1.541 and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wis∣dom, and the grace of God was upon him: Here you may see the reason, and what Christ meant when he said, Mat. 19. 14. Suffer little children to come unto me,* 1.542 and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God:* 1.543 And yet Lev. 21. 20. there tis forbid, that any Dwarf of the Tribe of Levi, should approch to offer sacrifice to God. How shall we reconcile Gods Commandment and Christ his practise? Truly thus, I suppose Christ in that saying, holds forth by little children, such as are in an humble, meek, lowly, and in a growing condition, and coming on to perfecti∣on: for saith he, He that receiveth not the King∣dom of God as a little childe, he shall not enter there∣in: But for Dwarfs, whose growth is stinted, they are at their highest, and will never grow tal∣ler: I mean, such who profess themselves tall

Christians, but are not so much as little chil∣dren; nor cannot endure to grow taller, nor hear of new light, or a new Birth, or that any should know more then they, this is hateful to them; for they think, they have been brought up with the Scriptures, they have bin at the University, sat at the feet of Gamaliel, Exercised in the holy Scriptures from a child, studied al points in Divi∣nity, searched out the judgment of most Au∣thors; Have Epitomized the quintessence of all their judgments; and shall we tell these men of new light? they cry New lights are old Errors: Do you think that these men are true Disciples? or fit to be Christs Disciples, by him to be led into al truth? is this voice the voice of the Spouse? w^ch continually looking upon her own ignorances and infirmities, cryeth, Oh thou whom my soul lo∣veth, tell me, Teach me, where thou feedest, & where thou restest at noon?* 1.544 But you know what the holy Ghost saith,* 1.545 He that is wise in his own conceit, there is more hope of a fool then of that man.

And indeed we much wonder to see a Dwarf, because that if he live to he never so old, yet he is but of a childes stature, and will never increase or grow higher: What are such Christians (if they may be so called) but Monsters? like those silly women the Apostle speaks of, always learn∣ing,* 1.546 and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth: who cannot indure strong meat, to make them grow tall men in Christ, but are still feed∣ing themselves and others with nothing but milk, with the Principles and Beginnings

of Christ: But those Plerophoria's, Those Fat and full things of Gods House, though they talk of them, yet they never reach them: And those that do speak of them, give them an of∣fence, and get their hatred, and hard sentence: He must be a Familist, or a Se••tarie, or an An∣tinomian, or some such like: and to say the truth in few words, they censure others, and applaud themselves: and though they have been long Teachers, yet they themselves had need be taught the very lowest things in Christi∣anity; And, Children they finde their Audi∣tors, and children they leave them.

You see our Saviour grew up in wisdom and stature, and the grace of God was with him, being filled therewith: He stood not at a stay but in∣creased; he grew from the Law to the Go∣spel, he submitted to the Law in all things, and fulfilled all righteousness; but he rested not in the Law, but grew up to the Gospel; he be∣gun at Circumcision, and submitted to the Law, and was obedient, even unto death: and he rested not there neither, but he al∣so ascended and rose again to Life and Glory: So S. Paul to avoid offence, because of some that were weak in the faith, he circumcised Timothy, Acts 16. 3.* 1.547 because of the Iews, for they all knew that his Father was a Greek: yet after∣ward he saith,* 1.548 Circumcision is nothing, nor uncir∣cumcision, but a new creature. And again, when Paul saw that they began to rest upon Baptism, he slighted it, and undervalues it; when men be∣gin

to make the Shadow the Substance, or the Image the Truth, He undervalues them; al∣though being rightly used, he practised and u∣sed them himself: So they be but used as Means, and Schoolmasters, and Tutors to bring us to Christ; But if they instead of bringing us to him, keep and bar us from him, away with them: If we begin to admire them, and cry up them, and make our duties and the Sacra∣ments themselves, though appointed by Christ himself, to be our Saviours, we are to slight them, and disesteem them in that regard, as Paul did the holy Law it self,* 1.549 in that Epistle to the Galatians, and elsewhere: For all these Ordinances are for no other use, but that they may be as steps to him, & as guides to him who is the truth and the substance: nay Paul went so high, that he not onely undervalued the Law, or Ordinances, or Duties, if they hindred from Christ, but he attempted to draw aside, and undervalued and slighted the very Person and Body of Jesus Christ, in that case; If men rest in any outward priviledge or enjoyment, they keep us from Christ.

Beloved, be not offended, see what himself saith, 2 Cor. 5. 16.* 1.550 when some slighted him, who it may be knew or heard Christ personal∣ly, and began to prefer the Shadow be∣fore the Substance: he undervaluing all but a New creature▪ he bursts out in an holy defi∣ance of all things else besides it; let it be Mo∣ses, or Christ Jesus himself, in regard of his bo∣dy

and external presence or knowledge: Hence∣forth know we no man after the flesh: one would think he had spoke there generally and inclusive∣ly enough: but he boldly addes, Yea, although we have known Christ after the flesh, yet henceforth know we him no more: as if he should say, tell not me of outward Priviledges or Ordinances, I seek a proof of Christ in you; shew me the New birth, the new CREATURE; is Christ formed in you? this is that onely, that I travel in birth for, and for nothing else.

And so likewise to instance in Baptism, which some think is come in the room of Circumci∣sion: Well let it be so, we will not contend a∣bout that, Christ removing that burthensom and legal Ordinance: but for Christ the substance we ought and must contend for to the utmost: yet some there are that would have Baptism admi∣nistred after such manner that it is as burthen∣som, yea more burthensom to some then Cir∣cumcision: you know what I mean: as to in∣stance, the unseasonableness of weather some∣times▪ & the weaknes and sicknes of some bodies; besides, that of Circumcision was onely for the males, & not for Females, as the Ordinance of Ba∣ptism is; with many other reasons too long to stand upon; therefore more burthensom then Circumcision: they speak of plunging over head and ears, as if it were an absolute injunction, be∣cause the Apostle saith, Rom. 6. 4. Buried with him in Baptism, therefore they must be plunged:

Truly, there is a great deal of s••ir more then

need; for Baptism is but a type and shadow of the true Baptism: and I conceive (and to me its clear) that the Apostle there sets the shadow against the substance; one to set out the other: for Christs Baptism was his humbling himself, and emptying himself, and submitting to his Fa∣thers will, in his whole Passions and sufferings, which is the thing Baptism holds forth; For to Zebedees children, when they desired to sit one on his right hand,* 1.551 and the other on his left: (he saith) Can you be baptized with the Baptism wherewith I must be baptized? intimating that they were not able to pass through such a sea of sufferings as he was to pass through; they not knowing what they said, or what Christ meant, they answered, We are: They thought submitting to Baptism was but a small thing; neither indeed was it, ta∣king it onely as external.

But because the Apostle saith, Buried with him in or by Baptism, therefore a great deal ado there hath been in several ages of the Church by some, affirming Baptism is no Baptism, except they be plunged or ducked under water; a very childish and weak conclusion, without any true ground: yet mistake me not, I do not say childish, in regard of the Appointment, but in regard of Resting and dwelling therein, and not going on toward perfection it self. And truly with some men, herein lies the top or quintessence of their Religion, making such ado a∣bout Shadows, and Figures, and Resemblances, while they let the Truth, the Substance, and

the Thing pass; and regard it not; forasmuch as they are so zealous and hot about Forms: but if they are by any drawn up to speak of the Sub∣stance, they are as men lost, cold and heartless: which is a plain evidence to me, that they prefer the Shadow before the Substance, being meerly exercised about childish things, and are not wil∣ling to come up to the Truth, to the Excellencies and Glories of what Baptism,* 1.552 and other Ordi∣nances signifie: And there is no telling them of a more excellent way, as the Apostle saith: They see all excellencies in the Shadow, none in the Substance: Whereabouts (think you) is these mens Religion and truth of Grace?

Truly, my Friends, this sticking in the Let∣ter, is that which hath been the bane of all growth in Religion, and an occasion of so ma∣ny disputes and differences therein, which I do not wonder at; for Children can do no other then quarrel about trifles, and things of no great worth: Not that the soul should slight or undervalue Ordinances, or any other duty. Be∣loved, I am fain to use this caution the oftner, because ye are so subject to catch and carp: I say, Let all those things have their due time, place and esteem: but to rest in these, is the worm, the Gourd: But this I say, when the soul by these Ordinances (or in these, or what∣ever you will name) shall come to see and en∣joy God Her Portion; when she is in the pur∣suit of her Beloved, she undervalues and leaves all things of this nature behinde, and presseth af∣ter

the mark, the Price of the high calling of God in Iesus Christ: And to this soul in this conditi∣on I may boldly say, whats Duties? whats Or∣dinances? whats Christ in the flesh? I beseech you give me leave; what are all these, when the soul embraces the truth of all these things? Can that soul at that time, leave its Beloveds arms, and prize the Shadows, the Handmaids above or e∣qual to him? But I grant, that those that ne∣ver came to these Embraces, these swallowings up, these overcomings; This spiritual drunken∣ness, may censure and revile a soul that may say indeed and in truth, he is above these: What do you think Paul thought of these things, when he was caught up into the third Heaven?* 1.553 I grant also Beloved, that the most elevated, triumphing, and most raised soul, lives not always in this condition; these things, and these raptures, and these embraces come but seldom; and the soul comes to fall lower, and have more use of Or∣dinances: but she uses them as Handmaids, so as to conduct her to her Beloved.

Beloved, I would have you ponder these things well: If ye set up Ordinances, &c. so as to build and Rest in them, ye do make Idols of them; or at the best, you play the Babes and the Children with them, by Resting always on such Crutches and Go-bies, and never come to be Yong-men, much less as Fathers in Christ; Paul, and Peter, Iames and Iohn, they would have al∣ways enjoyed those Raptures: Paul in the third Heaven, and the other in the Transfiguration.

But the one had a prick in the flesh, and the o∣thers came down again from the Mount; and in these declinations, and lower enjoyments, I would not for a world forbid men to use means, not onely in regard of themselves, but of others, who may (by those) come to have the same enjoyments, making them no more but means, and not the end.

And so much more I will say, to satisfie you, that I have great cause to mistrust those spirits, whether they come the right way to God, or into such Raptures, that leap into them on a sudden, without use of means or Ordinances, But out of a Blinde and Prophane condition, come suddenly into these enjoyments: for God doth usually make use of these means; yet I may not limit, nor direct, nor circum∣scribe the Soveraign Almighty: yet usually faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word preached: But herein lies the general abuse of these truths, and of these enjoyments; that be∣cause some may and do come thus to enjoy God, and forsake Ordinances at a season, at the very time of such enjoyments, therefore some ha∣ving gotten this in notion, have presumptuously affirmed that they are above these, and so far abuse themselves, and shew an ill example to others,* 1.554 that they have quite forsaken the Assem∣blies, and the use of any Ordinances.

Beloved, all these things are an offence, and hereby many a soul by this delusion of Satan, drowns it self in perdition: And yet I may say

more then all this, and say properly too, he that uses them, and rests not in them, lives above them: and in this sense, living above Ordinance•• is most properly taken, and is a truth, though much abused; viz. That man hath not his com∣fort, his Life in them; this man lives above Or∣dinances: I do not say he must forsake all Ordi∣nances, as men take it usually: But to have our Life and enjoyments in the Truth and Substance;* 1.555 and against this Doctrine the gates of hell shall ne∣ver prevail.

And this I will say more, those that come into such pretended enjoyments in this extra∣ordinary way, that for the most part they never hold on in a Christian course, but abusing this light, run out into fleshly liberty: But the right enjoyment of God, is such a hedge to a man, that he cannot but love God, and seek to honour him with all his might. But I conceive all these things are but to lead us to Jesus Christ; and therefore to put more in them, and depend more on them then ever was intended, is an high a∣buse of them.

Concerning Baptism, we see Paul rejoyced, and said, 1 Cor. 1. 16.* 1.556 I thank God I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius, and the Houshold of Stephanus; for Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: and withal blames them there, that they set their eyes on him, or Apollo, or Ce∣phas, or whatever it was, either Men, or Means, or Duties, or whatever, that they once did begin to settle upon,* 1.557 and rest in, to make the cross of

Christ of no effect: All these things, were they never so high in esteem among the Famousest Teachers and Professors, he laid them aside, and undervalued them; If Baptism be set in the room of Jesus Christ, and men content them∣selves though in a true observation of it, or of the Lords Supper, according to Christs rule, or in Fellowships or Gatherings together, then we make Idols of them and set them in the room of Christ: and Christ the Truth and Substance is slighted and neglected.

So also, you know, that at the beginning of the Primitive Church, when it was weak, and in its infancy, and could not digest strong meat, the Apostles by consultation fed them with milk, and such Doctrine as they were able to bear: And all was to this end, that they might use such things as Help to shew them Jesus Christ: as Act. 15. 28, 29.* 1.558 It seemed good to the holy Spirit, & to us, to lay upon you no other burthen then these ne∣cessary things, That ye abstain from things offered to Idols, and from blood, and from things strang∣led, &c. if you keep your selves from these things, ye shall do well: Fare ye well. Now in these things, according to the present infancy and weakness of that Church,* 1.559 did as Pauls practise was; He be∣came weak to the weak and became all to all, that he might win some; They saw they could not bear taking away and removing all things at once, and so drew them on with cords of love, and in∣dulgence in things indifferent: It was as much as they at that time could bear, to remove that un∣questionable

commanded Ordinance of Circumci∣sion: and because others began to press it as a thing of necessity, therefore they in wisdom re∣move it, laying no such injunction on them, and this they tell them they shall do well to observe: But after this, when they had been exercised more in the Truth, and they began to see these things were but Pedagogies, Paul adventured to wave these things, as being things which are not the Truth and Substance.

And therefore he incourages the Corinthi∣ans, not to stand upon such things, in that 1 Cor, 8. 7.* 1.560 Howbeit there is not in every man that know∣ledge; for some with confidence of the Idol, unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an Idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled: For (saith he in the Verses before) An Idol is nothing, and there is none other but one God: Therefore although it be meat left at the Idol Sacrifices, the meat is the same afterward which it was before; the Idol defileth not the meat, for it is nothing: And therefore in 1 Cor. 10. 25.* 1.561 (saith he) Whatever is sold in the Shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: Why? there he gives the same reason again; For the earth is the Lords, and the fulness thereof: I might draw out this point to many more particulars, wherein many are misled in these days; as concerning eating of blood, and using of Temples or Places dedicated to Idols, I hope I need give no o∣ther Solution at present, but that Answer that there the Apostle doth, An Idol is nothing in the

world; there is none other but one God: The earth is the Lords, and the fulness thereof: There∣fore, I say, eat and use what is prepared for you, making no question for conscience sake: But through the weakness and childishness of many, there hath been great contest about things of this nature: And if it be evil to prefer the handmaid before the Mistris, and the Sha∣dow before the Substance, even of things com∣manded: much more to prefer these things of such indifferency before the Substance, which are to be laid aside as we grow stronger (which we are not to do by the things absolutely com∣manded) but to use them, and not abuse them; to use them, and not build on them, or Rest in them.

And as it is in things of this nature, so it is in the general estate of all Christians: First, they are servants, and under the yoke, before they come to be Sons; but when once the true Heir comes to age, then cast out the bond-woman, and her son: as the Apostle alledgeth that of Abraham for this very purpose; not that they do cast away o∣bedience according to the Law, but that they do it upon another account, even from love: Then tis no longer a yoke, but according to that promise, Ier. 31. 33.* 1.562 I will write my Law in their heart; and so they obey out of love, and not for fear: There was a time when the highest Chri••••ians were but servants; therefore despise not him who is not as tall as thy self; but let us in whatever we reprove them, pity them,

and pray for them, knowing it was once thine own condition; onely when men are self-wise and conceited, and think themselves to be great and something, when they are nothing, these deserve a more severe reproof, according to that of the Apostle Iude,* 1.563 verse 22, 23. Of some have compassion, making a difference; others save with fear, pulling, or snatching them out of the fire.

And the Apostle Paul carries this point high, and saith, Gal. 4.* 1.564 the beginning; and applies it to Christ himself: Now I say, that the heir as long as he is under age, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all; but is under Tutors and Governors, until the time apppointed of the Father: even so we, when we were in bondage, under the ele∣ments of the world; but when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made under the Law, to redeem those that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons: And Christ himself saith, Iohn 8. 35.* 1.565 The servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the Son abideth for e∣ver: But what is it to be a servant? and what a Son? Christ answers it himself, Iohn 15. 15.* 1.566 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth; but I have called you friends; for all things which I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you; and ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I have com∣manded you. Servants you know, are kept at a distance, and know not the secrets of their Ma∣ster; but if you be Friends or Sons (its all one)

you shall abide in the house for ever: The inheri∣tance is yours, the secrets of the Almighty are yours; you shall not onely have the external and outward command, but shall see the excel∣lency, the glory, the pleasure and delight of those Commands: that is, you shall not onely have the Letter, but the Life, and shall know whatever the Lord doth; you shall not always be servants, but shall grow up to be sons: and if ye grow not, you may well question your selves, whether ye shall ever come to the inhe∣ritance or no. But I say, look to your selves therefore in the name of Jesus Christ; for I af∣firm boldly in his name, That faith which is not a growing faith, is not a true faith: If your faith and light be the same as it was many years ago, that you have onely an external faith, and your faith is taught onely by the Precepts of men, and Christ is not your Teacher, and that he grows not in you: this is but a dangerous and dead faith; As one saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, There is nothing in the world is barren; and saith Christ, Considerate Lilia quomodo crescunt, Consider the Lilies, how that they grow: and a grain of mustard seed, which is the least of all seed, yet it grows the tallest: Then ••latter not your selves Beloved; that faith that grows not, is not true faith; and that light that increaseth not, is not true light; that Christ that grows not in you, dwells not in you. Beloved, look about you, this Doctrine falls heavy as lead upon abun∣dance of Professors.

I would the rather press this point, in conside∣ration of two respects.

1. That ye may know (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) the methods of Satan in men, to make men to stand still, & not to grow; for he can be content to let men have a Religion, and a supposed true Reli∣gion, and to use Ordinances and Duties, and Rules of worship, & to be content in them: but if he can keep them from growing, as he may very easily for all the use of them, his Kingdom is never like to be by them much shaken: Therefore as he sometimes tempteth men to despair by ma∣king children to measure themselves according to the rules of the Perfect: so more often to se∣curity and blessing themselves in an unsound condition, by making those that think them∣selves strong men, yet still to measure them∣selves by children, that because some or many are weaker and darker then they, therefore themselves are grown men, and tall Christians: This is no other but Satans method, that though they have a Religion, yet they shall be never the better for it.

2. Another reason why I would commend the knowledge and consideration of this point, is, for fear lest some being deceived in their own judgments, they should also deceive you, making you to rest upon a reed of Egypt, which will deceive and destroy you: And whilst they never leave the Doctrine of the Beginnings of

Christ, nor regard going on to perfection, Heb. 6. 1.* 1.567 they propound unto you all, as one common Faith (which they ought to do) so one common measure of faith, (which they ought not to do) as though there were no different degrees of grace, and proportions of faith: And as I said, Babes and Sucklings they pretended to finde you, so such and no other they will leave you: but the A∣postle saith, Rom. 12. 6. Having gifts differing according to the grace that is given unto us, Whe∣ther prophesie, let us prophesie according to the pro∣portion of faith, &c. And verse 3. Let no man think of himself more highly then he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath deal•• to every man the measure of faith: For as there are Babes in Christ, which can bear but weak and small beginnings of truth and faith, who can bear but the first principles: So also there are young men in Christ, w^ch are growen up to more ripeness and strength of faith, actings and sufferings: So also know, there are Fathers in Christ, as 1 Iohn 2.* 1.568 I have written unto you lit∣tle children; I have written unto you young men: and I have written unto you Fathers: Why Fa∣thers? because ye have known him that was from the beginning: But in these days chil∣dren will turn Teachers, and look upon them∣selves as Fathers, before they are hardly born, or not scarce out of their swadling bands, con∣ceiving they know all things,* 1.569 when indeed they know very little, if any thing rightly, especially not experimentally, but quite out of their own

line,* 1.570 making use of things in another mans line, as the Apostle speaketh, and boast thereof, as if they were their own experiences, when as in∣deed they have little or none but what they have catched up from other men. And as there are degrees of grace, and proportions of faith, so they should be preferred according to their de∣grees and proportions: And not do as the com∣mon way now is, to prefer the smaller matters of the Law before the greater and weightiest, and to say, they are more excellent; if not in word, yet in practice: As

1. Preferring faith acquired before faith in∣fused. 2. Implicit before explicit faith. And 3. Formed faith before all these; in obser∣ving the outward and formal part of Religion, as hearing, praying, receiving the Sacrament, &c. when as these are but poor things without the truth and substance: these are but The Beginnings of Christ, and to rest in these is but to be always children: As if you should bid a Taylor make a garment for a man, and he should take measure by a childe; and if he be to make a garment for a childe, to take measure by a man: what a dis∣proportion were this? Therefore in all the ages and degrees of Christians, we must observe what things, and what garments best fit them; that garment that will fit a child, wil not a man: & that which will fit a man, will not fit a child; therefore there must be consideration had, to distinguish times & seasons: Under the Law they were led by outward and visible things, riches, and

honour, and prosperity, and health and long life and such childish things: And are not most men now so, even great Eminent professors, that are still under the Paedagogie of the Law, & out∣ward prosperity, and are led by these things? And these are the chief things they seek, and make petition to God for: which indeed we do al∣low to children, to draw them on to a use of prayer: but this garment, though it may fit a childe, yet it will not a grown man in Christ.

But they are to seek first the Kingdom of God, and to rest quietly in the will of God, whether these things shall be added or no: When I was a childe, saith the Apostle, I did as a childe, I spake as a childe,* 1.571 &c. and I prayed as a childe; but when I came to be a man, I put away childish things: Those that are come to be grown men in Christ, for these outward things they are indif∣ferent, they see no such excellency in them, as all worldly men do, and even as children in Christ may through their weakness do the same: But let us now put away childish things, and be asha∣med to lie crying and whining, and begging for Bables and Rattles, for riches, and honour, and beauty, and favour of great men and such like things: how unseemly is it for a man to cry or strive for childrens things, O that I had such a Preferment! and good Lord, let me have such a place; let me have such a house; I must have such a purchase of Land; Oh that I had my health again, my wealth again; not but that these prayers are lawful; but to seek these

things in our chief desires, so that if you had but these things, then you would be fully plea∣sed, and as quiet as Lambs: let who will look after the souls portion and inheritance. Truly Friends, after all these things do the Gentiles seek; All the men of the world gape for these things, and see an excellency in nothing else; but these men that are grown up in Christianity, I tell you worldly men prize them not so much, but they do as little; and they see, seek and pray for those things which are of a more excellent na∣ture, viz. things Divine and Spiritual; these they finde worth praying for.

These are those better things which Mary chose, which could never be taken away:* 1.572 they see the vanity, the uncertainty, the vexation of the other things; but the excellency, the certainty, the rarity, the delight of true spiritual riches: Herein lies the pleasure, the satisfaction, the so∣lace, the sufficiency of men grown up into Christ: these are their riches, treasures, pleasures, despi∣sing and disdaining all things else, save only for use and necessity, for bodily sustenance, & where∣withal to relieve and do good to others; were it not in this regard, they would despise them; for to be in love with them they cannot; they see no such excellency in them, as to heap up ri∣ches, and to adde Land to Land, and House to House, as others do, and to eat up themselves with care to get them; but if God please to be∣stow them, they look upon themselves but as Stewards, to use them for necessity and charity,

and not to set their hearts upon them, knowing that if riches be not well used, they are a curse, instead of being a blessing.

When they come to pray, they cannot tell what to say, nor what to ask, in regard of tem∣poral things; blessings (I had almost said) but they seldom are so, to most men, except as I be∣fore said, they are onely used for necessity, and doing good: They dare not direct God what to do in such things;* 1.573 but say with a holy resigna∣tion, even, Father as it seemeth good in thy sight; and Thy will, not mine be done: He dare not as∣sume a will to himself in any of these things; they can but say at most, give us this day our dai∣ly bread, and for that too they joyn Thy will be done; The chief end, and Aim of his prayer is, submission to, and rejoycing in the will of God; and then whatever he hath, be it little or much, he knows that is a blessing, and otherwise they are more crosses then blessings.

But O Beloved, I know I have herein dis∣pleased the most here, and I seem a blasphemer, and a setter up of new gods; and I know, as David saith, Psal. 31. 12, 13, &c.* 1.574 The slander, yea I will say, The blasphemy of the multitude: for as it is a slander to me I weigh it not; but one∣ly as it is a blasphemy against a most divine truth of God,* 1.575 which yet the gates of Hell shall never prevail against; but as then David saith, I know and have heard the slander of the multitude; fear was on every side, while they took coun∣sel together against me, they devised to take away

my life: I was a reproch among mine enemies; yea, my familiar acquaintance spake against me, and I was a fear unto them, and they fled from me: I am forgotten as a dead man out of minde, I am cast aside like a broken vessel:* 1.576 But I trusted in thee, O Lord, and said, Thou art my God, my times are in thy hand, O deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me: Deliver me; how? it fol∣lows in the next verses, Make thy face to shine upon thy servant, and save me for thy mercies sake: If God make his face to shine upon a man, it matters not what his trouble be, whe∣ther he deliver him or no, nay, that is the best deliverance.

All this I have repeated before you, as being some bodies case else besides Davids, whom some here know, and I my self know better: And I know most of you have taken notice of that in Acts 19. 23.* 1.577 when the whole City was filled with the confusion of them that cryed,* 1.578 Verse 28. Great is Diana of the Ephesians; Paul seem∣ed to steal away their great Goddess Diana, and they cry out, What new Doctrine is this? what odde fellow have we here? What will this Babler say? what, to tell us we may not pray for out∣ward things? away with such a fellow from the earth, it is not fit he should live: for he seemeth to rob us of our old god, whom we have wor∣shipped so long, and to be a setter forth of new gods; But have patience, if ye can bear with me: I would have you rightly understand me, but I

shall not enter seriously now upon the point: but by the way, I would have you all know, if God please, In brief,

1. I Affirm, from my soul, I never denied prayer for temporal blessings (if I did,* 1.579 let my tongue cleave to my mouth) Pray for them, I say, for all temporal blessings heartily; for I know, that even your Graces, Faith, Hope, &c. as had, and done, and enjoyed in time, are temporal; but these tend and relate to a better life, and to eternity, and so are to be prized and looked up∣on: But for outward blessings, or temporal bles∣sings, which you call Riches, Honor, Houses, Lands, Wives, Children, Friends, Health, Beauty, Hand∣someness, Long life; &c. these are the things we differ about: and the doubt is, we know not what is a BLESSING, and what is not; you call that a blessing oftentimes which God and his truth calls a curse; and contrary, that a curse, which God calls a blessing: Physick, though it be bitter and unpleasing to the palate, yet tis for your health; when that which is sweet and plea∣sing to the disease, turns to destruction.

Ile tell you in brief whats a blessing, and whats held forth by those promises made to the children of Israel; indeed because they were children, they took them literally; viz. All those Promises in the 28.* 1.580 of Deuteronomie, Blessed shalt thou be in the City, and blessed in the field; blessed in the fruit of the body, thy cattel and thy ground; blessed in thy basket, and in thy store; blessed in thy going out and coming in, and

in all thou puttest thy hand unto: Let me now tell you, that which is held out to us there in those outward blessings; The blessing is, viz. To enjoy God in all, above all, and in the want of all: and when thou canst say with David, when all forsake thee: Make thy face to shine upon thy ser∣vant, and I am safe, Psal. 31. 16. and again Psal. 4. 6, 7.* 1.581 Many say, who will shew us any good? but Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us; hereby thou hust made my heart more glad the•• they that have corn and wine increased: I, well said, David, thou art right; there was a man who knew the mystery of Deut. 28. he knew what a blessing was indeed.

2. I affirm, I never denyed children to do as children; they may and must do so, because they are weak, and cannot go; let them have Go∣carts, and Holdbies, we hope they will come to be men in time, and then they will forsake all those things, in affection alwayes, and in action too, except it be (as I before said) for necessity and charity: But if they will remain alwayes weak, and for all the means and helps they have, yet thrive not, I say in such cases, our cost and labour is ill bestowed: And sometimes, some children are so froward to those that would use extraordinary means to strengthen their limbs, that they may be out of hand, that they will fight and kick with those that would do them good: And our Saviours counsel is,* 1.582 Cast not your pearls before swine, le••t they turn again▪ and all to rent you. I say again, some of the Servants

of God have found it so: and for goodwil, free∣ness and faithfulness, and not keeping back any part of Gods counsel, have been ill-rewarded, rent and torn for their faithful counsel: and it hath therefore been the Serpentine Wisdom of others, to hide their talent in a napkin, that so they might avoid the cross of Christ, and sleep in a whole Skin.

I remember a speech of R. Moses More Nevo∣chim, part 3. chap. 34. Legem accommodatam esse ad totam gentem communiter, non ad singulos; the Law is fitted for the people in generall, for all the Nation, and not for particular persons only: There was and is many a good man, who wants those outward things, when those that are evil have them in abundance, as well then as now: And shall we then say and conclude, the word or promises are not true? no, God forbid, Hea∣ven and earth shall pass away before one tittle of his word shall fail, Mat. 5.* 1.583 Therefore, I say, they in the old Testament, and also we now, mistake, because by Moses was promised the Kingdom, and the Land flowing with milk and honey, temporal peace, multitude of children, bodily health; these were in themselves temporal blessings; but they figured out spiritual, because these were promised but to the old man, under the old Law; and those that look no farther now under the Gospel, what are they better then the old Jews, and the CHILDREN of Israel?

3. I affirm, I have alwayes holden it a dan∣gerous

thing (especially of late years) to press God with particulars of temporal things, as of health, wealth, honour, &c. but to leave all those things to the will of God, walking on in our duties and calling, and leave the success to him: But while we are in our childish condition, we are still telling God in this regard, what he shall do for us, and how he shall govern the world, and when we would have fair weather, and when rain, and when a fair wind, and so every man would serve his own turn; and then I pray thee, if thy will be done, who shall take care of thy neigh∣bour? tis no matter, though thousands miscarry and fail of those things; so thou hast them it matters not: What kind of prayers (do you think) are these? dost thou in thy self think, God were wise if he should answer thy prayers? that which is for thee (as thou thinkest) is a∣gainst multitudes of others, and who shall seek their good? that wind that serves thy design, is as much opposite for others: And therefore my advice is, be very tender how you press the infinite wisdom of the Almighty; Who when he will bless, he will turn crosses and evil things (as thou esteemest them) to be the greatest blessings; and therefore let the Almighty Alone in governing the Heavens and the Earth, by his power and wisdom; he hath upheld, supported, preserved and ordered the heavens and the earth to our knowledge, almost these six thousand years well enough, and Ile warrant thee he will do it still, without thy care or direction: Who

shall teach him knoledge? and,* 1.584 Who shall shew him the way of understanding? or being his Counsellor, hath taught him?

I remember a speech of Bernard, Longe a Deo∣est animus qui in oratione, &c. That mind is farre from God or Heaven, which in prayer is full of earthly requests: And I say, for the most part, men are mistaken both in the nature and end of prayer, which is first to ask things according to the will of God, and our end ought to be God, and the things of God, in which our happiness is involved.

4. I affirm, it is certainly more excellent to seek the Kingdom of heaven and the righteous∣ness thereof,* 1.585 then to trouble God and our selves with wordly requests: I say still, distingue tem∣pora, distinguish of seasons: there is a time when we may take more liberty, because we know no better, and we think it a great deal of Religion, that we will acknowledge God, and will come to him for temporal blessings: but as the Apostle saith, Behold, I shew you a more ex∣cellent way;* 1.586 covet after the best gifts: Then doth God best accept thy prayer, when thou onely seekest him for himself, and not when thou seekest any other thing by or through him: this will declare what thou lovest him for, whether for thy self or himself: what thou most lovest, what thou most earnestly prayest for, and what thou most weepest for, when wanting that thou most lovedst when thou hadst it: but to all true believers, both in this,

as in all thinigs, God is their end, their chief love, &c. and therefore tis him they seek to enjoy above all things; Although it be with the loss of all things, Him they esteem Portion e∣nough.

And to conclude, I affirm, as it is said of A∣bishai, 2 Sam. 23. 19* 1.587. there were three most ho∣nourable among the thirty, but Abishai was the most honourable of the three; therefore they chose him their Captain: And so say I, prayer is honourable in its time & season, and seeking for temporal blessings, according to the will of God, but more honourable, in seeking graces to adot•• the soul and inward man: but when in prayer we seek God for himself, having so much love to him, such strong desires after him, that we forget and lose our selves, and mind onely him as our chief end: then say I, let Abishai, let That Prayer be Captain; for that hath done the most honourable of all the chosen Worthies, the other have done worthily, but this is the more Honoura∣ble of all the three: for if we had time we might shew you that there can no prayer do more worthily then this; for it answers first to the Lords Prayer, Mat. 6. 17. Secondly to Christs Prayer, immediately before he suffered, Iohn 17. Self-denialls in his resignation to the will of his Father, and love to his Flock, Disciples and Members; A most ravishing prayer, and such a prayer as no man ever prayed; but time will not suffer me now to open any thing about it. Thirdly, this prayer is most agreeable to

the example of the Apostles: who under-valu∣ed all the world to enjoy the life of Christ, in∣somuch that they esteemed his Cross their Throne, and his sufferings their Crown. So that by all this we have said, you may examine your prayers, of what excellency they be; con∣sider the matter and end of your prayers, whether they be of Flesh or spirit; whether in them you seek God or your selves: And with the words of the Apostle Rom. 7. 6. I conclude all,* 1.588 for this time, seeing God hath put it into your heart to seek him and to worship him, Let it not be in the Oldness of the Letter, but in the Newness of the Spirit. So be it.

THE MYSTERIE, OR THE LIFE and MARROVV OF THE SCRIPTURES. An Exposition on Exodus 3. the Six first Verses.

EXOD. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Now Moses kept the flock of Iethro his father in Law, the Priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back-side of the desart, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush, and he looked, and behold the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt, &c.

Delivered at a Private Meeting at Kensigton, being in Two Sermons.

THis Chapter contains one of the great∣est miracles that the Scripture affords; namely, That Moses, a plain shepherd, should attempt to bring six hundred thousand, and three thousand, and five hundred

and fifty fighting men, Num. 1. 46.* 1.589 beside wo∣men and children, and young men, besides the TRIBE of LEVI, from under the bondage of Pharaoh, a great and a mighty King, much less think to bring it about; or else having done it, he might have pursued after them to slay them all, which he did, but was not able to prevail, but was drowned in the sea, He and all his Host, all which was wonderful; and then wonderful in regard of the people themselves, that they should follow an odde man, who led them no man knew whither, nor what way they should go, nor where they should rest and sit down: but as the Apostle Paul saith concerning his Gospel,* 1.590 He received it not from men▪ nor by men, but by the revelation of Iesus Christ: So Moses here had not his authority from men, nor by men, but onely from the Lord immediately; as in this Chapter you may see his Commission and what Authority he had to bring them out of Egypt. And the Almighty hand of the Lord Acting All.

But that I may not stand long in the Histo∣ry, but come to something profitable to us; I may say of this History, as one of the Fathers saith concerning Nabals churlish practise, It is old in time, but rife in practise: So may I say most truly of Moses bringing the children of Is∣rael out of Egypt, it is old in the History, Long once this time was, but it is ever in Use; Every day is this History fulfilled, and the children of Israel are daily brought out of Egypt by a

strong and a mighty hand; for whatever was then done, was done in Types and Figures. Beloved, this (I hope) is not strange to you, for the A∣postle Paul reciting some of these Actions, saith plainly 1 Cor. 10.* 1.591 that they were but Figures to teach us; and applies many of the passages: and what the Apostle saith of some of them, I may be bold by the same spirit to say of the whole, that they were all done in Figures.

But little doth any man here think, that he is in Egypt, and that he Toils under Pharaoh, and that Pharaohs Taskmasters use them roughly, and abuse them: little do they think that they are Brick-makers: when we are yet in the Kingdom of darkness,* 1.592 and are governed by the Prince of darkness, by the Prince that ruleth in the ayre, the spirit that now worketh in the children of diso∣bedience; what do you think, are we not then worser then slaves under Pharaoh in Egypt, I, And a more real slavery then the Israelites un∣derwent? and are we not then imployed in his work, and in making Brick▪ and Morter to raise Temples, to set up Antichrist in to worship, serve and adore, as doth all the world? And Truly, E∣very one here present doth the same: But he that will marry Achsah, Calebs daughter, as I had occasion to shew you upon that Text, he must smite Kiriathsepher, the City of the Letter. The Letter of Scripture reveals nothing which will be saving to us,* 1.593 it is the Spirit that must do us good; to him shall be given Achsah, which by interpretation is, The Rending of the Vail: As it

was at our Saviours Passiou: so, to this man The Vail of the Temple shall be rent,* 1.594 from the Top to the Bottom; And he shall Have the Secrets, and See the Secrets of God Almighty: but this He cannot have, unless he strike the Letter, and smite the waters, and divide them, else there is no word of God for us, for the word lies hid, and no man findeth it,* 1.595 but he only that smiteth Kiriath∣sepher, The City of the Letter, that it may be to him Debir, [The Word] for that City (as I then told you) out of Ioshua 15. 15, 16.* 1.596 before it was smitten by Othinel, That is, The Lords sit time or opportunity (who took the City) it was called Kiriathsepher, but being once Smitten, then it was Debir, and not before: So, if we rest in the Letter of the Word, either of the old or new Testaments, we shall never come to make it Debir to us, it is still the words of a book sealed up to us, and resting therein, the letter in stead of saving us, it will destroy us: for so saith the Apostle, The Letter kills,* 1.597 but the Spirit gives life: if we rest in the Letter, and think that, Or external obser∣vations or obedience thereunto, will save us, we are deceived, without caring and endeavour∣ing to get that word which lasts for ever: the history lasts not for ever; those things then done, are done and past, but that very word lasts for ever (i. e.) is still in doing, and concerns as much e∣very time, every age, sex and degree, as well as them: this is the internal sense we must seek for, that by it we may live for ever: Your fa∣thers have eaten manna,* 1.598 and are dead; I am the

true bread: so we must not rest in Manna, but look for true bread, true food: thousands have perished by resting in the Letter; but blessed are they that shall taste of this heavenly manna; this is meat indeed, and drink indeed, Bread from heaven, that bread of life, c^h Christ speaks of Ioh. 6. Beloved, all other knowledge, let it be ne∣ver so esteemed in the world, by whomsoever, Perishes a man if he Rest therein: As if I give a Boy Oysters, and tell him there is meat that will nourish him; but if he know not how to o∣pen the shell, but onely licks the outside of the shell, and he thereby not coming at the meat, it starves him: did not I say true, when I told him, There was meat to feed him? and do I not say true likewise, in saying, the Oyster killed him? for the shell killed him, because he could not come at the nourishment for the shell: in the same sense, The Word, though it be full to the brim of precious liquor, and Heavenly dainties, yet if a man be taken up in the outside, in the shell of the word, and never crack the shell, very fitly may the Holy Ghost say, The Letter kills; Nay, he that goes no further,* 1.599 and rests on that, goes no further, sees no more then the very Devils: for they (by long custom and experience) have gotten whatever can be known in the history, far beyond any man upon earth.

And therefore he whose faith hath brought him no farther then to believe in an exter∣nal Christ, in that Christ that was born at Beth∣lehem, and there brought up, and afterward

wrought miracles, and was crucified, dead and bu∣ried, and rose again, &c. This man, The Letter kills him; he knows no more, nay not so much as the Devils themselves know and believe; nay, I say, herein the Devils outstrip thee; the Apostle Paul was so far from accounting this any thing, that he slights the knowing any man after the slesh;* 1.600 Henceforth know we no man, saith he, after the flesh; no, though we had known Christ, yet henceforth know we him no more: in∣somuch,* 1.601 that if he had known and seen exactly what Christ did, what he said, how he lived, how he dyed, and how he rose again, all is nothing; henceforth we will know him no more after this manner; No, no, but let me know all his acti∣ons, his death, his life, his miracles, his passion, his resurrection, all within me; let me know and ex∣periment them in my self: if we know him thus, this is knowledge worth prizing indeed, this is worth Boasting of, as 2 Cor. 5. 16.* 1.602 Christ died for all, that they which live, should not hence∣forth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again: and again, Col. 3. 1.* 1.603 If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above: This is that we should labour to finde, Christs death, and Christs life in us, to see if Christ hath done all his actions (not onely a∣mong the Jews at Ierusalem) other then spiri∣tually, but in us, I must finde that he hath been born and brought up in me, that he hath put all the Doctors to silence within me, that he hath wrought all his miracles in me, opened my eyes▪

as he did then open the eyes of the blinde;* 1.604 open my ears, as he did then; so opening my lips, that my mouth may shew forth his praise; And as he cast out then, both dumb and deaf Devils, That there are the same to cast out in us.

If these actions be thus done in thee, as veri∣ly as ever Christ did any of these actions in the flesh; if this knowledge and this experience be fixed in your mindes, and you feel the power thereof in your hearts, then you have crackt The Shell, you have gotten the Marrow, the Fat∣ness of the word. Yet, for all this we must not do with the Letter, as I then told you, because it is the shell, as men usually do with the shells of Oysters, or of Eggs; Having once the Meat, throw away the Shells; no, no, for they are the means to bring the Word to us; for to us, because of our weakness, cannot this word be conveyed without The shell, & therefore our merciful God hath bin pleased to convey it to us in earthen ves∣sels, and under Earthen resemblances, that so we might hear it, understand and receive it.

If we look upon it, as it runs in black and white letters, tis true; Its a Lofty Majestical kinde of writing, That carries Majesty and Au∣thority in it, and the proof is in it self; Where∣as other Writers are fain to bring proofs and witnesses of the truth of that they write, whilst this carries proof and Authority in it self; and at the best, it is no more: but he that can get within it, He that can get into the midst of the burning bush,* 1.605 He shall see Such spirit and life, That eye hath

not seen, ear heard, nor ever entred into mans heart to consider: In short, he shall know what it is to marry Achsah, To have the vail rent; and what it is to enter into the Holiest of All.

And so of this history, concerning Moses bringing Israel out of Egypt, To see what slave∣ry they were in, and how Pharaohs Taskmasters beat them, and increased their bondage, taking away their straw and making them Toil harder and harder,* 1.606 and yet the more they oppressed them, the more they increased: I say, All this, and the rest, in the history, runs High and Majestically, and that is the best you can say of it; but he that through the history, shall see that the History was not written barely for a history, but mainly and chiefly, for us; He shall see there is therein con∣tained an eternal LIVING SENSE: He that looks within himself, shall finde all verified in himself: And not onely This Scripture, but the whole Scripture, All the five Books of Moses, Io∣shua, the Kings, and all the battels of the Kings, and so throughout;* 1.607 that whatever part of Scri∣pture he shall read, he shall be able to say and feel experimentally, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears; this day is this Scriptare accomplished in me; for the substance of all those histories throughout, is verified to this day, and shall be to the worlds end: It is no matter what other Pharaoh there was, what Typical Pharaoh there was, so we have found the True Pharaoh; Nay it were no matter then, though we had never heard of that Pharaoh, for that

Pharaoh doth but Type out unto us what the Spiritual Pharoah is; How he labours to streng∣then and advance himself in his Kingdom, and if any offer to go out from him, he will lay heavy burthens upon them, He will make them groan under service, insomuch that their cry shall come up before the Lord; And if they do get out from him by strong hand, it is By Miracles and wonders, and he will be sure to pursue them, till he himself be quite over∣thrown in the midst of the Sea; and so he that sought for honour and glory in overcoming them,* 1.608 the Lord shall get himself a name on that Pharaoh, and on all his Host.

And, That we may come to the history in particular, concerning bringing Israel out of Egypt.

There be three principal things in the Chapter.

• 1. The Preparation before this vision, That Moses saw.
• 2. The vision it self, the bush burned, and was not consumed.
• 3. The effect That followed, of the vision, viz. Moses his Commission to Pharaoh, To deliver Israel.

1. For the Preparation to the vision; that is in the first verse, Moses kept the flock of Iethro his father in Law, and he led the flock to the back∣side of the desart, &c. Moses, it is testified of him in the Acts, that he was a man, mighty in all the learning of the Egyptians,* 1.609 for being brought up as a Kings Son, he wanted for no

teaching in the Kingdom, For the Egyptians had the chief learning of the world; For I must tell you, We and all Antiquity are beholding to the Egyptians for all their and our chief learn∣ing in natural things.

Now, we must labour to see, in all the words of God,* 1.610 that the Truth, and the word of God it self, is hid and coucht under mighty parables; for without a parable spake he nothing unto them; and indeed without parables can we not have the truth: As we cannot have meat without excrements; for in all the meat we eat, there is abundance of excrement, to a very little nou∣rishment; the greatest part, though never so re∣fined and decocted, is excrement: And so I say of the Letter, the Letter compared with the Spirit is but the Shel, the Excrement, the outward Husk of the word, and we have a great deal of excre∣ment and Husk and Shell (that doth us no good at all) to a very little meat; for you know excre∣ment doth not nourish at all; that comes away again, and goes into the draught, as our Saviour saith; yet we may not abhor nor undervalue the Excrement of the Word, because it is Excre∣ment: for we cannot have the meat thereof, without Excrements; for that which is Excre∣ment, doth but serve to convey the nourish∣ment into the body: God could not possibly speak to us, nor convey his word but by the Excrement of the Letter, as he hath done: Something must be presented to our eyes and ears externally, that we may conceive what

is done internally; for if Almighty God should have spoken as he would have spoken, we should not have been able to have heard him, for he should have quite undone our understand∣ing.

As, the Sun shines to us, and gives us light at such a distance, and through so many elements, ayr, and clouds, and Mereors, and many such interruptions, so many thousand miles of di∣stance, which keeps his own perfect and full lustre, glory and brightness from us; for if it should not do so, we should be quite blinded, and our sight destroyed by it: for we have much ado, the strongest-sighed man that is, to behold and look upon the Sun at that distance as it is; what should we do then if these things, and such a distance interposed not themselves between our sight and the Sun? So if our great and Al∣mighty God should speak to us in a spiritual way, and as himself would speak, if he should shine into us in the least part of his own splendor and glory, all our sights, all our apprehensions of him, would be quite put out; he would utter∣ly destroy our sight, and we should be quite swallowed up; for we cannot possibly see God, nor hear God, but onely in that way that he hath already spoken to us.

But happy is that man, who gets not the excre∣ment, but the nourishment of the Scriptures; And I pray you for all this which I have said, To magnifie the Spirit above the Letter, let us be so far from throwing away the Letter, that you

rather infinitely bless God for it, and be very thankful to him, that he hath so far condescend∣ed to stoop so low to our weak capacities, that we may come as we are able, to receive the know∣ledge of him, who is our happiness, and eter∣nal life: O praise his infinite goodness for ever, that the Mighty, Strong, Infinite, Wise Creator, hath been pleased so far to abase himself, as to deal with us as with Babes, for we are no better; That HE the Mighty Jehovah is become weak to the weak, that he hath made himself a Babe to us Babes: Oh! be amazed and astonish∣ed at it for ever, and fall down continually be∣fore his footstool with all trembling and fear. St. Paul,* 1.611 who was but a man, tells the Corin∣thians, that he could not speak unto them as spiritual men: how then could God himself speak to them as spiritual, or they to bear His words? If we cannot bear the words of a weak frail man, how is it possible to bear the words of God Himself?

As the Poets fain of their God Iupiter, and his Wife Iuno; a certain woman desiring of Iuno that she might but lie with Iupiter in all his glory and majesty; she answered, O wo∣man! thou hast asked thine own destruction; but she persisting in her desire, and having her request granted, presuming upon her own strength: And as soon as ever Iupiter drew near, she was presently made in to powder; Shew∣ing thereby, thus much unto the people, that the true God was infinite, and incomprehen∣sible;

For let me tell you, they intended as much, as ignorant as you conceive them to be, though to the common people they spake after this manner, Covertly, by similitudes and com∣parisons; For, there was not one of all the learned, but knew that such a One must the true God be; Neither let us be so simple as to think, that they thought these to be Gods; Or that their Gods and Goddesses were so wicked as to be Adulterers, or the like; They were not so sottish; but they hid and couched the Truth under these shadows: So God Almighty, even Our God, who is the true God, if he should speak unto us, as he is in himself, what crea∣ture could stand before him? he would speak all the world to powder, to nothing; for if he had pleased, he could have spoke All Truth in One Word, but where had been Auditors to have heard or understood that word?

As when the people murmured against Moses and Aaron,* 1.612 and were divided against them, and for them, They thought that all the people of God were holy, and Moses and Aaron took too much upon them, and God could speak by them, as well as by Moses and Aaron;* 1.613 but as soon as God began to shew himself in his power and majesty, they all trembled and were not able to stand before him; and again, when the peo∣ple thought they would go up to the mountain as well as Moses: Well, saith Moses, if ye will, do; but as soon they drew near to the foot of the mountain, and the storms began but to arise.

and they heard the thunder, and the lightnings, and the terrible noise, and the trumpets sound∣ing louder and louder, then they began to tremble and fear,* 1.614 and prayed that God would not speak unto them; lest we dye, said they; but let Moses speak to us, for we can Hear, Him.

Brethren, know this for an undeniable truth, that in Gods word, there is such a depth of light, and of glory, Such ravishing profoundness, That will serve all the men that ever were, are, & shall be, yea all the Divines and People of God through all generations, nay and adde to them all the Angels in heaven, to pry, and dive into, through all eternity, and yet shall never be able to find out the bottom, and the Vast, stupendi∣ous depth thereof: But (as I say) God is pleased for our capacities, to give us these things, hid under a vail; That he may give us The No∣rishment, He is faine to give us with it the Excrement, which he would not do, if we could receive the Nutriment alone. For saith the Apostle, Till this day, while Moses is read, they have still the vail over their heart; In the outside of the Letter, you see nothing but the Vail of Gods word;* 1.615 and the truth is, concerning some, God hath commanded, Make their eyes heavy, and their ears dull,* 1.616 lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them: that in seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand: That

is, And I will be bold to give the interpreta∣tion, That seeing the Letter, they may not see the Life; that hearing the words, they may not understand the Living sense.

Having premised this, let us now come and take inpieces some part of these words nowread, that we may come to eat of the bread of life, and of the hidden Manna, that is as yet fast locked up; and except God open our hearts, as he did the heart of Lydia, it is and will still be A Book Sealed up, to us.* 1.617

And Moses kept the sheep of Iethro his father in Law, the Priest of Midian and he led the stock to the back-side of the desart, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb: What may be the mean∣ing, that the Holy Ghost doth describe Moses to be a Sheep-keeper, setting down so expresly that particular; and still all the Patriarchs are described to be Sheep-keepers; certainly there is something to be observed and learned from Shepherds, because Shepherds are oftner mentioned then husbandmen, and not onely the men preferred before them, but all their actions also are preferred before the others. Cain was a Husbandman, Abel was a Sheepkeeper, they both offered sacrifice, one of his cattel, the other of his ground, but the Shepherds offering was preferred before the Husbandmans: and so all the Patriarchs are commended for being Shep∣herds,* 1.618 and following that trade: and David he followed the Ewes great with young, and from that imployment was taken to feed Gods people, and

to be King over them,* 1.619 2 Sam. 7. 8. I took thee from the Sheepcoat, to be Ruler over my people Is∣rael.

Well, we need not to instance any further; What may be the meaning of the Holy Ghost in all this? in one word I will tell you what a Shepherd is; A Shepherd is one that lives meerly and most properly by the providence and blessing of God upon his Trade; for they fructi∣fie and increase onely upon Gods will, bles∣sing, and providence: He acts not much, but resigns up his will, & all he hath to God onely, & depends altogether upon that; but a husbandman is he, who with his expectation of Gods blessing, joyns his own endeavours, plowing, sowing, reaping, changing his ground, rising early, and going to bed late; Well, I pray is there any hurt in all this? No, I forbid them not to do so, but this I say; a Shepherds life is preferred with God far before a Husbandmans, because, he that hath given up all to God, all that ever he can do, or say, or think his whole man is Resigned to God, confessing that they are nothing, that they can do nothing, and from their very souls acknow∣ledge, (and not in words onely;) they have no wit, no reason, no will, no understanding, their whole man, all that they are or can do, is wholly resigned up to God, and his will; Nor will they joyn any of their works with Gods, but let God act all do all, think all, speak all in them.

This is the life of a true Shepherd, who hath his eye single, on God, and looks to him in every

thing; let him increase his stock, or decrease it, he is all one, he is nothing grieved at the one, nor lifted up with the other, because he accounts nothing he hath his own, Nor doth he think, That he lives by his own taking care, or by his own industry, but depends meerly on the blessings of God, and the works of nature: but the other, They moil and Toil themselves, They must do something; and this ye cannot beat out of them; they must joyn their wits and their doings with Gods, and do not ascribe all to God, while they do it, As do the other; And therefore Shepherds are accepted with God far before Husbandmen; the one doth think verily his own care and industry is the staff of his life, They cannot deny all, give up all that they are and can do; They cannot but think (say what ye will) but they have some power, some wisdom, some understanding, some abi∣lity to bring about their actions; but the other, The truly Resigned man, he sees and acknowledges as the truth is,* 1.620 That God alone doth All, And that His is all the power, all the might, all the wis∣dom, and he hath nothing at all; he will not by any means obscure or darken Gods power, nor his wisdom, nor his praise, as the Husbandman doth; Though perhaps they may say (in words) it is their endeavours, and the blessing of God thereupon: and then they think they have made up all; when indeed in their hearts, in their thoughts, and in their practises they do not give God his praise and glory: but sacrifice

to their own nets, to their own wisdom, power and parts. And in effectwith them, Tis MAN al••n•• doth All.

You may see then, how this mighty truth is hid under a mystery, and is couched in two or three words: how Moses doth but (as it were) by the way, glance at it by the by; and if God open your eyes, you may see how this secret warp and woof runs through this Web: So this Mystery runs secretly along through the whole Scriptures unseen.

And take notice of this, that above all men, the Egyptians cannot endure this kind of men and such as live this kind of life;* 1.621 for saith the Holy Ghost, Shepherds were an abomination to the E∣gyptians; It is a life so contrary to them, that they hate them deadly, and esteem them, The silliest, and ridiculousest, and most improvident people in the word; But it matters not, God prefers them sbove All kind of men, insomuch that he is pleased to stile himself The God of shepherds, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob very often, because they were these kind of Shepherds; & most cer∣tainly to these men, God ever did and ever will, speak most familiarly, and to these onely; he will to Shepherds reveal himself, and His Secrets, above all the men in the world; the other are too much buried in themselves, and their own wayes, to have God shew them any of his secrets.

Let us then, learn to be Shepherds rather

then Husbandmen, if we desire to be acquainted with God;* 1.622 for it was Mary whom Christ com∣mends who had chosen the better part w^ch could never be taken from her. And not Martha, who is troubled about many things; Although he doth not discommend, or altogether condemn Mar∣tha; for, such things must be done; yet know this, Mary hath chosen the better part, which shall never be taken from her: Mary is far to be preferred be∣fore Martha, because she yields and resigns up all, and sits attentively at Christs feet, while Martha runs up and down, is troubled how to en∣tertain Christ externally, and how to bring the world about, she thinks she must mingle her own endeavours, and her discretion, with Gods bles∣sing; And without question,* 1.623 Martha was offen∣ded with Mary:* 1.624 These kinde of men laugh and deride at those that have given up their wills & lives to Christ after this manner, To be taught of him, because they are more slack, and are not altogether so busie & eager as they are (as they conceive.) But give me leave, and see in all the Scripture, How many Prophets and Patriarchs God hath chosen out of these men, and still preferred them to draw nearest to himself; consider of it seriously, and the Lord give you un∣derstanding in all things. We go on.

And he led his flocks to the back side of the desart, to the Mountain of God, even to Horeb, and the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire, &c. But why must Moses come to the back∣side of a desart, before God would appear

to him? even to teach us thus much, That till a man hath for saken all the world, all the Towns, Houses, Dwellings, Riches, Honours, Glories, &c. All the hurryings of the world, and tumblings up and down, and is come into a Lone and si∣lent Desart, where all things have forsaken him, and he them; until then, we can never finde Je∣sus Christ (at least forsaken them All, in affe∣ction) I say, God will never shew himself to any man familiarly till then: He that comes to Christ with his childe in his hand, or with his wife in his hand, or with father or mother, or ri∣ches, or credit, or the like: Christ will hide him∣self from such a man: You wil think this strange, but you know what our Saviour saith,* 1.625 He that for sakes not all, father, and mother, and wife, and children, and houses,* 1.626 and lands, and all for my name sake, he is not worthy of me: that is, he that hath not resigned up the love of father, and mother, and wife, and children, for the love of Christ, and loves Jesus Christ with all his minde, and with all his might,* 1.627 and with all his strength: So that you have willingly and gladly let go out of your eye, and out of your desires, all manner of comforts and delightful pomps of the world and all the rare buildings and contentments, and whatever the world esteems excellent, or can afford: so that you have forsaken all, and are gotten into the desart, retired from all con∣tents but God himself; There God will reveal himself to you, and never before: for if you love any thing whatsoever in the first place

ye love not God,* 1.628 nor Jesus Christ with all your heart, minde and strength; for if All were set upon him, where would there be any to spare to set upon any creature? you know Elias must travel fourty days into the wilderness, then God revealed himself to him.* 1.629

Beloved, so long as your affections run after any thing, after any one lust, we cannot hearken to God Almighty: in such a case, if a man should speak unto you with the wisdom of of Solo∣mon, nay, if God himself should speak unto you the very words of Spirit and Life, it were impos∣sible any man should hearken to him; for our lusts, so long as they live and rule, make such a cla∣mor, and such a noise within us, that God cannot be heard; for this lust cryes, I would be beloved; another cryes, I would be honoured; another, I would be rich; another, I would have my health, &c. therfore before ever we can hear God speak, al these lusts must be cast out silenced: put al the minstrels out of doors,* 1.630 and let Christ and his at∣tendants enter al••he, that so all those lusts which make such a noise in••us, and draw the soul ano∣ther way, may be put to silence: what saith Iob? I heard a voyce in silence: that is, when e∣very thing was silent in the soul,* 1.631 then Iob heard a voyce; for be assured, our lusts cry lowder, and make more noise in the soul, then all the trumpets in the world can do, to deaf the ears of the body; nay all the Artillery in the world, were they all discharged together at one clap, could not more deaf the ears of

our bodies, then the clamourings of lusts in the soul, deaf the ears thereof: so that you see a man must go into the silent desart, or else God cannot be heard speak; for it is the whole care of the natural and old man, how he may be plea∣sed, which way he may satisfie his unruly de∣sires, how he may be rich or honoured, &c. though not one of you by taking care can adde one cubit unto his stature:* 1.632 Beloved, which of you by all your care, and pains and rising early, can adde the least tittle, or the least jot unto his health, or wealth, or honour, or credit in any thing? no not one hairs breadth? but all you have, be it little or much, it is meerly by the will and providence, and special ordering of God a∣lone: thy taking thought cannot adde one whit, one jot to thy heap, to thy wealth to thy credit; Not thy not taking thought, cannot diminish one jot.

But I know flesh and blood can never believe this though God himself hath spoken it; and till our eyes be opened by him, these things are to us, As a fountain sealed;* 1.633 or as a garden walled about; ye cannot believe them,* 1.634 because they are spiritu∣ally discerned, they are meer riddles and Non∣sense, The ridiculousest things that your ears can hear:* 1.635 as when our Saviour, Mat. 6. the latter end, dehorts from serving of Mammon; for if they do serve it, they cannot serve God, For who can serve two Masters? but seek first the King∣dom of heaven, and all other things shall be added: take no thought for your life, what to

eat, or drink, or put on: And he there sends Man, a reasonable creature, to learn of the fowls of the Aire, who neither sow, nor reap, not ga∣ther into barns, yet our heavenly Father feedeth them: And then sends them to the Lilies of the field,* 1.636 to see how they grow, which neither Toyl, nor spin; yet Solomon in all his glory was not arayed like one of these: And tells us, this caring and taking thought is not for Christians; for that is the way of the Gentiles who know not God. After All these things do the Gentiles seek.

But see, Beloved, and it may be some of you may be convinced too, what a boundless truth Moses hath here couched under two or three words; that which he doth but only glance at and glide by; take notice what a little touch he gives at such a mass of Endless and unconceivable truth: When you have forsaken, (in one word,) your selves, that is, all that your eyes can see, or your ears can hear▪ or your heart can think, and stript your selves of all stark naked, then you may look to find God & to see Him as he is in him∣self, & consequently truth, but not before. And truly this work being done in the soul, there is such a miracle wrought, as none but only the fin∣ger of God could do: He that thinks ever by his own power to bring it about, is utterly deceived▪

This is a great question now adays, Whether miracles be ceased now, or no? But it shews that such men have little experience of these Divine, sublime truths: It is a most foolish, ridiculous question to him who enjoys these

things; for he sees there are as great miracles done now every day, as ever was done since the world stood; but the fault is in us, we see them not, our eyes are blinded that we can see no mira∣cles; Oh! were they but open, we should see such miracles as would make all the understandings of Men and Angels stand amazed, and a thousand times greater then ever any that Christ did in the flesh.

And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in the midst of a burning bush;* 1.637 and behold, the bush burned, and was not consumed. In these bare li∣teral words, there is a mighty miracle; yet there is hid in them a miracle far transcending this outward miracle; there is couched in them an ab∣struse, hidden sense: One would wonder to what purpose God should shew such a miracle of this nature, A burning bush, and not consumed: What did this concern the work God Almighty was a∣bout, namely, to bring the Israelites from under Pharaohs bondage, and grievous slavery? Yet it being opened and unfolded, you may see how fit it was every way, upon this occasion.

As for instance,* 1.638 That of Iacobs vision. Iacob, when he was to leave his Fathers house, and for∣sake all his kindred, and friends, never looking to see them again; & he was to walk a long tedious way, and un-inhabited, as the world was in those times; he having many sad thoughts, and knew not what he should do, nor what should befall him, having gone one dayes journey; and meeting with no lodging at night, but weary as he was,

lay down in the open field; and having nothing to lay his head on, he gathered a heap of stones, and laid his head on them (a hard pillow, as you may well think) yet at last (it should seem) fell asleep, and dreamed such a dream as never was dreamed on a pillow of Down: And his dream was,* 1.639 he saw a Ladder reach from Earth to Hea∣ven, and God himself stood at the top of the Lad∣der, and the Angels of God were ascending and descending on it: But, as I said of this vision to Moses, What was all this to Jacob? this seems not suitable to his necessity at that time. One would think, that if God had appeared to him, and said, Iacob, I will be with thee, I will provide for thee; take no thought, I will be thy God, thou shalt want for nothing; though thou hast for∣saken Father, and Mother, and all, yet fear not, I will be all in all to thee. This, or else some∣what to this purpose, had been more fit for Ia∣cobs condition.

Beloved, Whatever it seems to be in the History, in the Mystery it was the suitablest, the fittest, the seasonablest vision that could possibly have been revealed to him: namely, to let Iacob see, that while all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth, which are Gods Angels, or Messengers, and do his will, and all go of his errands, He him∣self holds the Ladder at the top; they all come from him, and they all return to him again: And not only so, but he being their essence, their being, their life, their motion, they are all moved and actuated by him Himself; there is not one

Creature,* 1.640 not one of these Angels or Messen∣gers, but doth his will; and he is with them, in what part of the Ladder soever they are; if they be in the middle, or bottom, or at the top, yet they are not absent from him, but he rules and guides them all to do his work which he appoints them to do. Now, my Brethren, this being fixed in Ia∣cobs mind, that every Creature was formed, actu∣ated and moved by God himself; and that not any one of them could do any thing to him, nor he could want nothing, but a supply was at hand, because he commanded it, because he was so near it, he was in it: This was that which comforted Jacob in all his journey, That whatever he met withal, or wheresoever he was, he still had recourse to what his vision taught him.

And so likewise in this vision to Moses, it was the fittest that could have been shewed him upon this occasion, and in this business, which he was to go upon. Now you may observe three kinds of Miracles, to three several divisions of per∣sons.

1. To Moses, and that onely this One, the bush burned, and was not consumed: and this was suf∣ficient to work upon Moses, and to encourage him to his work. But,

2. The Israelites, they will not beleive for one miracle, but they must have three miracles. But,

3. The Egyptians, ten miracles would not work upon them; something is included in this: For Moses being a man Near God, being a Shepherd already, he had in part resigned up

himself to God, and therefore one miracle was enough to make him believe; for as soon as ever he saw it, and God called unto him, and said, Moses, Moses, he presently answers Gods call, Here am I Lord: but Israel being further off from God,* 1.641 having been long in Egypt, they were so well accustomed there, & also to their slavery, that they had as live remain there still as depart; therefore before they could be perswaded to O∣bey, and follow Moses, there must be three miracles wrought. 1. Moses threw down his Rod,* 1.642 and it became a Serpent; then he took it up by the tail, and it became a Rod again. 2. He put his hand into his bosome,* 1.643 and pulling it out, it became leprous; and putting in his hand again, and pulling it out, it became as his other flesh. 3. Says God, If they will not believe for the first, nor for the second miracle, for the third they shall believe: Take up of the water of the brook,* 1.644 and pour it on the ground, and it shall turn into blood: These being further removed from God, God did not live in them, he was exalted in them, as he was in Moses, but was as dead and buried in them, and to them.

But ten, and ten to that, can never work upon the Egyptians: Those that will live and die E∣gyptians, all the miracles in the world can never make them believe: Moses, he said at once, Lord, here I am; he was ready to obey God; and the Israelites, they answered at three times: But some there are that are so hardned in their own ways, and so frozen on their dregs, that let

God do what he will with them, let him strike them with sickness, famine, plague, pestilence, what he will, yet it doth no good upon them, they will never let the Israelites go,* 1.645 to serve the Lord: but if they do, they will pursue them, and never leave them till they themselves are drowned in the Sea,* 1.646 and utterly destroyed.

Now for the vision it self in hand, And the bush burned and was not consumed;* 1.647 A strange miracle that a bush should be all over of a red, glowing fire, all a day, and not consume: Indeed trees that have stood close together, by the violence of wind rushing them together, have been known to set on fire; but then they consumed: but who ever saw wood on fire, a whole day together, and not consume? Moses it seemeth, at first, took no great notice of it; but seeing it burn all day, and not consume, I will turn aside (saith he) and see what the reason is, and see this great sight, why the bush burneth,* 1.648 and is not consumed.

But before I come to the vision it self, here is yet one thing that will detain us, and I fear for the whole time of the these few minutes al∣lotted us: but God may offer ere long another opportunity for to speak of the vision it self. It is said in this second verse, That the Angel ap∣peared to Moses in the midst of the bush; and in the verses following it is said to be the Lord God: how could one and the same be an Angel and God too?* 1.649 Tell the Children of Israel, I AM hath sent you unto them; Which name can belong to no Creature, but is proper onely to God Almighty.

And again, you know in all the Old Testament, when any Angel appeared to any man, if they fell down and worshipped them, never any man was blamed: but St. Iohn did but offer to fall down to worship the Angel that had shewed him all those visions, and he was forbidden; See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow-servant; worship God.* 1.650 What may be the reason of this? was there any difference between the Angels of the Old Testa∣ment, and the Angels of the New?* 1.651 No certain∣ly.* 1.652 The truth is this, and that which will bear the touch, and the trial against all opposition; That every Creature is an Angel, a Messenger of God Almighties; not the greatest nor the least nor meanest that is, but is one of Gods Angels or Messengers; and being so, He is the Essence and Being of every Creature, The Substance of all things: Insomuch that nothing can have a Be∣ing but onely Himself. No Creature can say I AM.

If he were not so, how could God say, I am, if any Creature could say so, Truly of it self? And God is so the Essence and Being of all things, not onely as most men affirm and believe, an Essence giving Being to all things: so as every thing hath no Being in it self, but from him, and of him: but he is the Essence of the Essence; He is the Being of the Being; for he it is onely, that is Alpha and Omega,* 1.653 the first and the last; He onely is He that was, and that is, and that is to come; if any Creatures were s••arers in this title, he were not God Almighty: This is such a

truth as all the world shall never be able to over∣throw; ye may bottom upon it; for,* 1.654 The gates of hell shall never prevail aginst it.

God being the Substance and Form of all things, the Form of Forms, he is as Really, and as Glori∣ously, and as Omnipotently present in the Meanest and least Creature you can shew me, as he is in the greatest: Let flesh and blood, and Satan, and Hell, and all the powers of darkness set against it, with all the might they have, they shall never prevail against it: I say, he is as Infinitely, as Magnificently, as Gloriously, as Incomprehensibly present in the basest Creature, in the least m••te, in sticks and stones, name what ye will, as he is in Heaven it self, and in all the world besides; for, He cannot be more fully present in One place then another, but in all places, all present at once; he is as Fully, as all-sufficiently, as Gra∣ciously, as Vnboun••ably present in the barrenest Mountain, as in he fruitfullest Valley: But where is he, that c••n see him so? who can see this glory and this ••ower of God in every Crea∣ture? Most certainl••, undeniably the thing is so; but we want eyes to see him so: Do not I fill Hea∣ven and Earth,* 1.655 saith God? If any thing fill Hea∣ven or Earth besides him, in the least j••t or period, that saying were not true.

He is not present in the glorious Heavens in his Majesty, more, then He is in the Earth; He is not present (as most men teach, and too ma∣ny believe them) in one place, in regard of his Essence; and in Another, in regard of his Power;

and in another in regard of his Iudgment; and in another, in regard of his Mercy; and in a∣nother, by his Patience, &c. These be fond foppe∣ries; hearken to none of them, let them be who they will be; know this is truth, He is in all a∣like Essentially, but we see him not so, and there∣fore we think him not so. That we see him not so, the fault is not in God; for he is the same in all places, and through all ages: but the fault is in our selves, we are so weak-sighted we cannot see him.

As suppose I speak to these three several Creatures, to a man, to a dog, and to a stone; the man he hears my voyce, and understands me what I mean; the dog hears, but he understands not; but the stone, it doth neither: And if you should ask the Stone what I said (supposing there were a possibility of answering therein) it would say, I spake not at all; if you ask the dog, he would say, I heard a voice, a noise, but he said nothing: but ask the man, and he would tell you That I spake, and What I spake: Was it therefore true, that which the dog and the stone affirmed? Be∣cause they either understood not, or heard not; or Was the fault in me they heard not or under∣stood not? No, the fault is in themselves; for I did speak, and spoke sense, but they had not a capability of hearing and apprehending. So, God shines Gloriously, and Majestically, and Super-ex∣altedly in all his Creatures: but, if we see him not so, blame not God, and say, He is not so, nor He is not there because you see him not, nor

cannot apprehend him there: but blame your own ignorance, your own blindness; for, God is as much in one as in another; he cannot be Glo∣rious in one, and not in another, but the same in all.

And God being there, he cannot be without All His Accoutrements, of Majesty and Glory; Al His Glorious Attributes attend him whereever he is, And he cannot be Sequestred from them, nor they from him: And if God hath opened your eyes so far, as to see him Thus, in all Creatures, Do not offer to take from him His Glory, or Greatness, as if God, where-ever he is, could want His Glo∣ry and All-sufficiency, &c. As, my whole soul is in my whole body, and the whole is in every part and member of my body; yet my soul sees not in my ears, but there it hears, yet the same soul doth see in my eyes: And though my soul tasts not in my nose, but smels, yet the same soul doth the same action in another member; and so of all the rest: For there is not one soul in my ears, another in my eyes, but all one & the same; but it works diversly in divers members: So Al∣mighty God hath not one property in himself in one Creature, and another in another, but he is One and the Same in all, as he is in himself: If he be gloriously present in the Sun, Moon, and Stars, he is as gloriously present in the least pill of grass, in the least particle of dust; but he works diversly in divers Creatures, yet he in himself is One and the Same. And because we cannot see him so, let us not say he is not so,

but blame our selves we see him not so.

For were a mans eyes but opened, as Elisha his servants were, when he arose in the morning,* 1.656 and lookt out at the window, he saw themselves in a great strait, compassed about, and be∣sieged with Armies: but his eyes being opened, his Master bid him look again, and then he saw the Mountains full of fiery Chariots and Horsmen for their defence: Now they were there before,* 1.657 as well as then, but his eyes were not opened; It is not said that Elisha prayed to send them, but he prayed God to open his servants eyes, that he might See; The alteration was not in the place, but in Gehazies eyes: And so of Balaam, because he did not see the Angel a great while, it was not because the Angel was not there, for the Angel was there before,* 1.658 but Balaams eyes were not open to see him there. So were our eyes but opened, we should see God in every Creature A∣like; for he is there already; our eyes want but opening, and then we should give him the praise of his Goodness, of his Greatness, of his Infinity, be∣cause we see him as well in every Creature as in any.

The Apostles when they were in Prison, and sung Psalms at midnight, when their eyes were open, they saw a light to lead them out;* 1.659 but the same light was there as much before, but their eyes were so closed they could not see the light. Oh Beloved! could we but see The Eternity, The Everlastingness, the Incircumscriptibleness that fils the least shrub, we might then see God Almighty.

As fo•• example; would we see God in an Oke? ye must strip it of all manner of Accidents, of all greatness and littleness, for those cannot be The Oke; for a little Oke is an Oke as well as a great Oke: so take away all manner of co∣lour, shape and form; for Okes are of divers co∣lours, & of all manner of shapes; for the shape is not the Oke, but that which is the Form of the Form, that is the truth of the Oke; and that is God blessed for ever;* 1.660 Jesus Christ is the begin∣ning and foundation of all Creatures.* 1.661 And when you conceive God to dwell in light,* 1.662 &c. Oh strip your selves of all manner of thought, or of any such thing as you can imagine: for he is nothing you can imagine: He is not High or Low, but He is He that Bears up high and low; He is not Great or Little, but he Bears up Great and Little; he is neither Young nor Old, but he bears up Youth and Age; He is not any man∣ner of colour or shape, but he bears up all shape and colours, for we cannot see any thing but visi∣ble corporeal things: Now God can be no such thing; but when you are gone as high as possibly you can, that you are come to the very light it self, the highest of accidents, which is next un∣to God, then fall down, and say, O my God! thou art still infinitely farre above all this.

Beloved, God is now in this room; do you wonder you do not see him? wonder not; for accidents hide him from our sight; for you cannot so much as see a man behind the hangings: God is infinitely more vailed from our eyes; he is

vail'd in every place; Accidents cloath him; he is cloathed in all Creatures, and all Creatures are his garments; and he is the substance of all Creatures: If ye will see him, yea must uncloath him of what ever belongs to a Creature; of all highness and lowness, weight and lightness, youth and age, greatness and littleness, of all manner of shape; for God is behind, and beyond all these, and all that you can name, think or imagine.

And knowing God thus to be the Essence and Being of all Creatures, The life and motion of them all, beholding him as One Eternal, Omipo: tent God, in all Creatures, you may upon any oc∣casion, seeing and beholding him in it, fall down in the Apprehension thereof before any Crea∣ture, so you worship not the contracted Crea∣ture, but the Incontractible, Incomprehensible God. And this was the reason the Fathers and Patri∣archs were not blamed, and did not sin in falling down to Angels, because they worshipped not them, but the infinite God at that instant, dis∣covered to be in that creature; for Abraham and the rest intimate so much, Let not the Lord be angry; shall not the judge of all the earth do right? They knew that God was invisible; onely they took occasion upon the sight of the visible Angel, to worship the invisible God: for had A∣braham had A Thought of worshiping the An∣gel or any thing below God, he had committed Idolatry; have patience (I pray you) I shall clear out this truth also.

For hence is the Error of the Papists, be∣cause

they think the infinite God can be in∣cluded or represented by any manner of figure or form: and this was the fault of St. Iohn, who would have worshipped that Angel that had shew∣ed him those visions: but (I say) The soul that can see God Almighty, not finite and bounded in any creature, or in any form whatsoever (but infinite and unbounded above all manner of forms, The Form of Forms, filling every thing, and yet not comprehended by any thing) may in a holy and reverent manner fall down aud worship this Infinite God: And therefore (I say) the Patri∣archs doing so, were not blamed; and Iohn was forbidden; and if he had done it, he had com∣mitted Idolatry: The one worships God in his Infinite, Immense, Glorious Being, as abstracted from all creatures: the other worships him as finite and bounded, or represented in that Form.

So in this sense, Moses here in this place, when he calls God by the Name of An Angel, he hath relation to the burning Bush: not that God is that burning Bush, but infinitely above and beyond it: for when he speaks of God in himself, he hath no relation at all to any burning Bush, or any figure,* 1.663 but as Abstracted and above all crea∣tures: and so he is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob: but take him Concretely, as included or represented in a∣ny creature, so it is Idolatry: But if in the for∣mer sense, then ye worship him after the exam∣ple of the Patriarchs. Beloved, I beat upon these things the more, and the larger, because I

would fain have you understand me: and it may be this may seem to you an Error, or a Novelty at least, till you have eaten it, and chew∣ed the cud▪ and debated it in your own souls: but to have a thought of worshipping God as includ∣ed in any creature, or representing him in regard of his Essence; to justifie worshipping of Images, I abhor, and curse all such thoughts to the pit of hell: and surely you cannot have such a thought of me; for this is the very thing, I so much endeavour to perswade you from.

But for instance, There is the Sun that shines in at this window, yet (you know) that is not the Sun, but a beam from the Sun, though I lye not in saying the Sun is there: for that could not be there without the Sun, yet it is not the real Sun: and in seeing that, I do not see the Sun: yet if I desire to see the Sun in this room, and were loth to go out of doors, let me but lay my eye in that beam, to see whence it comes, and I should see the Sun: it self; for that beam, it goes directly to the Sun: for if I were in a dun∣geon, though thirty miles deep in the ground, if the Sun could but shine in at any cleft or pin-hole, though the Dungeon were never so dark, yet if I lay my eye in that beam, I should behold the face of the Sun: Even so it is with Almighty God; there is in every Creature a beam that comes from him, which is the Being and Essence of the Creature; Now if we shall fall down and worship that Beam, as simply considered, as contracted and included in the Creature, this

were sin: but if I lay my eye in that beam, I shall see it leads me to the Eternal, One, Immutable, Incircumscriptible, Iuconceivable Essence of the Divine BEING; And that Angel beholds the very face of God Almighty. Hence you may learn to interpret that place where our Saviour commands,* 1.664 Take heed ye despise not, nor offend one of these little ones; for their Angels al∣wayes behold the face of your Father which is in Heaven: Not that it is lawful to worship that beam or Angel, but He alone from whence that Beam comes, who is farre above every Angel, and all manner of Creatures and Creation.

As (to take the former instance) suppose there were a Religion that it were lawful to wor∣ship the Sun, if one should fall down and wor∣ship that Beam that comes from the Sun, did not he sin? for that is not the Sun, but comes from the Sun; and therefore for any one (ac∣cording to that Religion) to worship that Beam, were Idolatry; for he worshipped not that he was commanded, but was taken up in a thing Infinitely below his God: So in the same sense. Every Creature is a beam of the Divinity, which is the Substance thereof: and though you see not the face of your Father in Heaven, yet that beam doth; yet, He that shall see that beam, and fall down to that, worships that he ought not; something else instead of God.

I pray God ye understand me; for I fear the simile I before named and instanced in, is too true among men. Some there are that do hear

me, and understand me, to whom God hath re∣vealed these things; and some, though they hear me, yet they are like the dog, they under∣stand not what I say, I speak riddles to them: but others there are which understand not, nei∣ther will they hear, but are like a stone; there∣fore I say it again, God is really present in himself in every Creature; but if he worship God as included in, or represented in that Crea∣ture, he sins and commits Idolatry, because he worships that beam instead of God, and falls down to a Creature instead of God: But if I take occasion upon the sight of any Creature, To behold God himself above and beyond all Crea∣••ures, and so worship him; he that will deny this, and say This is sin, let him also deny God himself. So farre as any thing can be called an Angel. so farre we are forbidden to worship it: but if that Angel occasion us to look beyond it to him that sends that Angel, to him that is the Essence and Substance of that Angel, Here we are commanded to worship, because then Our Angel always Beholds the Face of Our Father which is in Heaven, being One,* 1.665 Eternal, Almighty, Immense, Incircumscriptible, Glorious BEING, even God blessed for ever and ever.

Vse. We will onely make one short Vse and Application of this point to our selves, and so con∣clude. Is it not then more then apparent, that God is every where, in all Creatures, and in e∣very place? he is near us, yea nearer us then our selves are to our selves; he is the Ideal form and

first beginning of us, and all Creatures, and what∣ever is in us: But if we would see him, we must first strip your selves of all manner of visibility, and whatever can come under any thought of an Angel, Beam, or any conception; for God is un∣knowable, unconceivable: And as long as you know or conceive any thing, you are short of what God is; else we make him comprehensible and know∣able, who is altogether unknowable and incom∣prehensible: And therefore whensoever I meet with any thing whatsoever that will shew me how to know the incomprehensible God, I must cast it away, because I know it seduceth and mis∣leadeth me; for God is unknowable; yet God is nearer to me then any thing I can call (I) or my self; he is nearer then my touching, tast∣ing, smelling, seeing, hearing; so near, that he is the form of our forms, the soul of our souls.

And therefore Beloved,* 1.666 if we would send our desires to him, he is so near, that we can no sooner think any thing, but he knows it; as the Prophet Esay saith, Before they call I will hear, and before they pray I will answer: God knows all our thoughts and desires before-hand, for he is the desire of the desire. And therefore do I want any thing, any benefit, any good thing, any coun∣sel in any difficult case? Yet (mistake me not) I do not mean about lands and livings, or riches and pleasure, honour and praise, or good name; when I speak of these things, I mean not, nor in∣tend concerning matters of right and wrong so much, or those things wherein flesh and blood

please themselves, which come to nothing and perish with the using, As the Apostle saith; But, do I want direction to guide my soul? to bring me nearer to God? to live the life of Christ? do I want counsell and support to make me bid defiance to the world, and the things below, that we would fain walk evenly in all change of conditions? dost thou want spirituall riches, and those things which God accounts Good things, things which he gives only to his own people, And not those he gives promiscuously, and most plentifully to those he hates,* 1.667 & are giv∣en to destroy and to undoe them? Then I say unto thee, thou needst not say, Who shall ascend into Heaven? or who shall descend to bring Christ from the grave? behold, he is nigh thee, Even within thee. What needest thou go out of thy self for help or counsel? there is that Great Coun∣seller dewls within thee: What need hast thou to go out to any Creature? What need hast thou to rely upon man, or the Arm of flesh? Thou hast such a Counseller and Comforter within thee, that is able to darken and obscure all the counsels and comforts of all Men, and all Creatures: But thou must first strip thy self of all manner of thoughts and fantasies, and all imaginations, and then thou shalt find such an infinite, bottomless God whose name is called won∣derfull, Counseller,* 1.668 the Mighty God, the everlast∣ing Father, & the Prince of Peace; That thou mayst say of all Creatures, as Iob of his friends, Mi∣serable Comforters are ye al.

For, There may be such an occasion, and a man may be in such a condition, wherein all the world cannot help a man, nor comfort him: But there can be no case wherein this great Counsel∣ler, this mighty Helper, cannot uphold and com∣fort a man: Though all the world were set a∣gainst a man, to undo and overthrow him, yet he is so safe with God, that he needs not regard it: If God will keep a man under his wings, what need he fear? Though thou art oppressed and wronged, I do not mean onely outwardly; do not take me too much in that sense; but inwardly, by Satan, and by thy wicked lusts: so that thou cryest our with David,* 1.669 Mine enemies fight against me daily, and I am oppressed on every side: and with Ieremiah,* 1.670 Lord, help me, I suffer violence and spoyl: Have thy eye and thy heart most up∣on these inward violences; so that thou seest a mighty battel fought within thee, Esa. 9. 5.* 1.671 For every battel of the warriour is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood: but this shall be with burning, and fuel of fire. Is this thy case? There is one nigh thee whom thou mayst cry to, as Ie∣remiah doth, Lord, help me, I suffer violence: There is one within thee that can make thee not to fear, but can make thee laugh at all these things. As Iob saith the Horse doth in the Battel at the shaking of the spears. As here, Mo∣ses went about a desperate and a mighty attempt, viz. that he, A poor Shepherd, should offer to go to so great a King, and to cause him to let half his Kingdom depart from him: but there

was such a Supporter within Moses, that made the work seem possible to him, though impossi∣ble to men. Beloved, your heavenly Father is so near you, that he knows what ye need be∣fore ye ask; he is so much you, that he is more near to you then your selves: He is not so pre∣sent, as the King is present in all his Kingdom, because his power is over all and reaches to all: In that sense every Iustice of Peace, every Con∣stable, and every Officer is a finger of the King: and therefore it is a vain, foolish thing to say, 'Tis true, Gods power is here, and he is present in re∣gard of his Attributes; for will ye separate God and his power? Will ye make God and his Attri∣butes two things? that cannot be: for Gods power is his essence, And what ever is in God, is God; and where he is present by his power, there he is present by his Essence: if you do not see it so, blame your selves, lay not the fault on God, and deny him therefore to be there, but blame your own eyes which are not opened, and your own ear, because they are not bored.

And so I say, conceiving God to be thus take any, yea all occasions of magnifying, worshipping and praising him; and with the Prophet David when ye behold any of the Creatures, Say, Praise the Lord in the heights, Praise him in the Sun and Moon, Praise him in the Stars, Praise him in the Firmament of his power,* 1.672 and Praise Him according to his most Excellent Greatness.

So much for this time.

THE MYSTERIE, OR THE LIFE and MARROVV OF THE SCRIPTURES.

An Exposition on Exodus 3. the Six first Verses.

EXOD. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Now Moses kept the flock of Iethro his father in Law, the Priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back-side of the desart, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush, and he looked, and behold the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt, &c.

Delivered at a Private Meeting at Kensington,

OUt of which words, we have observed three things:

1. Moses his Preparation or disposi∣tion to this Vision: and that is in the first Verse, And Moses kept the flock of Iethro his

father in Law, Priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back side of the desart, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

2. The Vision it self, that is in the 2, 3, 4, 5. Verses, The Angel of the Lord appeared to Mose; in a flame of fire in the midst of a burning bush, and the bush burned, and was not consumed, &c.

Lastly, the consequence, and what followed thereupon.

In the preparation of Moses his disposition to this great sight, we observed something in that it is said here that Moses was a Shepherd, and shew∣ed you the reason why the Holy Spirit takes such special notice of Shepherds, and still prefers them before Husbandmen: as the first of men that were begotten, Cain and Abel,* 1.673 the Shepherds offering was accepted, and the Husbandmans re∣jected: and then we produced and traced all the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, and Ia∣cobs twelve sons, all Shepherds; and so David, The first of Kings that was accepted,* 1.674 he was ta∣ken from following the sheep, to sit upon the Throne to feed Gods people: and still all the stock of the Messiah, of whom Christ came, were ge∣nerally Shepherds: This is the Letter of the word: but what may be the meaning that Shepherds are more esteemed then Husband∣men? what is the mystery? what is the living sense of these words?

As I take it, the meaning is this, that the life of a true Shepherd was to depend more upon God and his providence, then Husbandmen, because

they more resign up their wills to God, and liye altogether upon his blessing, And do not so la∣bour and Toil: they cannot rest in themselves, and in their own care and industry, as the Husband∣man doth; for they think nothing can be done, but they must put in a hand; they must rise ear∣ly,* 1.675 and go to bed late, and eat the bread of care∣fulness; they must plow, sow, harrow, weed, reap, and take a great deal of toil & industry, or else they think there can be no good done: yet they may in words say, The blessing of God is all; but their practise says, and their hearts say, their cark∣ing, and their caring, and their diligence, and their discretion doth all.

Mistake not, I do not say that these things are evil; To sow, plough, reap, rise early, to use wisdom and discretion in their affairs; but in that they ascribe this to themselves, and think that they have the mainest stroke of getting their own living and maintenance: when as our Saviour saith plainly, Not one of them can adde by all their labour and care,* 1.676 plowing and sowing, and spinning, They cannot adde one cubit to their stature; that is, not the least mite is added to them by all the care, discretion and toil they can use. Solomon, tis true, commends diligence, and saith, the diligent hand maketh rich: that is,* 1.677 ha∣ving their chief dependance on God; but in this sense it doth nothing: tis certain, such things must be done, and ought to be done: for a Political State cannot stand without them;* 1.678 but this is that better part which Mary chose. He that is a

true Shepherd, that hath given up his life and being, and all to God Almighty, he dares assume nothing to himself, but confesses really, to the glory of God, that he is nothing, nor can do no∣thing; and that he is no more in doing all these things, then the Accomplisher of, (not his own will) but Gods; and that (as the truth is) he is but an instrument in the hand of the great ma∣ster; that he is but a staff in the hand of him that carries it; that though he act,* 1.679 yet it is not he, but God; though he live, yet not he, but God in him: this is the life of a true Shepherd, of a true resigned man; But to the Egyptians A Shepherds life is an abomination to them saith the text. Gen. 46. 34.* 1.680 they cannot indure to have all their actions, their wisdom, policy, discretion, industry to be made nothing, by which they think they bring about all things they do.

Such a one was Martha, she was busie in ma∣king all things ready to entertain Christ (al∣though Christ condemned her not, for doing those things) because (as I said) they are neces∣sary to a Political life, and such men in that re∣gard are needful; yet it was Mary whom Christ commends for choosing the better part, who had resigned up all those things,* 1.681 and sate Atten∣tively at Christs feet, to receive those dropping hony-sweet words that came from him, being bet∣ter to her then thousands of gold or silver,* 1.682 and sweeter then the honey, and the honey-comb, as they were to David; To have all our eyes up to him; as Iehosaphat said,* 1.683 We know not what to do,

but our eyes are towards thee: we have no wisdom, no discretion, no ability to bring any thing to pass; but we see, we do all, by thy wisdom, by thy counsel, by thy direction, tis thou that guidest us, and directest us in all our actions. Now Be∣loved, in this sense labour, and be as diligent as you can, so you ascribe all to God; but if we say, or do as Husbandmen, or thinking thus, Ex∣cept I plow, except I harrow, except I weed, ex∣cept I reap, except I observe times and seasons, in this sense, men are not justifiable: but in that sense all their actions, all their wisdom, strength, gifts, labour, all is evil. But in doing these things, that we always have, as David saith, an ear to him,* 1.684 I will hear what God the Lord will say; but I would hear you say thus, Alas, I dare not say, that I have any disposition to be wise, any inclination to labour, that I have any wisdom. that I bring about any business, or that I have any disposition as of my self, to labour or not labour, that I have any disposition to health or sickness; that I have any disposition to fair wea∣ther or foul; that I have any disposition to liber∣ty or imprisonment: but that in these conditions, and all other, I have no will of my own, but I have given it wholly up to him, so that whe∣ther he send me wisdom or folly, business or no bu∣siness, fair weather or foul, health or sickness, ri∣ches or want, liberty or imprisonment, His blessed will be accomplished in all: for I desire to have no will but his, no thoughts but his, no actions but his: These, these are those men that God ac∣cepts,

These are the men that please him: The other,* 1.685 they dig to their own sense and reason and they sacrifice to their own nets: say they, is it not I that labour? and is it not I that plow, sow and reap, &c. Is it not my diligence that brings these things to pass? if I did them not, they would be undone; and thus flesh and blood rea∣sons, Is it not apparent to my senses? to my ta∣sting, feeling, seeing, smelling, hearing, that tis I do these things, and not another for me, nor by me (as you affirm)?

And one while rain pleases them not, and an∣other while fair weather pleases them not; if barrenness come, they murmure why God did not give fruitfulness, &c. and if they have one thing, Oh, I would have another; I would have such a thing, and such a thing: so that these men are never pleased: but the other are never dis∣pleased with whatever God doth; This man He knows not what he would have, nor what to ask, but what Gods will is: if Gods will be done, he hath what he would have.

These are the men▪ these are the Shepherds God Almighty regards so much; the other are not well-pleasing to him, and he hath no regard to them, not to their sacrifices; pray as much as they will, and fast as much as they will, they pray not at all; for they pray but for them∣selves, and to satisfie their own desires, and to have what they think is best. They seek to Him for Corn and wine and oyl, and these outward things* 1.686 and not for love to Him. But to eat for themselves,

and to drink for themselves, as the Prophet Zach. speaks: Oh, of a certain, these men are not well-pleasing to God Almighty.

The next remarkable thing we named in this preparation to the vision was, Moses was not onely a Sheep-keeper, but he led them to the back∣side of the desart, to the Mountain of God, even to Horeb: Had not Moses left the Cities and Towns, and gotten into the desart, he had never seen God; for before this, Moses was but a stranger to God, and God to him, in comparison of what he was afterward: for after this, Moses and God talked familiarly face to face, As a man talketh with his friend:* 1.687 And Israel, so long as they were among the flesh-pots in Egypt, they were never acquainted with Quailes nor Manna: till a man hath forsaken all, and gotten into the desart, God may call long enough, and knock at the door of our hearts, but we will not hear nor open to him.

But it may be you will say unto me,* 1.688 What shall we do then, who live far off any desart how shall we finde God?

Going into the desart,* 1.689 is meant forsaking all things in our affections, that we have no propension to one thing more then to another; that we use these things as if we used them not: and that we are as willing to leave them in action, if God call for them from us, or us from them. as to enjoy them, if it be his will: then are we gotten into the desart with Moses, and then God will ap∣pear to us, then God will Reveal himself, and

shew us not onely his backparts, but shew us his face also, if we are able to see it.

This is also, going into the high hilly Countrey with Mary,* 1.690 after the Angel had been with her, whose salutation was at first so strange to her: so when we have forsaken all that ever the eye can see, or the ears hear, or the heart conceive: till we have forsaken houses, lands, wives, chil∣dren, friends,* 1.691 and all: nay, as long as our affecti∣ons mingle with these, we cannot love God a∣right: if he cannot have all, but with him we must love these, he will have none at all: and if he must have all, where is any to spare to any thing in the world? Therefore I tell you, If ye love God, ye may not love your health, ye may not love your wealth, your houses, your lands: you may not love your wife, your childe, your good name: nay, you may not love your lives, nay not your own souls:* 1.692 nay more then this, He that hates not father, and mother, and wife, and children, and his own life, and his own soul too, cannot be my disciple: how, what not love my father, mother, wife, children? what, not love these good bles∣signs of God? what, not love my body? nay, what not love my soul, nay hate my soul? O these are sore sayings! no; for the love of God cannot be mingled with these: if you love your wife, as your wife: and your goods, as your goods: and your life, as your life; and your soul, as your soul; then your love is divided between God and them:* 1.693 then you have played the harlot, and the adul∣terer with them: but you must love them for

God, and in God, and as coming from him, and to be used for him, and if you do so, Then I say un∣to you, Love them as dear as you will: you can∣not love them too much: But then I must tel you, this will follow: if so, they instead of separat∣ing you from God, They draw you nearer to him: but if ye love them for themselves, then they will draw you from God, they will make God and you at enmity; they will make a division and separation between you: but if your love be set on God, it will be also on them for his sake: and this is to love not them, but God in them; Then this will also follow, This man can let God do what he will with them; either give them to him, or take them from him, and yet God and he fall not out; for whatever God doth to him or with them, still he loves God:* 1.694 but if ye love them in the other sense, then he will say with Lot, Is it not a little one, & my soul shall live? could not God have spared me this one thing, tis but a little one? what, may I not love One creature? no, saith this soul, I will let all go, so I may enjoy thee; I enjoyed thee in them, and thee I shall enjoy without them.

And those that thus joy in them, may joy that they did joy in them: I say, they may joy and rejoyce that ever they did joy and rejoyce in them; but the other joy, was such a joy, that they must sorrow and repent that they did joy; for they joyed in the Shadow, and that vanished away: but the other joyed in the substance, in the body, and that remained, that shall never decay; for God

is the substance of all things, but all things that are visible, are but shadows, but appearances, bubbles, soon up, and soon down, like bubbles in the water.

And the reason why we are so disquieted in the loss of them is, because we take the shadow to be the substance; and if that vanish, we must needs be disquieted, and we are all out of or∣der; Then let God give us what He will, nothing shall please us: why? because our Ab∣salom is dead, 2 Sam. 18. ult.* 1.695 but he that loves them for God, and in God, he is a quiet man how∣ever they change; he is the same; let God give them to him, or take them away from him: he is still contented. Beloved, This is the man that loves them aright, and he loves them infi∣nitely more, and more dearer, then all the world can love his own, or that it most prizeth; for that love and joy brings them but grief and sor∣row: but these may joy that ever they had such a joy; and he loves God, as giving him that love.

Until we have forsaken all, God will never appear to us; as he did not here to Moses, till he had forsaken All the world, and come in∣to the Desart, having forsaken flock and all, till then God appeared not to him: Not forsaken all (as some expound it) that is, say they, when the love of God, and these outward things comes into competition, or when we can enjoy them no longer: but I say, forsake them all in affecti∣on, even while we enjoy them: for he that will

love them till that time, may love them so long, that he cannot forsake them: that is, not quiet∣ly, but he is, as it were, Rent in pieces to for∣sake them: though in act he may be made to forsake them, yet his affections do not: but as soon as ever we have forsaken all, and have cast all the creatures behind our back, so that we stand indifferently affected to all; Then GOD will appear to us, Then GOD will shew Us miracles as well as Moses, then God will speak Familiarly to us, face to face, as well as to Mo∣ses: for there are as great miracles done every day, as was then: but our eyes are blinded, we see them not: The reason why our old men do not dream dreams,* 1.696 and our young men see visions, is, be∣cause we go not into the desart: The reason why God appears not To Us,* 1.697 is, because we do not with Elijah,* 1.698 fast fourty days in the desart, but we are buried in flesh and blood, and in the world, we are swallowed up in Sense and Reason.

We wonder, it may be, that such mighty mi∣racles should be done daily, and we not see them: Truly, the fault is in our selves, not that Miracles are ceased: but our eyes are blind∣ed, and we cannot see them: and therefore it is we say, There is no miracles now adays, Miracles are ceased; you are deceived; for there wants not either power or willingness in God to shew thee as great miracles as he shewed them: and he is as willing to shew his face to thee, as to Moses and the Patriarchs: but thou wantest that measure of faith that they had to see him:

thou art so deep set in the earth, and so buried in unbelief, that he can do no mighty works in thee; as it is said concerning our Saviours work∣ing miracles in his own Countrey, Matth. 13. 58.* 1.699

The next thing is the Vision it self,* 1.700 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a burning bush, and the bush burned, and was not consumed: and Moses said, I will turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt: and when he turned aside to see, God called unto him, and said, Moses, Moses; and he said, Here am I: and he said, Draw not nigh hither, but put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place where thou standest is holy ground, &c.

Here is now a large field before us, Here is a vast Sea before us: and like the river and holy waters in Ezekiel, at the entrance into the San∣ctuary, which though at first it took a man but to the ancles,* 1.701 and then to the knees, yet at length it became a vast Sea to swallow up all; those whose vessels are large enough, may now lanch out into the deep: But first, Put off your shoes from off your feet, before ever you adventure into this holy ground; that is, put off all self-conceit of your own understanding; all conceit of your own knowledge, or of your own abi∣lities to discover those depths that are hid in these words: The ground you are now going to set your feet on, is marvellous holy ground: it is not for every unclean beast to touch this mountain: it is onely a Moses may, or can ascend this moun∣tain:

if you bring with you the judgment of flesh and blood, or your own abilities, to search these mysteries, and to judge of these things, I must tell you, Other men shall see miracles, but you shall see none:* 1.702 Paul shall see the vision, when they that are with him shall not see it.

Strip your selves therefore of all manner of conceits, and confess you know nothing, and give up your selves to be taught of God: neither regarding me that speak to you, nor your own abilities to judge of these things; cast away all things of that nature; for you have to do with God, not man: & if you see no Miracles, I believe you may blame your selves, and your too great wisdom; for now adays men are too wise to learn any thing. And I, for my labour, look for no o∣ther recompence from such wise men,* 1.703 but that they shall turn again, and all to rent me.

But in the entrance into this 2. Verse, here is one thing (which I before touched at) and that is, why it is said, the Angel of the Lord ap∣peared to Moses: and in the verses following, it is said to be the Lord God that called to Mo∣ses: how can it be God, and yet an Angel? I finde not one Interpreter unfold this Mystery, but either slides or slubbers over this thing, wherein indeed there is such a depth of truth in∣cluded, as is able to make the man of God perfect and wise unto salvation,* 1.704 and to build him up in all good works.

And to that end, know, That every Creature is an Angel of Gods, being considered as Angel

or Messenger (for so the word imports) it is a name not of nature, but of office: and every crea∣ture is sent of an Errand, they all come out from him: and when they have done their er∣rand, they return to him again: And, the sole bu∣siness every creature comes about, and is sent for into the world, is, to glorifie and magnifie God: I say, the whole work, the business all creatures have to do, is onely to magnifie and praise our great God: after it hath done its errand, and sung an Hymn to God Almighty, then it departs and re∣turns to him again.

For, All creatures do sing his praise in what∣ever they do; if not the praise of his goodness, yet as much to his praise, the glory of his ju∣stice: the most senseless creature that is, is a Mes∣senger from God, An Angel of his sending: the winds, the sea, the flames of fire, the earth, the air, the lions, and all beasts, and what creature you can name, they are all his Angels and do his pleasure.* 1.705 Balaams Ass was made an Angel to him,* 1.706 when his eyes were opened: But, Because I say these are Angels, I would not have you pre∣sently conceive, that there are no other Angels a∣bove us: not so, but what they are we know not, they are such as God Almighty hath appointed them to be: and because we cannot know what they are, let us not say there are none; for they being in a sphear above us, we are ignorant of them, ignorant of their Nature and cannot Comprehend it. As, bruit beasts, they are in a sphear below us; and although they have not

Reason in that degree that man hath, yet they have some reason; yet man is called the Rea∣sonable creature, though even beasts have some∣thing like man: yet because he is so many de∣grees above these creatures, he is denominated, The reasonable creature, as if nothing had any reason but him; but it is otherwise: Now these creatures are not able to understand (though they have some reason) the life and happiness of a man because they are so much below man: So neither can man, created in a sphear so far below Angels, know the life, happiness, being and nature of Angels (though something they may know) yet far short of what they are: But every crea∣ture hath his happiness in his own sphear, a fool, he is called a fool, not because he hath no reason in him, but because he is so far short of that un∣derstanding that is in other men.

There is reason in a kinde, in all the creature, in beasts and trees, &c. their life doth express rea∣son, though themselves understand not their own reason: for they grow and increase, and there∣in they express reason: for God doth not in any creature work unreasonably, but [Man] being made (as it were) The Master of Reason, he is led altogether by reason (as he is a man) and what is above that, he is not able to judge of, be∣cause he never knew no life above it, no happi∣ness above it.

And therefore man, if he go about to de∣fine those Angels that are nearer to God then himself, he must make use of that which is

within the compass of his own sphere; there∣fore he would fain define them by reason; but herein man shews himself a fool: for those Cre∣atures above us are super-rational, but man thinks there is nothing above Reason, because he never knew any thing greater. 'Tis as if a toad or a horse should undertake to define the na∣ture of a man, he could not but he must of ne∣cessity make himself the measure of his judge∣ment; what he had not in himself, he could not judge excellent: So, if men define Angels, they would measure and define them according to the excellencies of a man.

But all those invisible Blessed Creatures that are next unto the Burning Throne of Almighty God, what are they? Alas, if we should go a∣bout to define their nature (as some have done) we should prove our selves ignorant, yea fools: yet thus much we may safely say of them, That the nearer to God, they nearer to the spiritual na∣ture of God, because they are further off from matter: though they have matter, & are bodies, yet they have but so much matter as to distinguish them, and separate them one from another.

God he is a pure spirit, onely form, without any manner of matter; and all the Creatures, the further off from him, the more matter; and the nearer, the less. For example, If ye have observed it, Angels are pictured with compleat bodies; yet to shew that they are fur∣ther off from matter then man, therefore they have always wings; and Archangels, they being

nearer God then Angels, are pictured with bo∣dies cut off by the middle, with wings: but Che∣rubims, having less matter, and nearer God him∣self then either, are pictured o••ely with heads and wings: but Seraphims, being furthest of all from man, and nearest of all to God, they have no bodies at all, but onely represented by a cer∣tain yellowish or fiery colour; All this, is to shew the very same thing that I am now unfolding to you; it is a thing remarkable, though it may be you have took no notice of it.

For the present let this be enough to limit our ranging thoughts in these mysteries. In man, matter prevails above the form because the form is limited and bounded by the matter; that though the form be quick, and full of agility, yet the matter hinders it, it cannot do what it would: but in these Angels, form is predomi∣nant over the matter; that wheresoever the form would be, the matter is obedient.

Then let us lay this for a ground, for a max∣ime undeniable, That all Creatures, from the highest to the lowest, are to God, As a sweet-tuned Instrument; They all harmoniously and with a joynt consent Sound forth his praise; all the Creatures praise him; from the highest and sweetest Treble, to the lowest BASE of the im∣movable Earth, they all express and sing aloud aloud and Harmoniously, His praise: It is the main business all Creatures do, and shall do for ever, to sing praise and Hallelujah to God on High: this is the business, the Commission that

all these Embassadours are sent about; Even the very destruction of evil Angels, and wicked men, do aloud sound forth his praise and glory for ever and ever.

Thus this name of Angels hath all this while detained us from answering our question;* 1.707 Why God is here called an Angel? and likewise in many other places, as Iudges 6.* 1.708 It is said an An∣gel appeared to Gideon; and afterwards, ver. 15. it was the Lord.

The reason is this,* 1.709 and included in that I have now said. If we look upon any one Creature, so far forth as it is a Creature, it is infinitely short of God, for God is nothing that we can see or imagine; and therefore as long as you see or imagine any thing,* 1.710 you are short of God; for as the peace of God passeth all understanding, so doth God himself; and there is not one Creature but God is the peace thereof: For whatsoever it be, be it never so glorious and splendent a Crea∣ture, that falls within the compass, I will not say of a mans understanding, though the soul be a spiritual and a divine thing; but, let it be with∣in, in the understanding and mind of an Angel above us; that same is not, nor cannot be but an Angel; for God passeth all understanding, both of Men and Angels; none know what He is, but his own Blessed Self.

Whatever comes within the conception of any created Being, that is but a finite thing, and falls infinitely short of the infinite God. If an Angel should appear to me, and tell me that

he was God, in that I can but either see him, or hear him; I know, forasmuch as I hear him, or see him, or can imagine him under any form, or name, or expression, that He was but a Creature, be it never so high an Angel; and if I should fall down and worship Him, I were well worthy of blame (with S. Iohn,* 1.711 who would have fallen down and worshipt that Angel that had shewed him all those things) for it is But our fellow-servant, though it appear in never somuch glory; for all the imaginations of Men and Angels (poor drops as they are) fall infinitely short of God Almighty.

But if in any Creature, you strip it of all man∣ner of form and imagination, and behold God the Essence and Substance thereof, as One, Infi∣nite, Eternal Essence, as abstracted from all man∣ner of Creatures: then I may with fear and reve∣rence fall down before, or take occasion by any Creature, to adore God: If we can behold God thus, then the whole Scripture commands us to praise and magnifie him: Then praise him in the Sun, and praise him in the Moon,* 1.712 Then praise him in ••ll the works of his hands: not praise the Sun, nor the Moon, nor the works of his hands, nor any Creature, but praise Him.

As suppose there were a Religion that it were lawful to worship the Sun (as I instanced last day) if the worshippers should fall down to a bean of the Sun instead of the Sun, should not he be an Idolater? So he that shall fall down to a beam of the Divinity, as included or represen∣ted

in any Creature, doth not he sin? But if through that Creature we have recourse onely to him that is in the midst of the bush, in the midst of the Creature: Seeing God to be the existence and being thereof, and fall down before him, herein I do no more but that which is com∣manded. If I look through the body of that Creature, which body veils God from me, then I will praise The High and Holy One in his Holy place;* 1.713 then will I praise him in the firmament of his power,* 1.714 and in all the work of his hands: Then A Gods name praise him in a tree, praise him in the wind, and in all Creatures; for the life of every Creature, of every tree, is Christ Jesus, the Son of God, and his first begotten of all his Creatures; The power of the wind is Christ Jesus, the life of a man is Christ Jesus, &c. But now if I fall down to a Man or an Angel to worship him, I sin; or if I fall down to Jesus Christ as included in that man, or in any Creature, I sin likewise: But if in men, and beasts, and trees, and in all, I behold God 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Immutable, Incomprehensible, Incircumscriptible Essence, so I may praise God, and take any occa∣sion to fall down before him, and say, O thou God, That Fillest Heaven and Earth! O thou God, that Fillest and movest every thing, and thou thy self art not moved nor changed; in all things I see thee, who art One, and for ever the same.

If you shall now ask me,* 1.715 how you may be∣hold God thus?

I will tell you;* 1.716 In every Creature is a beam of the Divinity, which is an Angel; and that Angel, be it never so small, beholds The face of God Almighty; that beam that lives in me or thee, that beam, I say, sees the very face of God: And therefore saith our Saviour Christ,* 1.717 Take heed ye despise not one of these little ones, for their Angel always beholds the face of your Father which is in Heaven. Although you see not the Sun when you behold a beam that comes in at the window, yet if you do but lay your eye in that beam, you shall see the Sun it self: So though you cannot see God Almighty in any Creature, yet if you do not despise any of these little ones, They behold God; and if you lay your eye in that beam, you shall come to behold God him∣self: and then, in the name of God▪ praise God, even with all your might,* 1.718 and with all your strength; then you can never praise him enough in all his Creatures.

Only take this along with you, Thar so long as you are capable to see, touch, or understand what you see, so long you see not God, it is but a Creature: but if you let that little spark guide you, That Angel within you, it will bring you to the very face of God: For God is in the Midst of the bush, in the midst of the Creature, yet he is not The burning bush; though he be in the Creature, yet he is not the Creature: So long as he appeared to Moses under any form, he was but an Angel; The Angel of the Lord appeared unto Moses in the midst of a burning bush: And if

Moses had worshipt that burning bush, he had been blamed as well as S. Iohn. But God is Hid, he is Vailed from our sight by Accidents▪ He is not in the Out-parts, but he is Within.

Beloved, if God would be pleased to unfold these things to you and me, and make us under∣stand them aright,* 1.719 I know, that Then, neither heights nor depths, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor any thing, should ever be able to separate between us and these blessed truhs; nay no∣thing could hinder us from union with this Our ever Blessed God; for these are such infal∣lible Truths, such glorious Truths, Against which the gates of hell shall never prevail.

When Iacob was to go three or four hun∣dred miles from his Fathers house,* 1.720 He saw a vision in his first nights sleep; and it was a Lad∣der that reached from heaven to earth, and the Angels of God went up and down ascending and descending on it, and at the top of the Ladder stood God himself: What do you think was the meaning of that Ladder? We deny not the truth of the Story; for let that heart that hath such a thought, consume for ever in endless flames: but let us labour to find out the mind and meaning of God in all his words: God stood at the top of Ladder; what God is in himself, we meddle not with, we have nothing to do with that. O bles∣sed God! be thou what thou art; thou hast said, I AM that I AM; and we say so too, THOU ART that THOU ART, Holy and Blessed be Thou in what thou Art, for ever and ever. And

as Thou art in Thy Self, we neither know thy Name; nor thy Sons Name, But the Word became flesh, and dwelt amongst us; Christ Jesus is the Substance and Being of all things, Hee is Hee in whom all Types and visions ended. This Book of God is a great Book, and many words are in it, and many large Volumes have been drawn out of it: but Christ Jesus Hee is the Body of it, Hee is the mark all these words shoot at, Hee is the Truth and Substance of all those Types, Shadows, Metaphors, Allegories, Parables and Paradoxes, Hee is The MARROW in that Bone, and the Kernel in that SHEL.

There cannot one Creature come into the world, nor go out of the world; not one Angel ascends or descends upon that Ladder, but it comes from God and by Jesus Christ,* 1.721 He is the Substance and Being thereof; and there is not One Creature but doth the Er∣rand God sends him on: And therefore David ascribes the very worst of actions to him; when Doeg curst him, he said, Let him alone, for God hath bid him:* 1.722 He knew no Creature could move towards him, to do him either good or hurt, but what God bid it do: And therefore (saith he) in whatever befel him, I held my tongue and spake nothing, because thou didst it.

Beloved, know this, the interpretation of visions is from the Lord, as Ioseph said to Pha∣raoh, It is not in me to interpret dreams or visions, but God shall give Pharaoh an Answer of peace; And so say I of this, A vision it is, and

we shall find it no where expounded; but God hath set it down; It is thrown amongst us, and writ for every one to read; some take it one way, and some another; As Pilate said, What I have written, I have written: he that can find the interpretation, let him.

Beloved, we spent much time the last Sab∣bath, but we could not get from under the cloud, nor espy the bright pillar of light and comfort to discover the meaning of the VISION: but you know I was forced to leave my discourse (as to the Vision it self) Mu••••led up in those Sa∣cred and Holy discontents, which yet are like physick; though a little distastful, yet exceeding whollom. My beloved is a garden walled about,* 1.723 and as a fountain sealed up. And (saith Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar) the interpretation of dreams and visions is from the Lord.* 1.724 There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets.* 1.725 And he that Ploughs not with his heifer, shall not find out his riddle. He which sent that vision to Iacob, taught him also how to interpret it: For in the bare relation of the vision, what is in it, to comfort Iacob in the condition he was in? And so here, to what purpose was this vision shewed to Moses? what concerned this the business in hand? (as you may conceive) Beloved, He that can find out Gods meaning in these visions, shall find Hid∣den Manna to nourish him: But he that thinks by his wit, and by his policy, and by his own strength to find it out, be sure shall find no∣thing but a bone to choke him.

Iacob,* 1.726 as it seemeth, being gone from his Fa∣thers house, and travelling all alone, had many sad thoughts; he knew not what to do, nor what entertainment he should have where he went; and it was a long journey; and Iacob was to go from his Fathers house, where he had been brought up in the knowledge of God, and was to go among Heathen Idolaters: These thoughts much perplexing Iacob, at night in the open field, laying his head upon a heap of stones, he fell asleep▪ & dreamed This Dream; which, whatever it seems to be in the History, In the mind and meaning of God, it was the fittest that could have been revealed to him: Behold (saith the Lord) v. 15. I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, I will not leave thee. And Iacob being taught by God, and not by his own wis∣dom, presently makes the right use of it; Thought he, I had thought that I had left God behind me, In my Fathers house onely; but I see God goes a∣long with me, God is in this place, and I was not aware: Had I been aware God had been with me all this while, and that where ever I go, he is still with me, I would not have been afraid: Now,* 1.727 What shall I fear, Seeing God is with me in all my Iourney, and where ever I am? What need I be careful?

To see God Thus Really present with a man what will he, nay what can he be afraid of? though there were a thousand deaths before him: God being so near a man, And to see and believe this really, it would make him not a∣fraid,

though he were to enter into a Sea of mol∣ten lead; who would be afraid, if God were thus present with him, to back him, to defend, to pre∣serve, to protect and to encourage him, as here he was with Iacob? Its no marvel, Paul went tho∣row al so bravely, having such a one to back him.

Now Iacob, whatever he thought when he left his Father, and knew not what should be∣come of him, nor whether he should go, nor where he should stay: Now all these thoughts are vanished; for now, He sees God is with him whereever he is, & withal the Creatures he meets with. And, that they can neither do me good or Hurt Except He Order it. Then also (thought he) He being so near me, I am sure all my prayers shall reach him, and he knows all my wants: (And what hath Iacob lost now? He hath forsa∣ken father and mother, and house and home; he hath bidden them all Farewel, and now he hath [God] instead of All) who I am sure will suffer me to want nothing, and he is able and willing to relieve me: He was with me yesterday, and I saw him not, and he is with me to day, and will be to morrow, and for ever.

And so I say of this vision of Moses: this vi∣sion that he had here of Christ (for it is no other) Whatever it seems to be; To him, at this time it was the suitablest and the fittest that could be revealed to him: For Moses was to be sent to Pharaoh, a great King; and He was but a Shepherd, such a one as was An abomination to the Egyptians, Gen. 46. 34.* 1.728 And besides, He

was an Exile, a banished man out of Egypt: for he was fain to fly thence for killing a man; and being come thither again,* 1.729 he might be question∣ed for his life: for Pharaoh sought to slay Him for that very thing.* 1.730 And besides all this, he went to intreat for almost half the people of his land to depart from him; and they must carry all their goods and all their substance with them, all their cattel, and all their jewels; they would not leave a Hoof behind. And besides, all the Kingdom depended upon their making of bricks therefore no wonder though Moses made so many objections as he did; no marvel he asks, Who am I that I should do this thing?* 1.731 Who would have thought it possible for Him, To have brought it to pass? The thing was of such ad∣miration, and attended with so many diffi∣culties.

And the vision was; The Wonder which made Moses turn aside to see it; Not that the Bush Burned: for oftentimes Trees, in a violent wind, standing close together, have been known by rubbing and rushing together to fall on fire, and by many other occasions: but in that it Burned, and was not Burnt, Therein was the Mi∣racle. Who ever saw Trees on fire, and not consume? who ever saw a forrest on fire a whole day, and the wood not burnt? Now, I say, This represented Christ so fitly, so oppertunely on this occasion, as could possibly be.

It may be you may say unto me, This was a great miracle,* 1.732 but I see no great

matter in it for this occasion.

But though you see nothing,* 1.733 yet Moses saw enough in it to bear up his mind against all those weighty objections I before named.

You will say,* 1.734 it may be; 'Tis true, in the se∣quel of the story God fitted Moses with mira∣cles for to bring about this great work.

'Tis true,* 1.735 the Egyptians had ten miracles, and the Israelites Three,* 1.736 and here Moses but One: but This One Miracle had such strength in it,* 1.737 that it perswaded Moses, The work was possi∣ble. But wherein was the strength of this ar∣gument unto Moses?* 1.738 Suppose I could not tell you, Suppose God had not Revealed it unto me: what would you do? But, Be not careful, God will Expound and Reveal it to us; He that taught Moses the Text, Taught him the Com∣ment and the meaning; Nay, He that was the Text, was the Comment, to him: The Text is common to all, it is a well that stands open for all to draw water at, and men expound, every one as they understand: but the True Comment is a spring shut up,* 1.739 a fountain sealed; And truly, He that wrote the text, must give the interpreta∣tion, or we shall never find it. But, be not care∣ful, God will be merciful to us, not onely to shew us the vision, in the letter, but the mean∣ing thereof; and it may be here is some one poor word that will give us light to find it.

It is here said, God appeared to him Out of the midst of the Bush; from this word [Ou••,] we have a hint of the meaning: he appeared to

him outwardly by a burning bush, but inwardly he taught him the meaning Out of it: All visions are Typical, and represent and intend some∣thing equivalent to the outward representation, Having a Reach beyond the External Signe; leanding us to the Thing signified.

It is certain Christ ••esus is He that all Visions tend to, HE is the substance of all the Types, Sha∣dows, Sacrifices; HE is the business that the whole world was ever, and onely is About, or ever shall be; He hath been, is and shall be the busi∣ness of all ages, in one kinde or other: they have been still busied in setting forth HIM to us, by all Means and by all Helps: All Prophesies tend to him, and all actions end in him.

But in what sense is he here set out,* 1.740 In this Vi∣sion? Tis 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 re∣vealed in this place to Moses?

I Answer,* 1.741 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 of∣ten in Scripture compared to fire, The light of Israel shall be for a fire and his Holy One for a flame.* 1.742 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 con∣sumes 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 no∣thing 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 plea∣sure) back again: He Creates them, and saith when he pleases, not only, Return again ye sons of Men:* 1.743 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 Crea∣tors pleasure, they must dissolve & return whence they came, And out of That same matter, suc∣cessively, 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 & Chan∣ged by Christ Jesus; He makes Creatures of the Elements, they Ascend and Descend, but he con∣sumes

nothing; for, Whether should they go? They cannot go out of the world; And no∣thing They cannot be made, but by God him∣self; 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 no∣thing: 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,* 1.744 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 compre∣hended 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 chan∣ged All the whole world, as he doth continu∣ally, having raised thereout, such infinite mil∣lions of thousands of men, beasts, trees, &c. and is still in changing and making them New, and Un∣making 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,* 1.745 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 work∣manship out of the four Elements, and yet pre∣serveth the substance thereof, so that nothing is lost:* 1.746 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,* 1.747 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, accord∣ing 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,* 1.748 They shall perish, but thou s••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 Un∣changable but onely God Almighty.

Now then Moses (unto whom God spake in this Sacramental Vision) he saw what was the Meaning, the Substance thereof: tis as if the Lord should say, Moses as thou seest me Ex∣ternally 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 eve∣ry thing, what needest thou to fear? what need∣est 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 and thwart, and contradict one another, and that the confusion of things confounds thine understanding, yet be sure I am with them, and in them, and I order all; and to me, all things work harmoniously: though to

thee cross and contradictory, yet all effect and bring about my Ends: they can do nothing, but what is agreeable to my will; for they are all led by one spirit:* 1.749 they all to me do keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; with me, Even all Contradistories, Coincide, And so far forth as thou canst see and believe this, they all shall do the Same to thee.

Beloved, you know, these my two hands are moved by the same spirit in me, and the same soul moves all the members of my body; and think you will one member hurt another? No: will my hand smite or pierce any member to hurt it? No surely: and if it do, yet it is to bet∣ter its condition; though for the present it may hurt, and wound, and make it smart, yet it is not to Hurt it, but for its greater good: So say I, In the world, what can happen, or fall out to hurt us, or displease us? Truly nothing at all, If we were but come to this that we could but keep the unity of the Spirit,* 1.750 in the bond of peace: If we did But Behold ONE Spirit moving and ruling through the whole earth: And if we did but see that He is the cause of all Wars and Tumults; and that He stirs up their spirits (for what End, is best known to himself) and thought we see such varieties and changes in the world, yet in him, and to him all things Coincide, Even those things that are contradictories to us; even all changes, and oppositions, and contentions, and clash∣ings in the world, all in him Coincide; That is, all things to him are in agreement, in an Harmony

and work to his Almighty praise, to the Highest to the utmost that can be. Yet, in regard of men, he may be dishonoured; but in himself, and by himself He Works out His own praise in all contrarieties; Because Really and in truth No∣thing contradicts his will; but if it do, His re∣vealed will, yet, He makes every act in the crea∣ture, be it good or evil, to contribute to his praise.

And he whom God hath been pleased to shew this vision to, which he here shewed to Moses, and the interpretation thereof, he sees it so; and his will and Gods clash not, but Harmonize and coincide; Gods actings, and their wills agree; these Blessed Souls, They cannot finde fault with any thing,* 1.751 but subscribe that He hath done all things well: How then can this man distrust or murmure against God, in whatever falls out? be∣cause he sees God doing all,* 1.752 he sees one Spirit moves all, acts all; but, so far forth as men are Drowned in the Letter of this Vision, they see none of all this; They onely look upon it, As a wonderful thing, that God did thousands of years since, and so take it as an History; or according to their utmost interpretation, viz. That God in the midst of the Afflictions of the Church, yet he preserved them, even as in the ve••••s••re; though Pharaoh oppressed them, and Egypt was as a furnace to the Israelites, in which God kept them, and brought them out of it: which in∣terpretation I condemn not: but I think there is more held forth: for God bid Moses tell the

Israelites,* 1.753 I AM had sent him; He that was the Substance and Being of all things; the worker and orderer of all things in heaven and earth: But so far as men see not this, When they hear of wars, and rumours of wars, and Nation rising a∣gainst Nation,* 1.754 they tremble, and they fear, and are at their wits end, not knowing they are all led by the same spirit himself is; when as those who see the Almighty thus working, ordering and filling all creatures; yea, Burning and Changing, Melting and reducing the Ele∣ments from one form and shape to another; so that they see one generation come, and another go; These men, they go on, in an holy Sereni∣ty and Tranquillity of minde, knowing there shall not an hair of their head perish without their Fa∣thers pleasure and ordering,* 1.755 Beholding his wis∣dom, and power, and goodness in all things, in all turnings and tumblings, and overturnings, Ha∣ving Cast all their care upon him: for they know He takes care of them,* 1.756 and infinitely beyond what they could do for themselves: Therefore, they Repose themselves sweetly upon his will and dis∣posing: which condition they prize above all earthly enjoyments, yea more then a thousand natural lives, if they had so many: for, They have forsaken Houses, Lands, Wives, Children, &c. and all for Him; and in him they enjoy and possess a hundred-fold instead thereof, even in this life:* 1.757 If they have them, they enjoy God in them, and through them: and though they want all, yet they have God instead of all,

who is to them more worth then all.

But others not being able to Hear or Bear these things, being not yet come to be, either Fathers or Yong-men in Christ, living still in the Letter, and in Shadows: whom indeed these fa∣thers in Christ pity and pray for,* 1.758 and their Bowels yern for them, and such is their strength that they are fain to become weak to the weak, and all to all: not that they shall gain all, but that they may gain some: for some are like the E∣gyptians here spoken of, that not all the precepts or examples, nor all the Plagues in the world will convince them; They will not take know∣ledge, That they are Acted and Guided by an unseen hand and power; They see not, that the whole Universe is guided by One Spirit; But they think that there is one Spirit in the En∣glish, and another in the French, another in the Spaniard, and another in the Dutch, another in the Turks; one in Europe, another in Asia, an∣other in Affrica, and another in America: but be assured, As to the carrying on of the affairs and designs of God in the world, One and the same Spirit rules in all:* 1.759 And though there are divers and contrary operations, yet all is by the same Spirit,* 1.760 it is God that worketh all in all: and though they be never so far asunder, yet all act by the same Spirit.

As in my body, whats further asunder then my head and my foot? yet the same soul in both: and know, that this One soul within me, hath as great a care of the lowest member as of the

highest: And so in the world, though Almigh∣ty God hath set some in a high condition, and some in a low; yet know He Guides all; He takes care (whatever thou thinkest) that the Higher Members, and more Exalted and Im∣powred, shall not oppress the lower (no further then he in his wisdom thinks meet) He it is, that lets one man finde favour in this mans eyes, and another not: This, (as other actions) all along, are ascribed to him: He gave them favour, and he hardened the heart of Pharaoh;* 1.761 and He bid Shimei cur••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 a∣gainst another (but so far as his wisdom will have it so) and it must be so, for the accom∣plishment of his most holy ends.

O therefore, let Vain man (and his igno∣rance, 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! Belo∣ved, 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; Ex∣pand 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 wis∣dom, all the wisdom of all men and Angels put together is but folly before him. He chargeth his Angels with folly,* 1.762 and the Heavens are unclean in his sight: what art thou then, Poor Crawling worm, to lift up thy self in his presence?

But,* 1.763 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 ma∣keth vessels of honour and dishonour;* 1.764 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, su∣perlatively well;* 1.765 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 toge∣ther 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 bring∣eth to the grave,* 1.766 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, Rai∣seth and re-makes new Creatures? Dost thou Thus see, That the whole Universe is but a Bo∣dy, 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 them∣selves, every element in its Property and Na∣ture, and keep them within their own bounds, (which is His Excelling glory) they would pre∣sently 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; hi∣therto

shalt thou come, and no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed.* 1.767 So that he keeps all things Entire, in their own Element, and e∣very 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?* 1.768 and that it is He that ruleth the Nati∣ons, 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?* 1.769 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 them∣selves, 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! A∣las, 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.* 1.770 that it is He that ruleth by his power for ever and ever. And Dan. 4. 17.* 1.771 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;* 1.772 The Sword never awakes Till he say,* 1.773 awake O sword: And tis said of our Saviour, That he came to bring peace unto men, Luk. 2. 14.* 1.774 Peace on earth, and good will towards men: And yet our Saviour saith again, Matth. 10. 34.* 1.775 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,* 1.776 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 tho•••• 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:* 1.777 So, That Divine Fire Jesus Christ, will never leave purifying and cleansing His people, till he bring them to be Purer and Purer,* 1.778 Finer and Finer, till they be all made pure,* 1.779 As himself is pure: He who is called often [Fire] in Scripture, as Mar. 9. 49. He will purifie the impure from the pure, the dross from the gold; The light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his holy one for a flame, and he shall burn and devour his bryers and thorns in one day; All wickedness shall be before him like the Thorns of a forrest before the fire, and shall not be able to stand before Him; It shall All,

be burnt up, and nothing remain thereof: as it came of nothing, so it shall return to nothing: And this Christ will do, not at once, but by de∣grees; as Fire makes not a thing at first, as hot as it self, but by degrees: but it wil not rest nor cease till it hath;* 1.780 Heb. 12. 29. Our God is a consuming fire: Wickedness, nor any impurity, shall not be able to stand before this consuming fire; no more then thorns and stubble before devouring fire: but by degrees he will purifie us throughout, in bodies, souls and spirits: All the works of man (as of man) shall be burnt up, and he shall suffer loss, but himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire: as the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 3. 15.* 1.781 For the fire shall try e∣very mans work, of what sort it is: Therefore, I say take heed of Standing Up before this fire; If thou ar•• not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••own beforehand, this ••••e will burn thee down to ashes. Do not quench the motions of the Spirit in you,* 1.782 do not strangle them in the birth, as Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew Midwives; To strangle the Male∣children of the Israelites in the birth, Exod. 1.* 1.783 18. But, let this Fire have its Perfect work; as the Apostle Iames* 1.784 saith of Patience; Expand▪ and give up your selves to Him: Let him work his will in you, give him leave to burn up your dross, That you may be brought nearer and near∣er to him, and be made more like unto him, that ye may more fully enjoy him; That so at length ye may be Swallowed up and Emptied into him; Even into that Ocean whence ye came, as all the small rivolets which come from the Sea,* 1.785

never rest till they return into the Sea: And let us continually Magnifie the infinite goodness of Almighty God, who of his Meer mercy will so far Humble himself,* 1.786 to sit as a refiner over his work, and never ceaseth, but is always Purify∣ing, Clarifying and Refining, from one degree of purity to another, till we come to be like unto his own Dear Son Jesus Christ; and all our dross so separated, till we be made all pure sil∣ver; and pure gold: and that all our chaff may be removed,* 1.787 till we become pure wheat, and fit to be gathered into our Lords Garner: Even till we be Clarified, Rarified and Glorified: even like unto the Precious and Glorious body of Jesus Christ himself, who is blessed for ever and ever. Amen.

TRUE and DIVINE EXORCISM, OR THE DEVIL CON-JURED BY IESVS CHRIT.

MARK I▪••5, 26.

And Iesus rebuked him, saying, hold thy peace, and come out of him.

And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cryed with a loud voyce, he came out of him.

The Substance of several Sermons preached at Kensington Publique meeting-place.

AS the holy Apostle Paul divides a man into body,* 1.788 soul, and spirit, so do I this present Text; the body is the history according to the letter; the soul is such moral observations as arise and are deduced from the letter and history; the SPIRIT is such

heavenly instructions, and divine documents, as rightly applyed, may be fitly termed, The Mar∣row and Quintesscence of the Word of God.

The History, according to the letter, is so plain, that he that runs may read and understand it,* 1.789 and so needs no explanation; and therefore I intend to collect the moral observations: And,

1. From the place where this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, This man with an unclean spirit was, in the Synogogue at Capernaum: We from hence are taught, That no place can secure from an unclean spirit; 'tis not a Church, Chancel, Communion-Table, or Pulpit; no Bishop, or rigid Chancellor, or stout Arch∣deacon, nor yet any Politick Official, can with all their wit, wealth or power, excommunicate him, or drive him out, when he hath once en∣tred in: He appeared among the Sons of God, Job 1. 6.* 1.790 He stood at Ioshuah the High Priests right hand,* 1.791 Zech. 3. 1. nay into Heaven it self, and Paradise he intruded: therefore we should, as our Saviour saith, Beware even of Men, Such men as are of His spirit, Unclean; they will de∣liver yon up to their counsels, Mat. 10. 17.* 1.792 And the Apostle hath it, Phil. 3. 2.* 1.793 Beware of dogs, That is, beware of men of proud, cruel, fierce and dogged spirits. And then,

2. As no place can secure us from Others, Evil Men or Devils without us; So, nor can none of us assure our selves that we are what we should be; If Templum Domini, If the Jews crying out, The Temple of the Lord, would have serv'd the turn, Ier. 7. 4.* 1.794 but that did not▪ though

they rested secure, and blest themselves in it: So also do we now in the Outward Baptism; so in the Outward receiving of the Ordinance of the Lords Supper, and also in the outward pro∣fession of Christianity, &c. Sed ista omnia folia sunt, but all these are but leaves, but 'tis the fruit God looks after: For though no tree that bears fruit, but hath leaves, yet Wo to those Trees which bear nothing but leaves. Then,

3. From the Devil his confessing Christ, we learn, That though, as Paul saith, Ore fit con∣fessio, with the mouth confession is made, Rom. 10. 10.* 1.795 yet that is nothing without the other, except the heart believes unto salvation; for that con∣fession is vain, which is void of faith, saith Ful∣gentius.

4. Observe, For all the uncleaneness & strong possession of this unclean spirit, as soon as our Sa∣viour speaks (for he spoke a s one Having Autho∣rity, and not as the Scribes) 'twas a destruction to him, for he cryes out, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Art thou come to destroy, or to torment us? Luk. 8. 28.* 1.796 the Scribes and Pharisees might have preach'd long enough ere this Devil would have Roared: For as some go not out, but by fasting and prayer, Mat. 17. 21.* 1.797 so some unclean spirits wil not stir out of men, but by powerful preaching, which is Christ coming Himself with power, and casting them out: And,

5. From this Renting the poor man, we learn how furious and raging his malice is to man; Tearing and renting Them whom he may not,

cannot longer possess: The Dragon never watch'd the Woman so narrowly, as when near∣est her time of deliverance, Rev. 12. 4.* 1.798 So Phara∣oh pursued the Isralites most eagerly, when de∣parting his land. And the Prophet Isaiah saith, For unto us a Child is born and a Son given, Isa. 9. 6.* 1.799 but immediately before he saith, That every battle of the warriour is with noyse, and garments tumbling in blood; and this shall be with burning & devouring fire. And 'tis true what our Saviour spoke,* 1.800 I came to send fire on the earth; and, I came not to send peace, but a sword, &c. And,

6. In that our Saviour would not, did not hear the Prayers of the unclean spirit, though implicitly here, as explicitly Chap. 5. 6. 'tis said,* 1.801 he wor••hipt him; & v. 17. adjured him, & v. 10. much besought him. You will say to me, 'Tis nowonder;' Iwas a Devil that prayed; and so I say too, 'tis no won∣der we are not heard when we pray; for (if we be Evil and unregenerate men) 'tis the Devil in us that prays. Proclus tells us in his Tract called [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] of the Athenians, that they had a strange way in pleasing themselves by Anti∣phrastical expressions, as by calling things and persons by their contraries; as to call their com∣mon Hangman▪ the Lover or Friend of the peo∣ple; the Grave, and House; a Prison, or Dungeon, a Place; Vinegar, Sweetness; Dirt, Chrystall; Gall, Honey.

So men may spice this Cake, and sauce this Dish, and please themselves as they will with the•••• own prayers and dutyes; they may as 'tis

Isa. 5. 20.* 1.802 call sweet, sowr; good evil; darkness, light, &c. But wo be to them (saith the Prophet there) for that which is highly esteemed among men, is in Gods sight an abomination. And for cer∣tain, if we will take Christs Word in this parti∣cular, Luk. 11. 23.* 1.803 He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad: The Application is easy; Onely a Question is to be resolved.

Seeing,* 1.804 as Ioh. 9. 31.* 1.805 God heareth not sinners; and the Prophet David saith, If I incline my heart to wickedness,* 1.806 the Lord will not hear my pray∣ers: then how shall that man do, that is yet in his sins? pray he cannot, may not; if he should, no hopes hath he to be heard; nay as Solomon hath it, The prayer of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 15. 8.* 1.807

Augustine on Iohn 9. saith, If God should not, would not hear sinners,* 1.808 in vain had the Publican said, Lord be merciful to me a sinner: And Chry∣sostom upon that place, Mat. 7. 7, 8.* 1.809 To him that asketh shall be given, &c. Every one, saith he, whether just or unjust, shall receive, if he, or when he shall pray or ask really by Christ and in Christ: And therefore there are two things to be considered in the sinner:

• 1. The sin it self.
• 2. The purpose and intention of him that commits it.

Now for certain 'tis, That God is so propense

to mercy and forgiveness, and he sees not as man sees;* 1.810 that according to his Word, smok∣ing flax he will not quench, if there be a smoke; if but true desires wrought by Jesus Christ: but if it smoke not, 'tis dangerous; and then, I say, nothing is absolutely & undequa▪ evil, but sin; nor any thing perfectly good, but God. It's good therefore men should try their prayers, whether of the flesh or spirit. Too many (though they pray, yet there is no smoke, no fire from heaven to kindle their sacrifices,) they seek themselves, not the things of Christ, Phil. 2. 21.* 1.811 Our prayers should be for our selves & outward things, as the morning dew, wc^h doth ascend and vanish: Dwel not upon those Petitions, insist not long on them but cut them off short, and say, Father, if thou wilt; yet not my wil▪ but thine be done, Luk. 22. 42.* 1.812 And as Grego. saith, What God hath not predetermined to grant, cannot by prayer be obtained; & there∣fore be very tender of urging God much in that case: Nay though many times God doth defer to give presently, what yet he may intend to give; as the Apostle confesseth, 2 Cor. 12.* 1.813 I be∣sought the Lord thrice, and obtained his request then: Yet as Augustine on Psal. 53. v. 4.* 1.814 Let not the sick depart from the Physician but wait his time and opportunity; nor let him counsel his Physician, nor direct or prescribe him: but let him wait on him, and wait in patience, both for what, and when he will grant. To proceed:

7. In that Christ, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, rebuked him, it shews to us, That Christ is stronger then the Devil.

Although some places of Scripture seem to contradict this;* 1.815 As in the fall of Adam all dyed, The Devil prevailed over the seed of the Wo∣man: And by the confession of Christ, This is the hour and the power of darkness, Luk. 22. 25.* 1.816 and though Satan be called the Prince of the Air That rules, &c. And lastly, from that place, Luk. 13. 23, 24.* 1.817 Few there are that shall be saved. The Devil in all this seems to have more power then Christ.

But 'tis said again,* 1.818 Ioh. 19. 11.* 1.819 Thou couldst have no power over me, except 'twas given thee: And for those seeming contrarieties in the fore∣named places; First; though it is said, As in Adam all dye,* 1.820 yet it's said, in Christ shall all be made alive; Now he is of more might that re∣vives a man, then he who onely kils hi••••. For the second, This is the Hour; but that's but a short time to rule in: what's an hour to a year, or to eternity? And thirdly, though Satan be called the Prince of the Air,* 1.821 yet there's a limita∣tion; and though he rules, Onely he now rules; 'tis but for a short time; and not absolutely nei∣ther, but onely permissively. And for the last; Few there are that shall be saved: that is not said positively, but by way of Interrogation onely: for Peter asked our Saviour, Are there few that shall be saved? by way of question onely: And for the further manifesting of this truth; though Satan be fortis armatus, Luk. 11. 21.* 1.822 The strong man armed: yet our Saviour is fortior superve∣niens, A stronger then He coming upon him, ver.

22. And though Iob speaks of a Behemoth and Leviathan•• yet he also mentions a hook for his nostril: though Peter in his Epistle speaks, that the Devil goes about as a Roaring Lion,* 1.823 seeking whom he may devour: yet we know, that Vicit Leo de Tribu Iudae, the Lion of the Tribe of Iu∣dah hath conquered: And though Iohn in his Revelation, styles him the Old Dragon; yet the Prophet David saith plainly,* 1.824 That thou shalt go upon the Lion, and tread upon the Dragon, Psal. 91. 13.

And that Our great God, and Our Saviour may have their due, know for certain, and believe it, that all Power, all Might, all Strengh, all Dominion and Omnipotency, are all His, Absolute∣ly and solely, so that no creature share; with him in the least: and therefore those distinctions of the will of God,

1. Antecedent.	Of the Sign, and Of his Beneplacit.
2. Consequent.

As also of his

Revealed and Secret,

Permissive and Operative,

Wills.

Are no other but Subterfuges of ignorance, and so confessed by the Authors and Inventors themselves: and yet withal, I do profess my de∣testation with Augustine, to say that God is the Author of evil: for it is impossible, that Entity

should be Non-Entity, for such is all evil.

And yet I say, that Coincidence of Contraries, nay of Contradictories, which in any created na∣ture are impossible, may be, and are in God: as wisdom in him is said to be,* 1.825

1. Stable.	One; yet
2. Moveable	Manifold.

Yet, in Psal. 139. 12.* 1.826 The light and the dark∣ness to him are both alike: and All Actions are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to him, though not the Evil, or 〈…〉〈…〉 He it is Alone. That 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 slay, Isa. 54. 16.* 1.827 So of Cain a∣gainst Abel; and Giants of the old world against Noah▪ Philisti••s against Isaac; Esau against Iacob; Pharaoh against the Israelites; Magicians against Moses; the Tempter against Christ; Si∣mon Magus against Simon Peter; Gentiles against Believers; Antichrist and Christ: Thus through∣out the whole Creation, Good is set against Evil Life against death; and so are the sinners against the godly: So look upon all the works of the most High, and there are two and two, One against A∣nother, Ecclus. 33. 16.* 1.828 And therefore, Further know this, we must not measure Eternity by temporary Moments: I confess, I have been a man almost fifty years longer then when I was born: and never a one that now hears me, but is a week elder then he was this day seventhnight; but God hath not been God One Hour longer,

then when the world was first made, Almost six thousand years yet ago. I grant, that here in the Kingdom of Matter (as I may call it,) During the Hour and Power of darkness, Luk. 22. 53.* 1.829 There may be some contest, some Prevalence. Moses hands may flag, and the Amalekites pre∣vail, Exod. 17. 11.* 1.830 but what is that to God? Neither hath Place any proportion to the Im∣mensity of our God; nor Time to his infinity: And further, to the clearing this question, Vter fortior, whether is the stronger? I say, as St. Paul, 2 Cor. 13. 3.* 1.831 if ye seek an experim••nt, take this for a scantling: never did our Saviour Christ Command any Unclean spirit, but He O∣beyed, when commanded, but he trembled before commanded, knowing the power of Christ to be above himself: Look into, and search the Scri∣ptures, and it will plainly appear so.

But if any shal further object, & say,* 1.832 Si scirent etiam rabidi sculpsisse Leones; If Lions should turn Limners, the Devil then would draw a large story, and shew manifold Examples of his power and strength: He knows how many times Christ hath stood at the door and knocked: And we would not let him enter; How many times, He hath Cryed aloud, when the unclean spirit was in men, and he hath been like a deaf Devil, and would not let them Hear: How often God himself hath called to the Creatures for their Testimony when he suffered dishonour, when he like a dumb Devil in them, would not let them speak: What Miracles of blessings and judge∣ments;

And what stupendious acts of his power and providence Christ hath wrought in the earth; When yet The Vnclean spirit, as a blind Devil, would not let men see or perceive them; And did not the Devil by his Policy and Power, Sweep down The third part of the Stars of Hea∣ven?* 1.833 What that? but the Third part of such who have been as STARS in the Pro∣fession of Christ, yet are fallen from Their own Stedfastness, And what can be s••••d to all this?

'Tis true,* 1.834 All this, and a thousand times more mischiefs hath he wrought: All this power hath He had, hath still, and will have over his own Vassal, the children of Unbelief: But, All these, Help as so many demonstrative arguments, to ex∣emplifie the Infinite, Incomprehensible power of God: for All the power the Devil hath, is from God: for as the Apostle Paul hath it, There is no po••er but of God; the powers that are, are ordained of God, Rom. 13. 1.* 1.835

Beloved, let not this pass, without our cir∣cumspect and diligent consideration: Can there ••e (think you) any power stronger or greater then Gods power? seeing all power is Essentially, Originally and Really in God, and flows from God: nor no power but of God; nay Every power is Under His; And what powers are, He consti∣tutes, appoints, ordains, ordereth and limiteth, as he pleaseth, to his own will and pleasure, for judgements or mercies.

It was and is undeniably true, what Christ said to Pilate, boasting of, and abusing his power,

Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee:* 1.836 & have power to release thee? said Pilate: but Christ replyed, Thou couldst have no power, Ex∣cept it was given thee from above: which implies, as if Christ should say, That Even, Thou Pilate, who Accountest and judgest thy self so great and powerful; why thou thy self art under Caesar; Thy Power is subject to His; and His, how great soever it be, is from God: nay further, though thou shouldst desire and Hunt after, or purchase, by bribes or favour, to be instated with judicial strength and power; yet it is for certain, Thou, even▪ Thou, couldest not obtain nor enjoy it: and I know for truth, what power thou now art intrusted with it is not thine own; 'Tis given thee, and may be taken again from thee: so that its plain, that the very power that Pilate had over our Saviour, was given to him even by our Saviour himself.

And now, who can doubt whether is the stronger? When that the strength & power the Devil hath, is from God; and we know that God (though in himself infinite) yet is but finite∣ly received in or by the Creature: And what proportion or measure the creature hath of power, God himself (who knows the capacity of his creatures) orders and distributes to them as much as he pleaseth: who can doubt whose ARSE∣NAL & Magazine is better furnished: When all the Fiery Darts and Arrows of the Devil are from Gods Store-house? His quiver indeed may Rattle,* 1.837 and he may shoot out sharpe and bloody ar∣rows,

which wound and kill; yet 'tis Gods Hand that fills His Quiver, and 'tis Gods Power that sends and directs his arrows to the right mark, and he orders every dart, How deep it shall pierce.

In brief, as Isaiah saith, Isa. 26. 12.* 1.838 Thou, O Lord, hast wrought our works in us: so the Devil must confess, Even the worst, the blackest, saddest Devils must say, and acknowledge, that God is their life, without whom they could not live: God is their strength, without whom they could not move: God is their BEING, without whom they were nothing, and could not be at all. Be∣loved, these are truths; But are ye able to bear them? take awaye [God] from the creature, & the creature is not: and therefore 'tis worthy our ob∣servation, that there are very few or none, Evil Actions (as they are Actions) that are in Scripture attributed to Satan, that are not likewise ascri∣bed to God, either for things External, or Inter∣nal. Truly friends, I may not keep back any part of Gods counsel, for fear of the Iews, Al∣though they be Angry at the preaching of these things. First, For External Actions; If we look upon Iob, Did the Sabeans come, and take away his Oxen, and slew his servants? and was that done by Satan, upon that Com∣mission given to him? Iob 1. 12.* 1.839 All he hath is in thine hands: why, yet we know, it was God gave him that very Commission, who is the Lord of all Hosts; yet acted by Bands of Sabeans and Ar∣mies of men. Did the Chaldeans set upon his Ca∣mels,

drove them away, and slew his servants? know,* 1.840 as David saith, The Lord teacheth my fin∣gers to fight: And the mouth of the sword of the Chaldeans, could not bite, till God bad it: Did the fire burn up his sheep and his servant? yet we know, that it is the Lord God, Who raineth snares, fire and Brimstone, Psal 11. 6. and in that very History,* 1.841 it is called Ignis Dei, The fire of God, Job 1. 16.* 1.842 Did a great wind come from the wilderness, and blew down the house and killed Iob•• children? yet 'tis certain, He that is the Lord▪ Bringech the windes out of his treasure, Psal. 135. 7.* 1.843 & Iob saith, The Lord hath taken away, &c. Job 1. 21.* 1.844 But to come nearer yet; Did the Devils enter into the Girgasites swine, So that they ran headlong into the sea and were drowned?* 1.845 but yet they did not, could not enter into them, till Christ bade them go: no, no, He that sends, is greater then he that is sent, the Lord is above the servant; though the Devil may desire to do mischief, yet he cannot accomplish it, till he be authorized and impowred by God himself.

Now to come to spiritual Actions, and such as may seem to have a Near, and almost insepa∣rable ••ffinity with the worst sort of evil [Sin] for the other were but Medicines, Nocumenta Documenta, Nocuments are Documents: Did the Devil Harden Pharaohs heart? yet the Text saith plainly of God, I will harden Pharaobs heart? Exod. 7. 3.* 1.846 Obduration and hardness of heart is a grievous sin, and a Heavy punish∣ment, yet God saith I will harden: Did the De∣vil

tempt Absalom to take his fathers Concu∣bines? yet 2 Sam. 12. 11.* 1.847 (saith God,) I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house: Yet again, Thou didst it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel: Did a Lying spirit, that is, (the Devil) Seduce Ahab, that he might go up, and fall at Ramoth-Gilead? yet it is recorded in the same place, Behold, the Lord hath put a lying spi∣rit in the mouth of all these thy Prophets, saith Mi∣caiah, 1 King. 22. 23.* 1.848

I will sum up all in HIM who is the sum of all, Christ Jesus: Ioh. 12. 40.* 1.849 who citing that of the Prophet Isaiah, Isa. 6. 10.* 1.850 where God commands to make the heart of this people fat, and shut their eyes, &c. Christ saith plainly, Ioh. 12. 40. HE hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, that they should not see••, nor be convert∣ed: And (saith he) These things spake Isaias, when he had seen the glory of God, And then spake of him. So likewise did the Devil enter into Iu∣das his heart, to betray his Lord, Luk. 22. 3. It was true, yet I will say, as Austin upon Psal. 61. towards the end of it, Malignus Iudas Traditor Christi: Maligni persecutores, &c. Iudas was wick∣ed, who betrayed Christ; the Jews were wicked, who persecuted him with malice to death; all of them were impious, and miserable wretches to crucifie the Lord of life: And yet, Paul saith to the Romans, Rom. 8. 32.* 1.851 The FATHER•• spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 tradidit, BETRAYED HIM: yet it was HIS FATHER; And Ephes. 5. 2.* 1.852

tradidit seipsum, And He gave up Himself, and yet Iudas He betrayed him

What shall we say herein? Dispone si potes, distingue sipotes; dispose and distinguish if thou canst: To that end, Let us then take the coun∣sel of our Saviour, Let us give unto God the things that are Gods, and unto man, what is mans: let us (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) with boldness, give unto God; as the SOLE, SUPREME Agent, The Glory of all Actions, of what nature or kind soever (as actions.)

As to the soul, The power and act of seeing, but of seeing doubly or dimly to the organ it useth: so God gives to the soul, the Act and power of Hearing, smelling, tasting, speaking, thinking, Going, and Doing, and the like: but for the Evil and viciousness of any, or all these, to the organ they use and imploy: In b••ief, Take this as the sum of all; let God have all the glory, honour and praise of all actions; they belong to him a∣lone: but to our selves let us take shame and con∣fusion, Baldness to every head, and shame upon all faces, Ezek. 7. 18.* 1.853 Gods righteousness, in all these, is like the great mountains, and his ••udgements are a great depth,* 1.854 Psal. 36. 6. like the mountains in∣deed, Eternal, and Eternally mountains, though we climb never so long, never so high, They are still past finding out: and are like the great DEPTH, Depth still, though we sink never so low; and therefore Cusanus speaks learnedly to this point, Omnia creat Deus, etiam alterabilia, mutabilia, corruptibilia & contraria, &c. that is,

God creates all things, alterable, changea∣ble, corruptible, contrary; yet he created not Alteration, Changeableness, Corruption nor Contrariety: for seeing that he is HIM∣SELF Entity Life and Substance, Essence, and Being, He doth not, cannot create Non-Entity Destruction, Death or Ruine, but Hee is A∣lone BEING,. LIFE and SUB∣STANCE.

And yet so it musts needs be; for God is the God of Order:* 1.855 and order implyes plurality and diversity.

And then secondly, what harmony or mu∣sick is made upon one string? or if it be a Mo∣nochorde, yet there must be divers f••ets, and stops, and cliffs: In this case you know, The sweetest Harmony is made where there is the greatest discord, and Variety.

To go a step or two further: In that famous and memorable story of Ioseph; his Brethren, tis said, sold him to the Midianitish Mer∣chants in their malice, and they into Egypt, where he was tempted by his Mistris, An act worse then the other: yet when he makes him∣self afterwards known to his brethren, Gen. 45. 5.* 1.856 Ioseph saith plainly, Misit me Deus, &c. God sent me hither before you into Egypt; They did it, and God did it; they indirectly, God directly: yet Ioseph saith, it was not you, but God sent me before. So also in that act of Shimei, he was set on by the Devil to curse David, yet David saith, Let him alone, let him curse; the Lord hath

sent Shimei, and bid him, To curse David, 2 Sam. 16. 11.* 1.857

In all these actions, sin cleaves so near and fast to the Action, that Chrysostome in Tom. 1. upon the 45. Chapter of Genesis, cryes out, Vi∣disti Ioseph? tolle malitiam fratrum ejus, tolle in∣vidiam fratricidii, commentum, &c. simul abstu∣leris omnia illa quibus Aegypti stetit incolumitas: hast thou seen Ioseph? take away the malice of his brethren, their envy, and their lye, you will then take away all those things whereon Egypts safety stood, and the interpretation of Pharaohs dreams, revealed by God himself to Ioseph. And Drexel. Heliotrop. lib. 5. cap. 8. saies fur∣ther and clearly, Tolle Iudae avaritiam, Iudaeo∣rum invidiam, simul abstuleris gen••is humanae ly∣trum, Christi sanguinem & mortem: Take a∣way Iudas Covetousness, and the Jews Envy and Malice, and you will take away the vertue and efficacy of the blood of Christ Jesus. Again, Tolle Diabolos, certamina, victoriae, praemia magna ex parte cessabunt: Do but take away Devils, and then spiritual conflicts and trials, victo∣ries and conquests over temptations, nay, rewards for them, will also cease and end: these quotations out of the Primitive Fathers, I rather use for your help and good, then any way to strengthen truth, which needs not any humane assistance: but the weakness and child∣ishness of men need all helps, that they may receive and digest such meat as is fit for strong men.

Beloved friends, were it not for Tyrants, where should we finde glorious Martyrs? The furious sire tries and distinguishes the gold from dross: From Contraries, every action seems necessary: tis God himself, by his Prophet Isaiah, that saith, I make peace, and create war, Isa. 44. 7.* 1.858

Some may say,* 1.859 This is hard, and seems im∣possible to distinguish betwixt Actio and Culpa Actionis, the Action and the faultiness or sin∣fulness of the Action.

True,* 1.860 it is so to us, impossible; but the word of God, Heb. 4. 12.* 1.861 is sharper then a two-edged sword, and divides betwixt the soul and the spirit, and is a discerner of the thoughts and secrets of the heart: so also, WE cannot divide the fire: yet the voyce and the word of the Lord divideth the flames of fire, Psal. 29. 7.* 1.862 his word and voyce divideth between the fire and the heat,* 1.863 which to man is impossible: for as Basil speaks, Fire, Tis heat for the wicked, tis light for the just; so al∣so it purifies gold, it consumes stubble; it softens wax, it hardens dirt.

From what hath been said, we may learn three things: First, HUMILITY towards God: Wo to him that striveth with his Maker, Isaiah 45. 7.* 1.864 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee? to walk humbly with thy God, Mic. 6. 8.* 1.865 You know,* 1.866 God did regard the humbleness of the Virgin Mary: as for the proud, He sends them empty away, beholds them afar off: if

we be proud and haughty, and lifted up in our selves, he hath power enough; (for all power is in his hands) to bring us down: This is more for our benefit, then we are aware of, to be Emptied and laid Low in our selves, To be Children in our own esteem, Little in our own eyes, as God Commands and highly Commends. This fits us for His Heavenly Kingdom; And all that God requires of us, Is out of meer Love to us, and out of tender care for the Good of Man. There is not One of His Com∣mandments but they are made more for mans good and Salvation then out of respect to Himself, as Eliphaz and Elihu confessed, Job 22. 23.* 1.867 A wise man may be Profitable to Himself but not to God? Is it any Pleasure to the Almighty that thou Art Righteous? Is it Gain to Him that thou makest thy ways Perfect? and again,* 1.868 Iob 35. 6, 7. If thou sinnest, what canst thou do against Him? or if thy Transgres∣sions be multiplied, what doest thou unto Him? Or, If thou be righteous what givest thou unto Him? Or what receiveth he of thine hand? Thy wicked∣ness may Hurt a man, as thou Art, and thy righte∣ousness may profit Him; But, what canst thou take away from God, or adde unto Him? cer∣tainly nothing; He remaineth Perfect, Eter∣nal, Vnchangable, Impassible, to Him nothing can be given or added, detracted or sub∣tracted. If a man throw up a Heavy stone in∣to the air it will return down again upon his own Head; we can make God neither Richer

nor Poorer, Greater or Lesser, but He hath a care of Us and Our Good, He hath a hand always o∣pen, Ready to give if we could but receive, He is Rich and free to all that call upon Him, And He requireth nothing at our Hands but onely this; That we quietly receive of Him, what he is willing to give.

Secondly, we may learn hence, confidence and trust in God; for he is stronger then all our ene∣mies; though the hills should be moved, and those hills carried into the midst of the Sea; and though the seas roar,* 1.869 and the heathen rage: yet God is mightier, and can curb and command the waves,* 1.870 and make A great calm: when the Na∣tions are in a Hurly-burly, and they are like a tempes••uous sea, & as contrary winds ru••••ing and fighting one against another: if J••sus Christ do but say to these troubles, Peace and be Still; they must obey, and become still and cal••: and therefore we should with David, check and correct our weakness and diffidence, Why art thou so cast down, O my soul? and why art thou so disquieted within me? still trust in God. Psal. 41. and 42.* 1.871 And indeed, as David saith, why should not we trust in him at all times? Our fa∣thers trusted in thee, They hoped in thee, and thou didst deliver them,* 1.872 Psal. 22. we should do and say as Paul, I know in whom I have trusted: and with Iob, though he kill me, yet will I trust in him: And therefore David exhorts, O trust in him at all times, all ye people; for he hath wrought deliverances for Iacob, and is terrible to the Kings of the earth.

Thirdly, hence we may learn Content, in all estates and conditions whatsoever: for nothing c••mes to us but by him, and from him; as Iob confesseth, when he rebuked his wife, Shall we receive good at the hands of God and not evil? Job 2. 10.* 1.873 why should we at any time murmure a∣gainst him, in whatsoever he doth to us, when as, The judge of all the earth cannot but do right? Gen. 18. 25.* 1.874 And I have learned, saith the A∣postle Paul,* 1.875 in what estate soever I am in, there∣withal to be content: and the Prophet David, when he was afflicted and visited by Gods hand, Rested contented; I held my tongue (saith he) and said nothing; for I knew it was thy doing, Psa. 39.* 1.876 9. Iob looked not so much in his affliction, upon the Sabeans or Chaldeans; Nor reviles, frets a∣gainst the fire or the winds, but quiets Him∣self, relies and trusts in the wisdom and love of his father: and looks upon all his sufferings as ordered and sent from God: The Lord hath gi∣ven, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord, Job 1. 21.* 1.877

To come now to another,* 1.878 and that is the last Observation from the soul of the Text, Why Christ rebuked him for speaking truth?

Mendacium erat;* 1.879 dicebat se scire quod nesciebat; it was a lye: He said he knew, what indeed He did not: Now here ariseth another Question:

Whether Christs Incarnation was known to the Devils or no?* 1.880

'Tis certain,* 1.881 that they are full of know∣ledge;

for his very name is derived from knowing, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, disco, quasi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, doctus: so tis read, Acts 16. 16.* 1.882 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a spirit of Divination or Knowledge: In brief, Nolebat hoc testimonium ab illis. Christ would not have any testimony from the Devil: He wanted no such Testimony, Hel∣per or Upholder; therefore tis said Acts 16. 18.* 1.883 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Paul rebuked the spirit of Divination in the like kind: so saith Austine, God would let the Devil know no more then what He pleased; that pleased God, which was fitting for the Devil, in lib. 9. c. 21. de civit. Dei. And further, Christ knew well, that the Devil spoke this to tempt him: for the Devil in all his actions hath an ill and indirect end. And lastly, the Doctrine of Christs Incarnation, was no ways agreeable for the Devils knowledge; it did not reflect any ways upon him▪ he was not to have any benefit by it; and therefore there was no necessity of his knowledge of it: It was Balm for mankind, but of no vertue to the fal∣len Angels.

These several Observations now gathered and confirmed, which I termed the Soul of the Text; I proceed on now to the Summity, the Height or Spirit of the Text: I would not have you wonder at the Definition, for the Scripture is frequent in this definition. To cause us to look further then the Letter.

And we may often find it so; Exod. 14.* 1.884 we

read of the Cloud, and the Red Sea; yet 1 Cor. 10. the Apostle calls them Baptism: So Exod. 17.* 1.885 the Rock in Horeb; yet 1 Cor. 10. 4.* 1.886 That Rock was Christ: And Exod. 34. 33.* 1.887 we read of Moses Vail; yet 2 Cor. 3.* 1.888 we find the A∣postle applying it to the Vailing of the heart: Abraham had two sons, one by a bond-wo∣man, another by a free-woman; yet Gal. 4. 24.* 1.889 we read, that these things were an Allegory: So in reading the History of our Saviour, to raise moral Instructions; as of his love to man∣kind, readiness to help; of his power, mildness, obedience, patience and long-suffering, &c. this is to do as Moses did, Exod. 15. to sing songs un∣to the Lord, and to render him praise. But this is not all; But, to mind the Spirit and life couched under the Vail and Curtain of the Let∣ter, Viz.

The living bread which cometh down from Hea∣ven, which will make us live for ever. To eat of Christs flesh and drink his blood is meat indeed and drink indeed. Moses brought not the Children of Israel into Canaan; therefore, as 1 Cor. 10. 11.* 1.890 All things happened to them in fi∣gures, in types and shadows (As his face, so his words were) Vail'd:* 1.891 So to us now, Till Christ be pleased to Reveal the Mystery of the Word, the Truth is hid and kept secret: For as 'tis said of our Saviour, Without a parable spoke he not unto them; but to his own Disciples He decla∣red and opened every parable, Mark 4. 34.* 1.892 And as he spake nothing without a parable, So He did

nothing without a parable; and therefore with∣out controversie, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Great is the mystery, 1 Tim. 3. 16. And for this cause the Son of God was manifested, that he might Destroy the works of the Devil,* 1.893 1 Iohn 3. 8.* 1.894 And can we think there are no more Devils to be destroyed yet? yes sure; Quot Crimina▪ tot Daemonia, Yea, as many Devils, as sins.

'Tis true, that when our Saviour, Iohn 19. 30.* 1.895 cryed, Consummatum est; It is finished, There was no more to do; That is, No more▪ for the fulfilling of the Scriptures, vers. 28.* 1.896 No more for that individual flesh assumed of the Virgin Mary to suffer.

But yet there are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Rem∣nants of Afflictions, for Paul to fill up in his flesh, Col. 1. 24.* 1.897 So we also and the Rest of the members must bear, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the marks of the Lord Iesus in our bodies, Gal. 6. 16.* 1.898 And for certain, 'Tis better to feel compunction of spirit, and the crucifying the Old man in us, then to know onely those quaint, finical and neat definitions of it which men, by their wit and parts have drawn from the Letter, to please the ears and fancies of men; Making so many divisions and sub-divisions, to set forth the Wits of men, and not the Truth, so much used by ma∣ny men. Know, a minutes feeling spiritually, is worth seven years speaking: To feel these things spiritually, Is to be a Door-keeper in the House of God; to talk of them, or onely to know them, Are but The Tabernacles of Meseck and

the tents of Kedar. And therefore Jesus Christ, yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever, Heb. 13. 8.* 1.899 As to instance in some par∣ticulars, whereby you may enlarge upon any o∣ther.

1. Was Christ formed in the Virgins womb? 'tis true: so ought we to be as little Children, that Christ may be formed in us, Gal. 4. 35.* 1.900 That we may become Nothing in our own eyes that so, He may be to us All, and in All.

2. Was that done by the Holy Ghost coming upon her, and by the power of the Most High over-shadowing her? so must our spiritual birth be; the Holy Ghost must overshadow and sanctifie us, and the power of the Most High convert us, and turns us from sin to newness of life.

3. Was Christ circumcised? so must we be circumcised in heart: For this is true Cir∣cumcision, according to Gods own inter∣pretarion, Deut. 10. 16.* 1.901 Circumcise there∣fore the fore-skins of your hearts. Stephen complained of the Jews for want of this, O uncircumcised in hearts and ears! Acts 7. 51.* 1.902 And Paul; saith, Rom. 2. 29. Cir∣cumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the Letter.

4. Did he grow in wisdom, and in stature, and in favour? Luk. 2. 52.* 1.903 so ought we to incre se with all the increase of God, and to grow from grace to grace, Col. 2. 19.* 1.904

5. Did he dispute with the Doctors, and ca∣ptivate their judgements, Convict their thoughts, and overthrow their reasonings, in the Temple? so must he do in us, bring every thought, though never so high, to the obedience of Christ, 2 Cor. 10. 5.* 1.905

6. Did he heal the sick and diseased, give light to the blind, open the ears of the deaf, untie the tongues of the dumb, feed the hungry, preach, teach to pray, sigh, and groan, and weep, reprove with Authority? Was he hungry and thirsty, and went up and down doing good? Was He Arraigned and condemned under Pontius Pilate? did he dye, rise again, ascend into Heaven, and sit at the right hand of his Father? All these are true.

So let us in all these mind that these mighty works be done in our souls, that they be cured from the putrified sores of sin and lusts, Isa. 1. 6.* 1.906 and from our spiritual leprosie; and cry, O∣pen thou, O Lord, mine eyes, that I sleep not the sleep of death, Psal. 13. 3.* 1.907 We should labour and pray that our understandings may be enlightned; that we may have The seeing eye, and Hearing ear, to confess and praise him with our tongues, that they may speak the language of Canaan; and say, Open thou my lips, and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise:* 1.908 And that we should hunger after righteousness, and be watchful in prayer; sigh, and groan, and weep for sins committed a∣gainst

God; Mine eyes gush out with tears, Psa. 119.* 1.909 O that my head was a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night, &c. Jer. 9. 1.* 1.910 Re∣prove, and rebuke, and loath our selves, as Iob, I do abhor my self, Job 42. 6.* 1.911 Do good, e∣specially to those of the houshold of faith: Con∣demn, and accuse, and judge our selves; I cal∣led mine own ways to account, saith David: I dye daily, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 15.* 1.912 Christ rose again; Arise and stand up from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light, Eph. 4.* 1.913 And so we should rise again to newness of life: If ye be ri∣sen with Christ, seek the things that are above, Col. 3. 1.* 1.914 He ascended, and so do we, when our con∣versation is in Heaven: He sits at the right hand of his Father; All power is given unto me, Mat. 28. 18.* 1.915 Now I live (saith the Apostle) yet not I▪ but Christ in me. And Jesus Christ cast out Devils too: and so must we, cast out spirtiual wickedness in high places.* 1.916 All these are the works of Christ in us, and happy are we if we can truly say, This day are these Scriptures fulfilled in us.

But must our Saviour cast out Devils in us? what in me?* 1.917 If an Angel should tell me so, I cannot believe it; and I would ask with the Virgin Mary, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; How can this thing be?* 1.918 Luk. 1. 34. If our Saviour himself should tell me, 'tis and must be so; and except I cast the Devils out of thee, thou canst not be saved; I should ask him, as Nicodemus did, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉); How can it be, Ioh. 3. 4?* 1.919 For where is there any Devils in me, to be cast out?

Just so Peter said to our Saviour, Ioh. 13. 8.* 1.920 Thou shalt never wa••h my feet:* 1.921 but certainly, as our Saviour then told Peter, Except I wa••h thee thou hast no part in me: So in this case; except he cast out the Devils, they are in us still; for Beelzebub will not cast out Beelzebub.

But it may be, Here you wil say to me, as the Jews said to Christ, Iohn 7. 21.* 1.922 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Certainly thou h••st a Devil, To tell us such strange things, To make us believe that we are Possest.

For this purpose it will be necessary to see what the Devil is; for that which is here called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, An unclean spirit in Luk. 4. 33.* 1.923 is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, The Spirit of an unclean Devil.

Devils for substance are Angels; for quality Evil ones, or Angels of darkness. A man is in substance [a man] though Evil; and his Evilness of quality, doth not make him lame▪ or blind, or deformed. There are, secondly, many good An∣gels, as our Saviour testifies, More then twelve Legions of Angels, Mat. 26. 33.* 1.924 And there are many bad Angels, My Name is Legion, for we are many. Mark 5. 9.* 1.925 Whereas 'tis said of both of them, that they are spirits; 'tis true, it taken comparatively, not positively or simply; for this word, spirit, hath divers Acceptions in Scriptu••e: As,

1. Spirit is taken for the Air; Ve-ruach: The Spirit of the Lord rested upon the waters, Gen 1. 2.* 1.926

2. 'Tis taken for the Wind; Ve-ruach: The East wind brought in the Locusts, Exod. 10. 13.* 1.927

3. 'Tis taken for the spirit of life; All flesh died in which was Ruach, the spirit of life, Gen. 6. 17.* 1.928

4. For the immortal part of man: Ve-ruach; The spirit of man returns to God that gave it. Eccl. 12. 7.* 1.929

5. For the purpose and mind of man: Kol-ru∣cho; A fool opens and speaks all his mind, or spi∣rit, Prov. 25. 11.* 1.930

6. For the influences of the spirit; As, I will take of the spirit that is in thee, and put it on them, Num. 11. 17.* 1.931

1. So then, Devils are Angels, yet different from good Angels; Yet not in substance, power, strength, agility, or the like, but in that one accident of Evil: Therefore they are called Evil Angels, Psal. 78. 49.* 1.932 And Angels that sinned, 2 Pet. 2. 4.* 1.933 And, The Devils Angels, Mat. 25. 41.* 1.934 and Angels of Darkness. Good and evil Angels differ not then in substance, but in quality.

2. The Devils are spirits; who maketh his Angels spirits, Heb. 1. 7.* 1.935 And so in the words of my Text, The Unclean Spirit: But yet they are spirits comparatively or respectively not simply or positively; for so onely God is a Spirit, it is his peculiar Title, Iohn 4. 24.* 1.936 And as God is a Spirit, so he is called the Father of spirits, Heb. 12. 9.* 1.937

3. They are Bodies, But not Natural or Ter∣restrial, but Spiritual and Celestial, 1 Cor. 15. 40, 44.* 1.938 Non ut nos, yet have not bodies as we have. So speaks the Nycene Synod, Corpora multo tenuiora quam natura; But much more subtile bodies have they then we, not so gross and heavy as ours are, but more Aerial and sublime; so speak the Greek and Latine Father; for God is Onely Incor∣poreal.

Yet know this, That, their Corporiety or Materiality hinders not the being of many in one place; As, a whole Legion in one person, Mark 5. 9.* 1.939 and seven Devils were cast out of Mary Magdalen; for the Penetra∣tion of bodies spiritual, is not, As of bo∣dies Terrestrial: For, As the light of many Candles through One hole, they are to our sen∣ses confounded, yet in themselves distinct, like the lightning, from East to West, Luk. 17. 24.* 1.940 And as all the Sun-beams make but one JU∣BAR, till received by several subjects: so is it with spiritual bodies.

5. That every Devil is, As the Star of His ORB: as concentring of light, to our sight is, of things near or far off; Ibi est ubi operatur, There 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, be∣cause 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 e∣vil end: so effectum testatur de causa: the ef∣fect witnesseth of the cause: all things pro∣ceed either from a good or Evil cause: A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, nor an evil tree good, Matth. 7. 28.* 1.941 Now we know WHOSE the good is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, there is none good but one, which is God, Matth. 19. 17.* 1.942 and we know likewise who is the Source and fountain of all Evil; who is therefore, in so many places of Scri∣pture called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and from whom we are taught by our Saviour to pray for deli∣verance

under that name, Deliver us from Evil, Matt. 6. 13.* 1.943

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.* 1.944 S. Iohn, Light and Darkness, S. Paul, Christ and Belial, 2 Cor. 6. 15.* 1.945 Elias, God and Baal, 1 Kin. 18. 21.* 1.946

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.* 1.947 So also that Text, Rom. 14. 23.* 1.948 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.* 1.949 yet vers. 19. tis said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The Devil came out of him: so Mark 9. 17.* 1.950 tis said of one that was dumb, that he had 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a dumb Devil: so also of one that was blinde, A blinde man possessed with a Devil, Matth. 12. 22.* 1.951 the like is said of of Deasness, or of a Deaf Devil, Luke 11. 14.* 1.952 So in the same manner, of Crooked∣ness,

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Having a spi∣rit of infirmity, Luke 13. 11.* 1.953 and yet at verse 16.* 1.954 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, whom S••tan, or the Devil hath bound; and thereupon, Luke 8. 2.* 1.955 we finde that Infirmities and De∣vils (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) are joyned together, And includes One and the same thing: All the plagues of Egypt, Flies, Frogs, Cater∣pillars, Locusts, Hail, Frosts, Thunder-bolts, &c. Are all called Psal. 78. 49.* 1.956 Evil An∣gels: and so also Iobs blains and botches pass under the same denomination: so that as Hippocrates said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in eve∣ry disease, as there is something of God in it, so may we say 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, something of the Devil in it.

Now I pray you Resume, and take up a∣gain what I have formerly delivered, God is a God of Order: Order implyes plurality and di∣versity: Now, as all the Actions of Christ are Mystical; So, all of the Devils are likewise: and as Omnis actio Christi est nostra instru∣ctio: as every action of Christ is our instru∣ction, so is every one of the Devils actions too: and therefore as there is Mysterium Evangelii, The Mystery of the Gospel, Ephes. 6. 19.* 1.957 And the Great Mystery of godliness, 1 Tim. 3. 16.* 1.958 as also, The Mystery of faith, 1 Tim. 3. 9. The Mystery of God, Revel. 10. 7.* 1.959 In like manner there is Mysterium iniquitatis, The My∣stery of iniquity, 2 Thess. 2. 7.* 1.960 And as Paul cries out, Rom. 11. 33.* 1.961 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Oh the depth

of the Riches, and Wisdom and Knowledge of God! so S. Iohn tell us, Rev. 2. 24.* 1.962 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, of the Depths of Satan.

When you consider and contemplate The mercies and miracles of Christ toward man∣kinde, 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.* 1.963 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 cu∣reth 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,* 1.964 and maketh them free men in the Lord: He heal∣eth those that are broken-hearted, and sets at liberty them that are bruised: He opens the pri∣son 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 peo∣ple, psa. 111. 9.* 1.965 But, all this, not onely to their persons in corporal deliverances, but chiefly to their souls and spirits, doing the same actions o∣ver again in us.* 1.966 And herein, Is Iesus Christ, ye∣sterday, 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?* 1.967 or onely upon the loss of the Girgasites swine: or upon the Tem∣pests at sea,* 1.968 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 lit∣tle the better: stay not your contemplations or experiences here: but Duc in altum, Lanch forth, mind these workings in you, look into your own souls: and you shall better consider and know his malice, not onely to the bodies, but to the souls of men: as tis said (1 Sam. 18. 10.) Saul was vexed by an Evil spirit: so when you hear of casting out of Devils, Take heed, lest your selves fall (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) into the snares, and nets, and condemnation of the Devil.

Further to this point, St Paul saith, 1 Cor. 12. 4.* 1.969 that there are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Differences of graces: yet 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but one spirit: As there are the graces of wisdom, of Knowledge, of faith, All different in their several acts, opera∣tions and degrees, yet flowing all from the same spirit: so I may say, there are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Differences of sins and lusts in the soul: some be∣ing spiritual wickednesses, others carnal and fleshly;

some for stature and growth like the sons of Anack, mighty, and great, and strong: others of a less and lower size; Differences too there be in sins length and time; as Iob saith, His bones were full of the sinnes of his youth: Some do not leave their sins but increase them and carry them in them till they dye, and they grow strong and numerous, even to a Legion of Devils: There be some also that though they come up in a night, yet by the bles∣sing of God, they are wasted and gone in a night, like Ionahs Gourd;* 1.970 they are like a wafaring man, of no continuance, they take no deep rooting in the soul: There are differences too, in respect of obstinacie, purpose of mind, malice and HA∣TRed of God, &c. some going before others, others following after unto judgement, as the Apostle speaks: It was said to Ierusalem, Thou hast justi∣fied thy sister Sodom in all her abominations, Ezek. 16. 51.* 1.971 her sins did exceed for grievousness those of Sodom: and yet all sins, of what nature or qua∣lity soever, how different soever they be, are all 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from that Evil One in us, The Devil; and though, as our Saviour saith, Mat. 15. 19.* 1.972 Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, thefts, &c. yet these are suggested into the heart by Sa∣tans malice and policy: As tis said of Iudas, That the Devil put it into his heart to betray His Master.

So that it is not onely Hard, but impossible for any man, that hath not been rapt up into the third Heaven, To know, How God sends Good moti∣ons into souls, whether by Angels or not: Yet I am sure, (though the Apostle saith) That to will

is present with me, Phil. 2. 13.* 1.973 But yet that will, is from him. For,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Every good and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, Jam. 1. 17.* 1.974 Nay all natural actions; as, to think, and to do, or to move, &c. are all of him, from him, and by him: For, In him we live, move and have our BEING.

And As hard it is to say directly, Though the Prince of this world, Joh. 12. 31.* 1.975 The God of this world, 2. Co. 4. 4.* 1.976(very lofty titles, you see are given him by the Holy Ghost; To shew, what great power he hath) I say, 'tis very hard to know How he Tempts and moves us to Evil, whether by His Angels, or not: For HE hath Angels cal∣led properly and peculiarly HIS, Mat. 25. 41.* 1.977 Pre∣pared for the Devil and His Angels; and termed, The Angels that sinned. 2. Pet. 2. 4.* 1.978 And again, 'tis said, He drew the third part of the Stars from Heaven, when he fell: And the Devil is called, The King of the bottomless pit, Rev. 9. 11.* 1.979 Sure I am, that there are great store of several sorts of Evil spirits; For there is The spirit of jealousie, Numb. 5. 6.* 1.980 The Evil Spirit of lying, 1 Reg. 22. 22.* 1.981 The spirit of deep slumber and sleep, Isa. 29. 10.* 1.982 The spirit of this world, 1 Cor. 2. 12.* 1.983 The spirit of dissention, Judg. 9. 23.* 1.984 The spirit of perversness, Isa. 19. 14.* 1.985 The spirit of wheredom, Hosea 4. 12. & 5. 4.* 1.986 And the spirit of seducing, 1 Tim. 4. 1.* 1.987 And once for all; As we read of the Spirit of Christ, so also do we find the spirit of An••ichrist, 1 Ioh. 4. 8.* 1.988 And yet necessary it is, th•••• th••s it should be; I say, Necessary, with

that necessity of which our Saviour speaks, Mat. 18. 7.* 1.989 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 It is ne∣cessary that offences should come: For, As in vi∣sible things, there is no change without corrup∣tion: so in civil things, Lex non est posita justo, sed injus••o;* 1.990 The Law is not made for the righteous, but for the transgressors; for the lawless and disobe∣dient, as the Apostle saith.

And so, and no otherwise is it, in spiritual things; Men cannot imagine How God should have made known the Riches of his goodness, Rom. 2. 4. if no Evil had been: nor The Greatness of the Riches of his Glory, Rom. 9. 22, 23.* 1.991 if there had been No vessels of wrath and dishonour, Fitted for destruction: Neither should he have shewn the Depth of his wisdom and knowledge, Rom. 11. 33.* 1.992 If there had been no folly and ignorance: Nor yet, The riches of his grace. Ephes. 1. 7. If there had been None that stood in need of pardon and grace: Beloved, How could the sons of men have known or understood, Either the plenteousness of His REDEMPTION, If there had been no Ca∣ptives? Or the exceeding greatness of his love, wherewith he hath loved us in Christ, If there had been none that were his Enemies, and hated him?

So that now, I will say of the Devil and his Angels, as once Augustine said of Original sin; Whereof, after he had long disputed, whence it should flow and proceed; at length he concludes, That it is A more vain and fruitless thing, to stand disputing about its Rise, or Original, when as we feel the flames of evil concupiscence in our

selves still Burning, then it is for a man when he finds his house on fire, to stand still, Demanding how the fire came, but doing nothing to quench it: Or whereas he should find his son fallen into a well ready to be drowned, yet should stand still, Asking How he came to fall in, but not using any help or means to get him out, and so save his life.

So may I say of the Devil and his Angels: It being so, that they Are, And that they are so Active and Destructive to men; and that they move in, Rule and reign in the Children of disobe∣dience: and have already climbed our works, and are gotten in our very hearts, and there wound, kill and slay; if we did but see it so, I say, 'Tis but a fruitless question to enquire,* 1.993 how they en∣tred or came into us, or of what they are made? or what Power they have to do us mischief? or the like. But sure I think, it is our best policy, and greatest wisdom, to consider How to remove them, how to dispossess them, and to cast these unclean Devils out of our souls and spirits. And if you desire to know How this may be done; For, though it be Hard and difficult, yet it is not a needless thing to undertake, nor a thing impos∣sible; nay, 'tis high time 'twas done, left you be utterly Undone, and without any hope: For, Quanto diutius inhabitat, tanto difficilius ejicitur; The longer he stays in us, the Harder will he be gotten out: His quiet possession will plead cu∣stome and Prescription; An Old disease is hardly Curable; And we cannot but with Augustine con∣fess, Quot Crimina, tot Daemonia; Every Sin in

our mortal bodies, is no other, Then A Devil: And, according to the Old-man, and the Unregen∣rate part, the best of us (however we may flatter our selves) are in worse state then Mary Magda∣len was, out of whom our Saviour cast seven Devils, Luk. 8. 2.* 1.994 So that we may too truly say of our selves, we have more then Seventy times seven within us: For if Our Saviour should speak Audibly to our ears, as he doth intelletually in our souls, to the Devil in me, or you, as he did to the Unclean spirit, who came out from the Tombs and Deserts, What is thy name? he would reply, My Name is LEGION, For we are many.

Beloved, thus to see our selves in the Word,* 1.995 is the right understanding of it: And this Word and Glass, when Christ sets it before us, and teacheth us by it, then we cannot forsake it, but view our selves in it, though it represents us to our selves never so ugly and deformed. And he that sees himself Thus, A Captive to the Devil, Oh! Je∣sus Christ is A welcome REDEEMER indeed To that soul; For, the two great and Highest ends of Gods Word To us, are (in our now fallen condition) to throw the Creature low in its own esteem, to make it a Beggar, as it is indeed, to bring it to see its own Nothingness, Nay, its un∣done and miserable condition; and to make our Soveraign Lord Christ, High, Exalted, Rich, and All in All things.* 1.996 To preach, to the understand∣ing of the Word thus, to have such a powerful influence i•• to the soul; this can no man do, no nor all Men and Angels, but onely Jesus Christ

himself: His alone All-powerful Voyce who spake (saith the Holy Ghost) As never man spake, Joh. 7. 46.* 1.997 Man Could never speak: so, to have any such operation on the spirit of man, but onely that High and Mighty Conquerour through the whole Earth, that is so powerful that whereever He will conquer, he will conquer; Of whom, all those Mighty Emperours, Warriours and Con∣queroars we have heard or read of in the Scriputure, or elswhere, are but dark, obscure, glimmering shadows and resemblances. O Beloved! what Heights and Depths of sin, are in every one of us! Alexander himself, with all his victorious-Ar∣mies, nor all the Magistrates and Powers in the world, cannot weaken them in the soul one jot, no, no•• all the Angels in Heaven, One of which could kill and destroy, A hundred fourscore and five thousand valiant men in one night in Sennacheribs Army; Yet are not able to conquer Those Le∣gions of Devils in our souls, to bring us into sub∣jection to the Crown and Scepter of our onely and true Liege-Lord,* 1.998 the Lord Christ: What's thy name? saith he to that man so possessed in the Gospel, that he was so fierce, that no bands or fet∣ters would hold him among men, but he broke from all, and lived among the Graves and Sepul∣chers; yet, he confessed (Christs powermaking him, ful sore against his own will) for the Devil in us will not let us, either see or confes him to be there: saith he, my name is LEGION, because many De∣vils, Lu. 8. 30.* 1.999 This and all other miracles Christ did, that we by this man, & them night See ourselves,

as in a glass: And so likewise by all the miracles that ever he did, and by all the parables that ever he spake, All were written for us: All those Re∣bellions in our souls, are LEGIONS, Armies of Rebels; they are, as it is exprest, Iudg. 7. 12.* 1.1000 In us like the Midianites, which were As thick as grashoppers upon the earth: They are in some, as thick as motes in the Sun, innumerable, not to be numbred by millions: Who can number the thoughts of a man? They are not onely of a spi∣ritual nature, but they are as quick and swift as the lightning.* 1.1001 I saw Satan fall down from heaven like lightning.* 1.1002 And you know what the Scripture of them, The thoughts of mans heart are evil, and onely evil, continually, Gen. 5. 6.

I have read, some are of opinion, the Angels good and bad, are as thick in the Air as motes in the Sun: but I am sure, so thick in us are these desperate, barbarous, inhumane, cursed (as I may say) Irish Rebels, and English Traitors in our souls; And as I said before, As all the victorious Con∣querers in the world are a Type or Shadow of Christ, in this spiritual Soul-war; so also the Cha∣racters and expressions of any evil that ever was or ever shall be in the world, are but dark shadows of this Evil One within us. This is truth, but none can see and acknowledge this, but those in whom this evil one is in some measure discovered, fought withal and overcome: How far then are they deluded, that dream, they can by a power in themselves overcome this mighty, mighty Giant,* 1.1003 this Goliah of Gath, that stands for the whole

Army of the Philistines; who is so armed and so terrible, that were our eyes but open to look upon him Drest in all his Armour and Ac∣coutrements, he would would make all Creatures Amazed, Agasht at him: What a hiddeous cry was there (think you) when the earth gaped so wide open, to swallow up Corah, Dathan and Abi∣ram, and their whole kindred, and all that sided in that rebellion? it swallowed up them▪ their houses, their tents, their wives, their children and all their substance: Such would be, and such is the astonish∣ment of the soul, where this Evil One,* 1.1004 this Anti∣christ, (as I may properly call him) is discovered; For herein is set before us the true Antichrist, real Antichrist, the Ugly deformed Person of Antichrist fO whom all Outward Antichrists are but the Picture: take the Turke, the Pope, or Hereticks, or who you will in this kind, they are but the Sym∣boles, the Resemblance, the Shadow of HIM.

Let the Ministers of Christ then, look on their work: they are called Embassadors; let them look on their message and errand they are sent on, and to whom they are sent. Moses was a grown man in grace, a man of Admirable parts, skilled in all the Arts of the times he lived in, the meekest man on earth: therefore I conclude thence, a grown man in grace (as I shall touch by and by) Yet when he was to grapple with Pharaoh, a mighty King, and But the type of this spiritual Pharaoh; You see how discouraged he was but to come into his presence, but to ask to let the peo∣ple go to serve the Lord (and much more to bring

the thing to pass he went for) No m••rvel if an Embassador for Christ be in this regard discoura∣ged; for All the Powers of darkness are before him: Christians look on your enemies; they have Cities walled up to heaven; You have the tower of Babel to climb, the soul to be Rescued and brought out of the claws of all the Devils in hell: But this is your comfort, Christ doth this for you; but it must be done in you: What's thy name? LEGI∣ON. If all the whole earth were gathered into one Body, into one Army, All the Engines and Politick Engineers for war and all the Artillery thereof: this were a potent, mighty, almost inconceiveable strength: yet this is Nothing to these Legions; One of which, One Sin is able to destroy the soul for ever, which is of more value then all the world; yet all this power cannot destroy one soul whom Jesus Christ hath purchased.* 1.1005

Then what shall they soul do that hath Legions of these, as thick in thy understanding, will, affecti∣ons, as Motes in the Sun, as Devils in the air, as thick as words, as actions, ••y as thoughts? For where this strong man keeps the house, Mat. 12. 29.* 1.1006 all he doth, speaks, thinks, all is sin; and he lies close and safe in his trenches and strong holds; he thinks himself invincible, unconquerable.

And indeed so long as Men do but take up Arms against him, Or use never so many ordinan∣ces or duties which they force themselves unto, he laughs at the shaking of your spears, Job 41. 29.* 1.1007 And the neighing of your horses, and all the strength you can make of your selves, though you

call in all the parties you have, from all quar∣ters in the soul, Yet he is quiet; as tis said David was, or as a Christian ought to be in his God, he can lie down and sleep in the midst of his enemies, because God is his strong hold, his Castle of de∣fence: So sure and safe is Satan (in his conceit) in the soul, where he hath kept long possession; fo•• he hath all the men in the world, the whole Arm of Fesh; he glories in his Offensive and De∣fensive weapons: And indeed till the Lord Jesus begins To rouse up himself, That King of Kings and Lord of lords, that Mighty Lion of the Tribe of Iu∣dah A••ise in us, and dress himself in his Glittering Armour, (as David speaketh) he fears nothing; for as I said before,* 1.1008 he is so strong that indeed he thinks himself too strong for Christ; for so long as Christ suffers himself to be Overmastered by our sins, and strong lusts, he seemes Too weak for him; And he insults over him, as a Turk over his poor Gally-slave (as I may so say) or as (if you will) some cruel Marshal over his prisoners, (though the Kings best subjects) he lays them at his plea∣sure, Neck and Heels, he casteth them into noi∣som dungeons, where is nothing but Satans ex∣crements, and the filthy spuings of our lusts; and These also he sets as Centinels, that they stir not; whilst he himself jets up and down in pride, & saith, Ile bring down the oroudest of you all: What know you not me? I have his Majesties Commissino for what I do: So also, This is that Spiritual and true Nebuchadnezar, that jets up and down in his own pride; Saying, Is not this great Babel that I have

built for the honour of my majesty, and for the glory of my Kingdom? Dan. 4. 30.* 1.1009 This Devil in us, he looks on himself as a Peacock, and saith, VVhat a goodly Christian am I? what a height I have gotten what large knowledge have I obtained? I think there is no point in Divinity, but I am able to speak to it: what doth no body take notice of me? and so Arrogates the doing of all good to himself, and All Evil, as none of his.

Ah, where is the man that can say, I find all these things truly and really in my self? this were a certain forerunner of the Sun Arising: Of the day-Break, and of the day-stars arising in Our hearts: Now, will the Lord Christ arise trium∣phantly in thy soul, and make All these beasts of the forrest to tremble: Now, as it is exprest in Rev. 6. 2.* 1.1010 He will ride on conquering, and to conquer: as David saith, Gird on thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty, Ride on prosperously; thine arrows shall pierce deep into the heart of all Our, and the Kings enemies: now though Satan in us muster up All his forces, as now most certainly he will; Yet he shall fall from heaven like lightning; that which he hath Enjoyed as his heaven had the command of our souls, where he hath ruled as Lord and King (but yet as a Tyrant) though we saw it not, but were willing servants, as to our Leige-Lord and natural King, and were at the command of every servant and lust, more then ever the Israelites were un∣der the External Pharaoh: under him we made bricks & did all servile work; & our wages was but

hard fare and tripes: Oh! was not this an Egypti∣an blindness and darkness? a darkness that may be felt: but Israel when they most felt their slave∣ry, and groaned, were nearest deliverance from under Pharaoh: we are alwayes in darkness and slavery, but when we begin to feel our spiritual darkness, when we begin to feel the plagues of Egypt upon us, Our water turned into blood, and the frogs crawl and cover over all the Land: when we are sensible of the murrain, the boils and blains, and the Plague and Carbuncles in our flesh: the hail and the locusts, Even the LOCUSTS of the bottomless pit, which come all out of the mouth of the Dragon, and from Belzebub Prince of the Devils: then we shall see the death of our first-born,* 1.1011 our dearest right hand and right eye sins: then we shall feel in our selves, that this conque∣ring King begins to carry captivity captive; then shall Pharaoh with all his Host be overwhelmed in the midst of the sea: Then the soul shall sing the song of Moses, Exod. 15.* 1.1012 The Lord is my strength and song, he is become my salvation: the Lord is a man of war, the Lord of hosts is his name: Pharaohs Chariots and his Host are drowned in the sea, the depths have covered them, they sank to the bottom as a stone as lead in the mighty waters; thy right hand alone is become glorious in power; thy right hand O Lorp hath dashed in pieces the ene∣mies: and David, throughout his Psalms, is full of these expressions, all tending to empty the crea∣ture of all good, and all power, and to ascribe all to the Lord neither had the Israelites any good suc∣cess

any further then the Lord went with them,* 1.1013 and did their workes for them.

Here we see what A Great work it is, To bring the soul out of Egypt spiritually; and which is wo••st of all; That we (with the Israelites) after the Lord hath thus gloriously and triumphantly b••ought us forth, that we should have so much as a look toward Egypt again, or any inclination to be under Pharahs bondage again: which desires of ours, will certainly bring us nothing but sorrow and vexation; we shall not get so soon to Canaan as otherwise we might: but the Lord will exer∣cise and sit us forty years in the wilderness: Oh! the difficulty of the New-birth: Oh! The Throwes! Here is iron labour women (if ye talk of iron la∣bour) and many times Throws to no purpose; the child sticks▪ somewhere in the birth, and there is no strength to bring forth: Here needs a skilful Midwife indeed,* 1.1014 a faithful practical Physician: one that hath the Practick part as well as the Theorick or else the childe may miscarry: But here is our comfort, the work is in the hand of the Lord; and this childe being designed for life, shall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 miscarry, though the birth be the worst of ••••••ths, And as cross as cross may be.

Oh WONDER, wonder! That ever this childe ••hould be saved! This simile the Apostle ••imself uses to the Galatians, My beloved of whom I travel in birth, till Christ be formed in you: And Christ being once born in the soul, then he grows, and by degrees comes to perfection: as it is said of him, Luke 2. 52. And Iesus increased in wisdom

and stature, and favour with God and man: then he begins to work all those miracles in our souls that he did in the flesh, cures the blind, casts out De∣vils blind and dumb, so that we could not hear nor see, nor believe our selves to be in this mise∣rable condition: we cannot See our selves in E∣gypt, in bonds, in slavery: or if we see, yet we are dumb, we are not able to open our mouches to express our misery: fain we would express what we feel, but cannot utter it: Therefore you shall find our Lord in one place mingling clay and spittle to a∣noint the eyes: Iohn 9. 6.* 1.1015 in another place opening the eyes of a poor blind man that cryed after him, so that he would take no nay, Iesus thou son of Da∣vid have mercy on me, Mark. 10. 47.* 1.1016 in another place Raising the dead, in another place causing the poor lame Cripple to walk and dance, and all sounding out his praise through all the Regions: before they could not speak, and now they can∣not hold their peace, but must proclaim what great things the Lord had done for them: Out of Mary Magdalen he cast seven Devils, and then she sate attentively at Christs feet, to hear his words: O Beloved! Such words (from such an experimental Teacher, from such a faithful High-Priest, who knows our condition) as they are powerful, so to an experimental soul they are as sweet as honey: and more desired then Gold, yea then much fine Gold,* 1.1017 His words were so sutable so aptly spoken, to what she experimentally found in her own soul, No marvel Mary sate so contented and quietly at Christs feet,* 1.1018 while Martha was troubled about ma∣ny

things, and minded not so much her inward condition.

And though I have a little digrest, yet I hope it is for yours and my good: I could not but fol∣low my thoughts, and express them to you, which came in of a sudden, and beyond my premeditati∣on.

Beloved, seeing we are so full of these unclean spirits, tis but necessary they should be cast out and that will be effected, when our Saviour shall be pleased to cast them out, and to do to us, as he did here in the Text, Rebuke him in us, and bid him hold his peace, and Come out of us; for he hath the Onely power and strength to do it: There∣fore this Text may betermed a New, And a true, Divine EXORCISM: let not the word offend you, for Satanis here Conjured by Jesus Christ, and commanded forth: here needs none of the Papists fooleries, no holy Water, no Copes, Vest∣ments, Adjurations, Crucifixes, Relicks, Lights, Candles, nor any mumbling Mass-Priests, nor Christned Bells: Nay, no use of ordinances, nor all your duties can do it (simply) no; tis Virtus, the Power and Word of Christ that onely expels Sin, and these foul spirits out of the soul: not but that we should use the word of God, and pray of∣ten to him, that he would be pleased to exercise his power over these great and potent enemies: And when he will please to work, A short work h•• will make of it; when he pleaset to begin, no∣thing shall stand up in his way; and blessed shall we be, when the Lord himself shall effect it for

us; for he doth it with two words, here in the Text,* 1.1019 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉▪ 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Hold thy peace, Come forth: And therefore let us pray unto him, and say, Lord, speak thou the word onely, and thy servant shall be healed: And Genesis 1.* 1.1020 it was no more but one word, Let there be light, and Let there be a firmament, &c. and it was so: and such is the power of God in the soul, when ever he will arise; and till then, where is your power?

And note this also further, that as our Saviour speaks by way of Authority and Rebuke unto Sa∣tan, Come out of him: So in this particular, Satan counterfeits them in himself, who will in all things turn himself into an Angel of light: for he will sometimes in men,* 1.1021 silence himself, and Rebuke himself: and seem to help to destroy his own Kingdom, but he doth it as Augustus Caesar once said of Rome; Inveni lateritiam, relinquam mar∣moream: that is, I found it built of mud and bricks, but I will leave it of the hardest marble: He seems to be cast out in one sin, But he doth but change shapes, to root himself the surer, in ano∣ther Shape; he many times makes a Retreat, but he doth it to take breath (as I may so say) to Rally up his forces for a stronger encounter. And when the unclean spirit returns, he enters with seven other spirits worse then himself.

So it is in many men, Even by Beelzebub they cast out Devils: as when outward respects, and the fear of shame onely keeps them from some sins and exorbitances: As many, who love the upper end of the tables,* 1.1022 and the uppermost rooms at feasts,

Mat. 23. 6. but yet abstain; some to avoid the cost; others for fear of censure: so divers do re∣frain from lust, because they are afraid to lose their reputation and credit: so many forbear to do actions of violence, as Murther, &c. but tis for fear of the Law: so also many forbear to be drunk, because none but base people use it: so many resrain themselves from committing whoredom, for fear they should get noisome and infectious diseases; so many turn religious, and use constancy in duties of Religion publique and private, but all is because it is of good Report, and now in fashion and credit: but this is not done for the love of God, nor of grace, but for to get the praise of men, and for love of themselves, for fear of punishment or hope of Hea∣ven or Rewards. In these, and such like cases, Satan gives a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a check to himself,* 1.1023 silences himself in one case when he sees it is not for his security, that there is a distast against some sin, or a convin∣cement in the soul: And so changes that practise that he may be heard and received in another, and all is to get more and stronger possession.

Nay, which is more, he will Command him∣self out in one shape, that he may be admitted the easier in another; as when one leaves Drunken∣ness, because his brain will not bear it any longer▪ but then turns covetous, and it may be a Usurer: So also, when as a man follows not lust, nor Wan∣tonness because he is old, or sickly, or weak, yet be∣takes himself to Idleness, or Pride, or Ambition: so also, when as any one leaves pride, because its too costly, yet gives himself over to Glunttony and

Rioting, so he can but get it on other mens cost; and thus tis in divers other vices; and not onely in civil or external things, but in Religion; Now you may know and discern Satan his subtile work∣ings and plottings in these wayes by this: in such cases as this, He never Rents nor Tears them whom he so leaveth, bur deals fawningly, and placidly, and smoothly with them: he deals easily and insensibly with them: In these kinds, Of Satans casting out himself in men, and shifting shapes (yet tis still Himself, for he never Tears nor Rents them) He departs not though he seems to depart, but so much the more keeps in, and strengthens himself in his possession: As, the na∣tural changes do in our bodies, which are not to be discerned: but infancy goes away, and youth steps in: and youth departs, and manhood comes on: so manhood decays, and old age creeps upon us, as it were insensibly: Thus Satan departs in lesser and weaker sins, that he may Reenter in greater and stronger; nay, he may break off in some Great Sins too; but then he aims still to bring in greater, yea the greatest impieties, that he may reign solely and absolutely, without any con∣trol or rebuke at all.

And thus he deals with men for many Rea∣sons: As,

1. That he may have the easier Re-admission, he departs gently, makes no combustion or commo∣tion, for he leaves all in quiet, the sooner to ins••∣nuate again; as a cunning Enemy, who will quit some out-works, that he may the sooner get into

the heart of the City; like a wayfaring man, who leaves his lodging quietly, and discharges all, and departs in peace: but 'tis that he may be Enter∣tained with the greater respect at his return.

2. Satan departs from men so quietly, that they may be the securer, and the more careless; that they may have no suspicion of his wiles and subtilties; As when a man departs with smooth carriage. sweet language, and civil deportments, he will be the sooner invited thither again; nay, the parties will be glad to enjoy his company: As those prophane Jews, that cryed out for the return of those dayes, wherein they baked Cakes to the Queen of Hea∣ven;* 1.1024 they were so besotted with the deluding spirit of Idolatry, and spiritual whoredom, that they wished for, and cryed out for the dayes of the Queen of Heaven to return: Was it not better then with us (say they) then now?

3. Satan doth thus in policy, and deep subtil∣ty; for he doubts, if he should dwell too long, or alwayes in one and the same habit and practise, he would be discovered; and therefore he trans∣forms himself the oftner, that he may not be dis∣cerned and known to be, Satan.

4. And further; Satan is a Thief, and steals something at his going out, and therefore departs in the night, nay, while the good man of the house was asleep; Security is the bane of the soul, when men are careless▪ and a••e in the night of ignorance: Now Thieves when they go away, they steal out without any noyse or tumult, softly, and without any Candle,* 1.1025 because they hate the light: And as

Thieves do not reside alwayes in one place, but shift fro none place to another, departing from one road-way to another, from one corner to ano∣ther, to avoid discovery: so the Devil he goeth about,* 1.1026 (saith the Apostle Peter or rather Iob) and compass eth the earth and goeth to and fro in it;* 1.1027 and it is for the most part without any noise or Renting at all.

And hereupon it is that men are the easier per∣swaded to yield him admission, because he departs fairly and smoothly, there is no Tearing or Rent∣ing at all, when Satan casts out himself; but when Christ casts Him out, then he Tears and Rends, for then he comes forth against his will. But else he suffers them to sleep (as we say) in a whole skin; He doth not then disturb or rack the con∣science, nor wound the soul at all: And therefore 'tis with men in this case, as twas with the Is∣raelites in Gideons time, when they pleaded for Baal; How long (saith Ioash) will you plead Baals cause, and contend for him? Judg. 6. 31▪* 1.1028 The Devil did so mask and cover himself, that most people cryed him up as a true God; his sleights were so subtillty woven, that they took him for the onely God, and his service for the pure service of God: So that not discerning him truly what he was, they pleaded for him, and contended for him;* 1.1029 and in Eliahs time they Rent themselves, and Cut their flesh for his Cause.* 1.1030 And so Cove∣tousness is said to wear a cloak, that is, because it will never appear in its own shape; and so neither will Satan, that he may the better deceive. Our

Saviour bids us to beware of false Prophets in Sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous Wolves, Mat. 7. 15.* 1.1031 Such an one is Satan for all his quietness and stillness within you.

Now if Satan shall stir up any false Prophet, or lying spirit, as he did to Ahab, saying, Whatever this odd fellow saith, Go in peace, Go on and prosper,* 1.1032 and will nto let you believe these things; you may then, if you will, Go on, And go up with confidence, But ye shall surely fall: And tis very like, some may call you aside, as Peter did our Sa∣viour, Mat. 16. 22.* 1.1033 And he began to rebuke him, saying, Master, favour thy self, none of thosethings shall happen to thee; Thou mayest go on in a fine, smooth way of Religion, and never feel this Tear∣ing or Renting He speaks of: But my counsel is, to make them that answer our Saviour doth Peter,* 1.1034 Get thee behind me Satan, thou art an of∣fence unto me: And labour to see this Renting in thy self; for if Satan do in reality depart, he will Tear and Rent the Man; and when he doth not, though he seem to depart, he keeps possession still, or will Return with seven other spirits worse then himself.

Many perswade themselves, they have grace, because they are of a smooth, fine, affable disposi∣tion and carriage; and many Prophets daub them up with untempered morter,* 1.1035 as if they had grace from their Cradles; whereas indeed All men are as deep in Adams fall, one as another, and one as hard to be recovered as another. I have shewed you upon another Text, how all must suffer with

Christ, none excepted, if they will be glorified with him; and shewed you wherein, viz. All and every one must be emptied and humbled as Christ was. When Christ comes to cast the Devil out of these men (in person himself) Ile warrant you he will Rend and Tear them: When for Christ, and to enjoy the life of Christ, they must be em∣ptied of all their fine, natural endowments, and come to see the ugliness, the sinfulness of all their thoughts, words, actions, and to be arraigned as the vilest Malefactors for all their great progress in Religion, for even these are as far off the life of Christ as the other: And they must be at the mercy of the Judge as much as the other; And their Secret and Heart-Idols and defilements, are as odious to God as the other: I pray where is then their In-bred gracious natures? If they must pass through that Condemnation, and annihilation, and abdication and indifferency, &c. as I then shewed you; And must fight with the strong man Armed, before he be cast out: Ile warrant you they will find this A Fiery Tryal.* 1.1036 Also the Apo∣stle calls it A new birth:* 1.1037 What throws and pangs is there in natural births? And do you think there is less and easier in the New birth? No, no; deceive not your selves far, far more; for ye must be Slain and Crucified with Christ. I pray consider seriously of these things, and be not deceived and lulled asleep, nor receive not any such pillows under your Elbows from any; for they cry peace, peace, when there is no peace; and they say, Thus saith the Lord,* 1.1038 when he hath not spoken

unto them, but they flatter you with the visions of their own heart, Jet. 23. 16.* 1.1039 But be sure, these un∣clean spirits are in every one of us naturally, and they depart not without Tearing.

Beloved, know, All these are the unclean spirits in men, that God will cause to pass out of the Land, Zech. 13. 2.* 1.1040 And I say, tis to be suspected, That when as the unclean spirit goes out without RENTING, he intends a second return: And contrarily, where Satan departs with Renting, he hath no hopes of re-possession: For where he spoils and tears his lodging at his departure, he finds that he that is stronger then himself casts him out, and that such a soul is weary of such a troublesom Guest, and turbulent intruding Inmate; whom he rents, he leaves; and whom he Teares, God Repairs; whom he Rents, God Renews: Oh, how I desire to have all our hearts Rent! for then, and not till then, will God regard them; Rent your hearts, saith Ioel, Joel 2. 12.* 1.1041 And A broken heart, a soul that is contrite and rent, O Lord thou wilt not despise, Psal. 51. 17.* 1.1042 And therefore, O sweet Saviour, Rebuke thou all our unclean spi∣rits with power; command all our sins and cor∣ruptions to depart out of our hearts; let them not reign, or have the dominion over us; but be thou our Lord,* 1.1043 our King, and reign over us: Other Lords indeed have had rule over us; but do thou set up thy Kingdom, O Lord, and cast down thine Ene∣mies under thy feet; Thy Kingdom come, for thine is the Kingdom, power and glory for ever. AMEN.

Come Lord Iesus, come quickly.

ALL POVVER Given to IESUS CHRIST, IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH.

MAT. 28. 18, 19, 20.

All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, &c.

In one Sermon, Preached at a private Meeting in Old-street.

Augustine and others with him, reckon this to be the ninth and last time of our Saviours appearing to his disciples after his Resurrection; And that, for this end he appeared so often, to manifest the truth of his Resurrection: and yet for all this, some still doubted; as you read in the

foregoing Verse: And they had great cause, for though he had appeared to so many, and so many times, as this being the ninth time: and it is also said, He was seen of more then five hundred bre∣thren at once; yet for all this some doubted: and although the Disciples were particularly appoin∣ted by Jesus to come at this time into this moun∣tain, and when they saw him, they fell down and worshipped him, yet some for all this doubted; they knew, they had seen him in great and extreme sorrow and anguish of soul, even to the utmost that the malice of men and Devils could invent; they saw him yield up the Ghost, and they thought they had done their last office for him, accompanying him to his execution and death, and so to his grave and sepulchre: but here, He after many appearings to them, to confirm their saith, ap∣pears this once more; and it seems to be, very probably, the last time of his appearing, imme∣diately before his ascention: and now he gives them a commission and command To go and teach all Nations,* 1.1044 as it follows in the 19, and 20. Ver∣ses, baptizing them in the name of the Father &c. and teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you: for ••o I am with you alwayes, even to the end of the world: And because they should be able to shew their Authoritie and Warrant, if any should ask, who sent them? he tells them, He that is IAM, hath sent you, IAM is with you; and further tells them, that their power they shall derive from Him; For all power is given to me in heaven and earth: And these words,

however they be few in number, yet there is in them an Abyss of matter; there is a mighty pow∣er and a vast length and breadth, height and depth in all His words: for His words are alwayes full of sense, spoken to the highest pitch that our capacity can conceive or reach: The words of Christ are most pure, free from all concourse of the depraved∣ness of the creature: they are like the pure wine that he made at Canaan; there is no tincture, no brackishness, no leaven of the old Adam, or of the Pharisees: Mens writings and speakings are al∣wayes low, they have in them some Allay of hu∣mane weakness: but in his words there is not the least allay, they cannot admit of any moderation or modification; Others it may be writ they knew not what themselves (as I may so speak) even the Penmen of the holy Scriptures, for they wrote things beyond their own comprehension, they be∣ing directed by another spirit: they spake not of themselves, but the holy Ghost In them;* 1.1045 for all Scripture was given by inspiration, 2 Tim. 3. 16. after they were once set apart by God to write the holy Scriptures, they all spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost; as Dan. 12. 4.* 1.1046 God commands Daniel, Shut up the words, and seal the Book; even till the time of the end: These holy men being once set apart for this use, they pro∣phesie Beyond themselves, and out of course; and latter and after-times shall make known that, which they themselves which wrote them, knew not; for they spake as inspired by God: but Christs words are alwayes absolute and perfect truth: he

knew, and saw very well, what he said: there is nothing useless in his words: there is no Tauto∣logies (as we call them) no vain repetitions: when Christ speaks, they are words of weight, words of power, they carry vertue with them: as for in∣stance, if ever the winds blow, and the storms arise in thy soul, Then thou shalt find experimen∣tally and feelingly, that One word from Christs mouth, will do thee more good then all the words and all the power of men, To Still those winds and storms; those who have experience here of know it full well: as we see, when the ship was like to be Overcome by the winds and storms, and Christ was asleep:* 1.1047 you may see there, how One word from him Ceased them;* 1.1048 No more but Peace and be still; and tis the same in the soul: and Psal. 107. 29. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

These words we have now read, All power is given to me in heaven and earth: They signifie, that Christ is God equal with the Father: but there seems to be a great difficulty in the words, in that Christ never said, before he was ready to leave the earth, All power is given unto me in he••∣ven and earth.

The question is,* 1.1049 What power had Christ now committed to him, that he had not before? what new power received he? that when he was to leave the earth, and had given his Disciples a Com∣mission, and it was to be sealed at the day of Pen∣tecost, that he should say now, and never before, All power is given me in heaven and earth? what

addition of power had he now, which he had not before, if he be God equal with his Father? and he saith many times, The Father hath committed all judgement to the Son: and again, Before Abra∣ham was,* 1.1050 I am, and many such like words: which shews, he is God, and of Equal power and Autho∣rity with his Father;* 1.1051 and yet he saith in the 14, of Iohn, The Father is greater then I: Can God receive any new Access of power?

No certainly: but these words are so hard and difficult to reconcile that in the daies of Arius it filled the Church full of Errors and Heresies:* 1.1052 the Church fell much at Odds; for many from hence denied the Divinity of Christ, because they could not reconcile these Scriptures: And (by the way) if he be Lord of all power, then he leaves none for man to claim to himself.

But that I may answer this doubt, and make it clear, I will lay down two grounds.

First, Although God receive no new power in himself, yet he doth receive power by being made further known unto man. And Secondly, By mans being made further known unto him.

First, By his being made further known unto man; the revealing and discovering of God unto man, making himself more known; the manifesta∣tion of this is said To Adde power to him; but not That any thing can be added to him who is infinite: if there could, he were not infinite, and He were not God.

But know this, whatever attribute God hath ascribed to him, it is in regard of his creatures, not

in regard of himself; for there are no such things in God, Neither in regard of his incommunicable, or communicable Attributes, as Eternity, Infinite∣ness, Omnipotency, Immensness, &c. Or in regard of his communicable, as Wisdome, Iustice, and Mercy, and Patience, &c. as if these were several things in God: for God is One, and cannot be more: for when he is said to be any of these, Iust, or Good, or Severe, or the like: these are all One and the same thing in him; they are but Attributed to him, that we may conceive of him; it is but spoken of him according to the several workings of God on the creatures.

As for instance, the Sun makes the Ro••e to smel sweet and pleasant, and it makes the Nettle to sting: it makes the fields to grow, and cast a Pleasant sa∣vour: but it makes the Carrion, and the Dung∣hil to stink; and all this variety is by one and the self-same Sun: the same light and heat doth di∣vers things, causes divers effects in the subjects: Says the Rose, it makes me fragrant and sweet; and says the Dung-hill, but it makes me stink, and be unsavoury: says the Wax, it makes me soft and pliable; but says the clay, it makes me hard and obdurate: yet the Sun doth not do one thing to one and another thing to another: Even so Be∣loved it is with our God; One man He finds God A comfort, and a rejoycing to his heart; another he finds God A Terror and an Amazement to him; One he finds God A sweet guide and direction to him, and thereby and therefore he draws nearer to God, loveth and embraceth him; Another ap∣prehends

God an enemy to him, and this makes him run away from God: Is God therefore thus various? no no; He is the self-same God to the One and to the Other; and the self-same action in him is to the One and to the other; He that is a Ham∣mer to the Hard heart, he is also mollifying and soft∣ning Oyl to the Penitent soul; He that is A comfort to the fatherless and widow,* 1.1053 he is as an Enemy, A Revenger, and a consuming fire to the obstinate and rebellious: And yet for all this, Our God is always the same; he is not, nor cannot be changed; in him is no shadow of change.* 1.1054 And therefore we can∣not imagine that he can grow greater or less in re∣gard of himself, but as To us he doth; that is, if he manifest himself more to us, more within us, in our souls, then he is said to be greater: and if he lessen the knowledge of himself As to us, then he is said to grow less; And in this sense also, he is said to come nearer to us, and go further from us: As also he is said so to do, when he expresses, as to us, more or less, some act of justice or mercy, or any other artribute: then I say, he is onely said to be so, in regard of us To grow greater or less, to come nearer or depart further; but He in himself is for ever blessed and perfect, Unchangeable, Im∣moveable, always the same; we can no way Touch him, or Alter him; but it is onely We, the Crea∣ture, is Altered, and he is altered to us, as to our feeling, to our sight, to our apprehension and com∣prehension but not at all in himself.

We cannot Honour him, no, nor dishonour him, as to himself; he is infinitely Far Above our praises

or dispraises; neither toucheth him; as David saith,* 1.1055 My goodness extendeth not to him; and Iob, If I sin it toucheth not him; He is neither better or worse by all our works, either by sin or righteous∣ness. Beloved, be sure of this; we can neither di∣minish nor increase his praise in Himself, though in regard of ••s we do: for though we hold our tongues, though we run upon our own destruction, yet All, (as Creatures) Praise him: if he be not glorified by us in his Mercy, he is and will be in his Iustice.

It is said in Phil.* 1.1056 2. that he emptied himself of all his glory; that is, he (as it were) drew a curtain between Our eyes and His glory; not be∣tween his own eyes and his glory; for he was the same in himself; but as to men, He drew a Curtain or Vail before his glory; for he honou∣red himself most, in that he Emptied himself; and therefore he saith here, All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth; not but that he had the same power before, But now, All power is given me, that is, Now men shall see it, how in this ve∣ry thing I honoured my self, How in this very thing, I manifested my self to be the Saviour of the world; And though he seemed to Unclothe, and dis-robe himself of all power and glory, yet men shall now see and acknowledge, that he still At that very instant retained it as much as ever, yea manifested it more; to them I seemed to lay it down, and now to them I will be seen to Take it up again; and they shall see that it never departed from me, nor I from it.

But now it may be you will say to me, We see you have partly cleared it, and made it appear in what sense it is to be understood, that All power is given to him in Earth; but how is all power given him in Heaven? do the Angels add any thing to him, or is any thing added to them? yea certainly; for by the Church these things are More made known unto them; for they were not created in such an estate but they may be made better; nor are they so perfect but that they desire an increase in their perfection; for it is said, 1 Pet. 1. 12. The Angels do stoop down to pry into these mysteries;* 1.1057 therefore their knowledge and perfection is increasing. And indeed it is certain, They see their imperfections more then man, because of the great light they have; they are nearer to God, who is light, and therefore see their darkness and imperfection more then we; for we are more dark, and further off the light▪ but alas, Vain men think they see a great deal; and because of their blindness, they think themselves such excellent Creatures; being there∣by puffet up in themselves, looking on themselves as Lords of all; every thing was made for Him; and that Christ was sent Meerly to Redeem him, to save him: God overlookt (as he conceives) All Creatures, both above him and below him, and had respect to none but to him; as proud Haman said,* 1.1058 I onely am in the Kings favour: O poor Creatures! you are deceived, think not so; this is onely a fruit of your ignorance, of your blindness; limit not Gods Church to so narrow a scantling; The Dominions of his Church reach infinitely fur∣ther

ther then you are aware of: but we must not now enter upon that.

But hereby you may see, that things in Heaven have a revelation and manifestation of Christ unto them; and his power is given unto him There, as well as on earth; if so it be, That you do take Hea∣ven according to our general and common Notion of taking Henven, which we Vulgarly con••eive to be above the Circumference of the Sun, and God to be present more especially there; but this also is a limiting The bounds of his Church and Kingdom: His Kingdom (as I conceive) is every where; and Heaven is where he is, for he is Every where.

Yet, I remember I was taught, when I was a Child, either by my Nurse, or my Mother, or Shoolmaster, that God Almighty was above in Heaven, viz. above the Sun, Moon and Stars; and I thought of a long time afterwards that there was his Court, and his Chamber of pre∣sence; and I thought it a great Height to come to this knowledge: but I assure you, I had more to do, to unlearn this principle, then ever I had to learn it; and I am afraid too many of us are gone no further then this Childish principle; whereupon follow many errours.

But it is more safe, Taking Heaven in the largest sense; Ei••her as God Filling all places, and all things, as well above the Sun as below, and below as above; and so Heaven to be where God is, that is, ever where: for he cannot be excluded from any place; but he is not onely in every place, but in every place Alike.

Or else to take Heaven in that sense the Pro∣digal doth,* 1.1059 Luk. 15. 18. Father, I have sinned a∣gainst Heaven, and before thee; to take Heaven to be in our souls. When God comes into our souls, and dwels there, that is, when he manifests his pre∣sence in us, and to us, then he is said to dwell there: not but that he dwelt there in regard of himself as much before; but then he is there as in his Temple,* 1.1060 As in his glory, to Us-ward: then we see him there, In the Beauty of Holiness; Then He is compassed about with our praises,* 1.1061 as it is exprest in that 68 Psalm, It is well seen, O God, how thou goest; How thou My God goest, when thou art in thy Sanctuary: The singers go before, and the min∣strels follow after, in the midst are the damsels with timbrels, &c. When God is not onely in us as he is in all Creatures; but when he is there sensibly to us, that we feel him, and see him, and Rejoyce to behold his Presence and Glory, and so we come Thereby, to glorisie him more.

Whenever we come to this Sight, then are we come into a degree of the kingdom of Heaven, In∣to Gods Chamber of Presence; There we shall see all Creatures, all Angels and Saints, and the whole Creation compassing him round about with Glories and Hallelujahs; Then (as to us) is He set upon his Throne; And till then he is As Crucified, As upon the Cross, as Buffetted, as Spit upon, as Emptied, as disrohed, as Slighted, Trod upon, As upon the dunghil, as separa••e from his glory: but all this is, but as to men, not as to Himself, as I said before.

For to him all Angels Cry A loud the Heavens

and the Earth,* 1.1062 and all the Powers therein, and all Creatures cry continually, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabbaths; Heaven and Earth are full of the majesty of thy glory. And He knows His own glory and praise Infinitely Beyond our apprehensi∣ons; but, as I said, He is more praised and glori∣fied, As to us, and by us. And in this sense are our Saviours words here, that he hath now All power given him in Heaven and in Earth, in re∣gard there is a great deal more light come to us, and he is revealed unto more; for Christ, as he saith,* 1.1063 Ioh. 1. 9. He is the true light that enlightn∣eth every man that comes in to the world.

As you know, He was once made known to the Jews, and the Gen••iles lay in darkness; but now he is made known to the Gentiles, and the Jews are in darkness;* 1.1064 like Gedions fleece, They were wet when all the ground about was dry; which was the time that the Jews had the knowledge of God and Christ: but then again, all the ground was wet, and his fleece dry; The fall of the Jews was the rising of the Gentiles, as the Apostle expres∣seth, Rom.* 1.1065 11. 12. The Gospel, it first shined to the Jews, and afterwards to the Gentiles, which was All the rest of the world. And our Saviour saith, That he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel;* 1.1066 And he commanded his Disciples when he first sent them out, Go not in the way of the Gen∣tiles, but go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.* 1.1067 He did very strictly tye himself to the Jews, so that hardly any others could get any mercy from him; They never got any, but they got it very

hardly, and very sparingly; as the Centution, Luke 7. he would not go himself immediately to Jesus,* 1.1068 knowing how unwelcome they were to him, and what harsh answers he gave them: therefore he went by the Jews, and got the Priests and El∣ders to go to him; And they also were fain to use many words to perswade him: tis said, they were fain to perswade him instantly, commending him for a good man,* 1.1069 and that he had done them much good, and had built them a Synagogue, and at last Jesus went with them, &c.

And so likewise, the woman of Canaan how hardly did she get mercy from him, and how oft gave he her a repulse,* 1.1070 and beat her off, and would not be overcome, till her faith prevailed with him, and she got it by force? it is wonderful to see how our Saviour tyed himself to the Jews; again, its said, God wrought salvation in the midst of the earth:* 1.1071 Great is thy God, saith the Prophet, Isa. 12. 6. in the midst of thee, or in the heart of thee. Histo∣riographers say that Ierusalem is in the very midst of the earth, that it is the very Navel of the world.

And Christ began his miracles, and preached first at Ierusalem, and from thenc•• sent out his Disciples into all the world: from which Obser∣vation we may apply thus much to our selves, that whensoever Christ teacheth any man to Salvation, That when he preacheth Healthfully and Savingly in the soul, he preacheth first to the heart, begins there, sets that right, and from thence His word is derived and sent forth to all the members of the bo∣dy: Christ and his Disciples first began at Ierusa∣lem,

and then afterward their Commission was to go into all the world: he tyed himself very str••ctly to the Jews, before ever he would suffer them to go to the Gentiles. This truth I would commend to you as a Stable Maxim of truth; All faith and holiness is first to be preached to the heart before we go about to rectifie the members and the actions: which in this regard may well be called Iews and Gentiles.

Religion, if it begin not at the heart, is nothing worth; it is but a folly to preach to the eyes, and to the ears, to the hands, and to the feet, before we preach to the heart: we must observe Christs rule, first begin at Ierusalem, and then go into all the world; first preach to the Jews, afterward to the Gentiles: God onely speaks to the heart, and Tea∣cheth that: to begin with the Outward man, that so they may teach the heart, is the way of man, not of God: Great is thy God in the midst of thee, in thy heart; do but rectifie that, and the actions cannot be amiss: make the tree good, and there will follow good fruit: Can you expect figs of thorns, or grapes of thistles? nay, can you by all your manu∣ring,* 1.1072 watching and dressing, or forcing them, cause them to bear such? certainly no: therefore see the folly of many men in our daies; they think by their pains and by their Discipline, to force men into Religion, into faith & good works, and Spiri∣tual actions. When thereby they have onely restrai∣ned the outward man, And with them, they pass for Excellent Christians: Alas, alas! Either (saith our Saviour) make the tree good, and his fruit good; or

else make the tree evil, and his fruit evil: whatever fair pretences their actions may have, and though they seem Good to men, if the heart be not refor∣med, they are but Golden Vices, Botten Nutmegs and rotten apples gilded over; Gilded Sepulchers; they neither have a good root, nor tend to a right End: fair without, but false rotten and stinking within, they are carried on by Self to base carnal & fleshly ends; self is both the Rise and End of their actions, and they no better then thorns and thistles, and fit for nothing but to be burnt up:* 1.1073 As the Apostle saith, The fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is.

Great is thy God in the midst of thee: Satan it is that preaches first to the out-parrs: He it is that preaches to the outward man by Laws, by Credit, by Honour, by Riches, by Praise; and you know what verdict Christ gives of this preaching, and of this learning; Verily, I say unto you, you have your reward:* 1.1074 ye do it that ye may be seen of men, and ye are seen of men, ye have your reward: ye restrain your hands and your feet from evil, because you would not come under the penalty of mens Laws, and you do escape them; verily Herein you have your reward: and you do your good works, for the praise of men, and you have it. Verily I say unto you, you have your reward.

And though you may think highly of such works, and of your selves for them, yet there is nothing of God in them: and to him they are no better sacri∣fice Then cutting off a Dogs neck,* 1.1075 or the offering up of swines blood, as the Prophet Isaiah saith: this is

nothing but One sin casting out Another for self-advantage:* 1.1076 this is nothing but Belzebub casting out Devils by Belzebub, and yet he hath nothing less possession: for it is nothing but the old man working within his own sphere, and to his own ad∣vantage: ye do it that ye may be counted honest among men, and ye are accounted so; ye would be and are esteemed great professors, verily you have your reward, Many such like ends you have, and so Many such rewards: This is nothing but the Devils preaching, and the Devils learning within thee; its no better then the Devils work, and thou canst expect no other But the Devils Wages. All these things will I give thee,* 1.1077 if thou wilt fall down and worship me: He is the God of this world, and hath great power given him over the Kingdoms of this world, and he can bestow much of the glory of them upon his servants: but God He speaks first in the center of the earth: He begins first with the heart, Preaches within thee, reforms first the heart: here onely preacheth His well-beloved Son in whom Onely he is well pleased.

Except Thy actions be The actions of his own Well-beloved Son in thy heart, he neither owns nor accepts them; they are strange fire to him: and you know what became of Nadab and Abihu for offe∣ring strange fire before the Lord:* 1.1078 The Lord He Pours precious ointment on this Aarons head,* 1.1079 and from thence Drencheth his beard, and so down to the skirts of his garments: so far as the heart is re∣formed, the actions cannot be amiss: That soul that is in love with Jesus Christ, Beloved, where the

love of God is shed abroad in the heart, it is death to him,* 1.1080 to that soul, to go a whoring with the creatures; he can have no peace to commit adul∣terie with the world, That whorish woman; he can∣not endure Satans preaching: hearken to me, and I will give thee these and these thing: no, no: his peace lies in hearkening to what the Lord saith in him, and he preaches no such doctrine, but bids him leave the world, for its enmity to him; he bids part with these things, Take up the cross, ex∣pect reproches, persecutions, and death from the world, This preaching is of God, let thy life be in forsaking the glory of the world; though thou livest in the world, yet let thy heart, thy affecti∣ons dwell and abide with me: Use the world as if thou usedst it not:* 1.1081 count nothing in the world thine own: be thou but as a steward in whatever thou hast, Alwaies ready to give an account of all; This preaching is from God, from Heaven: The Devils preaching is quite contrary; And when thou hearest such preaching as is contrary to this, and such whisperings within thee, Conclude it is the Devil and not God; and that such preaching and learning will destroy thy soul; therefore I say, always look to thy heart, that It be set right, before ever thou expectest the actions can be good: if that be not so, conclude all that proceeds from it, is naught: we must look mainly to the center, to the Heart, that life may come from thence.

Even as the life in the body by the blood flows from the heart to all the members: if not, those members are dead: so the life of true grace flows

from the heart as from the fountain: for if either fear, or Law, or Heaven, or Hel, reward, or any hopes, or by-ends, Urge the heart To good∣ness, These are but dead works: and you shall know it by this, do but take away these respects, and by-ends, and these works Cease: take away hope of reward, and fear of punishment, and this bodie is dead, he works no more: why? because there is no life, no heat within to move him: tell him, I mean he whose heart is set right for God, reformed by him, tell him he must deny, forsake the world, he must be emptied of all the glory of the world, of all self-seeking, self-glorying, self-prai∣sing; why herein is his life, his peace, his glory; but to the other who hath been onely taught by such PRECEPTS as come from men, from Self, This preaching is death to him:* 1.1082 but his life, and peace, and joy is to hear How he shall be advanced, estee∣med, honoured &c. how he shall be made rich and great: therefore you may easily hence distinguish what preaching and practise is from God, and what from Satan and Self.

Thus much may serve for the first thing, to open unto you the meaning of these words, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth: to me it seems very plain and clear, and I hope to you also, that That which before seemed obscure, now is made manifest.

The second ground: Christ also, as he is man, hath all power given unto him, as being united to God, so also to man: and this definition, as being united to God, is very large and deep, as the ri∣ver

at the entrance into the Sanctuary,* 1.1083 which at the first entrance took a man but up to the ankles, and then a little further up to the knees, and then to the middle, and at last it would quite down and swallow up all, it grew into a vast Sea: The mean∣ing of the words in this sense, we are not able to comprehend or understand; but the more we wade into them the more we are drowned and swallo∣ed up.

Jesus Christ, he had the same glory in himself when he was upon earth, as he had with his Fa∣ther before all worlds,* 1.1084 and he is his well-beloved Son, in whom onely he is well-pleosed; But as he is man, he to Us-ward emptied himself of all his glory, And came in the form of a servant; he was subject to the like passions and infirmities as we are except sinful; and hereby man came to be further made known unto him: that is, in regard of his humane nature, he was hungry and thirsty, and weary, and suffered death, and the like; and yet in regard of his Divine nature, he held his glory and Union with his Father: and it was ne∣cessary it should be so in both regards; for had it not been so, he could not have complyed so with the creatures, and felt their wants and ne∣cessities: and had he not retained his unity with his Father (which he could not in regard of him∣self As God, either lose, or diminish, nor in∣crease) he could not have complyed so perfectly with his Father for the salvation of mankind: For as he was in the bosom of his Father, he was un∣knowable to any creature; he was known onely

to himself; he was inexplicable, not to be un∣folded; and in this regard, the more ye enter into darkness, and unknowing, the more ye know of him; for he is nothing that we can comprehend or understand, as (we are creatures,) until we come to be One with him, and swallowed up into him.

But let us observe, that Christ never made this boast of himself, that All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, till he was ready to leave the earth: never till he had been crucified, dead and buried, and rose again: It is remarkable, he never all the while He was on earth, ever appro∣priated all power to be his, till he was ready to depart out of the earth. And Beloved, this is for our imitation: Christ was no boaster, though none might boast more; but he was meek and lowly; he became a servant to all; when he might have been advanced and made a King,* 1.1085 he ran away from among them: he was Far of another Spirit then is now in the world, and alwayes was in the world, among the men of the world: and no greater sign of a carnal, earthly, low, base spirit, then to be alwayes seeking the great things of the world; to be tickled and itching after the praises of men, to lift up our selves, to be some-body in the world, to desire to sit above, and to trample upon their brethren, to have the cap and the knee: and yet how many of such men forsooth, must be the onely gracious and religious men of this age▪ but you see these are far from the life of Christ, As far as the East from the West: As far asunder as darkness and light: Are these the

men that brag of Power, and Wisdom, and Holi∣ness, and yet are thus swallowed up in the world, love the praise of men, and greetings in the Mar∣ket,* 1.1086 and the Highest seats in the Synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts? Their Phylacteries must be broad and long; viz. to be known from other men, that they may be bowed to, and reve∣renced of all men: Are these the Doctors and Teachers of all others? Are these the Disciples and Ministers Christ hath sent out to preach to us the life of Christ, by their Doctrine and example? Judge ye.

Beloved, ye must know, that all Christs actions which were imitable, while he was here upon earth,* 1.1087 they were symbolical; they shew that he is yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever: for whatever he did then, he did but shew and repre∣sent to our senses, by external actions, what he is still▪ Doing in the souls of men, and will be to the end of the world.

For, did he cure diseases in the body? he did it to shew us how be cured the diseases of the soul; Did he heal the blind, and cure the lame, cast out Devils, dumb Devils, and deaf Devils? yes: yet these do but shew what he doth daily:* 1.1088 when our mouthes are shut up as to things appertaining to God and his glory, his power dispossesses this dumb Devil: when our ears are shut up, and we can hear nothing,* 1.1089 but what pleases self and flesh, and the carnal man, Let the Charmer charm never so wisely: now Christs power and wisdom in us, dis∣possesses al of his nature:* 1.1090 he turns the minstrels out

of doors; to those deceiving pleasures and allure∣ments of the world, that in our crosses make us such deceiving musick, he saith, Give place: and He Himself enters a••one, and brings us to own and delight in him, and in what he administers to us.

Those actions of his he did then upon the bo∣dies of men, do but shew what he doth upon their souls: for he then cast out but some Devils, not all: he healed and cured but some of their diseases, not all; for that was not the end of his coming; for had it been so, he would have cast out all De∣vils as well as some; and cured all diseases as well as some: but he onely by them did teach our dull capacities, which else could not conceive what he did in the soul, but by representing the same thing Outwardly, even by those things which were most equivalent to them.

Did he resist the temptations of Satan, and so made him depart from him? it was to shew that he doth the same in those that are his, even by him∣self, in his own person, and through his own power in ••hem: For whatever actions he did, they were done by him onely for a resemblance of his internal workings: Did he pray whole nights? it doth but shew, that his Spirit in us, makes continual requests and expressions,* 1.1091 even with sighs and groans which cannot be expressed. Did he come before Pontous Pilate, and was accused, arraigned, whip∣ped, buffered, mocked and crowned with thorns? yea he was; and this was to shew how our car∣nal judgements Arraign him, and How we whip him and peirce him by our sins, mock and grieve

his blessed Spirit.* 1.1092 Was he nailed to the Cross? did he dye? and was he put to death by the Jews? and was he buried, and a stone rolled upon him, never to rise again? they did so; and in these and other his actions, lies all our hope and our faith: this is our Anchor-hold and our trust; and who∣ever shall deny it, let his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth: Yet these were but symbols and representations of our killing of him, cruci∣fying and burying of him daily in our souls by our sin••, by following our own wils, and by our Ar∣rogance Pride and selfness, and thereby his life is crucified: And also it is to shew how we have daily quenched the motions of his blessed spirit, so that it lives not in us,* 1.1093 but the Old Adam, the Old man is alive, and Christ the New-man is dead within us: And so likewise in the rest of his actions.

Did he ••ise again the third day, and triumph over hell and death? it shews How this mighty Lion of the Tribe of Iudah hath and will raise up himself, and overcome all his enemies, and hath and will put them all under his feet in our souls: & then after he is once arisen,* 1.1094 he will appears to al the brethren; to five hundred brethren at once: where∣ever Christ•• is risen,* 1.1095 he will appear and shew him∣self: If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me, as he saith, Iohn 12. 32. As you know, it is the nature of fire to draw all things, to ascend upward to its own center: so if Christ be risen and ascen∣ded in us, he will so display his own glories and beauties in us, that he will draw all our affections

upto him, so that we cannot bu•• eagerly, and ve∣hemently desire to be like him: to draw all our love to the love of him, and all our hatred to hate that which he hateth; and all our love to love that which he loveth; our hate and love, joy and grief, and all our other affections to be like his▪ Even as fire also endeavours vehemently to make every thing like it self: so doth Christ, where∣ever he comes with his life, light and glory.

Thus you see, that what Christ did for a time in the historie, the same he still also doth as truly, as really and as constantly in the mysterie; he did some things visibly, to shew that he doth the same things as truly invisibly; he did so much as was enough,* 1.1096 to manifest himself to be Emanuel, and that he was God manifested in the flesh.* 1.1097

And as I said when Christ was ready to leave the earth, then he made this boast of himself; and never before did he ascribe this power to him∣self: Even so, till we are made one with him, till we are made like him, and till we can sit so loose to the earth, that we are with him ready, willing∣ly and freely to leave the earth, we can never claim this power: till thou art dead to every crea∣ture, thou canst never make this boast.* 1.1098 Beloved, if you would have power to remove mountains, and to offer violence to the Kingdom of heaven, then you are to be thus qualified, that thou hast experi∣mentally seen and felt in thy own soul,* 1.1099 how that thy sins have ploughed and made long furrows upon his back, as David saith; and how, you by your sins have quenched the light that is in you; and

how in thee he is crucified, dead and buried; and how thou hast drawn grave-stones of custome over him; and how you have buried his light, resisted and grieved his spirit in you; and that you have found him arise in your own souls; that you have really seen and felt all these things actually done within you, his birth, his life▪ his death, his re∣surrection; that as his enemits have overcome and crucified him within you, so you have found him ••rise gloriously and triumphantly within you; and that he hath put down all his enemies under his feet In thee;* 1.1100 insomuch that thou hast heard him, and seen him,* 1.1101 and felt him crying within thy soul, Isa. 1. 24.* 1.1102 Ha, ha, I will now arise, I will avenge me on my adversaries; Now, I that was crucified, am now risen again: so that you see his glory, and the love of him triumphing in you; so that now, thou canst truly say with David, Psal. 27. 4. Now I am so far gotten from,* 1.1103 and forsaken the world, and my self, that now I desire but one thing, and that will I seek after; even that thou wouldest give me thy self, unite me and make me One with thine own life, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, and visit his Temple.

You being once come to this pass, Really in experience, then you also may say, All power is gi∣ven to me in Heaven and Earth; for then you are (as I may say) within an inch of being swallowed up into God; and then are you ready to leave the earth, and all things therein; for this man he is become one spirit with the Lord: And if we be one

spirit,* 1.1104 as Chri••ts prayer hath purchafed, Ioh. 17. 21. That they may be one, as thou and I are one; that thou mayest be in me, and I in them, and they in me, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me; if it be so, then Christ himself lives in us, and all our words are the words of Christ; we have no thoughts but the thoughts of Christ; we have no life, but Christ lives in us, as the Apostle saith, I live,* 1.1105 yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And then also, as the Apostle again saith, and so may you say,* 1.1106 All is yours, and not before; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or things present, or things to come, all are yours, and you are Christs, and Christ is Gods; You being come to this, as you may claim a right to all things, so you may claim a Power over all things; for you are already set down in Heavenly places with Christ himself in the very glory of God the Father, who is blessed for ever.

But yet many there be that wil claim this right, and appropriate to themselves this power and life, when alas they are farre from it; they will assume and presume that this is their condition, when in∣deed and in truth, Christ and his life is as yet bu∣ried in them; He is not risen in them, he hath not conquered nor gotten victory over his enemies,* 1.1107 but he is still crucified, and made to serve their sins and their lusts; Self-will, and pride, and arrogan∣cy, and vain boasting, is still alive in them; he hath not as yet Avenged himself on his enemies; But pride, and covetousnes, and love of the world, and praise of men, these things live in them still,

and Christ is dead; and so much the more dead and crucified, in as much as they glory of that which is not, conceiving Christ is theirs, when as all their wayes, are contrary to him, and yet they conceive themselves, made One with him, when as it were far better they had a true sight of their opposition and contrariety to him; And therefore thou must know, thou art but an usur∣per, to claim this power and right to all things in which thou hast no part.

For when a man is come to that life we former∣ly spake of, then he is made Lord of the earth, and hath then Real dominion over all the Creatures, And made little lower then the Angels, as it is ex∣prest in Psal. 8.* 1.1108 Then thou belongest to, and art one with him, who is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, though you see it not.

A supposition of two drops reasoning together.

As suppose two Drops apart from the Sea, should Reason together, and the one should say to the other,

Whence are we? canst thou conceive whence we are? either whence we come, or to whom we belong, or whither we shall go? something we are but what will in a short time become of us, canst thou tell? And the other Drop should an∣s••wer;

Alas, poor fellow-drop, be assured we are Nothing; for the Sun may arise, and draw us up, and scatter us, and so bring us to nothing.

Says the other again, Suppose it do; for all that, yet we are, we have a Being, we are Some∣thing.

Why,* 1.1109 what are we? saith the other.

Why, Brother Drop, dost thou not know? we, even we, as smal & contemptible as we are in our selves, yet we are members of the sea? Poor Drops though we be, yet let us not be discouraged: we belong to the vast Ocean.

How? saith the other, we belong to the sea, to the Ocean: how can that be? We have heard of the mighty greatness of the Ocean: we have heard,* 1.1110 that there is the huge Leviathan, that sports him∣self there, who is so great and terrible he fear∣eth none; whose heart is as firm as a stone, and as hard as a piece of the ••ether milstone: the mighty are afraid before him; who feareth not the spear, nor the dart, nor the Habergeon; who esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood: the arrow can∣not make him flee-darts are as stubble, and he laugh∣eth at the shaking of the spear: who maketh the deeps to boyl like a pot and maketh the sea like a pot of ointment: so that he maketh a hoary path to shine after him, and upon earth there is not his like: What? that we are of the Sea? how can it be? We have heard the Sea is great and wide, Wherein also are things creeping innumerable,* 1.1111 both small and great beasts: there is that Leviathan who is made to play and sport therein: and they that go down into the sea in ships,* 1.1112 and do their business in great waters., they see the wonders of the Lord in the deeps: there are the huge & roaring waves that mount them up to heaven, and suddenly they fall down into the depths, and their souls melt because of trouble: and those great waves make them roll to and fro, and

stagger like a drunken man, so that they are at their wits end: In the Sea also we hear there be those huge and mighty rocks, whose foundations are un∣moveable: Thou sayest that we are of the Sea and we belong to the Ocean; where is any such vastness in us? where is any of all those wonderful and mighty things in us? therefore we cannot be of the Ocean.

No, tis true, saith the other, for the present we are not of the Ocean, because we are not yet joyned to the Ocean: and except we perish, and be dissol∣ved as it were to nothing, we are nothing; but if the Sun draws us up, and dissolve us to nothing, that we are not seen to be much as drops, then are we like to be something; for then we shall return into the Ocean, to which we belong: Then we are those th••t have in us those rocks and those ships, and those Leviathans, and fish innumerable, both small and great; And they have room to play and sport them∣selves in us: Then we may claim and appropriate to our selves whatever may be appropriated to the Sea, or to the Ocean as well as any other drop: for we are united and made One with the Ocean.

The Application by way of Dialogue.

So, just so in like manner, suppose Two mortal men reasoning together the one in Iealousie, and the other in Revelation.

What are we? says the one.

We are Nothing, sayes the other: we are but a Shadow,* 1.1113 a Dream,* 1.1114 a Bibble; not so much as the drop of a bucket,* 1.1115 or as the dust of the ballance: we are but as stubble before the fire, and as smoke be∣fore the wind, ready to be consumed, scattered and dissolved into nothing.

Oh,! says the other, though in our selves we are poor drops, and as thou sayest, we are no more then a drop, a bubble, soon up and soon down: we have no power, the least and weakest of all things imagi∣nable; yet we are, we have a Being: nay, we are more then thou canst imagine.

Why what are we?

Why? Ile tell thee what we are; we are members of the very body of Jesus Christ: we are (as I may say) flesh of his flesh,* 1.1116 and bone of his bone; And we are to be made one spirit with him; and therefore be contented; though we in our selves are Poor, and contemptible, and apart from him Nothing, yea worse then Nothing,* 1.1117 yet by the grace of God we are what we are; we in our selves cannot say, I am, or •• ••••ve; we cannot call our selves I; I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and in time I shall see my self to live in him, and then I may, And thou mayest claim the same life, the same power with him: for we shall return into Him, who is Almighty, we shall be dissolved into him who is infinitely Vaster then then ten thousand Seas or Oceans.

Ah Brother! Saith the other, how can these things be? we have heard, that Jesus Christ is God equal with his Father; that he is Almighty, incom∣prehensible, Immense &c. we have heard that he hath All power given him in heaven and in earth; that he Rules over all his enemies, and treads them all under his feet;* 1.1118 that he Rules them with a rod of iron, and crushes them in pieces like a potters vessel; and He is set upon his Throne, and Triumphs in glory and majesty, and is Set down in holy and hea∣venly

places with his Father, in his Throne, and full Authority. In us, behold, There is None of these things: we are poor drops, and weak creatures: as little as we are, we are full of nothing but sin and corruption; we are empty and vile and despicable, not only because of our smalness and nothingness, but by reason of our sinfulness and impureness.

We have none of our enemies at command; we are empty and changeable, and no stability in us: all our actions declare and render us to be always in a dying, perishing condition; but Jesus Christ, to whom (thou sayest) we belong, He is glorious and blessed, and lives for ever. And therefore I will not, I cannot beleive: wilt thou make me believe I am a part of him? it can never be.

Oh! saith the other,* 1.1119 be contented: Corn cannot bring forth fruit except it dye: neither can a drop return to the Ocean, except it be dissolved in it self, and from its own proper being: So, Even so, We poor drops in our selves, we are nothing, empty, poor, de∣spised Nothings, less then Nothings, Apart from the immense Ocean. But If we can be Content to dye, & forsake our selves Then should we Return, and be made One with that immense Ocean: Could we but be contented to annihilate our selves, to be brought to Nothing, we should be made Something, If That Sun of righteousness would but arise and dissolve us,* 1.1120 and draw us up into Himself, then we, even we, as poor as we be, should be united and made one with the Almighty. Beloved, Beloved,

The Only Reason Why WE Remain such Empty Drops, is because we esteem our selves to be Some∣what, when indeed we are nothing: while we set such

a great price upon our selves, and look on our selves as good, holy and pure, and take notice of our selves what a progress in Religion we have made, and despise others. This keeps us from be∣ing united to him: Oh! those High-swelling, tow∣ering thoughts must be brought down: those Thrones, and Powers, and principalities set up in us by Satan The Prince of this world: Those strong holds that keep us from being overcome and be∣ing brought to nothing,* 1.1121 must be brought down, that so we may be joyned to the Lord himself, to be made partakers of his life and glory.

My eye can never be united to the Sun, till I behold and look upon it; Then those beames that come from it, draw my eye in a direct line to be joyned to it: so thou art never united to Christ, till the Lord himself, by the eye of faith, which is as a beam that comes from him, unites and draws up thy soul in a direct line to him again: As long as thou art Something in thy self, so long thou art Nothing; and when thou beginnest to be nothing in thy own esteem, then thou beginnest to be really Something: then is Jesus Christ Beginning to Arise, and to Exalt himself in thee: Then, is I said before, hast thou a right to All things, and thou mayest claim all those great things, spoken of before to thy self to be thine: though not to thy self indivi∣dual, and as separated, But as united to him to whom all power is given both in heaven and in earth: but till this work be done, Christ is kept under, and thy self is exalted▪ and it rules thee & governs thee & terminates all thy actions However they seem to thee, and to other men (as much lift up in

themselves as thou art); though (I say) to thee and to others in the same sphere with thee, they seem never so glorious and beautiful, yet Christ is crucified and Self is alive, and set in the Throne.

As David saith, Up Lord, why sleepest thou? Avenge us on our adversaries:* 1.1122 God is asleep in men, till this work be brought about in them: and again, Arise, O Lord, exalt thy self above the Heathen:* 1.1123 Till thou, Till thy self be brought down, the Heathen are exalted, and Jesus Christ is tram∣pled down: as the heathen in old time, typically got the upper hand, and took possession of the Land, and the fair houses of God, and banished and car∣ried captive the people of God,* 1.1124 kept them under, made them tributary, and overrun the Land; Even so, are those very things accomplished in us, when lust and sin commands and bear rule, and over-run the soul like locusts, which are the very locusts of the bottomless pit;* 1.1125 Which also are ANTI∣CHRIST, and they keep him under, and daily crucifie him, that is, crucifie his life in us: And these are those enemies we continually ought to make war with,* 1.1126 and hate and pray against; these are that Meroz that we ought to curse bitterly (as the Angel commands:) and not men, nor any thing which God hath made: for all creatures, As they are made by God, are good, very good: but the seed of the Serpent we must war with and per∣secute, Even to the very death, and nothing else.

These things Brethren we ought still to find in our own experience; Not onely to hear and read

the history of them, as done in and by others: but to see and feel how they are really accomplished in our selves; for except we see This fighting and re∣sisting accomplished in us:* 1.1127 except we have found the strong man bound in us, and felt those fightings and resistings that he makes, till he be bound and overcome, we are yet in our sins: Strangers pos∣sess the Land,* 1.1128 and the Temple of God lies waste and the enemies of God roar in the midst of the Congre∣gations, and they set up their Ensigns for signs and break down the carved work with axes and ham∣mers: Could we but see all these things in our selves, then we might be sure that Light was ap∣proching to us: And if This Light were but set upon a candlestick, then it would give light round the house, and we should discover these things more and more: but till then, the lights is hid un∣der a bed,* 1.1129 or under a bushel, as our Saviour saith.

And if we have not found these things in our selves, we have not been so much as in the way to union with Jesus Christ: but having found it, we have cause infinitely to rejoyce: for then Those Masters and Lords that formerly commanded thee, now thou shalt command them, and they shall obey: then thou shalt find that he hath in thee broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder, Psal. 107. 16.* 1.1130 thou (through him) shalt have power now, to rectifie thy understanding, thy will, thy affections, to rule and govern them As a King, because Christ is exalted as King in thy soul: then thou shalt be taught of God, and shalt receive An unction from that holy one, and

thou shalt know all things:* 1.1131 In our selves indeed, and in our own strength, we can do nothing: but by the power of Christ, and by his strength in us, we shall be More then Conquerours; and we shall find these words true to our selves, that our Saviour here saith, All power is given to me, in heaven and in earth; you shall feel it true in your selves; for you being united and made one with him, you shall so derive his power to your selves, that you may say, All power is given to me in heaven and earth: then you shall come to see such things,* 1.1132 as never eye saw, nor ear heard, nor ever entred into the heart of man,* 1.1133 things unutterable: For till this comes to pass within you, you shall never see the new hea∣vens, and the new earth, so often promised in the Scriptures: not till then, shall we ever see the day that old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, as it is exprest, Rev. 21. 4.* 1.1134 Then is the day come that God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes: And thou shalt heare Christ himself in thee, proclaiming, Behold, I make all things new. Then shalt thou have power over the earth; then also art thou that blessed Meek one spoken of Mat. 5. That shalt inherit the earth: then shalt thou have power to meet thy Saviour,* 1.1135 Prepared And adorned as a bride to meet the bridgroom at his coming; then indeed shall all those spiritual pro∣mises be fulfilled and accomplished in thee; And all this by being risen again, and united to thy Bridegroom Jesus Christ.

And the way to this life is by being dead to the world,* 1.1136 and dead to the flesh, the world being

crucified to us, and we to the world: Ile tell thee, such a pass thou art now come to, that as thou stinkest to the world, so the world stinks to thee: As all things are ready to forsake thee, so thou art as ready to forsake them: so that thou beginnest to see no excellency in any thing the world presents to thee: no, not in PROPRIETY, which the whole world, yea generally al esteem so highly of, and are of all things lothest to forgo; I say to this man even propriety begins to dye to him, and he to it; It de∣parts from us, and we depart from the love of pro∣priety, or with affection laying claim to any thing in the world, but having it, as having it not; as 1 Cor. 7.* 1.1137 That both they that have wives, be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoyce, as though they rejoyced not; and they that buy, as though they pos∣sessed not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it; for all the fashion of this world passeth away.

This man is an a man dead, and clean cast out of sight, as David saith, clean out of mind he is as a bubble that no body sets by: but yet be contented, h••ppy, yea thrice happy are those men, that are come to this, to be dead men: You know dead men are not affected with any thing; dead men lay no claim to any thing; dead men cannot so much as say, This is I: they esteem not of themselves, they boast not of themselves; praise and dispraise is all one to them: they can let men do what they will with them, they are all at one pass; they claim no interest, no propriety in any thing: let them be merry while he lies by, or let them be sad, all is

one to him: let them be sharers of his goods▪ One will have one part, and another another part; let them make merry, and spend lavishly of His goods, He is not moved: why? The reason is, because he hath lost all his SENCES, in this world his life is gone, he is a dead man.

Beloved▪ This was the condition the blessed A∣postles and Disciples were brought to: Oh! but where are such Disciples now? where are your Great Doctors, and your learned men? Are they Doctors in this School of the Cross of Christ? No, no, nothing less: Are They Dead men? Are They come to this, to let others rejoyce in the heaping up riches, And adding Land to Land, and making themselves and their posterity great in the world? These things should not concern Dead men: And saith David again, I am as a broken pitcher, that can hold no water: Just so is This man: He is a broken pitcher that can hold Nothing: Pour Riches into him, Health, Wealth, Praise, Honour, or the con∣trary; Whatever ye give to him, or take from him, He is all one: if ye take his Cloak from him, he will give you his Coat: if ye strike him on the one cheek he cannot revenge, He will rather turn the other: Curse him, and He will pray for you: And all this he learns of his dear Saviour JESUS CHRIST: And all this He hath attained by being united, and by being made One with Him, whose practise and Command you know it was, so to do; and whose Nature and life he partakes of, knowing assuredly by experience That there is No other way to find rest to his soul, But by for∣saking

his own will and living Free in the world, and Dead unto it, and to his own proper will and affections.

Oh Beloved, How Happy, and how Free doth such a soul live? how at liberty, and free from those Chains, that most men are fettered with? as love of Money and Honours, and Houses, and Lands; Distracted with hopes on one hand, and Fears on the other, and are never at rest; but are like the Troubled Sea, tumbled this way and that way, rol∣ling to and again and never quiet: But this Man is Delivered, Set free from all such things: What a comfort is it for a man to be made Willingly to leave the love of the world? to live free, and above all hopes and fears: What a comfort is it not to fear death? (for this man dyes daily) not to fear To Answer All our enemies in the gate?* 1.1138 to look boldly and undauntedly on Death, on Satan, as knowing them overcome and brought under? what a comfort is it to Find, See and Feel, The life of Christ In Us? and that we are in some measure, and every day more and more, made conformable to our Head, And that we shall now for ever Over∣come and be at Rest, and Sit down with Him upon His Throne,* 1.1139 even as he is set down upon his Fathers Throne? what a comfort is it to feel and see our graces, Faith, Hope and Patience, And the rest, to Revive, to live and flourish, which in former times flagged and dyed? what a comfort is this? To see That when either the North wind, or the South wind blow,* 1.1140 Let him be in any kind of condition, Yet His Garden prospers; His Soul flourishes, And the

Spices thereof flow out; and Christ and He, To eat the pleasant fruits thereof; To this man, Nothing is a Rod to him, Nothing a judgement, Let God do what he will with him, He can see no Anger, no Frowns in any thing, but all that comes, is to Him Mercy and Loving kindness: This is The Soul That lives with God, and lives in God, This soul is at Rest, And none else But This Soul: For he hath in p••rt, Possession of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Kingdom of Heaven Possession of him, Even while he is in the body: which possession he knows he shall never be deprived of, but shall have the FULL Possession and Enjoyment thereof, for ever and ever, In His Fathers due Time.

O my Dear Freinds, To What A Blessed Tranquillity AND SERENENESS of SPIRIT Is This Soul Attained. These are to Him BLESSED and HALCION DAIES.

Here end the SERMONS of JOHN EVERARD And All that can be of His Expected.

Here follow certain brief Collections out of some Sublime and Mortified Authors, Translated out of Latin by Dr. Everard.

Hereunto Annexed to these Sermons, as things suitable to His preaching, and giving further light each to other, viz. To him who is in the light.

• ...

  1. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.	These two placed in the midst of this book; the other six herefollow
  2. The Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God.

• 3. Dionysius the Areopagite his Mystical Divinity.
• 4. Certain grave and notable sayings in Latin and English.
• 5. The saying of a certain Divine of great note and name.
• 6. A lovely glass or example of our Lord Iesus Christ his life, taken out of Taulerus his works.
• 7. Another short Instruction out of the same Author.
• 8. A short Dialogue between a Learned Divine and a Beggar.

THE MYSTICAL DIVINITY OF Dionysius the Areopagite, Converted by Paul the Apostle, who did at Athens believe and cleave unto him, ACTS 17. 34. Written to Timothy.

Translated into English By Dr. EVERARD.

JOB 36. 26.

Behold, God is great, and we know him not.

ISA. 55. 6.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your wayes my wayes, saith the Lord.

LONDON, Printed by Iohn Owsley, for Rapha Hartford, at the Bible and States Arms in Little Brittain. 1657.

THE MYSTICAL DIVINITY OF Dionysius the Areopagite, Written to Timothy.

CHAP. 1. What the Divine Mist or Dark∣ness is.

OTRINITY! That art above ES∣SENCE, above GOD, above Good∣ness, the Governour of the Christians wisdom concerning God: Vouch∣safe to direct us to the More-then-unknown, More-then-shining, Highest-top of Mystical Oracles, where the simple and absolute, and unchangeable MYSTERIES of Divinity do Hide: by the More-then-lightsome MISTINES of Secret-Teaching, SILENCE in the Darkest Darkness; Even Him that over-shineth That which is More-then-most-Glorious, and under that, which is utterly impal∣pable, and invisible: doth More-then-fill the blinded or Eye-less Mindes with More-then-fair Shinings.

2. And these things I pray for: but do thou, O my friend Timothy, by thy most intent study and

exercise about MYSTICAL Visions, leave and forsake thy senses, and all sensible and intelligible things, and thy mental operations, and all things that are not, and that are; and after an unknown manner, lift up, and advance thy self to the Con∣junction and Union with Him who is above all Essence and Knowledge: for by a free and purely absolute departing from thy self, and all things, having separated all things, and being freed and loosed from all things, thou shalt be brought back to the Super-essential BEAM of the Divine Darkness.

3. But take heed, that none of them that are not Entred or Initiated in our MYSSERIES, do hear these things: I mean such as are still detained and holden in the things that are, and do imagine nothing to be super-essentially above the things that are; but presume by their own knowledge to understand HIm that maketh DARKNES his Secret place:* 1.1141 And if these Divine Institutions concerning Mystical things, be above Them; what is to be said of such as are yet more strangers, and farther off from these Mysteries, which out of the last and lowest of all things that are, do frame and make the figure of the SUPER-EMINENT cause, and think or say, that it hath nothing more excel∣lent, or is no way better then their ungodly and MANY-FORMED Images? whereas they ought both in it, as the cause of all things, to place and affirm the positions of all things that are, and also more properly to deny them all unto it, as being far above all things: And yet not to think that

the Negations are opposite to the Affirmations: But that it is above and before Privations, which is above all, both Ablation and Position, or above any thing that can be denied or affirmed of it.

4. In this sense therefore S. Bartholomew saith, That Theology is both MUCH and LEAST, and the Gospel Broad and Great; and again short and Concise: It seems to me that he wonderfully understood thereby, that the great and good CAUSE of all things, may both be spoken of, In Many words, and in Few and in None, as admit∣ting neither speech nor understanding, because it is SUPER-ESSENTIAL, Super-Eminent to all things, and shineth out, or appears onely to them without Vail and Truly, who do pass through all things both impure and pure, and transcend every ascent of all HOLY HIGHNESSES, and leave behinde them all DIVINE, Lights, Sounds, and Heavenly words, and enter into That MIST where He is, Really (as the Scriptures speak) who is Above All things.

5. For it is not without Cause, that the Divine Moses is first commanded to be purged himself, and then to be separated from them that were not such: and after All this purifying, He heareth the MANY-SOUNDING Trumpets, and seeth the MANY LIGHTS, which Dart from themselves Pure and much scattered RAYES, or Beams: Then is He separated from the multitude, and with the Selected Priests, He laboureth up to the top of the Divine Ascents; and in them he doth not meet with God; but he sees, Not Him, for He is in∣visible,

But Onely The PLACE, where He is.

And this I think intimates o•• signifies thus much; that the most Divine and highest of things Seen and understood, are but certain Reasons, and significative Arguments of things subjected to Him, who is Above all things, by which His Pre∣sence, which is Above All thought, is shewn, wal∣king in the intelligible HEIGHTS of His Most Holy Places.

6▪ And then is He freed both from the things that are Seen, and the things that do see, and is swallowed up, into the Truly-Mystical-Cloud, or MIST of Unknowing; in which he shuts up all manner of Scientifical Apprehensions; and is in Him that is utterly inattingible, and invisible, being All His Who is, beyond ALL THINGS, and NOTHING; Neither His Own, nor any bodies Else, United after the best manner to Him, that is wholly UNKNOWN, by the Cessation of all Knowledge: and in that he knoweth Nothing, Knowing above any Mind or Understanding.

CHAP. II. How we must both be united, and render praise to HIM that is the Cause of all things, and above all things.

1. IT is That we pray for, that we may be in this MUCH-ABOVE-Light-shining-Mist: and by Unseeing and Unknowing, to see and know that which is above All sight and Knowledge; Even in that, we do not See nor know at all: For This is, To See and know indeed, and Super-Essentially to praise Him that is Super-essential; by the ta∣king away of All things that Are, Even as They that would make A Self-ingraven Image, taking away all the Impediments that stand before the pure Sight of that which is Hidden, and onely by taking Away, shew forth That which is Concealed and Covered by it self.

And we must (as I think) praise and commend TAKINGS-AWAY contrarily to Pos••ions and Affirmations: for them we appointed, beginning at the first, and so by middle ones, ascending to the last: but here making our Ascents from the last, unto the Most-Ancient, we take away All things, that we may without any VAIL know, that Unknown, which is All things that Are, or is

covered under All things that are Known: and that we may See, That Superessential-MIST which is Hid by All the Light that is in things that Are.

CHAP. III. What Speeches of God are Affirmative, and what Negative.

1. IN our Theological Descriptions, we have ex∣pressed the most principal things of affirma∣tive Divinity, how the Divine and Good Nature is called One, and how Three; and what it is which in it, is called PATERNITY & FILIAL: and what the Divinity of the HOLY GHOST meaneth: How from the Immaterial and Indi∣visible GOOD, sprung out the Cordial lights of GOODNESS, which still abode, not going Out (the Mansion of being CO-ETERNAL to the Emanation or Germination) both in It self, in Themselves, and in One Another.

2. How Super-essential JESUS was essenti∣ated in the TRUTHS of Humane nature: as also Other things which we have Celebrated in our Theological Descriptions, as delivered unto us from the Scriptures.

3. Likewise also in the book of Divine Names we have declared How He is called GOOD, How BEING; How LIFE, and WISDOM, and POWER, and whatsoever else belongs unto the Intelligible Divine NOMINATION.

4. But in our Symbolical Divinity we have shewed what are the Metonymies, or Translations or Borrowed NAMES taken from sensible things, and applyed to Divine things, viz. What are the Divine FORMS; What the Divine Figures or Shapes, Parts and Organs, or Instruments; What are the Divine-Places and Ornaments: What the Angers, Sorrows, Furies; What the Drunkennesses and Surfets; What the Oaths and Curses; What the Sleeps and Wakings, and other-like things Ap∣pertaining to this Part of Divinity, which they call Symbolical; speaking of such Forms and Figures as have been Holily invented, To Repre∣sent God by.

5. And I think Thou hast seen as well as I, how many more words are used in the latter then in the former: For it behoved, that the Theologi∣cal Descriptions, a••d this Explication of the Di∣vine NAMES, should need fewer words then Symbolical Divinity: For by how much Higher we climbe towards That which is Above, by so much the more are our words Contracted and Con∣centred in the View and Sight of Intelligible things.

As now, when we enter into that DARKNESS which is above All mind and understanding, we shall find not shortness of speech, but utter silence and dumbness, as also want of understanding.

And from thence our Speech and discourse de∣scending from the Highest to the Lowest, according to the Quantity of its Descent, is Enlarged into a proportionable breadth or multitude.

But now Arising from the things Below, to that which is Above, according to the measure of its Ascent, it is Contracted and grows Less, till after all ascent it becomes quite Void of words, and so united to that which is Unspeakable.

6. But thou wilt ask, to what purpose? We laying down the Divine Affirmations, began with the first; and now begin the Divine Ablations or takings away with the last. I answer; That was because putting Down or describing, that which was Above all Affirmation or Position, it was fit to Begin and Establish the Fundamental Affirmations from that which is most Proper, and Nearest unto it. But now when we go by way of Taking away from that which is Above All Ablation or taking Away, it is likewise fit we should begin our takings away, at Those things that are furthest temote from it.

For is He not, Rather and more properly Life and Goodness, then Aire or A Stone? And may it not Rather and more Properly be said, that he is not Weak or Angry, then that he is not Spoken, nor Understood?

CHAP. IV. That He that is eminently the Cause of all sensible things, is yet no sensible thing at all.

1. VVE say therefore, That the Cause of all things, and that which is above all things, is neither void of, nor without Essence, nor Life, nor Reason, nor Mind.

2. Neither is it A Body, nor hath it shape, nor Form, nor Quality, nor Quantity, nor Bigness: neither is it in Place, nor is it Seen, nor hath it any Sensible touch.

3. It neither Perceiveth by Sense, nor is it Per∣ceivable by Sense; it hath neither Disorder nor Trouble, as if it were Agitated by material Pas∣sions.

4. It is neither Impotent, as subject to sensible Passions or Accidents; neither is in Any want, or Indigence of light (neither needs it any Light to see By, or Withal.)

5. It hath neither Alteration, nor Corruption, nor Division, nor Privation, nor Flux (or a Con∣tinual flowing and Succession of Parts) nor any other Sensible thing: Nor is it Any of all these.

Chap. V. That he that is eminently the Cause of all intelligible things, is none of those intelligible things.

1. AND going downward again, we say it is nei∣ther Soul nor Mind, nor hath it Phantasie, nor Imagination, nor Opinion, nor Reason nor Un∣derstanding; neither is it Reason nor Understand∣ing, nor is it Spoken or Understood.

2. It is neither Number nor Order, nor Great∣ness, nor Littleness; it is neither Equality nor In∣equality, nor Likeness nor Unlikeness.

3. It neither Standeth still,▪ nor is Moved, nor Resteth: It neither hath Power, nor is Power nor Light; It neither Liveth, nor is Life; It is nei∣ther Essence, nor Eternity, nor Time, nor is there any Intellectual Touch thereof.

4. It is neither Knowledge, nor Truth, nor Kingdom, nor Wisdom; nor One thing, nor Unity, nor God-head, nor Goodness.

5. Neither is it a Spirit, as we can know or un∣derstand, or after Our manner of knowledge; nor SON-SHIP, nor FATHER-HOOD, nor any other thing Known to us, or to any Other of the things that Are.

6. Neither is it any of the things That are Not, Nor any of the things that Are; neither do the things that Are know it, as it is; nor doth It know the Things that Are, as they Are.

7. There is no Speech of it, nor Name, nor Knowledge; it is neither Darkness nor Light, nor Errour nor Truth.

8. There is of it No Position or Affirmation, nor Ablation or taking Away, or Negation: But when we make Affirmations or Negations of the things That are After it, yet we do neither Af∣firm nor Deny.

9. Because He that is PERFECT, Compleat, Onely and Singularly the Cause of All things, is Above all Position or Affirmation: And the SU∣PER-EMINENCE of Him, which is most Simply and Absolutely freed from all things, and is Above All things, is likewise Far Above All Negations.

The end of the Book of Dionysius the Areopagite, concerning Mystical Divinity.

Blessed be he that is, that was, and that is to come, AMEN.

Dr. Everards ADVICE upon these following Sentences in Latin and English.

REad not what follows, till thou have Read and Felt, and dost Understand what goeth before: For here follow certain Grave and Notable sayings, whereby the diligent Disciple of Christ may ex∣amine himself, and know what is to be thought or determinated of the True and Inward Union to the Onely and Supreme Good, that we may de∣part from our selves; and being dead to our own will, may live to God alone, and to his will: Grant it, O God, by him which resigned up his own will to his Heavenly Father, who liveth and reigneth with the Holy Spirit in a perfect Trinity for ever. Amen.

These, in regard of their succinct and pithy shortness, they were hard to be understood, if put into so few words as the Latin: I have there∣fore not onely translated them into English, but also annexed the Latin to them, that where the one Language shall be obscure, it may be helped by the other.

1. DEus est unicus, & unitas existit, & manat ab eo solo: nec tamen de eo; alioquin enim decre∣sceret fieretque minor.

1. God is onely One, and Unity is in him, and flows from him alone: yet not of him, nor any

way from him; otherwise it would decrease, and become less.

2. Ubi sunt duo, quae una servari, aut convenire oportet, fieri potest ut inter ea oriatur discordia.

2. Where there are two things that must be kept or agree together, it may come to pass that discord or dissention may arise between them.

3. Haec duo non nisi voluntate dissidere possent, id quod esset summa causa & occasio omnis dissidii, etiam in Deo, sit duo possent esse in eo.

3. These two could not disagree, but in Will, which would be the greatest cause and occasion of all discord or disagreement Even in God, if Two things could be in him.

4. Nihil enim est quod dissentionem pariat inter omnia quae dissentire queant, nisi dissimilitudo volun∣tatum.

4. For there is nothing can breed dissention among all things that can disagree, but the dissimilitude and unlikeness of wills.

5. Hoc unum (Deus) vult unum, estque omnibus binis contrarium.

5. This one (God) willeth One thing, and is contrary to all Two things.

6. It aque ergo quicquid etiam creavit ipse super unico illo creavit; alioquin ei defuisset ordo.

6. Therefore also, whatsoever he created, he created upon, or To that One alone; otherwise it had wanted order.

7. Praeterea nullam potuisset ejus creatio sive creatares habere consubstantiam, propter volunta∣tem contrariam. quemadmodum videlicet nunc fit ideoque eam interire oportuisset.

7. Moreover, His Creation or created thing, could have had no constancy, because of the con∣trary Will, to wit, as it is now done; therefore it must needs have dyed.

8. Ea unit as metiri, cogitari, tractari, cognos∣cive non poterat, nisi duntaxat ab uno, & per unum, idque interdum in suo contrario.

8. That Unity could not be measured, thought, handled or known▪ but onely of One, and by One, and that sometime in its contrary.

9. Contrarium existit a se ipso sine culpa adver∣sarii.

9. The contrary is▪ or exists of it self, with∣out the fault of the Adversary,

10. Hinc apertissime perspici potest oportuisse ut uni & optimo esset aliquod objectum, ex quo illud quoad ejus fieri posset disceretur.

10. Hence it may be most plainly perceived, that there must have been to that One and BEST some object from which that might be, as much as were possible, learned.

11. Id objectum fuit, & est omnium animalium essentia & esse.

11. That object was, and is the essence and being of all living creatures.

12. Maxime & optime in rationali, & per ra∣tionale animal, qui Adamus fuit.

12. Most of all and best, in and by the rea∣sonable creature, which was Adam.

13. Hic se videndam exhibet omnipotentia & misericordia infinataque bonitas supremi cui nomen est Dominus.

13. Here shews it self to be seen the Almighti∣ness and Mercy, and Infinite goodness of the highest, whose name is the Lord.

14. Ad majorem insuper cognitionem liberum creavit quod creavit; quoniam quod ita liberum fuit, est, & manet, id nihil proprium naturaliter creare, aut facere potest; ••am etiam liberum illud nulla in re seipsum convenientius exerere aut viden∣dum praebere potest, quam in suo objecto.

14. Furthermore, to the greater knowledge, he Created FREE that which he Created: be∣cause that which so was, is, and abideth Free, cannot naturally create or make any thing proper: Now also, that which is free, cannot in any thing put forth or shew it self to be seen more conveni∣ently then in its object.

15. Qui aliquid quod liberum est, & esse debet, concludit, propriumque facit, is contra eum facit qui illud liberum fecit, & creavit; hoc est pecca∣tum.

15. He that concludes or shuts up, or makes Proper any thing which is, or ought to be Free, He doth against Him which hath made and crea∣ted that free; this is sin.

16. Peccatum clarissime cognoscendum est, id si perfecte odisse velis.

16. Sin is clearly to be known, if thou wouldst hate it perfectly.

17. Odium situm est in contrario, quod vere no∣minatur semen Dei, sicut imago Dei, quae libertatem cupit sine intermissione.

17. Hatred is placed in the contrary, which is

Truly named, the Seed of God, or the Image of God, which desireth Liberty without intermis∣sion.

18. Hoec durat & est, & duret necesse est, quamdiu est, in eo quod ipsa est, & esse, & manere potest: est enim ab uno, nec unquam se depelli patietur.

18. This (Seed or Image of God) continueth, and is, and must of necessity continue, as long as God can both be and continue, in that which it is: for it is from the ONE, Neither doth it ever suffer it self to be driven or expulsed from thence.

19. Ut ea & cite & rite instauretur, interponit se unum illud perfecte ad illud omne quod a se dis∣junctum est in integrum restituendum.

19. To the intent, That that Image of God, may be both quickly and duly Restored, there in∣terposes it self, That perfectly One, to make whole again, all that is disjoyned from it self.

20 H••c fieri non poterat, nisi in quopiam quod se dis••unctum assimilaret, sed citra omne detr••men∣tum unitatis.

20. This could not be done, but in a certain THING, that must liken it to that which is dis∣joyned, but without all loss of Unity.

21. Id oportuit, & necesse fuit, ut seipsum qua∣tenus unum est, & solum unicum apertissime de∣clararet, quo libertas in statum suum rediret, quem tamen nunquam amiserat.

21. It behoved and was needful, that That should most openly declare it self, in as much as

it is One, and onely One, to the intent that li∣berty might return into its state which yet is ne∣ver lost.

22. Hinc illud, videlicet Iesus Christus Naza∣renus longe liberrimam voluntatem docuit exercuit, habuit atque usurpavit.

22. Hence that, Namely Jesus Christ of Na∣zareth, Taught, Exercised, Had and Used, A most perfect Free-wil.

23. Hoc non erat ejus (quemadmodum ipse te∣statur) sed Unius illius a quo id acceperat, ut id per eum patefiret.

13. This was not His (as himself witnesseth) but that ONES, From whom He had received it, that by Him it may be made manifest.

24. Nec tamen eo privari poterat, tum propter ••us, tum ob perfectionem quam necesse erat ut ha∣beret propter libertatem, ut eam optime (sicuti par erat) declararet.

24. Yet could He not be deprived thereof, as well because of his Right, as of the Perfection which it was necessary He should have, because of the liberty, That he might (as it was meet) best declare it.

25. Omnium in eo perfectissimum fuit integra & omnibus numeris absoluta unitio voluntatis, quae sibi id non arrogavit a quo erat ipse unum; alioquin discessisset uni.

25. The perfectest thing of all in him, Was the Free, Intire, and most absolute Uniting of the will, which arrogated not that to himself, from whence himself was the ONE; otherwise he had departed from the One.

26. Nunc extat adhuc (quemadmodum jam in∣dicatum est) liberum illud quod admittendum non est; perdidisset enim illa aliquid quod in nihilum abisset, & aliquid fuisset, unde consequi posset ut totum eodem pacto periret.

26. Now there is yet extant (as is already shewn) That Free Thing which is not to be lost; Otherwise it would bring loss to the Divinity from which it is, and whose Property it is; for that had lost something, which had Vanished into Nothing, and there had been Something, from whence it might have followed; That the whole should perish after the same manner.

27. Ut igitur id fiat, necesse fuit secundum ex∣emplar (quod perfectissimum esse propter officium ne∣cesse est) fiat, idque plane ad arbitrium & volun∣tatem unius quod nunquam a seipso discorda∣vit.

27. That that therefore may be done, it is necessary that it be done according to the ex∣ample (which must needs be most perfect, because of the duty thereof) and that wholly after the will and arbitriment of the One which never disagreed from it self.

28. Hoc est, & vocatur redire ab omni dissi∣dente in unicum quod per omnem vitam studendum est; qui vult, potest; qui id non credit, tentet.

28. This is, and is called to return from every disagreeing thing, to the One and Onely, which during all a mans life, is to be studied: He that will, Can; He that believes it not, let him try.

29. Hoc potest, & oportet ••ieri tantum amissione

ejus quod uni contrarium est; alioquin non potest: ea est obedientia in obedientia, videlicet integra tradi∣tio, perfectum quoddam sacrificium quod voluntari∣um est; breviter is Christus est verus Dei Filius, primogenitus fratrum, cujus proprium est, quicquid Pater potest; qui verus intercessor est, per quem unicum possis, & necessario debeas ad unicum, hoc est ad Patrem venire, qui Pater eum huic rei destinavit.

29. This may and must be done Onely by the losing of that which is contrary to the One; otherwise it cannot; that is Obedience in Obe∣dience, to wit, An Intire Resignation, A certain Perfect Sacrifice, which is Voluntary: Briefly, that Christ is the true Son of God, the first begot∣ten of his Brethren, To whom it is Proper what∣soever the Father can, who is the True Intercessor, by whom alone thou mayest, and necessarily must come to the onely One, that is, to the Father who hath appointed him to this end.

30. Si quis hujus orationis rationem consequi nescit, is caret spiritus testimonio, cujus ipse discipli∣nam excludit & repudiat. Si quis eam intelligit, judicet: judicat autem Dei Spiritus omnia. Si quis eo destituitur & caret, ejus culpa est, quod de casu sollicitus non est, ut corrigatur, qui tamen corri∣gendus est. Si quis haecdicat acutiora, sciat maximam Sancti Spiritus stultitiam (ut it a loquar) acutiorem esse summa totius mundi sapientia.

30. If any man understand not the meaning of these speeches, he wants as yet, The Testimony of the Spirit, whose discipline He shuts out and re∣••uses. If any man understand it, let him judge,

and the Spirit of God Iudgeth all things. If any man Want, and be destitute of it, it is his own fault, because he is not careful of his fall, that it may be Amended, which yet must be Corrected. If any say, that these things are somewhat subtil and acute; let him know, that the greatest Folly of the Holy Ghost (if that I may so speak, not de∣rogating from him) is wiser then the Highest wisdom of the whole world.

* Non est mirum, si haec carni acuta videan∣tur; sunt enim divina, de quibus judicare caro non potest; Ideoque acuta judicat, quemadmodum si noctua neget se posse cernere claritatem diei, quippe ut ens luce noctis, cujus clarissima pars obscurior est quam obscurissima diei.

* It is no marvel if these things seem some∣what Acute and Subtil to the flesh: for they are Divine, of which flesh cannot judge; and there∣fore it thinketh them Acute: as if an Owl should deny that it can see the brightness of the Day, when it useth onely the light of the Night; the clearest part whereof is more dark then the darkest part of the day.

To the Eternal Trinity in Unity, neither con∣founded nor divided, be all glory and praise. Amen.

The Sayings of a Certain Divine of great note and name.

IN conclusion, I will hereunto Annex the judg∣ment of Iohn Denqui, concerning the holy Scriptures, made in his Recantation, not long be∣fore his death, and printed.

I do (saith he) prefer the Holy Scriptures before all Humane Treasure: yet so that I do not so much esteem them, as the Word of God which is Living, Potent and Eternal▪ and which is Free, and at liber∣ty from all the Elements of this world: for if that be God himself, it follows that it is Spirit (not the Letter) written without pe•• or ink: so that it can never be Obliterated: And for this cause, True feli∣city, or the word of God, is not tyed to the Letter of the Scriptures: The reason is, because it is im∣possible that by the Scriptures alone, an Evil mind should be Amended, though it may be made more learned: but a good mind that is, such A One as is endued with any spark of Divine study or know∣ledge, is made better by All things: so that the Holy Scriptures are Clean to them that are Clean, Good and wholsom (i. e.) to those endued with the Holy Spirit: but to the Unclean and Unbelievers, they (as all things else) are Unclean and Deadly.

Thus then it is possible, that a man chosen by God, may be saved without Preaching, or the

Scriptures: yet it follows not, that therefore no witness taught of God is to be heard, or that the Scriptures are not to be Read and Enquired into: but on the other side, that all Unlearned Illiterate men are not in the state of Damnation, be∣cause they cannot Read: neither whole Cities and Nations sometimes, because they have No Prea∣chers sent them from God: Thus far He.

All these things aim at this, That we should by a Received power from God, do our endeavour to hunger for God and his word: and not go on so securely with the Killing Letter of the Scri∣ptures: but giving them all Convenient Honour, should grant them to be a certain Image, Splen∣dour, Lanthorn, Scabbard, Manger, and Vestry of the Word: but withal should know, that there is more required; namely A Sword to this Scabbard, A light to this Lanthorn, that it may cut and shine: but we know, that whilest these things are saying, There are some that are much Troubled and Offended; as in the case of Mary, Saying, we would reject the Scriptures, where∣unto we say, There can never be Too much Ho∣nour given; but the truth is, whilest unto the Scriptures as unto Mary, is ascribed the Honour due to God Alone, it becomes the Worshipping of Idols; and of the Scriptures, as of Mary, is made a certain Idol, which is Put, Honoured, Accounted, Adored and Consulted with, in the place of God: The Scriptures indeed, as an Holy thing, ought to be a Terror to men, and to be Read with Religi∣ous Fear and Trembling: and as before is said, to

be preferred above all earthly Treasure; but not made Equal to God and His Word: The Scrip∣tures (as the Law and all things else,) Are Good to the Good, who onely know How to use them well.

But as now adayes, many ignorant people handle them, and are conversant in them; with∣out all doubt, it were Better they were asleep the while. For from the wrong understanding and abuse of them, flow All Heresies, Sects, Super∣stitions: so that not onely the Jews, but the Turks also, make them their Advocates, and think the Holy Scriptures are the foundation of Their faith: My self know at least twenty Christian Religi∣ons, all which rest upon the Holy Scriptures, and every one Hopes they are on their side; all these things proceed, Either from far-fetcht Expositi∣ons and Allegories, nothing to the purpose, or from the dead Letter of the Scriptures: or lastly, from a certain Arrogance and Abuse of them: Now it is far better (in many cases) not to use A thing at all, then so to abuse it; therefore I must needs say Once again, that the Scriptures are Shut up, and Forbidden to all flesh, because it can Never under∣stand them: for to that end, there is required to them, a Supernatural, Divine NEW-MAN, Born of God, who may bring with him to them, The light of the Holy Ghost: Such a man, can Com∣pose, Dispose, Understand, Interpret, Place, and Accommodate, All things, in their due places: nay more, that which is the Table, Feast and Life, of these God-born men, the same is the Snare, Poyson,

and Death of all Natural men.

Therefore, As All Works before Faith and Rege∣neration, are Sin and Unclean: so also, To Read the Scriptures, to praise God, to fast, pray, and the like, and, not onely to torture and kill men, or to steal, and the like: for seeing that whatsoever is not of faith is sin, and to the Unclean nothing is Clean, but they are Reprobate to every good work: It must needs follow, that all their Seemingly good life, exercises and vertues are sin, and nothing but dissimulation: So God doth often in Scripture re∣ject the Fasts, Holidays, Sacrifices, Prayers, Praises, Preachings, Gifts, and Charitable Deeds of the Pharisees, as well as the known and gross impieties of the Publicans: the wicked words of men▪ and their Violences, Usuries, Murthers, Adulteries, Thefts, &c.

Therefore is Regeneration Principally neces∣sary, before which All things are alike sin, what∣soever thou canst Think, Speak, Do, leave Undone, Read, Hear, Write, Give, Love, Worship, Will, Know, Have, or Be; for as to them that Love God, all things are to their Good: so to them that love the world, all things are to their Evil; yea, God himself is to them Perverse, contrary, and a De∣vil: and his True word is to them hateful and dead∣ly: for it is meet, that to the froward all things should fall out Untowardly: and to them that are Contrary to God, all things should be Cross: where∣fore as they are not Enough, so they are not al∣wayes good: those Sayings, Fast, Pray, Give to the Poor, Read the Scriptures, &c. But these, before all

things; Be Regenerated and Born Again of God and his word: and, then Thou wilt be Fit to do All things, which that New-birth will teach thee, which Cannot Sin: and whatever thy hand shall find to do, thou shalt do it Well: for God will be present with thee: for then thou being Iust, shalt do Iust things: It is not enough to do a thing, but to do it Well; else better be idle, and leave doing: By this means, the good deeds, which good men do, are not rejected: but onely the shew and feigning of good deeds, which that Herd of Apes do imitate.

It were expedient indeed, to read and hear all things, if a man knew how to read or hear: but few there are that have the Art of God to hear and read his word: and far fewer, that can so pierce into this Thorny-thicket, that they be not rent and torn: Therefore I will not by these my writings, scare any man from any right Art of writing, learning or reading; but do admonish all men, to see they use and do all things rightly; and first of all in the word of God, to grow Fools and In∣fants, and then at the length we shall know how to read, do, and Use all things profitably: and then we may safely Philosophize, even in the writings of the Gentiles, or any others: and like Natural Birds, fly among all the boughs and branches not taken: whereas before, we could not safely be conversant, no not in the Sacred Scriptures them∣selves, without eating Death from God and his word. Briefly, by this you may See the conclu∣sion of the whole business; And be it thus deter∣mined;

Onely the Pious and Regenerate man can and doth use All things Well, and with pleasure and profit read all Arts, and all Heathen Books: to him there can be nothing Prohibited or Cor∣rupt; He is a certain clean Bee; upon what thing soever He Sits, He sucks from it meer Honey and Life: yea, even from Death and Sin.

Again, the old and Natural man, which in Scri∣pture is called flesh and blood, can use nothing at all well: and to him all Arts, and all the Nature of things, nay, the very Scriptures, and God Himself and His Word, do bring Death and Evil: He can neither Do, nor Read, nor Know any thing Profitably or Pleasing to God: He is Abuse and Poyson it self, and an Unclean Spider, which, Si•• where it will, sucks nothing thence but Poyson, Sin, Death, even out of the Scriptures them∣selves, Out of things Well done, out of God and His word.

So it comes to pass, that to the wicked all things are deadly and forbidden: such as are good deeds, to make or hear Sermons, to read the Scriptures, to do good to the poor, to pray, to fast, and such like, as is before said: for to the unclean all things are unclean and hurtful: so that it cannot be, but the things that to the Good are profitable, shall be to them Unclean and deadly. Briefly, the good man, in point of God, is never at rest, till being Entred into God, He have lost his own Pleasure, Will, Act, yea, Himself, and all His things in God: so that wanting Sense, Will, Desire, He doth now (as the word requires at his hands) Covet no∣thing:

so that now God in him freely Wills, Knows, Desires, Doth, leaves Undone, How, What, Why, and to whom he pleaseth.

Summarily, In such a man, God hath freely his Will, Kingdom, Pleasure, Place: so that he is not now, The man he was, but is as A dead man, who attributes nothing to himself: yea, so far that God is in him All things: God in him Loves, Reads, Writes, Preacheth, Gives, Prays, Hears, Knows, and is All things: and therefore it is, that the great God, hath determined to Crown, own, or Reward Nothing in us, but His own work: the rest, which himself in us doth not Know, Read, Write, Do, leave Undone, Speak, Preach, Hear, Think are Sin: and therefore saith St. Paul, Now live not I, but Christ liveth in me: And I dare not Do, nor Say anything which Christ doth not Say or Do in me.

To this Iudge let every man refer all his life: he shall then soon find in what estate all his Af∣fairs are, and to whose Service he hath addicted himself, and offered his members as a living sa∣crifice: Let him observe himself, and understand who it is that worketh in him: And That he to whom he liveth and beareth fruit, His Servant he is. Now the fruits of the two Masters are reckon∣ed up in the Epistle to Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, &c. against such there is no Law: and they that are Christs, have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts: if we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the

spirit, &c. I would be glad with all my heart, if by the help of God, I might have so much power as to drive all natural men from their good Deeds, Acti∣ons Omissions, Life, Arts, Reading, Writings, and the rest, unto God the True Sabbath: that lack∣ing both hands and feet, and utterly void of will, Art, Desire, they might keep Holy-day from their own works: Truly, then God (which otherwise goeth not forth in our strength) would go forth in them with great strength: for indeed God must and will go forth (and the time is at hand) that the heavens must keep Holy day; as it is in that pious and precious proverb, All things must be comprehended, and keep Sabbath; there must be no going up, no running out, nor no work done; Seeing God desires not Our works, but Our Sabbath; and that himself in us, Free and None Hindring him, a MASTER and a GOD, may Work, Know, Love, Praise, Pray, Hear, Crown, and Reward HIMSELF in us.

Beloved, without all doubt, this is the ONE, and Onely thing that pleaseth him: And he com∣mands All Flesh, that in Divine matters, it never Stir it self, or desire any thing: And therefore it is, that I in this Book have Robbed man of all, and Rejected him, with all his Best Ware, and most Precious Riches, that he had in Divine businesses, viz. Of all his Will, Knowledge Wisdom, Goodness: All these must we Unlearn; from all these must we Fast, and keep Holy-day, as from the Tree of knowledge of good and evil, from whence Death is eaten. And therefore there is in Heaven, meer

Peace, Gladness, Felicity; as where there are Eternal Sabbaths, and no Will, but Gods Will, Light, Knowledge, Art, Wisdom in all his Saints, whereby he doth Illustrate and Enlighten them: And Christians do pray in the Lords Prayer, that the same thing may be upon earth, and that the will of God may be there done, as it is in Heaven, where no man Doth, Wills, Knows, Speakes any thing but God, who will have, and in Christ hath Appointed this Sabbath also upon Earth. This God grant unto us all. Amen.

A most clear Glass, and lovely Example of our Lord Iesus Christ which as he practised in himself, so he propounded unto us to be followed; and it may serve for an EPILOGUE or Perclose of this Book, out of the 106 page of Iohn Taulerus his Works, printed at Colen in Folio, 1548.

VVHosoever desireth to order his life ac∣cording to the most Acceptable will of God, and to be Partaker of his grace, without any impediment, ought warily to look into this Instruction following of the life of Christ, which containeth all good things, and to express it in his life and conversation.

Therefore every good and religious Christian, ought in all things, and above all things, a••d at all times, with all the strength of his soul, in all his thoughts, words and works, purely to love and intend for God (who is the eternal happiness and blessedness of all men) as his own Portion: which that he may the better do, he shall most strictly observe himself within: and in silence hear•• what the Lord saith within him: and avoiding all Im∣ployments and Multiplicity, he shall rest with God

in unity: He shall Shut up all his Senses in quiet∣ness, Continually Praying and Calling upon God, His eye being Fixt on him, in all his actions: He shall enjoy His Presence in every place, time, and thing: He shall be A perpetual inhabitant of him∣self, and shall Especially love Truth of heart, and peace of conscience: He shall be milde and Humble in heart as well as in word, and be Divine and God-like in his life and conversation: Taking Pa∣tiently All things at the hand of God; He shall Praise, Thank, Honour, and intend him in all his works: He shall be always Endued with a certain humble Abnegation, ordering of himself to what God wils; & shall submit himself not only to God, but to All creatures, avoiding those hateful vices, Pride, Envy, Wrath, and Arrogancy. Moreover, perpetually considering and marking the Goodness and Perfection of God, He shall wonder and be astonished at the great love and faithfulness of God toward him; and contrariwise at his own Unthank∣fulness and Infidelity, judging himself (from his heart) The Least and Unworthiest of all men; He shall more diligently take heed of his own Sense & Estimation; and of all the wickedness of his nature; neither shall he think More of Himself, then he hath from or of Himself, which is indeed Nothing.

He shall alwayes take in hand a certain New life, and exercise himself in New virtue, and in New Truth: He shall be Sober, and Sparing in words, but Plentiful in Holiness of life, and shall desire to be Left and Despised of all men (as men) He shall much weigh Small sins, and shall think

The least defect not light, He shall take so great care of Himself, that he be never frustrated of the presence of God in his soul; and that other men may be by him provoked to better things, he shall do all his works in the most Perfect manner, and shall Satisfie those things which he comprehends in his understanding: He shall (by his good will) do nothing in this life to repent of hereafter; He shall have In daily Adversity, either within him or without him, perpetual patience, and in continual Multiplicity, A Recollected mind: he shall not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 either to Have, or to Will any thing Proper in this world, but be ready to distribute to others wants, nor to have any Election o•• Choise in things, but receive thankfully The goodwill of His Father in every thing: He shall admit nothing within him∣self but [God] continually; He shall diligently Eschew and withdraw himself from all men (as men) and shall preserve himself Naked and Free from all Inwardly-received Images, and his soul Untangled from all Accidents whatsoever, that he may continually receive The Influence of His Heavenly Father into his soul.

He shall often behold and Exercise himself in the Most worthy Life and Example of our Lord Jesus Christ, As in a glass, considering well, How like or unlike He is unto Him; and He shall in him∣self give an Ensample and Testimony to all men Of A Better life then This; He shall be True in all his words, Religious and Mature in His conversati∣on; He shall contemplate His beginning and Origi∣nal From whence He and All things flowed forth;

and shall Strive with all diligence To return into the same again: Finally, tending diligently, What He is, whether He Ought, what He Doth, and for What cause he doth every thing; and shall most constantly persevere in virtue and truth, even unto Death: And all this, not by any power of his own, but by Christ, He alone Working all these things in him, and not Himself, nor Any His own In∣dustry or Acquiring.

Another short Instruction, taken from the same place in Iohn Taulerus his works, pa. 107.

VVE shall most certainly Attain The Va∣rious and Numerous exercises of this Book; yea, whatsoever can be written of a Per∣fect and Divine-like Life, viz. by this means▪ if we withdraw our selves from the love of all frail and mortal things: if we study to attain an hum∣ble Resignation, and inward Nakedness, and em∣brace Onely God, by faith and love in the bosom of our souls, and hide our selves wholly with our Souls, Spirit, Body, Heart and Senses in his Most Holy Humanity; and labour by a certain lively imitation, to become comformable thereunto: and Finally, by His life and merits, Inhere and cleave continually and perpetually to his Divinity. Who••oever is enabled by Jesus Christ to do These things, doth doubtless Obtain all the afore∣said

Things, and is Comforted and Led by God, and hath alwayes a Free introversion or turning inward into himself; And all his works, and Himself also, are made Divine: so that in this Perfect imitation of Christs example, He doth plainly and clearly know the Lively Truth of the Sacred Scriptures in his own experience, and as it shineth into all Pure Hearts.

The PRAYER.

THE Almighty power of God the Father, vanquish and overcome in us, whatsoever may hinder us from him, and give us strength to do his most acceptable will in all things: The most bright wisdom of God inlighten us, and lead us to all good things, which may bring us forward to him Alone: The unspeakable and super-abounding love of the Holy Ghost, pierce through all the oppositions in us; kindle and unite our love unto himself, with a most Ardent and Pleasant Turning, all our powers and strengths; So that forgetting those things that are behind, we may follow His most Sweet calling and Amorous drawing, whereto from Everlasting, The-more-then Most-glorious Trinity hath predestinated us, Namely, from the love of This deceitful world, to the enjoyment of Himself, and to all His Riches and infinite Blessedness; So that by Grace we may be made that which we are not, Nor cannot be by nature: To whom be All Praise, Obedience and Reverence, from Every Creature, Through Infinite Ages, Amen.

A SHORT DIALOGUE Between a Learned Divine and a Beggar.

A Certain Divine, who (if we may believe the ancient Copies) was Iohn Taulerus him∣self, who meeting with A Beggar, Had this Di∣scourse, Containing A most Excellent Example of a Perfect man; whence we may be taught, How in All things we ought to be of the same mind, Resigned to the Will and Appointment of God.

There was in times past, a certain famous Di∣vine, who by the space of eight years, had conti∣nually importuned the Lord by prayer, conceiving He wanted the Right knowledge of the Truth, notwithstanding all his Learning; And spent whole Nights therein, begging of God to let him know Him, and know himself, and to shew him Any man that might teach him The way of Truth: and when upon a time, He was inflamed with a most Vehement desire thereof, a voice from Heaven Thus spake unto him, Go forth to the Church-doors and there thou shalt finde A man that can Teach thee the way of Truth: And going forth, he found there a certain BEGGAR with Patcht and Torn apparel, and filthy dirty feet, all whose Apparel was scarce worth three half pence; to whom by

way of Salutation He thus spake unto.

Divine.

God give thee a good morning.

Beggar.

Sir, I do not remember that ever I had an Evil one.

Divine.

God make thee Fortunate and Prospe∣rous; why dost thou speak in this manner?

Beggar.

Neither was I ever Unfortunate or Un∣prosperous.

Divine.

Be Happy! what mean these words of thine?

Beggar.

Nor was I ever Unhappy.

Divine.

God save thee•• now at last speak more plainly.

Beggar.

Truly Sir, I will do it willingly: Thou Sir, didst wish me a prosperous and good morning; and I answered, I never had an Unprosperous or Evil one; for when I am pinched with hunger, I praise God: if I suffer cold, if it hail, if it snow, if it rain, if the weather be fair or foul, I praise God; if I be wretched and despised, I likewise praise God: and therefore there never happened any Sad or Evil Morning to me. Thou didst likewise wish that I might be Fortunate: and I answered, that I had never been Unfortunate: Because whatever God Gave me, or I suffered, or whatever happened to me, whether it were agreeable to Me, or other∣wise, were it Sweet or Bitter, I gladly received it at his hands as the best: And therefore I was ne∣ver U••fortunate.

Thou saidst moreover, that God would be pleased to make me Happy: whereunto I likewise answered, that I never had been Unhappy: for I

am fully resolved through his grace, to adhere and onely to cleave to The will of God as the best (as abandoning mine own will) into which I have so wholly poured out mine Own will, that whatever He Wills, that I Will also: and for this cause (as I said) I was never unhappy, Seeing that I will cleave to his will onely, and have wholly resigned mine own Proper Will.

Divine.

This is very strange: But what I pray thee wouldst thou say, if the Lord of Majesty would Drown Thee in the Bottomless pit, couldst thou Then be content with His Will?

Beggar.

Drown me in the bottomless pit? Why certainly, if he should, I have Two Arms, by which I would still Embrace Him And claspe fast about Him: One is, True humility, and that I lay Un∣der Him: and By Him, I am united to His Most Sacred Humanity: The other, and that is the Right arm, which is Love, which is United to his Divinity: And by this love Given to me, from Himself, I hold him so fast, that he would be For∣ced to go down to Hell with me: and it were much more to be wished by me to be in Hell with God, Then to be in Heaven without him.

By this, That DIVINE learned That the most Compendious way to God, is, A True Resignation with profound Humility: Hereupon the Divine spake again to the Beggar, and asked him.

Divine.

Good Lord, Whence camest Thou?

Beggar.

From God.

Divine.

Where foundest Thou God?

Beggar.

Even There, where I left All the Crea∣tures.

Divine.

But where didst thou leave him?

Beggar.

In Humble and Clean hearts, And In Men of Good-Will, Which is His Temple and Dwelling-Place.

Divine.

I pray thee friend, who art Thou?

Beggar.

Who am I•• Truly, I am a King, and and Jesus himself hath Crowned me with Peace, power, and Rest.

Divine.

Art thou A King! But, Where is thy Kingdom?

Beggar.

Sir, The Kingdom of Heaven is With∣in me, In my Soul, And I Can Now, and Do, by His power in me, So Govern & Command, All my Inward and Outward senses, That all the Affecti∣ons and Powers of the Old man in my soul are Conquered, and are in Subjection To the New man In me; Which Kingdom, No man can doubt, But is better Then All the Kingdoms, Scepters, Crowns and Glories of This world.

Divine.

Lord! What brought Thee To This Perfection?

Beggar.

My SILENCE, Sublime Meditation, and, Above All, My Union with the Ever-Blessed God of Peace and Rest; Which is MY Kingdom, And To say the Truth, I could Rest in Nothing which was Less Then God; And Now Having found My God, I have Forsaken, The Un-Quiet world, And In HIM I have Found,

Everlasting Peace and Rest.

JOHN 1. 45.

PHilip Findeth Nathanael, And saith unto him, We have found HIM, Of whom, Moses in the Law, And The Prophets, did write.

ISA. 53. 7.

OH! How Beautiful, Upon the Mountains, Are the Feet of Him That bringeth Good Tydings, That Publisheth Peace, That bringeth Good Tydings of Good, That Publisheth Salvation, That saith Unto Zion, Thy God REIGNETH.

LUKE 1. 29.

LOrd, Now lettest Thou Thy Servant Depart in peace, According to Thy Word; For, Mine Eyes Have Seen Thy Salvation, Which Thou hast Prepared, before the face of All people, A light to lighten the Gentiles, And to be The GLORY Of Thy People Israel.

EPHES. 6. 23, 24.

GRace be with All Them That Love The Lord Iesus, in Sin∣cerity. and PEace be to All the Brethren, And Love, with Faith, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God The Father, And The Lord Iesus Christ.

JUDE 25.

ANd To the Onely Wise God And Our Saviour▪ Be Glory And Majesty, Dominion and Powe•• Now and Ever. Amen, and Amen.

IOB 42. 1, &c.

THen Iob Answered The Lord and Said, I Have Heard of Thee by the Hearing of the Ear, But Now Mine Eye Seeth Thee,

Therefore, I Abhorre my Self in Dust and Ashes.

Now After The Lord had spoken These Words unto Iob, The Lord Also said unto Eliphaz The Temanite,

My wrath is kindled against Thee, And against Thy two Friends; For Ye have not spoken of me The thing That is Right Like my Servant Iob.

Therefore, Take unto you Seven Bullocks and Seven Rams, And Go to my Servant Iob, And offer for your Selves a burnt Offering, And my Servant Iob shall Pray for you:

For, I will Accept Him, Lest I should Put you to Shame, Because Ye have not spoken of me The Thing which is Right, Like My Servant IOB.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mat. 11. 17.
• * 1.2

  Mat. 7. 17.
• * 1.3

  2 Sam. 6.
• * 1.4

  V. 16.
• * 1.5

  Num. 10. 25.
• * 1.6

  2 Pet. 1. 21.
• * 1.7

  Heb. 7. 3.
• * 1.8

  2 Pet. 1. 21.
• * 1.9

  Luk. 2. 13.
• * 1.10

  Gen. 32. 2.
• * 1.11

  Gen. 41. 43.
• * 1.12

  Exod. 14. 9.
• * 1.13

  1 Chro••. 19. 7.
• * 1.14

  Psal. 45. 2.
• * 1.15

  Psal. 66. 5.
• * 1.16

  Psal. 104.
• * 1.17

  Psa. 19. 5.
• * 1.18

  Psal. 8. 1.
• * 1.19

  Psal. 68. 24.
• * 1.20

  Rom. 16. 20.
• * 1.21

  Psal. 24. 8.
• * 1.22

  Psal. 18.
• * 1.23

  Isa. 64. 1, 2, 3.
• * 1.24

  Psal. 18. 26.
• * 1.25

  2 Chron. 15. 2.
• * 1.26

  Luk. 15. 20.
• * 1.27

  Jam. 1. 17.
• * 1.28

  Psa. 125. 1.
• * 1.29

  Quest.
• * 1.30

  Answ.
• * 1.31

  2 King. 2. 11.
• * 1.32

  Heb. 1••. 31.
• * 1.33

  Amos 3. 8.
• * 1.34

  Rom. 8. 31.
• * 1.35

  Iob 20. 14.
• * 1.36

  Iob 7. 4.
• * 1.37

  Nah. 3. 2.
• * 1.38

  Numb. 16. 32.
• * 1.39

  Prov. 18. 14.
• * 1.40

  Obj. Psal. 139. 11.
• * 1.41

  Answ.
• * 1.42

  V. 12.
• * 1.43

  Luk. 12. 5.
• * 1.44

  Eph. 4. 20.
• * 1.45

  Psa. 20. 7.
• * 1.46

  Mat. 10. 28.
• * 1.47

  Psal. 33. 17.
• * 1.48

  Psal. 146. 3.
• * 1.49

  Isa. 2. 22.
• * 1.50

  Psal. 127. 7.
• * 1.51

  2 King. 13. 14.
• * 1.52

  Psal. 19. 1.
• * 1.53

  Ier. 23. 24
• * 1.54

  Psa. 104. 2.
• * 1.55

  Exod. 14. 19, 20.
• * 1.56

  Isa. 45. 15.
• * 1.57

  1 Ioh. 3. 2.
• * 1.58

  Exod. 33. 20.
• * 1.59

  2 Cor. 13. 5.
• * 1.60

  Gen. 28. 17.
• * 1.61

  Object.
• * 1.62

  Answ.
• * 1.63

  Isa. 6. 3.
• * 1.64

  Mat. 7. 6.
• * 1.65

  1 Cor. 3. 1.
• * 1.66

  Heb. 5. 13, 14.
• * 1.67

  Exod. 3. 14.
• * 1.68

  Acts 17. 23.
• * 1.69

  Numb. 24. 17.
• * 1.70

  Luk. 1. 53.
• * 1.71

  Isa. 40. 12.
• * 1.72

  Quest.
• * 1.73

  Answ.
• * 1.74

  Mat. 5. 3.
• * 1.75

  Luk. 1. 53.
• * 1.76

  Acts. 17. 27.
• * 1.77

  1 Tim. 6. 16.
• * 1.78

  Col. 1. 15.
• * 1.79

  Heb. 1. 3.
• * 1.80

  Dan. 7. 9.
• * 1.81

  Exod. 3. 24.
• * 1.82

  Rev. 1. 18.
• * 1.83

  Exod. 32. 4.
• * 1.84

  Rom. 14. 17.
• * 1.85

  1 Cor. 16. 22.
• * 1.86

  Hab. 1. 16.
• * 1.87

  Acts 17. 28.
• * 1.88

  Col. 3. 11.
• * 1.89

  Rev. 1. 8.
• * 1.90

  Eph. 4. 6.
• * 1.91

  Rom. 8. ult.
• * 1.92

  Isa. 12. 6.
• * 1.93

  Eph. 3. 17.
• * 1.94

  1 Cor. 6. 19.
• * 1.95

  Psal. 84. 2.
• * 1.96

  Ioh. 12. 3.
• * 1.97

  Luk. 10. 39.
• * 1.98

  Rom. 8. 18.
• * 1.99

  Numb. 10. 36.
• * 1.100

  Ps. 147. 4.
• * 1.101

  Wisd. 11. 17.
• * 1.102

  Rom. 11. 33.
• * 1.103

  Esa. 40. 12.
• * 1.104

  Ps. 147. 4.
• * 1.105

  Gen. 15. 5.
• * 1.106

  Mat. 26. 53.
• * 1.107

  Ps. 90. 4.
• * 1.108

  Isa. 28. 10.
• * 1.109

  Rom. 11. 33.
• * 1.110

  Iob 40. 19
• * 1.111

  Ps. 77. 19.
• * 1.112

  Nah. 1. 3.
• * 1.113

  Mat. 6. 13.
• * 1.114

  Dan. 7. 10.
• * 1.115

  Isa. 28. 20.
• * 1.116

  Vers. 23.
• * 1.117

  Isa. 28. 13.
• * 1.118

  Vers. 9.
• * 1.119

  Vers. 15.
• * 1.120

  Deut. 33. 27.
• * 1.121

  Mat. 10. 30.
• * 1.122

  Nah. 1. 3, 4.
• * 1.123

  Psal. 50. ult.
• * 1.124

  Ps. 61. 3.
• * 1.125

  Deut. 33. 26.
• * 1.126

  Ps 34. 7, 8.
• * 1.127

  V. 10.
• * 1.128

  Gen. 28.
• * 1.129

  Ps. 139. 7.
• * 1.130

  Gen. 11.
• * 1.131

  Deut. 33. 27.
• * 1.132

  Ps. 147. 9.
• * 1.133

  Heb. 1. 14.
• * 1.134

  Iosh. 10. 12.
• * 1.135

  Isa. 38. 8.
• * 1.136

  Numb. 20.
• * 1.137

  Exod. 10. 25.
• * 1.138

  Ps. 78. 13.
• * 1.139

  2 King. 6. 6.
• * 1.140

  Isa. 54. 9.
• * 1.141

  Rev. 10. 6.
• * 1.142

  Mat. 5. 18.
• * 1.143

  Iob 6. 5.
• * 1.144

  Ps. 119.
• * 1.145

  Amos 6. 5.
• * 1.146

  Iud. 14. 18.
• * 1.147

  Heb. 12. 9.
• * 1.148

  Psal. 4. 8.
• * 1.149

  Psal. 36. 5.
• * 1.150

  V. 6.
• * 1.151

  V. 7.
• * 1.152

  V. 8.
• * 1.153

  V. 9.
• * 1.154

  Ps. 86. 13.
• * 1.155

  Ps. 104. 24.
• * 1.156

  Psal. 98. 3.
• * 1.157

  Cant. 4. 7.
• * 1.158

  Psal. 103. 20.
• * 1.159

  Psal. 8. 5.
• * 1.160

  Object.
• * 1.161

  Answ.
• * 1.162

  Jam. 1. 17.
• * 1.163

  Quest.
• * 1.164

  Answ.
• * 1.165

  Gen. 19. 19.
• * 1.166

  Mat. 3. 9.
• * 1.167

  Mat. 7. 6.
• * 1.168

  Mat. 18. 10.
• * 1.169

  Eph. 3. 15.
• * 1.170

  Luk. 1. 53.
• * 1.171

  Psal. 25.
• * 1.172

  Mat. 22. 30.
• * 1.173

  Mat. 24. 49.
• * 1.174

  Luk. 9. 55
• * 1.175

  Isa. 40. 14
• * 1.176

  Isa. 45. 9.
• * 1.177

  Psal. 8. 6.
• * 1.178

  Psal. 62. 8.
• * 1.179

  Lam. 2. 19.
• * 1.180

  1 Cor. 6. 14.
• * 1.181

  Luk. 22. 12.
• * 1.182

  Cant. 4. 7.
• * 1.183

  Luk. 14. 26.
• * 1.184

  Rom. 11. 33.
• * 1.185

  1 Cor. 13. 12.
• * 1.186

  Cant. 8. 6.
• * 1.187

  Ibid. 4. 7.
• * 1.188

  Cant. 4. 7.
• * 1.189

  Psal. 81. 7.
• * 1.190

  2 Pet. 2. 1.
• * 1.191

  Mat. 11. 12.
• * 1.192

  1 Joh. 2. 27.
• * 1.193

  Mat. 5. 16.
• * 1.194

  Psal. 8. 1.
• * 1.195

  Deut. 10.
• * 1.196

  Luk. 1. 53.
• * 1.197

  Rev. 3. 17.
• * 1.198

  Numb. 11 29.
• * 1.199

  Rom. 12. 3.
• * 1.200

  Luk. 18. 11.
• * 1.201

  Phil. 3. 13▪
• * 1.202

  Phil. 3. 1••.
• * 1.203

  Iud. 23.
• * 1.204

  2 Sam. 2. 23. & 20, 12.
• * 1.205

  Exod. 14. 16.
• * 1.206

  2 Cor. 11.
• * 1.207

  Luk. 8. 28.
• * 1.208

  Mat. 17. 6.
• * 1.209

  Mat. 15. 34.
• * 1.210

  Mat. 25. 9.
• * 1.211

  Mat. 25. 12.
• * 1.212

  Rom. 23. 10.
• * 1.213

  Deut. 4. 13.
• * 1.214

  Joh. 4. 24.
• * 1.215

  Numb. 17 5, &c.
• * 1.216

  1 Cor. 9. 9.
• * 1.217

  Joh. 11. 42.
• * 1.218

  1 Cor. 3. 13.
• * 1.219

  Luk. 16. 25.
• * 1.220

  2 Cor. 3. 13.
• * 1.221

  Rev. 5. 5.
• * 1.222

  Cant. 4. 10.
• * 1.223

  Mat. 13. 11.
• * 1.224

  Ib. 12. 42.
• * 1.225

  Joh. 1. 14.
• * 1.226

  Isa. 30. 33 & 56. 24.
• * 1.227

  Mar. 5. 44
• * 1.228

  Joh. 5. 35.
• * 1.229

  Psal. 110. 1.
• * 1.230

  Psal. 45. 13.
• * 1.231

  Joh. 3. 29.
• * 1.232

  Mat. 13. 52.
• * 1.233

  Rev. 3. 17
• * 1.234

  Mat. 7. 16.
• * 1.235

  Jude 12.
• * 1.236

  Psa. 79.
• * 1.237

  1 Cor. 15. 24.
• * 1.238

  Heb. 13.
• * 1.239

  2 Cor. 4. 10.
• * 1.240

  Mat. 9 20
• * 1.241

  Joh. 4. 14▪
• * 1.242

  Ibid. 6. 49
• * 1.243

  Mat. 23. 18.
• * 1.244

  Luk. 24. 42.
• * 1.245

  Joh. 4. 34.
• * 1.246

  Cant. 6. 3.
• * 1.247

  Isa. 66. 2.
• * 1.248

  Mat. 25. 42.
• * 1.249

  Rev. 3. 20.
• * 1.250

  Mat. 25. 44.
• * 1.251

  Mat. 5. 6.
• * 1.252

  Joh. 4. 14.
• * 1.253

  Psal. 2. 12.
• * 1.254

  Rom. 8. 28.
• * 1.255

  Mat. 23. 23.
• * 1.256

  Isa. 66. 1.
• * 1.257

  Col. 1. 15. &c.
• * 1.258

  Psal. 102. 27.
• * 1.259

  Jam. 1. 17.
• * 1.260

  Rom. 8. 28.
• * 1.261

  Rom. 8. 38, 39.
• * 1.262

  Mat. 5. 24.
• * 1.263

  Mar. 9. 11.
• * 1.264

  Joh. 6.
• * 1.265

  Ps. 125. 1.
• * 1.266

  Deut. 30. 15.
• * 1.267

  Col. 2. 22.
• * 1.268

  Col. 1. 15.
• * 1.269

  Mar. 10. 9.
• * 1.270

  Prov. 6. 26.
• * 1.271

  Gen. 39. 7, &c.
• * 1.272

  Luk. 9. 13.
• * 1.273

  Phil. 3. 7.
• * 1.274

  Gen. 23. 11.
• * 1.275

  Rev. 2. 17.
• * 1.276

  Psa. 84. 10
• * 1.277

  1 King. 10. 6, 7.
• * 1.278

  Psal. 1. 5.
• * 1.279

  Rom. 10. 6.
• * 1.280

  1 Joh. 5. 8.
• * 1.281

  Joh. 15. 5.
• * 1.282

  Ps. 118. 12.
• * 1.283

  Judges 16. 12.
• * 1.284

  Rev. 2. & 3.
• * 1.285

  Cha. 2▪ 29.
• * 1.286

  Joh. 1. 16.
• * 1.287

  Col. 1. 15.
• * 1.288

  Heb. 1.
• * 1.289

  Joh. 1. 1.
• * 1.290

  Psa. 133. 4
• * 1.291

  Luk. 17. 21
• * 1.292

  Psa. 42. 2.
• * 1.293

  Psa. 27. 4.
• * 1.294

  Mat. 15. 34.
• * 1.295

  2 King. 4.
• * 1.296

  Mat. 25. 21
• * 1.297

  Luk. 3. 19.
• * 1.298

  Mat. 6. 11.
• * 1.299

  Joh. 6. 49.
• * 1.300

  Dan. 12. 3
• * 1.301

  Joh. 15. 1.
• * 1.302

  Exo. 3. 9.
• * 1.303

  Exo. 20. 19.
• * 1.304

  Isa. 55. 8, &c.
• * 1.305

  1 King. 19. 12.
• * 1.306

  Num. 10.
• * 1.307

  Job. 11. 11
• * 1.308

  Prov. 28. 1
• * 1.309

  Jer. 6. 12.
• * 1.310

  1 Thess. 2. 5.
• * 1.311

  1 Tim. 5. 8
• * 1.312

  1 Thess. 2. 5.
• * 1.313

  1 Tim. 6. 10.
• * 1.314

  1 Tim. 6. 10.
• * 1.315

  Prov. 30. 8, 9.
• * 1.316

  Matt. 6.
• * 1.317

  1 Tim. 6. 8.
• * 1.318

  Isa. 2. 22.
• * 1.319

  Luk. 9. 13.
• * 1.320

  Luke 17, 26, 27.
• * 1.321

  Rom. 6. 21.
• * 1.322

  Psa. 62. 9.
• * 1.323

  Joh. 3. 31.
• * 1.324

  Rom. 1. 29
• * 1.325

  Mat. 21. 31.
• * 1.326

  Mark 7. 21, 22.
• * 1.327

  1 Cor. 6. 9, 10.
• * 1.328

  Rom. 1. 29.
• * 1.329

  Rom. 1. 26
• * 1.330

  Luk. 12. 14
• * 1.331

  Amos 5. 12
• * 1.332

  Gen. 9. 21
• * 1.333

  2 Sam. 11. 4.
• * 1.334

  Psa. 39. 12
• * 1.335

  Luk. 19. 2.
• * 1.336

  Vers. 8.
• * 1.337

  Joh. 2. 14.
• * 1.338

  1 Sam. 12. 3, &c.
• * 1.339

  1 Sam. 8. 11, 12.
• * 1.340

  Jer. 5. 10
• * 1.341

  Act. 20. 33
• * 1.342

  Rea. 1.
• * 1.343

  Psa. 16.
• * 1.344

  Rea. 2.
• * 1.345

  1 Tim. 6. 10.
• * 1.346

  2 Tim. 4. 13.
• * 1.347

  Gen. 41. 2, &c.
• * 1.348

  Joel 1. 4.
• * 1.349

  ••s. 119. 36
• * 1.350

  Col. 3. 5.
• * 1.351

  Ephes. 5. 5
• * 1.352

  Luk. 10. 27.
• * 1.353

  Ecclus. 10. 9.
• * 1.354

  Psa. 14. 1.
• * 1.355

  Job 31. 24
• * 1.356

  1 Sam. 15. 22.
• * 1.357

  Exo. 32. 4
• * 1.358

  Isa. 2. 7, 8.
• * 1.359

  2 Tim. 4. 10.
• * 1.360

  Act. 19. 24
• * 1.361

  Mat. 21. 13
• * 1.362

  Jer. 2. 11.
• * 1.363

  Jer. 2. 11.
• * 1.364

  Mat. 4. 9.
• * 1.365

  Exo. 20. 7.
• * 1.366

  Mat. 23. 14, 15, 16.
• * 1.367

  Vers. 13.
• * 1.368

  Gen. 34.
• * 1.369

  Vers. 23.
• * 1.370

  Vers. 28.
• * 1.371

  1 Tim. 6. 5.
• * 1.372

  Exo. 20. 8.
• * 1.373

  Exo. 5. 17.
• * 1.374

  Amos 8. 5.
• * 1.375

  Neh. 13. 15, 16.
• * 1.376

  Exo. 20. 12.
• * 1.377

  Pro. 28. 24
• * 1.378

  Mat. 15. 4.
• * 1.379

  Exo. 20. 13.
• * 1.380

  Pr••. 1. 11.
• * 1.381

  Ver. 19.
• * 1.382

  Ezek. 22. 13.
• * 1.383

  1 Kin. 21.
• * 1.384

  Luk. 22. 5.
• * 1.385

  Exo. 20. 14.
• * 1.386

  Gen. 38. 16.
• * 1.387

  Exod. 20. 15.
• * 1.388

  1 Cor. 6. 10.
• * 1.389

  Joh. 12. 6.
• * 1.390

  Jam. 4. 3.
• * 1.391

  Exod. 20. 16
• * 1.392

  Luk. 3. 14.
• * 1.393

  ••udev. 16
• * 1.394

  2 Pet. 2. 15.
• * 1.395

  Exod. 20. 17.
• * 1.396

  Psal. 119. 36.
• * 1.397

  1 King. 21. 7.
• * 1.398

  Ezek. 22. 17.
• * 1.399

  Isa. 5. 8.
• * 1.400

  Psal. 62. 12.
• * 1.401

  2 Sam. 12.
• * 1.402

  Jud•• ••. 11
• * 1.403

  Num. 23.
• * 1.404

  Exod. 22. 1.
• * 1.405

  Luk. 12. 15.
• * 1.406

  Luk. 12. 15, 16.
• * 1.407

  Exo. 35. 5.
• * 1.408

  1 Joh. 3. 8.
• * 1.409

  Exo. 4, &c.
• * 1.410

  Luk. 12. 15
• * 1.411

  Jer. 13. 23
• * 1.412

  1 Tim. 6. 8
• * 1.413

  Gen. 38. 28.
• * 1.414

  Isa. 5. 7.
• * 1.415

  Vers. 9.
• * 1.416

  Mic. 2. 1, 2.
• * 1.417

  Hab. 2. 6
• * 1.418

  Vers. 9.
• * 1.419

  Vers. 11.
• * 1.420

  Psa. 10. 3.
• * 1.421

  Ezek. 22. 13.
• * 1.422

  Isa. 57. 17.
• * 1.423

  Eccles. 6. 2
• * 1.424

  2 King. 5. 27.
• * 1.425

  Joshua 7. 26.
• * 1.426

  Mat. 27. 5. Act. 5.
• * 1.427

  Prov. 28. 16.
• * 1.428

  2 Pet. 2. 15.
• * 1.429

  Eccles. 6, 1, 2.
• * 1.430

  Eccles. 5. 10, 11.
• * 1.431

  Job 20. 22
• * 1.432

  Job 20. 20
• * 1.433

  Vers. 15.
• * 1.434

  Psal. 37.
• * 1.435

  Amos 4. 1, 2.
• * 1.436

  Job 19. 17
• * 1.437

  Ephes. 5. 5
• * 1.438

  Amos 4. 2
• * 1.439

  Amos 8. 7
• * 1.440

  1 Joh. 5. 4
• * 1.441

  Mat. 6. 26.
• * 1.442

  1 Cor. 7. 30.
• * 1.443

  Psal. 16. 11.
• * 1.444

  1 Cor. 2. ••.
• * 1.445

  Rom. 10. 2.
• * 1.446

  Mat. 6. 7.
• * 1.447

  Reas. 1.
• * 1.448

  Reas. 2.
• * 1.449

  Reas. 3.
• * 1.450

  Reas. 4.
• * 1.451

  Rom. 9. 3.
• * 1.452

  Ioh. 38. 7.
• * 1.453

  Psal. 19. 1.
• * 1.454

  Rom. 12. 6.
• * 1.455

  Prov. 6. 6.
• * 1.456

  Isa. 1. 3.
• * 1.457

  Mar. 4. 39.
• * 1.458

  Psal. 84. 3.
• * 1.459

  Psal. 147. 19.
• * 1.460

  Psal. 145. 19.
• * 1.461

  Some are offended at some passages in this Book, whereof This is the chief, W••h in their apprehen∣sion under values Him whom he all along So much magnifies, As no man more; ergo a clear mistake, To use no other ar∣gument; That He should go so contra∣ry to His Great De∣sign, viz. To list up Christ A∣bove all things in Heaven o•• Earth.
• * 1.462

  Gen. 22. 2.
• * 1.463

  1 Chron. 16. 31, &c.
• * 1.464

  Psal. 165. 9, 10.
• * 1.465

  Use 1.
• * 1.466

  1 Chron. 21. 7.
• * 1.467

  Use 2.
• * 1.468

  1 King. 19. 10.
• * 1.469

  Col. 1. 16.
• * 1.470

  Psal. 2. 10; 11
• * 1.471

  Use 3.
• * 1.472

  Use 4.
• * 1.473

  Gen. 28. 12.
• * 1.474

  Rom. 8. 37.
• * 1.475

  Use 5.
• * 1.476

  Rev. 22. 9.
• * 1.477

  Mic. 2. 10.
• * 1.478

  Gen. 8. 9.
• * 1.479

  Use 6.
• * 1.480

  Rom. 8. 22
• * 1.481

  Ephes. 2.
• * 1.482

  Mat. 24. 49.
• * 1.483

  Prov. 10.
• * 1.484

  Luke 2. Ult.
• * 1.485

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.486

  Joh. 3. 30.
• * 1.487

  Dan. 2. 34, 35.
• * 1.488

  Quest.
• * 1.489

  Answ.
• * 1.490

  Numb. 14. 21.
• * 1.491

  Isa. 6. 3.
• * 1.492

  Gen. 28.
• * 1.493

  Gen. 21. 19.
• * 1.494

  Deut. 30. 14.
• * 1.495

  Rom. 10. 6, 7.
• * 1.496

  Col. 1. 17.
• * 1.497

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.498

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.499

  Rom. 2. 28, 29.
• * 1.500

  2 Cor. 3. 6.
• * 1.501

  Obj.
• * 1.502

  Answ.
• * 1.503

  Heb. 6. 6.
• * 1.504

  Gal. 4. 19.
• * 1.505

  Col. 2. 11.
• * 1.506

  Mat. 5. 16.
• * 1.507

  Isa. 54. 13.
• * 1.508

  Jer. 31. 34
• * 1.509

  Joh. 6. 45.
• * 1.510

  Psal. 13. 3.
• * 1.511

  Ps. 18. 28.
• * 1.512

  Col. 3. 2.
• * 1.513

  Joh. 8, 59.
• * 1.514

  1 Cor. 2. 2.
• * 1.515

  1 Cor. 5. 16.
• * 1.516

  Gal. 2. 20.
• * 1.517

  Jam. 4. 1.
• * 1.518

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.519

  Luk. 2. Ult.
• * 1.520

  Eph••s. 2. 1.
• * 1.521

  Joh. 11. 25.
• * 1.522

  Psal. 82. 3.
• * 1.523

  Rev. 21.
• * 1.524

  Rev. 21.
• * 1.525

  Rev. 21. 23.
• * 1.526

  Rev. 21.
• * 1.527

  Exod. 33. 23.
• * 1.528

  Rev. 21. 23.
• * 1.529

  Ver. 14.
• * 1.530

  Mar. 10. 37.
• * 1.531

  Heb. 6. 1, 2.
• * 1.532

  Psal. 16
• * 1.533

  1 Joh. 2. 27.
• * 1.534

  Cant. 4. 7.
• * 1.535

  1 Cor. 14. 26.
• * 1.536

  Jer. 31.
• * 1.537

  Joh. 16. 13.
• * 1.538

  Vers. 1 2.
• * 1.539

  1 Cor. 3. 2
• * 1.540

  1 Cor. 2. 10.
• * 1.541

  Luk. 2. 40.
• * 1.542

  Matth. 19. 14.
• * 1.543

  Lev. 21. 20.
• * 1.544

  Cant. 1. 7.
• * 1.545

  Pro. 26. 12.
• * 1.546

  2 Tim. 3. 7
• * 1.547

  Act. 16. 3.
• * 1.548

  Gal. 5. 6.
• * 1.549

  Gal. 4.
• * 1.550

  2 Cor. 5. 16.
• * 1.551

  Mat. 20. 22
• * 1.552

  1 Cor. 12. 31.
• * 1.553

  2 Cor, 12. 4.
• * 1.554

  2 Cor. 8.
• * 1.555

  Mat. 16. 18.
• * 1.556

  1 Cor. 1. 16.
• * 1.557

  Vers. 17.
• * 1.558

  Act. 15. 28, 29.
• * 1.559

  1 Cor. 9. 22.
• * 1.560

  1 Cor. 8. 7.
• * 1.561

  1 Cor. 10. 25.
• * 1.562

  Jer. 31. 33.
• * 1.563

  Jude 22, 23.
• * 1.564

  Gal. 4. I, 2
• * 1.565

  Joh. 8. 35.
• * 1.566

  Joh. 15. 15
• * 1.567

  Heb. 6. 1.
• * 1.568

  1 Joh. 2. 12, 13, 14.
• * 1.569

  1 John 2. 27.
• * 1.570

  2 Cor. 10. 12, 13, &c.
• * 1.571

  1 Cor. 13. 9, 10.
• * 1.572

  Luke 10. 42.
• * 1.573

  Mat. 11. 16.
• * 1.574

  Psa. 31. 12▪ 13. &c.
• * 1.575

  Mat. 16. 18.
• * 1.576

  Ps▪ 31. 12.
• * 1.577

  Act. 18. 23
• * 1.578

  Act. 17. 18, 19.
• * 1.579

  Ps. 137. 6.
• * 1.580

  Deut. 28.
• * 1.581

  Psa. 31. 16 Psa. 4. 6. 7
• * 1.582

  Mat. 7. 6.
• * 1.583

  Mat. 5. 18.
• * 1.584

  Isa. 40. 13.
• * 1.585

  Mat. 6. ult.
• * 1.586

  1 Cor. 12. 31.
• * 1.587

  2 Sam. 23. 19.
• * 1.588

  Rom. 7. 6.
• * 1.589

  Numb. 1. 46.
• * 1.590

  Gal. 1. 22.
• * 1.591

  1 Cor 10.
• * 1.592

  Ephes. 2. 2
• * 1.593

  Joshua 15 15, 26.
• * 1.594

  Mark 15. 38.
• * 1.595

  Exo. 14. 16.
• * 1.596

  Josh. 15. 15, 16.
• * 1.597

  1 Cor. 3. 6
• * 1.598

  Joh. 6. 58.
• * 1.599

  2 Cor. 3. 6
• * 1.600

  2 Cor. 5. 16.
• * 1.601

  1 Cor. 5. 16.
• * 1.602

  2 Cor. 5. 16.
• * 1.603

  Col. 3. 1.
• * 1.604

  Luk. 2. 46.
• * 1.605

  1 Cor. 2. 9.
• * 1.606

  Exo. 1. 12.
• * 1.607

  Luk. 4. 21.
• * 1.608

  Exo. 14. 17.
• * 1.609

  Act. 7. 23.
• * 1.610

  Mat. 13. 34.
• * 1.611

  1 Cor. 3. 1.
• * 1.612

  Numb. 16. 3.
• * 1.613

  Exod. 16. 19.
• * 1.614

  Gen. 19. 16.
• * 1.615

  2 Cor. 3. 15.
• * 1.616

  Isa. 6. 10.
• * 1.617

  Act. 16. 14
• * 1.618

  Psal. 78. 71.
• * 1.619

  2 Sam. 7. 8.
• * 1.620

  Ps. 62. 18.
• * 1.621

  Gen. 42. 33.
• * 1.622

  Luk. 10. 42.
• * 1.623

  Ibid.
• * 1.624

  Vers. 40.
• * 1.625

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.626

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.627

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.628

  Mat. 22. 37.
• * 1.629

  1 King, 17. 6.
• * 1.630

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 5. 40.
• * 1.631

  Job 4. 16.
• * 1.632

  Mat. 5. 17.
• * 1.633

  Cant. 4. 12
• * 1.634

  1 Cor. 2. 14.
• * 1.635

  Mat. 6. 24, &c.
• * 1.636

  Luk. 12. 27.
• * 1.637

  Ver. 2.
• * 1.638

  Gen. 28. 16.
• * 1.639

  Gen. 28. 12.
• * 1.640

  Psal. 103. 21.
• * 1.641

  Ver. 4.
• * 1.642

  Exod. 4. 3.
• * 1.643

  Ver. 7.
• * 1.644

  Ver. 9.
• * 1.645

  Exod. 9. ult.
• * 1.646

  Ibid. 14. 23.
• * 1.647

  Ver. 2.
• * 1.648

  Ver. 3.
• * 1.649

  Ver. 14.
• * 1.650

  Rev. 22. 9.
• * 1.651

  Obj.
• * 1.652

  Answ.
• * 1.653

  Rev. 1. 8.
• * 1.654

  Mat. 16. 18.
• * 1.655

  Jer. 23. 24.
• * 1.656

  2 King. 6. 16.
• * 1.657

  Ver. 17.
• * 1.658

  Num. 22.
• * 1.659

  Act. 16. 25
• * 1.660

  Col. 1. 17.
• * 1.661

  Heb. 1. 3. 1
• * 1.662

  Cor. 8. 6.
• * 1.663

  Mat. 22. 32.
• * 1.664

  Matth. 18. 10.
• * 1.665

  Mat. 18. 10
• * 1.666

  Isa. 65. 24.
• * 1.667

  Rom. 10. 7
• * 1.668

  Isa. 9. 6.
• * 1.669

  Ps. 56. 2.
• * 1.670

  Ier. 20. 8.
• * 1.671

  Esa. 9. 5.
• * 1.672

  Psa. 158. 1, 2.
• * 1.673

  Gen. 4.
• * 1.674

  Ps. 78. 71.
• * 1.675

  Psa. 127. 1
• * 1.676

  Mat. 6. 27
• * 1.677

  Pro. 10. 4.
• * 1.678

  Luk. 10. 42.
• * 1.679

  Gal. 2. 20.
• * 1.680

  Gen. 46. Ult.
• * 1.681

  Luke 10. 42.
• * 1.682

  Ps. 19. 10.
• * 1.683

  2 Chro. 19. 12.
• * 1.684

  Psa. 85. 8.
• * 1.685

  Hab. 1. 16
• * 1.686

  Mich. 2. 11. & Zac. 7. 5.
• * 1.687

  D••u. 5. 4.
• * 1.688

  Obj.
• * 1.689

  Ans.
• * 1.690

  Luk. 1. 39.
• * 1.691

  Exo. 33.
• * 1.692

  John 12. 26.
• * 1.693

  Luke 16. 13.
• * 1.694

  Gen. 19. 20.
• * 1.695

  2 Sam. 18. Ult.
• * 1.696

  Exod. 33. 11.
• * 1.697

  Act. 2. 17.
• * 1.698

  1 King. 19. 4.
• * 1.699

  Matth. 13. 38.
• * 1.700

  Ver. 2, 3, 4
• * 1.701

  Ezek. 47. 1, &c.
• * 1.702

  Act. 9. 7.
• * 1.703

  Mat. 7. 6.
• * 1.704

  2 Tim. 3. 17.
• * 1.705

  Num. 2. 2.
• * 1.706

  Ps. 103. 21
• * 1.707

  Obj.
• * 1.708

  Judges 6. 11, 15.
• * 1.709

  Ans.
• * 1.710

  Phil. 4. 7.
• * 1.711

  Rev. 22. 9.
• * 1.712

  Psa. 148.
• * 1.713

  Ps. 149. 6.
• * 1.714

  Ps. 150. 1.
• * 1.715

  Quest.
• * 1.716

  Ans.
• * 1.717

  Mat. 18. 10
• * 1.718

  Mat. 22. 37
• * 1.719

  Rom. 8. 39
• * 1.720

  Gen. 28. 10
• * 1.721

  2 Sam. 16. 10.
• * 1.722

  Ps. 39. 9.
• * 1.723

  Cant. 4. 12
• * 1.724

  Dan. 2. 28.
• * 1.725

  Judg. 14. 18.
• * 1.726

  Gen. 28.
• * 1.727

  Gen. 28. 16.
• * 1.728

  Gen. 46. 34.
• * 1.729

  Exo. 2. 15.
• * 1.730

  Exo. 10. 26.
• * 1.731

  Ib. 3. 11.
• * 1.732

  Obj.
• * 1.733

  Ans.
• * 1.734

  Obj.
• * 1.735

  Ans.
• * 1.736

  Exod. 4.
• * 1.737

  Quest.
• * 1.738

  Ans.
• * 1.739

  Cant. 4. 12
• * 1.740

  Quest.
• * 1.741

  Ans.
• * 1.742

  Esa. 10. 17.
• * 1.743

  Ps••. 90. 3.
• * 1.744

  Job 38. 14
• * 1.745

  Isa. 40. 12.
• * 1.746

  Rev. 21. 5.
• * 1.747

  Heb. 1. 11, 12.
• * 1.748

  Psa. 102. 26. 27.
• * 1.749

  Eph. 4 3.
• * 1.750

  Eph. 4. 3.
• * 1.751

  Mar. 7. 37.
• * 1.752

  Ps. 62. 11.
• * 1.753

  Exo. 3. 14.
• * 1.754

  Mat. 24. 6.
• * 1.755

  Luk. 21. 18
• * 1.756

  1 Pet. 5. 7.
• * 1.757

  Mar. 10. 30
• * 1.758

  1 Cor. 9. 22
• * 1.759

  1 Cor. 12. 6
• * 1.760

  Eph. 1. 11.
• * 1.761

  2 Sam. 16. 10.
• * 1.762

  Job 4. 18. Ch. 15. 15.
• * 1.763

  Heb 11. 24.
• * 1.764

  Rom. 9. 21
• * 1.765

  Mar. 7. 37.
• * 1.766

  Ps. 90. 3.
• * 1.767

  Job 38. 11
• * 1.768

  Psal. 93. 1.
• * 1.769

  Psa. 31. 15
• * 1.770

  Psal. 66. 7.
• * 1.771

  Dan. 4. 17.
• * 1.772

  Jer. 24. 12
• * 1.773

  Zac. 3. 7.
• * 1.774

  Luk. 2. 14.
• * 1.775

  Mat. 10. 34, 35.
• * 1.776

  Phil. 3. 21.
• * 1.777

  1 Joh. 3. 3.
• * 1.778

  Isa. 10. 17. & 9. 18.
• * 1.779

  Mar. 9. 49.
• * 1.780

  Heb. 12. 29.
• * 1.781

  1 Cor. 3. 15.
• * 1.782

  1 Thess. 5. 19.
• * 1.783

  Exo. 1. 18.
• * 1.784

  ••am. 1. 4.
• * 1.785

  Eccl. 1. 7.
• * 1.786

  Mal. 3. 3.
• * 1.787

  Mat. 3. 12.
• * 1.788

  1 Thes. 5. 23.
• * 1.789

  Hab. 2. 2.
• * 1.790

  Job 1. 6.
• * 1.791

  Zech. 3. 1.
• * 1.792

  Mat. 10. 17.
• * 1.793

  Phil. ••2.
• * 1.794

  Ier 7. 4.
• * 1.795

  Rom. 10. 10.
• * 1.796

  Luk. 8. 28.
• * 1.797

  Mat. 17. 21.
• * 1.798

  Rev. 12. 4.
• * 1.799

  Isa. 9. 6.
• * 1.800

  Mat. 10. 34
• * 1.801

  Mar. 5. 6, 7.
• * 1.802

  Isa. 5. 20.
• * 1.803

  Luk. 11. 23.
• * 1.804

  Quest.
• * 1.805

  Joh. 9. 31.
• * 1.806

  Ps. 66. 18.
• * 1.807

  Pro. 15. 8.
• * 1.808

  Answ.
• * 1.809

  Mat. 7. 7, 8
• * 1.810

  Mat. 12. 20
• * 1.811

  Phil. 2. 21.
• * 1.812

  Luk. 22. 42.
• * 1.813

  2 Cor. I 2.
• * 1.814

  Psal. 53. 4.
• * 1.815

  Quest.
• * 1.816

  Luk. 22. 53.
• * 1.817

  Luk. 13. 23, 24.
• * 1.818

  Answ.
• * 1.819

  Joh. 19. 11.
• * 1.820

  1 Cor. 15. 22.
• * 1.821

  Ephes. 2. 2
• * 1.822

  Luk. 11. 21.
• * 1.823

  1 Pet. 5. 8.
• * 1.824

  Ps. 91. 13.
• * 1.825

  Wisd. 7. 22.
• * 1.826

  Psal. 139. 12.
• * 1.827

  Isa. 54. 16.
• * 1.828

  Ecclus. 33 16.
• * 1.829

  Luk. 22. 53.
• * 1.830

  Exod. 17. 11.
• * 1.831

  2 Cor. 13. 3.
• * 1.832

  Object.
• * 1.833

  Rev. 12. 4
• * 1.834

  Quest.
• * 1.835

  Rom. 13. 1.
• * 1.836

  Joh. 19. 10.
• * 1.837

  Nah. 3. 2.
• * 1.838

  Isa. 26. 12
• * 1.839

  Job 1. 12.
• * 1.840

  Ps. 18. 34.
• * 1.841

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.842

  Job 1. ••••
• * 1.843

  Ps. 135. 7.
• * 1.844

  Job 1. 21.
• * 1.845

  Mar. 5. 13.
• * 1.846

  Exod. 7. 3.
• * 1.847

  2 Sam. 12. 11.
• * 1.848

  1 King. 22 23.
• * 1.849

  Joh. 12. 40
• * 1.850

  Isa. 6. 10.
• * 1.851

  Rom. 8. 32.
• * 1.852

  Eph. 5. 2.
• * 1.853

  Ezek. 7. 18.
• * 1.854

  Psal. 36. 6.
• * 1.855

  1 Cor. 14. 33.
• * 1.856

  Gen. 45. 5.
• * 1.857

  2 Sam. 16. 11.
• * 1.858

  Isa. 44. 7.
• * 1.859

  Object.
• * 1.860

  Answ.
• * 1.861

  Heb. 4. 12.
• * 1.862

  Psal. 29. 7.
• * 1.863

  ••asil Hexam. Hom. 6.
• * 1.864

  Isa. 45. 7.
• * 1.865

  Mic. 6. 8.
• * 1.866

  Luk. 1. 48.
• * 1.867

  Job 22. 23
• * 1.868

  Job 35. 6, 7.
• * 1.869

  Ps. 46. 2, 3.
• * 1.870

  Mar. 4. 39
• * 1.871

  Ps. 41. 42.
• * 1.872

  lb. 22. 4.
• * 1.873

  Job 2. 10.
• * 1.874

  Gen. 18. 25.
• * 1.875

  Phil. 4. 11
• * 1.876

  Psa. 39. 9.
• * 1.877

  Job 1. 21.
• * 1.878

  Quest.
• * 1.879

  Answ.
• * 1.880

  Quest.
• * 1.881

  Answ.
• * 1.882

  Act. 16. 16
• * 1.883

  Act. 16. 18
• * 1.884

  Exod. 14.
• * 1.885

  Exod. 17.
• * 1.886

  1 Cor. 10. 4.
• * 1.887

  Exod. 34. 33.
• * 1.888

  2 Cor. 3.
• * 1.889

  Gal. 4. 24▪
• * 1.890

  1 Cor. 10. 11.
• * 1.891

  Joh. 6.
• * 1.892

  Mar. 4. 34.
• * 1.893

  1 Tim. 3. 16.
• * 1.894

  1 Joh. 3. 8.
• * 1.895

  Joh. 19. 30
• * 1.896

  Joh. 19. 28
• * 1.897

  Col. 1. 24.
• * 1.898

  Gal. 6. 16.
• * 1.899

  Heb. 13. 8
• * 1.900

  Gal. 4 35
• * 1.901

  Deu. 10. 16.
• * 1.902

  Act▪ 7. 51.
• * 1.903

  Luk. 2. 52.
• * 1.904

  Col. 2. 19.
• * 1.905

  2 Cor. 10. 5.
• * 1.906

  Isa. 1. 6.
• * 1.907

  Ps. 13. 3.
• * 1.908

  Ps. 51. 15.
• * 1.909

  Psa. 119.
• * 1.910

  Jer. 9. 1.
• * 1.911

  Job 42. 6.
• * 1.912

  1 Cor. 15.
• * 1.913

  Eph. 4.
• * 1.914

  Col. 3. 1.
• * 1.915

  Mat. 28. 18.
• * 1.916

  Gal. 2. 20.
• * 1.917

  Object.
• * 1.918

  Luk. 1. 34.
• * 1.919

  Joh. 3. 4.
• * 1.920

  Joh. 13. 8.
• * 1.921

  Answ.
• * 1.922

  Joh. 7. 21.
• * 1.923

  Luk. 4. 33.
• * 1.924

  Matt. 26. 33.
• * 1.925

  Mar. 5. 9.
• * 1.926

  Gen. 1. 2.
• * 1.927

  Exod. 10. 13.
• * 1.928

  Gen. 6. 17
• * 1.929

  Eccl. 12. 7.
• * 1.930

  Prov. 25. 11.
• * 1.931

  Numb. 11. 17.
• * 1.932

  Ps. 78. 49.
• * 1.933

  2 Pet. 2. 4
• * 1.934

  Mat. 25. 41.
• * 1.935

  Heb. 1. 7.
• * 1.936

  Joh. 4. 24.
• * 1.937

  Heb. 12. 9
• * 1.938

  1 Cor. 15. 40.
• * 1.939

  Mar. 5. 9.
• * 1.940

  Luke 17. 24.
• * 1.941

  Mat. 7. 28
• * 1.942

  Mat. 19. 17.
• * 1.943

  Mat. 6. 13.
• * 1.944

  Mat. 16. 24.
• * 1.945

  2 Cor. 6. 15.
• * 1.946

  1 King. 18. 21.
• * 1.947

  Mat. 12. 30.
• * 1.948

  Rom. 14. 23.
• * 1.949

  Mat. 17. 15, 19.
• * 1.950

  Mat. 9. 17
• * 1.951

  Mat. 12. 22.
• * 1.952

  Luke 11. 14.
• * 1.953

  Luke 13. 11.
• * 1.954

  Vers. 16.
• * 1.955

  Luk. 8. 2.
• * 1.956

  Ps. 78. 49.
• * 1.957

  Ephes. 6. 19.
• * 1.958

  1 Tim. 3. 16. & 3. 9.
• * 1.959

  Rev. 10. 7
• * 1.960

  2 Thess. 2. 7.
• * 1.961

  Rom. 11. 33.
• * 1.962

  Rev. 2. 24
• * 1.963

  Luk. 5. 4.
• * 1.964

  Luk. 4. 18
• * 1.965

  Ps. 111. 9.
• * 1.966

  Heb3 ••
• * 1.967

  Job 1.
• * 1.968

  Mat. 8. 32.
• * 1.969

  1 Cor. 12. 4.
• * 1.970

  Jon. 4. 7.
• * 1.971

  Ezek. 16. 51.
• * 1.972

  Mat. 15. 19.
• * 1.973

  Phil. 2. 13.
• * 1.974

  Jam. 1. 17.
• * 1.975

  Joh. 12. 31.
• * 1.976

  2 Cor. 4. 4.
• * 1.977

  Mat. 25. 41.
• * 1.978

  2 Pet. 2. 4.
• * 1.979

  Rev. 9. 11.
• * 1.980

  Num. 5. 6.
• * 1.981

  1 Reg. 22. 22.
• * 1.982

  Isa. 29. 10.
• * 1.983

  1 Cor. 2. 12.
• * 1.984

  Juge. 9. 23.
• * 1.985

  Isa. 19. 14.
• * 1.986

  Hos. 4. 12. & 5. 4.
• * 1.987

  1 Tim. 4. 1.
• * 1.988

  1 Joh. 4. 8
• * 1.989

  Mat. 18. 7.
• * 1.990

  1 Tim. 19.
• * 1.991

  Rom. 2. 4. & 9. 22, 23.
• * 1.992

  Rom. 11. 33.
• * 1.993

  Eph. 2. 2.
• * 1.994

  Luk. 8. 2.
• * 1.995

  Mar. 5. 9.
• * 1.996

  Eph. 1. 23.
• * 1.997

  Joh 7. 46.
• * 1.998

  Esa. 37. 36.
• * 1.999

  Luk. 8. 30.
• * 1.1000

  Judg. 7. 12.
• * 1.1001

  Luk. 10. 18.
• * 1.1002

  Gen. 5. 6.
• * 1.1003

  1 Sam. 17. 23.
• * 1.1004

  Num. 16. 32.
• * 1.1005

  Luk. 12. 21.
• * 1.1006

  Mat. 12. 29.
• * 1.1007

  Iob 41. 29.
• * 1.1008

  Psal. 69. 11.
• * 1.1009

  Dan. 4. 30.
• * 1.1010

  Rev. 6. 2.
• * 1.1011

  Mat. 5. 19. 30.
• * 1.1012

  Exod. 15.
• * 1.1013

  Isa. 26. 17
• * 1.1014

  Isa. 37. 6.
• * 1.1015

  Joh. 9. 6.
• * 1.1016

  Mar. 10. 47.
• * 1.1017

  Psal. 19.
• * 1.1018

  Luk. 10. 41.
• * 1.1019

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.1020

  Gen. 1. 3, &c.
• * 1.1021

  2 Cor. 11. 14.
• * 1.1022

  Mat. 23. 6.
• * 1.1023

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.1024

  Jer. 44. 17.
• * 1.1025

  Joh. 3. 20.
• * 1.1026

  1 Pet. 5. 8.
• * 1.1027

  Job 1. 7.
• * 1.1028

  Judg. 6. 31.
• * 1.1029

  1 King. 28. 18.
• * 1.1030

  1 Thes. 2. 5.
• * 1.1031

  Mat. 7. 15.
• * 1.1032

  2 Chro. 18. 21.
• * 1.1033

  Mat. 16. 22.
• * 1.1034

  Ver. 23.
• * 1.1035

  Ezek. 22. 28.
• * 1.1036

  1 Pet. 4. 12.
• * 1.1037

  Joh. 3. 8.
• * 1.1038

  Jer. 6. 14.
• * 1.1039

  Jer. 23. 16.
• * 1.1040

  Zech. 13. 2.
• * 1.1041

  Joel. 2. 12
• * 1.1042

  Psal. 51. 17
• * 1.1043

  Isa. 26. 13.
• * 1.1044

  Ver. 19. 20.
• * 1.1045

  2 Pet. 2. 21
• * 1.1046

  Dan. 12. 4.
• * 1.1047

  Mar. 4. 39
• * 1.1048

  Psal. 107. 29.
• * 1.1049

  Quest.
• * 1.1050

  Ioh. 5. 12. & 8. 58.
• * 1.1051

  Iohn 14. 28.
• * 1.1052

  Answ.
• * 1.1053

  Ps▪ 146. 9.
• * 1.1054

  Iam. 1. 7.
• * 1.1055

  Ps. 16. 2.
• * 1.1056

  Phil. 2. 6, 8.
• * 1.1057

  1 Pet. 1. 12.
• * 1.1058

  Hest. 6. 6.
• * 1.1059

  Luk. 15. 18.
• * 1.1060

  Ps. 50. 2.
• * 1.1061

  Ps. 68. 24.
• * 1.1062

  Isa. 6. 3.
• * 1.1063

  Joh. 1. 9.
• * 1.1064

  Judg. 6. 36, &c.
• * 1.1065

  Rom. 11. 12.
• * 1.1066

  Mat. 15. 24.
• * 1.1067

  Mat. 10. 5, 6.
• * 1.1068

  Luke 7.
• * 1.1069

  Verse 4.
• * 1.1070

  Mat. 15. 22.
• * 1.1071

  Isa. 12. 6.
• * 1.1072

  Mat. 7. 16.
• * 1.1073

  1 Cor. 3. 13, 14.
• * 1.1074

  Mat. 6. 15.
• * 1.1075

  Isa. 63. 3.
• * 1.1076

  Mat. 12. 24.
• * 1.1077

  Mat. 4. 9.
• * 1.1078

  Lev. 10. 2.
• * 1.1079

  Psal. 133. 2.
• * 1.1080

  Prov. 7.
• * 1.1081

  1 Cor. 7. 30, &c.
• * 1.1082

  Mar. 7. 9.
• * 1.1083

  Ezek. 47. 4, 5.
• * 1.1084

  Mat. 3. 17.
• * 1.1085

  John 6. 15.
• * 1.1086

  Luke 20. 46.
• * 1.1087

  Heb. 13. ••.
• * 1.1088

  Mar. 9. 25.
• * 1.1089

  Psal. 58. 5.
• * 1.1090

  Mar. 5. 40.
• * 1.1091

  Rom. 8. 26
• * 1.1092

  Eph. 4. 30.
• * 1.1093

  1 Thes. 5. 19.
• * 1.1094

  1 Cor. 15. 50.
• * 1.1095

  ••ohn 12. 32.
• * 1.1096

  Mat. 1. 23.
• * 1.1097

  1 Tim. 3. 16.
• * 1.1098

  Mat. 11. 12.
• * 1.1099

  Psa. 129. 3.
• * 1.1100

  Ps. 110. 1.
• * 1.1101

  Job 29. 25.
• * 1.1102

  Isa. 1. 24.
• * 1.1103

  Ps. 27. 4..
• * 1.1104

  Joh. 17. 21.
• * 1.1105

  Gal. 2. 20.
• * 1.1106

  1 Cor. 3. 21, &c.
• * 1.1107

  Isa. 43. 24.
• * 1.1108

  Psal. 8. 5.
• * 1.1109

  Isa. 6. 3.
• * 1.1110

  Job. 41.
• * 1.1111

  Psal. 104.
• * 1.1112

  Psa. 107.
• * 1.1113

  Ps. 73. 20.
• * 1.1114

  Is. 40. 15. & 47. 14.
• * 1.1115

  Hos. 13. 2.
• * 1.1116

  1 Cor. 6. 17.
• * 1.1117

  1 Cor. 15. 10.
• * 1.1118

  Psal. 2. 9.
• * 1.1119

  1 Cor. 15. 36.
• * 1.1120

  Mal. 4. 2.
• * 1.1121

  1 Cor. 10. 5.
• * 1.1122

  Psal. 44. 23.
• * 1.1123

  Psal. 59. 5.
• * 1.1124

  Psal. 83. 12.
• * 1.1125

  Rev. 9. 3.
• * 1.1126

  Judg. 5. 23.
• * 1.1127

  Mat. 12. 29.
• * 1.1128

  Psal. 74.
• * 1.1129

  Mat. 5. 15.
• * 1.1130

  Psal. 107. 16.
• * 1.1131

  1 John 2. 20.
• * 1.1132

  1 Cor. 2. 9.
• * 1.1133

  2 Cor. 12. 4.
• * 1.1134

  Rev. 21. 4.
• * 1.1135

  Mat. 5. 5.
• * 1.1136

  Gal. 6. 14.
• * 1.1137

  1 Cor. 7. 30.
• * 1.1138

  Ps. 127. 5.
• * 1.1139

  Rev. 3. 21.
• * 1.1140

  Cant. 4. 16.
• * 1.1141

  Psal. 18. 11.