Sololoqvies theologicall. I am alone, and yet I am not alone, for the Father is with mee. By J. S. Gent.

SIR,

No longer (after my long Vacation in my travells) to fru∣strate you of your desire, though of force I must of the thing desired.

FEare I conceive may not unfitly be distinguished into a feare of aversion and a feare of adhesion; of turning from and cleaving to; and this may well be stupendious, astonishing, overcomming; in respect of the immensitie of the goodnesse of its object, such a feare as may be sayd to fall upon the soule, and make the soule fall under it, in a sweet God-injoying submissive humi∣litle. Such a feare as one may be sayd to be In the seare of the Lord; to be plunged in, swallowed up of those great and glorious apprehensions. This being both the effect and the cause of uniting the heart to God. And hence is it a feare of such great joy and strong confidence. The soule thus brought into God by love that is stronger then death, and faith that interested in the power, wise∣dome goodnesse of God can doe all things, by this so neare approach to, and communion with him, discove∣ring more of his fulnesse, and in that of the creatures va∣nitie. And hence are they so inseperably linckt together, men of courage-fearing God-hating covetousnesse; fearing the Lord-and Delighting Greatly in his Commandements. It is rashnesse and madnesse that proceeds not from this feare; it is basenesse and pusillanimitie that ariseth not from this courage. The joy is sadnesse that is not accom∣panied with this feare; and griefe the more kindly it is the more it hath of this delight. For that other of aver∣sion, whether respecting morall or naturall evills, it is either a bare and simple, or a mixt and applicative a

eare, a feare of contraction, or of dilatation of the spirit, a meere withdrawing and flight, or an aggressive resi∣stance and repulsion. And either of them is convenient pro re nata, as warranted by the consideration of the thing, time, place, person, &c. For morrall evills, it is a feare of absolute resistance, because they never consist with the will of God quoad nos; for naturall it is a re∣spective resistance, and flying, so farre as they shall ap∣peare to be his will or not, as we are called or not cal∣led to them. So that there may be a feare of these evils, well consisting with a willingnesse too and desire of them, as it is said of Christ, hee was heard in all that hee feared, and yet againe, I come to doe thy will as it is written of mee a body hast thou prepared me, &c. The spirit may be willing when the flesh is weake. There may be and that lawfully an abhorrencie from evill as evill, and yet a will ingnesse to it as the will of God, and therefore good. Father let this cup passe from me if possible, but not my will but thy will be done. The prayer of him who him∣selfe alone in his owne person so freely drunke up that so unimaginably terrible cup of the Aeternall wrath, that shu'd have beene the portion of an everliving death to so many millions of soules. And certainly could all the calamities of the world that were ever, are, or ever shall be suffered from Adam to the youngest of his sonnes, stee∣ped like so much Gall and Wormewood in one cup till all their ill-savoured tast were extracted from them, they could never make a draught so intensively bitter, so large a draught of bitternesse, as that which was presen∣ted to him, accepted of him, pray'd for by him. To which he comes, brings his body, as a Voluntier, as ready, as prepared for The Service, The Suffering. So in deede should this feare of aversion be subordinate to,

fall in with, and be comprehended in, as part of, as com∣ming from and tending to that of adhesion. I therefore turning from evills, because pro sua virili, of their owne nature, it would turne me from God; but such being the never never sufficiently admired power, wisedome and goodnesse of God that he can turne even the greatest evill to the greatest good, the soule stands in aequilibrio with a kind of willing unwillingnesse, or willing willing∣nesse disposed to it. So as it may be said not to feare them, but God; fearing them because of him, and him in, by and through them; (as it may be said to love not the creature but God) they being but as foyles and set offs for the further illustrating the otherwise not so ap∣prehensible Glory. So make the soule cleave the clo∣ser to him and gather more strength from him. So these feares differing not in their being and nature, but in the manner of action; both being the feare of God, now act∣ing ad intra, now ad extra, now making good its primary object, now evill its secondary. Christ, upon whom were the chastisements of our peace, whose stripes hath pur∣chast us the spirit of a sound and healthy mind, who was troubled for our ease and tranquilitie; that wee in him possessed of his fathers alsufficiencie might be of an un∣troubled mind, having thus, like that unparellel'd Queene to her impoysoned husband, suckt out the ve∣nome, virulencie and malignitie of our feares, that na∣turally fill us with disturbance, distractions, evill-creating and evill-nourishing conceits, over studious, and over burdening preventions. Their deadly qualitie and over∣mastering power, thus drawne away, and onely so much left as is within the strength of inherent and continually supervenient grace, and may by it be kept at an under, subdued, and worke't out daily to the further manifest∣ing

the power of God in us and by us, as well as upon us. The more then we prevaile against this distempering feare, the more is our convalescencie, the greater our recovery of that happy harmony that was betweene our affections before they were untuned in their fall. Eve∣ry affection being so farre good as it holds its corre∣spondency with the other, and all as they tend to their perfection, action. Good is the griefe the feare that after helpes. A wary, circumspective, deliberating, confultive prudentiall, providentiall feare. And to this purpose was it an answer well worthy its Author, that Turkish Terrour that even-incredibly valiant Scanderbeg to the precipitate and unadvised advise of one of his Cap∣taines, It is good to feare all that may be feared, that so in∣deed we may feare nothing. And such a, and but such a feare is that which is becomming a Christian. Of whom there is nothing more unworthy then base derecting un∣manning (and for so much) unchristianizing feare. God having ex consulto, and out of a gratious forefight, left our enemies subdutos & expugnatos, though not funditus stratos; brought under, overcome, though not utterly subverted; that, that in nothing we might bee terrified, this, that in nothing we might be secure, lasche, remisse, dull, blunt; but might still have them as Coticulas, as whetstones to our mettle, and animositie; as those on whose fall and ruine wee may bee raised to an higher pitch of an unreachable and undaunted spirit. As it was well counselled by that wise Statist for the sparing of Carthage from an utter demolition, for the keeping in heart of the Roman valour, that wu'd else languish i' the want of exercise. And God sometimes (like that de∣demeanure of Edward the third to the young Prince at

the battle of Cresey) withdrawes himselfe as it were, and stands aloofe of, at a convenient distance, on the hills of his salvation, environed with his auxiliary troopes; and thence viewes us in the valley, how we fight, how we are matcht, how we quit our selves with the strength already received, without a more extraordinary recreut, and suf∣fers us often to be brought to hard stresses, pressing exi∣gences and almost inextricable streights; yea to the ve∣ry jawes of death, yea to bee swallowed up of death; that living and dying Conquerours (like that late-and ever-famous Swead) he may in a more speciall manner share to us with himselfe the honour of the day; may demonstrate ours in his owne glory; That wee are the Sonnes of such a Father, and he the Father of such Sons; That we shu'd bee so honored to bee made the instru∣ments of his power, and hee to be the Maker of such in∣struments. Now the feare that thus strengthens us in the Lord, and in the power of his might, and makes us stand fast, and quit our selves like Men in Christ Jesus, that workes up the soule to such noble and Princely atchieve∣ments, that all sordid & earth-bred-feares fall below it as Lucifer before that pure and spotlesse Light; This is The feare, The feare of the Lord. Which since it is a grace, and therefore supernaturall, must as all other graces being homogenous be conducible to the rest, and all to an active and ready performance of the good pleasure of God, So farre therefore as it turmoyles, perplexes, casts of the hookes, and makes the soule that it is not in a fit posture to turne and winde any way with the first sig∣nifications of the divine command, so farre as it is not a feare of furtherance to, but of hinderance from, our duty, so farre is it not a feare of God; not a feare that

drawes us to him, but as all our owne feares, from him. And so is it extravagant and wandring out of the way of those inseperable companions the graces, that all joynt∣ly convey the soule to a more strict, close, and intimate fellowship with its God. It will therefore be great wise∣dome to keepe this kind of feares (so farre as meerely concerning us and the evils) from our heart, and seat it in the head; that it might not take hold of us, but wee of it; we act and command that, not that us; that it may be as a Sword in our hand to defend us, and not as one at our heart to offend us; that while the heart is carryed on with the fullest gale of animositie and cou∣rage, boarne up to the bravest and highest resolves of a magnanimous spirit, the head may wisely plot, and the hands seasonably act. That we may undertake this feare as a voluntary worke, an expedient injunction, and not be overtaken by it as a meere naturall and necessita∣ting affection. But thus supernaturaliz'd spiritualiz'd we doe, wee suffer, with delight all the wills of God; looking on them as designes, as ordinances, wherein our good is inviolably interwoven with the most high glory. So that the horse should not more neigh to the battle, nor the souldier shout at the warning Peece, then the heaven-animated spirit summoned to the Almighty-might-glo∣rifying encounters, springs forth with a nimble and cheerefull alacritie. And certainely there is nothing can guard us better against base & misbeseeming feares, then the unspeakable, unconceiveable peace that rules in the heart, that is ruled by the feare, that is moved by the faith of God. There is nothing that carries up the heart to a more ele∣vated pitch of courage and confidence, then a selfe-diffi∣dent humilitie; a carefull serving of Gods providence

in the use of all good meanes, with a well-grounded and full reliance on him alone, above and when he pleaseth without meanes. And undoubtedly what ever the selfe conceited world may thinke, the most God-fearing, the most-mortified, the most-meekned-humbled-soule is fortified with the truest, with the onely true courage: be∣cause he onely is with God the onely sound ground of confidence. And he hath, he onely hath, and that wor∣thily the name of a generous man, of a gentleman, who is the compleate, the accomplisht man; furnished with all vertuous qualifications, though never so seemingly different. He whose gentle, milde, selfe-debasing, cour∣teous, debonnairete is armed with the most invincible impregnable prowesse and valour, commanded and drawne forth by a judicious conducture. So the seve∣rall denominations of the Latin and English, meet well; well couched in and accompanied with that primary and all including vertue, in that one word of the French, un Preud home, importing (as one may gather from their use of it) a man discreet and wise, a man of fortitude and prowesse, of a sweet and gracious comportment, a man of honestie, faithfulnesse, integritie, rondeur of minde. All vertue is of choice. And where all is not chosen none is chosen. To suffer in any case, upon any termes, is ne∣cessitie not patience, meakishnesse not meeknesses a flegmaticke dulnesse, a stoicall stupiditie, not a hea∣ven-taught compositure of spirit. Neither can the in∣termission of the act argue the privation of the habit: and though the world count them sheepish moapish; &c. because they are the quiet of the land that walke softly in the humilitie of their soule, yet present them with a fit∣ting object, and see whether they doe not give it sutable

entertainment, the same command, the same spirit, ha∣ving wrought in the same heart, all requisite graces; the manifestation onely of either accommodated to a fit oc∣casion, and drawne forth by a prudent observation. And since they know not their Genius, no marvell they hold so little friendship with them, whose foundation is ac∣quaintance. Little doe they thinke a Chrisitian is such a one, (as such a one he is if not unlike himselfe) as can bring the Drum and Trumpet in consort with the Lute and Violl, or could thence gather what they are like to finde, he can make Musick of all things. As well of the most harsh & hidious terrours, as the softest and sweetest sounding melodie; can as well play with the most fro∣ward and wrastling (so the word Psal. 18.) as the most pure-and peaceable disposition. As being he who knowes how to be in perills often, in wearinesse, in painefulnesse, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings, often in cold and nakednes, besides his continuall sympathizing with the Churches; knowes how to run through good report & bad report, how to abound and how to want, and how in all to be content; a most blessed concord in the spirituall eare, the spirituall heart! That can take joyfully the spoyling of his goods, receive any word any precept of God as pure-holy-good-and-just, and set about the actively, passive obedience of it, in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost. Happy afflictions that helpe to such an holy joy! O! where! but I forbeare. And if he griefe it is at the want of this cheere∣full and thankefull deportment of himselfe. And this is a higth that wee are carryed up to in the New Adam, be∣yond the reach of the Old even in his innocencie. Hee being altogether free from these evills, and therefore no∣thing acquaint with these evill-conquering comforts.

The Almightie wisedome to the more eminently ad∣vanceing of his glorious Grace, having thus wonder∣fully by our fall raised us up to an higher, to a permanen∣ter, to an ever-highly-permanent Station. Strike up then your allarum when you will, you shall never carry him by force, but shall but rowse up more spirits to man him repell you. As hee is of a harsh rugged rough-hewne proud-cruell, that is not alleviated with a sweet milde smooth temprature; so is it an effeminated, flaccid, tor∣pid, dispirited, enervated soule, that is not quickned not inlivened with courage. That alone being hydro∣picall, this feaverish. That too dull for action, this is too quicke for councell, for patience, for endurance: But both happily met together in one, in a wise, under∣standing, actuating spirit, like the naturall heate kindly fomented by the radicall moisture, and duly agitated by the influent and insite spirits, keepe the soule in a happy and healthy constitution; because in an apt and proxime power for the well performance of its severall functions. Hence (may be it) those Grecian Captaines were so well seene in Musicke as in feates of Armes and Philosophie; as that brave-spirited Epimanondas, &c. it being a usuall custome after their feasts to have a Lute presented them to play on. And certainly he is a man of a choice and compleate temperature, that is well made up of a Scholler, Souldier and Musitian. A head full of discreet and sage knowledge, a heart full of couragious and meeke love, a hand full of indefatigable and diffi∣cultie-overcomming action. Such a head! such a heart! such a hand! That make such a Man! And yet what are all these, and were there a thousand more such suches, but meere counterfeit spiritlesse and dead resemblances of

that true and living way to compleatenesse of heart, be∣cause to him the true and living God, the Creator the compleator of the heart. There being nothing good, no∣thing of worth but what is in God, in whom as in Christ we are, in these and all graces Compleat. In that meeke and immaculate Lambe, that dreadfull and terrible Lion of Judah, that brazen Serpent in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge. Thus made con∣formeable unto that All-sweet All-wise All-mightie Be∣ing, the Maker, the Perfection of all things. By whom we are made perfect, through our likenesse to him, our living in him. And here onely here is the rise of that true mag∣nanimitie, that consists in the uncontroulable power of a sweet and humble wisedome, God. And now since I have so insencibly slipt thus far into the nature of this grace, & we know not how soon the Lord may settle our distra∣ctions of State and Church; and so prevent us with his mercies, and fit us by them, who will never be fitted for them; and it being the Carracter of an ingenious child to feare favours and not to be affrighted with frownes, I will a little draw it forth into that part of it which may be most sutable to those times. It being the nature of it upon the knowledge of God to know nothing else great, no more goods then evills. And yet either so weake is our knowledge, or so seldome our acting it (which makes it for so farre no knowledge to us) that in those Halcyon dayes have wee most neede of the highest re∣solves and Princeliest circumspection, not to have our spirits debased in the knowledge of things after the flesh. But now to have a speciall care of exercising that mysterious, that inheavening art of making all things become new, knowing, affecting doing all things under new notions,

from new principles, by new rules, to new ends so using the World as not using it; medling with it as in transitu, by the way, as a viaticum a baite when needs & but what needs, &c. See Page 27.

'Tis then's the danger when the danger's past, Th' inward foe fights wilier when the outward's cast. Tacticks unheard of; covert stratagems; Sly in his Methods, suddenly he hems Us in with tempting troops; while w' thought h'had been Distant by many miles, we're rounded in A Maze of fatall friends, straite rout our thoughts To a desbausch't confounded yeelding brought. Stand sentinell soule, unlesse thou standst Perdu, Loosest thy life, thou't not the losse escue.

Capua Hannibali Cannae Fuit. A rich and pleasant Asia is more dangerous then a barren and hungry America; lue and tepid bathes then harsh & storming windes; these confirming, those consuming the hardiest spirits, not guarded with discretion. Neither indeed is it a thing so worthy a Christian to seeke for an abiding Citie when this inferior is like to be fired about his eares. To make friends of the unrighteous Mammon when it is ready to be snatcht from us; to estrange our selves from these things when they turne their backe upon us. But when the world shail comes with its Cornucopia of riches, plea∣sures glory, &c. and would poure all upon our heads; and God on the other hand readie to poure downe more aboundantly of that anointing that teacheth us all things, that qualifieth us with more Kingly, Propheticall, Priest∣ly endowments, and fills us with joy and gladnesse above

our fellewes; now not to leave the substance for the shade, the Pearle for the Barly-corne, is somewhat like him that lives by faith, and hath made a true discovery of that onely excellent object. Now when the world comes fleering in all her whorish attire with the most cunning and sophisticall insinuations, and our spirits are in the height of their jollitie ready to throw themselves into her imbraces, when the out∣ward and inward temptations thus powerfully met in their united strength; now to command them off, is in∣deede to command a mans selfe, the most noble con∣quest. And surely this magnanimitie, this inlargeing, this heighthning heate and vigour of heart is conveyed in equally with those beames of divine illumination. Which wonderfully marvellous light, which kingdome of Heaven first entering into us and wee into it at our first entrance on Mount Sion, workes thus diffusively on the understanding-the-heart-the whole. All things are as they are compared to God; but him in the face of Christ I see the onely good, and therefore (as contraries illu∣lustrate each other) whom have I in earth in Heaven but Thee? I see nothing in the whole creation in its best and setledest state, but a blacke and horrid Caos of vanitie, of deformitie; farther then it partakes of him; farther then I can espie in it the scatterings of the divine Raies. And surely the men of the world comparing themselves with themselves, and the things with the things of the world are not wise. Rectum est index sui & obliqui. The light of the manifestation of it selfe and darkenesse. He then that doth truth commeth to this light, to see whether his workes be of God.

T's the shining Sunne discovers those motes of sinne, Those subtler mists of fleshie steames, betweene Our spirit our light our life and us, those beames. Of shadowing lusts that darke our lightfull beames. Still shine lo'd Sunne! discovering still dispell, And in dispelling discover our heart-bred hell. Those uncouth Cells, those shades of dismall death, Those haunts of horrid Fiends, whose mickle skeath Of mortall wounds, hous'd in a golden sheath Of minion comforts, steale away the breath With fatall kisses; whilst th' guile-favouring night Maskes their infernall shapes; till th' friendly light Of faithfull truth appeare, and put to flight Their wilely force b' its wisely succouring might. Thus more commended it, my triumph more Increast, such enemies so triumphed o're.

Thus the sincere heart brings himselfe and all the world to this all-revealing Sunne; to see what they have of him, in whom hee hath approved the onely, and onely fincere-making, excellencies, by that single eye of faith, that singles him out as its onely object, as desiring to see nothing but him, at least mediately if not immediately. And though this latter is the way wherein the earnestly heartie desires of the soule run after the full and uninter∣rupted in oyment of God, yet in regard of the frailtie of the flesh, the weakenesse slendernesse imbecilitie of the intermediate spirits that are as the ties and ligaments be∣twixt the foule and the body, and could not long con∣teine themselves without being utterly dissolved, shud they be unintermittedly bent and held up to that exten∣sive intensivenesse whereunto they are wrought by those

great and glorious thoughts of those savoury and cordi∣all apprehensions (which in the Lord Christ they have and without him they cannot have) of that simple and infi∣nite good, which not onely carry forth the soule in a glad venture but transport it in an eager pursuit of this happy dissolution, yet bethinking it self that there may be a selfe-seeking in this selfe-loosing, that it is to live to o∣thers not it selfe, to doe not receive, it is willingly forced with a kind of unpleasant pleasantnesse to further enter∣taine its faith in naturall sense least it should wholly vanish into supernaturall. So may our soules O Lord be incessantly continually devoted to thy feare, so may they be devout even in all their earthly affaires may se devovere vow themselves from themselves, and pay their vowes continually. So may they ever live in thy fight in thy light that they may never depart from thy feare, that they may never more give the lie to their pro∣fessed knowledge & fellowship with the light, by walking in the wayes of darknes; but shew forth the glory of their father in Heaven, by the reflection of their serene sincere light some conversation on earth. And certainly could we stand with this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 this stretching forth of the head in an earnest looking on him, and longing for him, wee shu'd have such an assuence of light and life breake in upon our soules, and shine on our wayes, that we shu'd walke up and downe like starres shot from Hea∣ven, till having dazled the eyes of the world into an en∣vious astonishment wee shu'd remount for ever fixed in our highest spheare. Now according as our aspect is on Him, so is it also to others; if that but oblique, this but dimme and obscure; but if that perpendicular, this live∣ly and glorious, O that wee were more excellently skil∣led

in these holy optickes; we cu'd not but be in The∣ologie, and therefore in Ethicks Oeconomicks, &c. And cu'd we but live soberly righteously and godlily upon (as we ran not but, cannot chuse but upon) the sight of God, avant then false lights, false comforts for ever, then he that shall come will come and will not tarry; for the Lord is certainly waiting to bee gratious to that soule that is thus stedfastly waiting to be guided by him. This indeed being the product the effect of the sense of that. Neither know I any such (if any other) sincere and con∣stant seeking as that when I thought of (an absent) God I was troubled, and refused to be comforted by any thing but himselfe, as knowing nothing else true comfort. Nei∣ther can there be such seeking but from a true and lively saith, not such a waiting but from a sincere-and-fervent love; therefore not unlikely the Apostle (thus intima∣ting the nature of these graces) translates those passages of Esaiah 11.10. with Rom. 15.12. 1 Cor. 2.9. with Isa. 64.4. seeke, trust; waite, love. Seeking faith and waiting love. Here is that great Art of a Christian, to be seeking still seeking the face of God. I have set the Lord Alwayes before my face therefore, &c. Seeke yee the Lord and seeke his face Evermore. I am Continually With thee. Be in the feare of the Lord all the day long. Here is that great difference of sinceritie and hypocrisie. Will the hypocrite pray al∣wayes? Will he seeke God in prosperitie as well as in adversitie. At mid day in his businesse, all the day long, hourely and minutely as well as morning & evening, and at the solemne assembly? Will he live the life of faith in the flesh, in all sensuall things? is he crucified to the world and the world to him? Is he dead, and this that even his mor∣tall body lives, is it by the quickning of the spirit? doth hee

walke up and downe the world as a man that hath nei∣ther life nor soule, but onely as inlivened as animated hence? is he ever lifting up his face to God, that that flood of light and life that thence with such mighty incomes flowes in upon the soule, might beare downe before it every thought that exalts it selfe against the kingdome of the Lord Christ, &c. that wholy given over to the pow∣er, sway and guidance of it, wholly casting it selfe into its imbracings, while it lies drown'd as it were in a Sea of loves and sweetnesses, in a blessed astonishment and stupefaction, it is elevated in the highest advancement of life and spirits in the Lord of life and glory, that de∣scended and ascended to draw up with him all that ad∣heres to him. O were the soule wound up to this pitch, and watched at it; and wound up againe if never so little slipt downe; how might we live! O still still let us be in this blessed vision of God with more continued in∣tentivenesse; contracting thence, or rather dilating those Coexistant, inherent, essentiall, which we call attributed species. Then others beholding the stedfastnesse of our faith, could not but there see more of that radiant image in its deputed Majestie; the ball of the sensuall eye not more naturally expressing the Idea of the directly opposite and neighbouring visage, then this of the spirituall, of faith, doth that of God. And certainly no sence doth furnish us with more, and more cleare conceptions of God, then the sight; being for its ready commence with the soule, for its extention, and intention, the properest most conduci∣ble and advantagious of all; being the most spatious, farthest reaching, pure, simple, active, and therefore most apprehensive: and next to that the hearing, being the lesse grosse and earthly of all the rest. But to keepe to that;

As the Sunne conveyeth heate and activitie inseperably with, and proportionably to its light, so is the truth lo∣ved and done so farre and onely so farre as it is seene. The actions are spurious and illigitimate that are not conceived in the heart and begotten by the eye; it will be our wisedome then so truly to informe the latter at we desire the well and right forming and performing of the other. Let us looke on him then by no other Or∣gan then faith, thorough no other medium then Christ; at no other distance, then the mearest ap∣proaches; even to such an unitie, that wee see our selves in him and him in us. When with the wicked wee put God farre from us, and see the world draw nigh us, then seemes he little and this great; but when we draw neere to him, what a pointile, what an atome, what a nothing it seemes, nay it is? And as the medium is ever the fame, so is the Organ then best when most refined, abstracted, metaphysicall, subtilized, sublimed and sence-rarified; cause then most proportionable and sutable to the sim∣plicitie and puritie of the object it intends, and therefore consequently to the extensivenesse and infinitie of it, God being simply infinite and infinitely simple. And therefore as wisedome consists in the clearenesse and quicknesse, so in the inlargednesse, of the understanding; but since that knowledge that light in every thing wee draw from him is the onely true wisedome, wee are then wisest when our understandings are most clarified by him, most acted on him. And surely this clarifying of our faith is according to the intimatenesse of our hum∣bly bold accesse unto him; the nature of this Sunne be∣ing to give light to the blind, and that more or lesse ac∣cording as we are more off, or apply our selves nearer to

Him. And surely while we thus see God in the holiest of holies, all the kingdomes of the earth in their freshest and heart-stealingest lovelinesse, and that set forth in the most rich and glorious accoutrements, will lie at our feete as a dead and rotten carkasle; so farre shall we be from committing folly with it; so farre, that though then too our spirits be at the liveliest, as they cannot but be, yet because wee, nay therefore because we, be as cru∣cified, as dead to it, as it is to us. Such power hath this sight to fill the heart with love, this love to hold the soule close to God, from any thing that would part it from him, and to carry it forth in all readinesse of obedience with him. When contrarily while we are looking on the world without God, we are but looking on so many ly∣ing vanities, that dead the heart to reall and full con∣tentments, withholding it from God, and setting the hand on worke in the wayes of sinne; which still estrange the soule from Him, and keep Him at a distance from the soule; that more deading the heart, that, &c. so the soule running on in a round of wickednesse, if God not gra∣tiously breake in, and hinder its course. Which when he doth, his presence makes grace to grow by the inter∣changeable officiousnesse of all its undivided parts. The sight of God inflaming the affections, they inciting to actions, these againe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, stirring up the fire in more fervent flames, they giving in greater light, that discovering more beautie, that kindling more fire, that animating to more action, this againe, &c. so truely infi∣nitely, infinitely, infinitely sweet is the comfort of the God-conversing soule. The soule that hath received the truth in the love thereof; and he that loves mee keepes my Commandements, & he that doth my will shall know my will;

he that hath my Commandements as his possession, riches, &c. and keepes them as his greatest joy comfort life, he it is that loves me and to him will I manifest my selfe; Now this manifestation againe fills the heart with more opera∣tive and effectuall love, this againe, &c. Thus Faith worketh by love, the fulfilling of the Law, the end of the Com∣mandement out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfained; the sinceritie whereof must needs be ac∣cording to the sight it hath of God, according to the lovelinesse, worth chooseablenesse that it seeth in him. Faith then I take to be (by what of light in this night of blindnesse and darkenesse I can see) such a light as shi∣ning on the intentively beholding soule through the face of Christ, hath that influence and attractive power with it, to draw it up and make it cleave and adhaere with all its might and strength to God, to lift up the heart to, and make it goe along with him in all his wayes. While like the Helitrophion, it turnes and winds; shuts and opens with the motion of the Sunne of righteousnesse. And this light thus influenced, thus working (how ever clouded and obscured to a Christians selfe) to be wisedome unto salvation, that effectuall knowledge of God & his Christ, comming into, and received of, the soule, that is life eter∣nall already taken hold of, and ere long fully prossessed, or thus,

Faith is a promise-lighted, seeking, light, Burnes with pure fervent love, whose active might In every radiant precept shining bright Reflects its glory to the Father-Light. Thus, these three-one obedience-faith-and love Unite my soule to those Thee-One Above.

Notes

• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉