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<DATE>5-3-12</DATE>
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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A GARDEN INCLOSED, and WISDOM JUSTIFIED ONLY OF HER CHILDREN.</P>
<P>Being two <HI>Exerci&s;es,</HI> di&s;covering the <HI>Glory, Beauty</HI> and <HI>Perfection</HI> of the <HI>Love</HI> of <HI>God</HI> to <HI>Saints</HI> that are &s;o comprehended, and in &s;uch a glorious inclo&s;ure: And al&s;o the &s;weet <HI>Reflections</HI> in, and from <HI>Saints,</HI> in <HI>Iu&s;tifying Wi&s;dom:</HI> Which were delivered at <HI>New-port Pagnell,</HI> about a yeare and a half &s;ince: for <HI>declaration</HI> whereof, the <HI>Authour</HI> was then <HI>impri&s;oned,</HI> and &s;ince <HI>accu&s;ed,</HI> for delivering of <HI>Bla&s;phemie.</HI></P>
<P>by <HI>Paul Hob&s;on.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Cant. 8.13.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Thou that dwelle&s;t in the Gardens, the Compani|ons hearken to thy voice, cau&s;e me to hear it.</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Mat. 11 19.</HI></BIBL>
<P>But wi&s;dom is ju&s;tified of her Children,</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Acts 4.20.</HI></BIBL>
<P>For we cannot but &s;peak the things we have &s;een, and heard.</P></Q>
<P>LONDON. Printed by <HI>Iames</HI> and <HI>Io&s;eph Moxon,</HI> for <HI>Hen|ry Overton,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his &s;hop, in <HI>Popes-head Alley:</HI> and for <HI>Giles Cal|vert,</HI> at the <HI>&s;pread Eagle,</HI> at the we&s;t end of <HI>Pauls.</HI> 1647.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Impartiall Reader.</HEAD>
<P>_THE Sonnes of <HI>Strife</HI> de|light in <HI>&s;triving;</HI> but my &s;oule shall rather <HI>&s;trive to &s;alve,</HI> then to <HI>encrea&s;e</HI> that &s;ore. Were my&s;elf alone con|cerned, I should rather pa&s;&s;e over mens judgements, and &s;entences with &s;ilence, then bring forth this my en&s;u|ing di&s;cour&s;e to a publicke view. It is now above a yeare and a halfe &s;ince for delivering of this following Treati&s;e to &s;ome friends, in a quiet and peaceable manner, in <HI>New-port Pagnell,</HI> and <HI>Lathbury,</HI> in the Coun|ty of <HI>Puckinghamshire,</HI> I was im|pri&s;oned by the Governour of <HI>New-port:</HI> But &s;ince that, not my &s;elfe a|lone, but the Truth becomes a &s;uffer|er, through the &s;unday reproachfull Epithites of Mr <HI>Pryn,</HI> his brother
<PB REF="3"><HI>Gang<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">aena,</HI> and &s;ome that had a hand in my impri&s;onment; affirming that what I delivered there, was <HI>Bla&s;phe|my:</HI> But what shall I &s;ay? I could be (I hope, through the power of God) as voluminous to an&s;wer folly, as fol|ly is con&s;tantly voluminous again&s;t Truth: but to &s;trive to an&s;wer conten|tious &s;pirits, gains no honour to truth, and that makes me unwilling to write an an&s;wer to &s;uch men as they are. I could wish that all the &s;ons of <HI>Sion,</HI> and the <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of the mo&s;t high God, would rather &s;pend their time in prayers and teares to God, for their deliverance out of that unexpre&s;&s;ible and incomprehendible Pri&s;on of darknes; as they have formerly &s;ought God for Mr <HI>Pryns</HI> deliverance out of his pa&s;t impri&s;onment, which I my &s;elfe Cordially de&s;ire to do; for I had rather &s;pend twenty dayes in tears for them, then &s;pend one houre in giving
<PB REF="3">an an&s;wer to them; And had not the Vindication of truth commanded me, I should not have brought forth this, to the view of all men; but knowing that the &s;onnes of Truth, are be&s;t able to judge of truth, makes mee bold to pre&s;ent this to them: de&s;iring thee (courteous Reader, who&s;oever thou art) not to looke upon this, or me, or any &s;candalous reports of the peo|ple of God, through the multiply|ing Gla&s;&s;e of mens envious expre&s;&s;i|ons, of which the&s;e times are full; but lay it to the rule of Truth, and what truth you finde in it, give Truth the glory of it: But if you finde it within the Verge of Condemnation for <HI>Bla|&s;phemy,</HI> (as Mr <HI>Pryn</HI> affirmes) let me beg that favour as to receive a lo|ving information (if thou can&s;t afford it) from thee. I mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e I was &s;omething unwilling in my &s;elfe to come in publick view in this way, con|ceiving
<PB REF="4" MS="y">my&s;elf the leo&s;t of all Saints, and not worthy to be a &s;ervant of the mo&s;t high God: But in relation to the precedent rea&s;ons recited, and ex|pre&s;&s;ed; and &s;eeing God hath made me worthy to hold forth his Name: I cannot hold my peace, I mu&s;t <HI>&s;peake the things that I have &s;eene and heard:</HI> And therefore that <HI>Truth</HI> may be triumphant over <HI>Falshood,</HI> to the reall di&s;covery of <HI>Bla&s;phemers</HI> and <HI>Bla&s;phemy,</HI> is the reall de&s;ire of</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Thine really <HI>PAUL HOBSON.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<HEAD>Errata.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Page</HI> 44. <HI>line</HI> 20. <HI>read</HI> he that knows God. <HI>p</HI> 68. <HI>l</HI> 21. <HI>for</HI> upholding, <HI>r</HI> upbraiding. <HI>p</HI> 71. <HI>l</HI> 9, <HI>for</HI> have <HI>r</HI> hath: <HI>p</HI> 74, <HI>l</HI> 23, 24: <HI>for</HI> afterward, <HI>r</HI> affirmed.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="treatise">
<PB N="1" REF="4">
<HEAD>A GARDEN enclo&s;ed: <HI>and</HI> WISDOME ju&s;tified of Her CHILDREN.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>CANTICLES 8.13.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Thou that dwellest in the Gardens, the Companions hearken to thy voice: cau&s;e me to hear it.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_I Shall not at this time &s;peak any thing of the CANTICLES in general; which of all Scriptures is &s;o full of the di&s;cove|ries of the Saints glorious priviledges in Chri&s;t; and &s;weet relation and onene&s;&s;e
<PB N="2" REF="5">with Chri&s;t; as al&s;o that &s;weet ex|change of love that is betwixt Chri&s;t and them, which is &s;o tran&s;cendent in the nature of it; &s;o full of light and life in the operation of it; that no &s;oule can truly declare it, but he that doth enjoy it: and he that doth declare this love from the enjoyment of love, is &s;o &s;wal|lowed up in love, that he is never wea|ry of declaring love; for love enjoyed is a &s;ufficient power, and life to the &s;oul enjoying, to carry him out to declare it &s;elf, by him that &s;o enjoyes it.</P>
<P>And as this CANTICLES doth di&s;cover the exchange of Love betwixt Chri&s;t and the Saints; &s;o it al&s;o di&s;covereth the love that is in each Saint to one another: chap. 8.1, 2. and 8, 9. ver&s;es.</P>
<P>But I &s;hall &s;ay no more of the CANTI|CLES in general, but come to this ver&s;e in particular: And in the Ver&s;e there is the&s;e two things con&s;iderable.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM><MILESTONE N="1"> Fir&s;t, A &s;weet acknowledgement, or declaration.</ITEM>
<ITEM><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, A &s;weet de&s;ire, or thir&s;t|ing.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> Fir&s;t, A &s;weet acknowledgement, or
<PB N="3" REF="5">declaration; in the&s;e words, <HI>Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions heark|en to thy voice.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, A &s;weet de&s;ire, or thir&s;t|ing; <MILESTONE N="2"> in the&s;e words, <HI>Cau&s;e me to hear it.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE N="1" PLACE="marg">A &s;weet acknow|ledgement or declaration.</NOTE> In the acknowledgement or declara|tion, con&s;ider the&s;e things.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Fir&s;t, The party acknowledging.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Secondly, The matter acknowledged.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Thirdly, The manner of the ac|knowledgement.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P><NOTE N="1" PLACE="marg">The par|ty acknow|ledging.</NOTE> Fir&s;t, The party acknowledging, and that is a &s;oul po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with Chri&s;t, who was able from the enjoyment of Chri&s;t, to under&s;tand as priviledges in him, &s;o the &s;weet and glorious communion the Saints have with him: And from thence we will ob&s;erve this conclu&s;ion:</P>
<P>That they, <MILESTONE UNIT="Doctr."> and they onely are &s;it to declare Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 14.17.19, 20, 21.</NOTE> who under&s;tand Chri&s;t from enjoyment.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 15.4, 5<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">. ver&s;e 6.</NOTE></P>
<P>Others that do not enjoy him, and go about to declare him, onely &s;peak of him as one that &s;peaketh of a thing at a di&s;tance, and &s;o &s;peak of him at random; and may a&s;&s;oon &s;peak out them&s;elves, as Chri&s;t: for that is the onely rea&s;on and
<PB N="4" REF="6">cau&s;e that mens judgements of Chri&s;t do &s;o often alter. It is ju&s;t in this ca&s;e, as it is with &s;ome men that under&s;tand the nature of Forreigne Countries by a Globe, or &s;econdary declarations: and that is the cau&s;e men give &s;uch &s;undry de&s;criptions of one and the &s;ame place: But he that hath been at tho&s;e places, and under&s;tandeth them not at the &s;e|cond, but fir&s;t hand; he onely is able to give a right de&s;cription of places, and things. So it is with tho&s;e men that have no under&s;tanding of Chri&s;t, but what they fetch in by the &s;trength of na|tural parts, from external declarations; and not from internal enjoyments: they are not any waies able to give a right de|&s;cription, or hold forth a true di&s;covery of Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;o, but that they may, and do di&s;cover more of &s;elf, then Chri&s;t: But tho&s;e that &s;o under&s;tand Chri&s;t from an enjoyment of Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 5.57. Gal. 2.19, 20.</NOTE> that they actu|ally and really live in what they know of Chri&s;t;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 17.21, 22, 23, 26.</NOTE> they are onely able to di&s;co|ver that love, and lovelyne&s;&s;e that is in Chri&s;t: But I may &s;ay of the other &s;ort of men, as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, in the
<PB N="5" REF="6">1 Tim. 1.7. <HI>Some preach the Law, but they know not what they &s;ay, nor whereof they affirme:</HI> But (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>Wee know &amp;c.</HI> From thence you may ob&s;erve thus much; That they, and they onely can preach the Law,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3, 19. to 31.</NOTE> that under&s;tand the Law in Chri&s;t, or by Chri&s;t; and if the Law, then unque&s;tionably the Go|&s;pel.</P>
<P>The Rea&s;ons to prove that they, and they onely are fit to declare Chri&s;t, who under&s;tand Chri&s;t from enjoyment, are the&s;e:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Iohn 5.19, 20.</NOTE> They onely are fit to declare Chri&s;t, who rightly under&s;tand Chri&s;t: But no &s;oul doth truly under&s;tand Chri&s;t without,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Iohn 2.20.27,</NOTE> till he enjoyeth Chri&s;t with|in: All the external actings of Chri&s;t pre&s;ented to us, they are but external declarations of a hidden glory, which none knoweth till he doth enjoy: And then,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6.3: 4, 5, 6, 8.</NOTE> when a &s;oul enjoyeth a crucified Chri&s;t within, killing, and exalting: dying, and ri&s;ing:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 2.20. &amp; 5.24. &amp; 6, 14.</NOTE> then do we come to under&s;tand that hidden Manna, and en|joy that white &s;tone,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3. 1 Rev, 2, 17</NOTE> with a new name written in it, which none knoweth but
<PB N="6" REF="7">he that doth enjoy it; and none can de|clare it, but he that knoweth it.</P>
<P>Secondly, <MILESTONE N="2:" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> He, and he onely is fit to declare Truth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 2.20. 1 Cor, 2.1.2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 3 Cor. 12.5</NOTE> who&s;e Spirit is &s;o cruci|fied by the power of Truth, that in his acknowledgement of Truth, he doth it &s;ingly for Truth, and not for &s;elf: P&s;al. 71.16. <HI>I vvill go on in the &s;trength of the Lord God: I vvill make mention of thy righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, even of thine onely.</HI> But &s;elf in no &s;oule is &s;o laid down by the power of Truth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5.17.</NOTE> till that &s;oul is actual|ly po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with Truth; for till then, it is not Chri&s;t, but &s;elf that reigneth.</P>
<P>Thirdly, <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 2.1, 2, &amp;c. Iam. 1.22, 23.</NOTE> He, and he onely is fit to declare Truth, who&s;e Rea&s;on doth not ma&s;ter notions of Truth, but his Rea|&s;on is a &s;ervant to the power of truth, being overcome and made &s;ilent by the authority of truth: But no &s;oul is &s;o o|vercome and made &s;ilent by the autho|rity of truth, but he that enjoyeth truth: Therefore he, and he onely is fit to de|clare Truth.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t u&s;e is of Information, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> and fir&s;t this may inform us, who are, and who are not fit to declare truth: tho&s;e
<PB N="7" REF="7">men who&s;e &s;pirits dwell with Chri&s;t, and are alwaies from thence beholding the glorious objects in Chri&s;t;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 2.20.</NOTE> and while they are thus beholding,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 18.5.</NOTE> their &s;pirits are &s;wallowed up in what they behold; they are tho&s;e that can di&s;co|ver to you, as the di&s;playings of the loves of Chri&s;t without; &s;o the expo|&s;tulations of loves within; and as they can di&s;cover what it is to be owned by Chri&s;t without, &s;o they can di&s;cover al&s;o what it is to be owned by a Chri&s;t within.</P>
<P>And as for others that onely know Chri&s;t without, and are not able to un|fold that my&s;terie of glory,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 3.16.</NOTE> which is Chri&s;t manife&s;ted in the fle&s;h; they are not able to declare Chri&s;t, in a way that is &s;uitable to Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Secondly, This may inform us what the priviledge of the &s;aints is, in decla|ring Chri&s;t. Their priviledge con&s;i|&s;teth in the&s;e things.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, In the ea&s;ine&s;&s;e of their decla|ring Truth, that enjoy Truth; It is no labour nor burden to a &s;oul that enjoy|eth Truth, to declare Truth; for as he doth not by the labour of natural parts
<PB N="8" REF="8">fetch in Truth, &s;o he doth not by the &s;trength of natural parts give out Truth: But Truth in him is alone the power, and life of him, to declare Truth by him, that &s;o in all his di&s;coveries of Truth, he is &s;o far from carrying notions of Truth, that Truth doth carry him; and he can and may &s;ay as <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith, Gal. 2.20. <HI>Not I, but Christ liveth in me.</HI> And I may &s;ay in this ca&s;e as S. <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aid in another ca&s;e. Revel. 14.13. <HI>They rest from their labours, and their works follow them.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, Their priviledge appear|eth in this, that in all the di&s;playings of the love of Chri&s;t to others, in that, and at that time they &s;weetly enjoy the love of Chri&s;t in them&s;elves; and &s;o enjoy it, that they &s;weetly live in it, and are &s;weetly refre&s;hed by the influences of it; &s;o that it is enough to &s;uch a &s;oul to de|clare Truth; for he &s;tandeth not in need of external things to draw him, but the enjoyment of Truth con&s;traineth him. 2 Cor. 5.14.</P>
<P>The &s;econd V&s;e is, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> To reprove tho&s;e men that goe about by power and poli|cy to re&s;traine &s;uch &s;oules po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with
<PB N="9" REF="8">Truth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act, 5.28, 29.</NOTE> from declaring Truth: They do what in them lyeth to &s;top the mouth of the Spirit of Truth; and that is the mean|ing of the Apo&s;tle, 2 The&s;. 5.19.20. <HI>Quench not the Spirit; di&s;pi&s;e not Prophe&s;ie.</HI> So that the di&s;pi&s;ing of Prophe&s;ie, is a quenching the Spirit; not in our &s;elves, but in others. Now Prophe&s;ie is not for men to preach a Sermon, from fetch|ing in Notions of Truth, from the &s;trength of Naturall parts; But it is for a man to &s;peake forth Truth from the e|dicts of it &s;elfe; And that is it which St <HI>Iohn</HI> meaneth, when hee &s;aith <HI>The testi|mony of Ie&s;us is the Spirit of prophe&s;ie;</HI> Rev. 19.10. Therefore let &s;uch men, who endeavour by power and policy to op|po&s;e them, take heede what they doe.</P>
<P>The third V&s;e is, <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> To exhort all tho&s;e that doe thus enjoy Truth, to declare it.</P>
<P>If you &s;ay you are willing, <MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> but you are much oppo&s;ed, not onely by &s;trangers, but by dear friends, nay, even by pa|rents, or brethren, &amp;c.</P>
<P>What of that? <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> It is no more but that
<PB N="10" REF="9">which was declared by Chri&s;t him&s;elfe, Luke 21.16.17.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark 13.12, 13.</NOTE> <HI>And ye &s;hall be betray|ed both by parents and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends, and &s;ome of you &s;hall they cau&s;e to be put to death: And ye &s;hall be hated of all men for my Names &s;ake.</HI> The like you may &s;ee &s;poken of, Cant. 1.6.</P>
<P>But if it be objected, <MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> But I am oppo|&s;ed by men of Authoritie and power.</P>
<P>I an&s;wer, <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;vv."> If it be by the watchmen of the City: It is no other then the Spou&s;e met withall, Cant, 5.7. And if it be by the Magi&s;trate and men of Authoritie, it is no more then was prophecied of, P&s;al. 2.2. E&s;a. 66.5. And al&s;o practi&s;ed, Act. 4.18. and 5.28.</P>
<P>And therefore the &s;um of all is this, That it is better to plea&s;e Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 4.19.5.29.42.</NOTE> then men: and therefore you which enjoy Chri&s;t, Cea&s;e not, but at all opportuni|ties, declare what you know of Chri&s;t, that &s;o others may enjoy what you en|joy. But I &s;hall &s;ay no more of this V&s;e, nor of this Conclu&s;ion.</P>
<P>The &s;econd thing in the Declaration,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. The matter de|clared.</NOTE> is the matter declared: And in that there is &s;omething included, be&s;ides
<PB N="11" REF="9">what is expre&s;&s;ed; And that which is included is in this word <HI>Garden;</HI> In which word is implyed the Church of Chri&s;t: From whence ob&s;erve this conclu&s;ion,</P>
<P>That Chri&s;t's Church is Chri&s;t's Gar|den. <MILESTONE UNIT="Doctr."></P>
<P>For the better under&s;tanding of this Conclu&s;ion, I &s;hall unfold the&s;e things,
<LIST>
<ITEM>Fir&s;t, What I mean by the Church of Chri&s;t. <MILESTONE N="1"></ITEM>
<ITEM>Secondly, How Chri&s;t's Church may fitly be called a Garden. <MILESTONE N="2"></ITEM>
<ITEM>Thirdly, How it is &s;aid to be Chri&s;ts Garden. <MILESTONE N="3"></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, What I meane by the Church of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>I An&s;wer, I doe not intend in that,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. What is meant by the Church of Chri&s;t.</NOTE> to &s;peak any thing of the Church invi&s;ible; but vi&s;ible.</P>
<P>And in that, Con&s;ider, Fir&s;t, What I do not meane by the Church of Chri&s;t; And in the fir&s;t place, I do not mean a <HI>Nationall</HI> Church: And by that word <HI>Nationall</HI> I meane, That a Nation, con|&s;idered as a Nation, cannot be a Church of Chri&s;t: My rea&s;ons are the&s;e,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Becau&s;e if a Church were con|&s;idered,
<PB N="12" REF="10"><HI>Nationall,</HI> then a Naturall birth would intere&s;t a man into a Spirituall priviledge.</P>
<P>Secondly, The holy Gho&s;t no where con&s;idereth Church members under a Naturall relation, but under a &s;pirituall, con&s;idering them as Saints. 1 Cor. 1.2. Ephe&s;. 1.1.</P>
<P>Secondly, I doe not meane by a Church, a <HI>Parochiall</HI> Church; that is the &s;ame in nature with a <HI>Nationall</HI> Church, though not in mea&s;ure; and what may be &s;aid again&s;t one, may bee &s;aid again&s;t the other.</P>
<P>But by a Church, I meane a compa|ny of &s;ouls,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 14.17, 20.</NOTE> who through the commings in of Chri&s;t, are made able &s;o to beleeve in Chri&s;t, that they are through that be|leeving, made able freely, and volunta|rily to give them&s;elves up to Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6.17.</NOTE> to walk in the acknowledgement of Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 24.14.</NOTE> in, or according to his word.</P>
<P>And from the termes of this de&s;cri|ption, wee may ob&s;erve the&s;e three or four con&s;ectaries, and by them you will the better under&s;tand what I mean;</P>
<P>The fir&s;t is,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. con&s;e|ctary.</NOTE> That the Church of
<PB N="13" REF="10">Chri&s;t, are beleevers in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Secondly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. con&s;ect.</NOTE> That the Church of Chri&s;t are &s;uch as are &s;weetly overcome, or fetch'd in to Chri&s;t, by the commings in of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Thirdly That the Church of Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. con&s;ect.</NOTE> mu&s;t wor&s;hip Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Fourthly, That the word of Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. con&s;ect.</NOTE> is the Rule of the wor&s;hip of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. con&s;ect.</NOTE> That the Church of Chri&s;t, are beleevers in Chri&s;t. This is cleare from the&s;e &s;criptures: 1 Cor. 1.2. and 2 The&s;. 1. chap. 1.2.3. ver&s;es, with many other places.</P>
<P>If you aske mee, <MILESTONE UNIT="Quest."> What I meane by a beleever, or by that beleeving: which is to be in all tho&s;e that are members of the Church of Chri&s;t?</P>
<P>I An&s;wer, I will tell you fir&s;t, <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> What I doe not meane; and then what I doe mean.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, I doe not mean a bare profe&s;&s;or of Truth, and Faith; for if all <MILESTONE N="1"> that profe&s;&s;e truth, and are not po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with truth; &s;hould be admitted members of the Church, then the Church would not be made up of living &s;tones.</P>
<PB N="14" REF="11">
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, I do not meane &s;uch a be|leever who is drawn up by the power of Rea&s;on, from the externall declarations of Truth, to beleeve a Chri&s;t without; when he doth not enjoy a Chri&s;t within: which men may doe, and &s;o beleeve, that they may bee brought to &s;ubmit to an externall Ordinance.</P>
<P>But by a beleever I mean, A &s;oul who from the enjoyment of a Chri&s;t within, is made able to beleeve a Chri&s;t without: For beleeving according to Truth is, for a &s;oule from the power of Truth, being overcome by it, and &s;wallowed up in it, is from thence made able as to a&s;&s;ent and give credit to it; &s;o to a&s;&s;ent and &s;ubmit to all things pre&s;ented in it, and required by it; as that they are made able to live to the glory of Truth, in every particular act.</P>
<P>If you aske me, <MILESTONE UNIT="Quest."> Whether one may not bee admitted to bee a Church member, and receive the Ordinances if he know Chri&s;t without, &s;o as hee is willing to embrace the outward Ordinance; though he doth not know, or is not acquainted with a Chri&s;t within?</P>
<PB N="15" REF="11">
<P> I An&s;wer, Such ought not to bee ad|mitted; <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> My rea&s;ons are the&s;e,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> Becau&s;e it is not an externall knowing, and &s;ubmitting to the Ordi|nances of Chri&s;t; but a reall one-ne&s;&s;e with Chri&s;t, that is a ground of union, and Communion: 1 Joh. 1.7. The A|po&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>If we walke in the light as he is in the light, then &s;hall we have fellow&s;hip one with another.</HI> From thence it is clear, that an one-ne&s;&s;e in the mi&s;tery of Truth, is alone the ground of Communion and fellow&s;hip &s;utable to Truth.</P>
<P>Secondly, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> The Saints ought in all admitting of members into the Church, not onely to admit members to them; But they &s;hould admit &s;uch,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 1, 25.</NOTE> as they may have ground to beleeve will continue with them;<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Iohn 2.19, 20, 24, 27.</NOTE> but there is no ground to beleeve that they will continue with them, unle&s;&s;e they can or do make out a right under&s;tanding of a Chri&s;t enjoyed within; as well as an apprehen&s;ion of a Chri&s;t without.</P>
<P>Thirdly, <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> The Church of Chri&s;t in all entertainment of members,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Iohn 1.<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">.7.</NOTE> ought to endeavour to keepe and continue that
<PB N="16" REF="12">which is the glory and life of union and Communion, which is not a bare en|joying of each other in an externall Or|dinance; but a &s;weet refre&s;hing of each other, by giving out to each other, their internall injoyments; for it is not a bare breaking of bread together, to make out a crucified Chri&s;t without, that is the life and refre&s;hing of Saints; but it is the &s;weet unfoldings, in the givings out of their experiences each to other; in which they do &s;weetly unfold and give out that love, which is the life of Saints: And in the giving out of each others experien|ces, there is a &s;weet building up, and re|fre&s;hing of each other; As face an&s;wers face in a gla&s;&s;e; &s;o doth the experience of one Saint an&s;wer another; and in their &s;o an&s;wering, there is a &s;weet wrap|ing up of each others &s;pirit, in each o|thers injoyment: And as this is, and ought to be the ground of Love; So it is that which is the continuation of love; but this cannot be enjoyed by admitting of members that onely know a Chri&s;t without, and do not know and enjoy a Chri&s;t within.</P>
<PB N="17" REF="12">
<P> Fourthly, <MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> That which may be in the men of the world; that cannot be a &s;uf|ficient ground to admit one into Church fellow&s;hip: But a bare beleeving of Chri&s;t without, may be in the men of the world: and therefore that is not a &s;ufficient ground to admit one into Church-fellow&s;hip.</P>
<P>The <HI>major</HI> is clear: And for the <HI>minor</HI> I prove thus; That which the Divel may do, a man of the world may do in matter of beleeving; But the Devils did believe, and know a Chri&s;t with|out, Jam. 2.19. and yet did not enjoy a Chri&s;t within: Therefore a wicked man, or a man of the world may do the &s;ame: And therefore that is not a &s;uffi|cient ground to admit one into Church-fellow&s;hip.</P>
<P>Fifthly, As the Apo&s;tles owned men, <MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> &s;o ought we to owne men: But the A|po&s;tles knew no man after the fle&s;h, 2 Cor 5.16. that is, (as I conceive) by <HI>fle&s;h</HI> he meaneth all external acts of righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e; which he calleth <HI>fle&s;h</HI> in Phil. 3.4. Therefore (I conceive) the Apo|&s;tle meaneth, they <HI>know no man after the
<PB N="18" REF="13">fle&s;h;</HI> that is, according to their exter|nal actings; but according to their in|ternal enjoyments: And &s;o ought we.</P>
<P>Sixthly, <MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> That which is the onely way to bring di&s;tractions into the Church of Chri&s;t, that ought not to be practi&s;ed by the Church of Chri&s;t; but the admitting of members upon &s;o &s;light a ground, as a bare believing of a Chri&s;t without, when they do not know and enjoy a Chri&s;t within, is the cau&s;e of di&s;tractions in the Church of Chri&s;t: and therefore ought not to be practi&s;ed.</P>
<P>If you aske me, <MILESTONE UNIT="Quest."> What are the di&s;tra|ctions it may, or doth produce?</P>
<P><HI>I An&s;wer,</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;vv."> The di&s;tractions are &s;uch as the&s;e:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Di&s;tract. 1.</NOTE> A continued fear that men will, or may fall off from them: For if men hold them&s;elves in the profe&s;&s;ion of Truth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Ioh. 2.19.</NOTE> and are not held in by the pow|er of Truth; then they will at fir&s;t or la&s;t fall off from Truth.</P>
<P>Secondly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Di&s;tract. 2.</NOTE> This is that which open|eth the mouths of &s;ome that are not yet in external fellow&s;hip, not onely to
<PB N="19" REF="13">&s;peak again&s;t it; but it maketh them al|&s;o afraid to &s;ubmit to it, becau&s;e they fear that we center, and put too much in outward Ordinances, and too little in inward enjoyments; This maketh them fear that they &s;hall not enjoy that among&s;t them that profe&s;&s;e outward Ordinances, which they do enjoy a|mong&s;t others.</P>
<P>Thirdly, It is a grief, and trouble,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Di&s;tract. 3.</NOTE> and &s;adne&s;&s;e to the &s;pirits of them that are already in fellow&s;hip; For in&s;teed of being built up with the exchanges of experiences; they (meeting many times with &s;ome who are admitted upon con|fe&s;&s;ion, and profe&s;&s;ion of a Chri&s;t with|out, when they do not &s;o enjoy Chri&s;t within, as to &s;ee an intere&s;t in him, and have a &s;en&s;ible communion with him) in&s;teed of the exchanges of experiences, that may refre&s;h the &s;ouls of each other, they give out nothing but external de|clarations about external admini&s;trati|ons; which is &s;o far from refre&s;hing, that it doth exceedingly damp the heart of a &s;oul that liveth with God: And it is no better then pouring cold water
<PB N="20" REF="14">upon a warmed &s;pirit; For though ex|ternal Ordinances are very good in re|ference to the will of God; yet it is not an outward Ordinance, but God in the Ordinance, that is the life of a Saint.</P>
<P>Seventhly, <MILESTONE N="7" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> That which is held out in the Go&s;pel for men to believe, that ought to appear in men when they do profe&s;&s;e them&s;elves to believe, before they are admitted into Church-fellow|&s;hip: But that which the Go&s;pel hold|eth out for men to believe, is not a bare believing of Chri&s;t pre&s;ented to them, but to believe an intere&s;t in Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">.15.14.6.</NOTE> &s;o as to enjoy life by him:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 2.20, 1 Ioh. 1.7.</NOTE> And untill men can declare that they &s;ee an intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, and &s;en&s;ibly enjoy Chri&s;t, there is no ground for us to believe, that they do &s;o believe, as to admit them into Church-fellow&s;hip.</P>
<P>And &s;o much concerning the fir&s;t con&s;ectarie; That the Church of Chri&s;t are believers in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>The &s;econd con&s;ectary is,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 2.</NOTE> That the Church of Chri&s;t are &s;uch as are &s;weetly overcome, and fetch'd in to Chri&s;t, by the commings in of Chri&s;t.</P>
<PB N="21" REF="14">
<P> By tho&s;e expre&s;&s;ions, my meaning is: Fir&s;t, That that heart that is truly po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with Chri&s;t, is &s;weetly over|come by the &s;weet love and lovelyne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, &s;o that he hath nothing to &s;ay again&s;t him, or any thing that is requi|red by him, but doth &s;weetly &s;ubmit to him.</P>
<P>Secondly, He is fetch'd in; by that I mean, not onely a fetching into an external Ordinance, but to the enjoy|ment of an internal glory: he is not barely fetch'd in from a &s;eeming power of death, to live under the &s;hadow of life: but he is really fetch'd from the power of death, into the glory of life: In a word, he is fetch'd into the bo&s;ome of God, to live in him, &s;o that he is &s;weetly wrapt up in the my&s;terie of that glory which is involved in the bo&s;ome of God. And &s;o much for that con&s;e|ctarie.</P>
<P>The third con&s;ectarie is,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 3.</NOTE> That the Church of Chri&s;t mu&s;t wor&s;hip Chri&s;t. And that this is their duty, is cleer from the&s;e Scriptures; 2 Kings 17.36. 1 Chron. 16.29. P&s;al. 29.2. and 96.9.
<PB N="22" REF="15">John 4.23, 24. Acts 24.14. Rom. 12.1. Phil. 3.3. And had I time, I &s;hould &s;peak &s;omthing of the word <HI>Wor&s;hip:</HI> for Wor&s;hip in Scripture is taken either for Moral, or In&s;tituted Wor&s;hip; but I &s;hall &s;ay nothing of that: Onely in a word, the people of God are to acknow|ledge God in all things, both external, and internal, that are required of them by God. But I &s;hall not (at this time) &s;peak any more of this con&s;ectary.</P>
<P>The fourth con&s;ectary is,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 4.</NOTE> That the word of Chri&s;t, is the Rule of the wor|&s;hip of Chri&s;t.<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ai. 8.20.</NOTE> Every King mu&s;t, and doth rule by a Law &s;utable to him&s;elf: Kings that govern, and rule in civill things, are to govern and rule by a ci|vil Law; but Chri&s;t who is a King &s;piri|tual, ruleth and regulateth his Church by a &s;piritual Law; civil Lawes cannot reach Chri&s;ts government; Neither hath Chri&s;t centred any power in the civil authority, to regulate mens &s;pirits in the wor&s;hip of Chri&s;t;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 49.10.</NOTE> though that was for|merly in the Church of the Jewes, which was a type of Chri&s;t; it is now ended by Chri&s;t; and all power in
<PB N="23" REF="15">matter of wor&s;hip is called home to him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 9.6.7.</NOTE> and re&s;ides in him:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 11.27.</NOTE> and tho&s;e men that indevour by the power of a civil Law to con&s;train men to a &s;piritual wor&s;hip,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 3.35.</NOTE> they take upon them the au|thority and prerogative of Je&s;us Chri&s;t: Nay in a word, they in that act deny Chri&s;t come in the fle&s;h; and it is not onely &s;inful; but poor and beggarly: for they would have all men &s;ee with their eyes; and all mens &s;pirits in nature and mea&s;ure &s;utable to their Law; and if they &s;ee more, they mu&s;t be fetched back by the power of it; and if they &s;ee le&s;&s;e, the mu&s;t be fetched up to it by that power and authority in it; and in &s;o doing, they take upon them the &s;ole work of God him&s;elf. But I &s;hall &s;ay no more of that thing, nor of the fir&s;t terme in the Propo&s;ition; What I mean by the Church of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Why the Church is called a Garden.</NOTE> The &s;econd thing to be unfolded is, Why the Church of Chri&s;t is called a Garden; Or wherein it may fitly be compared to a Garden?</P>
<P>I an&s;wer, The Church of Chri&s;t may fitly be compared to a Garden in the&s;e things:</P>
<PB N="24" REF="16">
<P> Fir&s;t, In that it is inclo&s;ed: common fields have common fences,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Chri&s;ts Church may fitly bee called a Garden, Becau&s;e it is inclo&s;ed.</NOTE> but no &s;pecial enclo&s;ure: In a &s;pecial manner to be enclo&s;ed is the property of a Gar|den; and therein may the Church of Chri&s;t fitly bee called a Garden, Cant. 4.12. <HI>A Garden enclo&s;ed is my &s;i|&s;ter, my Spou&s;e:</HI> and &s;o I&s;a, 5. <HI>I had a Vineyard, and I &s;et a Wall about it,</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>and I hedged it.</HI> &amp;c. All this di&s;|covers thus much, That the Church of Chri&s;t, which is Chri&s;ts Garden; is &s;pecially enclo&s;ed; and this enclo&s;ure is not a bare external di&s;cipline, to &s;epa|rate them from the World;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.35.</NOTE> But it is al&s;o the &s;pecial love,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 14.21.15.12, 13.17.15.</NOTE> and power, and &s;weet|ne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, to &s;ecure them from the evil that is in the world.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Becau&s;e there is more fruit there, then el&s;ewhere.</NOTE> Secondly, The Church of Chri&s;t may fitly be called a Garden, Becau&s;e there is more &s;pecial fruit there then el&s;e|where: In common fields and road|waies there may be common fruits; but your &s;pecial and choice fruits are in your enclo&s;ed Gardens; &s;o it is in the Church of Chri&s;t; In the men of the world there may be &s;ome common gifts to de|clare
<PB N="25" REF="16">Chri&s;t; and &s;ome civil and legal conformity to Chri&s;t; and al&s;o a love to Chri&s;t, from a &s;uppo&s;ed good by Chri&s;t, when they can love them&s;elves, in love|ing of Chri&s;t: and the &s;ame we may &s;ay of &s;orrow for &s;in; and joy in duty: &amp;c. But if you look for a choi&s;e love, and a choi&s;e light,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 3.29.5.19.</NOTE> you mu&s;t look for it where it is,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 11.27.</NOTE> and that is either in the heart of Chri&s;t, the Gardiner;<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Iohn 2.20.27.</NOTE> or el&s;e in the &s;aints, who are the Garden. Every &s;tream looks like its own Fountain; and every beam like its own Body from whence it flowes; Therefore if you de|&s;ire to &s;ee a choi&s;e love,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 7.11.</NOTE> and a choi&s;e light, a choi&s;e joy, and a choi&s;e &s;orrow, you mu&s;t view it onely and alone in the heart of &s;aints; They who are po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ed with Chri&s;t, and &s;o live with Chri&s;t, that all living acts flow from Chri&s;t, they are not carried out to love from an apprehen&s;ion of good without them, pre&s;ented to them; But they love from a power of good, &s;eated in them: They do not love to gain life; but they &s;o love from a power of life, that it is a gain to them to love: That love that is in the
<PB N="26" REF="17">heart of Saints to God, flowes from no le&s;&s;e then the very heart of God: It looks like him, it is owned by him, it wraps up, and involves the &s;pirit, loving in the glory of him: the&s;e are the choi&s;e fruits and &s;pices Chri&s;t &s;peaks of in the CANTICLES.</P>
<P>And &s;o we are to under&s;tand the words of Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5.47.</NOTE> where he &s;aith, <HI>What is in you, more then in another?</HI> implying that there is &s;ome &s;ingular thing in the heart of Saints, that is not el&s;e where: You may finde light, and love, and &s;orrow, and joy in the heart of men, yet unacquain|ted truely with God: But if you will finde the&s;e Purely, and Truely; Singly, and Tran&s;cendently, you mu&s;t expect it no where, but where Chri&s;t dwells with a Soule, and a Soule with Chri&s;t. And therefore under that &s;econd con&s;iderati|on, The Church of Chri&s;t may fitly bee called a Garden.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Becau&s;e there is more care taken of it.</NOTE> Thirdly, The Church of Chri&s;t may fitly be called a Garden, Becau&s;e there is more Care taken of it, and more &s;peciall watching over it then of other places.</P>
<P>Where the Lord &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 27.3.</NOTE> <HI>I watered it, and
<PB N="27" REF="17">watched it night and day, that none &s;hould burt it.</HI> Men take a common care of their common fields; But they take a &s;peciall care of their enclo&s;ed Gardens; So it is with God him&s;elfe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 145.9.</NOTE> <HI>Who&s;e mercy is over all his works;</HI> But his choyce&s;t Loves, Light,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 14, 21.23.</NOTE> and Life is di&s;played in the heart of Saints: and they are not onely under a common Providence, but a Fatherly and Friendly care.</P>
<P>I might here &s;peake &s;omething of the White. &s;tone; and al&s;o of the choice ownings, and imbracings betwixt Chri&s;t and his Saints. But I &s;hall leave that to the experience of them that doe enjoy it.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Becau&s;e Chri&s;t takes &s;ati&s;|faction and delight in it.</NOTE> Fourthly, The Church of Chri&s;t may fitly be compared to a Garden in refer|rence to the &s;weet Refre&s;hings, Sati&s;|faction, and Content Chri&s;t takes in it; Which content and &s;atisfaction of Chri&s;t doth appeare, and is made manife&s;t by the&s;e things.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, In Chri&s;t's &s;weet di&s;coveries, and friendly manife&s;tations in a &s;ecret way to them;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 14.21.</NOTE> It is here betwixt Chri&s;t and his Church, as it is betwixt friends,
<PB N="28" REF="18">If men de&s;ire to have a friendly di&s;cour&s;e with a friend, they commonly go (not into the common fields, but) into enclo|&s;ed Gardens, where they may di&s;cover their mindes, as privately, &s;o freely, and friendly; So it is betwixt Chri&s;t and his Church, who when he hath any choice matter to di&s;cover, from the heart of his Father, He pre&s;ently retires to the heart of Saints,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 15.15.</NOTE> where he doth, and can &s;peake as fully, &s;o freely; And in his di&s;covery of him&s;elfe, and his Father to them, hee takes great delight. And herein the content and &s;atisfaction of Chri&s;t in the Saints doth appear.</P>
<P>Secondly, The content and &s;atisfacti|on of Chri&s;t doth appeare, in that Chri&s;t is plea&s;ed, not onely to carry them by a common hand of Providence, but hee carries them in his Bo&s;ome;<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 40.11.</NOTE> He delights for them to ly in his heart, and for Him to live in them.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Not onely &s;o, But the con|tent of Chri&s;t appeares in divers expre&s;|&s;ions which he takes up to expre&s;&s;e him|&s;elfe in, and declare him&s;elfe by, to his Churches;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hag. 2.23.</NOTE> Sometimes he calls them the
<PB N="29" REF="18"><HI>Signet upon his finger:</HI> Sometimes hee de|&s;ires to bee <HI>Set as a &s;eale upon their heart:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">.6.</NOTE> Sometimes hee cries out and &s;aith, <HI>Turne away thine eyes from me,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 6.5.</NOTE> <HI>for they have over|come me:</HI> And &s;ometimes hee cries out, <HI>Shew me thy Countenance, Let mee heare thy voice; for &s;weet is thy voice,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">.14.</NOTE> <HI>and thy Counte|nance comely.</HI> It is here with Chri&s;t, as it is with one that delights not only in a Garden, but in the variety of fruits in that Garden; So Chri&s;t is plea&s;ed by the &s;weet and glorious &s;cituation, and in|dwelling of him&s;elfe in the &s;oul, to cau&s;e the &s;oul to bring forth choice fruits unto him&s;elfe, and Chri&s;t loves to view the fruits of his own love, and the Beames of his owne Beauty; And it is impo&s;sible for any Gardiner to take &s;o much delight in any Garden, as Chri&s;t takes in the heart of Saints; For Chri&s;t is not carry|ed up by them, but hee carries up them to Him&s;elfe: The Spirit of Chri&s;t is not revived by any &s;tream in a Saint, be&s;ides Him&s;elfe; but all the refre&s;hment of a Saint, and of him&s;elfe, flowes from him|&s;elfe as the onely Fountaine. And the&s;e wayes (and many other) doth the con|tent
<PB N="30" REF="19">that Chri&s;t takes in his Church ap|peare. And &s;o you &s;ee how the Church of Chri&s;t may fitly bee compared to a Garden.</P>
<P>And for the Third thing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Why the Church of Chri&s;t is called Chri&s;ts Garden,</NOTE> Why the Church of Chri&s;t is called Chri&s;ts Gar|den.</P>
<P>I <HI>An&s;wer,</HI> It may fitly be called Chri&s;ts Garden upon the&s;e grounds,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Becau&s;e it was planted by Him.</P>
<P>Secondly, It is inclo&s;ed in Him.</P>
<P>Thridly, It is made fruitfull through the enjoyments of Him.</P>
<P>Fourthly, It looks like him.</P>
<P N="1">1. Of the fir&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Becau&s;e it is plan|ted by him</NOTE> It is planted by Him: It is the &s;ame thing that Chri&s;t &s;aith, E&s;a. 5.2. <HI>Hee planted it with a choice Vine.</HI> Every one may lay claime to the work|man&s;hip of his own hand: There is no|thing in the heart of a Saint con&s;idered &s;pirituall and heavenly, but it was plan|ted there by Je&s;us Chri&s;t: and thus con|&s;ider the hearts of Saints centred and placed in any divine enjoyment, they are placed and &s;eated there, as with, &s;o by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. Ephe&s;. 2.</P>
<PB N="31" REF="19">
<P> Looke upon all the Loves, Joyes, De&s;ires and Longings of a Saint: If you aske me Who&s;e they are? I tell you they belong to him that planted them, and that is the Lord Chri&s;t: All the out-go|ings of the heart of Saints to God in Chri&s;t, they are but the reflections of the Divine beame of eternall glory, the head and fountaine of which is in God him|&s;elfe.</P>
<P>If you looke upon any Divine enjoy|ment where a Saint is planted or placed: If you ask me Who brought up a low Spirit to tho&s;e high enjoyments? I <HI>An|&s;vver,</HI> It is the work of Chri&s;t, who at one and the &s;ame time liveth with God in the heighth of his glory, and with poore creatures that are here below; bringing down Gods highne&s;&s;e to their weakne&s;&s;e, and bringing up their weak|ne&s;&s;e to Gods highne&s;&s;e. So then in this fir&s;t &s;ence, they may well be called the Garden of Chri&s;t; becau&s;e in all their plantings, they are planted by Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Secondly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Becau&s;e it is inclo|&s;ed in him.</NOTE> As they are planted by him, &s;o they are inclo&s;ed in him; Eve|ry
<PB N="32" REF="20">Garden hath a particular inclo&s;ure; But Chri&s;ts Garden more high and glo|rious; They are not onely inclo&s;ed by a common Providence to protect and &s;e|cure them; but they are inclo&s;ed with|in the choice limits of Chri&s;ts Loves: They are carryed in his bo&s;ome,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 40.11.</NOTE> they are borne up in his armes: Was there ever a place more &s;ecret, high and glorious in the heart of Chri&s;t, then where a Saint lives? He &s;hould be drawn up to a high|er enjoyment then yet he hath, or &s;hall have. But the truth is the Lord Chri&s;t locks up, and inclo&s;eth his Garden in his choi&s;e&s;t clo&s;&s;et; and that is in no le&s;&s;e then in the heart: Of what? Even of him&s;elfe, Nay of his Father; and they are &s;o inclo&s;ed in the heart of him, that there they live in the mid&s;t of all his Loves: They are comprehended with|in the Divine beames of his eternall de|lights, love and content. And this is the &s;econd ground,<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Becau&s;e they are made fruitfull through the enjoy|ments of him.</NOTE> why they may be called Chri&s;ts Garden: becau&s;e as they are planted by him, &s;o they are inclo&s;ed in him.</P>
<P>Thirdly, They are made fruitfull
<PB N="33" REF="20">through the enjoyments of him; The thoughts of which, doth exceedingly tran&s;port my &s;pirit in the viewing of it, that we who are low, &s;hould bee advan|ced into the highne&s;&s;e of Gods pre&s;ence, who have not onely admittance to, but intere&s;t in the heart of Ie&s;us: This with much more, is our priviledge: And for our fruitfullne&s;&s;e toward our God, in the acknowledgement of the&s;e high privi|ledges we enjoy by God: From whence flow they? Is our priviledge gained by the &s;trength of our duty? Or Is our duty produced by the power of our priviled|ges? It is that we dwell with Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3.1.</NOTE> or rather, that Chri&s;t dwells with us, which is the onely cau&s;e of our bearing fruit to Chri&s;t:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 3.17.</NOTE> And what the &s;weet di&s;tillings of that eternall dew, and &s;pirituall wa|tering is: no &s;oule knowes, but hee that doth enjoy it: See what Chri&s;t &s;aith, E&s;a. 27.3. <HI>I the Lord do keepe it, I will wa|ter it every moment, le&s;t any hurt it, I will keepe it night and day.</HI> This watering the heart of Saints, it is by the &s;weet di&s;|playings, and glorious unfoldings of the Fathers good will to the Saints; through
<PB N="34" REF="21">which beames there is power and life be|got in them; through which life and power there is duties performed by them; So that all the duties Saints bring to the heart of Jes;us Chri&s;t, it is but the returnes of his own &s;treames, and the re|flection of his own beams.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3.3.</NOTE> How hard, dead, and un&s;encible is a Saint when Eclip&s;ed by Chri&s;t? How high, how &s;pirituall, how Evangelicall is a Saint in his actings to Chri&s;t, when hee acts from an enjoyment of Chri&s;t? See but what Chri&s;t &s;aith, John 15.1.2. <HI>I am the Vine, and ye are the branches.</HI> This doth not onely &s;hew the choice relation that is betwixt Chri&s;t and his Spou&s;e, but al|&s;o &s;heweth the &s;weet conveyance of life from him&s;elfe to his Spou&s;e: for as the branch in a Vine cannot bring forth fruit, but as it receiveth &s;appe from the root; neither can a Saint who is made one with Chri&s;t, bring forth fruit unle&s;&s;e he hath in-comes from Chri&s;t: There|fore he &s;aith, (ver&s;e 15.) <HI>Without me ye can do nothing.</HI> And &s;o much of this third thing, They are made fruitfull through the enjoyments of him.</P>
<PB N="35" REF="21">
<P> Fourthly, They looke like him:<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Becau&s;e they looke like him.</NOTE> <HI>A|dam</HI> begot a Sonne like unto him&s;elfe: This &s;econd <HI>Adam</HI> who is from Heaven, and therefore Heavenly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15.45, 47.48.49.</NOTE> all the Saints that are made one with him, who are involved in him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 1.4.</NOTE> who are made fruit|full by him; they looke like him, 1 Joh. 4.17. <HI>As he is, &s;o are we in this world.</HI> Look, you that have experience of the enjoy|ments of Chri&s;t; You I &s;ay, who are wont to &s;it down among&s;t the Loves of Chri&s;t, viewing and beholding the heart of Je&s;us: Doe but behold the heart of a Saint, and there is a &s;weet &s;utablene&s;&s;e, or likene&s;&s;e each to other.</P>
<P>If you aske me, From whence com|eth this? I tell you it is, becau&s;e what&s;o|ever is con&s;idered in the heart of a Saint, as a Saint, it is really one with Chri&s;t, it really flowes from Chri&s;t. I told you before, that every beame is like its own Body; So it is here; that Love that is in a &s;aint to Chri&s;t, it is but a Sonne,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Ioh. 4.9.10.</NOTE> it is but a fruit of the Love that is in Chri&s;t to us: The love that is in a &s;aint, is not onely begot by him, but it really flowes from him, as one with him. And what
<PB N="36" REF="22">you may &s;ay of Love, you may &s;ay of all that is con&s;idered in the heart of a &s;aint, as a &s;aint, In&s;omuch that if you &s;hould call the love that is in a &s;aint to Chri&s;t, <HI>Choice Love;</HI> you could neither wrong a &s;aint, nor Chri&s;t in that thing.</P>
<P>Deare&s;t friends, Behold in this a great wonder, Chri&s;t in the givings out of him&s;elfe to us, requires returnes of him&s;elfe in an acknowledgement of &s;o great a priviledge: But behold all the returnes in us to Chri&s;t, flowes from Chri&s;t, as the originall Fountaine, and Well-head of all tho&s;e &s;treames. And &s;o much of this fourth thing, They look like him. And now I have done with unfolding the termes of the &s;econd Do|ctrine to you; which was, that Chri&s;ts Church is Chri&s;ts Garden.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">V&s;e of In|formation.</NOTE> The fir&s;t V&s;e is a V&s;e of Information, to informe us of many Truths, which I &s;hall draw from the Propo&s;ition or Con|clu&s;ion; and that &s;hall be in drawing &s;e|verall Con&s;ectaries from the particulars in every terme; Onely the fir&s;t terme, <HI>viz.</HI> what I meant by the Church of Chri&s;t, I have at large handled it alrea|dy,
<PB N="37" REF="22">and therefore I &s;hall &s;peak no more of that at this time.</P>
<P>But I &s;hall come to draw Con&s;ectaries from the &s;econd and third things.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, From the &s;econd, Why the Church of Chri&s;t is called a Garden. And I gave you four Rea&s;ons why it may fitly be called a Garden.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Becau&s;e it is inclo&s;ed.</P>
<P>Secondly, Becau&s;e there is more &s;pe|ciall fruit there, then el&s;e where.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Becau&s;e there is more care taken of it, and watchfullne&s;&s;e over it.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Becau&s;e Chri&s;t takes more Content and Delight in it, then el&s;e|where.</P>
<P>From thence ob&s;erve the&s;e four Con|&s;ectaries.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, From the fir&s;t thing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 1.</NOTE> That Chri&s;ts Church may fitly bee called a Garden, Becau&s;e it is inclo&s;ed; From thence ob&s;erve this Con&s;ectarie, That Chri&s;ts Church is not a &s;cattered confu|&s;ed, but an inclo&s;ed Company; It is the property of idle &s;hepherds to let their &s;heepe goe &s;cattered up and downe, not
<PB N="38" REF="23">knowing them, nor them knowing him: But the Lord Chri&s;t taketh care to inclo&s;e his Garden within the limits of that Light, Life and Glory that maketh known him&s;elfe to them, and them to him&s;elfe;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 10.14.</NOTE> that where&s;oever a Saint is, he is &s;till inclo&s;ed by Chri&s;t; hee is not without the Pale, but hee is &s;till with|in the borders of the limits of that &s;trong wall, E&s;a. 26.5. And therefore wee may &s;ay here as Chri&s;t &s;aith, Cant. 4.12. <HI>A Garden inclo&s;ed, is my &s;ister, my &s;pou&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>What this inclo&s;ure is in the fellow|&s;hip of the Saints in any &s;ence, at this time I &s;hall not &s;peak, having &s;poke &s;o largely to this before; But this I am &s;ure of, That Chri&s;ts Church is an inclo&s;ed Garden.</P>
<P>Wee might in the way of V&s;e of this Con&s;ectarie come a little to parralell the Church of England with the Church of Chri&s;t; <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> And whether that bee an inclo|&s;ed Garden, or a confu&s;ed wilderne&s;&s;e; I leave to you to judge. For looke up|on the Church of England as a National Church, &s;o con&s;idered, it is that which rather breeds and bringeth forth that
<PB N="39" REF="23">which oppo&s;eth and endeavours to de|&s;troy the Church of Chri&s;t, the Lillies of Chri&s;t; then any waies lookes with a face like Chri&s;t him&s;elfe.</P>
<P>And what we may &s;ay of a Nationall Church, we may &s;ay the &s;ame of a Pa|rochiall Church: But I &s;hall &s;ay no more of that thing, but only this, That Chri&s;ts Church is an inclo&s;ed Garden.</P>
<P>The Second Con&s;ectarie is drawne from the &s;econd thing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 2.</NOTE> which was this, That the Church of Chri&s;t may fitly bee called a Garden, becau&s;e there is more &s;peciall fruit there, then el&s;e-where; Thence ob&s;erve this Con&s;ectarie, That the fruits in a Saint placed thereby Je&s;us Chri&s;t, They are choice fruits: The highe&s;t title that Chri&s;t can give them, he gives to them: There is no excellent &s;pices, no wines, no fruits, but Chri&s;t takes up to expre&s;&s;e the glory, and ex|cellency, and beauty of tho&s;e fruits that grow and live in a Saint; I &s;ay here (as I &s;aid before) There is common fruits in common fields; but your choice fruits are in your Gardens: Men go to refre&s;h their &s;pirits with a &s;ight of Lillies, and
<PB N="40" REF="24">Ro&s;es, and other choice fruits in enclo&s;ed Gardens; Behold if you would looke upon the choice Lillies of Love, The Ro&s;e of Sharan, Looke what is planted and placed in the heart of &s;aints; there is the Ro&s;e of Sharan; there dwells the Lilly of the Valleys,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 2.1.</NOTE> even Chri&s;t in them:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 14.17.20.</NOTE> And all the fruit of love, thank|fullne&s;&s;e, or acknowledgement in Pray|ing, or &s;peaking to, or of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, it flowes from Chri&s;t, as dwelling in them, and therefore mu&s;t needs bee a choice fruit.</P>
<P>Truely it &s;ads my &s;pirit to &s;ee that in the&s;e dayes when there is &s;o much light, Copper &s;hould goe for the pure&s;t Gold; My meaning is, That common, bor|rowed Religions &s;hould be owned as the Religion that Chri&s;t him&s;elfe ownes: But I &s;hall not at this time largely ex|pre&s;&s;e my &s;elfe in this thing; Onely thus much take notice of, That there is a Re|ligion con&s;idered onely in reference to Rea&s;on. A Religion in reference to a Law without, and not a Law and Love within. A Religion in reference to a Letter, when men endeavour by the
<PB N="41" REF="24">&s;trength of Religion to finde out the &s;pi|rit; and there Religion is not produced by beeing found out by the &s;pirit it &s;elfe; and that cau&s;eth all the confu&s;ion that is now-a-dayes in the world, for if rea|&s;on goes to trade with law, and letter, it converts both law and letter into no higher glory then into the light of it &s;elf; and all the fruit that is in &s;uch a mans &s;pirit, con&s;idered in every act of Religi|on, it is poore, it is beggarly, it is low, it is legall, it is but a Religion in the letter, and not in the &s;pirit.</P>
<P>If you aske me, Why I call this a Re|ligion? <MILESTONE UNIT="Quest."></P>
<P>I <HI>An&s;wer,</HI> I call it &s;o in reference to man, <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> and not to God.</P>
<P>If you aske me what I mean by a Re|ligion in reference to Rea&s;on, Law, <MILESTONE UNIT="Quest."> and Letter?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="An&s;w."> <NOTE PLACE="marg">What Religion in refer|rence to Rea&s;on is.</NOTE> In a word I <HI>An&s;wer</HI> thus, fir&s;t, For that Religion which is in reference to Rea&s;on, It is when Rea&s;on is the high|e&s;t Light that a man enjoyeth, and that Rea&s;on is put forth as in directing men, &s;o in convicting, when men vary from that direction, through the power of
<PB N="42" REF="25">which there is wrought a certaine con|formitie to the light of it &s;elfe: And this is that which &s;ome men looke upon as Religion, which is meere Civili|tie.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. What Religion in refer|rence to a Law with|out, and not within is.</NOTE> Secondly, for that Religion which is in referrence to a Law without, and not an&s;wering to a Law and a power of Love within, It is when men have not onely the light of Rea&s;on, but convicti|ons from the light of a Law, which &s;ets men at work, not rightly under&s;tanding this Law without, from the power and &s;pirit of a Law within;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3.2.</NOTE> they in conform|ing to it, to &s;eeke good by it, they one|ly worke in a low legall way, &s;eeking life by working, and not to acknowledge life in their working: This is &s;uch a Re|ligion that men who live in it, may fall from it. But tho&s;e Saints who act in Re|ligious acts &s;utable to Chri&s;t, the Law is written in them, that is a Rule for them; and the Law that regulates them in an act, is the Spirit, and Life, and Power of the act; and &s;o Chri&s;t is All in all.</P>
<PB N="43" REF="25">
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">3. What Religion in refer|rence to a Letter is.</NOTE> Thirdly, For that Religion which is in referrence to a Letter, It is only when men by the &s;trength of Rea&s;on, trade with the Letter, to finde out the &s;pirit; and the Spirit doth not trade with their &s;pirits: And the truth is, this kinde of way of eyeing Truth, admits of &s;trange con&s;tructions that vary from Truth; and that is the cau&s;e why one man is Legall, and another man &s;eemes to be Evange|licall, but it is only in the notion, and not in the power.</P>
<P>If you aske me then, <MILESTONE UNIT="Quest."> Wherein is the difference between a Saint, and them?</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> My <HI>An&s;wer</HI> is, That Saints under&s;tand the Letter from the Spirit;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 14.26.</NOTE> But the o|ther goe about to apprehend the Spirit, onely from the Letter; And in &s;o acting they act in a Region below that Divine glory that lives in the minde of the Spi|rit.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.27</NOTE> And herein doth the priviledge of the Saints tran&s;cend the apprehen&s;ion of all men that doe not enjoy it: the &s;aints are comprehended in the Spiritualitie of the Letter, while they under&s;tand the Letter: The Spirit preacheth Divinitie within, and that makes them under&s;tand
<PB N="44" REF="26">Divinity without. But no man knowes this, but he that doth enjoy it.</P>
<P>What then &s;hall wee thinke of tho&s;e men that &s;ay, No man can declare the minde of God, but hee that knowes the Originall?</P>
<P>If by the Originall they mean the O|riginall in the Letter; Wade as farre as you can in that Fountaine, you are but &s;till in the Letter. But if you &s;peak true|ly of the Originall, I &s;ay, No man can preach or declare God, till hee knowes the Originall: But then we mu&s;t know what the Originall of the Letter is, It is the Spirit.</P>
<P>If you aske mee, <MILESTONE UNIT="Quest."> What is the Originall of the Breathings of the Spirit?</P>
<P>I tell you, <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> It is the heart of Je&s;us. Therefore hee knowes God, from God: hee knowes Truth from the Originall: And hee that knowes Chri&s;t, in the en|joyment of Chri&s;t; hee knowes the Originall, and the Originall knowes him.</P>
<P>If you <HI>Object,</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> and &s;ay, This is but a poore ground for men to dwell upon.</P>
<PB N="45" REF="26">
<P> I <HI>An&s;wer,</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;vv."> I had rather have Gods promi&s;e to bee my ground, in teaching mee by his Spirit, then my labouring in the Letter to under&s;tand the Spirit. But I &s;hall &s;ay no more of this, But the Lord teach us from him&s;elf.</P>
<P>Onely in the way of V&s;e, <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e"> Let mee &s;peak a word to you; Many of you &s;eem to have Religious actions performed by you, I de&s;ire wee may take notice from what fountaine the&s;e &s;treames flow: Is Rea&s;on the deepe&s;t Fountaine? Is a Law without the Well-head? Is the Letter the highe&s;t Region? Poore Soule, Thou trade&s;t too low, to live like a Saint: I tell thee (though the world &s;coffs at Truth in the Spirituallity) Owne Truth in the Spirit, and thou &s;halt under&s;tand Truth in the Letter: But wee can never owne Truth in the Spirit, till the Truth in the Spirit ownes us.</P>
<P>But Behold a wonder, The fruits in a &s;aint, and acts of Religion here upon the earth, the head of them is as high as Heaven; The Originall of the appre|hen&s;ions of &s;aints, is as high, as &s;pi|rituall, as glorious as the Heart of
<PB N="46" REF="27">Chri&s;t. And &s;o much of this thing.</P>
<P>Onely one word of V&s;e more from the Con&s;ectarie, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> To inform us what to thinke of tho&s;e men that profe&s;&s;e them|&s;elves to be the Garden of Chri&s;t, and yet bring forth thornes in&s;tead of Figgs, and Bryars in&s;tead of Lillies? Vn&s;avory &s;peeches, Vn&s;utable carryages doth not become a &s;aint: Who! Thou who dwelle&s;t in the heart of Chri&s;t, Can&s;t thou &s;inne again&s;t him? It cannot bee. Truely &s;inne is un&s;utable in any man; but in a &s;aint, &s;inne lookes out of mea|&s;ure &s;infull. And I know, the know|ledge of Love within, tyes more then a Lavv without; Let it &s;o appeare in all your carriages, yee Sonnes of Love. But I &s;ay noe more of this thing.</P>
<P>The third Con&s;ectarie ari&s;eth from the third thing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 3.</NOTE> which was this, That the church of Chri&s;t may fitly be called a gar|den, becau&s;e there is more &s;pecial care ta|ken of them, and watchfulnes over them, then of other places, as you may &s;ee E&s;a. 27. From thence ob&s;erve this Con&s;ectary, That you that are Chri&s;ts, you are under his &s;pecial protection. All in a &s;ence may
<PB N="47" REF="27">bee &s;aid to &s;tand by him, and receive good from him: But you in a more e|&s;peciall manner; His eye is over you; His heart is with you, His thoughts of good runne out for you; there is nothing that doth befall you, that can take you from under the care of Chri&s;t; All af|flictions in words, in actions from the men of the world are ordered by Chri&s;t, as a potion; in which potion there are the &s;weet ingredients of his owne Loves.</P>
<P>This &s;hould teach us, Fir&s;t, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> To a|void all carnall and corrupt care for our &s;elves, ca&s;ting all our cares upon him that careth for us, 1 Pet. 5.7. Matth. 6.25. Phil. 4.6.</P>
<P>Truely friends, Care in the u&s;e of meanes, and not caring for the &s;ucce&s;&s;e, but leaving that to God, takes away the burthen and Labour of all undertakings; &ocirc;h how may a Saint live? His life is without Care: I meane not the care in u&s;e of meanes; but in the &s;ucce&s;&s;e of meanes, which alone belongs to Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Secondly, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> This &s;hould teach us not
<PB N="48" REF="28">to feare the &s;ecret and cunning plottings and contrivings of all wilde Boars and Foxes, who endeavour to undermine and weary the flock of Chri&s;t; Know this, Chri&s;ts care is for you, his eye is over you,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 8.3.</NOTE> his Arme of love is under you; he takes care &s;o as to undertake for you, to engage with you, &s;o as to get the victo|ry (Nay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15.57.</NOTE> its got already) for you; there|fore wee are &s;aid to bee more then Con|querours:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.37.</NOTE> Oh! What need a Saint fear, who &s;tands by a conquering &s;trength, who&s;e &s;trength is an eternall Chri&s;t?</P>
<P>Thirdly, <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> This &s;hould teach us to be re&s;olute without feare in the way of Chri&s;t;<NOTE PLACE="marg">a King. 6.16.</NOTE> for hee that is with us, is more then they that are again&s;t us.</P>
<P>Oh friends, Endeavour not to worke out your &s;afety by policie neglecting du|ty, but leave all your &s;afety to him who is your life, being re&s;olute in your duty: What if men oppo&s;e? If God command, let us go on. What if men contrive? If Chri&s;t take care, let us not draw back: You are Chri&s;ts Garden, hee watcheth over you night and day; There may &s;ome Foxes ri&s;e up; but &s;ee what Chri&s;t
<PB N="49" REF="28">&s;aith, Cant. 2.15. <HI>Take us the Foxes, the little Foxes, that &s;poile the Vines, for our Vines have tender grapes.</HI> But I &s;ay no more of that thing.</P>
<P>The fourth Con&s;ectarie is rai&s;ed from the la&s;t thing wherein Chri&s;ts Church may fitly bee called a Garden;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 4.</NOTE> which was, That Chri&s;t takes great delight in it, and content in the injoyment of it: From thence ob&s;erve this Con&s;ectarie, That Chri&s;ts delight, or the delight of Chri&s;t is in and with the heart of Saints: This &s;ame is not a new thing, but that which of old was declared concerning Chri&s;t, Prov. 8.31. <HI>Rejoycing in the ha|bitable part of the earth, and my delights were with the &s;onnes of men.</HI> What Chri&s;t &s;aith of him&s;elfe before wee were, hee expre&s;|&s;eth &s;everall times &s;ince wee are by him brought home to him: Chri&s;t loves us, and delights &s;o to do: Chri&s;t lives in us, its his content to be there: Chri&s;t carries out our &s;pirits in love to an&s;wer love: Chri&s;t delights to &s;ee the returnes of his own Beames, the fruits of his own love, the effects of his owne power: It is the joy of a Saint to dwell with Chri&s;t; and
<PB N="50" REF="29">it is no le&s;&s;e but the joy and content of Chri&s;t to live with a &s;aint: Where a &s;aint is,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 17.22.</NOTE> Chri&s;t mu&s;t bee, for they are one: Where Chri&s;t is, the &s;aint mu&s;t bee, that they may behold his glory: Chri&s;t came downe to make out his highnes, through the lowne&s;&s;e of the fle&s;h,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"> Cor. 8.9.</NOTE> that he might draw us up above the fle&s;h, into the glo|ry of the &s;pirit: This was the work of Chri&s;t to which he was de&s;igned by God the Father, and thus to do was his meat and drinke: Hee takes &s;uch delight in them, that hee will not, nor cannot with-hold any good from them: what God gives to Chri&s;t, Chri&s;t gives to a &s;aint, as a fruit of his love, to them in whom his &s;oule delights.</P>
<P>The V&s;e of this may bee, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> Fir&s;t, To refre&s;h our &s;pirits; what greater refre&s;h|ment can a &s;oule have, then to bee de|lighted in, by him whom his &s;oule loves? Chri&s;ts love tran&s;cends yours; his delight in you, tran&s;cends your apprehen&s;ions: Oh that we could alwaies be ravi&s;hed with his loves: Certainly Friends, were we taken up more in this Fountain, we &s;hould not bee troubled though the
<PB N="51" REF="29">&s;treames grow dry: What if outward relation faile, and externall accomodati|ons cea&s;e? Chri&s;t lives, and in that hee lives, you &s;hall live al&s;o, Joh. 14.19.</P>
<P>Truely friends, There is more in a pound, then can be in a penny; more in a pearle then can be in both, why then &s;hould you be ca&s;t down? Though the creatures frowne, Chri&s;t &s;miles: Its not much trouble to a woman e&s;pou&s;ed to a man, though other men withdraw them&s;elves, if her husbands love conti|nue: Oh that it could be &s;o among&s;t the Saints.</P>
<P>Secondly, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> This &s;hould heighten our &s;pirits to live at a higher rate then now we doe; Vpon no lower principles then the loves and delights of Chri&s;t; And the truth is (friends) we &s;hould live more upon Chri&s;ts delighting and loving us, then upon our delighting and loving Chri&s;t: One is the &s;treame, and the o|ther the Fountaine: One is but the fruit, the other the cau&s;e; Nay, it is that un|changeable foundation that &s;tand|eth firme; as well to rai&s;e us when
<PB N="52" REF="30">wee fall, as to comfort us when wee &s;tand.</P>
<P>Thirdly, <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> If Chri&s;t delight in us, It is but rea&s;on we &s;hould delight in him; Chri&s;t in the givings out of his love to his &s;pou&s;e, calls for love; It is all Chri&s;t calls for; and the truth is, it is but the fruit of his owne Vine; Deny him not his owne: Did Chri&s;t become low to make us high? or did he appeare in the lowne&s;&s;e of the fle&s;h to make out the heighth and glory of the &s;pirit, that through that highne&s;&s;e wee might bee made high?</P>
<P>Oh you that are thus made high by him, My de&s;ire is, That you would willingly bee made low for him: Mee thinks the &s;till &s;treames of Chri&s;ts &s;miles &s;hould carry us cheerefully through the worlds frownes. But I &s;hall &s;ay no more of this V&s;e, nor of this Con&s;ecta|rie.</P>
<P>The other Con&s;ectaries do ari&s;e from the third particular, and that was, How Chri&s;ts Church appeares to bee Chri&s;ts Garden: And that appeares from the&s;e foure Con&s;iderations,</P>
<PB N="53" REF="30">
<P> Fir&s;t, It is planted by him.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. <HI>1.</HI></NOTE></P>
<P>Secondly, It is inclo&s;ed in him.</P>
<P>Thirdly, It is made fruitfull through the enjoyments of him.</P>
<P>Fourthly, It lookes like him.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, It is planted by him: From thence ob&s;erve this Con&s;ectarie, That Chri&s;ts Church is Chri&s;ts plant. And that this is a truth I have proved already. But the V&s;es that we are to make of this truth, are the&s;e,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> What &s;hall we thinke of tho&s;e that goe to plant Churches, and not by Chri&s;t, but rather by the power of a Civil Law; which Lawes admits of alterati|on, and therefore &s;o often as they are altered the Church mu&s;t bee new plan|ted. And &s;econdly, They are onely lawes that can reach the fle&s;h, and not the &s;pirit; therefore not fit to plant a &s;pirituall plant, as a choice piece for Je|&s;us Chri&s;t. Therefore let all &s;uch (as en|deavour thus to do) take heed what they doe; for in their going about thus to re|&s;emble Chri&s;t, they will make them|&s;elves obnoxious to men, and to Chri&s;t; and expo&s;e them&s;elves to the exerci&s;e of
<PB N="54" REF="31">the Kingly power of Chri&s;t; who&s;e of|fice alone it is to plant his Chruch.</P>
<P>In the &s;econd place, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> This teacheth us the folly of tho&s;e men that goe about to pull up Chri&s;ts plants; Let us con&s;ider what they doe, fir&s;t They goe about that which is impo&s;sible to be done; for can any di&s;anull or make void the worke of Chri&s;t? It is impo&s;&s;ible: Therefore in &s;o doing they will (in the clo&s;e) ren|der them&s;elves not wi&s;e, but fooles. Be|&s;ides, In the&s;e their actings they act a|gain&s;t Chri&s;t, in going about to unplant Chri&s;ts plants: And when the Lord &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 105.15.</NOTE> <HI>Touch not mine annointed;</HI> this is al|&s;o intended, as well as immediate op|po&s;itions again&s;t Chri&s;t; for a &s;aint is Gods annointed as well as Chri&s;t.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. <HI>1.21.</HI></NOTE></P>
<P>In the third place, <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> This &s;hould com|fort all the &s;aints: It is impo&s;&s;ible for that tree to be made barren which Chri&s;t planteth, e&s;pecially which hee planteth by the rivers of water: You are planted in the heart of Chri&s;t, and tho&s;e &s;weet &s;treames of eternall glory that runs forth from God to us through Chri&s;t, are the watering &s;treams: And what if the &s;on
<PB N="55" REF="31">of per&s;ecution without looks upon you? the Sonne of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e lives in you,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Malec. 4.2.</NOTE> which brings healings for you. But I &s;hall &s;ay no more of this thing.</P>
<P>The next Con&s;ectarie doth ari&s;e from the &s;econd thing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. <HI>2.</HI></NOTE> VVhy the Church of Chri&s;t is called Chri&s;ts Garden; which was, Becau&s;e they are inclo&s;ed in him. From thence ob&s;erve this Con&s;ectarie, That it is the priviledge of the Saints not onely to be of, but actually and really to live in Je&s;us Chri&s;t. This I have &s;poken largely of already. But that which we may learne from this, is,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t To teach us what the rea&s;on is, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> why few men under&s;tand the life of a Saint, It is, Becau&s;e they goe to under|&s;tand it where it is not: Every thing is under&s;tood rightly when it is under&s;tood in that Element where it lives: It is impo&s;|&s;ible for men that live below Chri&s;t, to under&s;tand the glory of that life that &s;aints enjoy in Chri&s;t: It is high, it is glorious, it is full of mi&s;terious wonders: their life is in Chri&s;t, their life is very Chri&s;t;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn <HI>14.6.</HI></NOTE> their life is cau&s;ed by Chri&s;t, their life is hid with God in Chri&s;t:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3.3.</NOTE> All this &s;heweth that it
<PB N="56" REF="32">is a high and glorious mi&s;tery: There|fore this &s;hould teach you not to wonder though men &s;peak &s;o darkely of it, and have &s;o little affection to it: It cannot be that the Earthly, as Earthly, &s;hould owne the Heavenly: It cannot bee that tho&s;e that are in the fle&s;h, as in the fle&s;h, &s;hould owne the &s;pirit: But when I &s;peak thus of the fle&s;h, I doe not onely meane that which men commonly call the fle&s;h; but that which the Apo&s;tle intendeth by fle&s;h, when he &s;aith, <HI>We knew Christ af|ter the fle&s;h, but now know wee him &s;o no more.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.16.</NOTE></P>
<P>Now (Deare&s;t friends) VVhat need you care or be troubled though they that are after the fle&s;h, per&s;ecute you that are after the &s;pirit? See what the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, Gal. 4.29. <HI>For as then he that was after the fle&s;h per&s;ecuted him that was after the Spirit, even &s;o it is now.</HI> But I &s;hall &s;ay no more of that thing, but only this, In the mid&s;t of all trouble con&s;ider that you are wrapt up above all trouble, in the inclo&s;ure of him who is your life.</P>
<P>The third Con&s;ectary doth ari&s;e from the third particular,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 3.</NOTE> why the Church of
<PB N="57" REF="32">Chri&s;t is called Chri&s;ts Garden, which was, becau&s;e they bring forth fruit through the enjoyments of him. From whence ob&s;erve this Con&s;ectary, That in-comes from Chri&s;t, is the cau&s;e of our bringing forth fruit to Chri&s;t; Every effect is pro|duced by a cau&s;e &s;utable to it &s;elfe; All our loves, longings, de&s;irings and ga&s;p|ings after Je&s;us Chri&s;t, is not a Cau&s;e, but a fruit of Chri&s;t as the onely cau&s;e.</P>
<P>The V&s;e of this is, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> Fir&s;t (Deare friends) Look not upon your de&s;ires, and your loves, as cau&s;ing Chri&s;t to come in|to your &s;pirits; but as that which flowes from Chri&s;t, being already in you.</P>
<P>And therefore what &s;hall wee think of tho&s;e men who without Chri&s;t, &s;eeke in their prayings, lovings and longings, to gaine a Chri&s;t? Deare Soule know, Chri&s;t is taken with nothing, but what lookes like him&s;elfe; and nothing lookes like him, but what is produced by him.</P>
<P>Secondly, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> This &s;hould al&s;o teach us to owne things as Chri&s;t ownes them: He ownes that love, longing and de&s;ire
<PB N="58" REF="33">in us, that flowes from him&s;elfe; And &s;o ought wee.</P>
<P>Thirdly, <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> This &s;hould teach us to give Chri&s;t the glory,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 15.4.</NOTE> as of our priviledges in him, &s;o al&s;o of all the duty wee performe to him,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gal.</HI> 5.22.</NOTE> beeing but fruits of in-comes from him.</P>
<P>Fourthly, <MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="V&s;e"> This informes us what a priviledge it is to performe duties to Chri&s;t, when as they flow from an en|joyment of Chri&s;t:<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 1.5, 6.</NOTE> fir&s;t There is a cer|taine acceptance with him, for he can|not chu&s;e but love, and like the returnes of his owne love. Be&s;ides it is a privi|ledge in this, That we are not to carry the power of duty,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Luke</HI> 4.32.36.</NOTE> but the power of du|ty carries us to it &s;elfe; How ea&s;ie mu&s;t that command be when the party com|manding, is the party performing? By this not onely you, but all may &s;ee how &s;weetly, how Evangelically, how hea|venly tho&s;e Soules act, that act from an enjoyment of Chri&s;t:<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 1.19, 3.20.</NOTE> they doe not on|ly act to, but in the power of Chri&s;t; they doe not only act to heaven, but from the power of heaven.</P>
<P>In the la&s;t place, <MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="V&s;e"> This may inform us,
<PB N="59" REF="33">when the time is of a &s;aints fruitfullne&s;&s;e, and of a &s;aints barrenne&s;&s;e: If Chri&s;t with-hold his di&s;playings of love, life, and glory in us, &s;o farre there is a ce&s;&s;ation of heavenly actings by us; and this is a Saints barren time. And when Chri&s;t is plea&s;ed to bring downe the di&s;cove|ries of the hidden my&s;teries of Divine glory, to rai&s;e up a poore &s;pirit into the glory of it &s;elfe, It no &s;ooner &s;ees, but it doth conceive; it no &s;ooner lookes, but it pre&s;ently loves; and as it loves, &s;o it longs for a perfection of enjoyment of the thing beloved. But I &s;ay no more of this V&s;e, nor of this Con&s;ectarie.</P>
<P>The la&s;t Con&s;ectarie doth ari&s;e from the la&s;t thing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. <HI>4.</HI></NOTE> Why the Church of Chri&s;t is called Chri&s;ts Garden; which was, Becau&s;e they looke like him. From thence ob&s;erve this Con&s;ectarie, That a &s;aint as a &s;aint, as he is of,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 4.17.</NOTE> &s;o al&s;o he looks like Je&s;us Chri&s;t. VVould you &s;ee the face (not of the earthly <HI>Adam,</HI> but) of him that is from heaven? VVould you &s;ee his heart? VVould you &s;ee the glo|rious earnings of the eternall bowells of love and &s;weetne&s;&s;e? You may read this
<PB N="60" REF="34">in the heart of a &s;aint, who is &s;princkled, enriched, and garni&s;hed with the&s;e &s;weet beames of the&s;e Divine loves, even the heart of Je&s;us.</P>
<P>The V&s;e of this may be, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> fir&s;t To &s;hew us the &s;trange conceit of &s;ome men, who &s;ay they love the heart of Chri&s;t, and yet love not the &s;pirit of &s;aints; Poor &s;oule, thou maye&s;t love the heart of Chri&s;t in the fle&s;h,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.26.</NOTE> but not in the &s;pirit: if thou do&s;t not love the &s;pirit of &s;aints: God gave downe the highne&s;&s;e of his glory,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Ioh.</HI> 4.7.8.</NOTE> and the mi&s;tery of his love in the comming of Chri&s;t to us: the image and likene&s;&s;e of his glory was given to the &s;aints by the commings in of Chri&s;t in them: You may read the fir&s;t <HI>Adam</HI> in the heart of every carnall man; you may read al&s;o the &s;econd <HI>Adam</HI> in the heart of the &s;pi|rituall man: VVa&s;t thou ever wrapt up into tho&s;e hidden trea&s;ures, I mean the Bo&s;ome of Chri&s;t? Did&s;t thou there read his Name and Nature? Look and behold, Is not the like in a &s;aint? How can you &s;leight, condemne, and judge him that loves, and lookes like Chri&s;t?</P>
<P>The &s;econd V&s;e of this, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> is to &s;aints, Is
<PB N="61" REF="34">it of you I &s;peake, that looke like Chri&s;t? As your heart doth repre&s;ent Chri&s;t &s;pi|ritually in the &s;pirit,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Phil.</HI> 1.27.</NOTE><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.15.2.11.</NOTE> &s;o let your actions pre&s;ent Chri&s;t glorious and lovely our|wardly among&s;t men.</P>
<P>It is the duty of &s;aints not to cover but uncover Chri&s;t in all their performances; and had I time, I might tell you what the Apo&s;tle meaneth, when he &s;aith, <HI>A man &s;hould not pray with his head covered:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.4.</NOTE> But I &s;hall &s;ay no more, but (as he &s;aith) <HI>The head of every man is Ie&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">ver&s;. <HI>3.</HI></NOTE> and there|fore not onely in your Praying, but in your practi&s;ing Cover not, but uncover the glory of Chri&s;t, by a &s;aint-like walk|ing among&s;t men. But I &s;hall &s;ay no more of this Con&s;ectarie.</P>
<P>I &s;hould now &s;peak &s;omething of &s;ome other V&s;es that I might draw from the whole conclu&s;ion, That Chri&s;ts Church is Chri&s;ts Garden.</P>
<P>But I have a de&s;ire, though I doe not enlarge my &s;elfe upon, yet to name the re&s;t of the Conclu&s;ions that ly in the text, and leave them to your thoughts, having not time to declare my &s;elfe, by rea&s;on of the di&s;turbance of tho&s;e that are now come about the hou&s;e.</P>
<PB N="62" REF="35">
<P> But to name the Conclu&s;ions to you, Let us read the words againe, <HI>Thou that dwellest in the Gardens the Companions hear|ken to thy voice: Cau&s;e me to heare it.</HI></P>
<P>VVherein you may remember, I told you, there is two things con&s;iderable, Fir&s;t, A &s;weet acknowledgement or de|claration.</P>
<P>Secondly, A &s;weet de&s;ire or thir&s;t|ing.</P>
<P>From the fir&s;t, The &s;weet acknow|ledgement or declaration, you may re|member I told you there is three things con&s;iderable.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Fir&s;t the party acknowledging.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Secondly, The matter acknowled|ged.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Thirdly, The manner of the acknow|ledgment.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>The fir&s;t, which is the party acknow|ledging, I have fini&s;hed.</P>
<P>And for the &s;econd, The matter ac|knowledged; I have given you &s;everall ob&s;ervations from it: And the re&s;t that are behinde, I &s;hall onely name to you, which are the&s;e,</P>
<P>One is from this word, <HI>Thou that
<PB N="63" REF="35">dwelle&s;t in the Gardens;</HI> Ob&s;erve, <MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."></P>
<P>That Chri&s;t in a &s;peciall manner dwel|leth with his own. Or thus,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor</HI> 16.16.</NOTE> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 14.23</NOTE></P>
<P>Chri&s;ts re&s;idence is in his Church.</P>
<P>And then again from this word, <HI>Thou that dwelle&s;t in the Gardens, the Companions hearken to thy voice:</HI> Thence ob&s;erve the&s;e two Conclu&s;ions,</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Fir&s;t, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> That tho&s;e that are called home by Chri&s;t, they are called into a friendly and familiar acquaintanee with Chri&s;t.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 15.14.15.</NOTE></ITEM>
<ITEM>Secondly, That it is as the propertie, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> &s;o the priviledge of the friends of Chri&s;t to hearken to Chri&s;t.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 10.3.</NOTE></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>But I &s;hall not at this time &s;peake any thing of the&s;e things, And &s;o I pa&s;&s;e over as the party acknowledging, &s;o the mat|ter acknowledged.</P>
<P>And now I &s;hould come to &s;peake &s;omething of the manner of the ac|knowledgment;<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>3</HI> The man|ner of the acknow|ledgement</NOTE> Of the free and friend|ly &s;pirit that did appeare in the Spou&s;e whil&s;t &s;he acknowledgeth Chri&s;t. But I pa&s;&s;e that over.</P>
<P>And &s;o I come to the &s;econd thing in the words, which is, The &s;weet de&s;ire,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The de|&s;ire or thir&s;ting.</NOTE>
<PB N="64" REF="36">or thir&s;ting of the Spou&s;e in the&s;e words, <HI>Cau&s;e me to heare it.</HI> VVherein you may ob&s;erve the&s;e things,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, The party Longing, That is a &s;oule po&s;&s;e&s;t with Chri&s;t: from thence ob&s;erve,</P>
<P>That it is the propertie of a &s;oule that knowes Chri&s;t, <MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> to long for him.<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 9.10.</NOTE></P>
<P>Secondly, From that which lyeth in the conjunction betweene the acknow|ledgment, and the de&s;ire, in the&s;e words, <HI>The Companions hearken to thy voice; Cau&s;e mee to heare it.</HI> Ob&s;erve this Conclu|&s;ion.</P>
<P>That &s;o farre as a &s;oul knowes Chri&s;t, <MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> &s;o farre in that knowing is a &s;pirituall longing after Chri&s;t. Beholding Chri&s;t, begets and cau&s;eth the &s;oule according to its beholding to act towards Chri&s;t. And &s;o I pa&s;&s;e over that.</P>
<P>Thirdly, You may con&s;ider the matter de&s;ired; and that is in the&s;e words, <HI>Cau&s;e mee to heare it.</HI> VVherein there is &s;ome|thing included, as well as what is here expre&s;&s;ed: And that which is included is in the&s;e words, <HI>Cau&s;e mee;</HI> Implying
<PB N="65" REF="36">that they could not &s;piritually hearken to Chri&s;t, unle&s;&s;e they were &s;piritually cau&s;ed by Chri&s;t. From thence ob|&s;erve this Conclu&s;ion,</P>
<P>That to make a &s;oul hearken to Chri&s;t, <MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> is the &s;ole worke of Chri&s;t him&s;elfe.</P>
<P>And then from that which is expre&s;|&s;ed in the&s;e words, <HI>Cau&s;e mee to heare it.</HI> From thence ob&s;erve,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, That to hearken to Chri&s;t is a matter worth de&s;iring. <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."></P>
<P>Secondly, That no &s;oule doth right|ly under&s;tand what it is to hearken to Chri&s;t, but knowes, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> and in its knowing doth acknowledge that all power is from Chri&s;t; and in this acknowledging &s;eekes for Power to act &s;utable to the ac|knowledgment, in de&s;iring power from Chri&s;t to hearken to Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>I might make divers V&s;es of the&s;e Conclu&s;ions: But (Dear friends) I hope you that enjoy Chri&s;t within, and have Truth preached to you from it &s;elfe, are and will bee made able to make u&s;e of Truth &s;utable to it &s;elfe.</P>
<P>And &s;eeing our time is &s;hort, and op|po&s;itions encrea&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 7.29.</NOTE> wee not knowing
<PB N="66" REF="37">how &s;oone wee may bee called to &s;uffer for Truth; I &s;hall therefore leave you all to Truth;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 14.6.65.5.</NOTE> De&s;iring that Truth may dwell in you, and you in Truth; &s;o that in all things, Truth may be honour|ed by you, may be own'd and not denyed in any acti|on done by you.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="treatise">
<PB N="67" REF="37">
<HEAD>WISEDOME Ju&s;tified of her CHILDREN.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>MATTHEVV 11. the la&s;t part of the 19. ver&s;e.</BIBL>
<P><HI>VVi&s;edome is ju&s;tified of her Chil|dren.</HI></P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_IN the 16. ver&s;e Chri&s;t comes to di&s;cover the generation of the Scribes and Phari&s;ees, where he compares them to chil|dren that call to each o|ther, &s;aying, <HI>Wee have piped, and yee have not danced: wee have mourned, and ye have not lamented,</HI> ver&s;e 17. and &s;o hee comes
<PB N="68" REF="38">in the 18. and 19. ver&s;es, to make appli|cation of the&s;e darke expre&s;&s;ions wherein he doth di&s;cover the cro&s;&s;e di&s;po&s;ition of the Scribes and Phari&s;ees, &s;aying, ver&s;e 18. <HI>Iohn came neither eating nor drinking, and they &s;aid that he had a devil; but Chri&s;t comes,</HI> and pre&s;ents him&s;elfe in an other forme; he comes <HI>eating and drinking,</HI> but pre&s;ently they cry out, <HI>hee is a friend of Publicans and &s;inners:</HI> before they &s;eeme to di&s;like <HI>Iohn,</HI> upon this ground that he did <HI>neither eat nor drinke,</HI> and Chri&s;ts acti|ons &s;eeme to &s;peak out thus much; Doe you object again&s;t <HI>Iohn,</HI> becau&s;e hee does not eat? I will eat: But the Scribes and Phari&s;ees were &s;o oppo&s;ite in their &s;pi|rits to Truth, that they could not fancy any forme where Chri&s;t was pre&s;ented, &s;o as to affect Truth. Now the&s;e words that I have read unto you, are a conclu|&s;ion of Chri&s;t, upholding of them, wherein he &s;aith, (ver&s;e 19.) <HI>But wi&s;dome is ju&s;tified of her Children:</HI> which words is an affirmation of grace, brought forth in oppo&s;ition to corrupt nature: the words are excluding, as well as including; ex|cluding the world, and including Saints:
<PB N="69" REF="38">The world as accu&s;ing and condemn|ing Chri&s;t; Saints as owning and ju&s;ti|fying Chri&s;t: that which doth exclude the world, lies in this word, [<HI>But</HI>] Thence ob&s;erve this Conclu&s;ion, before I come to the words them&s;elves.</P>
<P>Though all outward occa&s;ions be ta|ken away by truth, <MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 7.32.33.</NOTE> yet &s;till the &s;pirit of the world will not ju&s;tifie but condomne Truth.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 10, 12.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>Iohn comes neither eating nor drinking,</HI> they have &s;omething again&s;t him, cry|ing out <HI>he hath a devil:</HI> Chri&s;t comes an|other way, and takes away that occa&s;ion, for he <HI>comes eating and drinking,</HI> but that wil not cau&s;e them to affect Truth, but as they accu&s;e the one, &s;o they accu&s;e the o|ther: as Chri&s;t &s;aid then, we may &s;ay now, The &s;pirit of Saints are alwaies too high,<NOTE PLACE="marg">16 or. 11.15.</NOTE> or too low, in the judgement of the world:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 2.13.</NOTE> If Saints rejoyce in their &s;oule refre&s;hings they enjoy by Chri&s;t, then they <HI>are drunke with new wine,</HI> or they &s;ay of them, as they &s;aid of <HI>Iohn</HI> (in another ca&s;e) <HI>he hath a devil;</HI> or if they groan un|der &s;inne, then the world cryes out <HI>they are fooli&s;h or mad:</HI> and thus the &s;pirit of
<PB N="70" REF="39">the world will &s;till except again&s;t Truth, and they will &s;eeme to take offence at &s;ome externall acting, to raile again&s;t the internall glory of wi&s;edome, &s;aying, I was not again&s;t &s;uch men and women as they were Godly (though the truth is, that is their chiefe&s;t ground) but one cries out, I cannot love &s;uch a man or woman becau&s;e they are Presbyterians; others cries out they cannot affect &s;uch and &s;uch, becau&s;e they are Independents: this bit|terne&s;&s;e the Devil hath ca&s;t in among&s;t men, and men would &s;eeme to cover it, by laying the difference on the externall forme, rather then in that &s;pirituall dif|ference that is betwixt them and Chri&s;t; but the truth is, were all outward occa|&s;ions in externall formes removed, yet the world cannot love,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 10.22.</NOTE> but mu&s;t condemne Truth.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark 13 13.</NOTE></P>
<P>The fir&s;t Rea&s;on is, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> Becau&s;e there is an antipathie betweene the &s;pirit of the world,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.<HI>5.6, 7, 8, 9.</HI></NOTE> and the &s;pirit of Saints: the one is the &s;pirit of Chri&s;t, the other is the &s;pi|rit of the Devil: and this antipathy is expre&s;&s;ed by God him&s;elfe, Gen. 13.15. where he &s;aith, <HI>I have put enmitie betweene
<PB N="71" REF="39">the &s;eede of the woman, and the &s;eede of the &s;erpent;</HI> the &s;eed of the &s;erpent is the &s;pirit of the world; and the &s;eede of the wo|man is Je&s;us Chri&s;t: The &s;pirit of the world as it is the worlds &s;pirit, and the &s;pirit of Chri&s;t, cannot clo&s;e; therefore we may take up tho&s;e expre&s;&s;ion <HI>vvhom God hath joyned together none can &s;eparate;</HI> and tho&s;e &s;pirits that God have &s;eparated none can joyne together.</P>
<P>Secondly, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> The &s;pirit of the world and the &s;pirit of Chri&s;t are not like each other; therefore the &s;pirit of the world cannot love Chri&s;t, everything loves its like; therefore by the rule of contraries,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn <HI>8.23.</HI></NOTE> they will hate that which is unlike them|&s;elves.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. <HI>8.5.</HI></NOTE></P>
<P>The third Rea&s;on which will further demon&s;trate the thing, is this, <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> if all out|ward occa&s;ions were removed that the world cries out again&s;t, yet &s;till the world would hate Saints: if an Inde|pendent turne Presbyterian, or Presby|terian turne Independent, if &s;o they ap|peare Godly, the world will hate them; but if they appeare in either of the&s;e formes, &s;o they &s;ute with the &s;pirit of the
<PB N="72" REF="40">world, the world will love them; but if Godly, the world will hate them, and the rea&s;on is, <HI>becau&s;e they are not of the vvorld,</HI> Ioh. 15.19.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t V&s;e is to informe us, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> that no uniformity without can cau&s;e peace with|in the &s;pirit of the world towards Saints: doe they hate <HI>Iohn</HI> becau&s;e <HI>hee eats not?</HI> Chri&s;t takes away this occa&s;ion, and comes <HI>eating,</HI> yet their hatred is the &s;ame: If this be &s;o: then this &s;hewes the folly of tho&s;e men that thinke becau&s;e of an uni|formity without, they &s;hall have peace with the &s;pirits of the world: this cleer|ly di&s;covers that the&s;e men under&s;tand not where the difference lyeth; it is not in the forme without, but in the &s;pirit within.</P>
<P>This &s;hews al&s;o the folly of tho&s;e pro|fe&s;&s;ors who thinketo gaine the love of the world, by changing their formes, which is impo&s;&s;ible, if they appeare God|ly; for if they appeare Godly, either in a Presbyteriall or Independent form, the world will hate you, or in the deniall of either of them, you &s;hall enjoy no bet|ter: therefore for a conclu&s;ion, <HI>If any lire
<PB N="73" REF="40">Godly in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, they mu&s;t &s;uffer per&s;ecu|tion.</HI> 2. Tim. 3.12.</P>
<P>The &s;econd V&s;e is of Exhortation, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> to exhort all Saints, not to think it &s;trange that the world condemne them;<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 15.18.20.</NOTE> is truth hated in the Fountaine,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 10.24.25.</NOTE> and doe you thinke it &s;hall be loved in the &s;treames? it is impo&s;&s;ible; doth the world hate Chri&s;t? and do the Saints think to bee beloved of the world; that's a contra|diction; therefore this &s;hould al&s;o com|fort tho&s;e, who &s;uffer not as evil-doers, but onely for holding forth the truth of Chri&s;t; Let &s;uch remember what a na|turali&s;t &s;aid in an other cau&s;e: <HI>It is the Crowne of a wi&s;e man to bee hated of a foole, for &s;peaking wi&s;ely;</HI> and I am &s;ure the ground why the world hates Saints, is becau&s;e &s;aints in their words and actions &s;peak forth the goodne&s;&s;e and wi&s;edom of God among&s;t men: God is plea&s;ed to worke great things in them, and great things by them; and we may &s;ay, when the world &s;cornes and impri&s;ons Saints, as Chri&s;t &s;aid in another ca&s;e, <HI>for which of the good vvorkes</HI> that God hath done in them <HI>doe they impri&s;on them?</HI> But they are
<PB N="74" REF="41">apt to excu&s;e them&s;elves, as the Jewes did to Chri&s;t, &s;aying, <HI>It is not for thy good vvorks, but becau&s;e thou bla&s;pheme&s;t:</HI> &s;o they are apt to &s;ay, we doe not oppo&s;e or im|pri&s;on you for any good wrought in you, or done by you; but becau&s;e you take upon you to declare the minde of God, and walke in this or that kinde of form in your profe&s;&s;ing God, as a Presby|teriam, or an Independent form: the truth is, the world cannot bear the weight and worth of a Saints &s;pirit, though(poor &s;oules) they thinke to cover them&s;elves and their practi&s;es,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 66.5.</NOTE> with the afore-named things,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Luke</HI> 20.19, 20, 21.22.</NOTE> yet God will one day uncover them:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 10.<HI>26.</HI></NOTE> but let this comfort Saints in the con&s;ideration, that though the world condemns, yet <HI>Wi&s;edome is ju&s;tified of her children.</HI></P>
<P>And &s;o I come to the words of the text, which is a &s;weet affirmation; and vvee may ob&s;erve &s;omething from the party affirming, and the matter after|ward, and the manner of the affirming; with the occa&s;ion and the end of it: but we &s;hall draw up all into one conclu&s;ion, and that is this,</P>
<PB N="75" REF="41">
<P> It is the property of the &s;onnes of wi&s;edome, <MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> and them onely to ju&s;tifie wi&s;edome.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 7.35.</NOTE></P>
<P>For the better under&s;tanding of this conclu&s;ion, I &s;hall ob&s;erve this me|thod,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, To &s;hew you what is meant by wi&s;edome.</P>
<P>Secondly, What is meant by ju&s;tify|ing.</P>
<P>Thirdly, What is meant by wi&s;edomes Children.</P>
<P>Fourthly, The Rea&s;ons why none but wi&s;edoms children can ju&s;tifie wi&s;e|dome.</P>
<P>Fifthly, The V&s;e, and applyca|tions.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Of the fir&s;t, What is meant by wi&s;edome, and in that wee &s;hall ob&s;erve two things,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Who it is, that is &s;o cal|led.</P>
<P>Secondly, The ground why hee is &s;o called.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Who it is, that is &s;o called; It is the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who is the &s;onne of God, the elect of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 42.1.</NOTE> the delight of
<PB N="76" REF="42">God, the expre&s;&s;e image of the Father, and hee that calls him&s;elfe <HI>Wi&s;edome,</HI> Proverbs 8. and is &s;o called Pro|verbs 9.</P>
<P>The Rea&s;ons why he is &s;o called are the&s;e.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> Becau&s;e he is the fountaine re|taining wi&s;edome for us, Matth. 11.27. Coll. 2.3. All the light and wi&s;edome that is enjoyed by us, was fir&s;t in Chri&s;t for us, and is but &s;treams of that fountain, and beams of that body.</P>
<P>Secondly, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> He is not onely the foun|taine retaining wi&s;edome for us, but the way to communicate wi&s;edome to us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 14.6.</NOTE> <HI>No man knovves the Father; but him to vvhom the &s;onne reveals him,</HI> Mat. 11.27. <HI>and vvhat ever the Father reveals to him, that he reveals to you,</HI> Ioh. 15.15.</P>
<P>Thirdly, <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> He may be called wi&s;edom, in that hee is the object of wi&s;edome, 2 Cor. 3. la&s;t, <HI>looking upon him as in a gla&s;&s;e,</HI> 2 Cor. 5.19. <HI>vve &s;avv God in Chri&s;t,</HI> when once a &s;oule is made wi&s;e by Chri&s;t, the object of his wi&s;edome, is to under&s;tand the mi&s;tery of the Father, in Chri&s;t; for no other way is God as a father to bee
<PB N="77" REF="42">under&s;tood; and the truth is, when once the &s;oule is enlightned by Chri&s;t, hee is &s;o imployed in the under&s;tanding of that my&s;tery in Chri&s;t, that all things be|&s;ides Chri&s;t is clouded and out-gloryed by it: and &s;o Chri&s;t is wi&s;edom as hee is the object of wi&s;edom.</P>
<P>Fourthly, He is wi&s;edome, <MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> not only as the Fountain retaining, and the way cau&s;ing, and the object in which wi&s;e|dom is imployed; but hee is wi&s;edome E&s;&s;entially, for he is not onely the cau&s;e of light in us, but he is the cau&s;e of life in that light; therefore the Apo&s;tle &s;ayes, Gal. 2.20, <HI>Not I, but Chri&s;t lives in me:</HI> for when once Chri&s;t hath enlightned a &s;oule, he is then the life of that light,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 1.17, 18, 19.</NOTE> im|ploying that &s;oule in the under&s;tanding of Divine Love: And &s;o much for the fir&s;t thing: what is meant by wi&s;e|dome.</P>
<P>The &s;econd thing is, what is meant by Ju&s;tification: And in that con&s;ider two things,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, How we are not to under&s;tand Ju&s;tification.</P>
<P>Secondly, How we are to under&s;tand it.</P>
<PB N="78" REF="43">
<P> How wee are not to under&s;tand it; the word <HI>Iu&s;tifie</HI> is taken many wayes in &s;cripture.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Sometimes to make a thing ju&s;t that was not &s;o, and &s;o God is &s;aid to <HI>ju|stifie the ungodly,</HI> Rom. 4.5. &s;o wi&s;e|domes Children cannot ju&s;tifie wi&s;e|dome.</P>
<P>Secondly, Sometimes to pre&s;ent men and actions ju&s;t, when they are not &s;o, and this is the property of a wicked man, Prov. 17.15. <HI>vvho goes about to condemne the righteous, and ju&s;tifie the vvick|ed;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 5.23.</NOTE> neither of the&s;e waies can wi&s;edomes Children ju&s;tifie wi&s;edome.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 16.15.</NOTE></P>
<P>Thirdly, But <HI>Iu&s;tifying</HI> in this place, is to acknowledge a thing Ju&s;t, that is &s;o; and &s;o wi&s;edomes Children are &s;aid to ju&s;tifie wi&s;edome, by acknowledging that in him, which is proper to him: and &s;o al&s;o wi&s;edoms Children by conform|ing to him, doe Ju&s;tifie or acknowledge the authoritie of the command given out by him, and by their &s;peaking or decla|ring him, they doe acknowledge or ju|&s;tifie the excellency of the nature of him, or divine &s;weetne&s;&s;e in him; and
<PB N="79" REF="43">thus wi&s;edomes Children doe ju&s;tifie wi&s;edome; not by adding anything to him, but by acknowledging what there is in him, or approving and owning what there is done by him: and &s;o much of the &s;econd thing.</P>
<P>The third thing is, what is meant by wi&s;edomes Children.</P>
<P>According to Scripture wee are to under&s;tand them the&s;e two waies.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Fir&s;t, Improperly, and &s;o Rela|tively.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Secondly, Properly, and &s;o Re|ally.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Fir&s;t, Improperly, and &s;o Relatively, &s;o all men and women that are brought over to beleeve in him, are called &s;onnes and daughters, and &s;o they are &s;onnes and daughters adopted, and that which gives them the denomination of Chri|&s;tians or Sonnes, is becau&s;e they are e|lected in the election of Gods electing Chri&s;t, or Chri&s;tianizing by Chri&s;t, that which makes Chri&s;t a Chri&s;t, makes Chri&s;tians to bee Chri&s;tians, <HI>Christ</HI> &s;ig|nifies <HI>annointed,</HI> &s;o that unction or an|nointing of Chri&s;t, gives Chri&s;t that de|nomination
<PB N="80" REF="44">of being called Chri&s;t, &s;o the name of Chri&s;t hath relation to, and flowes from the annointing, and &s;o that which gives a man or woman to be cal|led a Chri&s;tian, is the <HI>unction or annoint|ing they receive from the holy one,</HI> 1 Joh. 2.20. Chri&s;t being one with the Deitie, is the naturall Sonne;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pet. 1.1, 4.</NOTE> we partaking of the Deitie by him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 4.5.</NOTE> are adopted &s;ons.</P>
<P>But that which is properly the &s;on of wi&s;edome, or the &s;onne of Chri&s;t, is the anointing unction, or &s;pirit which is within, which is not onely cau&s;ed by Chri&s;t, but is one with Chri&s;t; it is not another &s;pirit, but the &s;ame &s;pirit, Rom. 8.9.1 Joh. 4.13. and may properly be called wi&s;edomes childe, for the&s;e rea|&s;ons,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, It is conceived in the womb of him.</P>
<P>Secondly, It is brought forth by him.</P>
<P>Thirdly, It is one with him.</P>
<P>Fourthly, It lives by influences of him.</P>
<P>Fifthly, It looks like him.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, It is conceived in the
<PB N="81" REF="44">womb of him, which expre&s;&s;ion is me|taphorically and not to bee under&s;tood carnally, but &s;piritually, and I doe ex|pre&s;&s;e my &s;elfe thus, becau&s;e that all light, love, life and annointing, that is in time brought home to &s;aints and revealed in &s;aints was before time by God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 1.3, 4.</NOTE> con&s;er|ved and laid up in Chri&s;t for &s;aints, 2 Tim. 1.9.10.</P>
<P>Secondly, It is brought forth by Chri&s;t; and &s;o Chri&s;t is not onely the fountaine in which good is retained for us, but is al&s;o the way to communicate good to us; therefore hee calls him&s;elfe <HI>the way,</HI> Ioh. 14.6. he is the way to bring downe the Father, and what is in the Father to us, and al&s;o to bring us up through him&s;elfe to the Father, by his &s;pirit, which knowes God, and is known of God.</P>
<P>Thirdly, It is one with Chri&s;t:<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 133.<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> The annointment which was poured out upon <HI>Aarons</HI> head, and ran downe to the skirts of his garments, held forth the an|nointing of Chri&s;t and Chri&s;tians; the annointing that was upon the garments, was one with that which was upon the
<PB N="82" REF="45">head, &s;o that unction or annointing which is in us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 1.4, 5.</NOTE> is one with that unction or annointing of Chri&s;t: Chri&s;t is the publicke per&s;on elected by God, and all that are elected, are elected in his Ele|ctions; &s;o Chri&s;t is the publicke per|&s;on annointed by God; and all that are anointed, are anointed by Chri&s;t, and from the anointing of Chri&s;t, and not onely as a thing cau&s;ed by it, but as that which is one with it.</P>
<P>Fourthly, it lives by influences and incomes of him: Every effect is main|tained by the in-comes of the fir&s;t cau&s;e; that which is cau&s;ed by a heat or light natural, cannot be maintained and car|ried on by a heat or light artificial: So that life in Saints which is produced by a &s;ublime cau&s;e, or the &s;pringing forth of the Father through the Son, cannot be maintained and carried on by a &s;ub|lunary and tran&s;itory thing; for that &s;oul which Chri&s;t hath &s;pread his skirt of love over, and revealed his Son in, is of a more noble life, then for the glory and &s;miles of creatures to maintain: Does creatures frown, if Chri&s;t &s;miles
<PB N="83" REF="45">the heart lives:<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 4.6.7. &amp; 17.14, 12</NOTE> Does creature oppre&s;&s;e Saints with Thornes, and Chri&s;t deck them with crownes: a Saints &s;pirit can|not die; the rea&s;on is, becau&s;e Saints though they live in the world, yet they live by influences of that love and light, which the world is not capable of,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 2, 11, 14.</NOTE> nor by all their oppo&s;ition can cau&s;e an ob|&s;truction in.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 16.33.</NOTE> Habacuk 3.16, 17.</P>
<P>Fifthly, It looks like him, <HI>Adam</HI> be|gat a &s;on like unto him&s;elf; &s;o that child or &s;on of Wi&s;dom which is in the heart of Saints, looks like Je&s;us Chri&s;t; and as Chri&s;t is the <HI>Image of the Father,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Hebr. 1.2.</NOTE> this is the <HI>Image of the Son:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15.49.</NOTE> and thus Saints are &s;aid not onely to <HI>bear the Image of the Earthly,</HI> but likewi&s;e of the <HI>Heavenly:</HI> this is the cau&s;e why Chri&s;t delights to behold the face of Saints, <HI>Cant.</HI> 2.14. and a Saint loves to behold the face of Chri&s;t;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Can. 6, 12.</NOTE> Chri&s;t beautifies a Saint with his owne beauty, Ezek. 16.14. and then he loves to behold his owne beauty in a Saints &s;pirit; every thing loves its like; this is the cau&s;e of &s;o much &s;oul-fea&s;ting in a Saints &s;pirit; even this, they are beheld by Chri&s;t, and are employed
<PB N="84" REF="46">in the beholding of Chri&s;t, and &s;o much of this thing, what is meant by wi&s;|doms children.</P>
<P>Now the rea&s;on why none but wi&s;|doms children can ju&s;tifie wi&s;dom, are the&s;e.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> None can &s;o ju&s;tifie wi&s;dom. but they which under&s;tand wi&s;dom;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 15.21.</NOTE> but none under&s;tand wi&s;dom but wi&s;doms &s;ons,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Iohn 3.1.</NOTE> therefore none but wi&s;doms &s;ons can ju&s;tifie wi&s;dom.</P>
<P>Its true, that many may from the out|ward teaching of Chri&s;t; declare &s;om|thing of Chri&s;t; but they alone truly under&s;tand him, that live in him, and truly and really under&s;tand that excel|lency and divine &s;weetne&s;&s;e that is pro|per to him; therefore they onely can truly ju&s;tifie him.</P>
<P>Secondly, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> Every effect is cau&s;ed by a power &s;utable to its &s;elf, but no power is &s;utable to the acknowledging of the glorious excellency of Chri&s;t, but that which flowes from, and is really one with the &s;pirit of Je&s;us; the truth is, the glories of Chri&s;t are too high for &s;pirits that live at a di&s;tance from Chri&s;t
<PB N="85" REF="46">to acknowledge; and that is the cau&s;e why the men of the world are &s;o farre from <HI>ju&s;tifying,</HI> that they <HI>condemn</HI> Chri&s;t, though not under the notion of his name, yet it is his name both in him|&s;elf and &s;aints that the world condemns.</P>
<P>Thirdly, All other &s;pirits be&s;ide the &s;pirit of Saints, is &s;o far from being ca|pable of ju&s;tifying, that they are alto|gether <HI>condemners</HI> of that <HI>Light which is come into the World:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 3.19.</NOTE> <HI>Darkne&s;se</HI> cannot ju&s;tifie <HI>Light;</HI> nor <HI>evil</HI> will not ju&s;tifie <HI>good;</HI> no more can the &s;pirit of wicked men ju&s;tifie Chri&s;t; its true that light takes advantage by darkne&s;&s;e for the further di&s;playing of its owne glory, but this is to honour it &s;elf by it, and not to receive honour from it; &s;o Je&s;us Chri&s;t in the glorious di&s;playings of life and love, takes an advantage even of wicked men, leaving of them with|out excu&s;e, but its onely proper to them that know, and have power from, and are one with wi&s;dom, to ju&s;tifie wi&s;|dom; and &s;o much for the rea&s;ons.</P>
<P>The V&s;e is of Information, <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e"> to in|form you of many things which will
<PB N="86" REF="47">be drawn from the particular termes in the conclu&s;ion, and I &s;hall draw them forth by way of brief conclu&s;ions or con&s;ectaries; every particular admitting of a particular con&s;ectarie; as thus:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, I told you what wi&s;dom was, It's <HI>Christ:</HI> And why he is called <HI>Wi&s;|dom;</HI> He may be &s;o called under the&s;e con&s;iderations.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, He is the Fountain retaining:</P>
<P>Secondly, He is the way cau&s;ing.</P>
<P>Thirdly, He is the Object employ|ing.</P>
<P>Fourthly, He is wi&s;dom e&s;&s;entially, as the life of a Saints light: From which four rea&s;ons we may ob&s;erve the&s;e four con&s;ectaries, or conclu&s;ions.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 1.</NOTE> There is no wi&s;dom in Saints, but what was fir&s;t in Chri&s;t for them<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 1.9.16</NOTE>.</P>
<P>Secondly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 2.</NOTE> None can truly under|&s;tand the mi&s;tery of the Father,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 11.27.</NOTE> but by the Son.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn. 15.15.</NOTE> Or thus,</P>
<P>The under&s;tanding of the Father,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 14.5.</NOTE> is the work of the Son.</P>
<P>Thirdly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect 3.</NOTE> That &s;oule that is made wi&s;e by Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 1.17, 18, 19.</NOTE> is employed in the un|der&s;tanding of the my&s;terie of the Fa|ther
<PB N="87" REF="47">in Chri&s;t:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 2.20.</NOTE> Or thus, Chri&s;t is the object of a Saints wi&s;dom.</P>
<P>Fourthly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 4. ohn 1.4. oh. 14.19.</NOTE> That light in &s;aints which truly flowes from Chri&s;t as Chri&s;t, the life of that light is Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>I &s;hall make u&s;e of the&s;e four conclu|&s;ions-together: as thus, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> Is Chri&s;t the Fountain retaining wi&s;dom for you? Is Chri&s;t the way communicating wi&s;|dom to you? Is Chri&s;t the object of wi&s;dom? Is Chri&s;t the life of that light which is thus called wi&s;dom? Then note fir&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Colo&s;&s;. 2.9.</NOTE> That <HI>Christ is all in all</HI> to a &s;aints &s;pirit;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Colo&s;. 3.11.</NOTE> What ha&s;t thou which thou ha&s;t not received? and what way re|ceive&s;t thou but by Chri&s;t? and if &s;o,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 4.7.</NOTE> then give the &s;ole and whole glory of that thy wi&s;dom to Chri&s;t:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 14.6.</NOTE> There is no &s;uch ingratitude as this, for men not to return an acknowledge|ment to him from whence all flowes: to glory in our own, as Chri&s;t, is a great &s;in again&s;t Chri&s;t; but to make that to be ours which is proper to Chri&s;t, &s;o as to give the glory of that good to our &s;elves,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 16.15, 16, 17.</NOTE> or to any thing el&s;e be&s;ides Chri&s;t, is, and will be taken unkindly by him.</P>
<PB N="88" REF="48">
<P> The &s;econd V&s;e is of &s;ingular com|fort to all &s;aints; <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> Is Chri&s;t the Fountain retaining, and the way cau&s;ing, and the life of thy light pre&s;erving, and the Object of thy light implying? What can&s;t thou de&s;ire more? There are the&s;e three things that maketh any thing e|minent, The ri&s;e from which; The nature of which; and the place whi|ther: Thy wi&s;dom (&ocirc;h &s;aint) is one with Chri&s;t; it ri&s;es, and rai&s;es thee in its ri&s;ing, to be employed in the glori|ous beholdings of Chri&s;t: What can thy &s;oul de&s;ire more? The my&s;terie of the Father and the Son,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 14.7.</NOTE> is the object of thy eye; This is that which out-glory|eth all glory below it &s;elf; This &s;upplies thee with all good, when all things de|part from thee but it &s;elf: Tho&s;e &s;treams can never grow dry, who&s;e fountain al|waies flowes forth to fill them; That heart can never be at alo&s;&s;e, who is al|waies employed among&s;t, and in the enjoyment of eternal gaines: This &s;hould therefore in an eminent &s;en&s;e comfort all Saints: It &s;hould al&s;o com|fort you again&s;t all the oppo&s;itions you
<PB N="89" REF="48">meet with in the world; Do men la|bour to interrupt the conveyance of light? Who can do it, if Chri&s;t cau&s;es, as the beginnings, &s;o the increa&s;e of light in them? What if men darken expre&s;&s;i|ons, and do what they can to cloud the Truth?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 34.15, 16.</NOTE> If Chri&s;t be the convayer of Truth, who can let? Therein rejoyce.</P>
<P>The next V&s;e is an V&s;e of Reproof to tho&s;e who glory much in enjoying light from Chri&s;t, <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> and yet that light they do enjoy, doth not employ them in the <HI>Beholdings</HI> of, and in affection to the Lord Je&s;us; but rather u&s;e their parts as a way to cloud Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 34.3, 4, 5.</NOTE> and &s;corne Chri|&s;tians; then honour Chri&s;t, and inform Chri&s;tians, The&s;e men are not yet come to that mountain that makes the earth &s;i|lent; they are not come to that glory, wi&s;dom, and light, that is <HI>peaceable, meek,</HI> and <HI>teachable;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iam. 3.1<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> but rather are po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with the rough &s;treams of their own fan|cy, which endeavours to condemn all that &s;uits not with, and are not conform|able to the will of them&s;elves; far from the mind of <HI>Paul,</HI> who &s;aith, <HI>If any man be otherwi&s;e minded, God will reveal it to him in
<PB N="90" REF="49">due time:</HI> Phil, 3.15. But they endea|vour rather with clubs and &s;taves to make men conformable without light; then with meekne&s;&s;e of Spirit to give forth light, and by that light to produce conformity. But no more of that thing.</P>
<P>The next con&s;ectary ari&s;es from the &s;econd particular,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect.</NOTE> what is meant by Ju|&s;tifying? I told you it was not to add any thing to Chri&s;t, or to pre&s;ent Chri&s;t in any way of glory or beauty that was not proper to him, and real in him: but it is to acknowledge that in him, which is proper to him; Thence ob&s;erve, that Chri&s;t receives no additional glory by &s;aints acknowledgements,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 22.2, 3. and 35.7.</NOTE> though Chri&s;t calls it a glory to him, when the glory in him&s;elf by &s;aints is acknowledged, yet it adds nothing to him, but onely doth acknowledge what before was in him.</P>
<P>If &s;o, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> let this teach us, that the highe&s;t of our exaltings of Chri&s;t, is no ground for us to exalt our &s;elves, ei|ther in the room of, or with the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t; though its true, Chri&s;t
<PB N="91" REF="49">cannot be exalted,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Colo&s;&s;. 3.4.</NOTE> but a &s;aint is exalted too;<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Iohn 3.<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> but it is the very exaltation of Chri&s;t, that is a Saints exaltation, and nothing el&s;e; Therefore let this teach us, while we exalt him, to lie low before him, knowing that we give nothing to him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 3.7, 8.</NOTE> but what is his due; and do nothing before him, but what is our duty; which becomes a &s;aint.</P>
<P>Secondly, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> This &s;erves to reprove tho&s;e that profe&s;&s;e them&s;elves &s;ons of wi&s;dom, and yet are &s;o far from <HI>ju&s;tifying wi&s;dom,</HI> that they <HI>condemn wi&s;dom,</HI> by &s;etting up &s;ome power either above him, or el&s;e with him, that is not proper to him: this is the practi&s;e of mo&s;t men in our daies, who center the authority of Chri&s;t in the power of creatures; and are &s;o far from <HI>Ju&s;tifying</HI> &s;aints when they conform to Chri&s;t, that they cen&s;ure &s;aints in their conformity, by the name of Hereticks, and Schi&s;maticks: But its no new thing, the Popi&s;h Bi&s;hops in Queen <HI>Maryes</HI> time, cen&s;ured other mini&s;ters and Bi&s;hops that were more purely minded, and when tho&s;e Bi&s;hops
<PB N="92" REF="50">that &s;uffered got power, they did the &s;ame to them that were more pure reformers: and what if tho&s;e that were more pure Reformers then their per&s;ecutors, &s;hould get power, and per&s;ecute them that en|devour to walk more exactly then them|&s;elves? think it not &s;trange, but remember that <HI>Wi&s;dom is ju&s;tified onely of her children.</HI></P>
<P>The third V&s;e is of Exhortation, <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> Is it &s;o, that to <HI>ju&s;tifie wi&s;dom</HI> is onely to acknowledge that in him, which is proper to him? Let this exhort all tho&s;e that profe&s;&s;e them&s;elves <HI>&s;ons of Wi&s;dom,</HI> to acknowledge that in Chri&s;t, which is proper to Chri&s;t;<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 4.10, 11.</NOTE> and let this acknow|ledgement be both in your &s;peaking and doing;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 15.14.</NOTE> &s;peaking of him, and acknow|ledging what is in him; by conforming to him, to &s;hew the authority of him. What if men &s;hall oppo&s;e, and powers re&s;i&s;t? The <HI>&s;un</HI> gains mo&s;t glory, when it meeteth with the <HI>darke&s;t cloud: Chri&s;t</HI> ne|ver is advanced more by &s;aints, then when men per&s;ecute and oppo&s;e &s;aints for profe&s;&s;ing of him, <HI>light</HI> is mo&s;t glori|ous in the <HI>darke&s;t night,</HI> the pure&s;t gold &s;hines mo&s;t glorious among&s;t the filthi|e&s;t
<PB N="93" REF="50">dro&s;&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 2.<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> the Lillie is mo&s;t lovely when among Thorns; therefore &s;aints &s;hould be &s;o far from covering them&s;elves, and clouding Chri&s;t in times of adver&s;ity, that they &s;hould rather profe&s;s him much the more, knowing its their duty to <HI>ju&s;ti|fie,</HI> and this is to ju&s;tifie, to acknowledge him, which they do by their declaring of him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 10.27.</NOTE> and conforming to him, and &s;o much of that thing.</P>
<P>The third thing I named to you was, what is meant by <HI>wi&s;doms children?</HI> I told you it is either taken Relatively, and &s;o improperly; or Really, and &s;o properly: Relatively,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Iohn 3.2.</NOTE> and &s;o all men and women po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and elected in <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3.14.</NOTE> and called by <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> in relation to that e|lection, calling, and enjoyment, are cal|led &s;ons and daughters: But that which is properly the &s;on of wi&s;dom, and gives them the denomination of <HI>&s;ons</HI> and <HI>daugh|ters,</HI> is that <HI>unction,</HI> or <HI>&s;pirit,</HI> or <HI>anointing</HI> within, which they <HI>receive from the holy one</HI> 1 Joh. 2.27. For as the <HI>anointing</HI> of <HI>Christ</HI> gives him the title of being called <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;o &s;aints being po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with the <HI>unction,</HI> and <HI>&s;pirit,</HI> and <HI>anointing</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> that gives
<PB N="94" REF="51">them the title of being called Chri&s;tians; Chri&s;t being one with the Deity, is the natural Son, we through him partaking of the Deity, are the adopted &s;ons; our &s;on&s;hip is in relation to, and flows from this &s;pirit and unction that is in us: and I told you this may be called wi&s;domes child, or &s;on, for the&s;e rea&s;ons.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Its conceived in the womb of him.</P>
<P>Secondly, Its brought forth by him.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Its one with him.</P>
<P>Fourthly, It lives by influences of him.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, It looks like him.</P>
<P>From the&s;e five, ob&s;erve the&s;e five con|&s;ectaries.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, That the womb of Chri&s;t is a magazine of grace and glory;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 1.</NOTE> I told you the word is a metaphorical expre&s;&s;ion, and mu&s;t not be under&s;tood carnally, but &s;piritually; by the womb of Chri&s;t, I mean the bo&s;ome of the &s;on,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 1, 9.</NOTE> in which the father conceives all good for &s;aints:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 3.17.</NOTE> and I call it a magazine,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 1.16.</NOTE> becau&s;e all flowes from him; and all mu&s;t, and is to be returned to him; a magazine, be|cau&s;e
<PB N="95" REF="51">there is not onely a few,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 1.19.</NOTE> but vari|eties of all glories, and trea&s;ures for the &s;ons of men, as power, wi&s;dom, &s;trength, love, and light, and all other de&s;ireable good.</P>
<P>If this be &s;o, the u&s;e is fir&s;t, <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e"> To &s;hew that a &s;aints portion by Chri&s;t, is a <HI>hid|den Trea&s;ure:</HI> &s;treams may be mea&s;ured,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Ioh. 2, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> but fountains cannot be comprehended:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3.3.</NOTE> beams may be limited,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 3.21, 22:</NOTE> but the body is incomprehen&s;ible: This is the portion of all &s;aints, not onely to have a hand|full, but even a magazine of all good: and this &s;hould comfort us in the&s;e things.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, in this, That we can never draw our portion dry; its a Magazine: and a magazine of grace and glory: what is there wanting to &s;aints, but there is in Chri&s;t enough to &s;upply it? what &s;tormes or clouds &s;oever ari&s;e over us, there is enough &s;trength in the beau|tiful beams of the glorious &s;on to expel it: not onely a &s;upply for &s;ome, but for all; for Chri&s;t is a magazine. And &s;econdly, this &s;hould comfort us, not onely at &s;ometimes, but at all times: a
<PB N="96" REF="52">Magazine that &s;tands open; That is &s;o far from being gamed by intreaties, that he intreats and allures us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Zech. 13.1.</NOTE> and in tho&s;e allurings he gains us to him&s;elf:<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 5.20.</NOTE> me|thinks &s;aints that are thus inriched, &s;hould never be &s;ad: what can&s;t thou de&s;ire more then varieties of all things? what portion is better then that, where there is a want of nothing?</P>
<P>If this be &s;o, let the next V&s;e be an V&s;e of Exhortation, fir&s;t to &s;aints, and then to the world.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t to &s;aints, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> that they would make u&s;e of Chri&s;t as a magazine; and that in the&s;e things, fir&s;t, in their often re|cour&s;e to him; &s;econdly, in their expe|ctation of a &s;upply in all things from him: thirdly, in the making their re|turnes in all their enjoyments to him: If this were &s;o, I am certain clouds of creatures would not make &s;aints walk with &s;ad &s;pirits, but rather &s;ay as <HI>David,</HI> P&s;al. 118.11. <HI>They compa&s;&s;e me about like Bees, but in the Name of the Lord will I de|&s;troy them.</HI></P>
<P>It al&s;o &s;erves to exhort the world, to de&s;ert their fooli&s;h practi&s;e in endea|vouring
<PB N="97" REF="52">to draw the &s;pirits of &s;aints dry, or cau&s;e the hearts of &s;aints to be daunted: &s;hould you &s;ee men go about to dry up a fountain, or overturn mountains, you would think they were mad: the &s;ame we may &s;ay of your proceedings again&s;t &s;aints, wherein you think by your endea|vours to cru&s;h,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 4.18.</NOTE> and &s;o overcome the pra|cti&s;e and cheerful proceedings of &s;aints,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 5.18, 28.</NOTE> in the acknowledgment of Chri&s;t, you are much mi&s;taken: when did the I&s;rae|lites increa&s;e more, then when they were mo&s;t oppre&s;&s;ed? when doth the &s;un ap|pear more glorious, then when it is &s;ur|rounded with many clouds? <HI>The Kingdom of God</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>&s;uffers violence, and the violent take it by force.</HI> Mat. 11.12.</P>
<P>Let me &s;peak to &s;ome of the&s;e men thus, did the Bi&s;hops that per&s;ecuted them that were &s;tricter then them&s;elves in re|forming, gain by it, or were they lo&s;t in it? when the Church of Jeru&s;alem was mo&s;t per&s;ecuted, the Go&s;pel mo&s;t flori|&s;hed: and what think you, will truth ap|pear le&s;&s;e or more glorious by your op|po&s;ings? &s;in ri&s;es mo&s;t violent, when mo&s;t bound up by a law; what then will ver|tue
<PB N="98" REF="53">do, which cannot be de&s;troyed by any power or law, but are maintained and fed by a power and law &s;utable to it &s;elf? cea&s;e therefore your oppo&s;ings, remem|bring that <HI>it is in vain to kick against the pricks.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 9.4, 5.</NOTE> And &s;o much of this con&s;ectary.</P>
<P>The &s;econd con&s;ectary is drawn from the &s;econd thing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 2.</NOTE> Its brought forth by him; Thence ob&s;erve, That all good that is in &s;aints, was not onely concei|ved in Chri&s;t before time, but is brought forth by him in time; <HI>Chri&s;t is the way,</HI> John 14.6. The way to bring down God to us, and to make returnes of us to God; God hath no way nor Con|duit to convay life, light, and love to the &s;ons of men, but by his Son.</P>
<P>If &s;o, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> This may teach us, fir&s;t to admire God in all his proceedings: He hath not onely a choi&s;e place to lay up light and life for us, but a choi&s;e way to communi|cate light and life to us, even his Son: this &s;hould a&s;&s;ure us that the way is &s;ure; and it &s;o, this &s;hould take away all doubts and fears from the hearts of Saints, who are apt to think they &s;hall be intercepted in Gods approching to them, and their ap|proching
<PB N="99" REF="53">to God, by the worlds oppo&s;i|tions; Its a vain conception,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">.38, 39.</NOTE> who can in|tercept the Father, who works in the Son.</P>
<P>Secondly, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> Let this al&s;o teach us to give Chri&s;t the glory of all good, as the Foun|tain retaining, &s;o the way cau&s;ing; and &s;o give him the glory, as to abhor all other waies; for tho&s;e <HI>other waies</HI> I name them not, onely &s;peak a word to your ignorant <HI>legali&s;ts,</HI> who &s;eek con&s;olation and refre&s;h|ment of &s;pirit by &s;ome other way then Chri&s;t, which they do, when they expect joy from <HI>doing,</HI> and do not expect their <HI>doing</HI> to flow from <HI>joy:</HI> They expect <HI>qua|lifications</HI> of good, and &s;o to <HI>believe,</HI> and then go to Chri&s;t, but do not expect <HI>be|lieving</HI> and all <HI>qualifications</HI> to flow from Chri&s;t: Take heed of &s;uch conceits, this is to <HI>kindle a fire,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">0.10, 11.</NOTE> <HI>and compa&s;&s;e your &s;elves about with &s;parks:</HI> God ownes no way but his Son, Therefore joy in him, and power to conform to him, you mu&s;t expect onely to flow from him. And &s;o much of this thing.</P>
<P>The next con&s;ectary ari&s;es from the third thing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 5.</NOTE> Its one with him; From hence ob&s;erve, That the <HI>Spirit,</HI> and
<PB N="100" REF="54"><HI>Vnction</HI> in Saints, and the <HI>Spirit</HI> and <HI>Vncti|on</HI> in Chri&s;t, is not two, but <HI>One Spirit;</HI> Rom 8.9.1 John 4.13. That <HI>anoint|ing</HI> that was poured upon <HI>Aarons</HI> head,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 133.2.</NOTE> was one with that <HI>anointing</HI> that was up|on the skirts of his garment, it was produced by one cau&s;e, it flowed from one &s;ountain, it was of one nature.</P>
<P>If &s;o, <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e"> This may inform us fir&s;t, of what a noble heroick &s;pirit all &s;aints are, Its the &s;pirit of the Lord Je&s;us: And if it be &s;o, Let this teach &s;aints to walk as men of a noble Spirit, with <HI>undaunted be arts,</HI> and <HI>un|&s;potted lives:</HI> with undaunted hearts, re|membring the words of the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Who can harm you? If God ju&s;tified, who &s;hall con|denin you?</HI> Rom. 8.34. Its the property of a low &s;pirit to be daunted at the threats of fools, and the property of a beggarly &s;pi|rit to &s;tand in dread of every inferiour power, &s;o as to hinder them in their act|ings to the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t; Though &s;aints are to own (and its their duty &s;o to do) all power and authority that is of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 13.1.</NOTE> and becau&s;e it is of God, as all civil power in civil things is; and therefore I &s;peak not for the Saints di&s;-owning of it,
<PB N="101" REF="54">but all honouring of it in civil things: but my meaning is, when any power of men, or things, &s;hould come in a daring way to daunt the &s;pirits of &s;aints, for &s;aints to be daunted thereby in their proceedings towards Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 10.28.</NOTE> is beggarly:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 4.19.</NOTE> doth Chri&s;t our beloved, <HI>come leaping over the hills, and skipping over the mountains?</HI> and &s;hall &s;aints &s;tumble at a &s;traw? Its not commendable.</P>
<P>And as in your <HI>undaunted &s;pirits,</HI> &s;o in your <HI>un&s;potted lives,</HI> as &s;aints ought not to bow down to <HI>powers &s;inful,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Iohn 2.1.</NOTE> &s;o in no way to clo&s;e with <HI>the power of &s;in,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 7.1.</NOTE> being it clouds their &s;pirits; Methinks tho&s;e that are Saints,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6.1.2.</NOTE> &s;hould bee imployed in a higher enjoy|ment, and things of a more noble nature, then in tran&s;gre&s;&s;ing the law of their God. The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>How &s;hal we that are dead to &s;in, live any longer therein?</HI> And their being dead to &s;in, was through <HI>Grace abounding:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6.2.</NOTE> and &s;hal the grace abounding towards us, and in us, not kil &s;in, but rather give us li|berty to &s;in? God forbid:let it never be &s;aid, there is a man of liberty by Chri&s;t, and yet walks loo&s;ly before Chri&s;t;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5.13.</NOTE> I know it cannot be; for liberty by him rightly enjoyed, is the &s;tronge&s;t law and tie con|forming us to him.</P>
<PB N="102" REF="55">
<P> This al&s;o &s;hould teach the world to cea&s;e their under-valuing of the &s;aints &s;pirits, knowing that its one with the &s;pi|rit of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t; and Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>He that de&s;pi&s;eth you, de&s;pi&s;eth me:</HI> Luk. 10.16. Were the world well skill'd in the weight and worth of a &s;aints &s;pirit, they would never &s;light it; and were they well skill'd in the under&s;tanding of the noblene&s;s and heroickne&s;s in the &s;pirits of &s;aints, they would never &s;eek to daunt it: As oyl feeds the flames, &s;o doth oppo&s;i|tion cau&s;e grace to advance it &s;elf: Oppo|&s;itions are &s;o far from taking away the glory of &s;aints, that &s;aints gain advantage by tho&s;e oppo&s;itions to appear more beautiful: Therefore (&ocirc;h poor men) re|member that &s;aints are men of a noble &s;pirit,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 3.16.17.</NOTE> more noble then to be daunted by you;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 6.10.</NOTE> more heroick then to be hindred in their proceedings towards Chri&s;t by any &s;corns and deri&s;ions given out by you,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 4.20.</NOTE> and &s;o much of that conclu&s;ion.</P>
<P>The next con&s;ectarie ari&s;es from the fourth thing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 4.</NOTE> It lives by influences of him.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 15.5.</NOTE> Thence ob&s;erve, That all &s;ouls made one with Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Iohn</HI> 14.1<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> lives alone by
<PB N="103" REF="55">in-comes of Chri&s;t. Every thing is main|tained by the in-comes of the fir&s;t cau&s;e producing; That life that is cau|&s;ed by natural heat, if natural heat de&s;erts, an artificial heat will not main|tain: Chri&s;t was the fir&s;t cau&s;e commu|nicating life to &s;aints, Influences of his glory, light, and love, is that alone that can pre&s;erve the life of &s;aints. By in|coms, I mean tho&s;e &s;ecret di&s;tillings of divine loves, which are di&s;tilled by Gods &s;ecret expo&s;tulations with &s;aints &s;pirits.</P>
<P>But in this I pray give me leave to tell you, that there are &s;ome &s;ecret waies of deceit, even in this thing, as thus, men may have &s;ome great refre&s;hing in duties, or|dinances, and opportunities, their &s;pirits being lifted up, and employed in rejoy|cing in &s;ome thing which they conceive is Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and that it flows from &s;e|cret incoms of Chri&s;t, which is nothing le&s;&s;e: And this is that which makes peo|ple to be &s;o full of joy, as tho&s;e that heard the Doctrine of John, <HI>Iohn</HI> 5.35. and af|terwards lo&s;e all, and are nothing at all.</P>
<P>But for the better unfolding of my &s;elf, let me a little di&s;cover what I mean
<PB N="104" REF="56">by tho&s;e &s;ecret incoms that refre&s;h mens &s;pirits, that &s;eem to be true, and yet are fal&s;e; I &s;hall pre&s;ent to you the&s;e three.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, The apprehen&s;ion in a mans &s;pirit, apprehending a &s;utablene&s;s be|twixt an <HI>Act,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 19.20.</NOTE> and a <HI>Rule;</HI> This is pro|per onely to <HI>Legali&s;ts,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 18.31, 12.</NOTE> who have <HI>rejoyce|ing,</HI> but it doth ari&s;e from, and con&s;i&s;ts in their apprehending of a &s;utablene&s;s betwixt an act and a rule.</P>
<P>If you ask me whether or no we may not rejoyce when we conform to the will of Chri&s;t?</P>
<P>I an&s;wer, Its one thing to <HI>rejoyce in an act,</HI> and another thing to <HI>draw our joy from an act:</HI> Its one thing to rejoyce in our &s;utable walking up to a Rule, and another thing to draw our joy and re|fre&s;hing from the apprehen&s;ion of a &s;utablene&s;s betwixt the act and the rule: men may pray and mourn for &s;in, or perform any other particular duty, and have much joy in that opportunity, and yet not draw their joy from it, but onely their joy is di&s;tilled by a &s;ecret in|com of Chri&s;t, which carries them above it, while they are acted in it: but the&s;e
<PB N="105" REF="56">poor &s;ouls they onely are joyful when they &s;ee they act &s;utable to a Rule, and they draw their joy from that &s;utablene&s;s, which appears in this, that if their &s;uta|blene&s;s flagg, their joy is de&s;troyed: I do not &s;ay but that every &s;in ought to pro|duce &s;orrow in us, but its one thing to mourn for &s;in, <HI>enjoying Faith,</HI> with <HI>Peace:</HI> and another thing to mourn for &s;in to <HI>confirm Faith,</HI> and to <HI>beget Peace;</HI> But I &s;ay no more of that.</P>
<P>Secondly, another corrupt of fal&s;e in|come that &s;eems to betrue, is in men that may profe&s;&s;e them&s;elves to be po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with a higher light, even the light of the my&s;terie of the Father in the Son, and the riches and trea&s;ure of the Go&s;pel: They in their apprehen&s;ions may have much refre&s;hing and joy; and yet fal&s;e; and the corruptne&s;s lyeth here, they one|ly have refre&s;hings from under&s;tanding the largene&s;s of their apprehen&s;ions,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Glorying in their own wi&s;|dom. Ior. 9.23.</NOTE> and not from the thing apprehended; They only have gain'd light in knowing truth, as they conceive, and therein rejoyce: but their joy is in their bare apprehend|ing, and not in their living in the glory
<PB N="106" REF="57">of what is apprehended; The&s;e mens condition is more de&s;perate then the for|mer, for the higher men grow up in their own thoughts knowing Truth, and yet do not purely live in the real enjoyment of Truth, which is the matter known, but barely in the largene&s;s of their knowing; This comes neer to the refre&s;hings of &s;aints, which they enjoy from the incoms of Chri&s;t purely: for they injoy refre&s;hing and influences by <HI>Beholding,</HI> and in the <HI>act</HI> of <HI>beholding;</HI> but it is not from their <HI>appre|hen&s;ion,</HI> but it flows from the thing <HI>appre|hended;</HI> and that is the rea&s;on why they are fools when they are mo&s;t employed in the <HI>beholdings of the wi&s;dom of the Father in the Son.</HI> But &s;o much of that thing.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Men may have fal&s;e incoms not onely from the apprehen&s;ions of a &s;u|tablene&s;s betwixt an act and a rule, and from their apprehen&s;ions, and not the thing apprehended; But they may al&s;o have fal&s;e incoms from the thing appre|hended; when they do not only rejoyce in, and draw their joy from their appre|hen&s;ion, but al&s;o the object apprehended; as thus, when they rejoyce onely in the
<PB N="107" REF="57"><HI>Newne&s;s</HI> of the Object, and not the excel|lencie of the nature of it: Many men re|joyced not onely in their apprehending Chri&s;t when he came into the world, but in the matter apprehended; But it was the <HI>Newne&s;s</HI> of the Object, and not the <HI>excel|lency</HI> of the Nature thereof that they re|joyced in; And the&s;e are they which the Lord &s;peaks of Ezek. 33.32. where he tels Ezekiel, <HI>Thou art unto them as one that can &s;ing well, and they delight to hear thee.</HI> While he was <HI>new,</HI> he was matter of joy: and &s;o was <HI>Iohn</HI> to the Jews: Now then herein is a great deceit in the heart of men,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 5.35.</NOTE> they may be wrapt up and ravi&s;hed with, not onely the largene&s;t of their apprehen&s;i|ons, but the newne&s;s of the thing appre|hended, and yet both fal&s;e: But a &s;aints refre&s;hment flows from the excellency and glory of what he apprehendeth; and that is the cau&s;e why a &s;aint never grows weary of viewing, and never flaggs in his delight and joy in his Beholding, but runs more &s;ure at la&s;t, then at fir&s;t: like a bowl that is ca&s;t out of a mans hand, though it runs violently at fir&s;t, yet after|wards more &s;oberly, and a great deal
<PB N="108" REF="58">more &s;ure: So &s;aints may be carryed on with a great deal of violence at fir&s;t, be|cau&s;e they are carryed on, as from the <HI>ex|cellency of the Nature of,</HI> &s;o from the <HI>New|ne&s;s</HI> of the Object apprehended; but the apprehen&s;ion of the <HI>Nevvne&s;s</HI> in a &s;en&s;e doth cea&s;e: but the <HI>excellencie of the Na|ture</HI> of the thing apprehended and en|joyed, doth not cea&s;e, but encrea&s;e daily. Now therefore con&s;ider (dear friends) Have ye refre&s;hings and &s;oul revivings, are they fal&s;e or true? are they &s;uch as are proper onely to &s;aints? or to men that are yet unacquainted with Je&s;us Chri&s;t? Con&s;ider, doth not your Joy flow from one of the&s;e three things, either the &s;utablene&s;s apprehended betwixt an Act and a Rule; or the largene&s;s of your ap|prehen&s;ions, and not the thing appre|hended; Or from the newne&s;s of the Object, and not the glorious nature of it? If it do, it will one day fail. But if it be purely from Chri&s;t; leading out your &s;oul in all conformity, to live above all upon Chri&s;t, it will never cea&s;e.</P>
<PB N="109" REF="58">
<P> If you ask me what &s;ignes or &s;ym|ptomes there may be to di&s;cover this pure, and true in-comes of Chri&s;t, which is the cau&s;e of refre&s;hments in &s;aints from all other. I an&s;wer, The&s;e in-comes where they are, try all things, and cannot be made manife&s;t by any thing without it &s;elf: though it doth &s;hew it &s;elf in things, yet tho&s;e things doth not manife&s;t it to us, or to the &s;pirit where it dwells: though it &s;elf manife&s;ts it &s;elf by tho&s;e things to o|thers: But to us it doth manife&s;t the truth of it &s;elf, and the truth of tho&s;e things that flow from it: though its true that all &s;ouls that enjoy &s;uch in-comes, are alwaies carried out to lie low before God, with &s;weet heart endeerings to God, and with a &s;weet upright walking before God; yet they do not know the&s;e in-comes by fir&s;t knowing the truth of the&s;e effects, but they know the truth of both from it &s;elf: In a word, who&s;oever enjoyes the&s;e refre&s;hings, finds this thing that I now &s;peak of: where&s;oever Chri&s;t comes in, &s;elf goes out, though &s;elf
<PB N="110" REF="59">appears more then ever, and &s;tirs with more motion then ever; yet the &s;oul is confounded in him&s;elf for be|ing &s;elfi&s;h, and lies low in that un|der&s;tanding before God; All filling refre&s;hments, empties the &s;oul of all &s;elf fulne&s;s. But I &s;ay no more, One|ly the Lord give us to under&s;tand this, That &s;ouls po&s;&s;e&s;t with Chri&s;t, onely live by influences of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>The V&s;e is to inform us of the folly of men, <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e"> who &s;tand and won|der that &s;aints live &s;o cheerfully be|fore God, though they undergo &s;o much oppre&s;&s;ion for God; Remem|ber <HI>they have bread that you knovv not of;</HI> Remember that Chri&s;t communicates light and life in a hidden way; There are &s;ecret di&s;tillings of Chri&s;ts love, that is full of power, which produ|ceth more life, then your threatnings and &s;corns can produce death: Their <HI>bottle of oyl, and their barrel of meal</HI> in the u&s;e of it <HI>increa&s;es dayly:</HI> endeavour ye (o men) to detract from it; it's Chri&s;ts way to communicate to it; If you endeavour to empty, and Chri&s;t fill, who (think you)
<PB N="111" REF="59">will bee weary fir&s;t? and betwixt both who is he that gaines? It's a poore &s;oule that lives by Chri&s;t, nay lives in Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3.3.</NOTE> he is one with Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.33.34.</NOTE> and cannot be de|&s;troyed, if Chri&s;t be maintained. And &s;o much of that Con&s;ectary.</P>
<P>In the la&s;t place the Con&s;ectary is drawn from the la&s;t particular,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ect. 5.</NOTE> It looks like him: <HI>Adam</HI> begot a &s;onne like unto him&s;elfe; The <HI>Vnction</HI> and <HI>Spirit</HI> in Saints is of Chri&s;t, Its one with Chri&s;t, It lives by Chri&s;t, It lookes like Chri&s;t: And that is the cau&s;e why Saints love to behold Chri&s;t, and Chri&s;t loves to behold them: The &s;oul cries out (Cant. 5.) <HI>Where is hee whom my &s;oul loves?</HI> and Chri&s;t calls out (Cant. 2.) <HI>Let mee hear thy voice, Let me &s;ee thy Countenance, for &s;weet is thy voice,</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e"> <HI>and thy countenance comly.</HI></P>
<P>If this be &s;o, then con&s;ider the condi|tion of Saints,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 2.14. &amp; 6.13.</NOTE> and the condition of the world; The condition of Saints, Chri&s;t loves to behold them, and they love to behold Chri&s;t, They are like each other: The condition of the world, who think one day to delight in the beholdings of Chri&s;t, and are now oppre&s;&s;ed in the be|holdings
<PB N="112" REF="60">holdings of Saints: doth the beams op|pre&s;&s;e you, and will the body refre&s;h you? Is the &s;treams a &s;corn, and &s;hall the fountain be a delight? It's a &s;trange thing, <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith (1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 4.20. (<HI>Hee that loveth not his brother vvhom he hath &s;een, hovv can hee love God, vvhom he hath not &s;een?</HI> But I &s;ay no more.</P>
<P>I &s;hould now draw &s;omething from the rea&s;ons, and al&s;o make u&s;e of the point in generall; But I &s;hall &s;ay onely thus much, <HI>Wi&s;edome is justified of her Children:</HI> Let Saints expect that Chri&s;t &s;hould bee ju&s;tified by no other: Let them not think it &s;trange,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"> Pet. 4.12.</NOTE> if they be condemned by all others: The Phari&s;ees cannot owne Truth, neither in <HI>Iohn</HI> nor in Chri&s;t: Do you think the world &s;hould now affect Truth? It's al&s;o impo&s;&s;ible; Therefore for Conclu&s;ion of all, remember that <HI>Wi&s;|dom is justified of her Children.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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