<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2013-04-29</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Alexis Jakobson</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>*Proofed title page(s).
*Reviewed structure.
*Checked division-marking material at heads and feet of divisions (HEADS, CLOSER, OPENER, ARGUMENT, EPIGRAPH, SIGNED, BYLINE, etc.).
*Added TYPEs to DIVs in order to validate.
*Checked for N=""s.
*Checked ^s.
*Checked placement and completeness of PBs.
*Checked for foreign, damage and missing-page GAPs, PROBLEMs, #, --.
*Checked for LBs, startqs / endqs, q;s, ABBRs, LETTERs and Qs.
*Checked for FIGUREs and decorated initials.
*Checked proofsheets and made corrections found there.
*Corrected <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">s etc.
*Converted <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">s to GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="[vendor name]".
*Revalidated.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B01382">
<STC T="W">A3227</STC>
<STC T="C">R223508</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">52612034</BIBNO>
<VID>179317</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="order to print">
<PB REF="1">
<OPENER><SIGNED><HI>Pack</HI> Maior,</SIGNED>
<DATELINE><DATE>Thur&s;day the 27. of <HI>March,</HI> 1655.</DATE></DATELINE></OPENER>
<P>ORdered that Dr. <HI>Anne&s;ley</HI> be de&s;ired from this Court to print his Sermon at <HI>Pauls,</HI> on the la&s;t Lords-day, together with his for|mer Sermon there the la&s;t year.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>SADLER.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>Communion vvith God. IN TWO SERMONS Preach'd at PAULS: The fir&s;t, Sept. 3. 1654.</P>
<P>The &s;econd, March 25. 1655.</P>
<P>By SAMUEL ANNESLEY L. L. D. Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel at JOHN <HI>Evangel.</HI> LONDON.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>EPHES. 3.19.</HI></BIBL> That you might be filled with all the fulne&s;&s;e of God.</Q>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<P><HI>London.</HI> Printed by <HI>Evan Tyler,</HI> and are to be &s;old by <HI>Nathanael Web</HI> and <HI>William Grantham,</HI> at the &s;igne of the <HI>Black Bear</HI> in <HI>Pauls</HI> Church-yard, 1655.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Right Honourable CHRISTOPHER PACK, LORD-MAYOR of <HI>LONDON,</HI> And the Right VVor&s;hipfull ALDERMEN of the &s;ame Famous City.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>My Lord,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_AS you had nothing be&s;ides the naked amiablenes of the &s;ub|ject, to render the&s;e Sermons acceptable, &s;o I have nothing but my <HI>Obedience</HI> to Magi|&s;tracy to preface their publi|cation. Mu&s;t I not by your eies &s;ee, &amp; by your faith believe, the&s;e truths <HI>thus clou|ded</HI> in their di&s;covery, profitable? But &s;eeing you <HI>Surpri&s;e</HI> me with an <HI>Order,</HI> Give me leave to fol|low
<PB REF="3">your <HI>Order,</HI> further, then perhaps you thinke it leades me, and that is, to retort it back upon your own con&s;ciences.</P>
<P>Your commands (for &s;uch are your de&s;ires) (all &s;uperiours de&s;ires being commands enamel'd with humility) give a Solemn <HI>avouchment</HI> of the Truths you heard, and therefore if you do <HI>hence|forth</HI> in the lea&s;t depart from God, or preferre <HI>any thing,</HI> I &s;peak the word againe, <HI>Any thing,</HI> before him, you tran&s;gre&s;&s;e not onely Gods laws, but <HI>your own,</HI> and &s;uch kind of Sinning again&s;t your own <HI>conce&s;&s;ions,</HI> is more haynous then <HI>barely</HI> to &s;in again&s;t God.</P>
<P>Your order <HI>(Virtually)</HI> recommends the&s;e truths to others, I cannot &s;ufficently a&s;&s;ert, and therefore intreat you to enquire what will be the aggravation of walking contrary to them.</P>
<P><HI>Ieho&s;aphat</HI> &s;ent his Princes to teach (that is, to encourage the Mini&s;ters to teach) in the Cities of <HI>Iudah,</HI> and by &s;uch Orders as the&s;e, you preach to the <HI>world,</HI> what is preach'd to you at <HI>Pauls.</HI></P>
<P>Let me crave leave to be plain. You may ea&s;ily be en&s;nared by ca&s;ting your eye upon this &s;ubject; for, if you read no more, you have read too much: if you read on, expecting <HI>embroydery,</HI>
<PB REF="3">you lo&s;e your labour; if with neglect, your &s;oules Either embrace <HI>&s;uch</HI> truths heartily, or abjure them &s;peedily; be not deceived, God will not be mocked; the more gracious his conde&s;cen&s;ion for acceptance, the more grievous his indignation for refu&s;all; and your refu&s;all of God can neither be more nor le&s;&s;e, then a <HI>[Choi&s;e rejection]</HI> I be&s;eeh you therefore, re&s;olve upon &s;omething, and let not our re&s;olutions come to nothing. As you are <HI>Chri|&s;tians,</HI> make Religion your bu&s;ine&s;se, that you may enjoy God; and as you are <HI>Magi&s;trates,</HI> walk as be|comes (if I may &s;o &s;peak, <HI>Earthly deities,</HI> as) tho&s;e that are called <HI>Gods.</HI></P>
<P>I do not charge you in the lea&s;t, but humbly <HI>prompt</HI> your con&s;ciences to demand of you an <HI>Account:</HI> what have you done <HI>like Gods,</HI> and <HI>for God</HI> &s;ince you came into places of <HI>Authority?</HI> When you &s;tood upon lower ground, did you not think magi&s;trates <HI>might</HI> do more then they did? do you now do, what you <HI>then thought?</HI> If you &s;ay you have performed the commandment of the Lord; a by-&s;tander wil perhaps reply, What mean then the <HI>Bla&s;phemous</HI> &s;wearing, the <HI>roaring</HI> drunkenne&s;&s;e, the <HI>[com|mon]</HI> whoredomes, the <HI>rambling</HI> Sabbath-breaking? <HI>&amp;c.</HI> may the&s;e Sons of <HI>Belial</HI> plead liberty of con&s;cience? If you cannot reach tho&s;e that
<PB REF="4">pull the crown from the head of Chri&s;t in way of Spirituall wickedne&s;&s;e: pray hold their hands, that would &s;tab the heart of Chri&s;t by morall wicked|ne&s;se. If <HI>rea&s;on of &s;tate</HI> leave God to vindicate his own glory in matters of religion, let not <HI>Laws of &s;tate</HI> lye dormant at your doors for want of execu|tion. If you cannot do what you would, do what you can: do &s;omething, &amp; &s;omething which may proclame you <HI>[De&s;ervedly-renowned Chri&s;tian-Magi&s;trates.]</HI></P>
<P>No more words but <HI>wi&s;hes,</HI> that I could <HI>tempt you,</HI> or <HI>fright</HI> you into Communion with God. 'tis the very de&s;ire of</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>MY LORD and Gentlemen,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>Your Soul-Servant, <HI>SAMUEL ANNESLEY.</HI></SIGNED>
<DATELINE><DATE>Apr. 11. 1655.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 N="1" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="4">
<HEAD>The Fir&s;t Sermon.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL><HI>PSAL. 73.25, 26.</HI></BIBL>
<Q><P>Whom <HI>have</HI> I in heaven <HI>but thee?</HI> and <HI>there is</HI> none upon earth that I de&s;ire be&s;ides thee.</P>
<P><HI>My fle&s;h and my heart faileth:</HI> but <HI>God</HI> is <HI>the &s;trength of my heart, and my portion for ever.</HI></P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_WEre Phylacteries in u&s;e among Chri&s;ti|ans, I would recommend this Scri|pture to be bound about your necks, or written upon the table of your hearts.</P>
<P>This is a Scripture whereon we may well &s;ay AMEN, to <HI>Augu&s;tines</HI> Con|fe&s;&s;ions. <HI>O the wonderful depth, my God, the wonderful depth of thy Word! though there be &s;uperficies blandiens,</HI> an out-&s;ide &s;weetne&s;&s;e, <HI>tempting us to ta&s;te it: There's an in&s;ide excellency forcing us to admire it; its matter of horrour to view its dimen&s;ions,</HI> but 'tis <HI>horror honoris, tre|mor amoris,</HI> an horrour of honour, and a trembling of love. For,</P>
<P><HI>Whom</HI> have <HI>I in heaven</HI> but thee?] <HI>q. d.</HI> who is there in heaven for me to tru&s;t in, or call upon be&s;ides God? or thus, What is there, that is precious in heaven, which I
<PB N="2" REF="5">de&s;ire without thee, or before thee? <HI>Whom</HI> have <HI>I in heaven</HI> but thee?</P>
<P><HI>And</HI> there is <HI>none upon earth that I de&s;ire be&s;ides thee?</HI>] <HI>Tecum nolui in terra [lo caphat&s;ti,]</HI> the word is u&s;ed of <HI>She|chem,</HI> Gen. 34.19. <HI>he had delight in</HI> Jacobs <HI>daughter.</HI> So, <HI>(q. d.)</HI> can I &s;o much as wi&s;h, much le&s;&s;e dote upon any thing on earth? nothing le&s;&s;e, my acquie&s;cence in God renders all things without him nothing worth, there is <HI>none upon earth that I de&s;ire be&s;ides thee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>My fle&s;h and my heart faileth,]</HI> here he interweaveth his former complaint with his pre&s;ent comfort: <HI>q. d.</HI> my body and &s;pirit are almo&s;t overwhelmed with grief, when I &s;ee my &s;elf &s;o variou&s;ly mi&s;erable, and the wicked &s;o triumphantly happy.</P>
<P>But <HI>God</HI> is <HI>the &s;trength of my heart,</HI>] in Hebr. it is <HI>the rock of my heart,</HI> a rock implies &s;trength, and &s;afety: <HI>q.d.</HI> Though my trials be &s;o great that no human &s;trength can prevent or &s;u&s;tain them, yet God is my Rock, the Rock of ages: In him I have never failing &s;upport, and &s;afety. <HI>God</HI> is <HI>the &s;trength of my heart.</HI></P>
<P><HI>And my portion,]</HI> it is a Metaphor taken from the an|cient cu&s;tome of dividing inheritances, whereby every Heire had his allotted portion: <HI>q. d.</HI> Let the men of the world &s;hare the world among them, let the <HI>Ziba's</HI> of the world take all, &s;o I may have <HI>God</HI> to be <HI>my portion.</HI></P>
<P><HI>My portion for ever,]</HI> not for a time, but for ever, <HI>tantum habeo, &amp; nunquam non habeo,</HI> I have &s;o great a portion, and I &s;hall never not have it. Whatever befals me, this is e|nough to uphold me, <HI>God</HI> is <HI>the &s;trength of my heart, and my portion for ever.</HI></P>
<P>And thus you have the words &s;ingly opened. I mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e I am loath to make any further divi&s;ion; be|cau&s;e our happine&s;&s;e is bound up in their &s;trict conjuncti|on. Therefore without any more adoe, this Ob&s;ervati|on &s;miles upon you. That,</P>
<P>D.</P>
<P><HI>God alone is, beyond compari&s;on, more de&s;ireable then any
<PB N="3" REF="5">thing, then all things in heaven and earth.</HI></P>
<P>When <HI>I&s;rael</HI> had &s;inned, <HI>Exod.</HI> 33.13, 14. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> fir&s;t begs their <HI>pardon,</HI> he then begges <HI>coun&s;el,</HI> and then <HI>protection;</HI> you have all an&s;wered in this, <HI>I will be with thee;</HI> but when he hath this, he craves more of it, <HI>Lord &s;hew me thy glory,</HI> v. 18. Might we think any thing &s;trange in a &s;oul's re&s;tle&s;&s;e im|patience of the lea&s;t ab&s;ence, after &s;ome enjoyment of <HI>God,</HI> we might wonder at <HI>Peter</HI> when <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> had been but a <HI>pray|er time</HI> ab&s;ent, he would venture to walk upon the raging Sea; and at another time, to throw him&s;elf into the Sea, and all to enjoy him a <HI>few minutes</HI> &s;ooner. But I need not call in Scriptures, unle&s;&s;e for illu&s;tration.</P>
<P>For Explanation we enquire fir&s;t,</P>
<P><HI>Qu.</HI> 1. What is there in heaven that may take up the heart? (might we not rather aske, what is not there that the heart can de&s;ire?) I an&s;wer,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Privatively,</HI> bear with the expre&s;&s;ion, for I know not how el&s;e to word it. There's a double privation.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Of &s;in and all things attending it, <HI>Rev.</HI> 21.4. <HI>God &s;hall wipe away all teares from their eyes, there &s;hall be no more death, neither &s;orrow, nor crying, nei|ther &s;hall there be any more plague, for the former things are pa&s;&s;ed away.</HI> The wicked &s;hall never grieve the godly more. There &s;hall never ri&s;e an unruely thought, or di&s;orderly affection more. Sin &s;hall not only be pardoned, but aboli&s;hed; there &s;hall be an happy privation of &s;in. And,</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Of Fear, there &s;hall never be the lea&s;t fear of be|ing di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed, 1 <HI>John</HI> 4.18. Perfect love in heaven ca&s;ts out all fear of hell. We mu&s;t while we live, <HI>With fear and trembling work out our &s;alva|tion:</HI> But then, our <HI>&s;alvation,</HI> will in a moment, <HI>work out our fear and trembling.</HI> Thus privatively.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Secondly, <HI>Negatively,</HI> and here again, I &s;hould excu&s;e the expre&s;&s;ion, were it not, that what the heart of man
<PB N="4" REF="6">did never conceive, the tongue of man can never expre&s;&s;e. Therefore Negatively,</P>
<P N="1">1. There's nothing that a carnal heart can any way fancy. There's no <HI>Ely&s;ian</HI> fields, no <HI>Turki&s;h</HI> paradi&s;e, there's no &s;uch re&s;t as the lazy dream of, nor &s;uch honour as will &s;atisfie the ambitious, nor &s;uch a trea&s;ure as is &s;uitable to the covetous. In a word, whatever a carnal man thinks of heaven, he thinks ami&s;&s;e. Not onely &s;o, but,</P>
<P N="2">2. Tho&s;e that are in heaven, have more glory then they can &s;tand under. That though their bodies &s;hall be like the glorious body of Chri&s;t, and their &s;ouls like Angels; yet all that we hear from them, like a complaint is, that their Crownes of Glory are too heavy for them. In <HI>Revel.</HI> 4.4. you have a vi&s;ion of the Church Repre|&s;entative, <HI>Sitting, and having on their heads crownes of gold;</HI> but <HI>ver.</HI> 10. <HI>They fall down before him that &s;ate upon the throne, and ca&s;t their crownes before him,</HI> as being wil|ling their Crownes &s;hould make God a foot-&s;toole. Their work is to hand off Glory from them&s;elves to God unto e|ternity. Plainly, there's no creature in Heaven, able to bear &s;o much Glory, <HI>as is there to be had.</HI> And thus you &s;ee Negatively what there is not in Heaven.</P>
<P>Thirdly, <HI>Po&s;itively.</HI> What have I in Heaven but thee? Whom have I in heaven but thee? We will enquire fir&s;t into the what, and the whom, and leave the [But] to be opened afterwards. What is there in Heaven?</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Grace glorified,</HI> or Grace perfected; we &s;ee now dark|ly <HI>&s;ub integumento &s;ymbolerum,</HI> but <HI>when I awake, I &s;hall be &s;atisfied with thy likene&s;&s;e,</HI> that is, I &s;hall be as like God as my &s;oul can de&s;ire. I &s;hall never need to pray for Grace more, never &s;trive more to grow in Grace, our poor ri|vulets of Grace &s;hall be &s;wallowed up in the Ocean of Glory.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Happine&s;&s;e &s;hall be compleated,</HI> our inheritance is in|corruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not a way, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.4. that is, it is not compounded of corruptible ingredi|ents.
<PB N="5" REF="6">It is not &s;ubject to &s;inful pollution. It is beyond po&s;&s;ibility of withering, unto the dayes of eternity. And &s;uch a <HI>Re&s;t</HI> there <HI>remaines for all the people of God, &s;uch hon|our have all the Saints.</HI> This is the enjoyment, the What; we come to the company, the Whom. <HI>Whom have they in heaven?</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>The &s;ociety of all Saints.</HI> Tho&s;e whom we have lo|ved, and prized, with whom we have wept, and prayed: who&s;e company on earth hath been refre&s;hing. How welcome will a never-parting-meeting be in Heaven? Aye, tho&s;e whom we have admired, though we never &s;aw them, we &s;hall then &s;ee, and enjoy for ever, <HI>Matth.</HI> 8.11. <HI>Many &s;hall come from the Ea&s;t, and We&s;t, and &s;hall &s;it down with</HI> Abraham, <HI>and</HI> I&s;aac, <HI>and</HI> Jacob, <HI>in the Kingdom of Heaven.</HI> How &s;weet will it be to di&s;cour&s;e with <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> when your face &s;hall &s;hine as well as his? To conver&s;e with <HI>Solomon,</HI> when your wi&s;dome &s;hall exceed whatever is recorded of his? To joyn in the con&s;ort of prai&s;es with that &s;weet-&s;inger of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> when you &s;hall be per&s;ons after Gods own heart, without a <HI>but</HI> in your commen|dations?</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Angels &s;hall be your companions,</HI> We read in <HI>Matth.</HI> 28. of a guard of <HI>Roman</HI>-Souldiers, that even fainted a|way at the &s;ight of an Angel; and &s;o &s;oon as they came to them&s;elves, they run from their charge; but the &s;ame Angel &s;aid to feeble women, <HI>fear not.</HI> They tell us now, they <HI>are our fellow-&s;ervants?</HI> but Chri&s;t hath told us more, we <HI>&s;hall be their equals, Luk.</HI> 20.36. though not in nature, yet in qualities: we &s;hall be no more &s;ubject to &s;in then they: we &s;hall want earthly enjoyments no more then they: we &s;hall be happy as long as they. And thus you have the an&s;wer to the fir&s;t Query. The &s;econd is,</P>
<P><HI>Qu.</HI> 2. What is there on earth to enter the li&s;ts of compari&s;on with the enjoyment of God? May we not &s;ee the farthe&s;t end of all worldly perfection? I will repre|&s;ent the world in its faire&s;t dre&s;&s;e; and name not onely what <HI>[of the world.]</HI> mo&s;t men think the be&s;t; but what
<PB N="6" REF="7"><HI>[in the world,]</HI> good men know the be&s;t. And though they appear in <HI>Troops,</HI> yet in the mid&s;t of worldly &s;uffici|ency you will be in &s;traits.</P>
<P N="1">1. Take the world in the Scripture-di&s;tribution, 1 <HI>John</HI> 2.16. <HI>All that is in the world, is either the lu&s;t of the fle&s;h, the lu&s;t of the eyes, or the pride of life;</HI> plea&s;ures, profits, or hon|ours. Had you &s;uch delight in the creature, as that you could &s;ay, <HI>this is the gift of God:</HI> So much <HI>money</HI> as to <HI>an|&s;wer all things:</HI> &s;o much <HI>honour,</HI> as to <HI>cau&s;e your terrour in the land of the living.</HI> You may read one Text that &s;hall grant this to be a kinde of happine&s;&s;e, but with the next, breathbla&s;t it, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 144.15. <HI>Happy is the people that is in &s;uch a ca&s;e; yea, happy is the people who&s;e God is the Lord,</HI> in &s;uch a ca&s;e; what ca&s;e is that? that hath victory over enemies, <HI>v.</HI> 10. that's <HI>honourable;</HI> Relative comforts, <HI>v.</HI> 12. that's <HI>delightful;</HI> all manner of &s;tore, <HI>v.</HI> 13. that's <HI>trea&s;ure enough.</HI> But will ye &s;ee how they &s;hrinke? <HI>Happy is the people who&s;e God is the Lord;</HI> as if he corrected him&s;elf for calling any thing el&s;e an happine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. Suppo&s;e a &s;peedy deliverance from all grievances, and an a&s;&s;ured &s;ecurity in all earthly de&s;irables. The&s;e will &s;eem to warrant &s;uch language, <HI>Soul take thine ea&s;e,</HI> Heart take thine ea&s;e; for, <HI>God hath dealt bountifully with thee;</HI> &s;it down and wi&s;h, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 4.10. <HI>Oh that thou woulde&s;t ble&s;&s;e me indeed, and enlarge my coa&s;t, and that thou woulde&s;t keep me from all evill, that it might not grieve me.</HI> Should God &s;ay, Be it unto thee even <HI>as thou wilt;</HI> yea, give thee <HI>more then heart can wi&s;h;</HI> and give thee to <HI>enjoy the good of all thy labour, that thou take&s;t under the Sun, all the dayes of thy life, to enjoy riches, and wealth, and power, to take thy portion, and to rejoyce in thy labour,</HI> this is a rare <HI>gift of God, Eccle&s;.</HI> 5, 18, 19. yet for all this, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 73.20. <HI>When thou awake&s;t, thou &s;halt de&s;pi&s;e their Image.</HI> When thou awake&s;t them, they &s;hall &s;ee they have been all this while but in a dream: all their greatne&s;&s;e and &s;uppo&s;ed felicities, were but an imaginary, a vain and de&s;picable thing. All the pageant of worldly pompe, and pride, and
<PB N="7" REF="7">life it &s;elf is but an image, a thing to look upon: good for nothing el&s;e. 'Tis valuable only for the outward appear|ance Though it be drawn to the life, it can have no re|ality of life. Take one in&s;tance of a man, who had as thriving a plentiful e&s;tate, and as quiet a long life as any we read of; I mean <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> he was a great heire, and in one year, <HI>he &s;owed and received a hundred fold,</HI> Gen. 26.12, 13. <HI>The man waxed great, and went forward and grew, untill he became very great.</HI> Yet this great man is &s;o little taken with all this, that out of choice he dwells in a tent, (a hou&s;e which he might carry in a wagon,) he lookes for &s;omething better; a City that hath foundations, where he may dwell with God. And you know that wi&s;e and learned <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> counts the wor&s;t of Chri&s;t, to be more worth then the trea&s;ures of <HI>Egypt, Heb.</HI> 11.26. and <HI>Chri&s;t is but a means to the enjoyment of God:</HI> the end is alwayes more excellent then the means, &s;o that the lea&s;t enjoy|ment of God, is beyond any thing of the world incompar|ably excellent.</P>
<P N="3">3. Grace with all its noble operations: Grace in its utmo&s;t earthly perfection: quickning Grace: &s;anctifying Grace: &s;aving Grace. This is without all peradventure de&s;ervedly de&s;ireable: We are by nature dead, and Grace quickens us: By nature in darkne&s;&s;e, and Grace enlightens us: By nature Rebels, by Grace Children, Bretheren of Chri&s;t, Heires of a Kingdome, what not? Take Grace in the very flowre and beauty of it, <HI>Full a&s;&s;urance</HI> of Hea|ven, when a &s;oul doth a&s;&s;uredly believe in Chri&s;t, and is certainly per&s;waded, that all the promi&s;es, &s;piritual and temporal, &s;hall be made good to a tittle: that the heart is comforted in all the riches of full a&s;&s;urance, which is a condition very rarely attained. Yet if you will believe an experienced man, he will tell you, that though in nothing he came behinde the very chiefe&s;t Apo&s;tles, <HI>yet he is no|thing,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.12. <HI>He knew whom he had believed, and that there was laid up for him a Crown of Glory.</HI> And yet he complaines that he is got no further then a life of faith,
<PB N="8" REF="8">2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.7. <HI>We walk by faith and not by &s;en&s;e.</HI> He profe&s;&s;eth that to be with Chri&s;t is far better, <GAP DESC="foreign">, much more better, <HI>Phil.</HI> 1.23. But perhaps you will &s;ay, this comes not up to the proof: Well then, to &s;peak di|rectly; could we ab&s;tract Grace from God, the &s;oul would finde as little &s;atisfaction in Grace, as it doth in Sin; you &s;hall &s;ee, that though the &s;oul be under a di&s;temper, not having &s;uch high and prizing thoughts of God, as at o|ther times; yet when it begins to get from under that neg|lect, nothing on this &s;ide God him&s;elf, can give any &s;a|tisfying &s;atisfaction, <HI>Cant.</HI> 5.5. <HI>I ro&s;e up to open to my be|loved, and my hands dropped with myrrhe, and my fingers with &s;weet &s;melling myrrhe, upon the handles of the lock.</HI> Whether we under&s;tand by hands dropping with myrrhe, actions anointed with the grace of the Spirit, or the grace of Chri&s;t which he left behinde, as a &s;weet odour to allure her when he put in his hand; either, or both the&s;e, clearly &s;hew, that it is not Grace that will &s;erve the turn, but the God of Grace that is &s;ought after. Further yet, to enjoy Chri&s;t, <HI>barely to enjoy Chri&s;t,</HI> his Pre&s;ence, his Teach|ing, his Prayers, and whatever you will name on this &s;ide the enjoying of God in him, it is nothing. <HI>Judas</HI> had a greater priviledge this way, then we can any of us hope for; But it is <HI>God in Chri&s;t reconciling the world to him&s;elf,</HI> that is incomparably de&s;ireable. And this puts us upon the Great Enquiry, which is the</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Query. What is it to enjoy God?</HI> A tempting, &s;ink|ing, chearing Query. <HI>What is it to enjoy God?</HI> a de&s;ireable tempting Query. Who doth not itch with de&s;ire to hear it an&s;wered? A &s;inking Query: who&s;oever thinks I &s;hall not fall infinitly &s;hort in this di&s;covery: I mu&s;t &s;peak it to their reproach, They have lower thoughts of the enjoy|ment of God, then are fit, (I had almo&s;t &s;aid, then are po&s;&s;ible) to be harbour'd in a gracious heart. But yet, it is a chearing Query, we may po&s;&s;ibly climbe by a wind|ing &s;taire, to have a comfortable glimp&s;e of this enjoy|ment. It is counted a princely &s;port to &s;ee a <HI>Faulcon</HI>
<PB N="9" REF="8">mount after a <HI>Heron;</HI> his towring flight de&s;erves an <HI>ecce.</HI> But oh then! what is it for a poor &s;oul, that hath <HI>lyen a|mong the pots,</HI> in the &s;culleonry of the world, to be <HI>winged</HI> by that <HI>Dove</HI> that lighted upon Chri&s;t; and to be enabled to &s;ay, <HI>Return unto thy re&s;t, O my &s;oul?</HI> Well then, what is it to enjoy God?</P>
<P>I an&s;wer, <HI>The enjoyment of God, it is the re&s;tle&s;&s;e turn|ing, and the con&s;tant re&s;ting of the &s;oul God-ward:</HI> You may perceive the de&s;cription referres to the Load-&s;tone, you know the Needle of the Compa&s;&s;e is &s;till trembling to|wards the North. And why &s;o? here we mu&s;t betake our &s;elves to the refuge of our ignorance, in &s;aying no more, but 'tis from an occult quality. Ju&s;t &s;o 'tis here, the &s;oul once touched with a peculiar ta&s;te of Gods di&s;tin|gui&s;hing love, is &s;till working, and trembling God-ward, and cannot re&s;t any where el&s;e. And why &s;o? From an oc|cult quality, in&s;en&s;ibly conveyed by the communication of the Divine Nature. I call it a <HI>re&s;tle&s;&s;e turning,</HI> for hea|venly re&s;t is &s;till in motion. And a <HI>con&s;tant re&s;ting,</HI> becau&s;e all the re&s;t the &s;oul hath, it is in God. And then I terme it rather <HI>God-ward,</HI> then, <HI>in God:</HI> to meet our di&s;tance, be|fore we arrive at a full enjoyment; and though the di|&s;tance will be le&s;&s;e afterward, yet 'twill in a &s;en&s;e be infi|nite for ever. But this &s;hort de&s;cription is too long, and unwieldie. Let's therefore take it in pieces, and con&s;ider the enjoyment of God in foure Periods of <HI>Duration.</HI> Time I cannot call them, becau&s;e the la&s;t of them is E|ternity.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>In this life.</HI> But do not mi&s;take me, as though the enjoyment of God here, is more worth, then that which was &s;poken to in the fir&s;t query, <HI>viz.</HI> better then what there is in Heaven, unle&s;&s;e you take it <HI>preci&s;ely,</HI> and <HI>ab&s;tract|ly:</HI> as if you conceive Heaven to be enjoyed, without the enjoyment of God. And then that <HI>poor pittance</HI> of enjoyment of God, which we may have here, is more worth then Heaven would be to eternity: Heaven would be a burden to us, were it not for the enjoyment of God
<PB N="10" REF="9">there. And therefore <HI>John</HI> 17.21. Chri&s;t prayes that <HI>They all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they al&s;o may be one in us.</HI> There's not equality, but there's &s;imilitude, there's reality, dignity, union, communion.</P>
<P>The enjoyment we have of God in this life, is either in Ordinances, or in Duties, or in Graces, and all through Chri&s;t. I might &s;peak of the&s;e di&s;tinctly, but I forbear, becau&s;e they do &s;weetly <HI>coincidere.</HI> The &s;ame thing may be an <HI>Ordinance</HI> in regard of Gods appoint|ment: A <HI>Duty</HI> in re&s;pect of our management: And a <HI>Grace</HI> through the Spirits influence. <HI>e. g.</HI> Prayer as God requires it, 'tis the Ordinance of Prayer; as we perform it, 'tis the Duty of Prayer; as the Spirit a&s;&s;i&s;ts us, 'tis the Grace of Prayer. Now there is a common pre&s;ence of God in Ordinances: which is as the outward Court, o|pen for all comers, and alas mo&s;t per&s;ons go no further. But there's the &s;ecret of his pre&s;ence, within the Veile for his own, and nothing le&s;&s;e will &s;atisfie them, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 63. <HI>O God thou art my God, earely will I &s;eek thee: my &s;oul thir&s;t|eth for thee, my fle&s;h longeth for thee, to &s;ee thy power and thy glory as I have &s;een thee in the Sanctuary. My &s;oul followeth hard after thee.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;econd period of our enjoyment of God, is <HI>be|tween our di&s;&s;olution and re&s;urrection.</HI> And now we begin to launch out into the Deep. You know <HI>Peter</HI> &s;peaks excel|lent things of Faith, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.8. by believing in him whom we never &s;aw, <HI>We rejoyce with joy un&s;peakable and full of glory.</HI> But what's Faith to Fruition? what's hearing to vi&s;ion? we mu&s;t now go &s;oftly, lea&s;t our <HI>feet &s;tumble upon the dark mountains.</HI> Con&s;ider therefore particularly, what the body enjoyes of God, while it lies in the grave, and then what the &s;oul enjoyes of him at the &s;ame time.</P>
<P N="1">1. The body, <HI>the body?</HI> what's a dead body capable of? what &s;hould we &s;peak of a piece of putrifying, rotten, &s;tinking clay? though 'twas never &s;o lovely while living, yet we &s;ay of it when dead, as <HI>Abraham</HI> of <HI>Sarah, Remove it out of my &s;ight.</HI> Aye, but God will not &s;ay &s;o: <HI>he counts
<PB N="11" REF="9">the du&s;t of Jacob:</HI> he that loved us when we were nothing, doth not love us le&s;&s;e for our rottenne&s;&s;e.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The body hath re&s;t in the grave, and peace there, and &s;leep there, never better in beds of down, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 57.2. <HI>They &s;hall enter into peace, they &s;hall re&s;t in their beds, every one that hath walked up|rightly.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The body in the grave is &s;till united unto Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 4.14. the body <HI>&s;leeps in Je&s;us.</HI> As one that drawes a &s;word, and holds the &s;cabberd in one hand, and the &s;word in the other, hath both in his hands, though &s;eparated. So when Chri&s;t drawes out the &s;oul: never &s;hall any man, or de|vil pluck the body out of his hand. Is not this e|nough for a <HI>carca&s;s?</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P N="2">2. What then doth the &s;oul enjoy, if the body hath &s;o much? the &s;oul is capable of much more, the body can have but a &s;encele&s;&s;e happine&s;&s;e; which though it &s;hould be without, it could not complaine of want. But the &s;oul lives, and is free from that clog, which inevitably hindred it in its highe&s;t activity. It is now at libertie, and enjoyes,</P>
<P N="1">1. A long-de&s;ired-freedom from &s;in. I might have &s;aid as much of the body; but the body is not &s;en&s;ible of its freedom; and though it be <HI>pura ma&s;&s;a</HI> in the hand of Chri&s;t, who <HI>will pre&s;ent it without &s;pot or wrinkle,</HI> yet it is the &s;oul only that under&s;tands its freedome, and appre|hends its happine&s;&s;e, it being among the <HI>&s;pirits of ju&s;t men made perfect, Heb.</HI> 12.23.</P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;oul enjoyes an immediate glorious know|ledge of God, Chri&s;t, Truth, and what not? 'tis &s;aid of <HI>Solomon,</HI> 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 4.29. <HI>He had wi&s;edome and under&s;tanding exceeding much, and largene&s;&s;e of heart, even as the &s;and that is on the Sea-&s;hore.</HI> But it may be applied to every &s;oul in Heaven, <HI>A greater then Solomon</HI> (was upon earth) <HI>is here.</HI> The Riddles of Grace &s;hall then be opened: Your creep|ing apprehen&s;ions of God &s;hall then be elevated: Your
<PB N="12" REF="10">di&s;tance from God &s;hall then be &s;hortned.</P>
<P N="3">3. That which the &s;oul enjoyes there is &s;o great, that if it &s;hould come from Heaven to declare it on Earth, nei|ther could that &s;oul expre&s;&s;e it, nor we under&s;tand it. Read a lecture of civil-policy to the wilde <HI>Indians,</HI> and tell them the excellency of a well ordered Kingdome, they cannot under&s;tand it, though you &s;peak in their own language: neither can you fully expre&s;&s;e it, a lecture is too &s;hort to contain it. We read of <HI>Lazarus,</HI> who&s;e &s;oul Chri&s;t re|turned into his body, whom much people of the Jewes came to &s;ee, purpo&s;ely <HI>to hear &s;tories of the other world;</HI> but not a word from him of any &s;uch matter. <HI>Pauls</HI> ra|pture may &s;atisfie with the rea&s;on of it, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.4. he there heard <GAP DESC="foreign">, worldle&s;&s;e words, that is, words that cannot po&s;&s;ibly be repeated on earth. <HI>Our old bottles are not able to hold that new wine.</HI> And yet all this is but the &s;econd &s;tep to the full enjoyment of God.</P>
<P N="3">3. The third period is at the Re&s;urrection, and during the time of the la&s;t judgement. God hath appointed a day wherein he will perfect all his. <HI>Camero</HI> &s;aith, <HI>'Tis no curio&s;ity to affirme, that the Saints and Angels in Heaven, had a new glory by the exhibition of Chri&s;t: the great my&s;tery of the Incarnation being thereby better known.</HI> We may then &s;afely affirme, that both Saints and Angels &s;hall have a new glory at the Re&s;urrection: They &s;hall then &s;ee the <HI>&s;olemnity</HI> of Heavens-Glory.</P>
<P N="1">1. The body &s;hall then be rai&s;ed by him, in whom <HI>it &s;lept;</HI> By him with whom <HI>its life was hid,</HI> and that with &s;ingular qualities, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.42, 43, 44. the body when 'twas laid to &s;leep in the earth, was &s;ubject to infirmity, filthine&s;&s;e, putrifaction. But when it &s;hall be rai&s;ed, the&s;e grave-clothes, the&s;e rotten rags &s;hall be left behinde: Gods pre&s;ence with it &s;hall render it incorruptible. The Sun in its &s;hining doth but &s;hadow forth its glory; It &s;hall be unweariedly &s;erviceable to the &s;oul in its highe&s;t work|ings.</P>
<P N="2">2. Soul and body &s;hall be united with excellent ma|je&s;ty:
<PB N="13" REF="10">I told you, the &s;oul in its &s;eparation hath an im|mediate enjoyment of God: <HI>fruitur in&s;igni glori&acirc;, &s;ed quae plena non e&s;t;</HI> it enjoyes very great glory, but not fulne&s;&s;e of glory. The &s;oul is but a part of man, and &s;o cannot have its compleat perfection till its <HI>divorce</HI> from the body be can|cel'd. Now then &s;uppo&s;e the body as before in&s;tanc'd, and the &s;oul as now compleated, united together, what mu&s;t needs be the re&s;ult? The body to be &s;piritualized, and the &s;oul's capacities to be unconceiveably extended: Surely then, and there will be <HI>fulne&s;&s;e of joy in Gods pre&s;ence.</HI> P&s;al. 16.11.</P>
<P N="3">3. Soul and body thus united, &s;hall then be ab&s;olute|ly and eternally freed from any po&s;&s;ibility of &s;inning: Till the general Re&s;urrection, this is not compleated: For, &s;hould a dead per&s;on be re&s;tored to live again upon earth, that per&s;on would &s;in again. This is ea&s;ily proved, for we read of <HI>Elijah, Eli&s;ha,</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> that rai&s;ed per&s;ons from the dead; but all which were rai&s;ed, (<HI>I except only tho&s;e that ro&s;e at Chri&s;ts Pa&s;&s;ion, or Re&s;urrection, for I affirme nothing of them;</HI> but all the re&s;t) &s;inned. And that they &s;inned a|gain 'tis clear, for they died again; and death pa&s;&s;eth up|on none, but tho&s;e that have &s;inned, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5.12. once an ab&s;olute freedome from &s;in, and for ever an ab&s;olute freedome from death. Now that they died again, 'tis clear, for, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.20. Chri&s;ts Re&s;urrection was the <HI>fruits of them that &s;lept:</HI> That this freedome is a priviledge of the fir&s;t magnitude, you have a brighter evidence then a cloud of witne&s;&s;es, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 6.3. The fiery Seraphim cry one to another, <HI>Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Ho&s;ts.</HI> How many hundred years after do you find the Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, that lead the Go&s;pel Wor&s;hip, ecchoing back the &s;ame celebration; <HI>Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God Almighty, Rev.</HI> 4.8. What other attribute do you finde thus ad|mired?</P>
<P N="4">4. Union with Chri&s;t &s;hall then be perfected. There's a very neere, &s;trong, excellent union here; 'tis expre&s;t by &s;everal metaphors: <HI>Phy&s;ically,</HI> by head and members: <HI>Po|litically,</HI>
<PB N="14" REF="11">by Husband and Wife; <HI>Corporally,</HI> by food and body: But then comes the <GAP DESC="foreign">, then &s;hall the Saints be his <HI>fulne&s;&s;e that filleth all in all.</HI> Then, and never till then &s;hall the fulne&s;&s;e be mutual.</P>
<P N="5">5. Soul and body thus united unto Chri&s;t, &s;hall be caught up to him, and then &s;hall the Saints in their own per&s;ons &s;it with him in his la&s;t mo&s;t glorious work of judgment, they &s;hall <HI>judge the world,</HI> aye, they &s;hall judg the <HI>God of the world.</HI> The principalities and powers that captive wicked men at their plea&s;ure, are them&s;elves re&s;erv'd in everla&s;ting chains to be judged by tho&s;e whom they formerly foiled, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.3. plainly they &s;hall appear in the glory of Chri&s;ts King|dom, having thrones with him in the aire during the time of the judgement.</P>
<P N="6">6. All that ever the &s;oul enjoyed before, in being with God in Heaven till the Re&s;urrection, &s;hall be &s;wal|lowed up with what it &s;hall enjoy at the Re&s;urrection: All before &s;hall be as nothing, though far greater then can be expre&s;t, 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 1.10. <HI>When the Lord Je&s;us &s;hall be reveal|ed from heaven, in the glory of his power: in that day he &s;hall be admired in all them that believe.</HI> Admiration is at &s;ome &s;trange thing: So, that his glory then will exceed all former apprehen&s;ion. And there will be never a Belie|ver to whom Chri&s;t will not be admirable.</P>
<P>And now we are come to the very thre&s;hold of Glory: But one &s;tep further, and then you are in the la&s;t period.</P>
<P N="4">4. In Glory, <HI>in Glory?</HI> and what hath this been all this while? <HI>on earth,</HI> if you will believe Scripture, Belie|vers are <HI>Princes in all lands,</HI> P&s;al. 45.16. not like worldly Princes that are but &s;ubjects in another Kings Dominion; No, they are <HI>higher then the Kings of the earth,</HI> P&s;al. 89.27. <HI>In death,</HI> it may in &s;ome &s;ort be &s;aid of all, what was &s;aid of <HI>Mo&s;es, Deut.</HI> 34.5. he died <HI>&s;ecundum os Domini,</HI> &s;o from the Hebr. God did by him, as a fond nur&s;e by her babe, ki&s;t him, &amp; laid him down to &s;leep. At the <HI>Re&s;urrection</HI> we &s;hall <HI>meet the Lord in the aire.</HI> And do you not call this Glory? is there more yet? <HI>aye, yet.</HI> All that hath been &s;poken, is
<PB N="15" REF="11">but a few green ears rub'd in your hands; the full crop, the harve&s;t is yet behinde. I am <HI>now beginning</HI> to tell you what it is to enjoy God in Glory.</P>
<P N="1">1. All the enjoyments of God upon earth are but <HI>earthly,</HI> when compared with the perfection of heavenly enjoyments. It is true, Grace in the <HI>ab&s;tract</HI> is beautiful and glorious: Faith whereby we have communion with God, it is a precious Grace: But Grace in the <HI>concrete,</HI> Grace as it is in us, is almo&s;t contemptible: Faith as it is in us, our faith, what bracks and flawes, and &s;ick-fits hath it. But the Text I refer you to, is, <HI>John</HI> 3.12. Chri&s;t calls <HI>Regeneration</HI> it &s;elf an earthly thing, when compared with tho&s;e heavenly things, which he would afterwards communicate.</P>
<P N="2">2. We &s;hall &s;ee God; you know God is &s;aid to &s;peak to <HI>Mo&s;es face to face,</HI> that is, Vi&s;ions affrighted the other Pro|phets, the &s;tate of their minde was changed, they were wrapt with exta&s;ies; but it was not &s;o with him, though compa&s;&s;ed with the divine &s;plendour: Yet God &s;aith to this <HI>Mo&s;es, Thou can&s;t not &s;ee my face:</HI> And he fa|vours him &s;o far as to tell him the rea&s;on of it, <HI>There &s;hall no man &s;ee me and live, (q.d.)</HI> no man in this life &s;hall &s;ee me; he mu&s;t fir&s;t die, and be changed, and then he &s;hall have a peculiar Revelation of the Divine Maje&s;ty: then, 1 <HI>John.</HI> 3.2. <HI>We &s;hall &s;ee him as he is:</HI> But how that is, I know not. The two <HI>amazing my&s;teries</HI> &s;hall then be un|veiled, the <HI>Trinity</HI> and <HI>Incarnation.</HI> We &s;hall for ever take in <HI>glorious apprehen&s;ions</HI> of God, without <HI>cloying:</HI> and for ever give out <HI>glorious admirations</HI> of God without <HI>wearine&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. There &s;hall be a neerer union between God and the glorified Saints then, then ever there was between Chri&s;t and a gracious &s;oul before. The truth is, we may &s;ay that of this union, which <HI>Paul</HI> doth of the peace of God, <HI>It pa&s;&s;eth all under&s;tanding:</HI> that is, before a per&s;on feel it; he is unable to feigne what it is, and when he feeles it, he is unable to expre&s;&s;e how excellent it is; They &s;hall <HI>be filled with all the fulne&s;&s;e of God.</HI> Our union with God
<PB N="16" REF="12">&s;hall be neerer then Gods with Angels, for the humane nature is advanced to greater dignity, then all the glory of the Angels put together, by rea&s;on of Chri&s;ts a&s;&s;uming our nature. Chri&s;t is not a&s;hamed to call us <HI>Brethren, Spou&s;e, Co-heires:</HI> where doth he &s;ay &s;o of Angels? But this parti|cular I will turne over to the next to be more fully cleared.</P>
<P N="4">4. Our communion with God &s;hall be immediate, without &s;o much as a <HI>Mediatour:</HI> We &s;hall go &s;treight unto God, and immediately participate his Glory and Happine&s;&s;e. There can be no immediate communion between God and the Creature, while &s;in or any of the effects of it remain: but when &s;in &s;hall be aboli&s;hed, then God &s;hall be <HI>all in all,</HI> as before Chri&s;t was <HI>all in all:</HI> Chri&s;t &s;hall <HI>deliver up the Kingdome to God the Father, when he &s;hall have put all enemies under his feet,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.24. and onwards. And <HI>when all things &s;hall be &s;ubdued unto him, then &s;hall the Son al&s;o him&s;elf be &s;ubject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.</HI> Chri&s;t as man con|&s;titutes a <HI>part</HI> of the Church (yet he is &s;till the <HI>Head</HI> of the Church; as <HI>Adam</HI> is <HI>part</HI> of man-kinde, yet &s;till the <HI>head</HI> of man-kinde,) but there will be no further need of a <HI>Me|diatour, e. g.</HI> Suppo&s;e you &s;aw a company of Cry&s;tal Globes, placed in a parallel line, and a &s;ingle Globe by the middle of them, to tran&s;mit the Sun-beames unto them, becau&s;e their po&s;iture will not admit the Suns immediate beams; but when the Sun &s;hall &s;o come about, as that they may immediately receive its beams, there's no further u&s;e of the &s;ingle Globe. So here, while we through our di&s;tance from God, are uncapable of immediate enjoy|ment, there's a nece&s;&s;ity of Chri&s;ts mediation; but when all things that cau&s;e that di&s;tance are removed, and we brought into the Pre&s;ence-chamber, no <HI>&s;uch</HI> nece&s;&s;ity of a Mediatour.</P>
<P N="5">5. The enjoyment of all this &s;hall be <HI>in God unto eter|nity.</HI> God &s;hall be to the whole man then, what the &s;oul is to the body now: <HI>totus in toto,</HI> not to informe it; but a per&s;on may as &s;oon cea&s;e to live, as to live out of God.
<PB N="17" REF="12">As a fi&s;h in the Sea hath a larger &s;pace to &s;port in, then e|ver it can make u&s;e of; but let it &s;wim where &s;he will, &s;he is &s;till in the Sea, and cannot live out of it. So a Saint hath infinitely more in God, than can be comprehended, but yet &s;till he <HI>abides in God.</HI> Never will the eye be off him: nor the tongue be weary of his prai&s;es: never will the thought wander after any other object. There's a pa&s;&s;age, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.15. <HI>I will &s;ing with the &s;pirit, and I will &s;ing with the under&s;tanding al&s;o:</HI> He oppo&s;eth the &s;pirit to the un|der&s;tanding &s;o affected, as that it cannot di&s;tinctly ex|plain what it hath conceived; but it &s;hall be otherwi&s;e, when we &s;hall &s;ing the perpetual <HI>hallelujahs.</HI> And then there's an eternity: in <HI>Rev.</HI> 5.13, 14. all the Devils in hell &s;hall be forc't to roare out <HI>ble&s;&s;ing, honour, glory, and power</HI> unto God; but it is the Saints &s;hall undertake it <HI>for ever and ever.</HI></P>
<P N="6">(6.) All this, and infinitely more, &s;hall be exhibited in &s;o much glory, that 'tis <HI>a mercy</HI> 'tis not di&s;covered to us. Read but <HI>the tenth of Daniel,</HI> and this will be no Paradox. <HI>Daniel</HI> had kept an extraordinary fa&s;t to intreat God for his people: well, <HI>v.</HI> 6. <HI>and &s;o on,</HI> Chri&s;t him&s;elf with one Angel comes to give him an an&s;wer of his prayers: but alas good man, he is not able to bear it, <HI>v.</HI> 8. his &s;pirits are di&s;per&s;t and &s;pent, and there he lies in a &s;wound, more like a carka&s;&s;e then a man: Chri&s;t and the Angel have much adoe to keep life in him: they &s;peak affectionately, touch him effectually; and all little enough; he is not able to bear the brightne&s;&s;e of their Glory, but as &s;oon as he recovers his &s;peech, his lips make &s;hift to quiver out, <HI>O my Lord, by the vi&s;ion my &s;orrow is turned upon me, and I have retained no &s;trength: for how can the &s;ervant of this my Lord, talke with this my Lord,</HI> (much le&s;&s;e then with that my Lord yonder, who is the Lord of Angels, <HI>v.</HI> 16, 17.)?</P>
<P>A &s;uitable di&s;cour&s;e of the enjoyment of God in Hea|ven, would <HI>overwhelme</HI> us while we are on Earth. Should all the wits in the world, men of the choice&s;t parts: and all tho&s;e of whom the world is not worthy, men of the
<PB N="18" REF="13">highe&s;t graces, joyne together in a de&s;cription of the en|joyment of God; when they have &s;aid their utmo&s;t, if the whole &s;pace to the Firmament were filled with &s;and, and the &s;pace above the Firmament were filled with wa|ter, and we had the number of all tho&s;e &s;ands, and of all tho&s;e drops: multiply the de&s;cription by every &s;ingle &s;and, and every &s;ingle drop, and then let every &s;ingle &s;and, and every &s;ingle drop be multiplied by the whole number of both, yet this would fall &s;hort, <HI>infinitely, &s;uperinfinitely &s;hort</HI> of a perfect de&s;cription, what it is to enjoy God in glory. For there will be,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Some <HI>&s;hadow</HI> of communication of incommuni|cable Attributes. There are two Attributes of God which we call incommunicable, <HI>viz.</HI> his <HI>infinitene&s;&s;e,</HI> and <HI>incom|prehen&s;iblene&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. For Infinitene&s;&s;e; if a Philo&s;ophical de&s;cription of it might be admitted <HI>in Theologia beatorum,</HI> in Heavens Divinity, our glory would be infinite: for that is infinite, <HI>extra quod aliquid pote&s;t capi,</HI> in|finitene&s;&s;e is that, of which when you have &s;aid what you can, there's more beyond it: And this we may &s;ay of our enjoyment of God.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. For Incomprehen&s;iblene&s;&s;e; if the Apo&s;tles &s;ay of Go&s;pel-excellencies on this &s;ide Heaven, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.9. <HI>Eye hath not &s;een, nor ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him;</HI> What &s;hall we &s;ay of Glory?</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Secondly, There will be what at pre&s;ent is <HI>incon&s;i&s;tent,</HI> and <HI>impo&s;&s;ible,</HI> As,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. A piece of clay &s;hall enjoy more of God then, then an immortal &s;oul can now. Plainly, our bodies &s;hall enjoy more of God then, than our &s;ouls can now. I have already mentioned <HI>Daniels</HI> fainting, in a comparatively poor vi&s;ion: but, <HI>Go thy way Da|niel, thou &s;halt re&s;t, and &s;tand in the lot at the end of the dayes,</HI> Dan. 12.13. <HI>(q.d.)</HI> Thou&s;halt re&s;t in
<PB N="19" REF="13">thy grave, and &s;tand up at the general re&s;urrection, and thy <HI>body</HI> &s;hall even <HI>&s;tare</HI> upon greater vi&s;ions, then tho&s;e at which thy <HI>Spirit</HI> now &s;hrinks.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Tho&s;e graces whereby we have now mo&s;t Commu|nion with God, &s;hall <HI>(as they are now)</HI> then cea&s;e. 1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 13.10. <HI>and &s;o on.</HI> Faith &s;hall then be &s;wal|lowed up in triumph. Hope in enjoyment. And we &s;hall want nothing to pray for.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Everla&s;ting worke, and everla&s;ting re&s;t &s;hall for ever meet, and give perfection to each other. <HI>Heb.</HI> 4.9. compared with <HI>Rev.</HI> 19.1. ther's the eternall <HI>qui|e&s;cent worke</HI> of prai&s;e. And thus I have with a coale drawne a land&s;hip of heaven. I come now to the rea&s;ons, why God alone is beyond com|pari&s;on more de&s;ireable, than any thing, than all things in heaven and earth.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. The uncertainties, mixtures, and finitene&s;&s;e of all things on this &s;ide God, fully evidence that God is &s;ingu|larly more de&s;ireable. In the booke of <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tes,</HI> you have <HI>Solomons</HI> inventory, and at the foote of every page of the Account, the &s;umme is <HI>vanity,</HI> and the totall &s;umme, <HI>va|nity and vexation of Spirit.</HI> Will you know what vanity is? Vanity is that which hath no true Soliditie of e&s;&s;ence, &s;tabi|litie of la&s;tingnes, nor power to bring any happine&s;&s;e. Will you know what vexation of Spirit is? <HI>Aske your own hearts.</HI> And truely, for graces them&s;elves, as they are hamper'd and clogg'd in us, the &s;oul may even long to be <HI>rid of them.</HI> I meane to be perfected, that what they have but in part, may be done away.</P>
<P N="2">2. What ever excellency there is in any thing, it is ori|ginally, eminently in God. <HI>Rom.</HI> 11.36. <HI>of him, and through him, and to him are all things:</HI> of him, as the fir&s;t <HI>Author:</HI> through him as the <HI>Pre&s;erver:</HI> to him as the la&s;t <HI>&s;cope.</HI> Eve|ry thing hath its degrees of perfection, according to what of God is communicated. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.23. <HI>All things are yours, yee are Chri&s;ts, and Chri&s;t is Gods:</HI> that is, the world is yours for your u&s;e: ye are Chri&s;ts as his peculiar: and Chri&s;t per|&s;onally
<PB N="20" REF="14">as Mediatour, for the glory of <HI>God e&s;&s;entially,</HI> that all may be &s;wallowed up of <HI>Deity.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. There is nothing can enlarge, and &s;atisfie the &s;ouls capacities, but God alone. Poore low-&s;pirited creatures may have &s;ome kind of &s;atisfaction in the world, as <HI>E&s;au, I have enough my brother:</HI> but then the capacities of the &s;oul are not enlarged. Others may have their capacities enlar|ged; but then <HI>the eye is not &s;atisfied with &s;eeing, nor the eare with hearing;</HI> (and the&s;e are but the mo&s;t capacious &s;en&s;es) but in God enlargedne&s;s, and &s;atisfaction meet. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 81.10. <HI>Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it:</HI> that is, let thy ju&s;t de|&s;ires be never &s;o large, thou &s;halt have them.</P>
<P N="4">4. The de&s;igne of Gods worke, and the order of his working, renders a re&s;tle&s;&s;ene&s;&s;e in all things, on this &s;ide him&s;elfe: 'twas never Gods intention, that any enjoy|ment &s;hould be any more than an encouragement; that a|ny grace &s;hould be any more than a means to bring us to him&s;elfe; when his people grow fond of any thing, he with|draws it. Ther's a worme at the root of our comfortable gourds. Ther's a <HI>Canker</HI> in our be&s;t graces. We read of <HI>Lots</HI> purity, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his meekene&s;&s;e, <HI>Jobs</HI> patience, <HI>Peters</HI> for|wardne&s;&s;e, <HI>Paul's</HI> raptures; but if the&s;e will glory, it mu&s;t be in the Lord; for we read al&s;o of <HI>Lots</HI> ince&s;t, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his pa&s;&s;ion, <HI>Jobs</HI> fretfulne&s;&s;e, <HI>Peters</HI> deniall, and <HI>Paul's</HI> thorn in the fle&s;h. Tho&s;e that have great graces, have al&s;o great corruptions, and <HI>corruptions in tho&s;e things wherein con&s;i&s;ts their excellency.</HI> I &s;hould now come to the application, but that I am ob&s;tructed, by the doubts, and objections of ten|der Chri&s;tians. Yet I &s;hall pa&s;&s;e by all but one, and that I mu&s;t &s;peak to for the honour of my <HI>Ma&s;ter.</HI></P>
<P>Some may object, Will not what was hinted of imme|diate enjoyment of God in heaven, be derogatory to our ever adored Mediatour: and we dare not entertaine any dimini&s;hing thought of him?</P>
<P>I an&s;wer fir&s;t. It is not that the Father per&s;onally, but that the <HI>Diety e&s;&s;entially</HI> may be <HI>All in All.</HI> Why Chri&s;t &s;hould continue his inferiority when his worke is done,
<PB N="21" REF="14">cannot be imagined. He &s;hall be honoured for his medi|ation, but with an addition. Might I &s;ay, any per&s;on in the Trinity receives more honour than other, Chri&s;t &s;hould have mo&s;t. <HI>Rev.</HI> 5.13. <HI>Every Creature which is in Heaven heard I, &s;aying, ble&s;&s;ing, honour, glory, and power be unto him that &s;itteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and e|ver.</HI> Particularly, <HI>unto the Lamb for ever and ever.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. This will exceedingly advance Chri&s;t in the thoughts of all, while 'twas nece&s;&s;ary he veiled his Deity: and when his work &s;hall be done, he &s;till <HI>continues his hu|manity,</HI> to conver&s;e freely with his brethren in his Fathers hou&s;e. Oh the intimacie there will then be, between Chri&s;t and Chri&s;tians! the Apo&s;tle tells us, <HI>we &s;hall ever be with the Lord</HI> Chri&s;t. Oh what communication of glory will there be to each other! <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.4. <HI>The&s;e &s;hall walk with me, for they are worthy.</HI> Rev. 5.12. <HI>Worthy is the Lamb to re|ceive honour and glory, and ble&s;&s;ing.</HI> Oh the mutuall rejoy|cing, and delight in each other! <HI>Prov.</HI> 8.31. from eternity Chri&s;t rejoyced in <HI>the habitable part of his Earth:</HI> to eter|nity will his habitable earth rejoyce in him, <HI>in whom dwells the fulne&s;&s;e of the God-head bodily.</HI> In a word, the eye can never be off Chri&s;t <HI>as mediator and God now,</HI> the eye &s;hall never be off Chri&s;t <HI>as God and mediator then.</HI></P>
<P>This objection an&s;wered, &amp; Chri&s;ts honour vindicated, we may the more boldly crave his help for the improving of the Doctrine.</P>
<P>(&V;&s;e.)</P>
<P>The fir&s;t u&s;e &s;hall be of information. There are three le&s;&s;ons I would have you learn <HI>by heart,</HI> that you may ra|ther from your own hearts, than from di&s;cour&s;es, and books be inwardly per&s;waded of the&s;e truths.</P>
<P N="1">1. That Heaven is extreamly &s;ubjected to carnall mi|&s;takes in the thoughts of mo&s;t men, 'tis made a flexible i|maginary, fancyed&mdash;<HI>I know not what:</HI> mo&s;t men con|ceive it to be a place of &s;en&s;ual happine&s;&s;e. That ba&s;e Wi|zard can wi&s;h, <HI>Num.</HI> 23.10. <HI>Let me die the death of the righ|teous,
<PB N="22" REF="15">and let my la&s;t end be like his.</HI> Alas, he under&s;tands not what he wi&s;heth; ther's nothing in Heaven &s;uitable to his covetous double-heart. Tho&s;e that de&s;ire heaven, do it mo&s;t as a <HI>re&s;erve</HI> upon &s;ome peevi&s;h di&s;content, &amp; wearines. <HI>Elijah</HI> him&s;elf is frighted into the wilderne&s;&s;e, and then pre&s;ently, <HI>'tis enough, now O Lord take away my life.</HI> 1. Kings. 19.4.</P>
<P N="2">2. If God be thus incomparably de&s;ireable, then all the time of our life, that is not &s;pent, either directly, or at lea&s;t <HI>by reduction,</HI> to promote the enjoyment of God, 'tis lo&s;t time: the enjoyment of God is worth all our paines, that you will grant. And that our time is little enough to be employed about it: this you cannot deny. But what then? &s;hould we turne <HI>Votaries,</HI> and bring up a new Religious Order, when there's <HI>more than a good many already?</HI> No; I therefore added the word <HI>Reduction,</HI> that though all our actions be not &s;trictly Religious, yet they mu&s;t all be re|ducible to Godline&s;&s;e. e.g.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Food and raiment are things naturally nece&s;&s;ary, and he that provides them <HI>not for his Family, is wor&s;e than an infidel:</HI> he that provides them not for him&s;elf, is that, and more; for he is wor&s;e than a mad-man. But &s;tay a little; never was text more wre&s;ted by wordlings, than that of the Apo&s;tle, pray therefore take another to keep it &s;treight. <HI>Mat.</HI> 6.23. <HI>Seeke you fir&s;t the Kingdome of God, and his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI> And his righteou&s;ne&s;s, <HI>mark that;</HI> you mu&s;t rather &s;eek <HI>Conformity</HI> to God, than <HI>food and raiment.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Relative comforts &s;weeten our lives. But yet <HI>brethren, this I &s;ay, the time is &s;hort, it remaineth, that tho&s;e that have wives be as though they had none, and they that rejoyce, as though they rejoyced not, and they that buy, as if they po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed not, for the fa&s;hion of this world pa&s;&s;eth away.</HI> Why, what would you have us to do? <HI>I would have you without careful|ne&s;&s;e, that you may be holy, both in body and Spirit, that
<PB N="23" REF="15">you way plea&s;e the Lord.</HI> 1. Cor. 7.29. &amp;c. we mu&s;t mind God more than relative comforts.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Higher yet. The time you &s;pend in Gods imme|diate wor&s;hip, even in extraordinary wor&s;hip, 'tis lo&s;t time, if you cannot an&s;wer Gods &s;earch|ing que&s;tion. <HI>Zach.</HI> 7.5. <HI>When you fa&s;ted, and mour|ned, even tho&s;e &s;eventy years</HI> (that is longer than mo&s;t men live) <HI>did you at all fa&s;t unto me, even unto me?</HI> Once more.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The mo&s;t noble accompli&s;hments, eminent &s;ervi|ces, unparaleld &s;ufferings, are nothing, if love to God be not in us the <HI>primum mobile:</HI> the very im|pul&s;ive cau&s;e. 1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 13.1.2.3. <HI>Aaron's</HI> bells, Mini|&s;ters preaching, will be like <HI>tinkling cimbals,</HI> chil|drens rattles, if we do it not in love. Martyrdome it &s;elf, may go, for a kind of <HI>&s;elf murder,</HI> if flaming love do not kindle the fire. And that love to God is principally meant, 'tis cleare, becau&s;e it is <HI>that love</HI> which is more excellent then faith. So that now you &s;ee. All the time that is &s;pent, in earning our bread: in the enjoyment of our comforts: in the wor&s;hip of God: in the highe&s;t &s;ervices and &s;ufferings: it is all lo&s;t, if the enjoyment of God in all the&s;e be not principally aymed at.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P N="3">3. Religion is a very &s;ublime bu&s;ine&s;&s;e. As 'tis general|ly <HI>(abu&s;ively)</HI> managed 'tis nau&s;eous. Oh how many have been hardened again&s;t it by tho&s;e that profe&s;&s;e it: but accordingly to its undeniable Principles, 'tis not only amiable, but <HI>Maje&s;tick.</HI> Judge of the piece by a patterne: con&s;tantly and reverently to u&s;e every Ordinance, and yet to look thorough them, as having no worth at all, but as they tend to God. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 84.1.2. <HI>How amiable are thy taberna|cles O Lord of ho&s;tes! my &s;oul longeth, yea even fainteth for the</HI> Courts of the Lord. Pa&s;&s;ionate expre&s;&s;ions: but doth he re&s;t here: no, no. <HI>My heart and my fle&s;h cryeth out for the living God.</HI></P>
<P>Again, To be contented with every thing, yet &s;atisfied
<PB N="24" REF="16">with nothing. <HI>Phil.</HI> 4.11. <HI>I have learned in what&s;oever &s;tate I am, therewith to be content,</HI> but ver&s;. 19. no le&s;&s;e than <HI>riches of Glory</HI> will &s;upply all his wants.</P>
<P>Again, humbly to take deniall of degrees of grace, and yet re&s;tle&s;ly to &s;trive to be above them. 2. <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.10. <HI>I take plea&s;ure in infirmities, for when I am weak, then am I &s;trong.</HI> Chri&s;ts &s;trength is mo&s;t &s;een in my weakne&s;&s;e, aye but <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.11. I would if it were po&s;&s;ible be as holy now, as I &s;hall be at the re&s;urrection of the dead.</P>
<P>In a word, to live in heaven upon earth, <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.20. <HI>our conver&s;ation is in Heaven.</HI> The&s;e are &s;ome of the Princi|ples of the oracles of God. Is not Religion a more hero|ick bu&s;ine&s;&s;e than mo&s;t men think it?</P>
<P>(Exortation)</P>
<P>Be exhorted therefore, to account no <HI>paines</HI> too much to take; no <HI>time</HI> too long to write, no <HI>thing</HI> too much to &s;uffer, &s;o you may manage Religion according to the worth of it, and enjoy God in all ways communicable. Let your eyes be ever towards the Lord.</P>
<P N="1">1. Be not envious at the pro&s;perity of the wicked: never &s;o much as tamper with any of their wayes of get|ting, that which they call happine&s;&s;e. Suppo&s;e, &s;aith <HI>Cypri|an, thou was placed on the top of &s;ome Mountain, whence thou mighte&s;t &s;afely behold, fluctuantis mundi turbines,</HI> the unquiet world that cannot re&s;t; <HI>among the wicked 'tis a crime to be in|nocent.</HI> Plea&s;ures are &s;urfetting?</P>
<P>Honour's <HI>blandientium virus occultum,</HI> the poy&s;onous breath of flatterers. And riches, <HI>O nominum quanta diver&s;i|tas,</HI> how are they mi&s;-called? we cal them goods, and they are almo&s;t con&s;tantly made u&s;e of to evill. Suppo&s;e you &s;aw <HI>(with a heart to con&s;ider)</HI> &s;uch a pro&s;pect, would this tempt you, to fall in love with it? But now look back a|gain (for alas while you are gazing on the world, you have your back upon God) you may hear a voice behind you, Prov. 23.17.18. <HI>let not thine heart envy &s;inners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For &s;urely there is an end,
<PB N="25" REF="16">and thine expectation &s;hall not be cut off.</HI> More need pitty, then envy tho&s;e that have their portion in this life: they mu&s;t pay deare for every moments beggarly happine&s;s. The un|cleane per&s;on for every <HI>motion</HI> of burning lu&s;t, &s;hall lye <HI>mil|lions</HI> of years in everla&s;ting burning. The intemperate for every &s;ip of generous wine, &s;hall have no other drinke then <HI>rivers</HI> of brim&s;tone. In a word, the&s;e whom God now be&s;eecheth by us, whom we pray, in Chri&s;ts &s;tead, to be reconciled to God, but in vaine; they &s;hall never be troubled with the&s;e intreaties more; but as they love a di|&s;tance from God, they &s;hall be &s;et at an eternall di&s;tance: And as they laugh now at mini&s;teriall reproofs, <HI>God will laugh</HI> then at their <HI>de&s;truction:</HI> And tho&s;e that complement with God in an empty profe&s;&s;ion, God will profe&s;&s;e he knows them not, and deny them Salvation. <HI>Con&s;ider this you that forget God: now draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you:</HI> but you mu&s;t fir&s;t <HI>clean&s;e your hands yee &s;inners, &amp; purify your hearts ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, &amp; weepe: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heavine&s;&s;e. Humble your &s;elves in the &s;ight of the Lord, and he &s;hall lift you up.</HI> Jam. 4.8, 9, 10.</P>
<P N="2">2. Seriou&s;ly &s;et your &s;elves to finde out experimentally, what it is to enjoy God, to have communion with God: <HI>Long</HI> for it, you &s;hall never lo&s;e your longing. Pant after it, God under&s;tands the <HI>Rhetorick</HI> of your breathing, as well as of your cry. If, &s;aith <HI>Augu&s;tine, I de&s;ire nothing el&s;e but thee, I be&s;eech thee Father, let me finde thee: if I doe de&s;ire any thing &s;uperfluous, doe thou thy &s;elfe clean&s;e me: and make me fit to &s;ee thee.</HI> Chri&s;tians, rouze up your &s;pirits: what is it that makes you &s;o low &s;pirited, as to have the lea&s;t contentment in the greate&s;t enjoyment on this &s;ide God? Doe you not know the worth of Communion with God? who&s;e fault's that? <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 6.3. <HI>You &s;hall know, if you follow on to know the Lord,</HI> you have a promi&s;e, that your knowledge &s;hall encrea&s;e, from the morning of Regeneration to the noone day of glo|ry. What yet hinders? Is it variety of fears? <HI>Worldly fears:</HI> your hearts are to&s;t to and fro with worldly bu&s;ine&s;&s;e:
<PB N="26" REF="17"><HI>doubting fears,</HI> you have more to object, than ever you have hopes to be an&s;wered. Trembling fears, alas you dare not think of &s;uch an enjoyment. To all the&s;e. God the <HI>Father</HI> bids you ca&s;t your cares upon him; <HI>the earth is the Lords, and the fulne&s;&s;e of it,</HI> and he knows what things you have need of. <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> bids you bring your doubts unto him; have you any doubt that Chri&s;t cannot an&s;wer? and if he can, &s;urely he hath done and &s;uffered enough, to per&s;wade us of his willingne&s;&s;e: there is in him <HI>&V;o|luntas Omnipotens</HI> as <HI>Bernard</HI> expre&s;&s;eth it, his will is Al|mighty. And let tho&s;e that are of a trembling heart, goe to the <HI>Comforter,</HI> 'tis his Office to pray in you, as 'tis Chri&s;ts Office to pray for you; He is <HI>the God of all Grace:</HI> what grace then can you want? Deare Chri&s;tians, I would be an im|portunate wooer, and take no deniall, no excu&s;e, no de|lay. <HI>Commune with your owne hearts,</HI> and deale ingeniou&s;ly: is there any lu&s;t worth keeping, to the lo&s;ing of God? and you cannot keep both. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 139.23, 24. When God &s;hall &s;earch you who knows your hearts; when God &s;hall trie you, who knows your thoughts; if he &s;ee any wicked way in you; how can you expect that he will lead you in the way everla&s;ting? Deale ingeniou&s;ly, Chri&s;tians, is there more &s;trictnes required then you are willing to practi&s;e? <HI>Speak (con&s;cience) is it even thus?</HI> And &s;hal the Commands of Chri&s;t be grievous? did Chri&s;t &s;tick at Nothing? <HI>Nothing.</HI> though the termes were very hard to worke our reconcili|ation, that we might enjoy God. And &s;hall we &s;treine at what we are commanded for the applying of that recon|ciliation? God forbid. I be&s;eech you, beloved, doe not plead any thing, which your &s;elves upon the <HI>review</HI> cannot but judge unrea&s;onable. Be per&s;waded to walke clo&s;ely with God. Act faith, and &s;trengthen it with obedience, that you may be able comfortably to &s;ay, <HI>Whom have I in hea|ven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I de&s;ire?</HI> &amp;c.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="2" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="27" REF="17">
<HEAD>The Second Sermon.</HEAD>
<P><HI>This Exhortation was rather</HI> touch'd <HI>then</HI> handled <HI>and therefore you may expect &s;ome nece&s;&s;ary enlargements.</HI></P>
<P><HI>'Tis pitty this Doctrine &s;hould want per&s;wa&s;ive direc|tions, how to improve it. I begin therefore with Conviction.</HI></P>
<P>_ANd, Oh that I could rouze the &s;luggi&s;h, and &s;tartle the carele&s;&s;e Chri&s;tian! 'Tis heart-work I &s;hall this day at|tempt. And therefore be it known to you (that your expectations may not be fru&s;tra|ted) be it known to every one of you, that come rather to &s;ee a Sermon, then to hear a Ser|mon; rather to be <HI>tickled</HI> with notions, then <HI>wounded</HI> with convictions; I have nothing wil plea&s;e &s;uch curious hearers. I cannot &s;cratch your itching ears; Pray ab&s;erve my theme; It is the enjoyment of God, <HI>Communion with God.</HI> Is this a &s;ubject fit for <HI>Quibles?</HI> is this a bu&s;ine&s;&s;e to be jea|&s;ted with? Nothing le&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>'Tis true in one re&s;pect, my &s;ubject requires that I &s;hould rifle all the Rarities of Nature, and gather up all the Flowers of Retorick; that I &s;hould borrow (were it po&s;&s;ible) the tongue of Angels, and &s;peak words onely fit for heaven. But on the other &s;ide, 'tis more nece&s;&s;ary
<PB N="28" REF="18">to &s;peak in <HI>the &s;implicity of the Go&s;pel,</HI> and to &s;et forth <HI>truth as it is in Je&s;us.</HI></P>
<P>And therefore, Chri&s;tians, if your con&s;ciences be a&s;leep, I be&s;eech you waken them a little. <HI>I have an Errand from God unto you:</HI> I &s;peak, at pre&s;ent, to tho&s;e of you that wor|&s;hip God, and yet are Athei&s;ts; that profe&s;&s;e Chri&s;t, yet are <HI>not Chri&s;tians;</HI> if you will not give me leave, I will take it, to breake in upon your con&s;ciences, and to charge you, as you will an&s;wer it at your eternall perill, to make true an|&s;wer to this &s;earching demand.</P>
<P>What is it you make your Idol? in what&s;oever you promi&s;e your &s;elves &s;atisfaction, and happine&s;&s;e, that's your God. Now what is it? Is it the world's Trinity. (1. <HI>John.</HI> 2.16.) Profits, Plea&s;ures, Honours? In &s;hort, what ever it is on this &s;ide God, you mu&s;t be infidels both to <HI>Divine</HI> and <HI>Pagan</HI> writings, or you mu&s;t charge your &s;elves with folly and madne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>In <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 1.2. Solomon gives you the re&s;ult of his curious enquiries into the utmo&s;t of creature-excellencies: <HI>vanity of Vanities, &s;aith the preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.</HI> Con&s;ider he was furni&s;hed above all other men, with all variety of requi&s;ites, critically to <HI>anatomize</HI> the worlds hap|pine&s;&s;e. He doth it, and when he hath done, he gives account of his unparallel'd experiments: All is nothing but very <HI>vanity;</HI> and not only vanity, but <HI>vanity of vanities,</HI> that is, extream vanity; and he doubles the duplicat, to note the unque&s;tionable certainty of it. Every thing <HI>&s;eve|rally,</HI> all things <HI>joyntly</HI> are <HI>comparatively vanity,</HI> when put in the ballance with God: <HI>mi&s;erable</HI> vanity in re&s;pect of mans &s;inne: <HI>unprofitable</HI> vanity, in order unto happine&s;&s;e. All things are <HI>deceitfully</HI> vaine in regard of tru&s;t, and <HI>con&s;tantly</HI> vaine in their in&s;tability. Thus Solomon.</P>
<P>But if any are more taken with a wi&s;e Heathen, then a Divine Oracle: would they but be true to that: <HI>Seneca</HI> (who wrote a book of a happy life) doth expre&s;ly per|&s;wade men to <HI>place their happine&s;&s;e in God, to follow God,
<PB N="29" REF="18">Obey God; he can want no earthly thing, who&s;e de&s;ire is placed above the&s;e things.</HI> Thus <HI>Seneca.</HI></P>
<P>But if this truth (<HI>viz.</HI> that there's no true happine&s;&s;e on this &s;ide God) be not &s;ufficiently confirmed in the mouth of the&s;e two witne&s;&s;es, I wil endeavour to produce a <HI>third,</HI> and that &s;hal be your &s;elves. And that thine own <HI>conce&s;&s;ions</HI> may be a <HI>&s;elfe-conviction,</HI> I &s;hall change the u&s;e into an</P>
<P>(Expo&s;tulation.)</P>
<P>And, Oh that I could prevaile upon your hearts in Gods behalfe!</P>
<P N="1">1. What &s;atisfaction did you ever find in any thing on this &s;ide God? or to &s;peak in Scripture language, <HI>Rom.</HI> 6.21. <HI>What fruit have you ever had in tho&s;e things whereof</HI> you have cau&s;e to be now <HI>a&s;hamed?</HI> This is a que&s;tion which de&s;erves the <HI>an&s;wer of a good Con&s;cience unto God,</HI> that is, Commands &s;uch a con&s;cientious an&s;wer, wherewith you maydare to appear in the pre&s;ence of God. And Chri&s;tians, I &s;peak to every one of you, but chiefly to tho&s;e that are <HI>hot</HI> in the cha&s;e of &s;ome worldly excellency; that &s;trongly fancy (if your projects &s;hould not be abortive, and your <HI>de|&s;ignes broken</HI>) that you can as ea&s;ily reach happine&s;&s;e, as a child thinks he can play with the &s;etting Sun, if he were but on the top of the next hill he &s;ees.</P>
<P>I &s;uppo&s;e you have often heard of the <HI>Phylo&s;ophers &s;tone,</HI> that hath fill'd men with hopes of a golden age; but they could <HI>never yet finde it:</HI> the mo&s;t unwearied, and expen&s;ive &s;earch hath left them to &s;it down with &s;hame and di&s;ap|pointment: aye, and ju&s;t &s;o will all your dreams of earthly happine&s;&s;e. I remember <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> askes tho&s;e that have a confluence of wealth and honour, <HI>that think them&s;elves hap|py, but are void of true happine&s;&s;e, what comfort do the&s;e things bring you? 'tis better not to want them, then to abound in them; when they are gotten, they do as much torment you with fear of lo&s;ing, as they did before with care to get them: Such good things (&s;aith he) do not make us good men.</HI> But</P>
<P N="2"><PB N="30" REF="19">2. How many times already have you <HI>&s;hifted your mark?</HI> and changed your thoughts about happine&s;&s;e, and yet are as farre to &s;eeke as ever: one while you thought, if you could but get &s;uch an e&s;tate, <HI>&s;uch a competency</HI> (as you call'd it) then you &s;hould be happy. When men are low, they think if they were but <HI>Some-body</HI> in the worlds ac|count, they &s;hould be happy; when they are advanced, they are more un&s;atisfied then before. How many here, that once thought if they &s;hould be worth but &s;o many <HI>Hundreds,</HI> as they are now <HI>Thou&s;ands,</HI> they &s;hould be hap|py? and do not the&s;e very per&s;ons, in their own appre|hen&s;ion want more now then they did then to purcha&s;e happine&s;&s;e? What more ordinary, then for &s;ingle per&s;ons to think, were their condition changed, they &s;hould be happy? and when it is &s;o, they are as farr from happine&s;&s;e as before. The rea&s;on of all this is, becau&s;e men expect that in the creature, which God never placed there.</P>
<P>God never intended the creature &s;hould be thy God. What is only to be enjoyed in God, 'tis in vain to expect it in the creature. Men may be &s;o childi&s;h, as to think their Counters to be Gold, &amp; they may lock them up for &s;uch, in their Che&s;t; but when they come to make u&s;e of them, they &s;hal then be forc't to be &s;en&s;ible of their mi&s;take. So you may at pre&s;ent, plea&s;e your &s;elves with your enjoyments; but your Gold is not currant money in heaven: your Jewels are not worth the &s;etting in the crown of Glory: your Titles wil not be ac|knowledged in the true Court of Honour. <HI>What will you then enjoy when your pre&s;ent enjoyments &s;hall &s;hrink to nothing?</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. What have you to object again&s;t the waies of God, wherein you may get acquaintance with him, and climbe up to communion with him? Chri&s;tians, poore Mini&s;ters that love your &s;oules, would faine have you to live in the light of Gods countenance; to have all your enmitie to God done away. Believe it, Sirs, we doe not onely ma|ny a time appear upon our knees to God for you, but could be content, to come upon our knees from God to you, to be&s;eech you not to &s;tand in your owne light; Is it not
<PB N="31" REF="19">enough to make ones heart to ake to thinke men need entreaties in &s;uch a bu&s;ine&s;&s;e? what then, to &s;ee men will not be entreated? Will you but bring forth your &s;trong rea|&s;onings, why <HI>you will not</HI> mind Religion more &s;eriou&s;ly; that being the onely way of obtaining communion with God?</P>
<P><HI>You doe not like &s;o much &s;trictne&s;&s;e.</HI> And why, I pray you? <HI>It is a dull and mopi&s;h bu&s;ine&s;&s;e.</HI> Did you ever trie it? if not, you are not a competent Judge. I cannot believe that man ever ta&s;ted honey, that &s;aith it is not &s;weet. <HI>David</HI> &s;aith, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.72. <HI>The law of thy mouth is better unto me then thou|&s;ands of Gold and Silver.</HI> And he had more thou&s;ands of Gold and Silver, then ever you will have. <HI>But you do not like &s;uch preci&s;ene&s;&s;e.</HI> Why doe you not like it? if you have no rea&s;on for your contempt, you are wor&s;e then bruti&s;h, if you have any rea&s;on, produce it. <HI>Why tho&s;e that make &s;uch a bu&s;tle about religion, they are as worldly, and they are e|very way as ba&s;e as others:</HI> &s;uppo&s;e this to be true of too ma|ny profe&s;&s;ours; yet is it their religion, or their want of re|ligion, that they are thus? <HI>But thou knowe&s;t not how to make a di&s;tinction, thou thinke&s;t they are all thus, and they learne it by going to &s;o many &s;ermons, and making &s;o many prayers, and keeping &s;o many fa&s;ts.</HI> Stay, friend, do&s;t thou &s;peake as thou thinke&s;t? dide&s;t thou ever hear a &s;ermon where men were taught to be Hypocrites? dide&s;t thou ever hear a prayer wherein the&s;e &s;ins of profe&s;&s;ours were not bewayled? <HI>No, that is true: they are too cunning to do the&s;e things openly, but vnder the colour of religion they doe all manner of abominations.</HI> Well, I will not contradict thee any further: but grant all this (though tis an ab&s;urd &s;lander, but) I will &s;uppo&s;e what thou &s;aye&s;t to be true. What's the <HI>ergo?</HI> the con&s;e|quence, the conclu&s;ion of the&s;e premi&s;es? <HI>Therefore Religion in the Power of it is mo&s;t excellent and de&s;irable.</HI> For that which is counterfeited is unque&s;tionably excellent: you never knew any one counterfeite leade, &amp; bra&s;s, but &s;ilver &amp; gold: you never knew any one counterfeit peebles, &amp; Bri&s;tow-&s;tones, but precious &s;tones, &amp; diamonds. Certainly, would men but
<PB N="32" REF="20">act rationally; they mu&s;t turne all their <HI>prejudices</HI> a|gain&s;t Religion, into <HI>motives</HI> to be Religious. Yet further</P>
<P N="4">4. If God him&s;elf &s;hall expo&s;tulate with you; are you re&s;olved again&s;t all his entreaties? Oh, that I could put your con&s;ciences to a &s;tand; That you would but con&s;ider, God doth, as it were, make it his reque&s;t unto you, <HI>That He, and You may be each others Portion!</HI></P>
<P>Suppo&s;e there were a company of leprous beggerly re|bells, under the &s;entence of death, and ready to be dragg'd to execution; &s;pare them, they are never like to do their Prince any con&s;iderable &s;ervice; let them peri&s;h, and their Prince can be no lo&s;er in his Honour, nor be cen&s;ured as over &s;evere, they having brought all manner of mi&s;eries upon them&s;elves by their rebellion. Suppo&s;e in this ca&s;e, the Prince &s;hould &s;end one Officer after another, &amp; above all his onely Son, to entreat and be&s;eech them to accept of a pardon, and to accept of Court preferment: what ever they can &s;ay agin&s;t this, he will an&s;wer their objections: what conditions they cannot performe, he will give them a&s;&s;i&s;tance: though they are defective in the performance of ea&s;ie conditions, yet they &s;hall have acceptance: they &s;hall never come to him for any thing but they &s;hall have audi|ence: he will do more for them, then for tho&s;e that never offended him: they &s;hall &s;hare in the glory of his Kingdom: only he intreats them to be friends with him. If the&s;e Re|bells ob&s;tinately and &s;cornfully refu&s;e this offer, what may they expect?</P>
<P>Hearken every one of you, that is unconverted, this is thy ca&s;e: Thou art the &s;in-&s;ick Rebell: <HI>He that believeth not, is condemned already. Brim&s;tone is &s;cattered upon thy habi|tation.</HI> God needs not thy &s;ervice, yet he &s;ends one Emba&s;|&s;ador after another, to urge thee with terms of Peace. I do now in my Ma&s;ters name be&s;eech thee to <HI>receive a par|don vpon thy bare Homage.</HI> God offers to make thee <HI>higher then the Kings of the earth, his &s;ubjects are altogether Kings.</HI> God doth, as it were, tempt thee with glory: And wilt
<PB N="33" REF="20">thou not for all this be per&s;waded? Perhaps thou do&s;t not thinke God thus entreats thee; con&s;ult that place, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.20. <HI>Now then we are Emba&s;&s;adours for Chri&s;t, as though God did be&s;eech you by us, we pray you in Chri&s;ts &s;tead, be you recon|ciled unto God.</HI> Ob&s;erve here, the Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel are not only <HI>Legati Dei,</HI> but <HI>Surrogati Chri&s;to:</HI> this is that, wherein the lea&s;t of the Mini&s;ters of the New Te&s;tament excell the greate&s;t of the old: The Prophets they were Gods Emba&s;&s;adours to the people, but 'twas not for <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> nor in <HI>Chri&s;ts &s;tead.</HI> To make this plaine to you: When a Prince &s;endeth a <HI>Me&s;&s;enger</HI> unto another, that Me&s;&s;enger is only an <HI>Emba&s;&s;adour,</HI> the Prince being not bound to car|ry the me&s;&s;age him&s;elfe: But now Je&s;us Chri&s;t, he is the <HI>Fathers Emba&s;&s;adour,</HI> and Chri&s;t is thereby bound to bring the me&s;&s;age of Peace; but being nece&s;&s;arily employed el&s;e|where (in the &s;ame de&s;igne of grace) he con&s;titutes us his Officers: &s;o that we do not only come in the name of God, but in the place of Chri&s;t, to do that worke which is <HI>prima|rily</HI> his. <HI>John.</HI> 20.21. <HI>As the Father hath &s;ent me, even &s;o &s;end I you.</HI> And this was the commendation of the Galatians, <HI>Gal.</HI> 4.14. That they received the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> even <HI>as Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI> Now do but con&s;ider, how low God &s;toops to take you up into communion with him&s;elfe. And wilt thou not &s;igne the Articles of agreement? &s;hall &s;ome ba&s;e incon&s;iderable lu&s;t <HI>[which thou art a&s;hamed to plead for, while thou hugge&s;t it]</HI> &s;hall &s;uch a lu&s;t &s;tand in competition with God? lay claime to thy heart, and carry it. And wilt thou never turne to God? If at all, why not not now? Is it fit for God <HI>to hold the candle of his grace for thee to &s;in by?</HI> But if you will not by all this be per&s;waded, I mu&s;t turne to tho&s;e that will: and to them I come with a u&s;e (I hope they long for, it is a u&s;e) of</P>
<P>(Direction)</P>
<P>How to obtaine communion with God. Is not this the u&s;e your &s;ouls de&s;ire? The plaine truth is. This is the u&s;e for which I did in &s;ome &s;ort make it <HI>a ca&s;e of con&s;cience</HI> to treat
<PB N="34" REF="21">of this Text a &s;econd time. Having endeavoured hereto|fore to &s;hew you the <HI>Glory</HI> of Glory. I cannot but think this to be the que&s;tion that lies uppermo&s;t in every gracious heart: how &s;hall I obtaine this matchle&s;&s;e priviledge?</P>
<P>Give me leave to premi&s;e but one <HI>Caution,</HI> and you will be the better able to take the following directions. The</P>
<P>Caution is this. Do not mi&s;take the nature of commu|nion with God, either in the doctrine of it, or in the enjoy|ment of it; do not fancy it to be what it is not, (have pati|ence a little, and I &s;hall tell you what it is by and by.)</P>
<P>The onely way I &s;hall pre&s;cribe to prevent this mi&s;take is this, <HI>[Learne to know, infallibly, the difference between the motions of the Spirit of grace, and of the Spirit of delu&s;ion]</HI> you know all communion with God, is by the Spirit of grace; and all manner of Spirituall delu&s;ion <HI>pretends high</HI> to &s;peci|all communion with God. In &s;hort, you may know the difference thus.</P>
<P>The motions of the Holy Gho&s;t are alwaies <HI>Sanctifying motions,</HI> and <HI>Humbling motions,</HI> and <HI>Orderly motions;</HI> what|&s;oever is contrary to any of the&s;e qualifications, they are at the be&s;t, but <HI>gilded</HI> delu&s;ions. The Spirit of God in all his operations advanceth holine&s;&s;e; holine&s;&s;e doth nece&s;&s;itate the heart into an humble frame: and both the&s;e are al|waies orderly, that is, the Spirit of God never puts upon one duty, when we are in another: the Spirit of God never ravi&s;heth the heart with comfort, to divert it from &s;ervice: the Spirit of God never puts per&s;ons to act out of their cal|ling, nor be&s;ide the rule of Scripture. This caution pre|mi&s;ed, take the&s;e Directions.</P>
<P N="1">1 Learne to know what it is to enjoy God. Communion with God is nothing el&s;e but the <HI>communication of grace be|tween God and the Soul;</HI> it con&s;i&s;ts in &s;pecial influence of grace and favour from God to the &s;oul, and &s;peciall re|turnes of grace and honour from the &s;oul to God. As the &s;un di&s;&s;olves the clouds in lea&s;urely drops of water upon the earth, &amp; the earth returnes its vapours upon the influence of the &s;un.</P>
<PB N="35" REF="21">
<P>The rea&s;on why I name this, and why I name it fir&s;t, is this. Chri&s;tians are ready to thinke, that all commu|nion with God con&s;i&s;ts in the <HI>comforts of the Holy Gho&s;t:</HI> whereas Chri&s;tians may as <HI>really</HI> and as <HI>advantagiou&s;ly</HI> en|joy God in &s;ecret <HI>conveyances</HI> of grace: in inward <HI>Supports:</HI> in a concealed <HI>acceptation</HI> of &s;ervice: in the <HI>drawing out</HI> of the &s;oul God-ward, as in the more open, and confortable manife&s;tation of God unto the &s;oul. Communion with God is a familiar friend&s;hip (pray let reverence on our part be &s;uppo&s;ed) you know it is &s;aid of Mo&s;es, <HI>Exod.</HI> 33.11. <HI>And the Lord &s;pake unto Mo&s;es face to face, as a man &s;peaketh unto his friend.</HI> Do we not as u&s;ually go to a friend for coun&s;ell, and advice, to &s;catter our confu&s;ed, &amp; perplexed thoughts, as for comfort and chearing to rai&s;e our hearts? in a friends bo&s;ome we entru&s;t our &s;orrows as well as our joyes, and friendly communication <HI>gaudia conduplicat, marores dimidiat,</HI> doubles our joyes, and halves our &s;orrows. But.</P>
<P>Suppo&s;e a &s;oul, even &s;piritually overwhelmed, betakes it &s;elfe to God: The heart is ready to breake, till it hath vent before the Lord: if afterward the &s;oul hath no more ea&s;e, then by the bare launching of the &s;ore, God poures in no balme, only gives &s;upport, nay, &s;uppo&s;e God adde gall to the wormwood: will you &s;ay, this &s;oul, in this ca&s;e, hath no com|munion with God? you will betray your ignorance that you know not what communion with God means. In Gods <HI>Secret vi&s;its</HI> of the &s;oul, and the &s;ouls <HI>re&s;tles groping</HI> after God, though nothing but darkne&s;&s;e be apprehended, yet that &s;oul lives in the light of Gods countenance: The &s;un &s;hines, though a cloud interpo&s;eth; God &s;miles, though the &s;oul do not perceive it. But that you may have the joyes of Gods pre&s;ence, take a further direction.</P>
<P N="2">2. Be carefull to remove the hinderances of Commu|nion with God. I am ready to believe, that every graci|ous &s;oul <HI>may</HI> find out what it is that hinders his Commu|nion with God: And if &s;o, they may then <HI>probably</HI> pro|cure <HI>rational</HI> comfort, though not <HI>&s;piritual</HI> comfort; they may get into the <HI>way</HI> of comfort, though they get not the
<PB N="36" REF="22"><HI>u&s;e</HI> of comfort; they may &s;et them&s;elves again&s;t the ob|&s;tructions of their comfort, and that very attempt puts them into the way of peace.</P>
<P>Examine therefore, whether thy trouble be through <HI>ignorance,</HI> or through <HI>melancholy;</HI> or whether &s;ome <HI>&s;in</HI> do not lie at the bottom. If it be through ignorance, knowledge will &s;catter it; If through melancholy, the <HI>Phy&s;itian</HI> mu&s;t an&s;wer that ca&s;e of con&s;cience. But the greate&s;t danger is when &s;in lies at the bottom: and that Chri&s;tians &s;hould pa&s;&s;ionatly abhor. I remember <HI>Athena|goras,</HI> in his Apology for Chri&s;tians, thus be&s;peaks the Heathen Emperours: <HI>There is an infamous rumour &s;pread a|broad of us, as if we were guilty of &s;everal wickedne&s;&s;es; if there be any truth in it, &s;pare neither Sex nor Age, but de&s;troy us, our wives and children.</HI> It &s;eems Chri&s;tians then, thought that Chri|&s;tian unworthy to live, that did any thing &s;candalous. And <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> in his directions to <HI>Paulina,</HI> enquiring how God is to be &s;een; tels her in this &s;earch, <HI>plus valere viven|di, quam loquendi modum;</HI> &s;he might better learn it by her own holy living, than by his be&s;t coun&s;el. <HI>Cyprian</HI> &s;aith, <HI>We live, not &s;peak great things.</HI> In &s;hort, that Chri&s;tian that would get and maintain Communion with God, mu&s;t be <HI>very curious</HI> in his conver&s;ation. We mu&s;t look upon &s;in as God looks upon it, and then we cannot think any &s;in to be &s;mall. If thou be drowned, what matters it whether thou lie&s;t <HI>twenty fathoms,</HI> or but an inch under water? If thou be killed, what matters it whether thou <HI>be chok't</HI> with a <HI>hair,</HI> or <HI>&s;hot</HI> with a <HI>Cannon bullet?</HI> The lea&s;t &s;in indulged, hinders Communion with God. And let this be minded: There's no <HI>&s;ort</HI> of &s;ins, &s;ins of infirmity; that is, thou can&s;t not &s;ay all &s;ins of &s;uch a kind, are &s;ins of infirmity. e. g. Vain thoughts are not all of them &s;ins of infirmity, for &s;ome &s;peak the heart to be wicked, <HI>Ierem.</HI> 4.14. All roavings in prayer are not &s;ins of infir|mity; for where the heart is not tended, roavings are abominable. All &s;inful dreams are not &s;ins of infirmity, for where the heart burns with lu&s;t, it <HI>&s;teams</HI> forth &s;leeping
<PB N="37" REF="22">and waking. In a word, <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 5.4. <HI>Thou art not a God ha&s;t plea&s;ure in wickedne&s;s, neither &s;hall evil dwell with thee.</HI> Remove ob&s;tructions if you would have Communion with God.</P>
<P N="3">3. Re&s;olve upon a diligent patience, if you would enjoy God. Do not think that &s;en&s;ible Communion with God, is to be given &s;o &s;oon as ever thou ha&s;t &s;tept over the thre&s;hold of conver&s;ion. Study an <HI>Active, Believing Pa|tience:</HI> that is, do not make &s;trange conclu&s;ions again&s;t thy &s;elf, if thou do&s;t not <HI>pre&s;ently</HI> find the fruit of thy en|deavours. This is the gallant temper of a Chri&s;tian, when he can unque&s;tionably believe God will make good his word, and therefore he will humbly and obediently wait, though it be to his dying day: when the &s;oul can faith|fully believe, that every ordinance of God hath grace (as it were) annexed to it, and therefore he will wait though he have not the &s;en&s;e of it. To believe that God will &s;ub|due his corruptions; yet if God &s;ee it meet, that he &s;hall run up his time in &s;trugling and conte&s;ting with &s;in (though he would be heartily glad of more comfortable &s;ervice, yet) he will through grace keep his &s;tanding: he will proclaim Gods Soveraignity, and freedom, that he may give what grace he plea&s;eth, and &s;et upon what work he plea&s;eth, he is re&s;olved humbly to wait and &s;peak well of God. Is not <HI>&s;uch</HI> a per&s;on excellently quallified for Communion with God?</P>
<P N="4">4. Give every ordinance of God its <HI>due ob&s;ervance.</HI> Let not &s;ome Ordinances &s;wallow up the re&s;t. There's no Law of the Creation for the greater Sea-fi&s;hes to eate up the le&s;&s;er: much le&s;s is there any Law of Grace, for the greater Ordinances of God to ju&s;tle out the le&s;&s;er. Chri&s;t &s;aid, <HI>The&s;e things you ought to have done, but not to leave the other undone.</HI></P>
<P>The hypocrite he employes him&s;elf about the <HI>exteri|our,</HI> and more <HI>pompous</HI> work of Religion, with a <HI>&s;ecret</HI> ha|tred of inward &s;anctity: the unwary Chri&s;tian is bu&s;ie about the <HI>E&s;&s;entials</HI> of Chri&s;tianity, and too much neg|lects
<PB N="38" REF="23">tho&s;e <HI>circum&s;tantials,</HI> whereby others <HI>&s;eeing</HI> their <HI>good works,</HI> might glorifie their <HI>Father which is in heaven:</HI> But tho&s;e Chri&s;tians that do give every Ordinance of God its <HI>due re&s;pect,</HI> that do not <HI>interfere</HI> in Acts of wor|&s;hip, are mo&s;t likely to receive the benefit of every Or|dinance. Divine Ordinances are <HI>&s;ocial</HI> means of Commu|nion with God. One &s;tring untun'd, hinders the harmony: one Ordinance neglected, makes a flaw in our injoy|ment.</P>
<P>Apo&s;tacy you know is directly oppo&s;ite to the enjoy|ment of God. If tho&s;e that are now turn'd <HI>rank Apo&s;tates,</HI> would but ingenuou&s;ly confe&s;s their way of declining, they mu&s;t tell you 'twas by di&s;liking and undervaluing &s;ome Ordinances of God, as if they might well be &s;pared. e. g. How many have &s;tumbled fir&s;t at the <HI>&s;inging</HI> of P&s;almes? then what need Scripture be <HI>read</HI> publickly, they can read that at home? then why &s;hould they <HI>in&s;truct</HI> their children, they cannot reli&s;h what they learn? then why &s;hould they <HI>baptize</HI> their children, they know not what is done to them? then why &s;hould they attend upon their <HI>Mini&s;ters that preach by Office,</HI> others can do as well as they? then why &s;hould they <HI>pray</HI> but when the <HI>Spirit</HI> moves them, and &s;o they pray but by fits, &amp;c. And &s;o on, <HI>who knows whither?</HI> I dare appeal to their con&s;ciences, whe|ther the&s;e, or &s;uch as the&s;e, are not <HI>the degrees,</HI> whereby the Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;s hath gone backward in their <HI>Diall.</HI> Chri&s;tians, if ever you would have Communion with God, do not think that God will &s;uffer any of his Ordinances to be tryed at your <HI>bar,</HI> and not to be currant without your <HI>approbation.</HI> Mu&s;t Je&s;us Chri&s;t con&s;ult with you what <HI>Laws</HI> to give his people?</P>
<P N="5">5. Have a &s;pecial regard to the <HI>&s;ecret</HI> workings of your hearts in &s;ecret duties: the faces of men, and the faces of duties, are no more than <HI>Porticibus picturae,</HI> the Title page of a book cut with pictures. Men may take a <HI>pride</HI> in frequenting the be&s;t Lectures, and in being ac|quainted with eminent Chri&s;tians, and in propo&s;ing of
<PB N="39" REF="23" MS="y"><HI>remote</HI> ca&s;es of Con&s;cience: There are very many per|&s;ons take a great deal of pains <HI>to work out their</HI> damnation <HI>with fear and trembling;</HI> but now, what is the inward wor|&s;hip of thy heart in publick wor&s;hip? what is thy hidden &s;ervice of God in common &s;ervice? doth thy heart melt and bleed at a Sermon, when tho&s;e that &s;it in the pew with thee, can read no &s;uch matter in thy countenance? what are thy <HI>inward</HI> thoughts? thy <HI>&s;ecret</HI> prayers? thy <HI>private</HI> re&s;olves? thy <HI>retired</HI> meditations? yea, let me ask thee further, what are the mo&s;t &s;ecret workings of the inner man? <HI>In tho&s;e things wherein Communion with God doth prin|cipally con&s;i&s;t, a man can hardly be an Hypocrite.</HI> e. g. Take an in&s;tance in &s;ecret prayer. When thou art dull, and can&s;t not expre&s;s thy &s;elf: How doth thy heart <HI>heave,</HI> and <HI>work,</HI> and <HI>tremble,</HI> and <HI>throb</HI> within thee! What <HI>longing,</HI> and <HI>breathing,</HI> and <HI>hankering</HI> after &s;piritual enlargement! At another time when thy heart is enlarged, How do&s;t thou find the pouring out of thy heart? is i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> not like the pouring out of liquor from a narrow mouth'd ve&s;&s;el; thou do&s;t but <HI>bulpe</HI> out thy de&s;ires! Are not the thoughts of thy heart like a crowd <HI>pre&s;&s;ing</HI> one upon another! And when the di&s;covery of Communion with God is <HI>mo&s;t</HI> &s;pi|ritual, thou think&s;t it <HI>not</HI> &s;piritual enough: this is the way to in&s;inuate thy &s;elf into Gods bo&s;om. But yet this is not all.</P>
<P N="6">6. Ob&s;erve the relation Chri&s;t &s;tands in for the bring|ing you unto God, and lay hold on Chri&s;t that he may bring you to his Father. Je&s;us Chri&s;t, he intercedes with the Father, and doth as it were &s;ay, <HI>Father,</HI> here are a com|pany of <HI>Rebels,</HI> ju&s;tly fallen under thy di&s;plea&s;ure, they de|&s;erve to be &s;et at an eternal di&s;tance from thee, but I mu&s;t needs have them pardoned, and received into thy bo&s;om: make thine own terms, let Ju&s;tice require never &s;o great &s;atisfaction, I will pay the utmo&s;t farthing, give them what Laws thou plea&s;e&s;t, I will undertake they &s;hall ob|&s;erve them: Thus Chri&s;t acts with the Father in our be|half. And then he comes to the poor &s;inner, on the Fa|thers
<PB N="40" REF="24">behalf, and brings down the terms of reconciliation; He brings the &s;inners bond in his hand ready cancel'd, the Covenant of peace ready &s;ealed, and he per&s;wades the &s;inner to come unto him, that they might have life. Goe therefore unto Chri&s;t, and make him thy ladder to climb up unto God. Do not <HI>idly</HI> &s;ay thou can&s;t not, but go on till thou meete&s;t with a &s;top, that thou can&s;t go no further. <HI>Wa&s;h thy hands from lazy &s;ecurity,</HI> and beg &s;trength. It is an excellent <HI>problem</HI> for a Chri&s;tian's &s;tudy, to find out <HI>the over-powring work of &s;pecial grace, and the concurrent &s;ub|&s;erviency of mans will.</HI></P>
<P>Chri&s;tians, this is a ponderous direction, and mu&s;t be &s;eriou&s;ly ob&s;erved. <HI>Iu&s;tin Martyr</HI> relates, that when in his di&s;cour&s;e with <HI>Tryphon,</HI> he mentioned the knowledge of Chri&s;t as conducing to our happine&s;s and perfection, <HI>Try|phon's friends laught at it.</HI> I hope none here are &s;uch kind of per&s;ons; but that you will rather ask what is it to fetch &s;trength from Chri&s;t? briefly thus,</P>
<P>The fetching &s;trength from Chri&s;t, is the finding out of a fit promi&s;e, and applying it to our purpo&s;e, by a re&s;ting upon Chri&s;t, for the performance of it, in a con&s;cientious minding of the condition on our part, <HI>e.g.</HI> In the pre&s;ent bu&s;ine&s;s, <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.18. through Chri&s;t <HI>we have acce&s;s by one Spirit unto the Father:</HI> But how &s;hall I come to Chri&s;t? <HI>Mat.</HI> 11.29. by taking his <HI>yoak</HI> upon you, and <HI>learning</HI> of him: but how &s;hall I learn? and how &s;hall I be &s;ure of &s;ucce&s;s? <HI>Prov.</HI> 8.34. by continual attendance upon him, thou &s;halt learn, and thou &s;halt be ble&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P N="7">7. Make u&s;e of each <HI>Per&s;on</HI> of the <HI>Trinity</HI> to each other for the enjoyment of Communion with <HI>Deity.</HI> Every per&s;on of the Trinity works both jointly and &s;everally in the bringing of the &s;oul unto God. The <HI>Father</HI> he effectu|ally draws the &s;oul to Chri&s;t, <HI>Iohn</HI> 6.44. And he graciouf|ly accepts of that which is no way &s;uitable to his infinite holine&s;s. The <HI>Son</HI> as Mediator di&s;chargeth all that is re|qui&s;ite for the reconciling of us unto the Father. The <HI>Ho|ly Gho&s;t</HI> doth immediately work the &s;oul to all &s;piritual
<PB N="41" REF="24">good. Now then, do you learn to make u&s;e of every per|&s;ons peculiar work.</P>
<P>Can there be a more <HI>plea&s;ing,</HI> a more <HI>profitable,</HI> a more <HI>honourable</HI> work, than to fearch how the <HI>Father</HI> draws to the Son, and promi&s;eth to &s;end the Holy Gho&s;t? Yet it is the <HI>Son</HI> that engageth the Father, by the working of the Holy Gho&s;t; and yet it is the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t</HI> which work|eth the heart to clo&s;e with Chri&s;t, and thereby we have acce&s;s unto the Father. How &s;weet is it to <HI>unriddle</HI> the&s;e my&s;teries of Grace! The very <HI>untying</HI> of the&s;e <HI>knots,</HI> and the <HI>picking</HI> out the <HI>kernels</HI> of the&s;e &s;eeming contradictions, mu&s;t needs be advantageous unto the &s;oul.</P>
<P>Chri&s;tians, will you bring your ca&s;e to a <HI>Point?</HI> Is there a nece&s;&s;ity of acquainting thy &s;elf with God, or not? Can&s;t thou <HI>patch</HI> up an happine&s;s <HI>to &s;erve thy turn,</HI> without Communion with God? if not, what do&s;t thou re&s;olve upon?</P>
<Q>Alas, this bu&s;ine&s;s is beyond my &s;trength, I cannot change mine own heart; though there are encourage|ments and helps, I know not which way to go, nor how to pleade them.</Q>
<P>Well, but is the Spirit of God able to quicken thee, and to teach thee, and to enable thee? he &s;tands e&s;pe|cially engaged, 'tis his immediate work to prevail upon the heart, Go to the Spirit, and beg of him, that he would lead thee to the Father, and to Chri&s;t, that thou may&s;t have fellow&s;hip with the Father and the Son.</P>
<Q>Alas, I cannot go unto the Spirit, I have &s;o long re&s;i&s;ted him, &s;o often grieved him, with what face can I go? I am unworthy of his guidance.</Q>
<P>Well, but Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;tands engaged; and never &s;peak of Merit, that day thou &s;peake&s;t of Chri&s;t. Go to Chri&s;t, and beg that he would &s;end his Spirit into thy heart. Je&s;us Chri&s;t is thy Kin&s;man, he knows how to pitty thee; and the Spirit of Grace is at his di&s;po&s;e. Oh then go to Chri&s;t.</P>
<PB N="42" REF="25">
<P><HI>Alas, I cannot go to Chri&s;t, I have no ability to go, nor &s;o much as a will to move towards him. I cannot go to Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Well, but the Father is engaged to draw thee, though thou can&s;t not go; a man may be drawn, which hath no naturall willingne&s;s of his own. The father &s;tands engaged to change the will, &amp; ab&s;olute promi&s;es are theirs that lay claim to them (provided they do not overthrow their own claim.) Go therefore and tell the Father thy ca&s;e.</P>
<Q>Oh, I cannot, I dare not go unto the Father; his ju&s;tice mu&s;t needs &s;moak again&s;t me, his holine&s;s will never bear with me; It would argue impudence in me to venture in|to his pre&s;ence. Oh I dare not go unto the Father.</Q>
<P>Then go back to Chri&s;t, he hath &s;atisfied the Fathers Ju&s;tice, and wrought our reconciliation. God the Father was in Chri&s;t the Son reconciling the world unto him&s;elf: And Chri&s;t hath obtained Reconciliation <HI>for thee</HI> if thou wilt accept the word of Reconciliation. Go therefore unto Chri&s;t.</P>
<Q>Oh, I cannot go unto Chri&s;t, there's &s;omething required on my part, though not as a <HI>Price,</HI> yet as a <HI>Qualificati|on;</HI> I mu&s;t have &s;ome <HI>inherent</HI> righteou&s;ne&s;s, or el&s;e no Communion with God.</Q>
<P>Then go back unto the Spirit, it is his bu&s;ine&s;s to work thy heart into a <HI>conformity</HI> unto God; God doth not one|ly require thou &s;hould&s;t be holy, becau&s;e he is holy; bu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Holy Gho&s;t is ready to make thee holy. The winde <HI>now</HI> blows, do thou &s;pread the &s;ailes.</P>
<Q>Oh, but I never &s;hall, I never can have any holine&s;s to bear any kind of <HI>proportion</HI> to the holine&s;s of God, and therefore it is in vain&mdash;I have experience more than enough of my heart. And I may by this time know what to expect.</Q>
<P>Then go back unto the Father; he graciou&s;ly <HI>conde|&s;cends</HI> to accept of a little, the breathings of the &s;oul, the trembling of the heart God-ward is not rejected by him.</P>
<P>Chri&s;tians, did your &s;oules but thus walk in the &s;piritu|all immen&s;ities of Deity, how would you be <HI>filled with all
<PB N="43" REF="25">the fulne&s;s of God?</HI> How would you take the Apo&s;tle <HI>Iohn</HI>'s coun&s;el, while you are learning to take it, 1 <HI>Iohn</HI> 2.28. <HI>Abide in God.</HI> Abide in God, by this direction you may enjoy the <HI>End</HI> in the <HI>Means,</HI> and have much of heaven while you are upon earth.</P>
<P>Is it needful after all this to be particular in an U&s;e of <HI>Con&s;olation?</HI></P>
<P>Hath not every true Chri&s;tian a <HI>Natural-&s;piritual</HI> in|&s;tinct to run unto God what ever ailes him? And certain|ly, <HI>if there be any con&s;olation in Chri&s;t, if any comfort in</HI> the <HI>love</HI> of God, and in the <HI>fellow&s;hip of the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> If there be (as mo&s;t certainly there is) profit in ob&s;erving Gods Ordinance, and <HI>walking mournfully</HI> before God, then this Doctrine will afford un&s;peakable comfort in all ca&s;es, when <HI>fle&s;h</HI> and <HI>heart faileth,</HI> then may the &s;oul that hath intere&s;t in God <HI>&s;hout unto him with the voice of triumph.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. When the fle&s;h failes, when the outward man is in an afflicted condition, and who can tell the benefit of afflictions? garlick among ro&s;e-trees, makes the ro&s;es the &s;weeter, and tho&s;e ro&s;es which are made by art to grow without prickles, lo&s;e their &s;ent. Affliction with the en|joyment of God is <HI>infinitely</HI> better than pro&s;perity without it. But what is thy affliction? is it bodily weakne&s;s? thy <HI>vile body</HI> &s;hall ere long be changed. Art thou poor and de&s;pi&s;ed? <HI>riches of glory</HI> will make full amends. What need I name particulars? take one Text which is &s;o plain, the meane&s;t may under&s;tand it, yet &s;o full, there's none able to explain it, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.16, 17, 18, <HI>For which cau&s;e we faint not, but though our outward man peri&s;h, yet the inward man is renewed day by day; for our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are &s;een, but at the things which are not &s;een, for the things which are &s;een are temporal, but the things which are not &s;een are eternal.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. When the heart failes, when the &s;pirit is to&s;t, and
<PB N="44" REF="26">ready to be overwhelmed; Chri&s;tians in this ca&s;e will grant, that enjoyment of God is abundantly able to bear up the heart in &s;oul-trouble: but this is <HI>the trouble</HI> of their &s;ouls, they neither do (and they fear) they never &s;hall en|joy God.</P>
<P>To tho&s;e that make this mournful complaint, I have one general reque&s;t, before I undertake their particular comfort; that is, That they would ob&s;erve from this very Text&punc; <HI>That enjoyment of God may con&s;i&s;t with &s;oul-trouble.</HI> Grant but this, and I hope though thou art a trembling Chri&s;tian, full of &s;piritual jealou&s;ies; yet thou &s;halt &s;ee ere we part, that thou <HI>maye&s;t,</HI> and that thou <HI>doe&s;t</HI> enjoy God in thy &s;oul-trouble. Suppo&s;e I &s;hould <HI>peremptorily</HI> a&s;&s;ert it: what ha&s;t thou to &s;ay to the contrary?</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>This is for Chri&s;tians of the highe&s;t form, Gods &s;pecial pre&s;ence is onely fit for heights of grace, and that I have no hopes of:</HI> To this I an&s;wer.</P>
<P N="1">1. By way of conce&s;&s;ion. 'tis very de&s;irable to have a|bundance of grace, to be <HI>&s;trong men</HI> in Chri&s;t, able to di|ge&s;t &s;trong meat; that is, the more &s;ecret my&s;teries of grace. But</P>
<P N="2">2. Bare weakne&s;s never yet made any breach between God and the &s;oul, nor hindred Communion with him. Art thou le&s;s indulgent to thy child, becau&s;e he is a &s;ick child, and a weak child? <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 103.13, <HI>Like as a Father pittieth his children, &s;o the Lord pittieth them that fear him.</HI> But</P>
<Q>2. <HI>It is not weakne&s;s &s;o much as wickedne&s;s; corruptions are prevalent, and &s;uch corruptions as many times I am afraid are incon&s;i&s;tent with grace, and therefore I may &s;adly expect to be &s;et at an eternal di&s;tance:</HI> To this I an|&s;wer al&s;o.</Q>
<P N="1">1. By way of conce&s;&s;ion; It is a ju&s;t and a &s;ad cau&s;e of complaint to have con&s;cience flie in thy face becau&s;e of
<PB N="45" REF="26">&s;in: our &s;ins are called our debts: we may ea&s;ily run into debt, but 'tis hard to get out; we may ea&s;ily fall into &s;in, but not &s;o ea&s;ily recover our &s;tanding. But</P>
<P N="2">2. If &s;in be di&s;cerned, 'tis thereby weakned. A peniten|tial eye hath a kind of <HI>fa&s;cination.</HI> It is in &s;in as in trea&s;on, if a trea&s;on be di&s;covered before it break out, the trea&s;on it &s;elf is th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">reby broken. That &s;oul that is truely &s;en&s;ible of its danger, is pa&s;t it; though God may deal by thee as <HI>David</HI> by <HI>Ab&s;olom,</HI> keep thee for a while at &s;ome <HI>humbling</HI> di&s;tance, yet thou maye&s;t beg of God, more confidently than <HI>Ab&s;olom</HI> did of <HI>David,</HI> that thou maye&s;t &s;ee his face, becau&s;e thou art not able to bear his e&s;trangement, and thou &s;hall not be denyed, but &s;halt have either <HI>comfortable</HI> fruition, or <HI>profitable</HI> &s;upport.</P>
<Q>3. <HI>But yet,</HI> more but's yet? <HI>aye and yet: alas my heart is not in a po&s;ture fit for the enjoyment of God; there &s;hould be &s;ome &s;uitablene&s;s in the &s;ubject for &s;o great a priviledge, but alas I am&mdash;I know not what I am, I am every way wor&s;e than you can imagine me to be.</HI></Q>
<P>To this, if I &s;hould give the an&s;wer wherewith 'tis &s;aid, &s;ome body confuted <HI>Bellarmine,</HI> in &s;aying, <HI>Bellarmine thou lie&s;t:</HI> perhaps this an&s;wer would be remembred lon|ger than a <HI>fine</HI> one. And 'tis your profit my &s;oul de&s;ires. God knows, I had rather any <HI>one,</HI> though the meane&s;t in the Congregation &s;hould &s;ay the Sermon did me good, than that <HI>every one</HI> &s;hould &s;ay, 'twas a good Sermon. Well then, take this rude an&s;wer, <HI>Thou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">l</HI>&mdash; and pray ob&s;erve how I demon&s;trate it. If thou do&s;t not believe thy &s;elf in what thou &s;aye&s;t, then thy complaint is an <HI>hypocritical</HI> untruth; for to &s;ay thus of thy &s;elf, in <HI>proud humility is ba&s;e hypocri&s;ie.</HI> If thou doe&s;t think as thou &s;peake&s;t, then 'tis a <HI>comfortable</HI> mi&s;take, and that which doth evidence height of grace; for tho&s;e that are <HI>vile&s;t</HI> in their own eyes, are per&s;ons in whom God delighteth. You never read in Scripture of any that be&s;pattered him&s;elf as <HI>Paul</HI>
<PB N="46" REF="27">did: but are not tho&s;e pa&s;&s;ages his <HI>beauty-&s;pots?</HI> had <HI>Paul</HI> ever the le&s;s Communion with God for all that? Thou that <HI>licke&s;t the du&s;t of Gods feet,</HI> he will take thee into his armes, and lay thee in his bo&s;om. And whence ha&s;t thou at pre&s;ent thy <HI>con&s;tant &s;upport?</HI> whence ha&s;t thy (though but &s;eldom) <HI>revivings?</HI> is it not God that <HI>upholds thy &s;oul in life?</HI> art thou not hid in the <HI>&s;ecret of his pre&s;ence?</HI> well then, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 27.14. <HI>Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, he &s;hall &s;trengthen thy heart; waite I &s;ay on the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>To &s;peak all in a word; I have endeavoured to bring you unto God, and there I would leave you.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS</TRAILER>
<PB REF="27">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
