Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself, Part 3 (3 of 3)

Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself · Part 3 (3 of 3)

p. 3353. Consider what expressions vessels of grace have used of free grace? how far below grace Paul sets himself, lo here, Eph. 3.8.Riches or gr…ce. To me who am, 1. Lesse then a Saint. 2. Not that only, but lesse then the least. 3. Lesse then the least of Saints. But 4. yet a little lower, lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given, that I should preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. Gospell riches is grace and mercy but there is a great abundance of it; its a speech from quick-sented hounds, who have neither footstep, nor trace, nor sent left them of the game they pursue. Christ defies men and Angels to trace him in the wayes of grace. So Paul 1 Tim. 1.13. I was a blasphemer and a persecuter, and an injurious person foreign, but I was be-mercied, as if dipt in a river, in a Sea of mercy. Vers. 14. And the grace of the Lord Jesus to me was abundant. No, that is to low a word, foreign, his grace was more, or over-abundant, one Paul obtained as much grace, even so whole and compleat a ransome without diminishing, as would have saved a world. Rom. 5.15. If through the offence of one, many bee dead, Overflowings of grace.much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. foreign, the word is exceedingly to abound, and borrowed from fountaines and rivers which have flowed with waters since the creation; but there is a higher word, Vers. 12. Where sinne abounded, grace farre more, or exceedingly over-abounded, or more then over-abounded.—foreign. And Vers. 21. Sin reigned unto death, that grace might reigne unto life, foreign, that Christs grace might play the King. The saving knowledge of God under the Kingdome of the Messiah, Esai 11.9. fills the earth, as the Sea is covered with waters. A Sea of Faith, and a Earthfull of the grace of saving light, and a Sunne sevenfold, as the light of seven dayes. Esai 30.26. hold forth to us a large measure of grace, and righteousness… and peace like a river, and the waves of the sea, Esai 48.18. All these say Christ is no niggard of grace.

And 4. can they not weare and out-spend their harps, p. 336who fall downe before the Lambe, Revel. 14. and Revel. 5.8. Who with a loude voice, praise the grace of God. Vers. 12. For ever and ever? Thankefulnes… for grace required.Consider if it must not be a loud voice, when ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousand thousands, all joyne in one song to extoll grace; if we be not in word and deed obliged to expresse the vertues and praises of him, who hath called us from darkenesse to his marveilous light.

Vers. 32. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me.

Article II.

The next thing we consider is the person that drawes. I (sayes Christ) I will draw all men to me.

There is a peculiar aptitude in Jesus Christ to drawe sinners to himselfe.The vertues in Christ sitting him to draw sinners.

1. As concerning his person he is fit, for neither is the Father, nor the Holy Ghost, in person, Lord Redeemer, but Christ; as in the deep of Gods wisdome, the Sonne was thought fittest to make Sonnes, Galat. 4.4. the heire to communicate the right of heire-ship to the neerest of the bloud, to his brethren to make them joynt-heires with him; so is Christ a fit person, as Lord Saviour, to rescue captives, and to draw them to the state of Sonne-ship, which I speake not to exclude the other two persons; for Joh. 6.44. The Father drawes to the Son; and the Spirit of grace in the worke of conversion, must bee a speciall agent, but Christ is made in a personall consideration, a drawer of sinners; God works and caries on all his state-designes of heaven by Christ, Hebr. 2.10. He brings or drives many Sonnes to glory.

2. Christ by office is a congregating and uniting Mediator, Col. 1.20. He makes heaven and earth one, Hee is our peace, and made of twaine on, Ephes. 2.14. The Shepherd that gathers the Sonnes of God in one, Joh. 11.52. And hee by the merit of his bloud maketh sinners Legally one with God; he is Emmanuel, God with us: fit to draw us in a Law-union to God. We were banished out of Paradise, the Sonne by office, was sent out to bring in the out-law sonnes.

3. God hath laid downe, (in a manner) his compassion, mercy, gentlenesse, to sinners in Christ, and Christ hath taken off infinit wrath, and satisfied justice in his nature and office. p. 337God is no where (to speake so) so much mercy, graciousnesse, kindnesse, tender compassion to sinners, such a Sea of love as in the Lord Jesus. O but he is a most lovely, desirable compassionate God in Christ. The sinner findeth all that God can have in him, or doe for saving, in the Mediator Christ; there can nothing come out of God to the sinner, but through Christ. There is no golden pipe, no channell but this; all God, and whol… God is in Christ, and all God as communicable to the creature; and were God seen in his lovelynesse, his beauty would be strong coards and chaines to draw hell up to heaven. Love, grace, mercy, are sodering and uniting attributes in God; now though these same essentiall attributes that are in one, bee in all the three persons; yet the Mediatory manifestation of love, grace, and free mercy is onelyonly in the Sonne; so as Christ is the treasurie, store-house,How the ou… i…g of Gods … in the Sonne. and magazene of the free goodnesse and mercy of the Godhead. As the Sea is a congregation of waters, so is Christ a conf…u…nce of these lovely and drawing attributes that are in the Godhead. Christ is the face of God ▪ 2 Cor. 4.6. The beauty and lovelynesse of the person, much of the majestie and glory of the man is i… the face; now the beauty, and majesty and glory of God is manif…sted i… Ch…ist; So Hebr. 1.3. He is the brightnesse of his glory; the Father is as it … all Sunne, and all p…rle, the Sonne Christ is the substantiall rayes, light-shining, th… eternall, and …ss…tiall irradiation of this Sunne of glory; the Sunnes glory is manifested to the world, in the light and beames that it sends out to the wo…l…; and if the Sunne should keep its beames and light withi… i…s body, we …hould see nothing of the Sunnes beauty …nd glory. No M…n no Angel, could see any thing of Go…, i… … had not had a consubstantiall Sonne begotten of himself… by …n eternall generation; but Christ is the beam…s, and splendor, and the shining, but the consubstantiall shining of the infinite p…arle, and outs God, as the s…le doth the st…mp…; and as God inc…nate h… reveales the excellency, glory, and beauty of God. … pearle is a drawing and an alluring creature from its shining b…uty; so Christ is the drawing lovelynesse of God, yee cannot s…e the creatures beauty, or the mans face, but yee see the creature and the man; so saies Christ to Philip ▪ Joh. 14.9. Hee that hath seene me, hath seene the Father. I am as like the Father, as God p. 338is like himselfe; there is a perfect, indivisible, essentiall unity betweene the Father and me. I and the Father are one; one very God; he the begetter, I the begotten. So God hath laid downe and empawned all his beauty, his lovelynesse, and his drawing vertue in Christ the load-stone of heaven; he is the substantiall rose, that grew out of the Father from eternity. A mans wisdome makes his face to shine. Wisdome is a faire, lovely, and an alluring beauty. Now Christ is the essentiall wisdome of God; were your eyes once fastened upon that dainty lovely thing Christ, that uncreated golden Arke, the eternall, that infinite floure and Lilie, that sprang out of the essence, and beautifull nature of God, with eternall infinite greennesse, fairenesse, smell, vigour, life, never to fade, that essentiall wisdome, and substantiall word, the intellectuall birth of the Lords infinite understanding, if your eyes were once on him in a vision of glory, it should be unpossible to get your eyes off him againe, there would come such drawing rayes, and visuall lines of lovely beauty, and glory, from his face to your eyes, and should dart in through these created windowes, to the understanding, heart, and affection, such arrowes and darts of love, as yee shall be a captive of glory for ever and ever. Psalm, 16.11. In thy presence is fulnesse of joy. Revel. 22.4. They shall see his face, — its a Kings face, and a kingly glory to see it. — Ver. 5. And they shall raigne for ever and ever.

44. Then there is so much warmenesse of heart, and such a fire of love,Christ man in a lovely posture of drawing sinners. such a stock of free grace, so wide, so tender, so large bowels of mercy and compassion toward sinners, as he would put himselfe into a posture of mercy, and in such a station of clay, as he might conveniently get a strong pull of sinners to draw them, a large and wide handfull, or his armes full of sinners, as he would be a man for us, to get all the organes of lovely drawing of sinners to him: a mans heart to love man, a mans bowels to compassionate man, a mans hands to touch the foule leapers skin, a mans mouth and tongue to pray for man, to preach to men, and in our nature to publish the everlasting Gospel; a mans leggs to bee the good Shepheard to goe over mountaine and wildern…sse, to seek or to save lost sheep; a mans soule to sigh and groane for man; a mans eyes to weepe for sinners▪ his nature to lay downe his life for his poore friends, hee would bee a created clay-tent of free-grace, p. 339a shop, and an office-house of compassion towards us, he would borrow the wombe of a sinner to be borne, sucke the breasts of a woman that needed a Saviour, eat and drinke with sinners and publicans, came to seek and to save lost sinners, was numbred with sinners, dyed between two sinners; made his grave with sinners, (saith Esaiah, Esai 53.9.) borrowed a sinners tombe to be buried in. And now he keeps the old relation with sinners, when hee is in heaven, honour hath not changed him, as he hath forgotten his old friends, Hebr. 4.15. For we have not a high Priest that cannot bee touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sinne. Christ cannot now sigh, but he can feele sighing, he cannot weepe, he hath a mans heart to compassionate our weeping, in such a way as is sutable to his glorr…ed condition; the head is in heaven, but hee hath left his heart in earth with sinners: there can bee nothing dearer to Christ, then the holy Spirit; he hath sent us downe that comforter, the Spirit, to abid… with us.

Vse 1. O that men would come and look into this Ark, and that Christ would draw the curtain?Behold Christs …. Do… but hear himself crying to the Cities of Iudah, Isai. 40.9. Behold your God. Isai. 65.1. I said to a Nation that was not called by any Name, Behold me, Behold me: The doubling of the word saith, Christ desires to out his beauty, Shall your farme, and you… …ve yoak of Oxen keep you from him? Men will not be drawn to him to satisfie their love.

Vse 2. Christ is a drawing and a uniting Spirit, then all that are in Christ should be united;Divisions and wars …t from congregating Christ. certainly the divisions now in Britaine cannot be of God: The wolfe and the good Shepherd are contrary in this; the good Shepherd loves to have the flock gathered in one, and to save them, that they may find pasture and the flock may be saved: The wolfe scatters the flock, or if the wolfe would have the flock gathered together, it is that they may be destroyed, then it would be considered, if a bloody intention of warre between two Protestant Kingdomes for carnall ends, and upon forced and groundlesse jealousies be from an uniting Spirit, and not rather from him, who was a Murtherer from the beginning.

Vse 3. Jewes and Turks and civill men, that are but Morall Pagans, are not in Christ,Whi…e civility dangerous. nor can they have any communion p. 340with God, nor be drawn to Christ, because no man can be in love with God, except he see God as opened and made lovely to the soul in Christ: Morall civility and Pharisaicall holiness is one of the most heaven-like, and whitest wayes to hell that Satan can devise; Many morall m…n go, by theft, to hell, Satan by open violence pulleth the prophane and openly wicked men to perdition; but he stealeth millions of civill Saints, honest married men that have whereon to live in the world plen…ifully, to hell in their whit…s, as if they were Saints▪ because civill and clean in the Morals of the second Table, yet not being borne againe, they cannot see the Kingdome of God; and most men deceive themselves with countrey Religion and Moralities, but such be but civill honest Antichrists, and deny there is any need that Christ should come in the flesh to die for sinners, for they can live honestly for sinners, and save themselves and not be beholding to Christ for heaven, or mortification, or faith.

Verse 32. And I if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men.

This drawing of sinners to Christ, is bottomed on Christs dying on the Crosse, and his dying on the Crosse, is an act of extream and highest love, Joh. 3.16. Joh. 15.13. 1 Joh. 4.9, 10. Hence let us consider a little further what drawing and alluring power is in the love of God, and what way we may come to the sweet fruit of the strongest pull of Christ, Which may be consi…dered in

1. The revelation of the drawing lovelines of Christs dying.

The revelation of Christs drawing lovelinesse and the fu…nesse thereof.2. The fulnesse of this lovelinesse.

For the former, Christ openeth himselfe to us, we cannot discover him first; and there be two Acts of this. 1. Christ opens the understanding, Luke 24.45. and the heart, Acts 16.14. He taketh away the thick vail, that is over the heart, 2 Cor. 3.15, 16. and rendereth the Medium, the Aire (as it were) thin, cleare, visible,The revelation of Christs drawing lovelinesse from Christ onelyonly, and two acts thereof. as when the Sun expelleth night-shadowes, and thick clouds, so Davids key, That openeth, and no man shutteth, Rev. 3.7. removeth the doore, and the seale that the first Adams sin putteth on the heart, Joh. 14.21. He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest my self to him. And Christ can show the Father, The Lord Jesus cometh out of his depth and Ocean of glory, and Yvory chamber, p. 341as it were, and the Son of God revealeth the Son of God, as Gal. 1. v. 12. compared with v. 15▪ 16. sheweth. He would not say, Beh…ld me, behold me, Isai. 65.1. and th…n get into a thick cloud and hide himself, if he had not had a mind to reveal his glory, and to show himself, The King in his beauty, I…ai. 33.17. all his lovelinesse, the mysteries …f his love, the rosiness, whiteness, redness, comliness of his face, Cant 5.10. Nor would the Spouse pray for a noon-day sight of Christ, Cant. 1.7. If he could not offer himselfe to be seen in his loveliness of beauty. Thus Christ doth make manifest the savour of his knowledge, in the Ministery of the Gospell, 2 Cor. 2.14. When he letteth out to the soul the smell of Myrrhe, Aloes, of all the sweet ointments of his death, and wounds; that the soul seeth, smelleth tasteth the Apples of love, in the beleived mercy, free grace, satisfied justice, peace reconciled with righteousnesse, purchased redemption in his blood, and he standeth behind the wall of our flesh, and so is called, Our w…ll. Cant. 2.9. Behold …e standeth behind our wall, Or, Behold that is he standing behind our wall, he looketh forth at the window, shewing himself, foreign bewraying himselfe through the lat…esse: Yet this is not a perfect vision of God attainable in this life, as the Author of the Bright Star dreameth,Bright Star, c. 5. p. 38. I see a man more distinctly in the field and before the Sun, then when he looks out at the grates or lattesse of a window, and a window behind a wall, for so we but see Christ in this life.

The compleatnesse of the lovelinesse is, 1. In that there is no spot in Christ crucified when he is seen spiritually,The compleatnesse of Christs love…inesse. no blemish, no lamenesse, no defect, for an eternall and infinite Redemption, and an absolute righteousnesse, more cannot be required, nay, not by God. 2. Nothing that the desiring faculty and appetite can stumble at; Paul's determination, the last resolved judgement of his minde, and his ripest resolution and purpose was to know nothing save Jesus Christ and him crucified, 1 Cor. 2.2. Christs beauty can fill all the corners and emptiness of the wide desires of the soule. 3. There is an actuall fulnesse of God spoken of, Ephes. 3. Paul praying that the Ephesians may comprehend the great love of God. v. 19. saith, That yee may know the love of God that passeth knowledge, that yee may be filled with all the fulnesse of God. This is a satisfying p. 342fulness, and is an admirable expression. To be filled with God must be a soul-delighting fill. But 2. To be filled with the fuln…sse of God is more,Bright Star c 4. p 30. T…wn Ass… tion of Grace, p. 76▪ 77▪ 7…. Theolog Germ c. 8. p. 16. for there is unspeakable fulness in God. …, The expression is yet higher, That ye may be filled with all the fulnesse of God.

Of this fulness, 1. A word of the measure of it. 2. Of the meanes of it. 3. Of the sufficiency of it in the kind and nature. Randall in his Epistle before the Treatise called, The Bright Star, I have therefore observed the ever to be bewailed Non-proficiency of many ingenious Spirits, who through the policy of others, and the too too much modesty and temerity of themselves, have precluded the way of progresse to the top and pitch of rest and perfection against themselves, as being altogether unattainable, and have shortned the cut with a Non datur ultra, and are become such who are ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth. But for the measure, sure it is not as Antinomians and Familists dream, compleat and full in this life.

Perfection … attaine…ble in this life.1. Because according to the manner and measure of the manifestation of Christ, and knowledge; so is love and the perfection of beleevers. This is a truth in it self undeniable, and granted by the Author of the Bright Star, cap. 5. p. 52. For Christs excellency and drawing beauty in love goeth in to the soul by the port and eye of knowledge. But 1 Cor. 13.9. We know in part, and we prophesie in part.

2. Paul disclaimeth perfection as being but in the way and journeying toward it, Phil. 3.12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Jesus Christ. Now this perfection which Paul professeth he wanteth, is opposed v. 13.14. To his pressing toward the garland, For the price of the high calling of God in Iesus Christ, Heb. 11, 40.

3. Perfection, such as wee expect in heaven, is in no capacity to receive any farther addition, or accession of grace or glory; nor is there a growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, enjoyned us there, as is expresly here in the way to our Countrey, 2 Pet. 3.14. and to runne our race to the end, Heb. 12.1. and be carried on to perfection, Heb. 6.1. Its true, our good works are washed in the Fountaine opened p. 343for Davids house, in which our persons are washed; but that washing removeth the sinfull guilt, and Law-obligation from them, but not the inherent blot and sinfull imperfection of our works, to make them perfect; for then might wee be justified by our good workes, if Christs bloud make them to leave off to be sins; but that bloud hindereth them to be imputed to us only, but removeth not their sinfull imperfections, as Antinomians say, that so they may make us perfect in this life: nor doth that bloud (as Papists say) adde a meriting dignity and vertue to them, by which wee are justified by workes made white and meritorious in Christs bloud and merits. God hath so portraicted and chalked the way to heaven, that all the most supernaturall acts, even those that have immediate bordering with the vision of glory, should need a passe of pardoning grace; and to beleeve that Christs grace shall work in us acts voyd of sin, is not faith. Therefore wee are to beleeve the pardon of such ere they have being, and not sanctifying grace to eschew them. It seemeth to me unbeleeving murmuring to be cast down at these sins, in such a way as to imagine wee can eschew them, or that grace sanctifying is wanting to us in these; for grace is not due to sinlesse acts. Nor doth the growing in grace which lieth on us, by an obligation of a command, stop the way to the journeying toward perfection and heaven, nor shorten the cut to heaven, because heaven is not attainable in this life; but by the contrary, if perfection were attainable in this life, the man that attaineth it might sit down, rest there, and goe not one step farther; for except hee should goe beyond the crown, and to the other side of heaven, and over-journey Christ at the right hand of God, whither should hee goe? And those that are ever learning, and never come to the knowledge of the truth, are, 2 Tim. 3.5. lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God; such as wee are to turne away from; as have a forme of godlinesse, and have denyed the power thereof; and are led away with divers lusts; and are never entered into one onelyonly degree or step of the way of the saving knowledge of the truth, of which Paul speaketh, and not the truly regenerate, who beleeve, wit… Paul and the Scriptures, that our great…st perfection is to sweat and contend for the highest pitch of perfection, even that which is beyond time.

4. Those that are perfected, as wee hope we shall be in heaven, p. 344feed not with the Beloved among the lillies till the day breake, and the shadowes fly away; but the perfectest, the Spouse of Christ, so feedeth on Church-ordinances, Cant. 2.17. The perfect ones have the fullest pitch of the noon-day Sun of glory; it shall never be after-noon, nor the evening or twy-light sky with them; nor shall any night-shaddow, nor cloud goe over their Sun.

5. In the Kingdome of perfect on there shall be no in-dwelling of a body of sin, no sin, no uncleannesse of heart, no turning of the love and liking of the soule off God; but the perfectest in this life sin, and carry an in-dwelling body of sin with them; Pro. 20.9. Eccles. 7.20. Job saith, chap. 14.4. The perfectest that beget children are unclean. Rom. 7.17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 2, 23. 1 Joh. 1.8, 9▪ 10. 1 Joh. 2.1.What perfection of … is in Ch…ist in the life com…. All that have need of an High Priest at the right hand of God to intercede for th…m, have sin, and in so far are imperfect, as all the Saints are, H… 7.25. & 4.15. & 1.17, 18. & 8.1, 2, … & 9.23, 24, 25, 26. And 1 Cor. 13.8. Love never faileth: … abundantly, and is filled to satisfaction, that t…e … I can containe no more of God; and is transformed in … of transcendent light, and highest love, as it were l…st in the deep fountaine of universall and immensurable love, and light; and the creatures soule and love liveth and breatheth, resteth in the bosome, in the heart, in the bowels of him who is an infinite masse of love; is wrapped in the sugared flouds, in the honey-brooks, and over-flowing waves and rivers of pure and unmixed joy, sleepeth and solaceth it selfe in the innocent embracings of the glory that shineth, rayeth, and darteth, world without end, out of Christ, exalted farre above all heavens, all principalities, and powers, the soules there are sweetned, more then sweetned, over-solaced with the noone-day-light of the Bridegromes glory, having in it the sweetest perfections of the Morning-Sun; they flee with Doves-wings of beauty after the Lambe, they never want the actuall breathings of the Spirit of glo…y, they can never have enough of the chast fruition of the glorious Prince Immanu…l and they never want his inmost pr…s…nce to the full; th…y …uck the honey, the flouds of milke of eterna…l consolations, and …ll all empty desires; and as if the soule were without bottome, afresh they suck againe, in acts for …ternity continued, there be no such thing here in this life. Yet hath Christ p. 345crucified in his bosome, the promise and full purchase of this life on the crosse, and holds it out to sinners to draw them.

5. We have not yet attained to the resurrection of our bodies, but cary about such clods of death, as the wormes must sweetly feed on, and have a seed, and subject of distempers in our clay-tabernacles; all which we are uncapable of in the state of perfection, when the body shall bee more naturally clothed with immortality, then the greenest and most delitious Rose, or floure, which we could suppose were growing fresh, greene, and beautifull for ever, in such a happy soile, as the fields that lye on the banks, and within the drawings of sap from the river of life.

6. We are not masters of the invasion, at least, of temptations of devils, of men, here.

7. Perfection maketh the generall assembly of all the Sons of Sion, the heavenly family is never convened, but in place, countrey, condition separated, some borne, some not borne, som… w…king, some sleeping in the dust, some in their countrey, some in th… way to their countrey.

8. Th…e is no Temple, no Ordinances in our countrey of p…rf…tio…, Revel. …1.2. 1 Cor. 13.8.

9. Th…e …s …o Ang…l▪ life here without marriage, eating, drinking, b…g…ting of children, Luk. 22.29, 30. Mar. 12.25. Clay cannot live, … earthly, up above the clouds, and visible heavens, till this corruptibl… shall put on incorruption, 1 Cor. 15.

Now for the meanes of attaining this f…l…se, wee have no other knowne and revealed to us in this life, but the Scriptures,The Scri…turs …nd ordinances are the meanes of attaining the …ul…esse of C…st, …, in this life. and Faith; the one without, and externall, and the other within. Under these, I comprehend all the ordinances of G…d. Familists rejecting Scripture, terming it an humane devise of Inke and Letters, as Antichrist did before them, they call their perfect ones, from all acting, praying, hearing the word; yea, from knowing, apprehending, willing; to a resting on God as meere patients; God as their forme and Spirit immediatly acting on them.Familists place their perfect one… above all use of Ordinances. The active annihilation (saith the Bright-starre, Chap. 11. pag. 106.) is a ceasing from all acts, vanishing of Images, a doing of nothing, and a resting of all motion, or from doing the exterior will of God, expressed in the Law and Gospel in their letter. Pag. 107. Passive annihilation is when the man himselfe, and all other things (Meditation, p. 346knowing, desiring of God, praying, and the practise of a holy life) are cast asleepe, The active & passive annihilation of Famil…sts.and are made nothing. The active annihilation is when the man himselfe, and all other things are annihilated, not onelyonly sufferingly, as in the passive; but doingly, I meane by light in the understanding, as well naturall, as supernaturall: wherein he sees, and most infallibly knowes, that all those things are nothing, and rests upon this knowledge in despight of feeling. Pag. 140. Its not best to forsake the passive annihilation, and the fruitive love, (the loving of God▪ as our last injoyed end) depending thereupon, to take in hand by acts to practise the active annihilation; provided tha… by simple remembrance shee stand to her part. For there it is, (Pag. 141.) that the soule is so transported, inlarged, inlightned, To desist from Monkish contemplation & to returne to a practicall life, to Familists, is a worke of the old man ▪and united to God. There shee tasts the chast embraces, sweet intercourses, and divine kisses; there shee seeth her selfe sublimed, innobled, and glorified with Angels, at the celestiall table. There shee relisheth the fruits of her mortification, the treasures of her repentance, and the comforts of all her selfe-denials. Pag. 144.145. To forsake such an experimentall union with God, and that men should leape backe to themselves, and re-betake themselves to their owne acts, refuse to endure this emptinesse, povertie of Spirit, this will of God, and all Spiritly entercourse, super-celestiall, or essentiall illumination, though indeed the true and divine Wisdome and naked seeing of God. — So that by their flying back and returning to themselves, (that is leaving the contemplative life of Monks, and returne to a practicall walking with God) they doe no other but farre estrange themselves from all poore and empyre all knowledge, and from all union and transformation into God, and so bide alwaies straightned within themselves, and their own bowels, and in the fetters of the old man. Now if you aske what it is to put off the old man; the Theologia Germanica saith, Cap. 5. Pag. 9.10.What it is to put off the old man, and to be poore in Spirit according to the divinitie of Familists. It is to ascribe neither being, action, knowledge, nor goodnesse to your selfe, but to God the eternall wisdome, — and thus Man, and the Creature evanisheth, — thus ought man to become void of all things; that is, not to arrogate them to himselfe; and the lesse knowledge the creature doth arrogate to it selfe, it becommeth the more perfect: the like we must conceive of Love, Will, Desire, and all such things, for the lesse that man doth arrogate these things to himselfe, the p. 347nobler, excellenter, and diviner he becommeth, and the more he doth assume these things to himselfe, so much is he made the more blockish, base and imperfect. Theologia, Germanica. cap. 14. pag. 32. that a man die to himselfe, it is as much as if you would say as himselfe, or egoity should die. Saint Paul saith, put off the old man with his works. pag. …4. If it could come to passe that any man might wholy and absolutely cast off himself; so as that he lived without all things in true obedience, as the humanitie of Christ was, then he should be void… …imself and one with Christ, and should bee the same by grace, that Christ was by nature. — Pag. 35. This also is written, the more selfe-ends and egoity, the more there is of sinne and unrighteousnesse; and the lesser there is of the one, the greater want there is of the other. This also is written, What is sinne to Familists.the more that my selfe doth decrease (that is egoity or self…enesse) the more doth GOD in mee encrease. — Hence GOD is a Spirit acting, and all in all men, and for men to ascribe the good to God, and the ill to themselves is obedience, and to arrogate being, or good to themselves, is sinne. So Theologia Germanica taketh away the incarnation of Christ thus, Chap. 22. pag. 52.53. Yet are there waies to the life of Christ, as we have already said; when, God is man to Familists.and wherein God and man are joyned together, so that it may be truely said, and truth it selfe may acknowledge it; that the true and perfect God, and true and perfect man are one; and man doth so yeeld, and give place to God, that where God himselfe is, there is man, and that God also be there present, and work alone, and doe, and leave any thing undone, without any I, to …e, mine, or the like; wh…re th…se things are, and exist, there is true Christ, and no where …l…e. — Its the property of God to consist, and to bee without … or that, without selfenesse, egoity, or the like▪ but it is the … perty of the creature to seeke and will, (in all things … doth, or leaveth undone) it selfe; …and those things w…ich … its owne, and this or that, here or there. Theologia … Cap. …9. pag. 109▪ 110. Hee who is illumin…ted with … and divine love, … divine and deified man. Th…olog. … cap. …8. pag. 7…. Those who are led by the Spirit of God, … the Sonnes of God, and not subject to the Law, the sen… of which words is, they are not to be taught what they should …, or leave undone, seeing the Spirit of God which is their instructor, p. 348will teach them sufficiently, neither is any thing to be commanded, or injoyned them, — For hee that teacheth them, commandeth them, — they need no law, by meanes thereof to get profit to themselves, for they have obtained all already; and thus Pag. 70. Christ needed no Law, but was above Law, and removes Ordinances, &c. Theol. German. cap. 11. pag. 23.The mind of Familists touching heaven and hell The soule of Christ was to descend to Hell, before it could ascend to heaven, and the same must befall the soule of man, and this commeth to passe, when hee knoweth, and beholdeth, and findeth himselfe so evill, that he supposeth it to be iust, Page 24 25,he should suffer all, even bee damned for ever; and when he neither will, nor can desire deliverance and comfort, but doth beare damnation neither waywardly, nor unwillingly, but loveth damnation and paine, because it is just and agreeable to Gods will. And (pag. 25.) when man desireth in this hell, nothing but the eternall good, and understandeth the eternall good, to bee above measure good, and this is his peace, joy, rest, satisfaction to him; — this good becommeth mans, and so man is in the kingdome of heaven, — this hell hath an end, Page 25.this heaven shall never end; — Man in this hell cannot thinke that ever hee shall bee comforted againe, or delivered; and when hee is in this heaven, nothing can hurt him, — nether can he beleeve, that hee can bee hurt or discomforted, and yet after this hell, hee is comforted, and delivered; and after this heaven, he is troubled and deprived of comfort. — Man can doe or omit nothing, by his owne meanes, whereby this heaven should come to him, or this hell depart from him, — For the wind bloweth, where it listeth, &c. and when man is in either of these, he is in good case, and he may be as safe in hell as in heaven; and so long as man is in this life, he may often passe from the one to the other.

In opposition to these wicked fooleries, and for further clearing of the truths formerly proposed, let these Positions for the unfolding of the drawing lovelynesse of Christ be considered.

The excellency, divinity, necessity of the Scriptures, as the meanes of our union with Christ.Posit. 1. The Scriptures are given by divine inspiration, able to make the man of God perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works, 2 Tim. 3.16, 17. the onelyonly mean to find Christ, for they bear witness of him, Jo. 5.39. And are written that we might beleeve, and in beleeving have life eternall, Joh. 20.31. And all p. 349that Christ Jesus heard of his Father, he made known to his Apostles, Joh. 15.15.Gen. 17.1. Psal. 50 1. Isai. 44.24. Exod 20.1, 2. Psal. …9 7, 8, 9, 10. 1 Cor. … 23. Ioh▪ 3 3…. 1 Cor. 1.23, …el ….1, 2. Psal … ▪9 8. Rom 15 4. Rom 7 7. Z…p…. …. 1…. Z…ch. 13, 2. Acts 5.…9. Acts ….5 20. Phil. ….…2, 13. Gen. 3.15. Dan 9.24. Matth. 1.18. Acts 10.43. Psal 119.129 138.172. D…ut. 4.5, 6. 2 Pet. 1.19. Heb. 4.12. All ordinances are creatures, and not the ultimate object of faith.Gen 17:1Ps 50:1Isa 44:24Exod 20:1Exod 20:2Ps 9:7Ps 9:8Ps 9:9Ps 9:10John 3:31 Cor 1:23Rom 15:4Rom 7:7Acts 5:9Gen 3:15Dan 9:24Matt 1:18Acts 10:43Ps 119:1292 Pet 1:19Heb 4:12 And of these one Apostle Paul who also received the Gospel, not from flesh and blood, but by revelation from Jesus Christ, Gal. 1.12. 2 Pet. 3.15.16. Acts 9.1, 2, &c. did declare to the Ephesians the whole counsell of God, Acts 20.27. and yet beleeved and preached no other things then the…e that are witten in the Law, or in Moses and the Prophets, Acts 24.14. Acts 26.22. And the Maj…stie, divinity, power, harmony, doctrine, above the reach of flesh and blood, the …nd which is not in this side of time and death but beyond both, (as the places in the Margin witness) doe demonstrate that the one Book of the Old and New Testament can be fathered upon none, but on God only.

Position 2. The Scripture and all the ordinances are but created things, and not the ultimate object of our faith, and highest and compleatest love, that is reserved to God in Iesus Christ, yea, the most perfect we read of, Paul a chosen vessell stood in need of comfort from Titus, 2 Cor 7.5, 6. and the Saints at Rome, Rom. 1.11, 12. and Peter of a rebuke, Gal. 2. and the beloved Disciple Iohn of the joy and comfort of the walking of the children of Gaius in the truth, Ep. 3. v. 4, 5. And of a commandment of the Law which forbiddeth Idolatry, and Angel-worship, Rev. 19.10. Rev. 22.8, 9. and of an Evangelike precept to beleeve, and not to fear, Rev. 1.17. and the excellentest and perfectest member of the body hath need of counsell, exhortations from the lowest member, Rom. 12.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Gal. 6.2. 1 Cor. 12.14, &c. and all the Saints to whom Paul, Peter, Iames, Iohn wrote, amongst whom there were that had the annointing, that teacheth them all things, must hear and obey many exhortations, precepts and commandements out of the Law, as Evangelized, then the most perfect are not above the Law, the Gospel and Ordinances, as Familists say, else all the New Testament and Canonicall Epistles were written to the Saints for no purpose. But that we may understand this the better, we are to remember that 1. There is a a twofold happinesse of the Saints, one formall, and another objective. 2. That there is a mediate seeing of God, one by ordinances and meanes; another immediate. 3. That there is a two-fold will of God; one that is revealed in Scripture, or the Law of Nature, and that is the Morall good p. 350that God approveth and injoyneth to us, rather then the will of God; this the Familists call the exterior or accidentall will of God, because Gods will, as his essence, should have beene entire and selfe-sufficient, though God had never revealed any such will to Men or Angels, yea though he had never made the World, or Men, or Angel. There is ano…her will essentiall in God, which is not the thing willed, but the essentiall faculty of desiring, or willing in God. Now to come neerer the point, the formall blessednesse of the Sain…s is in the act of seeing, knowing, loving, enjoying God, which on our part are created things, and so empty nothin…s, and are not essentially the happinesse of man, but meanes by the which we enjoy God our happinesse, so the using of all the meanes and ordinances are not our happinesse. Its true, our Saviour saith, Its life eternall to know God, and his Sonne Christ, Ordinances not our blessednesse, but God onelyonly.Joh. 17. But he meaneth, it is the way and necessary meanes to happinesse, and life eternall. God in Christ, and in the in-commings, and out-slowings of the Spirit of glory, or the Blessed one God, in three persons, is the object and happinesse of the Saints, and therefore we are to preferre Christ himselfe, to all the kisses, visions, out-slowings of glory, and all ou… acts of seeing, lovi…g, and enjoying of God; wee may love ordinances, and prize highly, the vision of God, but God himselfe, and Jesus Christ, we must not onelyonly prize, but be ravished, overcharged with himselfe; as the Bridgrome is farre more excellent then his bracelets, chaines, rings. In this sense I would in my heart, and esteeme, make away all ordinances, yea, all the honey-combes, all the apples, all the created roses that grow on Christ, all the sweet results, and out-flowings of glory, yea, whole created heaven for Christ; Christ God himselfe; the bulke, the body, the stalke of the tree of life, is infinitly to be valued above an apple; yea all the created apples and sweet blossomes, and soule-delighting floures that groweth on the tree. Now here on earth we are happy as heires, not as Lords and possessors, and in an union with the exterior, and revealed will of God, in beleeving, fearing, serving God, in Christ, in a practicall union with God, but all this is but the way to the weell, not the weell it selfe, and the union with, or vision of God is mediate, farre off, in a mirrour, in the image, forme, characters, elements, or looking-glasse, of Word, Sacraments, Ministery, Ordinances, of hearing, praying, praysing, p. 351but in heaven wee see God face to face, that is without meanes, or the intervention of messengers, or ordinances, I cannot determine whether, when we shall know, and see the Lord, in an immediate vision of glory, our understanding shall receive created formes, intellectuall species, images, characters of the lovely essence, the white, ruddy, pleasant, lovely countenance, of that desirable Prince, the Lord Jesus; its a nicety not for our edification, sure Christ shal infuse and poure in into every vessell of glory, so much of himselfe, his presence, lovliness…, image, beauty, as from bottome to brimme, the soule shall be full, and who knoweth what the eternall milkings, the everlasting intellectuall suckings of the glorified ones are, by which they draw in, and drinke from the honey-combe of uncreated glory, and the deepe, deepe fountaine and river of endlesse life, the streames of joy, consolation, love, fruition of Jehovah, the soule being the channell, whose bankes are eternally greene with glory? what are the emanations, the out-flowings of blessedness, from the pure essence, and bright face of him that sitteth on the throne? and what can these in-commings, and the eternall flowings of the tyde of that Sea of matchless felicitie bee? who knoweth? Come up and see, can best resolve; come up and drinke, be drunke and giddie, and satiated with glory, and move no curious question of that fruition of God. Christ will solve all these doubts, to the quieting of your minde, when yee come up thither; nor is it needfull to say, that there is a vision of God in this life, which is heaven, and all the heaven wee shall ever have, and this vision is without receiving any images, formes, characters of God, because it is purely spirituall, and abstracted from all acts of imagination, and in it we are meere patients, not agents, God powring the immediate brightnesse of his owne essence in us: truely, this is to be wise above what is written, and I crave leave to doubt, if Familists have the images and species of this opinion from the Spirit of God. For that spirit is a Spirit of sobriety, and the most spirituall and extaticall visions that the Prophets, the men of God were taken up with; in them all, to me, there seems to be visions of formes, images, characters, a Throne, Angels with six wings, smoake, a woman cloathed with the Sunne▪ &c. A pot toward the North, a cloude and a fire infolding it selfe, — a colour of Amber out of the midst of the fire; but a vision of p. 352God immediate in this life, and that ordinary, without forms, images, without Word, Sacraments, Ordinances, I know not, I understand it not.

Pos. 3. The Monkish conceit of the excellency of a contemplative life separated from all obligation to duties of the second Table,The rise of Familisme. above the practicall life hath been the first seed of wicked Familisme; the Authors of both these books called Theologia Germanica, and The Brighs Star being professed Papists, though Mr. Randall extoll both as peeces of rare price, and Doctrines suiting only for the perfect (as if the Scripture were not such a peece) yet professed grosse Idolatry and the adoring of the wood of the Cross, is in The Bright Star, cap. 19. and divers other Popish principles are in both.

Pos. 4. There is a twofold fulnes of lovelinesse in Christ; one attainable in this life, the other reserved for the life to come. The full and highest pitch of the drawing loveliness of Christ, I thinke excludeth all Ordinances, Scripture, Sacraments, and meanes we now use. Because Old Monks and late Familists make no heaven, but in this life only (as if a Monks coul were the very crown of eternall glory) and say the Resurrection is past; as their Fathers Hymeneus and Phyletus said, and doubt of the immortality of the Soule; therefore they, that they may be true to their own principles, must say that there be a number of perfect men, that are above and higher then Law, duties, ordinances, teaching of men, ministery, because these are for the unperfect and unregenerate, (and the Monks and Familists are not such, but doe already injoy God, in a fruition of Glory) But the Scripture saith,No ceasing of the use of Ordinances in this …ife. That meanes, ordinances, are ever in use in this life, and only excluded from the life to come. 1 Cor. 13.8. Charity never faileth: But whether there be prophecies, they shall faile, whether there be tongues, they shall cease, whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. Ver. 9. For we know in part, and we prophecy in part. 10. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. v, 12. For now (in this life) we see through a glasse darkly. But then (in the life to come) face to face: Now I know in part, but then I shall know, even as also I am known. And that this is a Paralell between this life and the life to come, is clear from the 1 Joh. 3.2. Behold now we are the Sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know when he shall p. 353appeare, we shall be like him, for we shall see him, as he is. 2. The life to come is holden forth Revel. 21.22. to want all Ordinances. And I saw no Temple therein, (saith Iohn when he saw the New Jerusalem) for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lambe are the Temple of it. Nor is there any ignorance there, Rev. 22.5. And there shall be no night there, and they need no Candle, neither light of the Sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever. What ever any say of a personall reign of Christ on earth, the words prove that while that life come, all the regenerate here have need of a Temple, and Ordinances, so long as there is night and darkness, and use for Sun and Moon; so the date of Church ordinances is holden forth, Cant. 2.16. My well-beloved is mine, and I am his, he feedeth among the Lillies. 17. Vntill the day breake, and the shadowes flee away. Then there is a night on the Church, and need of the Moon light of Ordinances, so long as Christ by his Ministery remaines in the Shepherds tents, feeding his flock in the strength of the Lord, and holding forth his presence to his justified ones, spotlesse and fair through the imputed righteousnesse of Christ; as Lillies, while the fairest and most desirable day of that illustrious and glorious appearance of Christ dawn, and Paul clearly expoundeth these words, Ephes. 4. shewing the terme day of Christs raigne, in his Saints, by the Ministery of the Gospel, and that the Saints and body of Christ, are but in the way to be perfected and edified, by Pastors and Teachers, verse 13. Till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. Hence Saints are not perfected till that day. 2. The body of Christ is low of stature, capable of growing, the brides hair groweth, she is not of a perfect …all stature, but like a yong girle not yet fit for Marriage to the Lamb, Till we meet all in the unity of Faith: So I know no active anihilation, no evanishing of, and ceasing from, all acts of the will of God revealed in the law and Gospell; that is, from praying, hearing, meditating, loving, desiring, longing after Christ, till the day that the shaddowes flee away; Then I confesse I shall have no leasure to read on the book of the Old and New Testament, or to attend Preaching, Sacraments, or other ordinances, because I need no mirror, no portrait of Christ, p. 354no message of Ministers, when I see and injoy himselfe. 3. All who have God for their Father, and need daily bread, and are clothed with a body of clay, are to pray for remission of sins, not to be led into temptation, or sinfull omitting of duties; all for whom the blood of Jesus is shed, are to declare the Lords death till he come again. What ceasing then from duties of Law, Love, the Spirit, and Christ is this? where is this fancied annihilation to be dreamed of? Scripture knoweth it not.

Pos. 5. There is a fulness of loveliness in Christ, that is begun in us, by possession and title in this life, but never perfect till the life to come, in which there be these 1. Vnion. 2. Fruition. 3. Rest. 4. Satisfaction. 5. Sense. 6. Living and acting in Christ. 7. Loving and solacing of the soule, of which to hold forth more of the drawing of Christ, we say.

Pos. 6. Christs inviting us to come to him, and that before we can invite him, speaketh union. 1. Such an union as faith can make,What an union there is between Christ and the Saints in this life. which ariseth not to the pitch of sight, and immediate fruition, for its the union of those that are absent one from another, in regard of fulnesse of presence. 2 Cor. 5.6. Knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord, John 16.7. Neverthelesse I tell you the truth it is expedient that I goe away. Luke 19.12. He said therefore a certain Nobleman went into a farre countrey, to receive for himselfe a Kingdome, and to return. Yet it is the union of those that are so neer as the house and the guest, or as two friends that tables together, Ephes. 3.17. Ioh. 14.23. Rev. 3.21. 2. Its an union of fruition, for Christ in some measure is injoyed in this life, yet so, as the fruition is in part, not compleat and full in degrees as it shall be in the life to come; it is there for both a fruition of rest and of motion; of rest, in regard of the present fruition; of motion, in regard of advancing in the way to a compleat fruition; so as is in a journey,The soule injoying Christ here, both at rest, and in motion. in regard of practicall love, and at its home in regard of love and union of fruition; so the soule is both satisfied with bread, and hungers no more, Isai. 55.2. but delighteth it selfe in fatnesse and thirsteth no more, having a present sense of complac…ncy and content in the water of life, Joh. 4.14. and also the soule is so farre forth not satisfied, p. 355and its thirst not quenched, but that it hungreth and thirsteth for a fuller union and an immediate fruition, in which regard the soule is both abroad in its way and motion to have more of Christ, and at home, and at rest, in regard it is fully satisfied exclusively, not inclusively; because this satisfaction excludeth and anihilateth all choice of another lover then Christ, and denies all deliberate comparing of Christ with any other lover, as holding and prizing him the chiefe of ten thousand, and resolving never to fixe the desire on another Husband or Lover but Christ, as Cant. 3.4. It was but a little, that I passed from the watchmen, but I found him whom my soule loveth; I held him, and would not let him go, untill I had brought him into my mothers house, and the chamber of her that conceived me. Finding and holding of Christ, is as much as there is satisfaction and rest in the fruition of him; and yet the Spouses aime to go hand in hand on a journey to the house of the high Jerusalem the mother of us all; which with submission I conceive the Spouse calleth her Mothers house, doth clearly prove that she is not perfect, but in a motion; not yet at her journeys end, till she come with Christ to the Palace of the Princes daughter, the Bride the Lambes wife, Revel. 21.10, 11, 12. Hence we see how true that is, that the desires are swallowed up into the bosome of infinite Iesus Christ, as a little brook is swallowed up when it comes into the Ocean, and yet the desires remaine: They are swallowed up in Christ in that the soule is at home, being quieted and perfected in Christ, and are no more restlesse and pained in the journey toward Christ; but as heaven is begun on earth, so hath David quietness of mind, and breaketh forth in praises, That the Lord gave him counsell to chuse God himselfe for his portion, Psal. 16.5, 6, 7. So goodly and pleasant is the heritage; And now there is no more desire for Christ as a thing absent, and the thirst is swallowed up in Christ, the soule thirsteth no more, Ioh. 4.14.How the desi…es are swallowed up in Christ, and how in him th…y are perfected. And yet the desire remaineth both in the sweet complacency and liking of the Saints, delighting in present fruition, and also in an act of longing for the highest pitch of degrees of union, just as in the act of drinking, thirst is halfe swallowed up in begun satisfaction, and thirst remaineth in a liking, and a farther desire of a perfect cooling, and refreshing overcomming of a full quenching of the appetite.

p. 356Pos. 7. Yet can it not be said, but here is a begun satisfaction, for Joh. 4.14. Christ injoyed is a draught of the water of life freely given Revel. 22.17. That whosoever will, may drink of the water of life freely Joh. 7.37. In the last, and great day of the feast, The abundant satisfaction for the soule in Christ, illustrated in five expressions.Jesus stood, and cryed, saying, If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drinke. 2. Not a drink onelyonly is offered, but a well, a fountain. Psa. 36.9. For with thee is the fountain of life; a fountain is more then a drinke, because the whole is more then the part. But 3. every thirsty man cannot have a fountain within him, but yet it is so here, Joh. 4.14. But the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water, springing up to life eternall. And 4. the Scripture riseth higher, even to a river, and abundance of fatness. Psal. 36.8. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house, Hebr. foreign they shall be drunke with the fatnesse of thy house. Its a river of sweet oyle and fatness, that over-joyeth the soule; thou wilt give them to drinke of the river of thy pleasures: A river of which every drop is joy, and a whole well of pleasures must be a Sea of delights. But grace must make the soule a capacious vessell, when not a fountaine, but a whole river; yea rivers of life are within the soule: So Christ, Joh. 7.38. He that beleeveth on me, as the Scripture hath said, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters. Yea, 5. That no expression might be wanting, The peace and righteousnesse of beleevers, is as the waves of the Sea; the Sea is more then a River, its the lodging that receives all fountains and rivers in it, Isai. 48.18.

Pos. 8. There must bee much sense of God, in the fruition of Christ; because beleeving, though we see him not, (as wee hope to see him) causeth joy unspeakeable and full of glory. 1 Pet. 1.8. Thus a high tide, a floud of joy and glory, a rich portion of an antedated heaven, cometh downe on the heires of heaven before hand. Psal. 63.5. My soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnes; a rich feast of only marrow and fatnes, and a satisfying table holdeth forth a great banquet, abundant and glorious; such as is made at the mariage of a great Kings Son.

Positi. 9. And this is not a ceasing from all actings of the soule, because there is an acting and living in Christ. 2 Cor. 3.18. But we all with open face, beholding as in a glasse, p. 357the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, as it were by the Spirit of the Lord. 1. The vaile,The wonderfu…l charge and new beautie the soule acquireth by an union with God, in this life. that by the laws ministrie, which can darken, but not inlighten, in the gospel is removed; and we with uncovered face see God revealed in Christ, in the brightnesse of the gospel-day. 2. We see, behold and enjoy glorie: heaven darteth in the rays, and beames of God in Christ, at our soule. 3. This is a changing glorie: precious stones in the night-darkenesse cast out light, but bring them before the Sunne, and the beames and light of the Sunne changeth them into a greater measure of resplendencie, and shining irradiation: we seeing the unspeakeable resplendencie, and heavenly glancing of divine majestie, in the mediatour Christ, are transformed and changed, into the Lord Jesus, his beautie of holinesse; the Gospel-light maketh us holy, as he is holy: as there is beautie in the feathers of a Dove; but when the Sun illuminateth, and shineth on them, they carie the glanceing of silver and golden feathers, yet it is but a show: And so red and white roses of themselves have excellent beautie; but set them between you and the Sun, and they are far more beautifull: And the eastern skie of it selfe, is but a darke thin formlesse air, that yee can scarcely behold and see; but when the Sun riseth, and shineth upon that skie, it doth create and beget the fairest and most beautifull colour of red, and aizure, that is possible; for no bodily creature, casteth a fairer and a sweeter resplendencie and colour, then the morning-red and purple-skie: So when the glorious Son of righteousnesse Christ, shineth on Saints, in the morning day-light of the Gospel, he createth the image of the glory of God in the soule, and changeth them into a luster and beautie fairer to Christs eye, then the Sun, or the red morning skie; now the Sun, by beholding any creature cannot change that creature into another Sun; but Christ beholding his bride, and the bride beholding with the eye of knowledge, and faith, in the rayes and beames of the Gospel-light, is changed into the glorious image of Christ. Cant. 6.10. Who is she that looketh foorth as the morning, as Aurora, the first birth of the young day, when the Sunne casteth golden beames, faire as the Moon, cleare as the Sunne. 4. We live and act in Christ, and are changed from glory to glory; its but a growing change by degrees. Then the kingdome of heaven and glory is not in this life, nor hell in this life, as these dreamers say; the conditions p. 358of happinesse, and misery, that followeth Lazarus, and the rich glutton, The Familists heaven and hell refuted.after they die, and are buried. Luke 16.22, 23, 24, 25 say the contrary. 2. There is such a gulfe between heaven and hell, that there is no passage, no sayling, nor posting between the one and the other. Luke 16.26. as Familists imagine. 3. That Saints should beleeve they can never be delivered, nor comforted; in the hell they are pained with all in this life, when yet God hath promised to them in their saddest nights, deliverance and comfort; is against the faith and lively hope of the Saints, and a sinfull unbeliefe; and the man in sin cannot be as safe in a hell of sin, as if he were in heaven. 4. Hell is a condition of sinning and blaspheming of God, but to desire nothing, but the eternall good, and to understand the eternall good to be above measure good, is not a condition of sinning, but of happinesse, and holinesse, and so cannot be hell. 5. These two conditions, sort not with the everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels; and life eternall prepared for the blessed of the Father. Mat. 25. But to return, if life be the greatest perfection of being, the beleever in Christ must enjoy an intellectuall life, in Christ, We lose not our selves in injoying Christ.and live, see, know, injoy God; and though the injoying of Christ, bee the highest degree of selfe-deniall, and the man loose himself in Christ; that is, his sinfull and fleshly, I, egoitie, and selfinesse in Christ, yet he loseth not, but findeth in in Christ, his sinlesse created selfe, his selfe perfected, with that high and supernaturall ornament of Christ living in him. It is also most true, selfe, as all created beings are but meere dependencies on God: as the beames of the Sun are but fluxes, results, and issues, that have no being; but in the Sun, sure creatures depend more in their being,God is not the being of things as Familists say. and working on God; then accidents depend on their subject: but it is nothing lesse then blasphemy, against all reason and common sense, and subverteth all the Scriptures of God, to say that God is formally all things, that God is man, A holy man is not God incarnate or deified, as Familists blasphemously say.that God is the Spirit and forme that acteth in all, that a holy man is God incarnate, and Christ God man, and that Christ the Mediator is nothing; but God humanized, and man Godded, and deified, and that Christ dwelling in a beleever by faith, and the inhabitation of the holy Ghost, is but God manifested in the flesh of every man. This destroyeth many articles of Faith (as Familists care not boldly to subvert all Scriptures) for Christ then is not true man, borne of the seed of David, and he p. 359is not God blessed for ever, in one person. 2. All creatures and created beings compared with God,How creatures h…ve no being, being compared with God, and yet have truely a borrowed being. the first being of himselfe subsisting, and the infinite God may be denied, to bee beings comparatively: And so our created selfe is nothing, to wit, nothing in dignitie, or excellencie beside God, or nothing in the kinde of a being that essentially is of it selfe: as God is in genere entis per essentiam, yet man is a being in the kinde of being by participation, in genere entis per participationem; man compared with God, is a poore, worthless, sorry, little-nothing, a weeping, melting, evanishing Cipher. Yea, sweetest ordinances, because its but created sweetness that is in them, are neare of blood to nothing, and in comparison of God meere shaddows; that cannot bottome the immortall soule; and nothing, and partake of vanitie common to all creatures. So the Scripture saith, Man at his best state is altogether vanitie. Psal. 39.5. Behold, thou hast made my dayes as a hand breadth, and mine age is nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanitie Esai. 40.17. All nations before him are nothing, and lesse then nothing, and vanitie. Yet a heathen may say and thinke, and demonstrate by reason, that selfe, and man, and all the world are lesse in incomparison of the infinite God, then nothing to all things, a droppe of water to the Sea, the shaddow to the body, a peny-torch to the light of ten thousand millions of Suns in one; and yet be as farre from selfe-denyall,Creatures without sin may desire to keepe, and to seek their sinlesse being and themselves. from puting off the old man, and mortifying the lusts of the flesh, as light is from darknesse. It is most vaine to say as its the property of the creature to seeke and will it selfe, and its own, and this or that, here or there: as it is the property of God to bee without this or that, without selfiness, egoity, or the like. Because every thing created, even worms, frogs, trees, elements, such creatures as beget creatures like themselves; they have such a sweet and naturall interest in being, that without sin or deviation from law, or rule, or any leading, or directing principle of nature, they desire themselves, their owne being: and when they cannot keepe being in themselves, they desire to keep it in the kind, by propagation, and will fight it out against all contraries, and enemies, to preserve their owne being, though but borrowed from God, and I know no sin they are guilty of, in so doing; nor was Christs conditional desire of life, and deprecating death, any whit contrary to innocent selfe-denyall. 2. The Lord seeketh p. 360himselfe and his owne glory, and made all things for himselfe, God seek…th himselfe and his owne glory most of all, witho…t any impea…hment of his spotlesse holinesse.even the wicked for the evill day. Prov. 16.4. And that is a most holy and pure act, which God ascribeth to himselfe. Esai. 43, 21. This people have I formed for my selfe, they shall shew forth my praise.

Now in all dwelling in Christ, there is a continuall acting of life, by beleeving, joying, resting in God. As Phillip saith, Iohn 14.8. Lord, shew us the father and it sufficeth us. Here life seeks a soule-satisfying union with life, for life is onelyonly a satisfactorie object to life. Living things seeke no dead things as such, to be their happinesse, if reason doe rightly act them, and God as revealed in Iesus Christ, is that in which the Saints find a soule sufficiency for themselves; and the act of seeing God in Christ whether in this life,When the soule injoyeth Christ it acteth in Christ. or in the life to come, is an act of life, for the soule liveth in the Ocean, Sea, and bosome of a fair eternall truth. But doth it act there? yea, it doth, and the Scripture expresseth its acting; by seeing God, drinking the fountain of life. Then th… soule thus in Christ drinketh in love, and milketh and sucketh in the soule-reioycing irradiations of Christ, and Christ letting out the breathings of the sweetness of his excellency on the face of the soul draweth and sucketh in reciprocally acts of admiration and wondering, Cant. 2.8. The voice of my beloved, behold he cometh leaping upon the mountaines, When the soule injoyeth Christ, Christ draweth admiration and love out of it.and skipping on the hils; behold is a word of wonder, 1 Joh. 3.1. Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed on us. Not love onelyonly, but the manner and the kinde of the Fathers love in Christ, is a worlds wonder, and 2 Thess. 1.10. Christ when he cometh shall be wondered in them that beleeve. 2. Then again when wee see, and injoy the drawing lovelinesse of Christ; hee as the fountaine and well of life, powreth in, in our intellectuall love, and in the glancings, and rayes of our understanding, acts of divine light, lumpes of fresh love from the spring of heavens love, and the soule openeth its mouth wide, and taketh in the streames of Christs nectar, hony, and milke, his consolations, and love breathings; and in his light we seeing light, and in his love, feeling love, he maketh out light and love (as it were) coeternall with borrowed eternitie; and we goe along with the out-shinings of Christs bright countenance, to shine in borrowed light, to flame in borrowed coals of love; and as Christ p. 361is said, to feed his flock among the Lilies, the garden of Christ, his Church being the common pasture for the lambes of the flock; so he feeds the soules of the Saints that enjoyeth him, with the marrow, fatness, and dainties of his light, and love that shine in his face, even as the oyle feeds the lampe; but with this difference, Christs dainties are not lessened, because wee feed upon them, as the oyle is consumed with burning.

Pos. 10. There is a living and solacing of the soule in Christ, even to saciety in this enjoying of Christ.

Hence, 1. Love giveth strong leggs, and swift wings to the soule, to persue an union with Christ. Christs beauty and excellency of it selfe inviteth comers.Love putteth the hand to the bottome of the desire, and draweth with strong coards, the lover to it; we have heard of Christs invitation, Come to me. But suppose Christ had never outed his love, in such a love-expression, Come to me. Christ himselfe is such a drawing object, that beauty, the smell of his garments, his mountaine of myrrhe, and hill of Frankincense, the Sea and rivers of salvation, that capacious and wide heaven of redemption are intrinsecally, and of themselves crying, drawing, and ravishing objects: as gold is dumbe and cannot speake, yet the beauty and gaine of it, cryeth, Come hither poore, and bee made rich.

2. Loves wings move sweetly, Open my sister, &c. My head is full of dew, and my locks with the drops of the night; there is no dumbe and silent violence so strong, so piercing as Christs love.

3. When the soule in any measure comprehendeth this love, the Soule is filled with all the fulnesse of God, Ephes. 3.19.The soule filled with God is so far above created lovers that they lose all capacity to reach it. Hence must follow a stretching out of the soule to its widest capacity and circumference, being filled with God, and the fulnesse of Christ, that all created objects, because of their littlenesse and lownesse, and the soules stretched out and wide capacity, looses proportion with the soule; as if a man were in the top of a Castle higher then the third region of the ayre, or neere the sphere of the Moone, should hee looke downe to the fairest and sweetest meddowes, and to a garden rich with roses and floures, of all sweet colours, delitious smels, he should not see any sweetness in them all; yea, the pleasantnesse, colour, and smell of all these, could never reach his senses, because he is so farre above them. So the soule filled with p. 362the love of Christ is high above all created lovers, and they so farre below the soules eye, that their loveliness cannot reach or ascend to the high and large capacity of a spiritualized soule; as the light of a penny-candle put in a house of some miles in length, in breadth, and height, in a darke night, should not be able to illuminate all the house, and render the ayre of a mile in quantity, lightsome and transparent, as the day-light Sunne would doe.

4. Because the glory of Christs beauty seene and loved, changeth the soule into a globe or masse of divine love and glory,The soul overcomed with the love of Christ. as it were by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3.18. Therefore the soule seeth Christ so neere in his love-embracements, and close inchaining of Christs left arme under the soules head, and the right hand embracing it, that it cannot see it selfe, it cannot see another lover, it can see nothing but Christs faireness, heare nothing but the beloved's voice, taste nothing but his Aples of love, his Flagons of wine, can smell nothing but his Spicknard, and precious oyntments; so that the soule is cloathed with Christ, and his love, and can but breath out love to him againe; and Christ infuseth himselfe in his sweetnesse and excellencie, so as the beleever is apprehended by Jesus Christ, Phil. 3.12. violently, but sweetly and strongly drawne in and holden in the Kings house of Wine, Cant. 2.4. Sickned and overcomed with love, Cant. 2.5. Cant. 5.8. chained and compelled, 2 Cor. 5.14. wounded with the arrowes of love; so as death, the grave, Hell, Angels, things present, or to come, cannot licke these wounds, nor embalme, or bind them up, or cure them, Psal. 45.5. Revel. 6.1.2. Cant. 8.6.7. Rom. 8.38.39. Yea, the soule must yeeld over it selfe; as a Spouse under the power of her husband, and lose her self, and her fathers house, in such a deepe Ocean of delights of Love's stronger then wine, Psal. 45.10. Cant. 5.1. Cant. 1.2. As melted, dissolved, and fallen a swoune in Christ, Cant. 5.6. and therefore needeth in that swoune, to be recovered with the flagons of the wine and aples of his consolations, Cant. 2.4.

5. Nor can Jesus Christ but tenderly, lovingly, and compassionately deale with his beloved;Insinuations of Christs tendernesse of bowels to sinners. for Christ must draw them, Joh. 6.44. sweetly allure them, Hos. 2.14. Esai 40.1. Take them by the two armes, and teach them to walke, as the mother doth the young childe, who hath not yet leggs to walke alone, p. 363Hos. 11.3. Beareth them in his armes, and dandleth them on his knee, Esai 46.3, 4. Exod. 19.4. They are carried on Christs warme wings, as the young Eagles by the Mother, Devt 32.11. they are laid in Christs bosome, and nourished with the warmness and the heate of life that commeth from Christs heart, Esai 40.11. caried on the shoulders of Christ, the good Shepherd, Luk. 15.5. and yet neerer Christ, as a bracelet about Christs armes; so hee weares his Church as a favour, and a love-token, Jer. 22.24. Cant. 8.6. and ingraven in letters of bloud upon Christs flesh, stamped and printed on the palmes of his hands, Esai 49.16. and yet nearer him, set as a seale upon the heart of Christ, so precious to him, as to lodge in his bowels and heart, Cant. 8.6. and they dwell in Christ, 1 Joh. 4.13. and dwell in God, and God is love, and so they dwell in the love of Christ, 1 Joh. 4.16. are kissed with the kisses of Christs mouth, Cant. 1.2. and lye betweene the right and left arme of Christ, Cant. 2.6. Yet all these taketh not the soule off, but inflameth it to duties, for Christs sake who is so highly loved; nor are these raptures inconsistent with sinfull infirmities.

6. As love moveth swiftly to the soule, as a Roe, or a young Hart, (for that is Christs pace to his Church, Cant. 2.) so it acts upon the soule co-naturally, as being a price to it selfe, apprehending the dignity and excellency of Christ the beloved. Love is not irrationall as a fury, and a fit of madnesse, that hath no reason, but its owne fire. Therefore the secrets of Christ, the deepe and hidden things of his treasures of love and wisdome, must be opened up to the soule. The soule seeth new gold mines, new found-out Jewels, never knowne to be in the the world before, opened and unfolded in Christ. Here is the in-commings of the beames of light inaccessible, the veins of the unserchable riches of Christ, as if yee saw every moment a new heaven, a new treasure of love, the deepe bottomlesse bottomes of an ocean of delightes, and rivers of pleasures; the bosome of Christ is opened, new breathings and spirations of love that passeth knowledge, Ephes. 3.19. are manifested; nor hath the eye seene, nor the eare heard, nor hath it entered in the heart of man to conceive the things that God hath prepared for them that love him, 1 Cor. 2.9. yet are they revealed, in some measure, in this life.

p. 3647. And it is most considerable, how the soule in loving Christ is not her owne; and in regard of loving, Christ is not his owne, but every one makes over it selfe to another, and propriety or interest to it selfe in both sides (as it were) ceaseth, Hos. 3.3. And I said unto her, thou shalt abide for mee many dayes, thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not bee for another man, so will I also be for thee; so the Mariage covenant of grace saith: I will be your God, and yee shall be my people. And the Spouse, Cant. 2.16. My well-beloved is mine, and I am his. It is true, Christ leaveth not off to be his owne, or to be a free God when hee becomes ours; but hee demeaneth himselfe, as if he were not his owne, and putteth on relations, and assumeth offices of engagement; a Saviour, an Annointed, a Redeemer, a King, a Priest, a Prophet, a Shepherd, a Husband, a Ransomer, a Friend, a Head, a guide, and leader of the people, all which are for us: and the soule injoying Christ, possesseth Christ, and not it selfe; loveth Christ, not it selfe; liveth in Christ, not in it selfe; injoyeth Christ, not it selfe; solaceth it selfe in Christ, not in it selfe; beholdeth Christ and his beauty, not it selfe, nor his owne beauty; so that mind, will, love, desire, hope, joy, sight, wondring, delighting, are all over in Christ, not in it selfe. And all this further confirmeth the point in hand, that Christ crucified, and laid hold on by faith, is a desirable and a drawing lover.