The Rise Race and Royalty of the Kingdom of God, Part 1 · Subpart 2 (4 of 4)

The Rise Race and Royalty of the Kingdom of God · Part 1 · Subpart 2 (4 of 4)

p. 2783. Ground. The Person of Christ hath passed thorow all Changes after an Unchangeable manner, St Paul teacheth us that the Lord Jesus hath descended to the Nethermost parts of the Earth, and ascended above all Heavens to this end, that He might fill All, Eph. c. 4. v. O that I had the tongue of the Learned, the Learned with the Learning of the Holy! that I could speak to you with Words taught by the Holy Ghost! O that you had hearts to take in and understand more, than I can express! Jesus Christ our forerunner is gone into every Form of things from the Height of the God-Head above to the lowest Deeps of the Creature to this end, that He might fill every Form of Things with the Unchangeable Fulness of His own Person, in which All Fulness dwelleth together in a Spiritual and Divine Body. He hath by this means filled every point of time with Eternity: every spot of Earth with Heaven; every Change on Earth, in Time, with the Unchangeableness of Heaven, and Eternity. St. Paul said to his Friends: This I know, that Bonds await me in every place. But my life is not dear to me for the Testimony of Jesus. A Believer in a contrary sense may say, This I know, that my Jesus in the fulness of Unchangeable Loves, Beauties, and Joys, waiteth for me in every Change; as a Spiritual Bridegroom in a Spiritual Bed of Loves, which is ever green, which hath a Perpetual Calm upon it, and a Perpetual Spring. Nothing therefore is dreadful, or melancholy to me for the unchanged Pleasantness of my Jesus.

In the Eastern countreys they imbalmed the Dead Bodies within, anoynted them without with costly Spices; that they might be preserved from putrefaction: and might have a sweet smell. When the Woman in the Gospel poured forth a Box of pretious Spikenard upon the feet of Christ; He said to some, who were offended with the wast: Trouble her not. She hath done this against my burial The Lord intimated, that this was a Sacrament dispensed by a Divine Hand representing for His Consolation this high, and holy Mystery; that p. 279Death, and the Dead Body in the Person of Christ are so embalmed, anoynted with the pretious Spikenard of the Eternal Spirit; that the Dead Body is Incorruptible, Immortal, and Pleasant; Death itself is a Flourishing Life, a fragrant sweet-smelling Joy, as it lyeth in, and is filled with this Unchangeable Person. O! with what a sweet Indifferency may we now walk thorow all the Changes of Life, and Death, when our Heavenly Spouse hath thus embalmed, anoynted, …lled all with the Delights, and Glories of His Unchangeable Person, and Presence!

Use. 3. The Knowledge of the Lord Jesus in His Beauties sanctifieth, and sweetneth our Life in this World, our Death, and Departure out of the World. This Use hath Two Parts.

1. Part; The Opening of the Person of Christ upon us in His Spiritual Glories sanctifieth and sweetneth this Life. There are three Principles of the Knowledge of Christ in His true, and unchangeable State, which will bring home His Heavenly Beauties warm, and shining to your Hearts on this Earth by natural Deductions from each Principle.

1 Principle. This World in its pure Naturals is the Shadow, which falleth from the Heavenly Body of Divine Glories in the Person of our Fair One. This hath been proved at large above. Learn then from this Truth 4. Lessons.

1. Lesson. Live unconcerned in this World. This Divine Lesson is taught us from Heaven by the Holy Ghost upon this Ground; 1. Cor. 7. 29, 30, 31. But this I say Brethren, the time is short. It remaineth, that both they that have wives, be, as though they had none; And they, that wept as though they wept not; and they, that rejoyce, as though they rejoyced not; and they, that buy, as though they bought not; & they that use this world, as not abusing it: For the fashion of this world passeth away. The Apostle here divideth all this World into 4. Heads; 1. Relations; 2. Passions; 3. Possessions; 4. Employments, and Entertainments. Solomon saith in one place; Why shouldst thou set thine heart upon that, which is not. There is no real Difference between having a Husband, Wife, or Children, and having none; between being in Grief, or Joy, and being without Grief, or Joy; between having an Estate, and having none; between being in the height of all Employments, or Entertainments, and being out of all. This world hath nothing real. It is all a Shadow. Seeing then the various States of things on Earth have no real Difference; pass thou thorow all estates with a perfect indifference of Spirit, in a constant calm. Eccles. 1. This is an Expression of the Vanity, of all things here; One Generation goeth, another cometh but the Earth standeth for ever. The Scripture in several places makes this one of the Names of God, The Earth; the Ground, out of which all Generations of Things arise, and into which they return again. Divines interpret, that Land of the Living mentioned, to be the Divine Nature. In this let our Spirits be a Divine Earth standing for ever unmoved upon its own Center of Eternity, while one change after another cometh, and passeth away again. The Holy Ghost presseth it upon p. 280us by three Arguments. 1. This World is a Fashion, a Figure only, a Shadow. The fashion of this world. In having this world thou hast a Shadow. The Substance is above. Let the world in having thee have thy shadow only. Let thine heart be in Heaven with Jesus Christ. 2. This world vanisheth, as a shadow. The fashion of this world passeth away. The Colours in a Rain-bow are Appearances of Colours, and no more, made by the reflection of the Sun upon a dark, and watery Cloud. So they suddenly break up, and are seen no more. The Colours of a Flower upon its stalk in the Garden are real, liv…g, and lasting. Such is the difference between Things on Earth, and Things in Heaven. Nothing here hath either Substance, or Root. 3. This world is a flying shadow suddenly gone. The time is short. As the shadow upon a Dyal in a short Winter-day moveth swiftly, passeth away presently, the Sun being low, and immediately going in, or going down: so is every condition, every comfort in Flesh. This is the first Lesson.

2. Lesson: Live without care, and with content. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by Prayer, and supplication with Thansgiving let your requests be made known unto God, Phil. 4. 5, 6. You have in these words. 1. A Precept for moderation. Moderation is that measure of Things, by which they are proportioned, and tuned each to other, so as to fall in, and agree in one. This is that which maketh Beauty in Sights, and Musick in Sounds. A contented frame, composed, and equal motions are the Beauty, and Musick of your Spirits. 2. The Reason of this Precept followeth; The Lord is at hand, is near: nothing will so quiet the Soul, and bring it to rest in every Appearance of things here so, as a right sence of the near, and immediate presence of the Lord Jesus in Glory with all these things, after the same manner, in which the Body, or Substance is present with its proper Shadow. The Body is present with the Shadow four ways; as sending it forth immediately from itself, and keeping it hanging upon itself by an immediate touch, and union every moment; as governing all its motions by its own Acts, and Operations in itself; by its own Appearance there in its Figure, and Similitude; by its Approach, and Readiness to break up the Shadow by its breakings forth thorow it. Canst thou think that thy beloved in the sweet shinings of his Beauty, in the wonderful actings of the Divine Life, in the pleasant motions, and mysterious operations of his Love, is thus near to every Creature, every Providence; and not answer this Beauty with the Beautiful smile of a contented mind, this Musick with the melody of a well-pleased, and harmonious temper of Spirit: many that were sick, were healed by the shadow of St. Peter overspreading them, as he passed by. When thou art sick with discontent for any passage of things in this world, submit thy self to it, as the shadow of thy dearest Lord, with which he overspreadeth thee from his own Blessed Person, being himself ever at hand there, where his shadow is; figuring himself with his own Divine p. 281Motions, and Operations upon it; being even now ready to disclose himself thorow it, as the Rose breaking out of the Bud. Lie down under every accident, as such a Divine Shadow of this Divine Lover with his Love; and thou wilt find thy self healed of thy sickness of Mind, of every Grief, and Melancholy.

3. A third Thing in this Scripture alledged is a Prohibition of Care. Be careful in nothing. Care is a Sin universally, in the greatest things, as well as the least; in the highest things, as well as in the lowest.

Qu. But you will say, what Care is that, which is Sin?

Ans. I answer; that Care is a Sin, which breaketh the moderation of your Spirits, which defaceth the Spiritual Beauty, which disturbeth the Spiritual Musick of a well-pleased, and contented…mind in you; which putteth your Spirits out of tune, cloudeth the clearness, disordereth the Harmony of your Spirits, distempering them, and making them to jar with discontent. Again that care is sinful, which is contrary to this Three-fold sense of the presence of the Lord Jesus with every Creature, and Occurrence on the Earth, as with his own Shadow; his Powerful Presence giving it Being, and Motion from himself, fastning it immediately to himself; his Beautiful… Presence imprinting the Likeness, and Image of himself upon it; his Love-Presence calling the Soul to himself by it, coming down to meet, and embrace the Soul there, ready to set himself in the place of his Shadow, making that the mark, and forerunner of his Person, and Loves in their full Light and Heat.

4. In the last place the Holy Spirit, that skilful Apothecary prescribeth a Cordial to preserve you from this trembling of the Heart, from carefulness. This Cordial is made up of six precious Ingredients.

1. Ingred. Prayer. With Prayer. The word is foreign. It importeth thus much: stand not at a distance; tarry not without. Come boldly up to the Throne of Grace, to God in the purest, and most raised heights of his Glory, and Love; to Love, as it is seated upon its highest, and most glorious Throne, the Heart of God; to love, as it shineth with its sweetest smiles in the Divine Nature unvailed, and naked. Enter boldly within the Vail, behold God Face to Face, so talk familiarly with him, as a Friend doth with his Friend. Like the beloved Disciple, lay thine head in his Bosom, so speak to him, as a Bride to her Bridegroom.

2. Ingred. Supplication. By Prayer, and Supplication; v. 6. The word rendred Supplication, signifieth in its root three things, Want, a Band, Decency, or Harmony. Have a Divine sense of thine own Shadowiness, and Vanity upon every want which thou feelest. Go by a Divine Power, and in the Divine Mystery empty thy self into God, bind thy self up together with him in that Golden …Band, the unity of his Spirit. So move, be carried along thorow all things in the Order, Decency, and Harm…ny of the God-Head, of the Divine Wisdom, and Will. As when Sugar is cast into Wine, the Wine penetrating into all parts of the Sugar dissolveth, and melteth it entirely into itself: p. 282… in every state, in every streight cast thy self by the Blessed Spirit into that Spirit, which is the Wine of the Kingdom of the Father; let that Spirit wind, and work itself into every part, and power, into every thought, and affection, until it have drawn thee quite down out of thy self into one Stream, one flood of Desires and Delights, of Sweetness, Strength, and Fulness with itself.

Moses ascending upon Mount Sinai passed thorow the clouds, and fires; so he came to the top of the Mount, where he saw God face to face. The Eternal Spirit is Mount Sion, the Mount of Prayer. Here are white Clouds of Glory, which do much more overshadow the Creature; and Love-fires, which do much more melt down the Soul, and devour it. From the Valley of every low Condition betake thy self to this Mount of Prayer. Wait for this Holy Mountain, the Spirit of Prayer to spring up in every Valley, and take thee up, and carry thee along upon itself. As thou ascendest, pass thorow these Clouds, lose the light of thine own Beauties, and Being, before this excelling brightness. Pass thorow these Fires. Lose thine own Fleshly Substance, and Subsistence in the flame of the Spirit, Lose thine own Life, and Form in the Unity of Divine Love. So shalt thou arrive at the top of this Mount, where thou shalt see God Face to Face, with Life answering Life, Love answering Love, Beauty answering Beauty; being in the full view of his naked Glories transformed into the same Glory by the same Spirit, 2 Cor. 3. l.

3. Ingred. Thanksgiving; with Thanksgiving. What a powerful Antidote against Care in every Cross, or Difficulty is this, to give thanks? To see a Divine Glory? To tast Divine Love? To behold God descending in that Darkness, as in a Chariot of Clouds, of Angels; taking us up to ascend with Him thither, into His Palace above, where this Cloud shall become a Throne, this Chariot a Bed of Love, this Angel an Eternal Glory in the Form of God, where our Beloved, and our Souls shall reign together, feast together, ly down together in mutual Joys, and embraces for ever?

O Believing Soul art thou in Darkness? Open the Eye of Faith; see thy Jesus, and thy self from the supream Circle of the God-Head running forth with all Lines of Life, Light, Love into this Darkness, as the Center in the midst of this glorious Circle, where all the Lines from every Point of it meet in One. Again O Believing Soul in this Sight, in this Sense, in the vertue of these Divine Descents, return, and spread thy self by all these Lines of Glory together with thy God into the Circle of Eternity. There comprehend All, thy self, and All in the Incomprehensible Mystery of God, There see, hear, tast, enjoy Him, as Beauty itself, Sweetness itself, Musick itself, Joy itself in All. See, Hear, tast, enjoy All, as that Beauty, that Musick, that Sweetness, that Joy in him. Thus call him by every name, that is named in this world, or that which is to come. Call every thing in him, by a new name above every name, which is named in this world, or that which is to come.

p. 283When Jacob saw the Chariots, which his Son Joseph sent to bring him down into Egypt, his Soul revived, and he said; it is enough that my Son Joseph liveth; I will go see him, before I die. When thou seest Clouds of Enemies, or oppositions in thy Affairs, which are apt to perplex thee, and fill thee with care; shut this Eye of Flesh, which representeth all things false; open the Eye of the Spirit. Then look again, and see the Chariots of fire, and Horses of fire, a Spiritual fire shining with Glory, burning with Love, refining, and spiritualizing all things, as they ascend with them. Now let thy Spirit revive within thee from its care to a Heavenly calm, and to praises; Say, it is enough; my Jesus liveth, and loveth me. This is his Chariot. The Flames of it are Flames of Love. He is himself in the midst of it upon a seat of Gold. I see him. He cometh to carry me up above this world into his Heavenly Kingdom. I will ascend with him.

4. Ingred. The making of our requests known to God. What Hearts-…ase is this to have the priviledge of expressing all our desires to God himself with freedom, and familiarity, at a banquet of Wine, of Spiritual Loves better than Wine? The Husbandman planteth his Vine against a South-wall, and spreadeth all the Branches of it there, where it may receive the Sun fullest, and longest, that by this means all the vertue of the plant may be drawn forth into a great plenty of fairer, and sweeter Grapes. Let thy Spirit be a Heavenly Vine planted by the Eternal Spirit in thee. Let thy will be the Heavenly sap of the Divine Will, and the Divine Love in thee. Instead of cares spread all thy desires, like the Branches of this Vine, fasten them continually before thy Invisible Sun, the Face of God, where the Beams of his Love, and Excellencies fall with greatest heat, and constancy. So shall all the sweet Sap of thy Vine, all the Divine Will in thy Will, that is, all Seeds, all desires of Good, of Love, of Loveliness, of Joy, of Blessedness be made to grow, and be ripened in their proper season unto the most perfect, and most pleasant Fruit.

5. Ingred. Universality. Be careful in nothing; but in every thing by Prayer, and Supplication with Thanksgiving make your requests known to God. There is nothing too great for us to be assured of the Ear, and Heart, and Hand of God in it. There is nothing too little for us to trouble him with. Every thing that can befal us in an opportunity, a Scene for all manner of Communion with God, for Faith, and Love to act all their parts upon in all their several Habits, and Dresses. Prayer, Supplication, Thanksgiving, Requests find a p…ace in every Providence. Day unto Day declareth Knowledge: Night unto Night uttereth Speech, Psal. 19. 3. Every State, every season of Light, and Darkness in all senses bring down from Heaven to us in one lovely Love Appearance, or another Jesus Christ with the Heart of the Father. Let every day and every night, as it returneth to Heaven again, carry up Jesus Christ from our Hearts, and our Hearts in him, in some Spiritual dress to the Bosom of the p. 284Father. In every thing thy God acteth all manner of Loves, expresseth, and conveyeth all his Glories to thee. In every thing do thou meet him, return to him the activity of all thy Loves, and the exercise of all Graces.

6. Ingred. The Ground of all these Ingredients, and their vertue in this Cordial; The Lord being at hand. v. 5. The Philosopher in a Mill seeing his Friends making a doubt of coming in to him there, out of a disesteem of the place, and of him for being found in that place, invited them in with these words; here also are the immortal Gods. When thou feelest thine heart standing at a distance from any condition for the obscurity of it; or disquieted with cares in any condition for the troubles of it, say to thine heart after this manner; here also is my Jesus with all his Train of Immortal Glories, Loves, Angels, and Spirits. Here he is in a Figure of himself. Here is he in Person under this Figure. Here he is ready to shine forth, and appear gloriously. This is his Shadow; This Shadow is his Tabernacle, in which he dwelleth with me. Upon this Ground will I tune all my cares, all the unquiet motions of my Spirit to Prayers, and Praises, to the Melody of Faith, Love, and Joy. Thus much for the 2d Lesson of living without Care, with content upon this First Principle in the knowledge of the Lord, and his Beauties; that he maketh this world a Shadow falling from his Beautiful Person.

3. Lesson. Live beautifully, and purely, as Priests to God in this present world. For this world is the Temple of God, in as much, as it is Jesus Christ in a Shadow. For the Invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his Eternal Power, and God-Head, Rom. 1. 20. Four things make a Temple. 1. A Divine Authority for the building of it. This World is the Creation of God. 2. A Divine Pattern. The Invisible things of the God-Head, of the Lord Jesus the power of the God-Head, of Eternity are figured upon this World. 3. A Divine End. The proper end of these Figures is to form notions of the Divine nature upon our minds, to lead us to converse with it, to bring us into the Participations of it, that it may enjoy itself in the reflections of its own excellencies, and Glories from us; v. 21. When they knew God, they glorified him not, as God. They emproved not these Figures, and Notions to an entrance within the Vail into the Glory itself, which was the Divine end of them. 4. A Divine Presence. Jesus is he, who filleth All in All, Ephes. 1. l.

In what a Calm, in what Serenity, in what Purity, with what Beauty should we appear in this world, as Priests in the Temple, and in the midst of the Mysteries of God?

Psal. 29. 9, In his Temple doth every one speak of his Glory. In the Hebrew you may read every Thing, as well as every One. So the Margin hath it; every whit of it; that is, of the Temple uttereth Glory. Such should we ever be, as those who see the essence of Beauty, who hear the Soul, and Spirit of Musick, who tast, take in, and feel the pure, the primitive Life of all Sweetness, p. 285and Joy in the Glory, the God-Head itself inhabiting every part and point, every passage, motion of Things in this whole Creation, as in a Temple. How would our Persons, and lives shine with a spiritual Lustre; how sweet would the Musick of our Spirits, and Conversation be, if we did thus take up, and bear this Natural Image, as the Tabernacle, and the Star of our God, our Beloved Jesus? Figures made by the Eternal Spirit, to worship, and enjoy him, as St. Stephen speaketh, Acts 7. 43.

Eccles. 3. We read, that there is to every thing a Season, and a time to every purpose under Heaven. v. 1. To be born, and to die; to plant, and to pull up. v. 2. To kill, and to heal. v. 3. To weep, and to laugh. v. 4. To love, and to hate; for war, and for peace. v. 8. He hath made every thing beautiful in his Time, or in its Time. v. 11. And whatsoever God doth, it shall be for ever. v. 14.

In the Tabernacle, and Temple every part, every pin answered to the Pattern on the Mount, which were the Heavenly Things themselves in the Spirit, in Eternity. All objects, all actions in the Temple, the Beasts, the cutting their throats, the taking off their skins, the taking out their Entrails, the cutting them in pieces, the boyling, the burning them were sacred Figures of Divine and Immortal Glories, to which the Musick of the Levites round about upon the walls with their Instruments, and voices kept time.

Thou, O Man, art set in this world, as a Priest in this Temple. Behold! Both the Intell…ctual, and the Bestial part in it; Love, and hatred; War, and Peace; Joy, and Grief; Light, and Darkness; Weeping, with Howlings, Laughter with Shouts; Life, and Death with all that is delightful, or dismal belonging to them; all these Heavenly, and Divine Mysteries. Every one answereth to a purpose in the Heart of God, to a Pattern in the Eternal, and Essential Form of God. Every one answereth to the Musick of the Holy Angels, which stand in Quires in the uppermost parts of this Creation, as the Levites upon the walls of the Temple. The basest, the bloodiest Persons, and Offices; those that kill, and those that are killed, bear the Figure of Jesus Christ, like the Beasts for Sacrifice, or the Sacrificing Priests in their linnen Garments stained with Blood.

Every thing is beautiful in his Time. The Time of every thing is Divinely set; by a Divine Pattern, in a Divine Proportion; by a Divine Power. Thus each thing is cloathed with a double Beauty. 1. The Divine Harmony of the Universal Image in Nature, resulting from, and resting upon each particular fitly set with a sacred proportion, and contrivance in its own Time, and in his Time, that is, by a Divine Hand in a Divine Time. 2. An exact, and ravishing Harmony with the Eternal Image of the supream Glories in God. As line for line, feature for feature, colour for colour, motion for motion from a Face in a Glass answer to the Beautiful Face, which beholdeth itself in the Glass; so is God, and this world; the Face in the water, and the living Face; Beauty itself, by looking upon the water, at once Figuring itself upon it, and p. 286beholding itself in it; all being reflections of its own Glorie….

Obj. But you will say, we see not now this resemblance of the Divine Glory in the face of the Creature.

Ans. What God do…h, he doth for ever. v. 14. As Jesus said to Peter of the washing his Feet: What I do, thou knowest not now: but thou shalt know hereafter; that may be applied here. The work of God in this World, and Time, is for Heaven, and Eternity, to be understood, and enjoyed there. When we shall come into the presence of the Life, and the Original, then shall we look again with another manner of Eye upon the Picture, and have an unexpress… ble pleasure to behold one in the other. As the Tabernacle, when its season was past, was taken into the Temple. So when Time, and this world are past away, Time, and this world from the Beginning to the End shall be taken up into their first Patterns, into Eternity. God shall call every thing to the least dust, or moment by its name, and no one shall be wanting. There shalt thou see the Beauty of the whole, and of every part in the light, and life of its Glorious Original. Then shalt thou know, what God hath done from the Beginning of the world to the End. Thou shalt now possess, and enjoy all with unexpressible pleasures, when thou shalt thus meet them again in a new Light, to be for ever with thee.

In the mean time, as Christ said to Martha: Believe, and thou shalt see the Glory of God. Thy Jesus is the Resurrection, and the Life; and that now, and that within thee, in thy Spirit. John 1. 14. The Word was made Fl…sh, and dwelt (tabernacled) among us; (and we beheld his Glory, the Glory, as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of Grace, and Truth. O Man, O Christian, open the Eye of thy understanding, open the Eye of thy Faith; see this world the Tabernacle, the Temple of the Eternal Word; behold all things full of the Grace, and Glory of his Person in Shadows, and Images formed by himself; behold himself in the truth of all this Grace, and Glory; in that height of Glory, which is proper to his own Person, as he is the only begotten of the Father, dwelling with thee in this Temple, behind the Vail of every Shadow and Image. Behave thy self, as in the House of God. Walk in the midst of all Creatures, and Occurrences, as in the midst of so many Divine Mysteries; as a Priest in the Temple. In purity, in peace, in wisdom, in love, bear in every state the Figure of thy Jesus, and his Glories; converse with it in every thing; walk in it at all times. See thy Glorified Jesus himself together with his shadow; make him the mark of thine Eye, and thine Heart; terminate all the workings of thy Spirit upon him, as the Truth, and Substance. So wait continually for the breakings forth of the glory, as a Heavenly Flame thorow the Shadow upon thee, to take thee up into itself. And thou, as thou ascendest, carry up the Shadow with thee.

4. Lesson. Live abstracted from this world in the world. Distinguish, and separate thy self from the Natural Person, Life, and Image, which are all the p. 287Shadow, and no more; that thou mayst stand in an Immortal Person, a Life of Glory, the Essential Image, which is the Truth. The Lord Jesus saith: I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you, that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you: but, if I depart, I will send Him to you, Joh. 16. 7. Jesus Christ in the Shadow, in the Flesh is the Crucifier, and the crucified. Jesus Christ in the Substance, in the Spirit, is the Comforter, and the Comforted. How expedient is it for us in the midst of these Shadows to withdraw our selves into the Life, and Truth; that when all things there are dying upon the Cross, all things here may be Comforters, and Comforts▪ which continue for ever?

The Lord Jesus saith to the Father Sacrifice, and Burnt-offering thou wouldest not have; but a Body hast thou prepared me; that is, to be offered up in the place of all Sacrifices, H…b. 10. 1. We read v. 1. that the Law hath a Shadow only of good things to come. Jesus, and all His Members have the Shadowy Body of this Natural Man, and the First Creation fitted for them only, to sacrifice themselves in these to the Eternal Truth, that thus they may return on high into That.

All Shadows are under the Law. The Law hath Shadows only of Good things to come. All Sacrifices are under the Law. The Gospel is a Feast, Spirit, and Life.

How wise, how blessed is he, who gathereth himself up entirely out of Nature and Flesh into the Invisible Glory of the Spirit? In which, while Flesh is suffering, as a Sacri…ice by Fire, he seeth all Flesh, Suffering, and Sacrifices to be Shadows only, Shadows of Immortal Joys, and Himself already in those Joys, triumphing over, and comprehending those Shadows in the Beautiful, and Blessed Truth, These are the Lessons from the First Principle; which was, that this World in its pure Naturals falleth as a Shadow from the Glorified Person of our Saviour.

2. Principle. The Presence, and Appearance of the Person of our Lord Jesus, and His Glory, is withdrawn from the faln, and corrupt World. The Devil is called in the Scriptures, The Prince of Darkness; and The Prince of this World. This World, the World in this faln state is Darkness. Darkness is the Privation of Light. The absence of the Sun from the Earth is the Cause of Darkness. Our Saviour in Glory is the Light, the Sun of the whole Creation. While He goeth away with His Beams into a far countrey, to shine in the Invisible World, He leaveth all behind Him in the Dark. Three Lessons naturally flow from this second Principle.

1. Lesson. Believe not any Appearances of things in this World. Darkness in the language of the Holy Ghost signifieth Deceit. The Lord Jesus saith of Himself; I am the Truth, Truth hath lest the World together with Jesus Christ. Blessed is he, who having the Possessions, or Powers of this World in his Hand; the Smile, or Frowns of it before his Eyes; the Griefs, or Joys of it in his p. 288Heart; can with a good assurance say: Have I not a Lye in my Hand, and in my Heart? Are not the Apparitions of the Devil the Father of Lyes before me?

2. Lesson. Love not the things of this World, James. 4. 4. Ye adulterers and Adulteresses, know ye not, that the Friendship of this World, is enmity with God. It is not now the Seed of the Woman, which is a Divine Loveliness, and Love in the Person of our Heavenly Bridegroom, which springeth up in all the Forms, and Fruits of this World. Yet a little while, saith He to the World, and ye shall see me no more. No! It is the Seed of the Serpent in Deformity, and Enmity; in a Contrariety to all Spiritual Beauty Goodness, and Truth, which groweth up every where. Your Love to any part of this World is Unclean, and Adulterous: By it you leave the pure, and sweet embraces of your own Glorious Husband to ly down infolded in the treacherous Twinings of the old Serpent, the Dragon.

3. Lesson. Walk not after the Fashion of this World, Rom. 12. 2. Be not conformed to this World. While the Lord Jesus was with this World, it was, His Shadow. He figured His Beauties upon it; He acted it with His Spirit; His Name was as an Ointment poured out upon it; He spake to us and conversed with us there: But now, when He is absent, the beautiful Figure is gone, the Darkness with all its confusions, and cursed Fruits remain▪ The Spirit of Darkness ariseth in it with all his, Hellish Forms of Deceit, Defilement, and Wrath; If thou cloath thy Spirit with any Worldly Image, thou puttest on a filthy Garment, which will pollute thee; thou puttest on a fiery garment, which hath… the burning poysons of Hell hidden in it, which will cleave inseparably to thee, torturing, and consuming thee with a hidden, inward, and u…quenchable flame, This is the Second Principle.

3. Principle. Jesus Christ hath reconciled all things, hath gathered up all things into One, hath made all things New with the Spiritual, and Eternal Glory of the Father; as the World standeth in the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead, and in His Glorified Person, as a New Head to it with a New Name.

Lesson. You then, that are Christ's live victoriously, and triumphantly in this World. Abide in your Head. …There you see all this World lying conquered, captivated, comprehended in a new, and endless World of Life, Love, and Glory, Rom. 5. We rejoyce, saith St. Paul, v. 2. And not onelyonly so, but we glory in tribulation, v. 3. Because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us; v. 5. O Christians! live in Joy; Live in Glory; live in perpetual Triumph. For by the Resurrection, and Ascension of your Jesus, the bitterest Enmities, the blackest Extremities are Forms, Floods of Light, and Love in that Sea of Light, and Love, the Holy Ghost breaking forth from the sweet, and glorious Deep of the God-Head in the Heart of the Father. Rom. 8. v. 57. In all these things, (famine, nakedness sword mentioned before) we p. 289are more than conquerours through Him, that loved us v. 58, 59. For nothing, life, nor death, nor Angels, things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth shall be able to sparate us from the love of god, wl… is in Christ Jesus. Dear Soul! dwell for ever in this good Land of Life, and Love, thy Saviour in the Spirit. Nothing here can separate thee from the Divine Love Every thing then, that cometh to thee in life, or in death, must come in that Element of Love; it must come in a Lovedress; it must be Love itself in a Lovely Form. Every thing, that toucheth thee here, must touch thee with the Heavenly kisses, and Embraces of Divine Love. Otherwise there would be a Separation between Love, and thee.

In thy glorified Jesus is the Love of God, that Love, which is God, the God-Head of Love. O blessed Habitation! O Happy, and Heavenly Countrey! thine own Countrey indeed! What so much our own, what so near us, so much One with us, as Love? Here Love in its God-Head filleth all, in Spiritual Forms, in Forms of Glory, and of God. O glorious Victory! O Saints more, than Conquerours in the Resurrection of your Saviour! The World is faln before you; it is no more. The old things, of Vanity, Darkness, Sin, Sorrow Death are passed away in His Death. Thus you are conquerours. But in His Resurrection the World is raised again in a Form of Eternal Love, and Glory for you. All things are come again, and are made New, All things appear again the second time Immortal Spirits shining in the Loveliness, burning in the Love of the God-Head for you; opening all things past, present, and to come in themselves, as Beautiful, and Sacred Mysteries of Divine Love to you; which ever is Delighting it self in You, sporting with you, preparing Joys & Glories for you. Thus you are more than Conquerous through Him, who hath loved You. Live then in Him Joyfully, gloriously, Triumphantly. I have done with the first Part of my last Use, the Swee…ning, and Sanctifying Life in this World.

2. Part. To sweeten, and sanctifie Death by the Knowledge of Christ in Glory, I shall lay down three Principles to this End.

1. Principle. Every Saint standeth …compleat in Glory in the Glorified Person of Christ above, even while he is living, or dying here below, Ye are compleat in Him, who is the Head of all Principality, and Power, Col. 2. 10. In the verse before the Lord Jesus was described, as in Him dwelleth all the Fulness, (or Compleatness) of the God-Head bodily. v. 9. Then this is added; And in Him ye are compleat, (or full,) who is the Head of all Principality and Power. A Believer is compleat in his Saviour, as He hath the Compleatness of the God-Head in him; and the Compleatness of all the Angels beneath him. His Life then, and His Death, as they stand in Jesus Christ, are more than Angelical They are Divine.

I shall endeavour to set in lively Figures before your Eyes the Beauty, and Sweetness in the Death of a Saint by four Scriptures.

1. Script. And hath raised us up together, and made us, sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Eph. 2. v. 6. What is to be understood by [together] p. 290is plain in the verse before, hath quickned us together with Christ, It is God, who doth all this, as is seen, v. 4. God who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he hath loved us. Four Positions lye clear in this Scripture.

1. Pos. A Believer is risen from the Dead. He dieth no more. He is passed from Death to Life. As Abraham is said to have received Isaac from the Dead in a Figure; So the Beloved of the Lord d…eth onelyonly in a Figure. Death is to him a Divine Figure standing in the Resurrection from the Dead. His Death is a Flower of Life, and Immortality growing up in the Paradise of God, which is the Glorified Person of Jesus. It beareth indeed the Figure of Death, but is full of a Sweetness, and Beauty, which can never fade, or dye. Let us all labour for our part in the New Birth. This is a Resurrection from the Dead. All things after it are Life; Pure Life without any mixture of Death; Perpetual Life, Endless Life without any Sting of Death in the tail of it.

2. Pos. A Believer is already s…t down in Heavenly places; nay more than Heavenly. The Word Heavenly is by some translated, and so it properly signifieth Supercoelestial, more than Heavenly places, above the Heavens. Here a Saint is made to sit down. He is fixed, and established; He is at rest, at home, at the end of all his journeyings, and changes. He is set as a Bride, at the Marriage-feast. He is set, as a Prince upon the Throne of his Kingdom. Thus God giveth His Beloved Sleep, Rest, a Feast, a Throne in Death, Jesus Christ in Glory is this Sleep, this Rest, this Feast, this Throne, which endureth for ever, and ever. O Christian! rejoyce, and glory in Death for the Hope of the Joy, and Glory of thy Bridegroom there. Thy Death hath nothing of Dust, or Darkness in it. It is a Heavenly Thing, nay more than Heavenly. It is something Supercoelestial. It is a soft Strain, and ravishing Touch in the Musick of the Divine, and Eternal Rest. It is a savoury Dish, such, as thy soul loveth, at the Feast in the Kingdom of God. Solomon had a throne of Gold. On the Steps, which were the Ascents to the Throne, on each side were Lyons of pure Gold. Thy Death, O Saint, is now no more a fierce, and devouring Lyon to affright thee. It is the figure of a Lyon in Gold, in one Glory. It is not onelyonly an Ascent to thy Throne, O Jedidiah! Beloved of the Lord! It is One Piece of Eternal Glory with thy Throne. It is an Ornament, an Emb…llishment of Glory to thy Throne.

How good is it for those, who are born of God to keep themselves pure, that they may alwaies see God, that they may see all things to them Divine Objects in a Divine Light, sparkling Jewels of Divine Love, We are ever in the midst of these things, which are more than Heavenly, in the midst of these Supercoelestials; even in the arms of Death. While we keep our selves unspotted from this world, we see these Supercoelestials, and Death itself in the number of them. But every sin casteth a mist upon them, and covereth us with a Cloud, that we see them no more. Now the Visions of our Joy, and Glory: of Light, and Truth are hid from our Eyes. Now fear, and trembling are upon … Life is full of Trouble, and Death full of Terrour.

p. 2913. Pos. A Saint is set down in Heavenly places together with Jesus Christ. The sweetning, and the heightning of all the Joys, and Glories of the Gospel is the Union with thy Beloved Bridegroom. The work of Grace is a Birth, a Resurrection, a Marriage, all in one. The Death of a Saint is an Act of Spiritual Communion between Christ, and the Soul; a Marriage-Joy. The Lord Jesus presenteth himself to the Believer in the Form of Death, as in a Heavenly, a Supercoel…stial Beauty. At this sight the Saint is immediately transformed into the same Image. Jesus Christ springeth up into the Believer, a Believer springeth up into his Beloved in this Heavenly Form. So both are made one in it. Thus Death becometh a Love-play between Christ, and his Spouse, He by a Spiritual Kiss breatheth forth his Spirit of Divine Loves, Immortality, and Invisible Glories into the Spouse. The Spouse ravished sorth from her self again in the same moment breatheth forth her Spirit into the Bosom of her Lord. Thus they die together, they die one in another, they die one into another.

In the first of the Canticles there is a Prophetical Song, which beginneth at the Resurrection of our Saviour, and the Effusion of the Spirit, together with the Spiritual Union between Christ, and his Church, which was, as their Heavenly Espousals solemnized, and sealed with a Kiss, with the reiterated Kisses of his Mouth. Then followeth in the process of the first Chapter, and beginning of the Second, the Loveliness of the Spouse, and the Love between her, and the Heavenly Bridegroom in her Sufferings, and Death, as they are acted upon the Stage, in the glorious Scene of the Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ, in the State of Espousals, and in their Union in one Spirit. The dying Spouse there singeth to her Lord; Behold! thou art fair, my Love, yea thou art pleasant; also our Bed is green, v. 16. Jesus Christ is fair to a Saint Eye in his Divine Loveliness being risen up into the Glory of the Father. He is pleasant to her in his Loves, which are his Loveliness in Motion, acting beautiful parts; transforming itself into delightful Shapes with endless variety; in all pouring forth itself into her Bosom, taking her up into itself with Blessed Changes of one into another. The Unity of the Spirit is the Bed of Divine Loves, which is ever green, that is, as the word importeth, ever encompassed with a Heavenly Calm, and Serenity, ever flourishing, ever fruitful. Death itself is the mutual embracing of these two Heavenly Lovers in this Bed of Spiritual Loves in the midst of a Divine calm, and clearness; while out of these embraces they spring up into innumerable Forms of Eternal Beauties, and Joys, which are the flourishing Fruits, and Blessed Children of this Marriage-Union.

It is said, that nothing was made without Christ, (apart from Christ) that was made in the Creation, John 1. 2. Remember, O Christian, that in the new Creature thou art, thou sufferest, thou doest nothing, in life, or in death, without thy Jesus in Glory, apart from thy Jesus in the Unity of his Spirit, which p. 292is the Center, and Circle of all Blessed Spirits, with all the Train, and Treasures of the Divine Nature. While thou livest, all the Body of Christ, Heavenly Spirits, Innumerable Angels live with thee thy life. All these, all the Lights, and Loves of the Supercoelestial State die with thee thy Death.

4. Pos. All this Resurrection, Ascension into the Heavenly places, Fellowship of a Believer with Christ is in Christ. He hath raised us together, and hath made us sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus. See now those places above the Heavens, those more than Heavenly Things in the midst of which a Saint is set. They are all in the glorified Person of Christ, who is made higher than the Heavens.

The Learned tell us, that there are three Worlds. 1. This, which is visible. 2. The Angelical World. 3. The Divine World. All things of the upper, and greater Worlds are in the lower, as in the Seed. All Things of the lower are in the Superiour, as ripe Fruit. Every thing is in each according to the nature of that place. Behold! This is the Divine World the Person of our Lord, and Love ascended up on high above all Heavens of Angels. Here in him the Fulness of the God-Head dwelleth Bodily; that is, not shadowily, or seminally; in its Shadow, or Seed; but in its Substance, and Perfection. While here thou standest fast in this thy Jesus, thine own proper habitation, Death itself is an Angel; nay more, it appeareth in a Divine Form, is become a Divine Glory, a rich and ravishing piece of variety in the Unity of the Divine Nature. In the World of Angels every thing is a distinct Angel. In the Divine World all things are cloathed with the form of God.

As a Child lying in its Mothers lap, a branch from the Mother bearing her Image, with its mouth at the Breast, looking upon her Face, falling asleep in her Bosom; yet not so sleeping, but that still it sucketh as it sleepeth: such is a Saint dying in Jesus Christ. He lieth in the lap of the Supream Glory encompassing him on every side, and bearing him, as its own Birth, and Image. His mouth is at the breast of this Glory. His Eye is upon the Face of this Glory. He sleepeth in its Bosom. But it is a Divine sleep. While he sleepeth, he is awake, and keepeth his Eye still upon the Glory, and sucketh in the Glory still in Death. We have this excellently represented in one place by the Prophet Esay, where the Heavenly Hierusalem, (which is our Jesus in the Spirit,) is said to bear her Children on her sides, and to dandle them on her Knee. In another place they are said, to walk in the Light of the new Hierusalem These Dandlings, and Dancings in the Arms of that Glory, which is our Mother, our Father, and our Husband, our Heavenly Jesus; such walks in its sweet, and living Light are all the Motions, and Changes of Life, and Death to those, that are in Christ Jesus.

I shall conclude my Observations from this Scripture with the difference between the Death of a Man standing in the Root of the First Adam, and a Christian in Christ. Death to one is a Poyson. In eating of the Forbidden p. 293Fruit he dieth out of the Earthly Paradise yet remaining in its ruines in this World into a Land of Briars, and Thorns, into a vast, and howling Wilderness, where the Light is Darkness, and where there is no Order. The Death of the other is a Cordial of dissolved Pearl. In eating of the Tree of Life he … out of a Land of Briars, and Thorns into a Heavenly Paradise, the Paradise of God. I have done now with the first Scripture.

2. Script. Verily, verily I say unto you, except a Corn of Wheat fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much Fruit John 12. 24. These are the words of our Saviour concerning himself upon a report made to him hy Philip, that some Greeks desired to see him. The design of Jesus is partly to raise them from a Carnal view of him on Earth to a Spiritual sight of him in a Heavenly Glory after Death, partly to signify the difference between his State of humiliation in this Life, where he is single and Barren in the Flesh; and his State of exaltation after Death, where he …iseth up an Universal Person reconciling, comprehending All in the Unity of the Spirit; a Fruitful Person being a new head, and root in the Love, Life, and Glory of the Father to all Mankind, Jews, and Gentiles; to all Creatures.

Our Saviour, while he lived, was, as a single, naked grain of Wheat. But when he sprung up out of the Grave, he became a pleasant, and flourishing Plant bearing much Fruit, many grains of Wheat in one Ear; many, all Persons, all Angels, and Spirits in Glory, in that one, his own Person, and Spirit. He was in the Flesh, as one Rose, one Apple pull'd off the Tree. He is in the Spirit, as the Rose-Tree, the Apple-Tree. All Angels and Saints, all Forms of Things are glorified in his Glory; all in Heavenly, and Immortal Persons are in his Heavenly Person, as full-blown Roses growing upon the Rose-Tree, as full-ripe Apples upon the Apple-Tree.

The Death of a Saint is upon this ground made most beautiful, and pleasant; Can. 2. 3. As the Apple-Tree among the Trees of the Wood; so is my Beloved among the Sons. I sat down under his Shadow with great delight, and his Fruit was sweet to my taste. There are three distinct parts in the Hebrew; 1. I desired, and sweetly delighted in his Shadow. 2. Then I sate down. 3. And his Fruit was sweet to my taste. The Apple in Holy Scriptures and in the writings of Learned Authors is famous for a pleasant Cordial nourishment of Life; and for an Emblem of Love. You may see this in this Chapter. v. 5. Stay me with Flagons, comfort me with Apples; for I am sick of Love. Apples are Emblems of Love for their pleasant looks to the Eye, their fragrant smell, their delightful tast, their cordial vertue, their round form, which is a Figure of Unity, the Root and Sap, and Fruit of all Love.

In the midst of the Wood of this Life, where all Forms of things are like blasted, and barren Trees, good neither for Shade, nor Fruit, Jesus Christ standeth, as an Apple-Tree, a Tree of Life, and a Tree of Love, Fair, Flourishing and Fruitful.

p. 294When the poor Spouse of Christ thorow all this Life is wearied with scorching Heats, sounding Tempests, raging Storms, then her Beloved, when He seeth His Fit Time, springeth up, as a Paradisical, and Heavenly Tree. As He springeth up, He overshadoweth His Spouse; not, as a cloud overshadoweth the Sun, or as Darkness in the absence of the Sun overshadoweth the earth; but as the approaching, and rising Sun overshadoweth the Stars. So the Lord, as a Tree of Glory spreadeth His Shadow over all those Lights of the Night, the Principles, Powers, Activities; Appearances o… the Natural Man; drinking them up into One Light of Glory, and Immortality with Himself, while He drowneth them, with a Sea of Love breaking in upon them, and overflowing them. How sweet is this Approaching Shadow of her Lord's Blessed Person to the Love-sick Soul? a Shadow perfumed with the Ointments of His Love; shining with the purple Lustre of His Beauties; quickened with the Life of His Glories; a Divine Shadow? With what Desire, with what Delight doth the Holy Soul go under this Shadow? How precious in the Eye of God, of all the Angels, of a Saint Himself, is This Death? This Death is no Evening to a pleasant Day; but a Lovely Morning, and glorious Sun putting out the Lights of the Moon, with all the Sars, because the Time of the Night is past, and the Day is come. Never did the softest, and sweetest Sleep … with more pleasure upon the Senses of any Person; than this Shadow of Death cometh upon the Heavenly Bride.

Here a Saint sitteth down. As Hee entreth into this Shadow, he entreth into Rest, into the Un…ty of God, where He resteth for ever from his own Work, and Spirit, to lye down in the Eternal Spirit.

Now he cat…h of his own Apple upon this Apple-Tree. He meeteth with Himself in Glory in the Glorified Person of his Beloved, as the ripe Fruit of Life and Love hanging ready upon its own Tree in Eternity. In the same moment he seeth it, he taketh it in, he rellisheth it with unexpressible sweetness, and delight, as being Great, Glorious, His own by the nearest, dearest Suitableness, and propriety; Himself in the Entirest Unity; in the same Moment he seedeth upon it, is Transubstantiated into it and becometh that Lovely Apple that full-ripe Fruit of …ove upon the Tree. As he thus seedeth upon his own Apple, and is changed into it, at once he seedeth upon, is changed into all the Apples of the Tree, and the whole Tree itself. For this is the Divine Mystery of Spiritual P…an…s in the Heave…ly Paradise; each Fruit, each part of the Pl…nt comprehendeth the whole P…ant; all the Plants stand, live, and grow together in each Plant. Every Person a…d Spirit in Glory hath its own Name, & all Names written upon it. It is itself an Entire Heaven, in which all the Heavenly Inhabitants shine, and sing, and dance together with their various Beauties, Musicks, and Motions cast into the most Divine Harmony by a most perfect Unity.

3. Script. Iohn 14. v. 2. 3. In my Father's h…use are many Mansions. If it … I would have t…ld you. I go, to prepare a place for …. And if I goe p. 295and prepare a place for you; I will come again; …nd receive you unto my self; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Three Mysteries are opened to us in these words; 1. The Place of Blessed Persons after this Life.

2. The Preparation of this Place.

3. Their Passage into this Place. All are full of a Joy glorious, and unspeakable.

1. The Place of Blessed Spirits after this Life. It is, saith Christ, my Father's House. The House of the Father is the Glorified-Person of His Son. This is the Temple of God in Heaven, the Palace of the great King. In Him the fulness of the God-Head dwelleth bodily. All glorious Persons, Angels, Saints, and Spirits, as they are comprehended in the Person of Christ, and make up His Body, the Divine Body, the Body of Glories, and Eternity in Him, as they are Beautiful Members in that Body, so are they Mansions in that Temple, Apartments in that Palace: Every Apartement in this Divine Palace hath the whole Palace, with all the Persons, Prospects, Furniture, Entertainments of the whole within itself. This is the Place.

2. The Preparation of this Place. I go to prepare a place for you. While this Palace of Eternity with all its Apartments, which are also its Inhabitants the Glorified, and Immortal Persons of all Saints, stood in the Father, in the Divine Nature alone; it was hid from the Eye of every Creature, it was shut up, that none could enter into it, it was remote from every Creature at a very great distance. The Lord Jesus by His Death, and Resurrection entring with the Humane Nature into this Eternal Habitation, hath set it up in the Nature of Man, hath brought it near to us, hath set it in our view, hath set it open for us. The Gates of this Temple, of this Heavenly Hierusalem stand open day, and night to all quarters of the Heaven, and the Earth. All the Apartements of it with our several Names written upon them, our several Persons in Glory appearing in them, stand ready. The Lord Jesus Himself is the Beautiful Gate, the Living Way, the Ascent, the rich Stair-case to this Temple. The Angels are continually descending in Him as Chariots, to bring down riding upon them our glorious Saviour, and our glorious Selves into the Bosom of our Spirits here below. The Bridegroom, and the Bride ready trimm'd, and already joyned in One, come thus down out of Heaven, come thus forth from the Temple. The Angels are continually ascending by this Stair-case carrying up our Spirits beforehand on visits into this Palace, into our own Apartments, into the Bosom of our own Glorified, and Immortal Substances there. Every Grace, every Providence, every Motion of things, to him whose Eyes are opened, is such an Angel such a chariot of Angels with these Persons riding in it.

3. The Passage into this Place. I will come unto you, and take you unto my self, that where I am, there ye may be also. There are three Steps of Christ's Coming to us in Glory; 1. Into our whole Spirits by Regeneration; 2. Into our p. 296whole Souls at death. 3. Into our whole Persons, Spirit, Soul and Body at the Resurrection. By every step he maketh a mutual Union, so far as he goeth. He cometh to us; He taketh us to himself, that we may be both together in one place, in one Spirit. He letteth himself down in his Heavenly Palace into us; he taketh us up into the Heavenly Palace in himself; he maketh our Persons a Heavenly Palace like his glorified Person, and one with it.

This is our passage in Death into Glory. Of old God descended upon the Tabernacle in a Cloud, & the Glory was in the Cloud. Then Moses was summoned to enter into the Cloud, and so into the Glory; where God talked with him. In latter times the most excellent Majesty in a …. Cloud overshadowed the Lord Jesus, and in overshadowing him transfigured him, then in the transfiguration talked to him of his Sonship to the Father, and of Love. In like manner at the set time the Lord Jesus, as a living Temple of Heavenly Glory, cometh down upon thee in a white Cloud of some Love-storm, or Love-sickness. I call it a Lovesickness, because it ariseth at once from the Love of the Spirit of the Bride in thee, and from the Love of thy Bridegroom to thee; from the longings, and burning desires of both after the immediate, perpetual, and full enjoyments of each other: As thou entrest into this Cloud, and art overshadowed by it, thou art in a moment, at the same time taken into that Palace of Glory, and transfigured into the Glory of that Pallace. There thou appearest to be the Son of God, the Spouse of the Immortal King. God speaketh to thee, converseth with thee, as a Son, and Spouse in one. He seeth the Figure of his own Beauties in thy Face; and his Heart resteth in thy Bosom. He seeth, and enjoyeth thy Person, as springing up eternally with incomprehensible Pleasures out of the Root of his own Divine Loveliness; he feeleth, and rellisheth thy Spirit, as the flowing of his own sweetnesses from their own Fountain in himself; he poureth forth himself in a flood of Beauties, and Sweetnesses into thee, All his Loves rest in thy Love, and he in thee.

4. Script. I am now come to the last Scripture. For we know, that if our Earthly House of this Tabernacle be dissolved, we have a Building of God, an House not made with hands, Eternal in the Heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our House, which is from Heaven. If so he, that being cloathed, we shall not be found naked. For we, that are in this Tabernacle do groan, being burthened; not that we would be uncloathed, but cloathed upon, that Mortality might be swallowed up of Life. Now he, that hath wrought us for this self-same thing is God, who hath also given us the Earnest of the Spirit. 2 Cor. 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

This is a rich, and deep Scripture. What expressions of Death are those? How full of Joy? Not to be found naked? Naked of any support, or comfort? Of any cloathing of Being, or Beauty; Essence, or Substance; Form, or Fulness, in Person, or Relations? Not to be uncloathed? Of any Garment of Light, or Life? To be cloathed upon with an House from Heaven? To have p. 297the Lord Jesus, as a circling Glory coming down upon this Image, in which we now dwell, neither taking away the Nature, nor Form of any thing, that here we are, or have, but taking up all as sacred Mysteries into a Temple of Glory, giving them a place for ever in this Temple, penetrating, filling, and cloathing them the Glory? To have Mortality swallowed up of Life? To lose none of the things, or entertainments, which here we enjoy in this mortal state, but the mortality of them only, and that not by Death breaking them down with violence, but by the sweet breakings in of Life, and Immortality upon them; not by a blackness of Darkness dreadfully over-spreading them, but a brightness of Eternal Glory delightfully rising upon them, like the Sun upon the beautiful Forms of Heaven, and Earth, after they have weakly appeared in the melancholy Beams of the Moon shining faintly in the shade of the Night. And He that hath wrought us for the Self-same Thing, is God. It is a Divine Hand, and Skill, which hath framed, and fashioned us to this capacity. It is God, who by his own operations in us, not mediately, as in t…e works of Nature, but immediately, as in all works of Grace, and Glory, hath wrought out this Spiritual, and Divine Being, this Spiritual, and Divine Nature in us, which never dyeth, but is changed from Glory to Glory; which in Death putteth off nothing, but putteth on a greater, and purer Light upon its weaker Lights, and Shades; piercing thorow, and breaking up delusive Shapes formed out of the Darkness of remaining night by stronger Beams of Glory falling from above. Who hath also given us the Earnest of his Spirit. An Earnest is part of the Sum in present, and an assurance of the rest. God doth not only frame a Spiritual work, like a new Heaven in us, but giveth us the Person of his Spirit himself, in which the Persons of the Father, and the Son are seen together unvailed in their Union, and Communion of Beauties, and Loves; in the unity of which all Angels and Blessed Spirits dwell together, as their proper Center, and Circle. This Spirit God giveth to be in the Spiritual Nature framed by himself in us, as a new Sun in the new Heaven. This Spirit in us is the Earnest of our Death; a foretast of its Sweetness, and Delights; a vision in part beforehand of the manner of our dying; and an assurance of the compleating of its season after the same Beautiful, and pleasant Image. As at the first Effusion of the Spirit upon us, or any new Effusion; as at any Act of the Spirit, when he shineth our freshly in us; this Natural Image of Things is no more; a Light of Glory, Forms of Glory Immortal Spirits full of a Divine Beauty, and Majesty appear every where. They are alone, and there is nothing besides in the whole space of Things above, or below, past, present, or to come. As they are, so are we. All Things are one Vision of Divine Glory. Neither do we perceive, how one Image of Things goeth, and another cometh. Both are done; one is come, the other is gone in the same moment, in the twinkling, or cast of an Eye. So is Death. This is the Earnest of our Death. This is a step of Death; a foretast of it. So shall Death he perfected us.

p. 298I have three Observations to make upon this Scripture besides that, which I have already said in order to my present purpose; to shew how the knowledge of Christ in Glory sanctifieth, and sweetneth Death.

1. Obser. Here are three distinct Frames. 1. A Building. v. 1. 2. A Tabernacle. v. 1. v. 4. Where take notice, that in both places it is translated this Tabernacle; but is in Greek, the Tabernacle. 3. The Earthly House. v. 1.

This seemeth to allude to the Temple, which was a standing, stately Building set up by Solomon in the Kingdom of the Jews; to the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, which was less, and moveable but rich and …ine for the Workmanship, and for the Materials; to the Tent of course stuff, a covering …or the Tabernacle. All these were Figures of Christ, and his Church, to which they are also applied.

1. The Heavenly Person of Christ, as it standeth in the high and holy place of Eternity; as it springeth up out of the Bosom of the Father, and abideth in his Bosom; as it is one Spirit, and one Glory with the Father, is the Temple, the Building. For the Building hath this Three-fold Character; 1. It is of God, in Greek out of God, as Gold is out of a Mine of Gold. 2. It is Eternal; 3. It is in the Heavens.

The Glorified Person of every Saint, as it is comprehended in this Glorious Head of all Saints, is a Temple, a Building in Heaven, in Eternity, of the same manner, and fashion.

2. The Tabernacle made of Sky-colour, of Scarlet, of Purple, of fine Linnen, with Silver, and Gold, and all manner of precious stones, wrought with Cherubims, and all curious Workmanship, is the Image of God in Christ, and a Saint here below in the Wilderness of this World. John 1. 14. And the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt (in Greek Tabernacled) among us, and we beheld his Glory, the Glory, as of the onelyonly Begotten Son of God; full of Grace, and Truth. Here you have the Temple, which is higher, greater in compass, and more glorious than the Heavens, contracting itself into a Tabernacle, and residing in that Tabernacle, filling it with its own Sweetnesses and Glories, which are Grace, opposed to Wrath, Truth opposed to Shadows. The Word was made Flesh. The Eternal, and Substantial Image of God, which is the Temple, the true Heaven brought forth itself into a Temporary, and Shadowy Image, which is the Tabernacle, and the Paradise of the whole Creation. As it is in the Lord Jesus, so is it in his Spouse, who is the Fulness of him that silleth All in All. This vile Body in which a Saint is here; this dark, and course Form, with which our Souls, and Bodies are cloathed here, is the Tent, that covereth the Tabernacle; the Earthly House of the Tabernacle.

2. Obser. The Effect of Death is different in these Three.

1. The Tent, the Earthly House onelyonly is dissolved. It is dissolved, and no more. It is taken to pieces. The Word belongeth to the taking down of a house; or the taking of Horses out of the Coach, and setting them up in a stable at an Inn, p. 299when the day, and the Journey are ended. The Dark, and Narrow Form, which made it a Vile Body, a Body of Death, is lost. The Materials are laid up in the Tabernacle.

2. The Tabernacle is taken into the Temple. This is that, which shall be cloathed upon from Heaven, v. 2. If so be, that being cloathed, (or, as it is in Greek, if having been cloathed, namely with the Tabernacle) we shall not be found naked (of the Tabernacle in Death,) v. 3. So it is explained in the words following; For we, that are in the Tabernacle do groan being burthened: not that we should be uncloathed (of the Tabernacle;) but cloathed upon, that Mortality might be swallowed up of Life; (that the Form of Mortality might be lost for ever in Immortality, and the Mortal Things continue being now become Immortal.)

When thou puttest on Jesus Christ, thou puttest on that Image of Grace, and Nature, in which Para…ise is revived, and heightned, in which is contained all that is good, fair, and pleasant thorow the whole Creation quickned with a new Sun-shine from on high. This thou puttest on in thy Natural Man. This thou shalt never put off, after that thou hast once been cloathed with it. It is still cloathed upon with a higher and higher Glory from Heaven; until in Death the Glorified Body of Christ come down entirely upon it in the fulness of all its Divine Beauties.

3. The Eternal Building in Heaven, thy Glorified Person, which was hither to hid in God, with, and in the Glorified Person of thy Saviour now cometh down, cloatheth thee entirely, resteth openly upon thee, never to go off from thy Tabernacle more.

3. Observ. See the beautiful, and sweet manner of Dying. Death is expressed in Two Representations; 1. A Dissolution; 2. A Deluge; a Swallowing up.

4. Death is a Dissolution. If our earthly house of this Tabernacle be dissolved; v. 1. A Troop of everblessed Spirits united by Eternal Love into one Form of Glory make the Heavenly Body of thy Beloved. In the same Form, and yet another, they make thy Heavenly Body, and Person in the Bosom of thy Bridegroom, O Believer! These descending are by the sacred knot of this dark, and narrow Form in Nature tied together into One Mortal Person; in which they are the Shadow of themselves; and tied down to the Earth to stand their Tryal in the midst of all sorts of Temptations.

Thus they continue, till they have finished the Mystery of God, and compleated the Figure of Divine Things in their Persons here below. Then, when the set Time is come according to the Laws of that Eternal Harmony in the Nature of God, which is the Supream Love, Beauty, and Wisdom, all in One; they dye after this manner.

That Troop of glorious Spirits, which is Thy-Self above come down upon Themselves, Thy Self imprisoned in their Shadow below. As the Fire of God, they touch with some Mysterious Stroak of Providence the knot of this Earthly p. 300Form; Immediately it untieth, and is dissolved. Now all these Spirits thus set free retaining the Unchangeable Unity of thy Person return, Each to Itself in the Liberty, Beauty, Joy, and Glorious Majesty of its proper Substance, and Its own, Its First Heavenly State. Yea, they are already there in their Building Eternal in the Heavens. This Eternal Building, these Heavens come down upon them, to cloath them from above; that in no one moment they may be found naked, At once they spring up out of the Earth, they come down out of Heaven, and meet, and kiss each other, and fall into One with a Wonderful Shout, a Triumphant Concurrence of all Blessed Spirits in the Perfect Freedom of all their Joys, and Glories. They fall into One, because they are One, and this One is Thy self. In an Instant, the Twinkling of an Eye, the Living Word cometh to them, the knot of Nature is dissolved, all fly, this knot, the Figure itself, the Shadow, like Doves to their Windows, like a Court to their several Mansions in the same Palace; So they fly into the Bosom of their proper Substances; where Thou art the same Person in Truth, at Liberty, and awake which thou wert in Show, in Captivity, in a Dream here below. Thou art the Unity, in which all these Spirits with the unsearchable Riches of their several Varieties ever centred, and dwelt together, as One, once shut up in darkness, and in a narrow place; but now displaying all their Beauties, unfolding all their Joys to the full. O how are the Beauties, and Pleasures of thy Death, O Saint, far beyond all those of Marriage, and of Children. How doest thou in that moment meet, and marry thy self in all the flourishing Glories, with all the warm and fresh Loves of the Divine Nature? How doest thou bring forth a Troop of Divine Spirits in thine own Form, and Person to be ever before thee, bred up, and Living with thee, rejoycing in thee, the Delight of thine Eyes, and the Jewels of thy Bosom, the pleasure of thine Embraces day by day!

This is the first Representation of Death by a Dissolution.

2. Death is a Deluge; that Mortality might be swallowed up of Life, 2. Cor. 5. v. 4. It is in Greek; that the, or, this Mortal may be swallowed up of Life. Life in the Abstract, in its Purity, and Perfection without any Mixture, or Allay is Immortality, Eternity, Christ, and God. As God is Light, in which there is no Darkness: so God is Light, in which there is nothing of its contrary, neither in act, nor in possibility; no Death, nor Shadow of Death. The Mortal is that, which is capable of Dying in a Saint with the Principles of Corruption, and Power of Death adhering to it.

See the Glory, the Might of this Glory, the Extent of it in the Death of a Saint. Life Itself in its own Divine Essence, as a Divine Substance, no more an Accident, in the Purity of all Its Sweetnesses, in the Perfection of all Its Powers, as it reigneth upon the Throne of Eternity, breaketh forth upon the Person of a Saint, upon all His Powers, and Parts, the lowest, the darkest, the most Mortal. As It breaketh forth, It drinketh up all together with the Shadow of Death Itself encompassing them into itself.

p. 301Mortal Things are Shadows of Immortal; that is, Figures in the Dark. But the Darkness also is Part of the Figure. The Life of pure Nature is an Image-Life a Shadowy Life. The Darkness swallowing up the Figure, and defacing the Shadow is a Natural Death. The Devil lurking in the Dark Part, as in His Den, from thence coming forth into the Figure is the Life of Sin. When a Sinner dieth, the Devil in the Darkness of the Shadow, Divine Wrath thorow the Devil swallow up the Darkness, Image, and all into themselves.

But at the new Birth of a Saint, the Eternal Life, and Substance awakeneth itself in the Shadow, liveth, and weareth that Darkness, as a Divine Vail upon Its Beauties too bright to appear nakedly on Earth. It acteth that Figure, as a Picture with the Life in it; looking forth through, and springing through it, as a Flower thorow the Lattices and the Windows. Then when the time of Harvest, and the Singing of Birds is come; this Eternal Life drinketh up All into its own unmixt, unfading Light. Thus a Saint dieth.

As sometimes the Sea sendeth forth an Island, which after sometimes it again swalloweth up: so is the Life, and Death of a good Man in His Mortal Part. He riseth up like an Island from the unfathomable, and glorious Depths of a Divine Sea, the Sea of Eternal Life and Love. He standeth rooted in this Sea, and encompassed with It on every side. So He lives. Again He sinketh down into the Blessed Depths, out of which He arose. So He dieth.

Elijah laid His Sacrifice with a pile of wood upon the Altar. He digged Trenches round about the Altar, which he filled with Water, till it ran over. Then he called upon the Name of the God of Israel. Immediately a Fire descended from Heaven, which licked up all the Water, consumed the Sacrifice with the Wood upon the Altar.

The Altar is our Jesus filling the Earth, as well as the Heavens. The Saint in his Divine Part is the Sacrifice upon the Altar, in Union with Christ. The Wood is the Mortal Part of a Saint, which also lyeth upon the Altar of Christ's glorified Person, The low estate of a Saint in Flesh with all his Sufferings, and Sorrows, all the Powers of Darkness, and Death, make the Trenches full of Waters round about Him: At length the Divine Sea from below, when It hath fulfilled the Days of Its Pilgrimage, and Imprisonment, calleth to Its Father above. Then in a moment the Lord Jesus in His Glorified Body, as a Flame of Immortal Love and Life cometh down from Heaven upon this Saint, drinketh up at once the Sacrifice; the Wood, the Waters, and All into One Flame with itself. Nothing remaineth, but the Altar, and the Trenches; the Place, where they had been; the Double Image in which they had appeared; a Light-Image Beautiful, and Pleasant in the Spirits of Light; a Dark-Image in Dark Spirits. Both these by degrees vanish into their several Elements of Light, and Darkness.

I have done with my first Principle in the second Part of my present use which is to sweeten, and sanctify Death by the Spiritual Knowledge of our Lord, p. 302Jesus. The first Principle was this: A Saint is compleat above in the Glorified Body of Jesus Christ; while he is living, or dying here below.

2. Principle: The Glorified Person of our Saviour with all its Divine Fulness dwelleth Spiritually in the Natural Body of each Saint on Earth. Our fleshly Members are the Members of Christ in Heaven, 1 Corin. 6. 15. The riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the Hope of Glory, Col. 1. 27. As the Essential Form of a Plant with all its proportions, and perfections lieth inclosed in the Seed, which by the breaking of the Seed, displayeth itself upon it, and transfigureth the Seed; so is the Natural Body of each Believer a Seed; so is Jesus Christ the Hope of Glory, a Body of Glory to that Seed, and dwelleth inclosed in it, until the Spring of Death.

The Natural Body is called a Body of Death, Rom. 7. 24. We are said to wait for the Adoption, or Sonship, the Redemption of the Body, Rom. 8. 23. These two Bodies cannot be the same. One is a Redeemed Body; a Body of Adoption, or Sonship. This is, as St. Paul speaketh before, a Body brought forth into the Liberty of the Glory of a Son of God. The other is a Body of Death. St. Paul cryeth out against one: Who shall deliver me from this Body of Death? St. Paul groaneth, and waiteth for the Redemption of the other, as a Son of God. One is the Oppressour; the other is oppressed. One is a Grave, and Death; the other is a Divine Life, a Form of Glory, a Son of God in the Valley of the shadow of Death in the Grave.

As a Sun at night casting up its Cloud, and foretelling a fair day: so is the Death of a Saint; the Glorified Body of a Saint being one Spirit with the Glorified Body of his Beloved, casteth up the Cloud of this Natural Body, which had lien, as the Cloud of Death upon it, and now immediately maketh a …air, and Heavenly Day without the interposal, or succession of any Night. The Glorified Body of Christ, and his Bride are hid under this Body o… Flesh, like the Sun under a thick Mist. It is long glowing. and casting glympses of itself thorow the Mist. The Mist groweth thinner. The heat and light of Divine Love, Beauty, and Joy groweth stronger. At last the Mist is quite gone, drunk up into the Sun. The Sun shineth out with open Face, and the Freedom of all its Beams.

3. Prince. That which this Body is to a Saint here, that his Glorified Jesus is to …im in Death. We take pleasure rather to be absent from the Body, and present with the Lord, saith St. Paul 2 Corin. 5. 8. These words Absent, Present, relate in Greek, to a Country, a People. Such a presence as the Soul hath with the Body in Lie: it hath with its Lord, and Love in Death. Here thy Body is the Country, the Region of thy Soul. Thy Body is the Image, into which thy Soul is formed, in which alone it appeareth to itself, or others. All thy Relations, Companions, Contentments are Images presented unto thee in this Glass, and Impressions made upon thee by the Images appearing in this Glass. All this World is nothing to thee, but as it is an Appearance rising up in thy Body, which by p. 303vertue of the Personal Union raiseth a suitable Act of Life in thy Soul. All this World to thee is only a diversity of Forms, into which it is varied, and a diversity of Impressions made upon thy Soul by this variety of Forms.

In Death this Glass is broken, this Image vanisheth, this Country disappeareth like an Enchantment. Thy Glorified Jesus cometh in the place of this Body, and is a Heavenly, a Divine Body to thee. Thy Glorified Jesus is that Beautiful, Pure, and Immortal Form, in which thou appearest to thy self, and to all. Thy Relations, Companions, Entertainments are the Glorified Person of thy Jesus varied into Innumerable Forms of Love, Light, and Loveliness. All thy Motions, Affections, and Pleasures are in Sympathy, and Consort with thy Jesus by vertue of the mystical, and unexpressible Union between thee, and him. All acts of Life in thee, all Touches upon thy Spirit are the kisses of his Divine Mouth, Myrrhe dropping from those Lillies of the Heavenly Paradise, his Lips. This is thy Country, thy People, thy World, the Fulness of the God-Head dwelling bodily in Christ. Spring for joy O dying Saint! The World, thy Country, thine own People, the Body into which thou now comest, is the Fulness of all Divine Light, Divine Life, the Fulness of all Divine Forms, Loves, Joys, and Glories dwelling together with the Fulness of a Divine Harmony in the Glorified Body of thy Beloved. This hath drunk up into itself thy former Body with all its acquaintances, and entertainments, the former world with all its furniture.