Practical Divinity, Sermon 2
BEloved freinds, that I intend to ſpeake unto you at this preſent, ſhall be from the word of God, in the 6 of Cant. 9 verſe.
My Dove my undefiled is but one, ſhe is the only one of her mother, ſhe is the choice one of her that bare her.
That which I ſhall ſpeake to you at this time, ſhalbe only from the firſt words, My Dove my undefiled is but one.
There is not much dependance of theſe words on the foregoing words, but ſo much dependance there is, that as you may ſee in the former words, that the Daughters of Jeruſalem enquire of the Spouſe of Chriſt where her beloved is, ſhe had ſo ſet him out and expreſſed her ardent affection to him, that they begin to wonder & deſire to ſee what a one her beloved was, becauſe ſhe was ſo raviſhed with him, ſay they in the firſt verſe, whether is thy beloved gone, oh thou faireſt among women, whether is thy beloved turned aſide that we may ſeek him with thee? ſhe anſwers them in the next verſes, My beloved is gon downe into his Garden, to the beds of ſpices, to feed in the Gardens and gather Lillyes. And I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine, he feedeth among the Lillies. And then Chriſt in the next words begins to diſcribe and ſet out what his Spouſe is, and anotomizes her in all her portracture and beauties, not only how beutifull ſhe is to him and amiable through his beuty put upon her, but alſo how fruitfull his Spouſe is in the enjoying her beloved that ther's not one barren among them, ſo amiable every way that Chriſt was raviſhed with her beuty, therefore (ſaith he) turne away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me.
But then this diſcription might breed this objection, are all ſo beutifull and comly? are all ſo fruitfull that there it not on barren amongſt them; they are ſeverall and of ſeverall tempers and judgements, nether do they all appeare ſo fruitfull as he deſcribes? he anſwers all in this ninth verſe My Dove my undefiled is but one, All Saints in Chriſt are but one; men of the world, and poore Saints, weak Saints, that ſee not their priviledges by Chriſt, they are ready to ſay how can this be, that the Spouſe of Chriſt is ſo beutifull ſo fruitfull, they ſee it otherwiſe, they can ſee no beuty in them, they bring forth but little weake and poore fruit, here is ſome of this way and ſome of that fellowſhip, ſome of this Judgement and ſome of that, ſome are in a Church way and ſome are not, ſome are Congregated and ſome are uncongregated, I but for all that, though among themſelves they be divers, yet in Chriſt they are but one; You, 'tis true, make a difference but that ſhould not be, This is but the folly and weakneſſe of men, but ſee and looke upon them as they are in Chriſt, and you ſhall ſee they are one to him, as they are in him and live with him and in him, they are fruitfull, though not as they are in themſelves. The points that I apprehend theſe words hold forth are theſe.
1 Doct. That Chriſts Church is Chriſts Dove,
2 D. Chriſts Church is Chriſts undefiled Dove,
3 Doct. That Chriſts Church or Chriſts Dove is not divided but is one and united.
Now for the firſt of theſe, if you aske why Chriſts Church is called Chriſts Dove: I conceive for preſent 'tis in two regards, firſt in regard of their Priviledges, how much they are tendred by him: and ſecondly in regard they are made glorious and amiable by him. 1. Conſidering how precious they are to him, what affections he hath let out to them, the deareſt loves and the very heart of Chriſt runnes out to them, ſingly, ſolely, nothing that is in the very bowells and heart of Chriſt, is too good, too deare for them; there's nothing in Chriſt but is there laid up, kept and preſerved for a Saints treaſure; all the choice loves of God, the choiceſt life of God is treaſured up in Chriſt for his Saints; and when once they have forſaken themſelves, then to be enjoyed by them, and delighted in for ever; he thinkes nothing too good for his Spouſe: he hath not only filled himſelfe for them, but emptyed himſelfe for them, poured out his own bloud, his owne life, his owne glory to ſave them, to inrich them.
Chriſt ſhewes how precious they are to him, firſt in regard of the place where he layes a ſaint, that is, in his very boſome, in his very heart; not only in his common providence, but in his very heart, he never leaves a ſaint, till he bring it from ſtep to ſtep by degrees into himſelfe; that the ſoule is ſo lapt up in him, that he hath made it one with himſelfe. And that ſoule that is acquainted with this life knowes this, and none elſe; others know not what it means, I was (ſayes he) a ſlave under the Law, and it tyrannized over me; many a hard leſſon, and many a hard task I had ſet me, and many a bitter ſtripe; and hee in bowells of loves came and freed me, he redeemed me from that tyrannie; I was under the killing letter which threatned nothing but death and hell, and now I have found his loves in ſetting me at liberty; and now I can read his loves in every line, in all his proceedings, and theſe are, I ſay, ſuch loves that none can prize, but thoſe that have them, read, ſeene, and felt them in them. This is a Saints portion peculiarly to live with Chriſt, to live of Chriſt, to live in him. 'Tis the worlds portion to live under life, and not injoy life, but a ſaint lives in life; life and he are one; they are brought by Chriſt into the very overflowings of loves, they live in the very ſtreams of loves, compaſſed about with loves; Chriſt comes to them continually, ſups with them, wraps them up in admiration of himſelfe, and fills them with divine loves.
Secondly, Chriſt declares how precious ſaints are to him, by taking all advantages to do them good, by ſin, by ſorrowes, by ſufferings, by afflictions, by life, by death, every way; none of all theſe but Chriſt makes them advantages and helps to them. When they wraſtle with ſin, it would be too hard for a ſaint if Chriſt did not help them, and ſin would get the advantage over them; ſhould Chriſt but leave us in a temptation, we were undone, but Chriſt comes with a conquering unreſiſtable power, & reſcues us from ſin, and brings us over to the loves of himſelfe.
So alſo in affliction, the ſaints they moyle and toyle, and are even worne out in it, that they know not what to do, that they are ready to give out, and lay downe all, then Chriſt he comes in and ſupports, and puts under his hand to ſtay the ſoule from ſinking; when our own ſtrength is done, then Chriſt comes in; nay, we many times wraſtle our ſelves into great ſtraits; Chriſt comes now and releaſes us; that when we loſe our ſelves, he gaines us, and wraſtles us into his owne loves and glory; he raviſhes us with his loves, and then alſo is he raviſhed with our loves as you ſee in this chapter.
Secondly, they are made glorious by him, and with him, as David ſaith,Pſ. 68.13. They are like the wings of a Dove covered with ſilver, and her feathers like yellow gold, 'tis a metaphor, you muſt conceive taken from very pleaſant and glorious coloured Doves, to ſet out how Chriſt beautifies, and makes his ſaint glorious and amiable. The very ſame glory that is on Chriſt, is on a ſaint; Chriſt and a ſaint have not two different lives, two different glories; but both one and the ſame, ſayes the Apoſtle,1 Ioh 4.17. As he is, ſo are wee in this world. Brethren, the life of a ſaint is a miſterie, Chriſt and they live in the injoyments each of other, the life of a ſaint is internall.
Surely friends, let me tell you, 'tis not knowne by partaking of fellowſhips and ordinances, although wee ought to partake of them, and hold them forth to the world, but the beauty of the life of Chriſts conſiſts in the injoyment of Chriſts loves; ſo that the ſoule, is therein centred and ſatisfied, as it is expreſſed 17.Ioh. 17.23. Ioh. Thou in me, and I in them, and they in me, that they may be made perfect in one. All ſaints they are beloved with the ſame loves that the Father loves the Sonne, the ſame riches, the ſame life, the ſame love, the ſame glory is beſtowed on them.Eph. 11.3. We are now in this life, ſet in heavenly places in Chriſt, many thinke they ſhall have this life hereafter, when they ſhall come to heaven: but thoſe that live this life, they are in heaven here, and ſit now in heavenly places; and herein is the great miſtake among Profeſſours, they do not live in and with Chriſt here; they uſe ordinances, and hold forth a profeſſion and here reſt; but for this heavenly life, this intimate uniting life, they looke not after it, they expect it not, they know it not, they live it not. Oh brethren! did you but know this life in experience, you would never reſt till you were in it, and were comprehended by it, (for I pray mark) that this life muſt comprehend you, and not you it; you do not know, beloved, what manner of men you ſhould be, were you in it, it doth not yet appeare, ſayes the Apoſtle, what wee ſhall bee, but when he ſhall appeare in us, we ſhall ſee him as he is, we ſhall be made like him. Chriſts life ſhall be in us and we in him.
We may talke of this life, but when we live this life, then we ſhall know it, then we ſhall be ſwallowed up of it; I my ſelfe knew it not what it meant, though I often ſpoke to you of it, till of late; and alas that we ſee and have of it, is but little ſmall glimerings of this life. In truth I now perceive there is but little injoyment of Chriſt in the world, this life is a hidden life, men talk of it, Chriſtians talke of it but alas how coldly, without affection, withoutlove, without overwhelmings, which ſhewes they live without it, did you know this life, and did you live in the heart and loves of Chriſt, in the embraces of Chriſt, it would make us live othergueſſe lives then we do. Oh beloved, how full of loves and ſweetnes ſhould we be? how full of ſelfe-deniall? how much ſeeking the good of others as your own? it does not make men of that harſh cenſuring, judging ſpirit, that is now ſo rife in the world, it does not make men ſo ſweld & fly-blown with their own parts and with, the good opinions of others, if you had it, it would make you live farre above all theſe things. And ſo far as any mans life and comfort runs not parallel with theſe things, truly let him be never ſo great in profeſſion; in good earneſt he lives yet in the fleſh, and is not gotten into the life of Chriſt, Chriſt and they are not of one, but of two contrary ſpirits and lives. But oh the ſweet tranſcendent loves, joyes, overcommings that Saints enjoy, who live with Chriſt, and in Chriſt, they live in loving, and love in living, Chriſt and they are of one ſpirit,16. Eze. 6. as 16 Ezek. 6. When I paſſed by thee, I ſaw thee polluted in thine owne bloud, I ſaid unto thee when thou waſt in thy blond, live, and I cauſed thee to multiply, &c. and then thy time was a time of loves, &c. then waſt thou comly through my comlineſe, that I had put upon thee. Chriſt makes his Spouſe beautifull with his owne beauty; but we for the moſt part thinke highly of our ſelves, and of our own beauty, and are comly to themſelves, through their own comlineſſe, and therin they glory; and moſt in the world runne this way in practiſe, though in judgement they deny it; but he who is come up to Chriſt, to have his beauty put on him; his life and his injoyments; he hath put off himſelfe, he hath put of his own life, his own beauty, his own comlineſſe, and what ever injoyments come from ſelfe, all theſe he is crucified too.
But this is a life none come too, nor none knowes what it is in the injoyment of it, but he that has it. So much for that Head. Wee come to a ſecond thing to be conſidered, that is, why they are called Doves, and that is in regard of the Saints property. The property of Doves is to be full of innocencie, and ſecondly full of love, and thirdly full of delight.
Firſt, full of innocencie, a Dove is the harmleſſeſt creature in the world, ſo are the ſaints; the meekeſt, the harmleſſeſt of all men; if they be reviled, they revile not againe; they eſteeme not of the praiſings or revilings of the world, becauſe they have no life in the world, nor of the world, as ſaints. If they have, they live below themſelves, they live apart from Chriſt; they are of ſo mortified a temper in any worldly reſpect, if they live with Chriſt, and in Chriſt, that they cannot thinke any thing a gaine in the world, nor any thing a Loſſe: if they loſe any thing, houſes, lands, wives, children, honours, theſe they account no loſſe, becauſe to them they were no gaine; if they gain any thing, they count it not gaine, except they gaine their life in it; and that is God himſelf, chriſt himſelf; to have God in all they have, or elſe they account they have nothing, & if they have nothing, if they live as I before ſhewed you, in the very boſome and heart of Chriſt, and in the mutuall embraces of each other, that they can ſay experimentally and feelingly, and enjoyingly, my beloved is mine, and I am his. This is their gaine, this is their all, and they have no thoughts of gaining in the world. For if they gaine theſe things and not God in them, they thinke themſelves looſers. 'Tis true, they love wife, children, friends, honours, ſo Chriſt be in them, with the diſcovery of his ſweetneſſe and loves, then they are well and at reſt.
They think it no hard thing to bee reviled in the world, if God ſpeake love; let blind ſelfe-ſeeking, ſelfe-advancing, men of the world ſay what they will. And therefore beloved friends obſerve your ſpirits; doe you find your ſelves moved and diſturbed by others revilings? ſo far you live in your ſelves; ſo far you are unmortified, uncrucified, you live not as Chriſtians, according to the life you hold forth; if you did, you would ſee where their life is, & how far below Chriſt, and how much in themſelves, that live in reviling & defaming others; and in ſtead of being angry or to your ſelves and in your ſelves, returning like for like, you would pitty them, and pray earneſtly for them, that God would open their eyes, that they alſo may ſee upon what low and baſe principles they live and move.
Againe, Doves are ſingle-hearted and full of love, ſo are the ſaints, as ſaints; they love, and delight in loving; It is obſerved by ſome, of ſome Doves, and ſo of Hindes, that if their Mates had died, they were ſo affected with it, they would die alſo; ſuch a reſemblance is in the ſaints, they are full of love to each other, are ſenſible of each others ſufferings; they doe not ſeeke to undoe, vex, and defame one another, but pitty and helpe one another, they doe as they would bee done by; they will not requite evill with evill, as do the men of the world, and all thoſe that are not come up to the life of Chriſt to live as Saints, for they delight in loving; they live by loving, and love by living, for 'tis ſaid of the Hindes and Doves, they have theſe three properties, firſt, they live by loving; ſecondly, they grow fruitfull by loving; and thirdly, they die without loving. The ſaints do thus; they delight in love, they grow fruitfull by loving, and dye if they doe not love. 1. They live by loving, they are carried out in the firſt place in love to Chriſt, as the cauſe of their love; for Chriſts love to them, cauſes their love to returne to him; and they love Chriſt alſo in the Saints, theſe loves are the ſaints feaſt; they live by Chriſts kiſſing and embracing them, and by their kiſſing and embracing Chriſt, and alſo in kiſſing and embracing one anothers ſpirits; by communicating to each other their experiences and enjoyments of Chriſt; theres no greater joy, nor higher act in them then to act love, theſe are the dainties they feaſt on, then are they tranſcendent in their ſpirits, and then are they moſt full of Chriſt. Secondly, Doves are made fruitfull by loving, ſo are the ſaints; when thrive they more then when they have the ſweeteſt communion and are moſt open to one another, to each others injoyments, and ſo kiſſe and embrace each others ſpirits?
No ſooner hath a ſaint kiſt the heart of Chriſt, but it is made fruitfull by that very kiſſe, by that embracement, and by that enjoyment; The very enjoyment of Chriſt makes them fruitfull. And they cannot be otherwiſe. They being once come to this, to enjoy Chriſt they cannot be unfruitfull. Here is a ſaint then; his very love, his very nature provokes to fruitfulneſſe; if he be not fruitfull, what ever he may be taken for, as a great Chriſtian, becauſe a great profeſſor; hee never yet enjoyed Chriſt, never yet knew what the loves, the overcomming tranſcendent loves of Chriſt were.
Fruitfulneſſe is made over to the ſoule at that very inſtant; it is like the opening of the pores of the body, then the bloud interchanges and have free courſe and mingles it ſelfe through the whole body; this love of Chriſt (I tell you friends) it opens the pores of the ſoule, love and fruitfulneſſe runs from Chriſt into the ſaints interchangeably; as Chriſts heart is open to you, ſo is yours to him; there is a ſecret convayance to each other in the acts of loves.
And thirdly they die without it, ſaints as ſaints, except they love they die; I pray obſerve, ſaints as ſaints cannot die, but their life dies, their joy dies, they live uncomfortably and as dying, as if they had no life. I ſpeak now in regard of actings; a ſaint when he acts not love, he dies; he may have ordinances, and uſe externall intercourſes to Chriſt and with the ſaints, and yet he as good as dead, no more life in act and comfort then the men of the world, if the warm heart-bloud of Chriſt doe not run, and have free courſe into his ſoule; the ſaint acts not as a ſaint; but yet he may act in religion & worſhip; but, tis but to him ſelfe, & to his own credit and honour, and eſteeme among men, or for ſome other ſelfe-end, and yet have no life as a ſaint. The new man and Chriſt is as dead, and acts not, and therefore it is, ſometime a ſaint has overflowings of ſpirit, mightily inlarged, his ſpirit has no bounds, another time he is bound up, ſtraitned, the pores of his ſoule are lockt up; he hath no intercourſe of loves from Chriſt, and therefore has no breathings, no declarations of Chriſts loves to him, no experiences, he is wrapt up in himſelfe, and to himſelfe: and therefore this makes him, (the ſoule being as ſenſible of this as of death (for 'tis a death to him) this makes him to goe to Chriſt, and complaine heavily, oh! how he grones in ſpirit till he be revived, till his ſpirit, till his loves come into him againe, and cauſe him to act and live. Oh! ſayes he, let my Chriſt come into me or I die, I cannot live; 'tis true (ſayes he) here is ordinances, and here is a fellowſhip externally; but whats all this, if my ſoule be frozen, if my heart be bound up; if I live within my ſelfe; if. I have not intercourſes and returnes of loves, from my beloved, I die, I die.
Now beloved, would you have me make ſome uſe of this point from the particulars thereof; I hope you have done that your ſelves as I went along, but I will a little make out ſome uſes. I cannot be large becauſe of the time and my owne weakneſſe; and I would make it out to you of what I have found in my own experience; though I muſt confeſſe it is but lately, and no great light neither; there are depths, there are glorious tranſcendent truths, in theſe experiences; but oh! how dark, at how ſmall a crevice doe wee ſee? How ſhort doe we come? I tell you, though I have many times ſpoken of theſe things, yet how coldly, no raviſhings, no inlargings, no overcommings of ſpirit, how bound up? truth is, I had the Theorie in my underſtanding, and I thought I had practiſed them, becauſe I knew them; but 'tis but new, 'tis but ſmall the experience of them; but God wil reveale and lead on his ſaints from ſtep to ſtep; that they ſhall go from ſtrength to ſtrength, digging up fountaines till they appeare before the Lord in Zion; Profeſſors talke much of heaven, but I profeſſe they never were in heaven, nay never will be, if they come not to this life; you hope it may bee this life will bee hereafter. But I tell you, your heaven is here as well as hereafter in a degree: be not deceived to perſ wade your ſelves you are ſaints, and you are Chriſtians, and have not this life, we have deſcribed; ſo farre you are in your ſins, you are yet below Chriſt, you are yet in your ſelves, you are not come up to the life of a Chriſtian, to the life of a Saint.
Vſes, from the particulars; firſt, are the ſaints ſo happy in their priviled ges, that they are Chriſts Doves, and ſo precious to him? is it the priviledge and portion of the ſaints to be ſo precious to Chriſt? then take this as the firſt conſectory, this will follow, if it be ſo.
Then they will not long to be precious to the world; you will not bee troubled though the world, though men, though friends, though enemies regard you not; ſo you be precious to Chriſt, this is enough for you; what though ſuch a friend ſpeake evill of you? what thongh ſuch a Profeſſor loves you not; and there another profeſſour ſuſpects you, and you are troubled; VVhy ſaints, where is your life, in the world or in Chriſt? if in the world, no marvell you are troubled; no marvell you are offended; if your life bee in Chriſt, (you will ſay) what matter; ſo Chriſt thinkes preciouſly of you; if you have the ſweet and mutuall embraces of Chriſt; and your ſpirits run into each other, and kiſſe and embrace each other, here would be your reſt.
Secondly, obſerve from the next particulars, is nothing in the heart of Chriſt, too good for ſaints? does Chriſt embrace, ſalute, kiſſe, raviſh, the ſaints in his tranſcendent loves? Does he endow them with the ſame glory he himſelfe hath with the Father? for I muſt put things together, ſtrength will not hold out to take them all ſeverally as the things deſerve. Have any of you felt theſe things in your owne experience? I do not aske you, if you have had the knowledge thereof in your underſtandings, but hauehave you enjoyed them, and found the loves of Chriſt, ſo large, ſo overcomming to your ſoules? doe you ſee and feele, that Chriſt thinkes nothing in his very heart too good for you? The Scripture indeed is very full to prove this, I need not cite them, but have you made proofe thereof? are theſe things ſo to you? are they proved by your injoyments? then I will tell you what it will worke.
Firſt, nothing that you have will be too precious for Chriſt, Chriſts very heart, his life, his riches, his loves, his glory, is not too precious for you. And your very heart, your life, you will not think too precious for him, much leſſe your honour, your riches, your credit; I tell you friends, nothing will be too deare to part with, ſo you may be taken up to theſe injoyments; you will tread upon all as dirt, as dung, ſo you may gaine the loves, and embraces of Chriſt. Will friends, will honours, will parts, will ordinances, ſtand you in ſuch ſtead as the loves of Chriſt? will they lay you in the very heart and boſome of Chriſt? will they redeeme you from the law and ſet you free? will they take you from under the power of the killing letter, which threatned nothing but death and hell? will they take all advantages to do you good, by ſin, by afflictions? will they come in and helpe you, when you are quite worne out? will they helpe you out in ſtraits? No, no, they will not, they cannot: but all they can doe, is but to lay you in their owne boſomes, they cannot helpe againſt the terrours of the Law; they take all advantages to doe you hurt, they cannot helpe you out of ſtraits, but rather helpe you into ſtraits, &c. The ſaints, as ſaints, they looke on all outward comforts thus, and how then can they bee in love with them; they looke on them as chaffe, as ſtubble, as nothing; their life, their loves, their treaſure is in the loves of Chriſt, and having Chriſts heart, running out to them and theirs to his;Ioh. 17.23. Thou in me, and I in them, and they in me: Thus much you hold forth by your profeſſion of Chriſt, and if it be ſo, then I wonder why ſomething of yours is too good for him; if you looſe your honour, your good name, your eſtates for him, you thinke much, you thinke Chriſt deales hardly with you; and well you may, if he beſtow not himſelfe upon you; but had you as good a thing in the roome of that you loſe, you would never repine; if Chriſt be ſuch happineſſe, ſuch riches, ſuch raviſhings, ſo that he is better then all things elſe; whats the reaſon you ſticke ſo much upon the creature? whats the reaſon you come not off to this life? whats the reaſon that ye come no ſooner, make no more haſt, have no more longings to it? But friends, were you in the armes, in the embraces of Chriſt, you would repent you came no ſooner into theſe joyes and loves; that you were no ſooner crucified to the fleſh, and to your ſelves. Oh! beloved, I tell you, you would ſleight all things as they ſtood in oppoſition to Chriſt. But as I told you before, they doe love wife, friends, children, but 'tis in Chriſt, as Chriſt appears to them, in them. But friends, where is your great boaſting of your profeſſion and Chriſtianity, and living to Chriſt, if theſe things be ſo? If Chriſt take away ſtrawes and give Diamonds and Pearles, what cauſe haſt thou to complaine? If thou doſt complaine for the loſing of theſe ſtrawes, it is ſigne for all thy boaſting thou haſt no Pearles; but theſe ſtrawes, theſe nothings were thy Pearles and thy Diamonds.
Againe, is a ſaint made glorious by Chriſt, and is Chriſt and his glory all one? then were you made glorious by Chriſt, you would be ſwallowed up in the loves of Chriſt; you could not live apart from Chriſt, but you ſhould live in Chriſt. You have heard this is your priviledge, as ſaints; you ſhall not live in one region, and Chriſt in another, but you ſhall injoy the ſame life, the ſame joyes, the ſame loves with Chriſt.
Againe, is the preſence of Chriſt in himſelfe? then 'tis not to be enjoyd elſe-where; 'tis not in fellowſhips; 'tis not in ordinances, ſimply conſidered; yet theſe ye are to uſe to hold forth the diſcipline of Chriſt to the world, yet not to reſt in theſe; theſe diſtinguiſh you externally from the men of the world; but you will be as of the world ſtill for all them, if you enjoy no more but bare ordinances. This I ſpeake, becauſe many ſatisfie themſelves in this, in receiving outwardly the ordinances, and that they are accounted Profeſſours, and ſequeſtred from the men of the world, and becauſe they are found in ſuch and ſuch fellowſhips, being well thought on by others; alas theſe will doe you no good; for all theſe you may have no more life then the men of the world. You ſee no man can live in the boſome of Chriſt, and in the glory of Chriſt, but hee is made one with Chriſt; Saints, they are not only made perfect hereafter; as moſt Profeſſours run away with that; but they are admitted and have ſome entrance into heaven here; they live as Saints, they walke as ſaints, they trade as ſaints, they live with Chriſt; they walke up and downe in loves, love compaſſes them round about, they are ſwallowed up of loves; they live in loving, and love in living; ordinances are but ſhels; but ſaints while they are cracking the ſhell to others, they are eating the kernell themſelves, and live thereby. Alas friends, you may be partakers of all externall ordinances, you may ſubmit to Baptiſme, you may come into a right order of a Church way, you may frequently break Bread together, but whats all this friends? this is but the ſhell of the buſineſſe, the huske, the bone; but is Chriſt glorified in your ſpirit, (here is the life) and you in his Spirit, here is the kernell, the marrow; doe you live as he lives? are you made one in ſpirit? truly friends, examine, and look wel to your ſelves, for mine owne part, often have I ſpoken to you, & taught to you, that which I found not in experience; yet I thought I had; but truly I find now I comprehended them, yet I was not comprehended of them; I knew not what eating the kernell was, nor taſting the marrow, the ſweetneſſe till of late.
Againe, are ſaints well and fitly called Doves, in regard of liveing in loves, and by being made fruitfull by loving, and in regard they cannot live except they love? then obſerve that the people of God, are an innocent people; they are innocent to the Law; Chriſt hath fulfilled it for them, and freed them from the Law, and brought them to peace and liberty from under the power of the killing letter.
Againe, are the ſaints no ſelfe-ſeekers but ſelfe-deniers? then I wonder what means that rough and rugged carriage in thoſe that ſay they live with Chriſt, and in Chriſt, and injoy Chriſt; & yet their life is much in ſeeking to defame others, and to ſet up themſelves: This is not to live as ſaints, this is farre from the carriage of ſaints, this is not to live in loves, & to grow fruitfull by loveing; the carriage of a ſaint is (you have heard) to ſeeke anothers good as their owne: Theſe then live not in Chriſt; but they live in the world, Chriſt and they live in two contrary Regions; theſe declare they yet live in the Creature, in ſelfe, in fleſh: theſe ſeek for honour of men, and not of Chriſt; ſo they may but ſet up themſelves, it matters not what becomes of their brethren. As thoſe that love Honour or Riches or what elſe in the World, ſo they can but get them for themſelves, they care not how many ſuffer for it, ſo they have it: are theſe (beloved brethren) ſuch as live as Chriſt lives? thoſe that revile becauſe they are reviled, nay revile when not reviled; how farre is this below the practice of ſaints? ſuch men proclaime and hold it forth they are no ſaints in practice, what ever they would have the World or Gods people thinke of them.
The ſaints, (you ſee) they undervalue all mans reviling, it is to farre below them to revile againe, to returne evill for evill; you ſee they are paſſive in ſuffering, but active in loving: the other are proud, ſelfe-ſeeking, ſelfe boaſting, and they yet live in the fleſh, and are not come to live in and with Jeſus Chriſt.
Againe, obſerve from the ſecond thing that the ſaints grow fruitfull by loveing and delight in loving, then they are not conſtrained by the law to duty, but they love it of themſelves, it is no forced thing in them; they do not task and force them ſelves to obey Chriſt but it is their nature, and they work freely, their lives are in loving, and in loving they have their life. Till men come to live this life, theſe things, to all men elſe are a hidden miſtery; and if a miſtery no marvell then men ſo much miſtake in ſetting out this life, and what a Chriſtian is, for no man knows it, nor hits it right but he that lives it, for all elſe, live and grope in the darke and few attaine to it.
Some men ſay this is the Chriſtian, and ſome that is the Chriſtian, and it may be miſtaken in both, for they make Chriſtians according to their owne fancy; if he do but jump with them in opinion, this is enough to hold him up a Chriſtian, oh! he muſt needs be the godly man, and and yet ſee not that rule the word holds forth in the life, marrow, & miſtery of it: but beloved it will be ſo, every man judges by what light he has; & if his light be falſe or dark, ſo needs muſt his judgement be. Yet in my experience I ſee but (as it were) a dram of that weight of glory that is to be revealed upon the ſoons of truth.
And I wil tel you what my thoughts are; I am perſwaded, ere long, God will pick out himſelfe a choiſe people; now here is ſome what to do about Churches and ſelected Congregations, but you will ſee (if I miſtake not) ere long, Congregations pickt out of Congregations; of Men that have experience of this life of living with God. And the ordinances ſhall be yet more and more purified; and yet they not reſt in ordinances, but ſhall hauehave the marrow of ordinances: I ſay the time will come, that there will be a people who kiſſe and embrace one another in ſpirit, and ſhall live in loving and in joying one another, farre more then ever, yet our eyes have ſeene.
Wee ſhould now have further proceeded to the next points, namely theſe, from the words, My Dove, my undefiled is one. Doct. 2. That Chriſts Dove is not a defiled, but an undefiled company. Thirdly, that Chriſts undefiled Dove is but one; though they be ſcattered and divided here to men, yet to Chriſt they are but one, where wee ſhould have ſhewed the folly of many in theſe dayes, that they ty their loves only to that congregated body of which they are in fellowſhip with; and if they differ in judgement from them, they have no love to them; neither doe they account them of the number of Chriſts one, undefiled Dove; this is groſſe ignorance, and proceeds from weakneſſe, pride, and folly; and is indeed meere Antichriſt, and the fopperies of men: congregated, or uncongregated, ſo they bee Chriſts Doves, we ought to love them. But my ſtrength faileth me, and ſo I commit you, and what hath been delivered, to the bleſſing of God.