England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 20
Coloſs. 1.16. Viſible and inviſible, &c.
THe works of God afford man a full ſoul-imployment. Some things are ſubjected to ſence, and theſe are called viſible: but other things are not ſubjected to ſence, but ordered for more noble powers of the ſoul to make at, and theſe are called inviſible.
The ſoul is manifold in its acts and operations, and ſo is Chriſt that all the ſoul may follow him. There is a manifold grace of God as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh; a grace viſible, and a grace inviſible, and the ſoul can make at both, and ſo Chriſt would have it. The eye can ſee, the eare can heare, the heart can conceive; here is working without and within. Conception is operation about inviſibilia unſeen, things; 'tis a ſpirit at work upon words, ſhaping out to it ſelf what they but mentioned, as countries and creatures where the body never was nor never ſaw, but onelyonly ſhall; divine conception 'tis a ſpirit taking ſhiping as it were in the word, and ſayling round the world, taking in viſible and inviſible things, to leave out none of Chriſt.
The ſoul is noble in its acts, and Chriſt would loſe none for want of imployment: if viſible things be to low to be buſied about there be inviſible: if there be nothing without doore to be found for imployment, to wit in earth, it may find ſomething within about inviſible things, by going to Heaven. Creation is laid by Chriſt with gradation higher and higher, viſible and inviſible; if one room be too low the ſoul may go higher, as high as it will, as high as it hath power; the works of Chriſt lie as high as the talleſt ſpirit can reach. The ſoul is not forc'd but drawn to noble action; Creation is temptation, the works of God are laid ſo as to entice the ſoul higher and higher, like Jacobs ladder, till it come as high as it ſhould be. When the eye of the body is weary of looking upon bruits, trees and ſuch like viſible things as are here, then the eyes of the ſoul may go one room higher in the ladder towards Heaven, to things which are not ſeen, to that inviſible place and ſocietie above.
The ſoul is remiſs'd in his acts, in works as well as in words; Chriſt leaveth this without excuſe. Man was never without full imployment, Adam had it, and the ſonnes of Adam have it. There is a double book of words, and a double book of works to reade, and one higher then the other; one viſible, and the other inviſible; one for the eyes of the body, another for the eyes of the ſoul; and I wonder what idle ſouls will ſay for themſelves when Chriſt cometh to reckon with them. You have a talent and imployment for it; a ſoul, ſuch a noble ſoul, and ſuch noble imployment; both neglected will lie heavie upon you, Bodily ſloth you cannot bear, and ſoul-ſloth Chriſt cannot bear: ſoul-ſloth is enraging ſinne, and obſerve how angrily Chriſt chargeth it. Thou wicked and ſlothfull ſervant] ſhouldst thou not have imployed what I gave thee to my advantage, Matth. 25.26. take from him what he hath ſaith Chriſt, A man hath his ſoul taken away, that imployeth it not: an idle ſoul becometh a beſotted ſoul, a beſotted ſoul is no ſoul; a ſpirit dead and buried in the fleſh: powers and parts are blaſted and withered when neglected.
Soul-idleneſſe about divine things, ſpringeth ſometimes from too much imployment about humane, and ſuch men neither know their hearts, nor yet this time: worldly now, and you will be worldly when the world cometh to be burnt. The ſoul is firſt let looſe from divine things, and then when 'tis abroad, it will not be lured in again by them, though held up to them. Wicked worldlings, you know not what you do when you let your ſouls looſe to the world; there 'tis curſt and becometh wild, and will not return though words of God and works of God, all that God is and doth be held up to it: and therefore is the prodigall ſaid to be loſt, for this my ſonne was lost, &c.
Sometimes ſoul-idleneſſe about divine things ſpringeth from diſlike of them. Some, the God of this world blindeth them, and 'tis idle to talk to theſe of viſible or inviſible things, for all that is good is inviſible to them; they know not how to ſet their ſpirits about any thing, but to make proviſion for the fleſh to fulfill the luſts of it. Ah Lord, how blind, how baſe are ſome ſouls! No word of God, no work of God viſible to them, under a divine notion. Idleneſſe maketh profaneneſſe, profaneneſſe putteth all powers under the black rod, to wit, the devill: A ſoul under the power of Satan and the world, cannot imploy it ſelf well. Poore bond-ſlaves, ſeek your freedome by Chriſt, or you will be condemned.
You whoſe ſoul-powers are under no power but Chriſts, from you is this expected, that you make full imployment to your ſelves about the various works of God, that you travell this world over, and the next above it as farre as you can, into viſible and inviſible things, and if you looſe your ſouls this way, you will find them in Heaven: the ſoul getteth his perfection by much travell. Bees fill not their hives from one flower, nor in one journey, they are fain to go farre and near, from garden to garden, from field to field, from flower to flower: ſo muſt we from viſible to inviſible things, to fill our ſouls with the ſweetneſſe of Chriſt.