England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 67
COLOS. 1.24.
For his bodies ſake, which is the Church.
ALL Chriſtians in and under Heaven are related, knit in one body by one ſoule, to wit, the ſame which breathes in God, his holy Spirit. Sacred ſociety is glorious; the Peers of all the world in a body robed, and the great King of all the world in the midſt of them; ſuch a fight as mortall eye never beheld: His traine reaches from Earth to Heaven, the foremoſt are in Heaven, when the hindmoſt are here: I helped you to a Scaffold to view the forepart the laſt day, I would doe the like now, to helpe you to view the latter; that part of the traine, which is going in at the everlaſting doores, but not yet quite in. You may ſee a great deale of State at the doore of Heaven, in the very hindmoſt ſoule of that company, which are going in there. That part which is gone in with the Bridegroome is mighty great, ſo is that which is going in. An innumerable company of believers, conflicting with an innumerable company of enemies, longing and waiting for the full redemption and liberty of the Sons of God.
The haires of our myſticall head grow not thin, no not in this climate, which is the moſt unhealthy, they are thicke and buſhy. Can you number the haires of your head? then may you number that company which Chriſt hath upon earth. Can you number the Starres of Heaven? Looke up to the Heavens, ſaith God to Abraham, and ſee if thou canſt number the Starres, ſo ſhall thy ſeed be; which is fulfilled, as appeares by the authour to the Hebrewes. Therefore ſprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, ſo many as the Starres of the Skie in multitude, and as the Sand which is by the Sea ſhore innumerable, Heb. 11.12. The haires of our myſticall head are many, yet all of one colour, blacke as a Raven, that is, beautifull and flouriſhing. Gray haires are not here and there upon this head; the Militant Church is for quantity great, a Nation; for quality, holy: the foundation of this Nation, Chriſt: the cement, faith; ſomething above the revelation of reaſon, ſomething above the revelation of the beſt parts, ſomething above fleſh and blood. Peter, there are ſtrange carnall apprehenſions of me in the world, as if Chriſt had ſaid, how doeſt thou apprehend me? My apprehenſion is vitall, Thou art Chriſt the Sonne of the [living God. Obſerve the reply of Chriſt. Bleſſed art thou Simon Bar-Jona; Bar is a Chalde word, and the ſame with ben an Hebrew word, which ſignifies a ſonne; and Jona ſignifies gracious, and as ſome tranſlate a Dove; ſo that tis as if Chriſt had ſaid in our language, Bleſſed art thou Simon, ſonne of grace, ſonne of that ſame Dove, which deſcended on mee, fleſh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven. Thou art Peter, and upon this Rocke will I build my Church, Matth. 16.18. Ben, which is the Hebrew word for a ſonne, is as much as the word building, with us; becauſe the ſonne is the building of the family: our Saviour interprets ſo much himſelfe, in his alluſive words, upon this Rocke will I build my Church: and Jona ſignifying gracious, the metaphor is the ſame in ſenſe with the former, that Chriſts building here below is a gracious building, foundation gracious, to wit, himſelfe; every ſtone gracious, Bar-Jona's, an innumerable company of believers; I John ſaw a great company which no man could number, foreignand all ſealed; the cement of this building holy, to wit faith, a holy faith, a moſt holy faith, as the Apoſtle cals it, Jud. 20. Conflicting with an innumerable company of enemies. The Sea is a big body, yet toſſed perpetually; ſo is the Church of Chriſt upon earth; tis a body very big and very good, and yet tis not ſo big, nor ſo good, but it hath as big, and as bad a body to encounter it. We are here troubled with Frogs, and devouring vermin, and the pit out of which they come is bottomleſſe. The gates of Hell are wide open againſt the Church of Chriſt here, though they cannot prevaile againſt it: they that take away mens ſoules, come forth freely, in what numbers they will, and goe what compaſſe they will here, all this world over of an inſtant, and get at which hand they will of the beſt people, when about the beſt worke; they will take the wall of the Nobleſt ſoules, and when about the Nobleſt worke, get at their right hand. The Sonnes of God were aſſembled, and Satan ſtood at their right hand. The locuſts below goe forth by Troopes, they are ſo populous in that land of death. My name is legion, for we are many. Though but one ſpeake when a poore ſoule is tempted, yet the traine that attends upon this one, is many. I believe this roome is full of infernall Spirits, and that not a ſoule of you now preſent, but have a legion of them at your right hand jogging of you, though theſe gates of Hell are not ſuffered to prevaile. If there were no intermixing of Satans family and Chriſts in this world, if thoſe evill ſpirits which he hath at home by him, did never come abroad ſo farre as into this world, yet thoſe that are here reſident, and weare the ſame skinne and clothes which Chriſts family doe, are very many. They that perſecute my ſoule are many, ſaith the Pſalmiſt. And he ſpeakes of incarnate devils, devils reſident in our fleſh, and in our earth. A doore is open to me, a great doore, ſaith the Apoſtle, and there be many enemies; how many? that he could not tell, nor no body elſe, but him that ſet them on worke. One doore open, and many devils at it to ſhut it againe; many devils at one doore, ſo at every doore of hope that a Chriſtian hath open to him: ſurely Satans ſtrength is great here, that he can begirt every holy perſon, and every holy action upon earth, and yet this is the condition of the Church militant. Eliſhaes condition ſhadowes the ſtate of the Church militant, mentioned, 2 Kings 6.15. An Hoſt compaſſed the City with horſes and chariots, in ſo much that the ſervant of Eliſha cried out, Alaſse Maſter, how ſhall we doe? we are begirt with innumerable companies of mortall enemies, many thouſand deaths waite for us at every doore; and this is the ſtate of the beſt men upon earth. This makes longing and panting for [full redemption;] which is the property of the Church of God upon earth, 't would be in Heaven. There is a voice in Rama, and tis all over Rama, mourning, and lamentation. Rachel weeping bitterly: if you aske her why? She will tell you. I have many ſonnes and daughters, ſweet children all, and yet not one but very hardly handled, ſore ſhot at by deadly archers; many are ſlaine, and are not, and the reſt abuſed and vilified as the off-ſcouring of all things; torne with Lyons, and little wormes gnawing and eating up the carcaſſe; pulled downe by great ones, and when down, trod to death by baſe ones. Rachel hath not a child but ſits like the Shunamites in her armes, ſighing, groaning and mourning, becauſe of one wound or other, within or without; and I cannot remedy any of this, ſaith ſhe, and this cuts me to the heart; my children are ſlaine in mine armes, ſlaine with the breaſt at their mouthes, yea ripped out of my wombe. Would my children were all in my husbands armes, ſaith Rachel, then they would all be ſafe: would he would ſend and fetch me and all mine out of this plundered countrey into his owne city, then all would be well; ſoule well, yea and body well. The world heares little of this noiſe, tis ſo inward, but tis the panting and beating of every good mans pulſe and bowels in a degree. We which have the firſt fruits of the Spirit, (where theſe fruits lie, is the noiſe) we groane [within our ſelves] waiting for the adoption. For the adoption? This they had already. The meaning therefore is, for the full fruition of what they were adopted to, which is explained in the following words, to wit, the redemption of our body. The ſoule goes firſt, to the ſociety above, the body laſt; all is perfect when this comes, therefore is this onelyonly mentioned: which notes that the militant Church groanes and pants after a perfect ſtate, every one ſighing and bleeding inwardly, inwardly earneſtly, willing rather to be abſent from the body, and preſent with the Lord, 2 Corinth. 5.8. This was ſhadowed by Davids aſcent to Mount Oliver, And David went up by the aſcent of Mount Oliver, and wept as he went up; and be had his head covered, and he went bare-foot, and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up weeping as they went up, 2 Sam. 15.30. Chriſt, which David typified, and all his followers here below, are going up ſighing, and panting, and mourning to that mount above.
Ʋſe. We are come to ſpeake of a Militant church, in a Militant time, ſurely our courſe is ſteered by a ſupreame hand, for ſpeciall good to ſome of you. Chriſtians, lay to heart the ſtate of that body whereof yet you are, can you? Jeruſalem which is above, above the world, and above Satan, is the mother of us all: that body which Chriſt hath upon earth, groaned, travelled with you, and brought you forth; this wombe which bare you, thoſe pappes which gave you ſucke, are now wounded with a thouſand wounds, doe you ſee them? The haire of your mother is torne, her bowels ript up, her blood runnes in every high way; O all ye that paſſe by, have ye obſerved it? Dogs licke the blood of Jezabel, yea, the blood of Rachel: the Sword of the wicked ſheds the blood of many a gallant man. England, a great Parke full of deare ſoules, the pales now plucked up, the game of Chriſt ſhot at by every baſe perſon; many a brave Hart falne, onelyonly a few Fawnes left, women and children crying and ringing their hands for their husbands and fathers: doe you heare them? Mother, where is my Father? when will he come home? Sir, where is my husband? when will he come home? And a laſſe for them, he is at home already, at his long home. Heathens rage on one hand; mothers, children angry on t'other hand; the Boare is abroad, the Fox at home; one puls off the tender Grapes, t'other ſqueeſes and ſuckes their blood; the worke is one, the tailes of all the wilde beaſts in the Land are together, though their faces ſeem to looke ſeverall waies: one ſhoots at the body, t'other at the ſoule, both poiſon their Bullets, the venome whereof feeds that Divine juſtice which now fights againſt us all, as if it were reſolved to conſume us all, for ought any one amongſt us all can yet ſee. Is not the Church of Chriſt in England militant? Men, Devils, yea a God fights againſt it, for the pollution in it. Chriſtians, you are witneſſes of all this: what doe you in ſecret? doe you mourne for the tearings and rendings of Joſeph can you doe it? doe you move according to your condition? Military? fight with prayers and teares? doe you finde any aptneſſe this way?
I aske this, becauſe diſpleaſure ſinkes deepe ſometimes, and drinkes up all Divine moiſture in the ſoule, the wombe of prayers and teares cloſes, withers, and dries up; God ſecretly ſaith, pray not for this people; and then good hearts pumpe and pompe, and nothing will come. Abraham had ſome ſuch ſecret checke ſurely, when hee broke off ſtruggling ſo ſtrangely for Sodome, when God ſeemed to be upon ſuch an yeelding veine; ſecret providence certainely was in it, that he might not yeeld ſo farre as to null peremptory reſolution, which was to make an end of a generation, whoſe iniquity was full. God felt Abraham holding him, and cries, let me alone; but Abraham did not feels God holding him, nor cried, let me alone, Lord, let me plucke a brand out of the fire, let me quench Hell fire once with my teares. Chriſtians, I beſeech you obſerve your ſpirits, the welfare of all is in this point I am now upon, and not in your great Armies abroad, which you ſo much looke upon; if you feele God tying up, and ſtraitning your ſoules, in regard of a Sodome which you ſtruggle for, a Land that looks as if it were ripe in all wickedneſſe, and farre worſe in ſome circumſtances then ever Sodome was, cry, Lord, let me alone, let me draw buckets, let me make my Study, my cloſet a Bokim, a place of teares, let me quench a fire, that hath almoſt burnt a brave Kingdome to aſhes; let me ſave a Nation, a populous Nation, thouſands, and ten thouſands, thouſands of thouſands, from ſwimming to hell in their owne blood. If I ſhall not pray out, yet let me chatter ſo in thine eares, that fifteene yeeres may be added to the life of three Kingdomes, to ſet themſelves in order to goe hence, to be pilgrims and wanderers to any other part where thou wilt.
Thus doe your duty, and then ſubmit. We ſhould be affected with our condition, but not caſt down. A ſtate of hardſhip generates diſcontent, and now Satan hath ſet Heaven and Earth on fire. A man may have a Heaven in his ſoule, when a Hell in his body, if ſubmiſſive ſtill to the will of God: but when fightings without make fightings within, repinings againſt providence, becauſe it doth not jut and jumpe with my will, now all is ſlaine, and not till now; Heaven and Earth on fire, body and ſoule killed with a canon from Hell, and all the powers of darkneſſe crying victory. Doe Serpents ſting? murmure not; remember where Chriſts church is, of which thou art yet a member: tis in the Wilderneſſe yet, and but going to Canaan, and ſuch places are full of hurtfull beaſts. Be not overcome of evill; then miſery diſſolves it ſelfe into ſinne, then God is ſtung, and thou wilt have ſecret blowes for this indeed, where men cannot pinch thee; thou wilt have ſalt throwne where the ſpring of unſoundneſſe lies, and then thy Spirit will burne within thee for ſomething. We ſhould not onelyonly be ſubmiſſive to, but joyfull under the croſſe of our Lord Jeſus. You cannot tell how much mercy tis, to be any of that body, of which Chriſt is the ſoule; if it be but a foot, a bare foot, and ſtill in the dirt, ſtill upon prickes, briers, and thornes; to be any of that company that is travelling to Heaven, though the meaneſt, the hindmoſt, the moſt miſuſed, &c. But you will know when you come there.
The croſſe keepes off ſome from being of the Church militant, they cannot militare, they had rather die then fight, and kill what they love more then Chriſt. Sinne effeminates the ſoule; love any luſt more then Chriſt, and you will die ten thouſand deaths, rather then ſtrike a ſtroke in good earneſt againſt it, or diſcharge one Piece with a Bullet, againſt that fort where your heart lies. Satan deales by ſtratagem, ſinners looke to your ſoules: he can kill none that take up Armes againſt him, and ſtand to it; he either betrayes affection with trifles, and makes the ſoule yeeld, and ſo ſtab conſcience, and ſweare a damnable peace: or elſe he terrifies the ſoule with corporall dangers, and makes men flee, and all that flee in ſpirituall warfare, die every one, are cut off eternally by the purſuer. When there are fightings without, there are feares within, When I came into Macedonia, my fleſh had no reſt; troubles on every ſide, fightings without and feares within. Men now love their fleſh, Paul in this had no reſt, no neither in his ſpirit; he had ſtood to it upon pure principles; Hee wants fellowes in this age of the world wonderfully; The Church of the Lord Jeſus travels, groanes, dies, for want of them. This generation will have more then the advantage of truth, to encourage them to ſet forth, to wit, the advantage of time, quiet time. Deluded ſoules, when will this be? you ſo dote upon your skin, that you have quite forgotten the ſtate of Chriſts church upon earth, tis militant. You will live in Egypt, that you may ſee no warre, that you may ſave your skin, your pompe, your wealth: this your wiſdome is your folly, Egypt ſhall not ſave you, the Sword ſhall follow you into Egypt, into your Egyptian huts, and coverings. Read Jeremy 42.13, 14, 15. But if ye ſay, We will not dwell in this Land, &c. No, but we will goe into the Land of Egypt, where we ſhall ſee no warre, nor heare the ſound of the Trumpet, nor have hunger of bread, and there will we dwell, &c. Then it ſhall come to paſſe, that the Sword which ye feared ſhall overtake you, there in the Land of Egypt, and the famine whereof ye were afraid, ſhall follow cloſe after you in Egypt, and there ye ſhall die.