England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 68
COLOS. 1.24.
For his bodies ſake which is the Church.
THe word notes a company called out of this world, and the ſcope according to which it is uſed here, carries it in its full bredth, to comprize all the bleſſed company, both which are in Heaven and in earth; this generall ſociety was ſhadowed by the generall Aſſembly at Ieruſalem, and is called by that name by the Apoſtle, Heb. 12.23. Ye are come to the generall Aſsembly, the Church of the firſt-borne. This Catholique company is great, and farre divided, ſome in Heaven, ſome in Earth, ſome in this part of the Earth, ſome in that, and yet all have but one ſpirit, and therefore eſſentially the ſame, and what is done for the good of one part, neceſſarily redounds to the good and glory of all. He is of a publique ſpirit, that layes out for the good of a City, of a Kingdome, and the like, thouſands will bleſſe him, generations yet not borne will bleſſe God for ſuch inſtruments: but he is of a publique ſpirit indeed, that layes out his ſtate or blood for the good of the Church of Chriſt, many thouſands in this Kingdome, in other Kingdomes, all the Earth over, all Heaven over, will bleſſe him.
This generall aſſembly comes all out of one loine, and divide themſelves into two bands; one turnes to the everlaſting Hills, 'tother to the Plaines and Valleys of this world. There is a Lilly of the Valleys, and a Lilly of the Hils; there is a Church on Earth, and a Church in Heaven. The great King whom we ſubject to, hath a Chappell of eaſe, a Church in his houſe; the condition of this is farre different from that here below: the Lilly of the Hils is another gets Lilly then that of the Valleys, the purſuit of each ſhall be diſtinct, which will demonſtrate the condition, how it differs. The Church which Chriſt hath in his houſe, is a ſociety of perfect ſpirits in perfect reſt, triumphing with Chriſt over all enemies. The Congregation above is very big, thouſands, and thouſands of thouſands, from all parts, quarters, and countries, yet all perfect, not one dwarfe in grace, in Heaven, not one Zacheus, a perſon of a little ſtature; there are no ſpirits of little ſtature in grace above, though it be all our caſe here; every one is as tall as Chriſt to any ones beholding; I cannot tell elſe how to interpret that expreſſion of the Apoſtles, Eph. 4, Till we all come into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſſe of Chriſt. They that are come to that unity and ſociety above, are all compleat, their meaſure is the fulneſſe of Chriſt; their demenſions, his ſtature, ſo tall, ſo big limmed, ſo faire, and ſo accompliſhed to looke upon. What a perfect man now is Chriſt in Heaven! of what a brave ſtature in grace, and in glory! an Abſolon, without ſpot from the crowne of the head to the ſoule of the foot; ſo are all that Noble ſociety which are with him, without ſpot or wrinkle, and therefore called a glorious Church. That he might preſent it to himſelfe, a glorious Church, not having ſpot or wrinkle, or any ſuch thing, &c. Epheſ. 5.27. the word here tranſlated ſpot is foreign, which ſignifies ſuch ſpots as are in garments by daſhing and dirting, outſide ſpots; they have no ſpots within nor without above, not in their skin, not in their clothes, nor any ſuch thing, that is not any thing like it; the ſame meaſures of grace within, the ſame without; the ſame Robes of State that Chriſt weares, they doe; the mantle of Elijah is put upon Eliſha. Our perfection, now is per proximum, by a proxey, as another weares ſuch a compleat habit within and without for us. And thy renowne went out among the Heathen for thy beauty, for it was perfect through my comelineſſe, which I have put upon thee, Ezek. 16.14. Whereas beauty and perfection is here imputative, tis there inheſive, every one in his owne perſon, and in his owne ſtate, inſide, outſide, renowned and perfect for beauty, in their owne comlineſſe; they are joynt with Chriſt: we are joynt heires with Chriſt here, we are joynt partakers with Chriſt there; we have joynt crownes, joynt thrones, joynt perfections. Chriſt doth not weare a crowne above for this Saint, and for that Saint, he doth not perſonate any Saints condition in glory, but every Starre there hath its owne glory, every Saint weares his owne Crowne himſelfe, no ones condition there for bleſſedneſſe and happineſſe, is onelyonly perſonated in Chriſt, as all our conditions are here, in order to that State above, but all joynt partakers with him, and every ſeed its owne body, which is a glorious State indeed, and makes a glorious Church, as the Apoſtle ſpeakes, Epheſ. 5.27.
Tis a perfect ſociety, and in [in perfect reſt]. That glorious Church above keepes a perpetuall Sabbath: you know the Law of the Sabbath, both in precept and preſident, enjoyned a totall, complacentiall, and perfect reſt, i. a ceſſation from all labour, and application with all delight to ſublime and ſupreame things. Whilſt this law was in preſident onelyonly, and yet unwritten, it held out this compleat reſt; God did not nakedly ceaſe from his worke, but refreſhed himſelfe in the things which he had wrought. On the ſeventh day he reſted, and was refreſhed, Exod. 31.17. Now what this refreſhing was, ſee Exod. 20.11. The Lord bleſſed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. This was his refreſhing after his worke, he had a totall and complacentiall reſt. According to this preſident did the precept afterwards ſtrictly runne, as you may read Exodus the 20. The ſeventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, in it thou ſhalt not doe [any worke.] How farre this extended you know: they were not to doe any ordinary worke of their calling, no not neceſſary workes for life: they were not to gather Manna on the Lords day, though Manna was all the food they then had, and had it but from day to day. The godly which lived under this Law, and knew the ſtrictneſſe of it, would not performe funerall rites for our Lord Jeſus on this day, as you may ſee, Luke 23. laſt, They viewed the body of Jeſus upon the day of preparation, and prepared Spices and Ointment, but reſted upon the Sabbath day, according to the Commandement. This totall and ſtrict ceſſation from all labour was upon paine of death. Ye ſhall keepe the Sabbath, for tis holy to you, every one that defileth it ſhall ſurely be put to death; whoſoever doth any worke therein, ſhall ſurely be cut off from amongst his people, Evod. 31.14. This was for averſion and turning away from things forbidden: on the other hand, application to Divine things, and to holy imployment was as ſtrict: every thought was to be conſecrated to God, and this with divine intention, with delight; the ſtrings were to be ſet very high and to hold it, and to make delightfull Muſicke. If thou turne thy foot from thine owne pleaſure, and call the Sabbath a delight, Eſay 58.13. All theſe things doe but ſhadow the condition of that glorious Church above, they reſt from their labours; and this reſt is a perfect reſt, they doe not [any worke,] as the expreſſion before is: they doe not ſo much as dreſſe their owne meat, no nor gather in any thing for meat, all is dreſt to their hand, and ſet before them; Manna is potted up, and ſtands alwaies before every one, not any ſinew, not any thought painfully ſtirres about livelihood, all are intenſly, but very delightfully applied to the viſion of God, to the contemplation of the Lord of this Sabbath, the grace of redemption that brought them from hence thither, to ſo tranſcendent a ſtate. Their reſt above, tis as totall as complacentiall, as Gods was; looke how he reſted from his worke, ſo doth theſe from theirs. For if Jeſus had given them reſt (i. Joſhua) then would he not have ſpoken of another day, there remaines therefore a reſt to the people of God; for he that is entered into his reſt, he alſo hath ceaſed frrom his owne worke [as God did from his,] Hebrews 4.8, 9, 10. Now God totally reſted, and then was totally filled and refreſhed, with the contemplation and ſanctification of what he had done; he reſted, and was refreſhed: ſo doe they above, they doe reſt and are refreſhed, ceaſe from all labours, from all that ſpeakes the leaſt paine, and then they refreſh themſelves with the contemplation of God, and what they finde laid up in him for them, and ſo are theſe times called by the Scripture, times of reſting, they do reſt from their own workes and are refreſhed with with Gods, (i) with the viſion and contemplation of him, therefore is it added there, when the times of refreſhing ſhall come from the preſence of the Lord, (i) from the beholding and contemplating him and his perſon, in whoſe preſence they ſtand, who is the Lord of that great reſt.
Triumphing together with Chriſt] That glorious ſociety above, of which we now ſpeake, is a Church triumphant, all diſplaying their banners, all Heaven over, as they that have fully conquered all enemies. Sinne is quite dead, death and him that hath the power of death, dead: O death where is thy ſting, O Hell where is thy victory? this is the triumphant language in every ones mouth above. Here we are in continuall combate, in perpetuall war, deteſting legue truce, but not able to conquer: but there all are conquerers, and weare their Crown & Lawrells, and make a ſhew of their conqueſt openly, as Chriſt. David hath ſlaine his thouſand, &c. Many ſuch triumphant expreſſions are above, for every little one there is as David, and ſing his ſongs. There is a petty tranſient triumph here in the Church militant, but 'tis only as it now and then reaches their ſtate above, in any degree of conquering enemies. And I ſaw as it were a Sea of glaſse mingled with fire, and them that had gotten victory over the Beaſt, and over his Image, ſtand on the Sea of Glaſſe, and having the Harpes of God, and they ſang the ſong of Moſes the ſervant of God, and the ſong of the Lambe, ſaying, Great and mighty are thy workes Lord God Almighty, juſt and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints. Revel. 15.3. this hints to us the manner of their triumph above, (for Saints do the will of God on earth as they do in Heaven) The Lambe ſings too: they ſang the ſong of Moſes [and the ſong of the Lambe] The head triumphs, and then all the members; Chriſt triumphs in himſelfe, and all that glorious company triumph in him.Coloſſ. 2.15. And having ſpoiled Principalities and Powers, hee made a ſhew of them openly; triumphing over them [in it, foreign in himſelfe, ſo is the originall, and ſo 'tis tranſlated in your margents; Chriſt viewes all the ſlaine; death and him that had the power of death, the old Serpent with all his ſeed, and triumphs in himſelfe; all the reſt of that royall company triumph in him, as the jaw-bone, ſtone, and ſling, with and by which they have ſlaine Goliah, and all the Philiſtians heapes upon heapes. Salvation to our God which ſits upon the throne, and unto the Lambe: and all that ſtood about the throne Angells, and Elders, &c. ſaid, Amen; bleſſing and glory and wiſdome, thanksgiving, honour and power, and might bee to our God for ever. Tis a heavenly practice this, and ſpoken of the Church Militant, as imitating the Church triumphant, and as guided by one and the ſame Spirit, indeavouring to do the Will of God on earth, as the tother part of the ſame company doe in Heaven. You know the ſtate of the new Church, is ſhadowed out in the booke of the Revelation by Heaven, and all the lineaments of it, it comes ſo neere to it. The very firſt draught and modell, Revelation. 4. J was in the ſpirit and a throne was ſet in Heaven, &c. As Moſes was made to come up to the top of the Mount neere Heaven, and God, ſaith the Text, talked with him from Heaven, to ſhew him the pattern of the firſt houſe: ſo Iohn was taken up into Heaven, and God talked with him in Heaven, and ſhaped his patterne of this laſt houſe and the affaires of it by Heaven, as that which ſhould come neerer to it, then any yet had done. But this by the way.
Ʋſe. I have opened to you now a brave ſtate, but all will not, nay all cannot come to it; I wiſh they could. Corruption cannot inherit incorruption: if it be true corporally, it is true ſpiritually, if the uncleane bodies of the Saints, cannot come to Heaven, ſurely the uncleane ſoules of the wicked cannot. Satan hath a ſynagogue too; a great one here, and a greater below, and a great many will go thither; few will believe this, and this is the ſeale of death. The Congregation above is holy, very holy, but this is not heeded here; but it muſt or no man ſhall ſee God, nor that glorious ſociety which is with him. Fleſh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdome of God, and yet the Lord be mercifull unto the ſoules of men, this is the generall rule by which men walke. Above fleſh for our bloud, we cannot move; 'twill ſink Perſons, Kingdomes, 'twill make the ſociety below wonderful big: What a Congregation hath the Devill in his houſe, but not one at reſt, all at worke hard, tearing, rending, and roſting one another, and yet have no meate nor drink, but the flames and fire in which they worke. Have any of you a mind to be of this Congregation? No, why then doe you purſue your fleſh? your will? ſenſe? ſelfe? ſinne? this ſinne, that ſinne, any ſinne, that will ſerve your turne in theſe bad times? The temptation of this time is terrible, not a ſoule almoſt but undone by it. Heaven and earth ſhake, Church and State crack, the Grave and Hell gape, the glory above forgotten, the dread of theſe cruſh parts, brave parts, yea that which hath gone for brave grace, to nothing, to worſe then nothing: many Chriſtians like Cackarells change colour, white all the winter, like thoſe fiſh, and ſpotted at ſpring: what with the bloud and filth of bodies, and the bloud and filth of ſoules, ah Lord! what a ſtinke is there in all ſocieties, all this Land over, and yet no body holds his Noſe? all is ſweet as long as any courſe may be ſtumbled on to riſe, and be but to flea the skinnes of the dead, to go fine: will this bravery be admitted above?
Where do you finde a ſoule that longs and pants, becauſe of all theſe things? O that I were of that glorious Church above! That I did know to what Officer of that ſociety to ſpeake, to helpe me in there! If any ſo inquire; I will tell thee: go to Chriſt, he is the doore by which all enter: hee will ſerve thee as he was ſerved himſelfe, he was Baptized and the Heavens opened; Chriſt will Baptize thee with the holy Ghoſt and with fire, and then the Heavens which containe him till the reſtitution of all things, ſhall open and receive thee. Thou muſt be contented to be Baptized with Chriſts Baptiſme, his ſecond Baptiſme; after both there was a Heaven opening: At his firſt Baptiſme the Heavens opened, but did not take him up and take him in: at his ſecond Baptiſme they opened againe, and then they received him, and containe him. Thou muſt be contented to be Baptized with Chriſts laſt Baptiſme, if neede be to leave all as hee did, a very Heaven if thou haſt it, as Chriſt did; riches, honours, pleaſures, blood, life, to follow after Chriſt: After ſuch a Baptiſme, the Heavens will open alſo, and take in thee into that glorious ſociety above. Chriſt ſurely is prized but little, therefore his Congregation is ſo ſmall below and above. The ſinne of the Jewes is become the ſinne of the Gentiles, my heart trembles to thinke what will become of us: What ever wee talke of Chriſt, and boaſt of his Temple above and below, we bid baſely, for all. Though Chriſt will take nothing for any thing he hath, yet you muſt come to him with all that ever you have in your hand, and lay it at his feete; thinke nothing too good for him, ſo you may but have him: here is now, ſtate, wife, children, yea here is body, ſoule, ſelfe, doe with all what thou wilt; drowne all, burne all, if thou wilt, onelyonly rake the aſhes when thou haſt done, and finde my ſoule, that Jewell of Jewels, which cannot be burnt any where, but in thy diſpleaſure, and put it in thy boſome for ever: This is a Goſpell frame of heart, and miſcaries not: all the Jewels which Chriſt weares in his boſome above, are raked out of aſhes here below, out of meere nothings. His beloved is one, but one, a Phenix, and it comes out of aſhes, learne to lay all in the duſt, if you would have Chriſt take up all, and lay it in his boſome. All that he takes up in his boſome here, he ſets downe in glory above, to triumph with that glorious company there.