THe three foregoing Chapters and this, they have a looke unto the last times; and they doe more particularly relate unto the times, in which God will gather toge­ther Israel and Judah, as in the 14 vers. Behold, the dayes come, saith the Lord, that I will performe that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel, and to the house [Page 2]of Judah. I say, the Prophesie lookes to the time when the Lord will unite the ten Tribes, which are called the house of Israel, and the two Tribes, which are called the house of Judah, and will performe all those good things that he hath pro­mised to them, in that day, when they shall a­gaine be united together. Now among the ma­ny blessed things the Lord hath promised unto his people in that day, this indeed is the chiefe and the great mercy, God hath promised A KINGDOME; for thus saith the Lord, Da­vid shall never want a man (in the 17 vers.) to sit upon the Throne of the house of Israel. We have a kingdome promised unto the people of God, (a Throne) at this day; and that is shadowed forth under the kingdome of David, Davids kingdome was a Type of Christs kingdome; and indeed, whereas this kingdome here promi­sed, is shadowed forth by that of David, it doth hold thus much, That the kingdome, is not onely a spirituall kingdome, but an outward visible king­dome; for such a Throne and kingdome Davids was. Now in the words that I read to you, the Lord gives assurance unto his people, that he would make good this promise; and the assu­rance that the Lord gives unto his people, is grounded on the Covenant made with David and lest there should be any doubt about the Covenant made with David, the certainty of it, the Lord tells us, that the Covenant made with David was as certain as the Covenant of the day and night, If you can breake my Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the night, that there shall not be day and night in their season, then may also my Covenant be broken with David my servant. [Page 3]Why now the Covenant of the day and night hath been unalterable, from the first Creation unto this day, there hath been day and night in their season; why so saith the Lord, my Cove­nant with David its an unalterable an unchange­able Covenant, and upon this Covenant, this Throne and Kingdome I now promise to you is founded.

Quest. If so be you aske, What that Cove­nant is that was made with David?

Answ. Its Answered; If we doe but say it was an unchangeable Covenant, that Covenant is the new Covenant, where its spoken of, its spoken of as an Everlasting and an unalterable Cove­nant; and indeed this Covenant that the Lord doth here speake of, is no other but that new Covenant, as is cleare from other Scriptures, 2 Sam: 23. David when he was ready to dye, in his last words he doth make this his Comfort, Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. So that the Covenant made with David, it was an Everlasting Covenant, it was a sure Cove­nant, it was a Covenant that David had founded his very Salvation upon, & therefore it could be no other but the new Covenant, the Covenant of grace. And so likewise the Prophet Isai: 55.3 ver: he saith there, I will make an Everlasting Covenant with you, even the sure Mercy's of Da­vid. The Covenant of David it was an Ever­lasting Covenant. Now this Throne and king­dome, which is here promised to the house of Is­rael, and to the house of Judah, and also to all [Page 4]the seede of Abraham, as well the spirituall as the naturall, the Gentills as the Jewes, which should in this day become one with them, its founded and that upon the Covenant of David, and that is the Everlasting Covenant, the new Covenant, the Covenant of grace; so that there ly's this truth before us;

Obser That the kingdome (or visible kingdome) of Christ its founded in the new Covenant, or, The doctrine of Christs kingdome its a part or Branch of the new Covenant. Something I shall speake as to the clearing of this, and then speake a few words by way of Application.

As to the clearing of the Point, that it is so, that the kingdome of Christ its rapt up in the new Covenant; the glorious and blessed Cove­nant of Grace, hath this lodged up in it, as one maine peice of it, namely, a visible kingdome. This is cleare if we doe but looke to the first striking up of the Covenant betwixt the Father and the Son, between God and Christ in Eternitie. The new Covenant though it did come forth in Time (the promise of Eternall life came forth in Time) yet the foundation of it was laid in Eter­nitie; in hope of Eternall life (saith the Apostle) which God that cannot lie, promised before the world began: so that the promise of Eternall life, that great blessing of the new Covenant, the founda­tion of this Covenant it was laid in Eternitie, before the world began. Now if we doe but looke to the transactions past between God and Christ in Eternitie, at the striking up of this Co­venant, we shall finde that this was one great branch, one great peice of the new Covenant, namely, a visible kingdome; that Jesus Christ [Page 5]should have a kingdome, and be king, and have all his enemies under him here, it was one great peice of that Covenant that was made between God and Christ in Eternitie. In the 49 of Isaiah, (which Prophesie is applyed by a worthy man unto the thing I am speaking of, namely, the striking up of the Covenant between God and Christ in Eternitie, its cleare the Prophesie doth run upon Christ, and) in the two first verses (as he conceives) The Lord Jesus is brought in, de­claring how that his father had called him, and what worke his father had put into his hands for him to doe, and so he doth aske what he should have for his labour, what wages he should have for the doing his worke? And in the third verse, the Lord comes and he doth offer to Jesus Christ, as his reward and wages, Israel, thou art my ser­vant O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. Now (as the said person observes) Christ considering that these were but a handful, & that they would many of them stand out against him, and op­pose him, he thereupon complaines, my labour is in vaine, and I have spent my strength for nought, and in vaine: If this be all my reward for my worke in dying, if I should have no other reward then Israel, truly then I should labour in vaine: and yet notwithstanding Jesus Christ is so willing to the worke, that he undertakes it however, saith he, my worke is of God, I will doe that worke, and I will even leave it to himselfe, what reward he will give me. Now the Lord seeing Christ willing to take this worke upon him, he comes in the 6 ^•h verse, and proffers more largely to him, And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant, to raise up the Tribes of Ja­cob, [Page 6]and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentills, that thou maist be my salvation, unto the end of the earth. Here the Lord comes in and doth proffer more largely and fully, he opens his heart more fully to Christ: Indeed here is the very conclusion, the result of all that did passe betwixt the Father & the Son; now observe among those things that the Lord doth promise to the Son, this is one, that he shall have a kingdome, in the 7 ^th verse; Thus saith the Lord, the redeemer of Israel, and his holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the Nation abhorreth, to a servant of Rulers, Kings shall see and arise, Princes also shall worship, be­cause of the Lord, that is faithfull, and the holy one of Israel, and he shall choose thee. This is one great thing which was promised by the Father to the Son, and that from Eternitie, namely, a king­dome, that Christ should have a kingdome, wherein Kings should worship him, wherein Princes should fall downe before him, and submit to him, so that these things are spoken by the Prophet in Time, yet, as they were transacted betwixt the Father and the Son, they were be­fore time; and so the Lord had assurance of the kingdome wherein Kings should fall downe and worship him, and that in Eternitie. But more clearely, Isai. 53.10, 11, 12 ver: where we have likewise the substance of the Covenant, that was betwixt God and Christ, the Father and the Son, and the tearmes and conditions of either party; Jesus Christ for his part he is content that God should bruise him, and to be greived, and that his soule should become an offering for sin, and make Intercession for Sinners: then the Father againe [Page 7]he promises on his part, that Jesus Christ should see his seede, that he should Justifie many, and the like; but observe among other, one speciall thing that the Father promises is, that Christ shall have a Portion with the great, and shall divide the spoile with the strong; this of all other is the great promise.

Quest. Now the Question may be, what are we to understand by Gods dividing to Christ a portion with the great, and the spoile with the strong?

Answ. Why surely, these words they cannot be meant onely of Christs spirituall tryumph o­ver his enemies, and Christs spirituall reward; because these words they are brought in as the reward the Father gives him for his suffering; because he powred out his soule unto death, and was numbred with the Transgressors, and bare the sins of many, therefore will I divide him a por­tion with the great, and he shall divide the spoile with the strong; therefore it cannot be a spiritu­all reward, and the reason is because the reward the Father gives to the Son, must be Equivolent unto his suffering, for the Father would not give unto his Son a reward that is short of his suffer­ings, this were to look upon God as straite hand­ed, (when Jesus Christ had done his worke to give a reward short of his worke) therefore the reward must be as large as his sufferings. Now looke upon the sufferings of Christ, and they are of two sorts; There was spirituall sufferings, and that in undergoing that bitter agony he under­went in the garden, in encountering all the sore Temptations of Satan, and all the frownes of his Father upon the Crosse, here was aboundance of [Page 8]spirituall sufferings, and he had the sting and tor­ment of our sins, his very soule was powred out unto death with it.

But now Christ beside these, had outward suf­ferings, he was made a reproach, and was buffet­ted, he was nailed to the Crosse, and he was peir­ced. Now the reward must be as large as his sufferings; if the reward were onely a spirituall reward, that would answer onely the spirituall part of Christs sufferings, for so great was Christs spirituall sufferings, that what ever he receives from the Father in a spiritual way, is but a full & sufficient reward for them: Now, what shall Jesus Christ have for all his outward sufferings? why surely, he must have some reward for these also; there must be something that must be given by the Father to the Son, as a reward of these, there­fore I take it, that these words they are mainely that part of the reward, they doe hold forth the outward part of the reward; God had told him before, that he should see his seede, and that he should Justifie many; I but now, because Jesus Christ met with a great deale of suffering from the world too, therefore saith God, I will give him a portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoile with the strong, because he was buffeted, and nailed to the Crosse, and peirced; therefore the Father will give him a portion among the great, and he shall devide the spoile with the strong; therefore I will honour him, and set him above the great, and above the strong; and this shall be the reward of his sufferings, that the Fa­ther will give him a kingdome, and glory, and that as a reward of his sufferings. Isai. 52.13, 14, 15 ver: Behold my servant shall deale prudently, [Page 9]he shall be exalted, and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee, (his vissage was so marred more then any man, and his forme more then the sons of men) so shall he sprinkle many Na­tions, the Kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard, shall they con­sider. My servant shall be exalted, and extolled, and be very high, who is this Gods servant? why, Jesus Christ, he, whose vissage was more marred then any mans, and his forme than the sons of men, (to speak of Christs suffering day) in Christs suffering day, his vissage was marred, and he was without forme, or comelines, that is, he had no beauty, men were astonied at him, to look at him, seeing him so poore and so despised, that this should be the Messiah and the Saviour of the world; well, saith God, though my Son hath been so debased, & so dishonoured in the world, yet I will exalt him above the great men of the world; and as the world have been astonied at him and despised him, Kings shall shut their mouths at him, as much as to say, as men when in the presence of a Prince or great man hold their tongues and are silent out of respect and honour; so, Kings and Potentates shall be silent in his presence, in the day of Christs glory, though in Christs suffering day, every one spake against him, called him deceiver and Belzebub, and tram­pled upon him; O yet there's a day, saith God, wherein my Son shall be exalted & shall be very high, and then the Kings shall shut their mouths at him, the great men of the earth shall be dumb, they shall not dare to speake a word in the pre­sence of him, there shall be such a dread in the [Page 10]day of his Glory; and truly, this too you shall see Phil: 2.6, 7, 8 verses, Because Christ when he was in the forme of God, and thought it no rob­bery to be equall with God, was willing to be vi­lified, and to be trod upon, was willing to be of no account, that he might thereby glorifie his fa­ther, and save sinners; therefore saith the Lord, I will highly exalt him; Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow: so exalted, as every knee shall bow before him; we are not to understand this of the Popish bowing of the knee at the name of Jesus, for such creatures are said here to bow the knee, that have no knees; and then too, as well every tongue shall confesse him, as every knee bow to him: But the meaning is this, that as Jesus Christ had been dishonoured in the presence of men and Angells, so, a day shall come, that Jesus Christ shall be so exalted by the Father, and that in the presence of men and Angells, that all men and Angells, all creatures in heaven and earth, and un­der the earth, they shall all bow to Christ, that is, subject to him, worship before him, and every tongue shall acknowledge that this Jesus that was crucified, and made a reproach at Jerusalem, that he was the Lord Christ, the glory of God the Father, so that Jesus Christ is to have a king­dome, wherein all his enemies are to be un­der his feete, subjected to him, and this as the reward of his sufferings; This is the sum of that that hitherto I have been speaking of, that it was a thing that was concluded upon between God and Christ even in Eternitie, when the first foun­dation of the Covenant of Grace was laid, that the [Page 11]Lord Jesus Christ in recompence of what he was to doe here on earth, for the bringing about the salva­tion of sinners, shall in reward of his worke have a glorious kingdome given to him by his Father, so that this kingdome of Christ, its founded in the new Covenant, in the very first striking of it up betwixt the Father and the Son. But then

Secondly, Its cleare if we looke unto the Pro­mulgation of it; the first Promulgation of the new Covenant, was to man immediatly upon the fall, so soone as Adam was fallen, the Lord comes to him, and in the Lords first words of promise to him, we have couched this thing, that we are speaking of, namely, the kingdome of Christ; yea, it was one great part of it, that Christ should have a visible kingdome: I take it that that pro­mise that we have in Gen: 3.16. The seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head; that it doth very clearely hold forth this thing, as will appeare if we doe but consider, as,

Who is meant by the seede of the Woman, so likewise

What we are to understand by breaking the head of the Serpent.

Its not questioned but that the seed of the Woman is Jesus Christ, who was borne of a wo­man in the Fathers due time.

Now about the breaking the head of the Serpent, is the Question; There may be a que­stion, Whether that the breaking of the Serpents head, were onely a spirituall victory & conquest, obtained by Christ over the Serpent & his seed; or, whether there be not something further in it. Now indeed I conceive, that though there is that in it, namely, Christs spirituall victory and [Page 12]conquest, yet there is more in it, viz. that this breaking the head of the Serpent, doth also hold forth an outward victory and an outward try­umph, an outward glorious conquest, that Christ and his, should have over the Serpent and his seede. And the reason is this, That this punish­ment of the Serpent and his seede its come upon them, as a recompence of what the Serpent and his seede, have done or should doe to the woman and her seede; to breake the Serpents head, its brought upon him as a punishment, as it were by the law of Retaliation, like for like, he had been brui­sing, he had been doeing all the mischiefe he could, and God foresaw he would doe all he could, therefore saith the Lord, the woman and her seede shall breake the Serpents head, and his seede; now this being so, looke how the Serpent hath bruised the heele of the woman and her seede; in like manner, must the woman and her seede, breake the head of the Serpent and his seede; but now the Serpent hath not only bruised the heele of the woman and afflicted her seede in a spiritu­all way, by spirituall Temptations, he hath not done this onely; but this Serpent hath afflicted the woman outwardly; the Serpent hath been afflicting of the woman, one while by causing of Rents and Divisions among the womans seede; another while, by raising up persecution against the woman and her seede; he hath in an outward way afflicted the woman and her seede, therefore there shall be a day wherein Jesus Christ and the faithfull of God, his faithfull Children shall breake the head of the Serpent and his seede, in an outward way; there must be such a day, be­cause this comes in as a just recompence of what the Serpent had done to them.

Now if we should but looke whither or no there hath been such a day at any time as yet, truly we cannot finde such a day, for if so be we should looke into former times, and run through the times of the old Testament, we shall finde that the whole time was (in a manner) the Ser­pents day: in the morning of the old Testament, what blowes doth the Serpent give to the wo­mans seede, when he held them in that sore bon­dage in Egypt; and in the evening of the old Testament, what a fearefull blow doth he give againe to the womans seede, in that great dis­peircing of the Israel of God into all the quar­ters of the world? Let us looke into the morning and evening of the old Testament, and we shall finde that the Serpent had not his head broken, but he was an affliction to the woman all that time: and though its true indeede, the middle of that day was somewhat more calme and plea­sant, the woman and her seede having some re­spite, under some of the Judges and good Kings of Israel, and was able to beare up her head a­gainst the Serpent, and now and then to give him a blow; yet it was not like the breaking of his head, there was no such thing as the breaking of his head; but now there shall a time come, wherein the Serpent shall have his head broken, that is, he shall receive a more deadly blow from Jesus Christ, and those that are his, then ever he hath given to them; for its a greater thing to have the head broken, than to have the heele bruised. And if we looke to the new Testament times, this hath never been done yet; for the first three hundred yeares, that great red Dragon, the Pagan Roman Empire, did persecute with [Page 14]most bloody Rage, the woman and her seede, and was red with her blood, Rev: 12.3, 4. and as soone as ever the Dragon, the Pagan Power was off the Stage, then comes the Beast, and he follows that course the Dragon before him had done, of persecuting the woman, for 1260 yeares, and she all that time is in the wildernesse, in sack­cloth and ashes, which time is but now expiring, so that if we looke to the new Testament, even unto this day, its cleare, that the Dragon and the Beast, have afflicted the woman; therefore yet, the woman hath not had her day upon the Ser­pent, but there is a time wherein the woman must have a day upon the Serpent to breake his head; therefore there is such a kingdome wherein the Saints of Jesus Christ shall crush all the enemies of Jesus Christ in the world.

The whole time of the world is held forth by two great dayes; There is the day of the seede of the Serpent, and there's the day of the seede of the woman. First, the Serpents seede have the day, and that day all their worke is to afflict the woman, to persecute the Saints, but all that ever they can doe is but to bruise her heele, they can­not destroy her: I, but there's a day which the woman, and the seede of the woman is to have; now that is after the Serpent hath had his day, and in that day the seede of the woman, breakes the head of the Serpent, that is, gives a deadly blow unto the Serpent, and the seede of the Ser­pent; that as the woman hath been afflicted by the Serpent, so he shall receive a deadly blow from her: so that in the first promise that was made to man after he was fallen, truly there was this, the visible kingdome of Christ; and we may [Page 15]say that this notion of the fifth Monarchy (as now its called) or of the visible kingdome of Christ, truly its not a new fond notion, (though things may be said to be new, in respect of dis­covery, and our looking into them, yet) its as ancient as any truth in the whole word of God; in the very first promise wherein was laid the foundation of our Salvation, there was laid the foundation of Christs kingdome: Gods glory and mans happines goe together, as the glory of God ly's in our happinesse, so the glory of Christ ly's in the glory of his kingdome.

Againe, let us looke Thirdly, unto the new Covenant in the Renovation of it; as in the first making of it, and in the first Promulgation of it to man, we have this (as I have shewed you) as one great branch of it the kingdome of Christ; so looke unto the Renovation of it, God did re­new this Covenant againe and againe, and in the renewing of it, he did alwayes include this thing as a maine branch of it, namely, Christs visible kingdome. I doe speake this the more fully, be­cause I take it here ly's a maine foundation for our faith in this great thing that is controverted in this day, namely, the kingdome of Christ; for we all looke for salvation by the new Covenant, we all know the new Covenant is an Everlasting thing, and what ever is in the new Covenant is like it selfe, unchangeable and Everlasting, and if therefore the visible kingdome be a peice or branch of that, then such a thing there must be. Now, I say, look into the renewing of this Cove­nant and we shall finde that there is likewise this kingdome held forth: the new Covenant was twice more especially renewed, or with two per­sons [Page 16]more eminently, namely, with Abraham, and with David.

The Covenant was renewed with Abraham, and therefore its oftentimes called the new Cove­nant made with Abraham: Now if we looke into that, we shall finde the great thing that was held forth in it, is this, of Christs visible kingdome, wherein Christ shall bare Rule over all his ene­mies, conquer all his enemies; if we looke unto this Covenant as renewed to Abraham, in the Galatians the Apostle speaking of this promise apply's it to Christ; now looke upon the promi­ses that were made to Abraham, and we shall finde this truth, that there was such a thing held forth as an outward visible kingdome, Gen: 22.16, 17, 18 ver: And said, by my selfe have I sworne, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine one­ly son; That in blessing I will blesse thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the starres of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possesse the gate of his ene­mies; and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. Thy seed, to Abraham, and his seed were the pro­mises made, saith the Apostle, He saith not, to seeds as of many, but unto seed, as of one, Christ; and that here it must be understood not of seeds as many, but of the seed, as one, the seed, Christ, is cleare, because its said, thy seed shall possesse the gate of his Enemies, not the gate of their Enemies, which if it had been spoken of seeds as many, it should have been, but its the gate of his Enemies, and shew's that its spoken of Christ; now that which is promised is, that Christ Abrahams seede [Page 17]shall possesse the gate of his Enemies; there shall be a day wherein Christ shall possesse the Gate of his Enemies.

Quest: What is the meaning of that?

Ans: Why truly the meaning is this, that a day shall come wherein Jesus Christ shall have power over all his Enemies in the world, he shall have rule over his Enemies, he that hath been trodden upon in his members; we cannot say that he hath ruled over his Enemies yet, but a day shall come wherein he shall have an absolute rule over his Enemies; which is expressed here by the Gate; as when a Conqueror comes against a City or Castle, when he hath once possessed the gate, he hath gotten the strength of it, and they are all under him, and at his mercy; so there shall a day come; wherein Christ shall possesse the gate of his Enemies, they shall all be brought under him, in such a manner, as they shall be all subject unto Jesus Christ and his. But now there hath never been such a day as yet, indeed the E­nemies of Christ they have hitherto possest his Gate, if you looke from the first day to this day, the Enemies of Christ have ever been in his Gate, that is, they have been treading the Church un­derfoote, which is most properly his Gate; But there is a day wherein Jesus Christ shall possesse their Gate, and tread them underfoote; there­fore there is such a thing as a visible kingdome held forth in this promise made to Abraham. Looke but to that promise made, Rom. 4.13. where the Apostle speaks thus; For the promise to Abraham, was not to Abraham, or to his seed through the Law, but through the righteousnesse of faith. The promise to Abraham that he should [Page 18]be heire of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed through the Law; there was a pro­mise expresly made to Abraham that he should be heire of the world, we doe not finde this pro­mise in Genesis, in so many words, therefore it seemes to me, that the Apostle doth gather up the summe of all the promises made to Abra­ham, and he doth sum up all in this, God pro­mises to Abraham that he should be heire of the world. All the promises, that Abraham should be a father of many nations; all nations should be blessed in him, his seede should possesse the gate of his Enemies; what is that now that is the great thing held forth in all those promises? why, it was that he should be heire of the world; and the promise therefore is of such a thing, and indeed it was the substance of them all, th [...] marrow of them, that Abraham should be a great and an absolute heire, and should have all the world given to him.

Now let us consider this, its the promise of God, and he cannot lye; Abraham himselfe never did possesse the whole world, but was a stranger in it, dwelling in Tents and Taberna­cles, Heb. 11.9. And if we looke to the natu­rall seed of Abraham, namely, the Jewes, they never yet possest more than that little spot of land, the land of Canaan, and they have been cast out of that a long time; and if we looke unto the beleiving Gentills the spirituall seed, they have been to this day persecuted in the world, its out­casts, the of-scouring of it, and cannot in any sence be said to have been made possessors of the world, as an heire (which is the Apostles word) is made a possessor of his Inheritance, where he [Page 19]beares rule as a Lord, and all within the Com­passe of his Inheritance, are to him in no other capacity but of servants and Tenants. Abraham was the heire of it, but they never had the pos­session of it; yet there is a time wherein they shall have the world, for God who made the world, and hath given it to whom he pleaseth, was pleased of his own good will to give it to Abraham: indeed, what right had Abraham to the land of Canaan? but God who hath right to all, was pleased to give it to Abraham: why so here, Abrahams seed have the world given them; there must be a time wherein the seed of Abra­ham shall possesse the world, as truly as the seed of Abraham did possesse the land of Canaan, which God gave to Abraham and his seed. Now, I say, this hath not been, and we cannot looke upon this as if so be the fulfilling of this promise were in giving them a part of it; for God promises the world, and therefore indeed there is a time wherein Abraham and his seed are to be possessed of the world, and if so be there were not, what were Abraham and his seed the better for the promise, if so be they never possesse it. And this promise is said to be made to Abra­ham not through the Law, but through the righte­ousnesse of faith, and that is upon the account of the new Covenant; for in the Romans its said, That the righteousnesse which is of faith speakes on this wise, he doth oppose the old Covenant unto the righteousnesse of faith, so that by the righte­ousnesse of faith we are here to understand, the new Covenant; and this promise made to Abra­ham as the heire of the world, and that as of the righteousnesse of faith, comes in upon the ac­count of the new Covenant.

Let me adde one notion more upon this Scrip­ture, that this promise is made to Abraham, that he should be heire of the world, the Lord he doth give to Abraham as a pledge, or as an earnest of this great promise, the land of Canaan, to him and his seed: and now as Abraham while he was a stranger in the land of Canaan, he had the land of Canaan given to him and his seede by God, and so had a true right to it; so, Jesus Christ, though he is now a stranger in the world, little knowne in the world; and the seede of Christ wander as strangers in the world, yet they have a true right, and Christ hath a true right unto this great heiredome of the whole world, as true a right as Abraham had unto the land of Canaan, when that idneeed he was but a stranger in it; and looke as Abrahams naturall seed the Jewes upon their coming out of Egypt, they were by God possessed of that land, which God did give to Abraham, as a pledge or an earnest of the great Inheritance; so likewise shall Abrahams seed both naturall and spirituall, Jew and Gen­till, (for now they are both one, for the parti­tion wall is broken downe) this seed of Abra­ham, when God shall set his hand the second time, gathering together his people, Isai. 11.11. that is, when he shall deliver his Children from the Antichristian Tyranny and bondage, and he shall bring the Jewes into their own land, in that day shall they as truly be possest of this great In­heritance of the whole world, as Abrahams na­turall seed when they went out of Egypt were possest of the land of Canaan; and to make this a little out, first Abraham was made by God an heire of the whole world, and that indeed is the [Page 21]great Inheritance that is here promised, the pro­mise to Abraham was as to an heire of the whole world. And secondly, Abraham was made an heire of a lesser inheritance, and that was given by God to Abraham and his seede, to live upon (as I may so say) untill the appointed time came, that they should possesse the whole world; now one was the pledge of the other, and answerable hereunto, Abrahams seed have two great Cap­tivities, of which one was the Type of the other. First, Abrahams seed was carried captive into Egypt, and in Gods due time God brings them out, and when he had brought them out, God puts them into that land that was the pledge of that great Inheritance; now after that, they sin against God, and he delivers them into a greater and longer Captivitie; so likewise, Abrahams seed (who wonderously increased in the time of their first Captivity in Egypt) in the time of this long Captivitie doe wonderfully encrease, for now the Gentills come in, and they are his seed; now A­braham is made the father of many Nations; now Abrahams seede being encreas'd to a multi­tude of Nations as the promise is, God will bring them forth a second time; and as he did upon the first bringing them forth, he gave them the land which was the type of the promise, so at the second time of bringing them forth, he will give them the whole world which he hath promised to them.

Secondly, Looke upon the Renewall of this Co­venant with David; as the new Covenant was renewed with Abraham, so likewise it was re­newed with David; the renewall of it with Da­vid we have if we looke into the 89 Psalm: 3 & [Page 22]4 ver: I have made a Covenant with my Chosen; I have sworne unto David my servant. Thy seed will I Establish for ever: and build up thy Throne to all Generations, Selah, What this Covenant is, observe in the 4 ^th verse, Thy seed will I establish for ever; and build up thy Throne to all Genera­tions, that is the great thing, the great branch of the Covenant made with David, I will build up thy Throne; but whose Throne is this, Davids Throne as David? no, its not Davids Throne, but indeed Christs, spoken of under David as a type of Christ as King; and that is cleare if you looke into the 19 ver: Then thou spakest in vi­sion to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid helpe upon one that is mighty: I have exalted one chosen out of the People. This David here, its cleare its spoken of Jesus Christ, though David was the type of Christ, that mighty one: and then againe, its more cleare in the 27 ver: Also I will make him my first-borne: higher than the Kings of the earth. I will make him my first-borne; Its Jesus Christ that is the Fathers first-borne, and its Je­sus Christ that is to be exalted higher than the Kings of the earth; David was never exalted higher than the Kings of the earth, there have been Kings of the earth, that have been higher as to outward glory than David was, but its Je­sus Christ that is exalted higher than the Kings of the earth. But

Quest: How doth it appeare that this is the new Covenant?

Ans: Why, it appepres from two things.

First, It appeares from the unalterablenesse of it, in the 34 ver: My Covenant will I not breake, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lipps. It [Page 23]was such a Covenant that this kingdome was founded upon, that God would not breake nor alter, and therefore the new Covenant.

Secondly, Because there was an oath added to the Covenant, in the 35 ver: Once have I sworne by my holines, that I will not lye unto David. Here's the oath of God, Once have I sworne saith God, doe you thinke that I will be false to Da­vid, Once have I sworne, and that, by my holines, the highest thing God could sweare by. Now it must therefore be the new Covenant, because there's an oath added to it; when the Lord made the old Covenant, there was no Oath went with that, therefore the Apostle in the 7 ^th of the He­brewes saith, that the Priests of the old Cove­nant were made without an Oath, but now the Priests of the new Covenant they are made with an Oath, 20 & 21 ver: The Priesthood of the new Covenant is confirmed by an Oath, what ever God doth in the new Covenant there goes an Oath with it; and so when Christ is made the high Priest of the new Covenant, the Lord sweares, what ever he doth, I will doe, what he doth as a Priest, I will ratifie and confirme it, I will never repent me of it, there's an oath; but now the Priests of the old Covenant are made without an Oath; and because its con­firm'd by an Oath, its cleare it was the new Co­venant, the whole new Covenant hath an Oath goes with it, God willing to shew unto the heires of promise the Immutability of his promise, he con­firmes it with an Oath, that by two Immutable things, in which it was Impossible for God to lye, we might have a strong Consolation, &c. So that its cleare this is the new Covenant: I but here's [Page 24]one promise hath a speciall Oath to it, its wor­thy observation what peice of the new Cove­nant the Lord especially sweares to, and that is this promise of Christs kingdome, Once have I sworne by my holines, that God will not lye to Da­vid; and what is that that God sweares to? its this, that his seede shall endure for ever, and his Throne shall be as the Sun before him. Now to this promise is added a speciall Oath, and its ob­servable, that the Lord speakes of Christs king­dome severall times in Scripture (there are foure times that the Lord speakes of this) and he doth sweare to it.

When he made this Promise to Abraham, that his seed (Christ) shall possesse the Gate of his E­nemies, Gen. 22.16. By my selfe have I sworne, saith he: when he comes to make this promise to David, that Jesus Christ shall have a kingdome, God sweares againe, Once have I sworne by my holines, that I will not lye unto David; His seede shall endure for ever; and his Throne as the Sun before me. Againe, if you looke into Isai. 45.13. you have God swearing againe there, I have sworne by my selfe; the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not returne, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall sweare Why, what is the meaning of that? why its the very same with that in the Philippians, every knee shall bow to Christ, every tongue shall confesse that Christ is the Lord, it is the exalting and setting up Christ Jesus as King: So, if we looke into Isai. 54.9.11. Oh thou afflicted, Tossed with Tempest, and not comforted; and in the 14 ver: In righteousnesse shalt thou be esta­blished, and thou shalt be far from oppression; its a [Page 25]description of Christs kingdome, which he con­firmes by his oath in the 9 ^•h ver: speaking of this very time of the kingdome of Christ, For this is as the waters of Noah unto me; for as I have sworne that the waters of Noah shall no more goe over the earth; so have I sworne, that I would not be wrath with thee, nor rebuke thee; that is, he would not in that day be wrath with his people, so as to put by the fulfilling this good word of his promise, I will make good this peice of my Covenant.

Now if we consider it, surely there is something in it, that the Lord should confirme all the new Covenant by an Oath, and should confirme one branch of it, and that by an Oath, swearing by himselfe, and by his holines, and by his righteous­nesse; and swearing that he would not lye; and swearing that it should be as certain as the word to Noah, that the world should never be drow­ned againe. That the Lord should sweare over and over to it, surely there is much in it; now the Lord hath done thus as to Christs kingdome, what ever the world say, the Lord hath founded this upon the new Covenant, and he hath con­firmed this new Covenant with an Oath, when the Lord saw what opposition there would be in the world, & what distrust in his peoples hearts, lest any should doubt of it, he comes over and over againe with this particular branch of it with an Oath, I have sworne, I have sworne, I have sworne, that my Son shall have a king­dome. So that in the Covenant with David, there was the promise of the kingdome of Christ.

Fourthly, Let us come to the worke it selfe, where the worke doth begin to rise in the world, [Page 26]and you shall see that it doth begin to rise, and that upon the account of the new Covenant. The worke of Christs kingdome, the glorious beginning of it, it shall be about the time of the Jewes coming in, and indeed the coming in of the Jewes shall be a very great advancement of this kingdome, and where ever the Lord doth speake of the coming in of the Jewes, he doth lay it upon the foundation of this new Covenant; and indeed its a very great argument to me, against those that thinke there is no such thing as the king­dome of Christ, because God hath so often laid it upon his new Covenant. Looke into the 26 of Leviticus, the Lord had spoken before of reje­cting, and of the casting of them off, 42 ver: he saith when they should be cast off, then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob, and also my Covenant with Isaac, and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember, and I will remember the Land. This doth not onely looke to the re­jecting of the people of Israel for a time, when they were carried Captive into Babylon, for that was a rejecting onely of part of the seed of A­braham, but it doth looke to their long Capti­vity, of all the seed of Abraham, for these many hundred yeares, the Lord engages he will restore them, and restore them upon the account of re­membring his Covenant; Then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob, and also my Covenant with Isaac, and also my Covenant with Abraham, will I remember, and I will remember the Land: and I will bring them backe againe, and I will gather them upon the account of my Covenant, saith God, Deut. 4.30, 31. In the 27 verse Mo­ses had been speaking, The Lord shall scatter you [Page 27]among the nations, and yee shall be left few in num­ber among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you; then he tells them in the 30 verse, When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter dayes, if thou turne to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient un­to his voice: even in the latter dayes, mind the expression, in the latter dayes, if thou turne to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice, (for the Lord thy God is a mercifull God) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the Covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. When the Lord hath cast them off, they shall be gathered, and that upon the account of his Co­venant; and so in the 54 of Isai. that Chapter is a prophesie of the Conversion of the Jewes, and of that glory that shall follow thereupon, and the Lord doth engage his Covenant for the bringing of it about. The mountaines shall de­part, and the hills be removed, but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee; neither shall the Cove­nant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. So likewise in the 33 of Jere. the two last verses; Thus saith the Lord, if my Covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the Ordinances of heaven and earth: then will I cast away the seede of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seede to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: for I will cause their Captivity to returne, and have mercy on them. This is spoken of their last restoration, as I told you at first, and the Lord doth engage to restore them, and for that, he doth engage his Covenant, if so be that my Covenant be not firme, then saith he may I cast [Page 28]away Jacob and Israel my servant; but if you beleive my Covenant, doe not beleive I will cast them away; Exod: 19. When the Lord had cast them off, in respect of the old Covenant, he ga­thers them upon the account of the new Cove­nant, his Everlasting Covenant. So likewise, Zach: 9.11. which Chapter is a prophesie that lookes into the last times, as is cleare from the first verse, for it lookes to the time, wherein all the eyes of Israel shall be toward the Lord; so you have what is spoken in the 9th ver: quoted by the Evangelist Matthew; Thy king cometh riding up­on an Asse, and upon a Coalt, the foale of an Asse; its cleare it lookes unto the last times: so, if you looke into the 10 ver: And I will cut off the Charret from Ephraim, and the Horse from Jeru­salem: and the battell bow shall be cut off; and he shall speake peace unto the Heathen, and his Domi­nion shall be from Sea, even to Sea, and from the River, even to the ends of the earth; it lookes to the time of Christs kingdome; now in that time God will gather together the Jewes, in the 11 ver: As for thee also, by the blood of the Covenant, I have sent forth thy Prisoners out of the Pitt, wherein is no water. The Lord will gather them in that day, and that upon the account of the new Covenant, by the blood of the Covenant they are gathered. And as the Apostle Paul speakes of the conversion of the Jewes, Rom. 11. He speaking of the naturall seede that were broken off that we might be graffed in, and how that they should be graffed in againe; as he tells us in the 26 ver: For this is my Covenant unto them; he lay's the foundation of all upon the Cove­nant; they shall be gathered; why? its my Cove­nant [Page 29]with them. Now observe, this is a glorious peice of the worke, that that shall be the most excellent peice of the worke in the rise of Christs kingdome, in the calling of the Jewes, its this, that it stands upon the new Covenant: The foote of Christs kingdome is bottomed upon the new Covenant, it was founded upon the new Cove­nant in Eternitie; it was lodg'd in the new Co­venant in the first Promulgation of it to men; it was a peice of the Covenant with Abraham and David; and when he tells us the worke of his kingdome shall rise, he tells us it shall arise upon the foote of the Covenant: now lay all these to­gether, and what can be more cleare than this, That the kingdome of Christ its a glorious peice of the new Covenant, its a branch of the new Cove­nant, its such a peice (as I told you before) as the Lord hath been pleased (in an especiall manner, which he hath not done to any one branch of the new Covenant besides it) to sweare to, againe, and a­gaine, and againe, and againe, that it shall be.

If it be so, Ʋse 1 that the kingdome of Christ is lodg'd up in the new Covenant, that its founded there; First, Wee may learne this, That let men or Satan doe what they can, for the crushing, and the keeping downe such a thing, yet a day there is, when it will come forth, and that in the spite of all the power of men and hell; for its a peice of Gods Covenant, and its a peice God hath sworne to, and if the God of Heaven be able to make good his Oath, and performe his Covenant, and if he will not let his new Covenant that he hath spo­ken so highly of, his Everlasting Covenant, that he hath laid the salvation of all his Children up­on, his own glory upon, if he will not let that [Page 30]fall, he must bring this thing to passe; therefore let men doe what they can, or let Satan do what he can, yet when that all the Power of Hell, and all the wisdome of men, when it hath acted and put forth it selfe to the utmost, for the hindering such a thing, that God who made this Covenant, and who keepes Covenant, and hath sworne he will not alter the thing that is gone out of his lipps, and sworne againe and againe, that he will make Christ higher than the kings of the Earth, this God will bring forth such a thing, for his Covenant is a sure Covenant, and an Everlasting Covenant, and therefore indeed its not for us to struggle against the will of God, and the Cove­nant of God; it good for us to waite upon God for his will in all things, so for this, the time for Gods bringing forth the kingdome of his Son, but for men to struggle against this truth, when God brings it forth, men may undoe themselves, because its striving against God, and one great branch of the new Covenant.

Secondly, Ʋse 2 If it be so that the kingdome of Christ is lodg'd up in the new Covenant, we may hence learne, That the unworthines of the Saints, it cannot, it shall not hinder or deprive them of this mercy: for new Covenant-mercy's they come riding over the head of all things that stand in the way, new Covenant Grace is a tryumphing Grace, its a Grace that rides in Triumph, what ever it meets with it rides over, its such great Grace. Now this kingdome of Christ comes on upon the account of the new Covenant, and its the grace of the new Covenant, that shall usher this kingdome into the world; and as this grace will bring it through all the oppositions of men [Page 31]and Hell, so will it even come over the sin and unworthines of the Saints, if so be that it were upon the account of the old Covenant, indeed we should have little hope, Gods people in this day would have little hope. When I have many times in serious thoughts, lookt over the genera­tion of the Saints, all parties, it hath been a grea­ter discouragement, as touching the worke, than all the powers of the world, for upon the account of the old Covenant we are gone; to consider the unworthynes of the Saints, its a harder thing to get over this, than to get over all other things, but consider this is the ground of the worke, the new Covenant; if this kingdome were upon the old Covenant, I have oftentimes thought wee should never have any hope, that such a thing should rise up in the world, and though God might use another Generation, yet this Gene­ration must dye, because they have all broken Covenant with God: yet now seeing its rising ground is upon the new Covenant, though the people of God are exceeding unworthy, yet not­withstanding they may have mercy; and that soule that is most unworthy, yet he may come to be partaker of that blessednes of the new kingdome. When the Children of Israel were going through the wilderness, and the Lord was dealing with them according to the old Cove­nant, they murmured against God, and they all fell in the wildernesse; and so it would be with us in this day, if he dealt with us upon the ac­count of the old Covenant; but because God deales with us upon the account of the new Covenant, as the people of God have cause to be humbled for all their sinnes, yet consider this [Page 32]cannot hinder, but the Lord can yet, and the Lord indeed I hope of his grace, will doe glori­ous things for his Children, notwithstanding all their unworthines, his grace shall come tryumph­ing over all these. Davids kingdome grew out of the new Covenant, therefore it was not the unworthynes of him nor his followers that could hinder it from rising. If you looke upon Sauls kingdome, it seemes to be glorious at first; but afterwards, because it was not founded on the new Covenant, it grew worse and worse; Saul at first seem'd to have much faith and selfe-deni­all, when the Lot fell upon him, and they were commanded to bring him forth to crowne him King, he hid himselfe, that they were forc't to en­quire of the Lord to know where he was: and when the Children of Belial said, How shall this man save us, they despis'd him, and brought him no presents, but he held his peace, in the 1 Sam: 9.27. he seem'd to be so patient and so humble, as if he tooke no notice of it: so in the 1 Sam: 11.12, 13. there you shall finde, after they had gotten a great victory over the Ammonites, and some of the people said unto Samuel, who is he that sayd, shall Saul reigne over us? bring the men that we may put them to death: And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day; for to day the Lord hath wrought Salvation in Israel. As if Saul should have said, I will never give way to passion and rage, why? the Lord hath wrought glorious Salvation in Israel this day, the Lord with his Salvation hath been among us, and by his migh­ty Salvation hath delivered us; his heart seemes to be wonderfully taken with the deliverance: but afterwards, looke upon Sauls kingdome, and [Page 33]its still waneing, and decaying more and more; and why? because it was founded upon the old Covenant. But looke upon Davids kingdome, and you shall see in the beginning of it, it did a­rise through many faylings and infirmities, that were both in David himselfe, and his followers; David he runs away from Saul, goes to Ahime­lech the Priest, and tells a lye to get some bread, and Goliahs sword; afterward he runs to Achish king of Gath, and fain's himselfe mad: and when he had been invading the Countrey neere unto him where he dwelt (at Zicklag) and Achish asked him whether he had made his rode that day, 1 Sam: 27.10. David tells him a flat un­truth, that they had been against the South of Ju­dah: At another time, he fail'd exceedingly, when in a way of revengefull rage he would goe against Naball, to cut him off and all his house, for denying him provision; these were stairing of­fences, men (no doubt) did wonder what would become of David & his case, that was attended with so many weaknesses and offences; And look upon his followers, and see what a rabble-rout he had at first, 1 Sam: 22.1. When David was escaped to the Cave Adullam, then, every one that was in distresse, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him, and he became a Captaine over them; if one should seriously looke upon David and his fol­lowers, would be thinke there should any good come of it? many no doubt did thus looke upon David and his followers, and therefore expected no good to come of his kingdome. I bring it to this end to shew, that though men may have ne­ver so many infirmities and weaknesses, yet if the [Page 34]worke arise through the new Covenant, it shall goe on with a notwithstanding: Davids king­dome was founded upon the new Covenant, and therefore it was carryed on, through all difficul­ties and weaknesses; and Sauls kingdome arose onely out of the Covenant of workes, and there­fore (though it had a glorious beginning) it did wast away. Therefore let not the hearts of Gods people faint or be discouraged, though there are grosse failings among the Saints, and in those too that desire to be friends to Davids kingdome, though there be much of passion and the infir­mities of men in them: Consider, Christs visible kingdome in this world stands upon the founda­tion of the new Covenant, it did help David to the kingdome, though through many Infirmi­ties. I speake not this, to Indulge any infirmi­ties in Gods Children, I desire that this glorious cause might be so mannaged, as it deserves; yet suppose its mannaged with many infirmities, so that many stumble at it, saying, Can this Monar­chy ever prosper? Let such consider that this glo­rious blessed cause is founded upon the new Co­venant, and though men cannot over-looke In­firmities, yet God will, and accomplish the thing notwithstanding them for the new Covenants sake, I will be mercifull to their sins, and remember their Iniquities no more. Consider, when Jesus Christ rid to Jerusalem as a King, he did not choose the most glorious Beast to ride upon, but he chose that Beast that was most weake, contemptible and simple, so now the Lord he chooseth weake things to confound the strong, and foolish things to confound the wise. Wee have a good cause, and we are upon a good ground, [Page 35]we are upon the new Testament ground; and seeing its founded upon the new Covenant, the grace of the Covenant will tryumph over all the weaknesses and infirmities of the Saints that la­bour to carry it on: the Lord makes use of the weaknesses of his people sometimes, to make o­thers blind, and to stumble, to be a rocke of of­fence, but when the worke is done, all their weak­nesses saith the Lord shall be forgotten; the Lord will come and swallow up all in the new Cove­nant: as Davids weaknesses, were a stumbling blocke to those that lived in his age, and when the Lord had stumbled all in that age and gene­ration, then he makes his worke to arise higher and higher, through the grace of the new Cove­nant: and so it will be with the visible Kingdome of Jesus Christ, because its founded on the new Covenant, which is a sure and an Everlasting Covenant; he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant, ordered and sure: the Lord hath found­ed it so sure, that all the Devills in Hell, and all the rage of men in the world, cannot hinder it, Though my house, saith David be not so with God, yet he hath made an Everlasting Covenant with me, which shall stand; though the Saints doe not grow in grace, yet this glorious worke of Christs kingdome, which is founded upon the Everlast­ing Covenant, must goe on: the House that is builded upon the rocke, though the winds blow, and floods arise, and beate upon the House, it stands fast, because its built upon the rocke; so, Christs kingdome it hath a rocky foundation, its founded upon the Covenant of God, that is, an Impregnable rocke; its such a foundation that all the world cannot hurt, if any come and strike [Page 36]at it, it will grind them to powder; this is a sweet consideration, and should provoke us to looke up to God, for the accomplishing of this great mercy; and to looke unto him for new mercy's, Gods people stand for nothing con­cerning this kingdome, but God will make the world one day know, it was a peice of the new Covenant. The unworthynes of the Saints shall not hinder them of this mercy, for new Cove­nant Grace will ride Tryumphing over the head of all the Infirmities of the people of God.

Thirdly, Ʋse 3 Another thing (if it be a mercy lod­ged up in the new Covenant) we may learne hence is, That it is not strange, or it ought not to be strange to us, if we should see a death upon this worke, if we should see this worke struck dead, when it may be it seemes to be coming forth; for in­deed its Gods way in bringing forth mercy's of the new Covenant, to strike the mercy dead. Abraham had two sons, the son of Hagar the old Covenant, and the son of Sarah the new Co­venant; there's no death comes upon Ishmael the old Covenant, but there comes a death ( Abra­ham's body is dead, and Sarah's wombe is dead) upon Isaac the new Covenant, the new Covenant mercy is struck dead, so when the Lord will set up his Son as King, he will doe it upon the ac­count of the new Covenant, therefore we must expect this new covenant mercy to passe through death, so that God strikes the new Covenant mercy dead, before he brings it forth. When the Children of Israel came out of Egypt, they come out upon the account of the new Covenant, God remembers his Covenant and sends Moses to them, thereupon they are full of expectation [Page 37]of deliverance, but presently their burdens were encreased, and their oppression encreased, and thereupon all is struck dead, and they are further from deliverance than ever they were, and yet notwithstanding when God had tryed but a while their faith and patience, (for that is the end of all his bringing deaths upon a worke, to try our faith and patience, but) so soone as ever that was tryed, then the Lord brings them forth by his glorious hand. So it was with David, God had promised him the kingdome, yet there was a wonderfull death came upon Davids king­dome, David is made a king, and some few come to him, and David had some faith, when Abiathar the Priest came to him when he fled from Saul, saith David, Abide with me, and thou shalt be safe, for with me there's safety, but when his kingdome is just ready to come to him, there comes a great sentence of death upon the worke, because its a new Covenant worke, all is struck dead, I shall certainly perish one day by the hand of Saul, and I must leave the Country, saith David, so its with all new Covenant mercy's, that the Lord might try the faith of his Children, which he will have tryed, and that he might make the mercy the sweeter when it comes, and that we might be more in crying to him: God strikes the worke dead, that we might exercise the more faith and prayer, therefore let us not be discou­raged, when we see a sentence of death upon it, it would be a great discouragement to me, if there were not a Sentence of death upon it, I should beleive then it were a greater way off than it is; for if it be a new Covenant mer [...]y, there must be a Sentence of Death put upon it. As in [Page 38]mercy's to a particular soule, God will have the soule strucke dead, before the Lord reveale the new Covenant mercy to him, that the soule shall say, I can see nothing, I have nothing at all; it can see no wisdome, no righteousnesse, nothing in it selfe, and when all is strucke dead, then the Lord comes with new Covenant mercy's to the soule; so, when the Lord intends to set up his Sonnes kingdome in the earth, it must first be wholly struck dead.

Fourthly, Ʋse 4 If this kingdome of Christ be a mercy lodged up in the new Covenant, then wee should waite upon God patiently for the bring­ing of it forth: New Covenant mercy's they are to be waited for: Abraham lost himselfe greatly in murmuring, while he was waiting for the ful­filling of the new Covenant promise, he cryes out, I goe Childlesse, he had a promise, and be­cause he sees it not fulfilled, he cry's, I goe child­lesse, and this Eleazar of Damascus, who is Ste­ward of my house, must be my heire: and what doth this his repining bring forth? why present­ly the very next thing we read, is Abraham and Sahah distrusting God, lay their heads together, and upon advice, he goe's in Hagar, (he turnes into the old Covenant) and had fruit by her, and there Abraham rests and settles himselfe some yeares; he goes and turnes into the old Covenant by an Impatient waiting for the new Covenant; we are not to waite as Idlers doe for helpe in a ditch, and cry God helpe us, but we are to wait as if we would have it in by our very striving & strugling, yet notwithstanding there must be a quiet waiting on God for his time, so it should be with us, for this new Covenant mercy; [Page 39]waite for it patiently, be content with it in Gods own time, when he will bring it forth, and the more our heart is brought to lye downe submis­sively before God, its a great argument that the mercy is so much the nearer; the Lord doth or­dinarily in giving forth the mercy's of the new Covenant (though there may be striving and strugling for a time, yet) he brings the hearts of his Children to this, Lord when thou wilt, in thine owne time; O that God would bring all the hearts of his Children to this, that our hearts might not be engaged by our own thoughts, but that we may be so free that God may have his own time, that there may not be an Impatient spirit in waiting.

And is it a new Covenant mercy, Ʋse 5 this will be a sweet mercy when it comes, all the new Covenant mercy's are sweete things; what ever the world thinke of Christs kingdome, when it comes it will be a sweet thing; that the Saints shall have glory hereafter, doth that hinder the spirituall enjoyment of God here? so, the outward king­dome of Christ, what will that hinder the spiri­tuall enjoyment of Christ? But the Devill play's his game thus in the new Testament Times, he made men to looke for an outward kingdome onely, when Christ was about to set up a spiritu­all kingdome; and now that Christ would set up an outward kingdome, saith the Devill looke onely to the spirituall kingdome, as if the our­ward and spirituall kingdome could not stand together, as if the glory of the body's and soules of the Saints could not stand together.

And then againe, Ʋse 6 If it be a new Covenant mercy, it will be a spirituall thing; though some [Page 40]may call it a carnall and a low thing, yet it will be a spirituall thing: the Lord teach us to waite up­on him, to looke up to him, to trust in him, to relye on him, for there shall be a day of his king­dome; our worke is to waite; seeke, pray, and waite in these day's; the Lord teach his people to goe along with him; as the little Children at his entrance into Jerusalem cryed Hosanna, He­sanna; he rides upon a poore meane creature, the foale of an Asse, and the Children follow him crying Hosanna, Hosanna; so we should eye the Lord Jesus now in the meanest appearances, and follow him crying Hosanna in the Highest, this we should doe.

The Lord make us waite on him for his owne Time, and that time is not farre off, I cannot thinke its farre off; because many thinke it a great way off, its an argument to me its neare, for God comes upon his people when he finds not faith on Earth, when Gods people say its farre off, then its neare; as, when God sent Mo­ses to tell the Children of Israel the Lord would deliver them, but before deliverance, thesentence of death comes, and O say they to Moses & Aa­ron, what have you brought us to? where is their faith now, expecting deliverance at the hand of God? Now it was worse with them than before, and their bondage is encreased, and their delive­rance was thought further off: O but then was the Lords time, he Immediatly brought it to passe; then was the Lords time come, when their faith was gone. So when David stood up first upon the account of his kingdome, saith he, to Abiathar, Come with me and thou shalt be safe, I am sure God will give me the kingdome; [Page 41]though Saul be a Potent Enemy, and mine Ene­mies many, yet I am sure God will give me the kingdome; but yet, after that, when Saul pur­sued him that he was forc't to fly out of one Hole into another, Now, saith he, shall I perish one day by the hand of Saul; then, when he thought it thus farre off, then the kingdome comes forth, the hand of the Lord cutts off Saul, and the kingdome Immediately comes to David. As when the Children of Israel came out of Babylon, they thought they should have all things, then Jerusalem built, and the Tem­ple, and all things; but when they were about it, building the Temple, now a stop is put upon the worke, and they cry, The time is not for the Lords worke yet, till that Haggai and Zachary tells them, Now is the Time for building the Lords Temple: As it is with private Christians in a doubting houre, Saints usually conclude, we are too forward for that time; observe, Then is Gods time; they had faith at first, and after their faith fayles from the worke, and they said, it was not time; mark, then was the time, the Lord sends Haggai to tell them, they liv'd in their Ceiled Houses, and neglected Gods house, O now was the time when they thought not of it; And just so, when Christ suffered on the Crosse, We thought, say the Disciples, this was he that should have delivered us, their hope was gone of any deliverance by him, yet then was their Redemption at hand, their Redemption comes forth Immediatly, he finishes the worke of Redemption at that time; so that to have faith struck dead, is not an Evidence that the worke stands a great way off, but that its neare [Page 42]and approaching: surely the Lord will come forth in his Time, and he is not farre from do­ing some great and glorious thing in the world; Gods peoples faith is not grounded upon fan­cyes, but they see and know that God is doing some glorious thing in the world, he is over­turning kingdomes, and setting up the kingdome of his Son; O that we could quietly looke up unto the Lord, and waite upon the Lord, Serve the Lord with feare, and rejoyce with Trembling, kisse the Son lest he be angry yee great ones of the Earth, lest his wrath be kindled; and you that follow the Lord, O doe you rejoyce with feare, and serve him with Trembling; they that stand may fall; O when was there such a falling as now shall be, when the Lord saith, I will a­rise to shake terribly the earth; no History can paralel such shakings as have been in these last dayes, therefore we had need take heed lest we fall, and looke up to the Lord that we may stand: Indeed its a blessed truth, what ever men may thinke of it, so sure as my hand is upon this Bible, so sure shall such a thing come forth in due time; for as this is the true word of God, of a true God that cannot lye, so certainly it shall come to passe.

I have onely insisted on one particular, the kingdome as a Branch of the new Covenant, but to speake of the kingdome as its held forth in the Word, would take up a large time, for there's not any one truth hath more to be said from the Scripture for it, than this, of Christs king­dome, for as the end of all is Gods glory, so, this is that, concerns Christs glory, there's a vane [Page 43]of it running through the Scripture, from the first promise made to Abraham, to the last spoken of in the Revelation. The Lord give us hearts to looke up to him for the accomplishing of it in his Time.

THese words are spoken by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, unto a ge­neration of men, which came to him tempting him, desiring him to shew them a signe from heaven, in the first verse, The Pharisees also with the Sadduces, came, and temp­ting, desired him that he would shew them a signe from heaven. The Pharisees and Sadduces they were in their Principles, contrary and opposite one unto another, and yet they can either of them very well agree and comply against Christ, and both joyne hands and heads in tempting our Lord; and their Temptation it ly's in desiring a signe from heaven: our Lord Jesus he takes oc­casion from this, to mind them of the signes of the times, Can yee not discerne the signes of the times? and lest that they should reply that these signes were so darke that they could not be knowne, therefore our Lord labours to convince them, and that from things that were of a more outward nature, you say in the evening it will be faire weather, for the skie is red, and in the morn­ing it will be foule weather to day, for the skie is [Page 46]red and lowring, O yee hypocrites, yee can discerne the face of the skie, but can yee not discerne the signes of the times? As if he should have said, what, are yee not as wise in spirituall things as you are in Temporall? are you not as wise con­cerning the signes of the times, as ye are in out­ward signes? yee can discerne the face of the skie, how is it that you are not so wise as to dis­cerne the signes of the times?

I shall not spend much time about the words, in the words, there is this Observation,

Observa: That the Times of the Lords more glorious ap­pearance and manifestation of himselfe, they are times that are marked out, they are such times as have evident signes set upon them. This, the word of Christ doth clearely hold forth, Can yee not discerne the signes of the times? As if he should have said, the present time, its such a time as hath signes set upon it, ye might see signes if so be that ye were not blind; If so be that I should run through the booke of God, we should finde this to be a truth.

First, There was a great and wonderfull ap­pearance of the power and majesty of God, when the Lord was to deliver Israel out of Egypt, and that was a remarkable time, a time that God had mark't out, 430 yeares; At the end of 430 yeares, all the host of the Lord, its said, came out of the Land of Egypt.

Secondly, At the time of Israels coming out of Babylon; There was a glorious appearance of God, in stirring up the heart of Cyrus, of a Hea­then, to make him so forward and ready of his own accord, to put on the worke of God, of building the Temple, and make Proclamation [Page 47]throughout all his Dominions, to the Jewes, to goe up to Jerusalem to doe this worke; here was a great hand of God: now this time was also mark't out, seventy yeares Israel was to be in Babylon, and then to come forth.

Thirdly, The time of our Lords first Coming, it was a time wherein there was a glorious mani­festation of God, God now manifests himselfe in the flesh, as the Apostle tells us; now, what remarkable signes were set upon this time? there were three remarkable signes set upon this time, by either of which this Generation, might have knowne or discerned Jesus Christ to be the True Messiah.

First, There was at this time the departure of the Scepter from Judah, Prophesied of by Jacob, as you may find, Gen. 49.10. The Scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from be­tween his feete, untill Shiloh come: that is, untill Christ come: so that whensoever the Scepter was taken away from Judah, they might then con­clude, now will the Messiah come, now is he in the world, whether we see him or no, yet he is come, for the Scepter was not to depart till he was come: now its observable, that at this very time the Scepter was taken away, for this He­rod, that was now king in Judea, he was a stranger, and not of the blood of the Jewes, an Idumean; and he was the first stranger that ever was King over the people of the Jewes, for they had alwayes some of their own nation ru­led them, but now there was a stranger swaying the Scepter among them at this time; so that here was an Evident fulfilling of the signe of the time; at this time the Scepter was gone, so they [Page 48]might well have concluded the Messiah was come from Jacobs Prophesie, that Jesus was the Messiah, for he comes at the very same time that the Scepter departed.

Secondly, There was another remarkable signe of the Time, and that was, The Expiring or ending of Daniels seventy weekes, its foretold to Daniel that seventy weekes should be the tearme of time unto the Messiah's appearance, Dan. 9.24. Seventy weekes are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy City, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for Iniquitie, and to bring in Everlasting righteousnesse, and to seale up the vi­sion and Prophesie, and to anoint the most holy. Seventy weekes was the determined time of Christs coming; that is, from the time the An­gel here speakes these words, seventy weekes, or foure hundred and ninety yeares, reckoning so many dayes as there are in so many weekes, for that indeed is the Holy-Ghosts way of account; now it was cleare enough, that the seventy weekes must be either expired, or very neare ex­piring about that time; and therefore that was another great signe of the Time, that the Lord Jesus came and declared himselfe to be the Mes­siab, about that time that Daniel had soretold the Messiah was to come forth.

Thirdly, There was another Evident signe of this time, and that was, Christs doing of those things that were foretold should be accomplished by the Messiah, and that in the day of his appearance, as, Christs opening the eyes of the blind, the eares of the deafe, causing the lame to walke; in the 11th of Math: The lame walke, the dumb speake, [Page 49]the dead are raised, the Lepers are cleansed, and the poore receive the Gospel; Here were the signes of the Times. It was foretold by the Prophets, that when the Messiah came, these things should be done, now they saw these things done; Jesus Christ comes and doth these very workes and miracles that they expected should be done by the Messiah, therefore this was a very convin­cing signe of the Time, that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, and therefore Jesus Christ labours to convince John by these signes of the Times. But then

Fourthly, The time of Chirsts second coming, that shalbe another time wherein the Lord will most gloriously appeare and manifest himselfe; now that time also hath most evident and remarkable signes set upon it, and that by the Lord and his Word. If we looke into the 24 of Mathew, we shall find many of the signes of this day; I shall touch upon some few, in the 10 verse, Many shall be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another; there's one signe of that time, many offended at the wayes and people and truth of God, hate one another, and betray one another. Againe, Iniquitie shall abound, (vers. 12.) and the love of many shall wax cold; many shall fall away. Againe, in the 29 verse, in those times the Starres shall fall from heaven, an Apostacie of such as shalbe eminent leading men in the Churches of Christ, for indeed starres in the Revelation are interpreted to be the An­gells of the Churches; now Immediately before that time, there shall be a great dropping of Starres, of great leading eminent men in the Churches, they shall fall from heaven, from their [Page 50]former walkings, and the truth, and wayes, and cause of Christ. Againe, at that time, there shall be some shall smite their fellow-servants (at the latter end of this Chapter) and that under this pretence, my Lord delay's his coming; clearely intimating, that Immediatly before his coming, some should smite and beate their fellow-ser­vants, why? why indeed because they speake of the coming of their Lord as neere, and the other they say its a great way off, and that they make more hast then is meete; they eate and drinke with the drunken, that is, have society with those that are enemies to Christ, and his worke. And then another signe of the time is, there shall be a very great sleepe upon the virgins, that is in the next Chapter, a great sleepe among professors, those that stand up for the wayes and truth of Christ. There are many other signes of this time, but I cannot run over all; so that all the times of Gods more glorious appearance and mani­festation of himselfe, they are such times as the Lord hath mark't out, and set evident signes upon them whereby they may be knowne.

And indeed God hath done it to the end, Reason. 1 that he might thereby strengthen the faith of his Chil­dren; what strength was it to the faith of Da­niel, when once he came to find the signes of the times, when he came to find the time was expir­ing, the time of the Jewes captivity? why, this sets his faith on worke, and sets prayer on work, as you may see, Dan. 9.2 & 3 verses, I Daniel understood by bookes the number of the yeares, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet, that he would accomplish 70 weekes in the desolations of Jerusalem, and I set my face [Page 51]unto the Lord God, to seeke by prayer and suppli­cations, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes. The seeing and the knowing of this time, the 70 yeares were now expiring, set Daniels faith on worke, and makes him goe & fall upon his knees before the Lord; this was that that stir'd up his faith, he saw the signes of the times, the time was now expired or expiring, our deliverance is neere saith he, and therefore he goes to seeke the Lord by prayer and supplication, so that its that which is a great strengthning of faith: and indeed our Saviour seemes to make this one of his maine ends in laying downe so many signes of the time of his second coming, that his Children might have their faith strengthened in the truth when his coming draw's neere, therefore he saith, when you shall see all these things, know that its neere even at the doore, that is, when you shall see these signes come to passe, know that its neere, even at the doore: and so likewise, in another Evan­gelist, When you see these things come to passe, lift up your heads with joy, for your redemption draw's nigh; as if he should have said, when you see these signes fulfilled, then know that your redempti­on draw's nigh, let this raise up your faith, let this encrease your joy: as here, when in the even­ing the skie is red, it doth strengthen our reason, it doth prognosticate faire weather, and in the morning when its red and lowring, foule wea­ther; so, when the people of God see the signes of the times, they doe prognosticate to their faith, the event of the times; what God is do­ing, and what God will doe in the time, as the other those outward signes doe prognosticate the event of weather to our reason.

Againe, Reason. 2 our Lord hath left such remarkable signes of the times, that he might hereby leave his Enemies inexcusable; Christ makes this a great aggravation of the sin of the Pharisees, that they had signes of the times, O yee hypo­crites, can yee not discerne the signes of the times? as if he should have said, yee have the signes of the times, by which if yee will not be wilfully blind, ye cannot but understand something, if yee had not these signes of the times, there might be some excuse and plea for you, O but you have the signes of the times. Thus he doth aggravate their sin, rendring them inexcusable, the great workes that Jesus Christ did when he was here on earth, as his working of miracles, they were one of the signes of the times, and the Lord Jesus Christ doth endeavour to render them inexcusa­ble, and that by his workes: and in the 15 of John 22 & 24 ver: If I had not come (saith Christ) and done among them the workes which none other man did, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloake for their sin. When they had such an evi­dent and remarkable signe of the time, as Jesus Christs doing such glorious workes among them, that they might indeed say, we have the Mes­siah, when they rejected Christ in the face of such a cleare signe, it rendred them inexcusable: so, when the signes of the times doe point at such a worke the Lord will have done, that signe of the time, will render men inexcusable before the Lord that doe not do that worke, that, by which the Lord Jesus Christ did silence the Scribes and Pharisees, namely, the signes of the times, he will silence many with one day; when men shall be excusing themselves, and saying; Lord we would [Page 53]have served thee but we did not know thy work, he shall say, what, did ye not see the signes of the times? did not my Prophets speake to you of the signes of the times? did not my Prophets speake, did not my providences worke, did you not see the signes of the times? were not things publicke enough, and visible enough? this will leave poore soules inexcusable, men may perish through not observing the signes of the times. Doe but a lit­tle consider this Generation of men, they doe professe much willingnesse to come to Christ, they desire a signe from heaven, we would faine know that thou art the Messiah, could we but be convinced of it; Oh (saith Christ) yee hypocrites, can ye not discerne the signes of the times? he bids them presently looke into the times; they pe­rished upon not observing the signes of the times; so the Jewes, we would receive Christ, if we had but a signe, the Jewes require a signe, and the Greekes seeke wisdome, but they have the signes of the times, the Scepter is departed from Judah, miracles are wrought by Christ, and they had al­so the signe of Jonas, Christ is buried in the wombe of the earth three dayes, and rose againe, but they did not observe the signes of the times; many men will be found in that very case the Scribes and Pharisees were in, splitting upon this rocke, not minding and observing the signes of the times.

Quest: How comes it about, or what hin­ders men that they cannot see the signes of the Times?

Answ: Severall things hinder men, and blind them, that they see not the signes of the times, though they be never so evident.

First, Their own Interest being exceedingly ad­vanced, and set up very high in their owne hearts, and love to that above all other things whatsoever: men will not see the signes of the times when e­ver they come forth, when their hearts are set upon their Interest, for whensoever the signes of the times come forth, its a hundred to one if they doe not run crosse to that mans Interest, and if so be mens hearts are set upon their Interests, then they will be blind and not see the signes of the times. And indeed so it was with Pharaoh, there was a great Interest that Pharaoh had, there was an Interest of gaine and profit, there was a wonderfull deale of advantage came to him and his Nation by the worke of six hundred thousand men, all in slavery, working in bricke, this his own Interest blinds his eyes that he could not see the signes of that time, that he had then: and it was this very thing that kept this genera­tion of men that they could not discerne the signes of the times; what was it that made them not discerne Christ to be the Messiah? O, there was their owne Interest, they had all the honour, and all the credit, esteeme and reputation, the people cry'd them up as the onely men, and now they saw if they should owne Jesus Christ, their honour was gone, and their Interest would be lost, and that blinds them, that they could not see the signes of the Times: there's nothing blinds a man so as his Interest doth, if his heart be glued to his Interest, and set upon it, I will have my Interest, let light be never so cleare, and signes be never so evident, a man that sets up his owne Interest, he will never discerne nor take notice of the signes of the times; If there be any thing [Page 55]that blinds men that they cannot fee the signes of the times at this day, I am perswaded this is one thing, the Interests of men, of this sort of men, and the other sort of men, they have an Interest that runs crosse to that which is held forth by the signes of the times, that ought to be done, if this be done (say they) our Interest will downe, this must downe that I have so much set my heart upon, therefore they will not owne the signes of the times, this blinds men that they cannot see the signes of the Times.

Secondly, When they have an Envie; there's a secret envie in the hearts of men against this or the other person, or, this or the other party; if so be things should come forth, as they are held forth in the signes of the times, they see such and such men will be equall with them, or above them, and that they cannot bare; this was very evident in this generation of men the Scribes and Pharisees, they had a cleare discerning that if so be they should have come and owned things as they were held forth in the signes of the Times, and owned Jesus Christ for the Messiah, the Lord Jesus must be set up above them; they could not endure that the Lord Jesus should be set up a­bove them, for they envyed him in their hearts, they had drunk in a praejudice against him, there­fore could not endure that Christ should come and sit above them, and hence they could not see the signes of the times; and indeed this was a thing so visible, that Pilate, a Heathen, could discerne it; he knew that for envie they had deli­vered him, that what they did to Christ was from their envie more than their zeale; so, men dis­cerne if things goe on as they are pointed at in [Page 56]the signes of the times, (they feare) those they envie will come to be equall with them, and the like; if it were not for mens Interest, and mens envie, one man at another, they could and would see more of the signes of the Times.

Thirdly, When that there is a heart in men that is gone, that is backslidden and departed from the worke of God in the time, that is that that doth blind men that they cannot see the signes of the times; and so indeed it was in this Generation, our Lord saith to them that they were a wicked and an adulterous Generation, a wicked and an adulterous Generation seeke after a signe, they were a generation of men that were gone from the work of God, adulterated from the work of God, they were so backslidden from it that now they had no heart, they had no love to it; they had set their love upon others, and their hearts were not upon God, and upon his glory, and upon his cause, & instead of seeking the signes of the times, they seeke after other signes, as it is with back­sliding hearts, they will endeavour all they can to shift off all conviction; its said, they came to Christ tempting him and desiring him to shew them a signe from heaven; Wherein lay this Temptati­on? it lay as I conceive in this, in that they came in a secret and subtill designe, pretending they desired much to be satisfied that he was the Mes­siah, and yet notwithstanding they had a subtill designe to shift off all conviction; for indeed the signes of the times they were so manifest, they did staire so fully in the face of this Generation, and they did make their consciences so bare and naked, that thay were many times troubled with Throbs and Check's, O this is the Messiah, this [Page 57]is the Christ, so that now they come to still their consciences, in a subtill way they labour to shift off all conviction; they say, Lord shew us a signe, as if they should say, Lord we would be willing to receive and owne thee as the Messiah, but con­descend so farre to us as to shew us a signe; though they had experience time after time, Christ would not condescend to them in their flattering hypocriticall way; they would say, the Messiah is meeke and humble, we will aske a signe, if he will not give it us, he is proud, he is not the Christ, and this they thought would ease their consciences; for they had strong co [...]icti­ons, though they laboured to evade them; now Christ seeing they came in this hypocriticall way, he answers them, Can yee not see the signes of the times? he caught them in their subtilty and hypocrisie, tempting of him, therefore he presses the more upon them, Can yee not discerne the signes of the times? He takes the signes of the times and makes them lye more close upon their Consciences: Christ would not yeeld to them to give them such a signe as they would have, but puts them upon the signes of the times, to consider them; and if Christ should have given them a new particular signe, they would not have be­leived it, if they would not be convinc't by the signes of the times: as it is in the Parable of Abra­ham and Dives and Lazarus, in the 15 of Luke, They have Moses and the Prophets (saith he) if they will not believe them, so neither will they be­leive if one should goe from the dead to them. Christ goes downe into the grave and rises againe after three dayes, there they had a new signe, and yet they would not own this neither, but hire others [Page 58]to keepe off the knowledge of it from the world by telling of a lye. Now when light breakes in upon men, to require a signe, that is, another light than the signes of the times, its hypocrisie, to shift off the light that men have; therefore Christ calls them an hypocriticall Generation, whose hearts were not real to the worke & cause of God; when God clearely appeares among us in his workes, and in sundry signes, then for men to call for other signes its provoking: Christ doth give them a signe, There shall be no signe given this evill and adulterous Generation, but the signe of the Prophet Jonas; what signe was that? he gives them such a signe, that they should never see the signe, till the worke was over; they could conclude nothing from it till it was too late; As Jonas was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly, so shall the Son of man be three dayes and three nights in the belly of the earth, they could gather nothing from this signe till Christ was dead and risen againe, and then the worke was over, & they had fild up the measure of their Iniquitie; and so they could gather nothing from this signe, till it was too late; therefore its bad dallying with, and tempting of the Lord; Christ gives these persons a signe for the hardening of them, a signe in Judgement, a signe that should not open their eyes till it was too late, therefore take heed of shifting off the signes of the times; take heed against cleare signes, to shuffle off Gods worke, saying, I must have some other signe, or some extraordinary signe, God will not be dally­ed with in such things as these are.

SUrely its good for us to know the times, the signes and seasons of Gods worke, and this is that that is here held forth to us, and shall be the sub­ject of my present discourse, namely, The signes of the Times.

Quest: What are the signes of the Times?

Answ: Truly it was not in my thoughts till very lately, that it had been a Question among any of the Children of God, Whether or no the worke of the present time, were the worke of Christs kingdome? I did conceive it to be one great Arti­cle of our faith, that the work that God doth call his Children to at this day, (and he calls upon them from heaven to attend to) had been the worke of Christs visible kingdome over the world; but there is a notion among good and holy men worthy Instruments of Christ, that we are not to expect such a thing as this fift kingdome, untill such time as our deare Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ shall come forth, and bring his kingdome with him; and indeed if so, I must confesse for my owne part, I am very much in the darke what [Page 60]should be the worke of the present time; and what the worke is, that the Saints and people of God are called to, if the dispensations of God doe not call to this, and if the word of God doth not leade them to this, if all doth not leade us to this, namely, To looke upon the worke of Christs visible kingdome in the world. Satan that is indeed the grand Enemie of the kingdome of our Lord Jesus, he doth labour (as you may have obser­ved) might and maine, so long as he could, whol­ly to obscure the notion it selfe of a visible king­dome, and indeed, to hold the Saints and people of God, in such a beleife, as that there was no such thing at all as an outward kingdome, but it was a phansie and a dreame of those who ever they were that did expect it; and truly, it was none of the lest of the subtilties of the Serpent, in setting abroach those principles of late yeares among professors, that all things were to be taken spiritually; and so indeed make them to allegorize the whole Scripture, knowing that could he once bring them to this, he should thereby keepe downe the kingdome, which he did clearely fore­see was neere approaching, and would rise in the world; but when the Devill saw that his pollicy fayl'd him here, and that indeed there was such a blessed light of this visible kingdome let forth into the world, that all those mists that he rais'd could not darken the light of it, why truly (as I have feared others doe) he fly's to this retreate as to another hole, out of which he might beate downe the present worke of the Generation, namely this, to perswade the hearts of the Chil­dren of God, and to make us all be of a beleife, that there is no such thing that Saints should [Page 61]looke for, or expect, or attend unto, as a visible kingdome, untill the day of Christs appearance; and truly if so be the Devill can but accomplish his end and designe here, if he can but bring us to the beleife of such a thing as this, he doth know full well, that he shall as effectually oppose and strike dead the present worke of the generation, as ever he could have done if he had held the people of God in the beleife of the other thing, that there is no fift kingdome at all; for what are Saints called to, or can they doe, unlesse it be onely to pray and to beleive, which Saints of all ages and generations from the beginning of the world might doe? I say, what in this age are they in an especiall manner called to, in reference to Christs kingdome, if so be there be not such a thing till Christ appeare? I desire to speake this soberly, because indeed I could not wave it.

I thought to have fallen directly upon the signes of the Times, and not to have spoken any thing as to the thing it selfe, but truly all signes will be of little use, if the thing it selfe be in doubt; therefore I saw a necessity that some­thing be spoken unto that; To cleare therefore the conceptions of the people of God in this, and that we may goe upon as cleare ground as may be, let it be considered,

Asser: That the kingdome of Christ, his visible kingdome, or that thing called the fift Monarchy, its twofold, or it doth consist of two parts, namely, the kingdome of the Stone, and the kingdome of the Mountaine.

The first of these I conceive to be as the even­ing time of that kingdome, to wit, all that time that is to be, before the rising of the morning [Page 62]Starre, the sun of righteousnesse Jesus Christ; the last is the morning state of that kingdome, that which succeedes the rising of the morning Starre and Sun of Righteousnesse.

The first of these, it is (as I may so say) the working kingdome of the Saints, its that kingdome wherein Saints are by their Lord Imployed to doe some notable service against his coming; which is, The breaking downe the great Image, the bringing downe all his Enemies, that when he comes he may find them his footstoole, for he is to sit at the fathers right hand untill all his Ene­mies be made his footstoole; therefore this king­dome of the Stone is the working kingdome, the kingdome wherein the Saints are Imployed in a glorious worke for Christ, to plucke downe all, that Jesus Christ when he comes may have his Enemies his footstoole.

The other I call the kingdome of glory, wherein the Saints shall not so properly worke, but re­ceive; they shall in that kingdome, the kingdome of the Mountaine, be glorified with Christ, and receive the reward of their workes.

The first of these its a kingdome wherein plow­shares are to be beaten into swords; and if we con­sult the Prophets that speake of this time, we shall find the command is, Beate your plowshares into swords, intimating that in the time of this kingdome, there shalbe wonderful use of swords, weapons of warre.

But the Second, the kingdome of the Mountaine, is a kingdome wherein swords are to be beaten into plowshares, noting the wonderfull peace of that kingdome, that there shall be no need of, nor no use for swords in that kingdome of the Mountaine.

This twofold state of Christs kingdome, we have resembled and set forth by a double Type, Davids kingdome was a Type of the first, Solo­mons of the second; Davids kingdome was an e­minent Type of the kingdome of the Stone, and therefore it rose by the hand of God alone, in a wonderfull way; a company of poore men come to him, and all the world is against him; and the worke is low at first, it creepes up by little and little; and Davids puts downe all his Enemies round about, as the Midianites, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Philistims, &c. and makes them all stoope to him at last: This was the war­ring kingdome, a kingdome wherein there was blood. Solomons kingdome, was a Type of the kingdome of the Mountaine, wherein was peace. Therefore the 72 Psalme, wherein is described the glory of this kingdome, its entitled a Psalme for Solomon, so that Solomons kingdome was a Type of the second.

This distinction likewise is warranted, by that distinction that we find in Daniel of his mysticall numbers, looke into the last of Daniel, and you shall find two sorts of numbers, 1290 dayes, and 1335 dayes, Dan: 12.12, 13. And from the time that the dayly sacrifice shall be taken away, and the Abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be 1290 day's: Blessed is he that wait­eth, and cometh to the 1335 dayes. The first num­ber 1290 dayes, points us to that time where the kingdome of the Stone begins, as it is the Stone of Israel. Observe that, for Daniel is now speaking of his owne people, so its the Stone of Israel, as Jacob calls it in his blessing of Joseph, there shall a blessed Stone rise among the Jewes; now as its [Page 64]the Stone of Israel, so the kingdome of the Stone among the Jewes, begins at the end of the 1290 dayes: The second number, 1335 dayes, points at the time wherein the kingdome of the Moun­taine begins, when the Stone shall have broken all, and become a great Mountaine filling the whole earth; This likewise Daniel holds forth in the 7 of Daniel, where he doth make a mani­fest distinction, puts a cleare difference, betwixt the time of the taking away of the Beast's or lit­tle Horn's Dominion, and the time of the end, Wherein the kingdome & Dominion, and the great­ness of the kingdome under the whole heaven is gi­ven to the Saints, vers. 26. First, there is the time wherein the Dominion begins to be taken away, then there's a day of Consumption, and then there comes the end, and a turning of all worldly Pow­ers into the hands of the Saints, The kingdome and Dominion, and the greatness of the kingdome under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high; But I say, there is a beginning of this worke where they take away his Dominion, there begins the kingdome of the Stone; When the kingdome and Dominion, and the greatness of the kingdome under the whole heaven, comes into the hands of the Saints, there begins the kingdome of the Mountain. Now this Truth I am speaking of, or this twofold consideration of the fift kingdome, indeed its a thing of so great con­cernment, that we cannot rightly apply the noti­on of the fift Monarchy without the knowledge of it; its not a phansie or a dreame, but truly I looke upon it as being a maine and a principall part of that faith once delivered to the Saints, as touching the fift kingdome; and the rather I [Page 65]speake of it, because I finde divers good men writing of this fift kingdome, wholly passe over the kingdome of the Stone, and insist wholly upon the kingdome of the Mountaine, as if the kingdome of the Stone did not belong to the fift Monarchy. Now that this kingdome of the Stone, is a part, and a principall part of the fift Monarchy, is cleare and Evident, from Dan: 2.44. And in the dayes of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdome, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdome shall not be left to other people, but it shall breake in peices, and consume all these king­domes, and it shall stand for ever. In the dayes of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a king­dome. What is this Daniel calls a kingdome here, and the God of heavens kingdome? its no other but the little Stone, Daniel had been Interpreting all the parts of the great Image, and coming to in­terpret the Stone (having not spoken of that yet) he calls it a kingdome, and a kingdome of the God of heaven; therefore the Stone shall be a different kingdome from all the kingdomes of this world, for its call'd the kingdome of the God of heaven, in opposition to all the kingdomes of this world, of the great Image spoken of before: and its such a kingdome as shall never be destroyed, nor left to other people, but shall breake in peices and consume all the other kingdomes. Now what is that break­ing peice, but the Stone? now this Stone, this kingdome, is called a kingdome that shall never be destroyed: now what is that that shall never be destroyed by any Enemie, but the fift Monarchy? therefore the kingdome of the Stone must of neces­sity be considered as the fift Monarchy, or as one maine peice of it: And though this Stone funda­mentally [Page 66]is Christ himselfe, yet considered as smiting the great Image, it can be no other but Christ Mysticall, Christ in his Members; and the cutting out of this Stone cannot be meant, as some would have it, of Christs first Coming, for these Reasons.

First, Because the kingdome of the Stone it doth arise in the dayes of the ten Antichristian kings; and in the dayes of these kings shall the God of hea­ven set up a kingdome. What kings are these? these kings are not the foure Monarchy's, for the kingdome of God was not set up in the time of those Monarchy's, but in the fourth and last one­ly; and here is spoken of kings in the plurall number, In the dayes of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdome; those kings therefore are the ten Antichristian kings, which are set forth by ten toes, where the worke begins, and the first stroake is strucke; and are called the ten Hornes in another place; and in Dan: 7. those ten Hornes are interpreted ten kings, and in the time of those kings the Stone is cut out, they are the ten Anti­christian kings; and if so, the Stone cannot be so early cut out, as the birth of Christ, for that was long before the ten Antichristian kings had be­ing or existence in the world, therefore the king­dome of the Stone must be cut out later.

Secondly, Because Daniel doth not see the Stone to smite, untill such time as he had had a view and representation of the great Image in all the parts of it before him, he saw it all come forth and exist in its state, before the Stone smites, there­fore I conclude, that the cutting out of the Stone was not untill every part of it was come forth, and was in being in the world. But if so be we con­ceive [Page 67]the cutting out of the Stone to be as high as Christs coming; then was the Stone cut out long before the last part of the great Image (the Iron and the Clay) was in being; and if the Stone was cut out so long before, then did the Stone lye still, and not doe its worke for many hundred yeares (surely it should not lye still for so many hundred yeares, and not doe the worke it was ordained to) for the very first stroake the Stone strikes, is upon the feete of Iron and Clay, which it could doe before they were in being.

Thirdly, Because Daniels smiting Stone that he speakes of in the second Chapter, and Daniels Antient of dayes sitting, that he speakes of in the 7 Chapter, they must of necessity be one and the same, they are contemporary, for they doe one and the same worke, the very worke that is done by the one, is done by the other. The Stone smites the Toes of the fourth Monarchy, and Daniels Antient of dayes sitting, casts downe the Thrones, and Judges, and destroy's the fourth Beast, here's one and the same worke, therefore they are one and the same time, the Time of the cutting out of the Stone, is the same with the time of the sitting of the Antient of dayes. Now if they are the same in time, the Stone cannot be cut out so high as Christs first coming, for the Antient of dayes sitting, its cleare its not till the ending time of the fourth Monarchy; then comes the Antient of dayes and sitts in Judgement, and casts downe and destroy's the Beast and not before; therefore the cutting out of the Stone cannot be the first time, but at the close of the fourth Monarchy. And seeing it is so, that the kingdome of the Stone is a part of the fift kingdome or Monarchy, [Page 68]and also seeing that the cutting out of this Stone, its not till towards the latter end of the fourth kingdome or Monarchy, then it doth follow, that this fift kingdome or Monarchy doth begin as its the kingdome of the Stone, at the latter end of the fourth Monarchy, and then of necessity it must have a beginning as its the kingdome of the Stone, before Christs appearance.

Now if it can be made appeare, that that, with which the fift kingdome doth begin, the worke of the great Image, the overturning the Thrones of the kings, is to be performed by the Saints, as chiefe Instruments in the mannagement of it, then, it followes of necessity there must be such a thing, As the Civill and Military Power to be in the hands of the Saints, and that before the day of Christs appearance, they must have this Power in their hands for the performance of that work; and if so, then its not evill for the Saints and peo­ple of God, to seeke for it, to pray for it, to plead for it, for its to come into their hands for the doing of their worke before the day of Christs appearance. Now that this worke with which the fift kingdome doth begin, is a worke to be performed by Saints, as the cheife and principall Instruments in the doing of it, is that that I would speake somewhat to at present. That there is a wonderfull glorious blessed worke to be done by the Saints in the world before the appear­ance of Jesus Christ. The

First Reason to make this good is, Reason. 1 Because the worke of breaking the great Image, its done by the Stone cut out of the Mountaine; its not done by Mountaines considered as Mountaines, its not done by nations considered as nations, king­domes [Page 69]considered as kingdoms, for then it would be done by the Mountaine; but its done by a Stone cut out of the Mountaine, by a people pickt by God himselfe out of the nations and king­domes of this world, formed and united toge­ther by God himselfe, which shall fall upon the great Image, and breake it to peices, its these that doe this worke: and further, its cut out without hands, Dan. 2.34. Thou sawest till that a Stone was cut out without hands: and againe, if we looke into vers: 45. For as much as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountaine with­out hands; its cut out without hands, that is, with­out worldly Powers, it shall not be done by the power of this world, but more Immediately by God; without hands, is, without the hands of men; I say, its done by a Power cut out of the Mountaine, therefore not by the Mountaine.

Quest: How doth it appeare that they shall be Saints, may not God take a people out of the Mountaine, and they not Saints?

Ans: I answer, Its cleare, they shall for the cheife, principall and leading Instruments be Saints, and that upon this account, that they are called A Stone: why are they called the Stone? but indeed in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ king of Saints, whose name and title this is, who is called a Stone: they are partakers of the name of Christ, to shew that they shall also partake of his nature; they shall have the Image of Christ upon them, therefore the name of Christ is gi­ven to them. If the worke were to be done by the kingdomes of this world, by nations as nati­ons, what agreement were there between Christ and them? what agreement is there between [Page 70]Christ and a company of poore Ignorant ungod­ly men? But there is a great agreement between those that shall doe this worke and Christ, for therefore they have the name of Christ given to them; and seeing it is so, it shall not be done by the body's of nations as nations, but by a people cut out of the Mountaine, out of the nations, by God himselfe for the carrying on of this worke.

Secondly, Reason. 2 Its cleare from Daniels vision that we have inthe 7 Chapter, whence we may forme this argument; Those very people that the little Horne doth warre against, and prevaile against, and doth weare out all the time of his Dominion, those very people are they that at the ending time of his Dominion, shall take his kingdome and Do­minion from him, but the first are Saints, there­fore the last: To make both good, looke the 21 & 22 verses of the 7 of Daniel. I beheld, and the same Horne made warre with the Saints, and pre­vailed against them untill the Antient of dayes came, and Judgement was given to the Saiats of the most high: and the time came that the Saints possessed the kingdome. And againe, looke into the 25, 26, & 27 verses, And he shall speake great words against the most high, and shall weare out the Saints of the most high, and thinke to change times and Lawes; and they shall be given into his hand, untill a time and times and the deviding of time. But the Judgement shall sit, and they shall take away his Dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdome and Domini­on, and the greatness of the kingdome under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high, whose kingdome is an E­verlasting kingdome, and all Dominions shall serve [Page 71]and obey him. So that observe, the very people that the little Horne warr's against in the day of his raign, that very people at the ending time of his Dominion, shall take his Dominion from him, but they are Saints; I say, Saints must be considered under that notion, in taking the king­dome and Dominion of the little Horne, as they are considered in the little Hornes warre against them; why, if we consider that, in the time of the little Hornes warre against them, he doth not war against them as they are nations, but against Saints as Saints, therefore when the ending time of his Dominion comes, Saints as Saints, (not Saints as the body of nations, for there was never yet a nation made up of Saints, but Saints as Saints) cul'd out, shall execute the vengeance of God upon this little Horne, that hath warr'd against them, and troden them underfoote so long.

Thirdly, Reason. 3 That generation of men shall destroy the kingdome of the Beast in the time when his king­dome is to be destoyed, that did beare witnes against the Beast for Christ, all the time his kingdome stood; this is grounded upon the cleare truth, of the 11 Chapter of the Revelation, which tells us that the witnesses for 1260 dayes prophesied, in the end of this time they are kil'd by the Beast, they rise up againe, and rising up, they knock the Beast downe, for Immediatly thereupon the tenth part of the Citie fell, and there was a great earthquake, and there were slaine of men seven thousand, and great feare fell upon all the rest, and they gave glo­ry to the God of heaven. This is done by the rising witnesses, therefore that generation of men that have borne Testimony against the Beast, in the [Page 72]time of the Beast's kingdome, that generation of men when his time runs out, shall give the dead­ly stroake to the Beast and his kingdome; but that generation of men that have borne their witnesse, hath not been in the world, it hath not been the nations of the earth, for all the world, saith John, wondered after the Beast, and all the Hornes, and that with one mind, and with one con­sent, give up their power & kingdome to the Beast; and therefore not the powers of the world, but they that have borne witnesse against the Beast, all the time of his kingdome, and they are the poore despised handfull of Saints that have been in the world, that have borne their testimony a­gainst the Beast, and therefore they are those, who at the expiring time shall come forth and give the deadly Blow to the Beast.

Fourthly, Reason. 4 The Angel that enlightens the earth with the glory of the truth of the Lord, that is, that Angel or Instrument that shall ruine Babylon, Revel. 18.1. And after these things, I saw ano­ther Angel come downe from heaven, having great power, and the earth was enlightened with his glo­ry. The Angel that enlightens the earth with the glory of God, carry's on the worke against Ba­bylon, but the earth hath not been enlightened with the glory of God by the generation of the world, but the world hath been enlightened by the generation of the faithfull, that God hath revealed his truth to, they have been the light enlightening the world with the glory of Gods truth; and this Angel that enlighteneth the earth, with the glory of God, he gives the dead­ly blow unto the Beast; there where light comes forth, God will carry on the worke by those hands.

Fifthly, Reason. 5 Those which have had a Bloody Cup fil'd to them by the Beast all the time of his king­dome, those shall give forth a bloody Cup double to the Beast when his kingdome doth expire; that is grounded upon Revel: 18.6. Reward her even as shee rewarded you, and double unto her double, according to her workes; in the Cup which shee hath filled, fill to her double. Whence I reason thus, the Generation of men that have had the bloody Cup fil'd to them by the Beast all the time of his kingdome, they shall fill the bloody Cup to the Beast in the ending time of his king­dome, for, reward her as shee hath rewarded you, and give her blood to drinke, give her double ac­cording to her workes: But they that have had blood from the Beast all the time of his king­dome, have not been the nations of the earth as nations, for the Beast sits upon the nations, the waters upon which the whore sits, are nations, and peoples, and multitudes, and tongues. The Beast is strengthened by the nations that oppose the Saints, and tread underfoote the holy Citie; but they have been the Saints that have had the bloo­dy Cup from the Beast, The Horne made warre with the Saints, I saw the woman drunke with the blood of the Saints, and with the blood of the Mar­tyrs of Jesus: Now they that have had the bloo­dy Cup, shall give the bloody Cup, they that have been thus dealt with by the Beast, shall thus deale with the Beast; they are the Saints, and therefore the glorious worke is carryed on a­gainst the Beast, (it shall be done) by Saints, as the leading Instruments. I shall speake yet a lit­tle more to this, because many begin now to thinke, that this worke must be carryed on thus and thus, by States and Kingdomes.

Sixthly, Reason. 6 Another argument to prove this, is, The worke of God against Rome, shall be so manna­ged, as there may be singing of Hallelujah's in the Churches for the carrying of it on: this is cleare from Revel: 19.1. After these things, (that is, after the ruine of Rome, spoken of in the fore­going Chapter) I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Allelujah, Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power unto the Lordour God: here's singing of Hallelujah's upon the destructi­on of the Beast; but now if this should be done onely by the clattering of a company of nations, falling upon the Beast and ruining him, what singing of Hallelujah's would there be in the Churches for this? what would there be more in this, than in the worke of Cyrus destroying of Babylon, or in Alexanders destroying the Medes and Persians Monarchy, or in the Romans de­stroying the Grecian Monarchy? for that was a part of Gods decree as well as this; what should the people therefore now sing Hallelujah's for, more than in those times? But because of the difference of the Instruments; things now being done in a more holy sanctified way, to a more pure end; and there shall be more of the Image of God appeare upon those that shall doe this worke now, and therefore they shall sing Halle­lujah's; otherwise, the worke did not goe be­yond the worke that had been done before.

Seventhly, Reason. 7 The Ruine of Rome, or of the Beast, it shall be so carryed on, that this worke shall be a shaddow of the glorious kingdome of Christ, of the kingdome of the Mountaine. The kingdome of the Stone, when it comes to smite Rome, then shall be in it a resemblance (as it were) of the [Page 75]raigne of Christ, and the glory of the kingdome of the Mountaine, therefore its said in the sixth verse, And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluja: for the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth. There shall be so much of the Majesty of God, of the power of God, of the purity of God, & so much of the Image of God upon his Children, when that worke is done, as that they shall now say, the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth; it could not be said, Hallelujah, the Lord God Omnipotent raign­eth; if the worke were done by a Company of carnall nations; and yet this is before the end, before Christs coming, for after this appearance, we have the Bride making her selfe ready, and the kings of the earth come together to destroy the Bride preparing for her husband, and then you have Christ coming forth in his fury, destroying his Enemies and rescuing his Bride: But before that day, there shall be such a glorious appear­ance in the world, and such power in the hands of the People of God, that it shall be said when men look upon it, the Lord God Omnipotent raign­eth, the Lord Jesus Christ who is king of the world, and king of Saints raigneth, therefore it shall be done by Saints as leading Instruments.

Eightly, Reason. 8 Looke through the old and new Testa­ment, where ever we have a description of the per­sons that shall doe the glorious worke of God at the last day, and you shall ever find them described and characterized as Saints. I shall give you but two or three places; one is, Zach: 9.13. When I have bent Judah for me, filled the Bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy Sons, O Zion, against thy Sons, [Page 76]O Greece, and made thee as th sword of a mighty man: marke! Raised up thy Sons, O Zion, against thy Sons, O Greece; who are they that are raised up against the Sons of Greece, that is, against the Turish power, as I shewed you formerly? they are the Sons of Zion, I will raise up thy Sons, O Zion; whereas there was in all the foregoing Monarchy's, one earthly Power raised up against another, when it comes to the very last time, God raises up another manner of Power, I will raise up thy Sons, O Zion, against thy Sons, O Greece. So if you looke into Obadiah 18 & 21 verses; And the House of Jacob shall be a fire, and the House of Joseph a flame, and the House of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devoure them, and there shall not be any re­maining of the House of Esau, for the Lord hath spoken it. And Saviours shall come upon Mount Zion to Judge the Mount of Esau, and the king­dome shall be the Lords. Saviours shall got up on Mount Zion; who shall they be? the House of Jacob, and the House of Joseph shall burne up the Mount of Esau, they shall Judge the House of Esau, and then shall the kingdome be the Lords; the universall kingdome of the Lord is not yet come in; but here comes in the kingdome of the Stone, the House of Jacob shall be a fire, and the House of Joseph a flame, they shall burne up all the workes of the world; and Saviours shall come up upon Mount Zion, and Judge the Mount of Esau: When all his Enemies are brought downe and become his footstoole, then shall he come forth and take the kingdome, and the king­dome shall be the Lords; Sit thou at my right hand, uneill I make thine Enemies thy footstoole, [Page 77]then the Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion, rule thou in the mid'st of thine Ene­mies, there's the coming forth of Christ when his Enemies by his Saints are made his foot­stoole. So likewise if you looke into Micah, 4.11, 12. Now also many nations are gathered a­gainst thee, that say, let her be defiled, and let our eye looke upon Zion; This gathering of the nati­ons is not after Christs coming but before, and what then? Arise and Thresh, O daughter of Zi­on: for I will make thine Horne Iron, and I will make thy Hoof's brasse, and thou shalt beate in pei­ces many people, and I will consecrate their gaine unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. Who shall arise and thresh? arise and thresh O daughter of Zion; shee shall have Hornes of Iron and Hoof's of brasse, to beate all the Enemies of Christ into very chaffe and dust, as its said the great Image was ground to powder; why, its Zion, the poore despised daughter of Zion, she that they stood looking up­on and said, Let her be defiled, let our eyes look upon Zion; they stood jeering at Zion, and saith God, Zion, I will make thee a trouble and a torment to them all; come up Zion, and I will make thy Hornes Iron, and thy Hoof's brasse, and thou shalt breake all the nations to peices that now stand looking upon thee. And in another place the Lord tells us, Jacob is his Battell-Axe, and weapons of warre; so saith God, Jer. 51.20. For with thee will I breake in peices the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdomes. When he comes to worke his great worke in the world, his faithfull Children shall be his weapons to bring it to passe. Come to the new Testament, [Page 78]and we shall see who God will make his Instru­ments to carry on his worke against the Beast, Revel. 15.2. And I saw as it were a sea of glasse, mingled with fire, and them that had gotten the victory over the Beast, and over his Image, and over his marke, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glasse, having the Harps of God. And in the 6 verse, And the seven Angels came out of the Temple, having the seven last plagues, clothed in pure and white linnen, and having their Breasts girded with golden girdles. They shall be pretious Instruments, they shall have much puri­ty and Holines, and much of the Image of God upon them, and much of the beauty and riches of Christ in them, that shall doe this worke; so, if we looke into Revel: 14. where, after the Beasts time is run out, (in the 13 Chapter, we have the Beast tryumphing, and the Beast's time running out in 42 moneths, now after this) we have another kinde of persons, another party coming upon the stage, Revel: 14.1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 verses. And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred fourty and foure thousand, having his Fathers name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers, harping with their harpes. And they sung as it it were a new song before the throne, & before the four beasts, and the elders, and no man could learne that song, but the hundred and fourty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins: these are they which follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth: these were redeemed from [Page 79]among men, being the first-fruits unto God, and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. What a generation of men come up upon the stage when the Beast's 42 moneths are run out, for that had been spoken to in the foregoing Chapter; when that time is run out, up comes the Lamb with his company, and they are a company not like to the world, for, they have their fathers name written in their foreheads, there's holines in their foreheads, they are a par­ty in whose mouth there is no guile; they doe not act in subtill polliticke wayes, as men doe and have done. So that, I say, Consider those that shall carry on this worke, where ever we have them spoken of, in the old and new Testament, they are still set forth as Saints, for the principalls and leaders in this worke. I have been some­what large in this, for if we cannot find a kind­dome till Christ come, all the signes will be no­thing, therefore I have spoken the more to this; but it may be objected;

Object. That its the ten Hornes that hate the whore, if you looke into Revel: 17.16. the ten Hornes are said to doe it.

Ans: To that I answer, Wee must so interpret this, as not to set it against the generall current of Scripture. Now whereas, the ten Hornes are said to hate the whore, and make her desolate, and burne her with fire; the meaning is this, that the ten Hornes as being conquered to the Lamb, and the power of them being gotten into the power of the Lamb, so shall the Hornes be turned against the whore; and indeed, this well agrees to the scope of the place, for its said in the 14 verse, [Page 80] These shall make warre with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them. There was warre be­twixt the Lamb and some of the Hornes, (for we are not here to understand all the ten Hornes) and in this warre, the Lamb becomes the victor; and then the Hornes which before did fight for the Beast, and support the Beast, (when the power of the Hornes comes into the hands of the Lamb) they turne against the Beast; and indeed seeing its done by the Hornes as conquered to the Lamb, its cleare that in that day, such of the Hornes as shall doe it, shall be ruled by the Lamb; and if so, why then there shall be such a thing as the kingdome of Christ, even in the Hornes, when this is done: And truly, we can­not see at present that yet this kingdome is in the Hornes, that yet the Hornes are conquered to the Lamb, so that the Lamb raignes in the Hornes; the kingdome of the Lamb is a king­dome of Righteousnesse, a kingdome wherein there shall be no injustice, oppression, and the like; we cannot see that there is yet such a thing among the Hornes, and though it is not yet, yet, when he comes to take the kingdome, he will make the Hornes other manner of Hornes, and when he comes to doe it, he will doe it spee­dily.

Object. But Christs kingdome is not of this world, and therefore it cannot be expected any such thing should be as the beginning of the kingdome of Christ, till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ himselfe.

Ans: Its worthy our Consideration, Who the person was, to whom that was spoken, and the occa­sion those words were spoken by Christ: The person [Page 81]to whom the words were spoken, was Pilate the Roman Governour; The occasion was, when he was accused before Pilate, as an Enemie to Cae­sar, as one that would have tooke Caesar's king­dome from him; Jesus Christ answers upon it; My kingdome is not of this world, that is, of this Mornarchy, for the whole world at that time was under the Roman Monarchy; There went forth a decree from Caesar, that all the world should be taxed; for so indeed, the whole world, and Monarchy, are tearmes Equivalent; so that, My kingdome is not of this world, that is, its not of this Monarchy: It was a very good answer to that that was objected against him, Caesar feares I will take the kingdome from him, no saith Christ, my kingdome is not of this world, its not to be in this Monarchy; I have a kingdome but its not yet, I will not take Caesar's Crowne off his head, I shall have a kingdome hereafter, but Caesar needs not feare me now; this comes in about Pilats querying with him about his being aking. There is such a thing therefore, yet before the coming of Christ, as the setting up the kingdome of Christ in the world, as the same shall be the kingdome of the Stone, breaking in peices and de­stroying all other kingdomes. And having thus spoken unto this, I shall now come to speake of the signes of the Times, the signes that this king­dome is nigh at hand, that Jesus Christ is neere to his worke; seeing there is such a worke to be done in the latter end of the fourth Monarchy, whether or no is this worke neere at hand, or is it far off and remote?

I shall not speake any thing at all as to the Computation of the time from the numbers left [Page 82]us in Scripture, though much may be learned from them, for doubtlesse the Lord hath not left us numbers to the end there should be no use at all made of them, for there's nothing in the word of God but its of some use; but that I shall not speake to, but proceed to shew you some of the signes of The Times.

First, Signe. 1 One Signe, that is a cleare signe and evidence of the time, that this kingdome of the Lord Je [...] Christ, as its the kingdome of the Stone, is neere at hand, is this, The wonderfull breaking forth of light as to this worke; its very observable, that when the worke of God is to be carryed on against the Beast, there doth forerun the worke a glorious light; so, if you looke into Revel: 14 6 & 7 verses, we have an Angel flying in the midst of Heaven, having the Everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice feare God, and give glory to him, for the houre of his Judgement is come; and what then? why in the next verse there fol­lowes another Angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; an Angel goes forth and enlightens the earth, preaches and declares it in the world, that now the houre of Gods Judgement is come, the houre is come saith he, and presently another Angel cryes out, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; the worke of God comes on presently after the re­vealing of light; Revel: 18.1, 2. The earth was enlightened with his glory; and then presently verse 6. Reward her even as shee rewarded you, and double unto her double, according to her workes; in the cup which shee hath filled, fill to her double: and in the 8 verse, Therefore shall her plagues [Page 83]come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine, and shee shall be utterly burnt with fire. Observe first here's an Angel comes and enlightens the earth with the glory of God, the earth that was before in darknes, and thought nothing of the ruine of Rome, and Judging the Beast; the Lord lets in wonderfull light into the world, and then presently comes forth the work it selfe, the Lord doth appeare judging of the Beast; Likewise, if you looke to the final blow given to the Beast; Revel: 19. you will see that it follows after light that doth forerun it, 17 and 18 verses, And I saw an Angel standing in the Sun, and he cryed with a loud voice, saying to all the fowles that fly in the mid'st of heaven, come, and gather your selves together to the supper of the great God, that ye may eate the flesh of kings, and the flesh of Captaines, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of Horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. Here's the last overthrow, the deadly blow the Lord gives the Beast; and there foreruns it a wonderfull light, an Angel stands in the Sun, that is, in wonderfull cleare light; he stands, holding forth and declaring the coming of that terrible day; and presently upon that light, the worke comes on. I say, this is a signe of the time, that the worke is at hand, The great discovery of light as to the worke, the Lord brings forth.

And the Reasons why God will send forth light before his worke, are;

First, Because he would not lead his Children to his worke blindfold, but by light. Antichrists followers, they follow in the dark, in the mist of Implicit faith; but the Lambs followers; they [Page 84]are led by light. Practice without principle hath ever been the way of the Beast, but Princi­ple as the rule of practice is Christs Method.

Secondly, Because a Saint, though the thing he doe be good and the will of God, yet can never have comfort in doing it, if it be not done from light. My Comfort ly's in this that I know I follow the Lord; and this bore up Paul, when Brethren Censured him, and others accounted him a mad man. Now observe, when God let's forth a light, its in order to a worke; thus, when God began with the Papacy, to overturne their grosse Idolatry's, God by Luther and some few others brings forth light to discover these, and upon that discovery, they fall. So afterwards, when God went to Judge the Prelacy here in England, first he brings forth light, and dis­covers them to be a peice of the Beast, and of the mystery of Iniquity, and presently upon the coming forth of that light they fall; when God sends light, he will bring forth the worke sud­denly.

Object. Wee have had light of this a great while, and pleaded for the kingdome of Christ, and therefore this cannot be a signe.

Ans: To that I answer, We must consider there is a difference between the breaking forth of light, as it is the light of some particular persons, and as its the light in a more generall way among many, then is the worke coming forth. John Hus and Jerome of Prague held forth Luthers light, before Luther, and while it was but in the breasts of some few persons, it did no great matter a­gainst the Beast's kingdome, but when it came to be generall in the world, then the Blow came, [Page 85]the kingdome of the Beast was destroyed by that light, so much of it, as that light serv'd to de­stroy. Whilst that light that opposed the Anti­christian Prelacy, was lodged up onely in some few breasts, it produced little, save onely a wit­nesse against them; but when it began to be ge­nerall, it tossed them out of their seates. So I may say concerning this light, the light of the kingdome of Christ, it hath been in some few breasts a great while, but it never began to be so generall untill now, that its run among the Churches; Indeed never was there a Principle that did run so much among the Churches of Christ, as this hath done within these twelve moneths; since some Eminent servants of Christ have been shut up, and thrust into holes, this light hath been encreased and embraced among the Saints, so as never any light encreas't more in such a little time, than this hath done; and when light begins to be so generall, its an argument now the worke drawes on, it begins to be hot as we say; and indeed the light growes so gene­rall that the persecuting adversary who not long agoe would not acknowledge any kingdome at all but the spirituall, yet now they acknowledge such a thing as the fift Monarchy in the world, though they would set it far off, that it might not hurt them, and are driven to confesse, that, that very principle, for which Saints suffer at this day, is in the substance of it a truth. Light is coming forth apace, and blessed be the Lord that hath been so mercifull to his people at this day, that the proud Adversary's of the truth & cause of God, shall one day be Judged out of their owne mouths, they themselves know that there [Page 86]is such a kingdome, they have gotten some light into it, and they shall one day be Judged out of their owne mouthes.

Secondly, Signe. 2 Another Signe of this time, that the worke of God, of Christs kingdome is neere upon us, is this, Syons Children favouring of her stones and dust; the ground of this we have in Psalme 102.13. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Syon: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time is come. That this Psalme look's to Christ's outward kingdome, the 15, 18, & 22 verses Evi­dence. But what signe is there of it, that the set time is come? why in the 14 verse, When the Saints of God take pleasure in the stones of Syon, and begin to favour the dust thereof, then, the set time of building Syon is come.

Quest: What are we to understand by Stones and Dust?

Ans: Stones and dust are the beginnings of a Building; the first thing a man doth that will build a house, is to gather dust and stones and morter, the meaning is this, as if the Lord should say, when you shall see some such thing visible in the world, as that there seemes to be a prepa­tion and provision for the beginning of this glo­rious worke of my kingdome, and when you see the hearts of my people wonderfully taken with these preparations and beginnings, and raised up to a very high expectation, then know that the set time to favour Syon is come: and truly when was there ever in the world, if not at this day something that did looke as a preparation and provision for this glorious worke of the king­dome of Jesus Christ, gathering stones and dust together, cutting off the heads of Princes, and [Page 87]pulling downe Thrones; now the Children of Syon, take pleasure in the stones, and they favour the dust of it.

Thirdly, A third signe of the time, Signe. 3 that this worke is approaching upon us, is, The great re­proach that is upon the Remnant that expect this worke. When Israel of old came out of Babylon, they had a double worke, they had a spirituall worke, & a Civill worke, the worke of the Tem­ple, and the worke of the Citty Jerusalem; and those who expected the carrying on the Civill worke of building the Citty Jerusalem, and the walls thereof, they were made a wonderfull re­proach; Nehem: 1.3. And they said unto me, The Remnant that are left of the Captivity there in the Province, are in great affliction & reproach; the wall of Jerusalem also is broken downe, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire. Mark! the Rem­nant are in great affliction; what Remnant? why, the Remnant that are left of the Captivity, the Remnant that did expect the Citty Jerusa­lem should be built, they are become a reproach; the worke of building of the wall of Jerusalem is delayed, till the Remnant doe become a re­proach: the people of God had their Temple done, they were set upon building their Citty, for they were told by their Prophets, that they should build their Temple and their Citty too, and now the people cry unto them and laugh at them, where is your Citty? where is your Com­mon-wealth that you talke of? you would have the Citty built, and you would have a Common­wealth set up, and a kingdome, but where is it? never such reproach comes upon waiters, as when the worke is ready to peepe forth; then, at that [Page 88]time when they were so reproached was the worke ready to come forth; then Nehemiah is brought on his knees, and spreads the thing be­fore the Lord, in the fourth verse, and the Com­mission for building the wall of Jerusalem was given forth thereupon, even that very yeare.

Babylon litterall, was a type of the kingdome of Babylon mysticall; their Babylon was a type of our Babylon; and as it was then, so it is now, upon the coming out of Babylon we have a dou­ble worke, a worke of the Temple, and a worke of the Citty; the Temple-worke is finished, and that is suffered to stand; but now the Saints looke for their Civill work, for their Common-wealth, and that is become a reproach; for is not this the reproach at this day, these are the fift Mo­narchy-men, and where is now your fift king­dome, your fift Monarchy? never was that growne to such a reproach this ten yeares; how have they been reproached even by some who are now compelled to acknowledge a truth in the principle? Now observe, when the worke was reproached, then the worke went on; and as that was the time then for the carrying on of the worke; why so now, the worke being re­proached with us also, its a signe that this is the time for the carrying on of the worke now: And truly its worthy our observation, How, af­ter this worke was come to be a reproach, it went on in a wonderfull way, the worke of Jerusalem; Nehem: 6.16. So the wall was finished, in the 25 day of the moneth Elul, in 52 dayes. In 52 dayes! what a wonderfull thing is it, that the wall of such a Citty as Jerusalem was, should be built in 52 dayes, and that by so few hands? And this [Page 89]little handfull were many of them forc't to take their swords in their hands. The Temple was a­building a great while, & they needed no swords to that worke; but now they come to their Cit­ty-worke, they have their swords in their hands to defend themselves, because there were many Enemies of that worke; and yet notwithstanding all their Enemies, and all the opposition, it was done as it were by a miracle in 52 dayes. So the worke of the kingdome it shall come on apace, suddenly, in one houre shall this worke come on; in 52 dayes was Jerusalem walled notwithstand­ing all the reproach which Immediatly before was cast upon them.

Fourthly, A fourth signe is, Signe. 4 The present doub­ting that is in many godly spirits about this worke, as being neere; its a cleare signe that the worke is at hand: Two or three yeares since, some ex­press't a great deale of faith about this worke, they preach't it up, we shall goe on wonderfully, we shall goe on to Rome, we shall pull downe Tythes &c. But now their spirits are sunke, and they say, its not yet time; this is so far from a discouragement, as that its a great signe that the worke is neere; for this is a cleare Rule, that when ever Christ brings forth a worke in the world, he will bring it forth so, as that he shall not find faith on Earth; hence you have it, Luk: 18.8. Neverthelesse, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on Earth? It hath been the usuall way of God, even to strike dead the faith of his Children when the worke is at the birth, so, Exod. 5.20, 21. after the death upon the worke there, and their burdens are doubled, they meete Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, [Page 90]as they came forth from Pharaoh, and they said un­to them, the Lord looke upon you, and Judge, be­cause you have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hands to slay us. Observe, the People that just before beleived, and said, O the work is come, and the day of our deliverance is at hand, in the end of the former Chapter the text saith, The people beleived when they heard that the Lord had visited the Children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, and they bowed their heads and worshipped: Though they beleived in the former Chapter that their delive­rance was now at hand, yet they doubt in this Chapter; as soone as ever the death comes up­on the worke, they murmur and doubt of it, and blame Moses and Aaron, telling them they had made their savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pha­raoh, and of his servants, to put a sword in their hands to slay us. So it was with David, when the worke of his kingdome first came forth, when he first set out against Saul, he had a great deale of confidence at first, 1 Sam: 22.22. David saith to Abiathar, Abide thou with me, feare not: for he that seekes my life seeketh thy life; but with me thou shalt be in safety But observe, after this Da­vid lost his confidence, and came to doubt of the going on of this worke of his kingdome, in the 27 Chapter the first verse, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul; he speakes quite contra­ry to what he said before, yet now the worke is neere, the kingdome is ready to rise: So when the Children of Israel were to come out of Ba­bylon, and a death came upon the worke, they cryed out, The time is not come, the time is not [Page 91]come that the Lords house should be built; here they doubt as to the time, their faith was downe, yet then was the time at hand, and the worke was carryed on in the second yeare of Darius. So likewise, looke to Christ himselfe when he was here, the Disciples a little before his death, they could say to him, Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God, they had much of faith at first, but when Christ is in the grave they loose their faith, We trusted that it was he that should have redeemed Israel; their faith was gone, and yet their Redemption was nearer than ever it was, and Christs Resurrection at hand; so that while they were Questioning and doubting, the time of Christs rising approaches: So abundance of good men, that formerly have kept to All­hallow's-meeting, and Blackfryers-meeting, they have now of late withdrawne, and cry, the time is not come, the time is not come, for the carrying on of the worke of Christs kingdome, but this is so far from making us beleive the time is not come, that its a signe to us, that the time is at hand, when doubting comes after the spirit of faith, for so it hath been with the worke of the Lord in all his Dispensations.

THe Time is but short, and therefore I shall wave speaking any thing tou­ching the context, or the explication of the words, there's no difficulty in them, but there's a plaine usefull Truth, ly's plainely in the words which I shall give you, That is, ‘Doct: That the Lord Jesus Christ is the onely foundation.’

That I may the better open this truth to you, for your edification, I shall cast those things which are in my thoughts into this Me­thod; namely, To shew,

First, What I meane by Christ's being a foundation?

Secondly, In what respect the Lord Jesus Christ may be called a foundation?

Thirdly, What Jesus Christ is the founda­tion of?

Fourthly, Who it is that lay's Jesus Christ as a foundation?

Fifthly, How the Lord Jesus Christ is laid as a foundation? And then

Sixthly and lastly, When Jesus Christ is laid as a foundation in the soule?

I shall give but a hint of the first.

1. Quest: What wee are to understand by Christs being a foundation?

Ans: Wee well know the foundation its the bottome of a building, that upon which the weight and stresse of any building ly's: in every building there's the structure it selfe, and the foundation; the structure it selfe, consists of many parts oftentimes, first, second, third, and fourth lofts, and yet these are so united and compact together, as that they make but one building, and there's but one foundation: so, I may say, In the spirituall building, that glorious blessed building of our salvation, its a building that con­sists of many parts, there's the Eternall love of the Father, free pardon and remission of sins, comfort, new obedience, and the like; and yet notwithstanding all these, they are so compact, as that indeed all make up but one glorious bles­sed building, and there's but one foundation to all, and that is Jesus Christ the Lord of glory, Other foundation can no man lay: And as in building, the foundation, its that which ly's at the bot­tome, so in this blessed building of Salvation, Christ as a foundation ly's at the bottome of all; he ly's at the bottome of the fathers love, and the fathers love built up upon him; he ly's at the bottome of our Justification; he ly's at the bot­tome of all our Comforts; he ly's at the bot­tome of all our obedience, and holines; so that, we are to understand, by Christs being a founda­tion, his being laid at the bottome of all that ever we have; not onely at the bottome of our Justi­fication, [Page 101]that, men will easily acknowledge, but Christ is at the bottome of every dram of Com­fort, Christ at the bottome of every duty, Christ at the bottome of every affection, Christ at the bottome of every grace, at the bottome of all we have, so he is the foundation: that, what our soules would enjoy, be it comfort, be it holines, be it Justification, be it what it will, Christ lying at the bottome of all, is Christ's being the founda­tion.

2. Quest: In what respect is Christ said to be a foundation?

Ans: I answer, first, Christ is a foundation in respect of the fathers having laid him for a foundation; Behold I lay in Syon for a foundation, Isai. 28.16. I lay in Syon, The father he lay's Jesus Christ as a foundation, God knows no other foundation to erect that blessed & glorious build­ing, that heavenly structure of our Everlasting Salvation upon, but onely Christ; that glorious building of grace and glory, could stand upon no other bottome but Christ, and therefore when the Lord comes to raise up this building, saith he, I lay in Syon for a foundation; for a foundati­on, I lay my Son as the foundation, as the bot­tome of all; he is the foundation God the father hath laid, the father knows no other; if we would have that foundation for our soules that the father judges to be the sure foundation, and would have our comfort built upon that, it must be laid upon Jesus Christ, this is that foundation that the father hath laid.

Secondly, Jesus Christ may be called a foun­dation, in Respect to Gospel Revelation, The Go­spel reveales no other foundation but Christ: looke [Page 102]over the whole Gospel of God, from first to last, and you shall find no other Corner Stone, no other bottome stone, but the Lord Jesus Christ onely: Christ is the corner stone (as the Apostle tells us) upon which, the foundation of the Pro­phets and Apostles is built; Eph: 2.20. And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Pro­phets, Jesus Christ himselfe being the cheife Cor­ner stone; the doctrine of the Apostles and Pro­phets its here by the Apostle called a foundation, but its such a foundation, as hath another founda­tion lying at the bottome of that, Jesus Christ the Corner stone is laid at the bottome of this foun­dation; Truth, its the foundation of our faith, but the Lord Jesus Christ he is the foundation of truth, that foundation that truth stands upon, he is still the bottome foundation.

Thirdly, Jesus Christ may be called a foun­dation, In respect of his owne meetnes and fitnes every way to be a foundation; Christ he is the most meete and fit of all others to be a foun­dation.

First, He is a Stone, as the Prophet saith, I will lay in Syon for a foundation a stone; you know, if men goe to lay a foundation, they doe not goe and gather up dust and rubbish, that is no fit matter for a foundation, but they goe and gather up Stones and lay them for a foundation; so our Lord Jesus Christ, he is a stone, I lay in Syon for a foundation a stone, so there's a fitnes and meetnes in him for a foundation, he is most meete for a foundation.

Secondly, As he is a Stone, so, he is an Elect Choice Stone, he is a fit chosen stone, and there­fore he saith, I lay in Syon for a foundation, a [Page 103]cheife corner stone, Elect and precious; he is a fit stone: Men picke out of their best Stones for a foundation, so, he is a Stone pickt out by God himselfe; when the Lord was to lay the founda­tion of this blessed glorious building of our Ever­lasting Happines, God tooke a view (as I may so say) of men and Angells, and he could not find such another Stone, so fit for a foundation as the Lord Jesus Christ was, he is a fit Stone. But againe,

Thirdly, The Lord Jesus Christ, He is a Roc­kie Stone; so he is called in Scripture, the rocke, the rocke stone, 1 Cor: 10.4. And that rocke was Christ, and they that are offended at Christ, they are offended at the rocke, Rom. 9.33. He is a rocke of offence; they that smite against Christ, smite against the rocke, and therefore are broken to peices; And on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind them to powder, Math: 21.44. Now the rocke stone is the greatest, firmest and hardest Stone, and therefore the fittest for a foundation: And Christ being a Rocke, he is most fit for a foundation.

Fourthly, The Lord Jesus Christ, He is a Try­ed Stone; so saith the Prophet, I lay in Syon for a foundation, a stone, a tryed stone; that is, a stone that there hath been proofe made of every way, whether it would be fit for a foundation or no; there's great difference between stones, there are some stones, if you put them under the hammer, they will breake to peices, and there are some, if you put them into the furnace, they will melt, or moulder; But our Lord Jesus Christ, he is a tryed stone, a stone that hath been under the Ham­mer of the worlds rage, and under the Hammer [Page 104]of Satans Temptations, and under the Hammer of our sins and corruptions; And he hath been in the furn [...]ce of his fathers wrath; and yet he is a solid stone still; he is a tryed stone, and therefore fit for a foundation; he hath been so tryed, that the Lord saith of him, he is a sure foundation; I am sure (saith God) whatsoever is built upon my Son shall stand; I am sure, what ever soule, what ever comfort, what ever obedience, stands there, shall stand.

Fifthly, The Lord Jesus Christ he is a Preti­ous Stone, 1 Pet: 2.6. Behold, I lay in Syon for a foundation a stone, Elect and pretious, he is not a common stone, but a pretious stone; and indeed in this respect too, he is very meete, yea, most meete and fit of all others to be a foundation. There are two things in Christs being a pretious stone, that doe make him fit to be a foundation

First, Thereby there is an Answerablenes in the foundation to the building; if a building be ve­ry rich, and made all of pretious pearle, its fit there should be some answerablenes in the foun­dation to the building; the new Jerusalem, its said of it, it was of pure gold, and the foundation of the Citty was of all manner of pretious stones, there was an answerablenes in the foundation to the building; so I may say, this blessed building of our Salvation, its indeed builded, that is, made up all of pretious pearle, there's the blessed pearle of the fathers love, there's the blessed pearles of our Redemption, Justification, Adoption, Sancti­fication; the whole is made up of pretious pearle; looke over every peice and part of it, every thing that is in this building, its of pretious pearle: Now the building it selfe being made up all of [Page 105]pearle, therefore the foundation must be some glorious thing, there must be an answerablenes in the foundation; now therefore we have this pretious Stone laid in the bottome, which indeed doth enrich the whole building, and add's to e­very peice and parcell of it. And then Christ be­ing a pretious Corner Stone, he is most meete for a foundation.

Secondly, In regard, That of all Stones, pre­tious Stones are the most durable; The Adamant or the Diamond, which of all stones is the most pretious, of all stones none so hard, it will breake other things, and will not easily be broken, and cut other things, and it selfe cannot without dif­ficulty be cut; Jesus Christ he is a durable foun­dation, therefore there is not such a foundation in all the world.

Sixthly, Jesus Christ, He is a living Stone; 1 Pet. 2.4. To whom coming as unto a living Stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and pretious; he is a living Stone, that is, he is such a stone as hath life in it, and by that life there is

First, A Cementing of the building to the founda­tion, & therefore a transforming the building into the nature of the foundation: Now consider this, and of all others Christ is the most fit for a foun­dation, for by this Cementing the building to him­selfe, this building becomes unmoveable; though the building be never so glorious, yet if it can be taken off the foundation, what would become of the glory of the building? this is that that makes the building such a blessed building, that it is so united to the foundatiō, that there can be no removing of it off the foundation, if the powers [Page 106]of Hell come, and all the powers in the world come, there can be no removing of the building off the foundation, this is the blessed state of those soules in Christ; herein is Jesus Christ most meete of all others for a foundation, because so far as Christ is a foundation, he doth unite the building to himselfe, fixes the building upon him­selfe, that there can be no removing of the build­ing from off the foundation.

Secondly, Christ, as he doth by this life that is in him Cement the building to himselfe, so he doth transforme the building into his owne nature, by sending up that life into the building that is in the foundation; hereby, the soule being transfor­med into the Image and nature of Christ, it doth preserve the soule from rottennes and putrefacti­on; you know how it is with living things, they doe not dye, they doe not rot and putrefie, but they are dead things that rot and putrefie; why now the Lord Jesus Christ by conveying of that life, that is in himselfe, and sending it up from himselfe into the building, thereby the building is kept from rotting and putrifying: that soule, that is in him, doth not rot and putrifie, but take any other soule in the world, and he doth rot and putrifie at one time or other; if he doth not stand upon this foundation, all his comforts, all his enlargements will rot and vanish away at sometime or other.

Seventhly, The Lord Jesus Christ, he is one Stone; its not said, I lay in Syon for a fountaine Stones, but, I lay in Syon a Stone, one Stone; now this add's to the excellency of the founda­tion, if a foundation be of one stone, its a great deale the stronger; Jesus Christ is one Stone, and so the most meete for a foundation.

Fourthly, The Lord Jesus Christ is called a foundation, In respect of beleivers being built up­on him: all those that are of the fathers building (as every true beleiver is) are builded upon this foundation; Truly there are a great many in the world, that goe to build up this building of Sal­vation, and they attempt to build it themselves, now what man or woman goes to build them­selves, its with them, as its with little Children, they will goe to Imitate builders, get a little dirt and clay together to build a little house, but they neglect, they never mind the foundation; so its with these soules, they build themselves up, they build their Justification, and build their Comfort, and build an obedience of their owne, but they regard not the foundation, if they can get some­thing of Comfort, and conformitie to duties, and the like, they never looke to the true foun­dation: I am afraid, that when the Lord comes to shake the world, a great many will be found without a soundation; but now all those that are of the fathers building, they are built upon this foundation; the father he builds like a wise Ma­ster-builder, when he comes to build a house, he takes speciall care about the foundation, that that be laid firme and sure, for (saith he) what will ye build if there be not a foundation laid? so is it when the Lord comes to your soules, to build you, man or woman, he lookes to the foundation, I will lay their soules upon my Son saith God; when God takes a soule into his hands, the very first worke that he doth, is, to lay the foundation, to see that Jesus Christ be laid as the foundation in the soule: so that, Jesus Christ may be called a foundation, in respect of the fathers building of all beleivers upon him as a foundation.

Lastly, Jesus Christ is called a foundation, In opposition to all other foundations, to all false foundations: there are a multitude of false foun­dations in the world, and in opposition to all the sandy and false foundations that we lay, and that sometimes Satan lay's, and that are not of the fa­ther's laying, Christ is the foundation.

First, Christ is a foundation, in opposition to those vaine and empty hopes, that some sinners have of amendment of life for the future: Truly, this cannot properly be called a foundation, yet be­cause there are a company of poore sinners in the world, that goe on in drunkennes, swearing, whoredome, and the like, though they know themselves to be miserable and wretched, to be undone, yet they hope they shall amend hereaf­ter, they shall be better one day, and so they take some kinde of rest from this thought. A man that makes no conscience of swearing, or cozening, or lying, or defrauding, when his conscience comes and tells him, thou art a miserable wretch, he answers, I hope to be better hereafter; now this mans foundation is, as if a man should goe about to build a house in the ayre; Christ is a foundation in opposition to these vaine hopes.

Secondly, Christ is a foundation, in opposition to Pharisaicall righteousnesse and holines: some there are that come to have a righteousnes, though not the righteousnes of God, but indeed a righte­ousnes of their owne, as the Apostle saith; they are not as other men are, they are not drun­kards, nor swearers, they serve God, and walke honestly, they will not cheate, and they make conscience of their word, they will have but one word when you come to deale with them, they [Page 109]will deale honestly and justly in all their wayes; and therefore surely say they, we are the Children of God, and are in a good condition, and thus they lay a great deale of stresse and weight upon their Pharisaicall righteousnes and holines. Thus it was with the Scribes and Pharisees in Christs time, O saith he, I am not like that Publican, I am not so and so, God I thanke thee, I am not as other men be, I am a blessed man, a happy man; I but yet he is a poore miserable Pharisee still, Jesus Christ saith, notwithstanding all this he was not Justified, Christ sends him away as a poore mise­rable wretch, notwithstanding all his righteous­ness; Except therefore (saith Christ) your Righ­teousness exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven: Christ is a foundation in opposition to this foundation.

Thirdly, Christ is a foundation, in opposition to conviction of sin, conviction of our naturall state and condition: Some there are, that goe farther than the Pharisee, (who rest's in his owne righ­teousnes, far from being convinc't of sin) that come to see themselves lost and undone, and it may be they come & gather up hope, they scrape up somewhat of comfort here, because they find and feele themselves sinners, that therefore God will pardon them, because they conclude them­selves to be lost, therefore God will save them, therefore they shall have heaven and Everlasting Salvation, they gather up comfort here: but this is no other foundation than wicked Cain may have, saith he, I am a cast away, and my punish­ment is greater than I can beare; this is not the foundation, Christ is the foundation in opposition to this conviction of sin.

Fourthly, Christ is a foundation, in opposition to confession of sin to others; that is that which some lay as a foundation of their comfort, when they are oppress't and burden'd, and afflicted with their sin, they run and tell it to others, and will be open-hearted, and when they have so done they finde ease, and have much comfort, peace, and hope, and they build upon it, as a man that is stomack-sicke, he casts up that which is at the top, and then he hath ease and is well. We finde that Pharaoh himselfe when he was sicke of his sin, he could not be quiet, till he had cast up his sin to Moses, Exod: 9.27. And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righte­ous, and I and my people are wicked. Nay, he was so sicke of his sin, that Moses must be brought in hast to him, Exod: 10.16. Then Pharaoh cal­led for Moses & Aaron in hast, and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you: they must be brought Post to him, that he might confesse his sin, and ease himselfe, he was so troubled and so afflicted: of these things there is a good and a holy use, but when men lay the foundation of their comfort upon this confession of sin, and would draw comfort from hence, and not from Christ, this is a false foundation, and Christ is a layd as a foundation in opposition to this. Doe but looke how far Saul runs in con­fessing his Iniquitie, 1 Sam: 26.21. Then said Saul, I have sinned, returne, my Son David, for I will no more doe thee harme, because my soule was pretious in thine eyes this day; Behold, I have playd the foole, and have erred exceedingly. How doth he confesse his sin? with great indignation he [Page 111]calls himselfe a very foole, and a wretch, I have playd the foole, I have been a wicked wretch in what I have done, and yet is but a Saul notwith­standing all this: and Judas, when his heart ak't, he came and threw downe the silver, and saith, I have sin'd in betraying Innocent blood, he comes and cast's up his sin, and yet but a poore misera­ble Judas, and he goes and hang's himselfe; this is not the foundation, Christ is a foundation in opposition to this foundation.

Fifthly, Christ is a foundation, in opposition to our sorrow, mourning, humiliation, fasting, prayers and Teares, and the like: Some will goe farther than a cleare conviction of sin, and confessing of it to others, they will sorrow, and mourne, and shed Teares, and the like; and they thinke because of this, surely I am a childe of God, and they lay no deeper foundation, they have no other founda­tion but this, all their comfort, all their joy, and all their hope is laid here, but this is a false foun­dath; 1 Kings 2.27. And it came to passe when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his cloath's, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. A king, and yet how doth he humble himselfe? Ahab throw's off his kingly Royall Robes, and puts on Sackcloth and goes softly, yet you see what is said of Ahab, There was none like unto Ahab, that sold himselfe to doe wickednes: he did very abominably in fol­lowing Idolls, and yet this wretched Ahab when the wrath of God comes upon him, and the word of God falls upon his conscience, he will throw off his Robes and Crowne, and humble himselfe, and mourne; and yet but an Ahab still: And so Saul, when his conscience was [Page 112]smitten he weepes; 1 Sam: 24.16. And it came to passe when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, is this thy voice, my Son David, and Saul lift up his voice, and wept: he weepes over his Son David, and yet persecutes his Son David againe, notwithstand­ing all this: And so Esau, he found no place for repentance, though he sought it with Teares; there's a great deale of difference betwixt Teares and Repentance, he sought repentance, and he sought it with Teares, yet found no place for it: all these things when they come from the right foundation are excellent, but otherwise they will stand men in no stead at all. Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to this foundation.

Sixthly, Jesus Christ is the onely foundation, in opposition to Resolutions, Vowes, and Covenants; that is that which many lay their foundation up­on; truly, these are wayes which many honest hearts have run, they have trac't them through, and there are false hearts too, that have run up with them in these wayes: when a soule is trou­bled, afflicted and burdened, he will resolve, vow, and Covenant, I will never doe so more, and after that, they have some ease and are at quiet, and so long as they keepe their Resoluti­ons, Vowes, and Covenants, they are in a good condition as they conclude; so it was with Saul, Returne my Son David, I will seeke thy hurt no more, I will no more persecute David, I will no more walke on in these wayes; but afterwards he falls upon him againe and againe, and David is forced to fly the land; these Vowes, Resolutions, and Covenants will not hold; now Christ is a foundation in opposition to this, Christ is the onely foundation.

Seventhly, Jesus Christ is a foundation, In op­position to Selfe-revenge: in opposition to those Acts of revenge that men are ready to put fotth upon themselves; its a thing that is very ordina­ry among Christians, (honest hearts as well as others) and that through darknes in the new Testament Administration of Jesus Christ, and the Covenant of grace, they goe to revenge; they will be revenged of themselves if they erre in this way or that way; if they erre or exceede in Mirth, then they will goe about mourning, if they have err'd in the use of the creatures, then they will not eate nor drinke at all, and so they will be revenged of themselves: herein they take too much content, and too much comfort, and they are apt to thinke that because they revenge themselves thus, God is pleased with them, and he will pardon them; Christ is the foundation in opposition to this; is this the foundation, that my Justification, my Comfort, my Joy, should lye upon, my selfe revenge? no, though a man should goe never so far in this way: doe but consider what those in Micah would have done to re­venge themselves, Micah 6.6, 7 verses; Where­with shall I come before the Lord, and bow my selfe before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with Calves of a yeare old? will the lord be pleased with thousands of Ram's, or with ten thousands of Rivers of oyle? shall I give my first-borne for my Transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soule? As if they should have said, will the Lord accept of any thing? let the Lord set me the hardest taske, I will doe it, if it be to give the fruit of my body, or to give away [...]ll my estate, if I may have the pardon of [Page 114]my sin, I will doe it; thus, I say, a man may goe a great way in a way of revenge, and yet truly this will be sound nothing, it will be but a shad­dow, and a foundation that will soone shake and fall, when a day of Tryall comes.

Eighthly, Jesus Christ is a foundation, in op­position to our Reformation; many there are that goe higher than all this, many struggle in their Vowes and Resolutions, but never come to Re­formation, but some there are, that come to Re­formation, they have gotten the power and the victory, as they say, over their sins, and here they lay the foundation of their Comfort, for certaine saith such a man, I am the child of God; but Christ is a foundation in opposition to this; if we lay our foundation here we shall be decei­ved; this Herod did, he reform'd himselfe, and did many things, the word of John comes to He­rod's heart, and his heart is so troubled that he did many things; so that there may be a reforma­tion in very many things, and yet notwithstand­ing the soule not upon a true foundation; there is a vast difference betwixt Cessation [...]f sin, and Mortification of-sin, there may be a Cesation of sin, where there is no Mortification of it, it may be the Devill he may let a soule alone, that he may settle him the faster upon a false bottome; men cease from their Iniquitie they were addic­ted to when they were young, and they are apt to lay a foundation upon this, and this may be, and yet not a true foundation laid, a meere Cess [...] ­tion from sin, or an outward Reformation in respect of the acts of sin, this may be, and yet the soule miserable: Jesus Christ he is a foundation in opposition to this foundation.

Ninthly, Jesus Christ he is a foundation, in opposition to all outward Priviledges; there is a very great deale of confidence that men lay up­on their Priviledges, O, saith such one, I keepe many day's of prayer, & I am of such a Church, and saith another I am Baptized, and saith ano­ther I am so and so, and they glory much in these outward Priviledges; as the Jewes did we are the Church of God, we are Abrahams Children, we have the Oracles of God, can we be amisse? but saith Christ, ye are of your father the Devill, and the workes of your father ye will dee, notwithstand­ing all your boasting and glorying in your out­ward Priviledges: this not the foundation; Christ is the foundation in opposition to this.

Tenthly, Jesus Christ is a foundation, in oppo­sition t [...] those good fitts that semetimes a man or a woman is in unto a duty: I doe not speake any thing to shake any poore Saint, but would have every Saint have a bottome, while God is shak­ing all Nations, and the foundations of the earth doe shake: if the foundation be upon a rocke it will stand, therefore in this shaking day the good Lord helpe us all to looke to our foundation; Christ is a foundation in opposition to those good fitts, that men are in to a duty: a man may be in a good fit to a duty now and then, and when men find this, they are apt to rest on it, and lay much weight upon it, and draw much comfort from it; now I say, Christ is a foundation in oppo­sition to this foundation: O what a good fit and a good mood was Saul in sometimes! 1 Sam: 10. he comes among the Prophets of God, at the 9, 10, & 11 verses, he prophesies among the Pro­phets, here was a good fit to a duty, 1 Sam: 10.23. [Page 116]when he was going on in persecuting David, he had a good fit, therefore Saul might say, well, I feele God working in my heart what ever others judge of me, or censure me; Saul went on and prophesied before Samuel, and lay downe naked all that day, and all that night, even then when he was going on persecuting of David; I bring this to shew you, that this is no foundation, it is a good thing, a sweet thing, to have a heart fit and dispos'd to a duty, but when I will build upon this, this is no foundation, but Christ is a founda­tion in opposition to this.

Eleventhly, Christ is a foundation, in opposi­tion to flashes of Joy and comfort that a soule may find, and sometimes doth find, which yet are not up­on the true foundation: there may be a good dis­position to a duty, so there may be some flashes of Joy and comfort in the soule, in the duty, and men are apt to make high cōclusions from these, and yet not upon the right foundation; as Herod, he heard John, and did many things, and he heard him gladly, there could not be but a Holy raising of heart and Joy when he heard him gladly, and yet Herod cut off John's Head for all this: so the Stony ground hath Joy in the hearing of the word, they heard with Joy, and yet was false ground; in the Stony ground there was Joy in hearing the word, and Joy in receiving the word, O therefore looke to your selves: sometimes when I heare a Sermon, my heart is lifted up, it may be with the man more than with the word, or it may be with the manner of speaking more than with the word, and so a soule may here lay a foundation; there may be flashes of Joy in our duty's, and if we lay our foundation here, we are [Page 117]under a very great mistake: in the 28 of Isaiah, those hypocrites at the second verse, they did seeke God dayly, and delighted to know Gods wayes, as a nation that did righteousnes, and for­sooke not the ordinances of their God, they ask't of me the ordinances of Justice, they tooke delight in approaching to God, yet notwithstanding this, the Lord bids the Prophet goe and pro­nounce his wrath against them; a man may have his heart rais'd it may be in speaking the word of the Lord, and yet if he make this his founda­tion he is upon a false bottome; Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to this foundation.

Twelfthly, Jesus Christ is a foundation, in opposition to some high acts wherein the soule puts forth seeming selfdeniall: 1 Sam: 10. Saul shews great selfedeniall, when the people come to choose him King, he hides himselfe; the men of Belial despised him, and brought him no pre­sents, but he held his peace; he deny's himselfe, he takes no notice of their opposition & speak­ing against him; and then afterward in the 11 Chapter, when the people said, who is he that said, Shall Saul raigne over us? bring the men that we may put them to death. Saul said, there shall not a man be put to death this day; for to day the Lord hath wrought Salvation in Israel. He doth not onely deny his owne spirit, but the Temptation from others; and this was not onely from a Po­litick ground, but from a sudden worke that was upon him at present, the Lord hath wrought salva­tion in Israel: a man may be carryed out in some good particular acts to deny himselfe, & thence conclude, I am a childe of God, and so, happy; its true, none can truly and rightly deny himselfe [Page 118]but a Saint, but there's the same grace and worke as a counterfeite wrought in a hypocrite, that is, in the new Covenant, in the true Children of God; and if men lay their soundation upon these things, they will be exceedingly mistaken; Jesus Christ is the onely foundation in opposition to these.

Thirteenthly, Jesus Christ is the foundation, in opposition to all holy aymes; its a most blessed thing when a man comes to duty's with holy aymes, and holy end's, yet if he will lay his foun­dation here, he may be deceived, its the hardest thing in the world for a man to Judge of his ends and aymes; Come, saith Jehu, and see my zeale for the Lord, he thought he had blessed ends and aymes, but laying his foundation here, what a false bottome had he? I doe not say, any hypo­crite can ayme rightly at the glory of God, but a man may ayme at Gods glory when it runs with his Interest, he may looke asquint at it, when Gods glory and his Interest ly's together, this deceived Jehu, he thought he had eyed Gods glory, when he look't onely at his owne Interest, the settling the kingdome upon himselfe and his Posterity, and so deceived himselfe; Jesus Christ is a foundatiō in opposition to this foundatiō.

Fourteenthly, Jesus Christ is a foundation, in opposition to giving in of particular words; its a great Trade that some drive, of giving in of par­ticular words; and what a wonderfull confidence is oftentimes laid in this, in the giving in of par­ticular words? And truly, I doe acknowledge the Lord doth oftentimes make it a sweete dispensa­tion to his Children; when his Children are in great straights, the Lord is pleased to come into their soules, and reward them in this way, and [Page 119]yet notwithstanding we are under a very great mistake in this, if the Lord be not our light and our guide: We may lay too much upon this, as upon humiliation, or any other duty; some soules in distresse, they will open their Bibles, & it may be doe light upon a place that doth suite their condition, they thinke this is a giving in of a word; I deny not but God doth sometimes speake a word in this way to his Children in great straights, yet there's a great m [...]stake in this; the mistake ly's in this, when that we doe lay more upon the providence in the giving of the word, than upon the word it selfe, when I beleive not so much the word for it selfe, as for the pro­vidence; the providence that I should open my booke thus, and light upon such a word, the pro­vidence that I should light upon such a word at such a time; when we eye the providence giving in of the word, more than the word; now note, no providence is the ground of our faith, there­fore if I lay my faith more upon the providence than upon the word, then shall I presently be mistaken even in this way, which if I had a right understanding of, I may have use of, and comfort in: let Christians observe, its ordinary with Chri­stians when they are weak and young, and when they begin to know the Lord, God doth deale with them as with little Children, he traines them up in such a way, and gives them in parti­cular words; but when soules will alway's goe in this way, they may quickly come to Tempt God, and they may come to such a passe, as not to care for the word of God in the Scripture, unlesse it be given in in this way; here we lay our foundati­on upon the giving in of a word, lay as much as [Page 120]you can upon the word, but take heed of laying too much upon the providence; therefore Chri­stians when they are come to more light and ex­perience, the Lord would not have them to con­tinue in this way, they must not stay till the word come to them, but their faith must goe out to the word; this way of God with Christians is not the ordinary way when they come to a greater standing. I have a word, saith one, so given in, in such a remarkable way at such and such a time, and thereupon he lays the foundation of his hope, if you lay too much upon this, your faith will be but upon a providence, and this will not be a sure foundation, there may be a great deceit in this, for Satan may give in a word as well as the Lord, a soule may take in a word from Satan as well as from the Lord himselfe; besides, a word may be given in of the Lord too, and yet this not an evi­dence of our Eternall commition; therefore, when we conclude our Eternall condition from the gi­ving in of a word, we erre in this, for this is no foundation to it. Hagar had an Angel of God from Heaven speaking to her, Thou God seest me, saith she, and have I also here looked after him that seeth me? yet she was an out-c [...]st and under the old Covenant; the Lord therefore grant that we may not lay our foundation in these things, the word of God is a good foundation, but if we lay it upon the giving in, upon the providence, its a false foundation; yet I say, the Lord doth often goe in this way with his owne Children, very fre­quently, but here's the mistake, when we lay too much upon the providence; you may have a word given in day after day, and yet be all this while upon a false foundation: Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to this foundation.

Fifteenthly, Jesus Christ is the onely founda­tion, in opposition to acts of beleiving; the act of beleiving is not the foundation, but Jesus Christ is the foundation in opposition to this; many there are, which when they see themselves cast, (as I may say) as to the righteousnes of the law, when they see that all the workes of the Law, and the righteousnes of the Law, will not helpe them, but that life and blessednes is alone in Christ, in the Gospel; and heare the Lord calling upon them to come and beleive in Christ, they run to Jesus Christ, and hang upon him in an outward way, and lay their foundation in the act of beleiving; there is a faith of a mans owne as well as a faith of God's, there's a faith of the Law as well as a faith of the Gospel; many a man hath laboured by his workes, for righte­ousnes and Justification, and when he sees all his working will not bring him in righteousnes and justification, then he flies to faith, as that which will helpe him, and so he beleives in his owne strength, and rests upon the Act of beleiving; but its not the act of beleiving that is our righte­ousnes, its not the act of beleiving that is the foun­dation of the soule: a poore soule may hang upon the outside of the Arke, as in the dayes of Noah, men might have come and clung upon the out­side of the Arke, and yet have been cut off, ex­cept they had come into the Arke, that would not have saved them, but they would have dropt off; so, when men by an outward act of beleiving hang upon Jesus Christ, in an outward way, they may hang a while, but at last they will drop off; when men make this a foundation, they are upon a false foundation. See how far men have [Page 122]gone in beleiving, and yet it hath come to no­thing, if you looke into the 106 Psalme, the 11, 12 & 13 verses, we reade there of a generation of men, beleiving, its said, The waters covered their Enemies: there was not one of them left. Then beleived they his words, they sang his Praise. They soone forgat his workes, they waited not for his Counsell: Here was beleiving, and such belei­ving as caused them to sing, and yet who are they? they are such, as forgat his workes; such, as waited not for his Counsell; such, as had leane­ness sent into their soules; such, as lusted, and con­temned God, and envyed the Saints, Moses, and Aaron; such, as the breath of the Lord came upon, and devoured them as wicked ones; and yet there was beleiving, Then beleived they his word: men will lay a great deale of faith some­times on Experiences and wonderfull providen­ces, why lay as much faith as you can upon these, and all will faile when the day of Tryall comes; men may say God is our God, and we are the people of God, and he delivered us; The waters covered their Enemies; there was not one of them left. What a wonderfull providence is this? and here they fall a singing to God, and yet Re­bells and Enemies to God, and cut off by God by and by: this is not the foundation therefore, no, not the Act's of beleiving. If you looke into Isai: 48.1, 2. we reade of a generation of men that did beleive, and yet notwithstanding fell short; Heare ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah; which sweare by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in Truth nor in righteousnes; for they call [Page 123]themselves of the holy Citty, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel, the Lord of Hosts is his name. They made mention of the Lord, and stayd themselves upon the God of Israel; what is that staying? Look into the 26 of Isaiah, and you shall finde its beleiving, in the third verse; staying is beleiving: here are a generation of men that stayed themselves upon the God of Israel, but not in truth nor in righteousnesse; it was not in Truth nor in righteousnesse for all this: now, I say, its not the act of beleiving that is the founda­tion, there's a false faith as well as other things, therefore if men make this the foundation, the acts of beleiving, they may be out too: Jesus Christ is the onely foundation in opposition to this foundation.

Sixteenthly, Jesus Christ is the foundation, in opposition to conviction of Righteousnes: this is that which is indeed a higher and a farther step than all that yet I have spoken of, for men may goe all the way that we have gone, and yet not be convinced of righteousness; as his worke may be his righteousnesse, so his faith may be his righteousnesse, he may goe through all these things, and yet not be convinc't of righteousnes; this is a high foundation, Christ is the foundation in opposition to conviction of righteousnes; When a poore soule is wearied out of all, when he comes to see, that he is a poore miserable lost soule, and that its not all his confession of sin, his mourning, his sorrow, his Teares, his vowes, his resolutions, his revenge upon himselfe, his Reformation, no not his faith, its not any of all these things will helpe him, nor that can helpe; that soule ly's crying, O Lord, I can doe nothing, I cannot pray, I cannot mourne, I cannot sh [...]d a [Page 124]teare for sin, I cannot beleive, ô that thou wouldst helpe me, and strengthen me to beleive; now a soule is come to this, to be convinc't of righteous­nes, that it ly's before God, Lord here I am, I am nothing, I can doe nothing, I cannot doe this or the other duty, I cannot get up a desire, I cannot get up a groane, I am a poore miserable helplesse creature; and Lord if thou wilt trample upon me, Lord here I am, thou mayest; and if thou hast no pleasure in such a one as I am, here I lye tread upon me, doe what thou wilt, I know not what to doe saith the soule: now here's a soule convinc't of righteousnes, so as its come to see, if I had all the righteousnes of men and An­gells, all were nothing, though it were as righte­ous as Adam in Innocency, all were nothing, if it were as righteous as Noah, Adam, Peter, all were nothing, why this it is for a soule to come to be cōvinc't ofrighteousnes. Now if in any thing that yet I have said, it is here, wherein a true sincere heart goes beyond a hypocrite; a hypocrite will goe with a true child of God through all the o­ther, doth a true child of God confesse & mourn for his sin, and repent, and revenge himselfe, and reforme, and hath he joy and delight in du­ty's, and doth he deny himselfe, & hath he good aymes and ends, hath he particular words given in, hath he put forth acts of faith, so doth the hypocrite all these things, though none of them in truth and in righteousnes, yet as to the out­ward act, he will goe as far as the sincere heart, and it will be hard to find out the one from the other, (the hardest thing in the world) yet in this step of Conviction of righteousnes, the childe of God goes beyond the other. When a poore [Page 125]soule comes to this, Lord I am here, I thought I had abundance of things to rest in, I thought I was so rich in my prayers, and so rich in my Teares, and so rich in my resolutions and vowes, I had such good fitts in duty's, I had such glori­ous comfort and Joy, but Lord I am brought to this, I am nothing, here the childe of God gets a step beyond the hypocrite, for the hypocrite is never thoroughly convinc't of righteousnes, but when he is convinc't of one peice he goes on up­on another, and when he is beaten off that he creepes on upon another, and he is upon some foundation of his owne, but now when the Lord Jesus comes to take possession of a poore soule, he beates him off all the peices of his owne righ­teousnes: if he will rest upon his confession of sin and mourning, he will beate him off there; and if he goe higher, to resolutions, vowes and re­venge, he beates him off there; and if after this he rest upon his Reformation, Christ will goe af­ter him and beate him off from peice to peice, till he hath wholly conquered the soule to him­selfe, and brought him off of all those false grounds and quagmires that the soule would have rested upon and perished, till he comes to this thorough conviction of righteousnes; when they come to great parts, gifts and abilities, Christ beates them off of this, till they come to settle upon a right foundation, or else they will drop off, if they come not up to the true foun­dation: hence true and faithfull hearts tremble and feare to see these great ones fall; upon this account some assert falling away from grace, not considering the distinction betwixt the old and new Covenant, and the different truth's that [Page 126]flow from either, and not seeing how the same things in appearance flow out of both rootes; when they saw the fruit of the old Adam, they thought it had been grace, and therefore con­clude, they fell from grace; indeed they fall from the grace they had in the first Covenant, (a man may loose all that) but not the grace of the new Covenant, the soule that hath it can never fall from that grace, but that soule that is partaker of that grace shall stand for ever; O therefore looke that ye be rooted upon the new Covenant if you would stand for ever, that you may be throughly convinced of all your owne righteous­ness as nothing.

And the Lord brings his people to this con­viction many times, by letting them fall by some Temptation or Corruption, and hereby they come to be be beaten off from it: God lets out some Temptations or some Corruptions, and the soule struggles and strives withall its resolutions and vowes, and all its power, & yet its beaten downe and cannot stand, and then the soule saith, verily there's no hope for me, then the Lord brings it to this, now I see I have nothing, I can doe no­thing, Lord thou mightest destroy me, and tread me underfoote, and if thou wilt doe it I will lye before thee, I have no hope, nor none to turne to; thus the soule is convinc't of righteousness, and till such time as the soule is thus convinc't of righteousness, it will never be able to stand, con­viction of righteousnes is the removing the soule off all false foundation; the foundation of his workes, and the foundation of his faith too, as a worke, and the soule that hath no foundation at all, but onely lookes to the Lord Jesus Christ, O be [Page 127]thou my foundation. When the Lord hath once brought the soule to this, that he hath no foundation in the world, (there is no sinner in the world, but he hath one foundation or other, he could not beare up else, now when the Lord hath brought him to this, that he hath no foun­dation in the world) Lord, saith the convinced soule, I have no foundation in the world, I hang between earth and heaven, if the Lord bring not Christ as a foundation to me, I am undone, then is the Lord bringing in his Son Jesus Christ as a foundation of the soule: O therefore let us looke into our hearts, Professors, Christians, Saints and Brethren, O how have our hearts been rooted? have we not a foundation to stand upon of our owne? truly the Lord will shake us out of all our righteousnes, whether wrought by the Law or Gospel, we may be in a miserable condition: Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to all false foundations.

Lastly, Jesus Christ is the foundation, in oppo­sition to true grace it selfe: This conviction of righteousnes lookes to all the blessed graces of the Spirit, faith, repentance, and new obedience, and selfdeniall, all these things as they flow from the holy Spirit, as they are wrought in us by the Spirit, grow up out of the new Covenant, why of all these Christ is the bottome, Christ is the foundation in opposition unto these, these are not the foundation: though grace is the most blessed thing in the world, the most blessed thing of all, yet its not the foundation of our soules, but the Lord Jesus onely, must be the foundation.

O that every soule would now looke to Christ! O is Christ my foundation? (you had need to look [Page 128]to your hearts, here's much preaching and much profession) it may be I am glorious in the out­ward parts of obedience, and it may be in Com­fort too, O but is Christ my foundation, is Christ at the bottome of all my comfort? It may be I performe a great many duty's, but is Christ at the bottome of all my duties? O have I yet the Lord Jesus Christ as the foundation for my soule to looke unto? O Christians, if ever there was a day, now its a day to looke to your foundation, when the Lord is shaking heaven and earth, even shaking the world, and shaking it to pei­ces; he will yet shake more than ever he hath shaken, till he hath shaken out all the rotten professors that are not founded upon himselfe; the good Lord make you to looke to your foun­dation; what a good thing is it to stand firme upon Christ? when heaven and earth, and all the things of the world shall be shaken, yet we shall not be shaken being upon the right foundation; the Lord build all your soules upon his Son; if you would be upon this foundation, say good Lord doe thou come and build, how long have I been building, and how long have I been work­ing, but good Lord come thou and build, O that every one of you would but learne thus much, as to goe home and say to the Lord Jesus Christ, Lord come thou and build, good Lord take the worke out of my hands, and build thy selfe, I shall lay all beside the foundation, but come and take the worke out of my hand; and if God will come and settle us upon his Son, as the foun­dation of all, then shall we have Joy unspeaka­ble and full of glory, then shall we Joy and glo­ry in our God, then shall we have that comfort [Page 129]and peace which passeth all understanding, then shall our soules have heaven begun here, that shall last to all eternitie; O the Lord build all up­on this foundation, and let no poore soule here be discouraged, those oftentimes that have least cause to be shaken are most shaken, and the hy­pocrite that hath most cause, is least shaken; poore troubled soules, they are apt to be shaken when they heare these things, but art thou con­vinced Soule, that thou hast built upon a false foundation? do'st thou say thou art undone for ever, that there is no hope for thee? no, rather say blessed be the Lord I have seene my false bottome, now I come to the Lord, O Lord doe thou build me, O Lord doe thou take my soule into thy hand; the Lord doe this for every poore soule here, that you may all who meete here to­gether, meete with the generall Assembly of the first-borne, whose names are written in heaven, and then shall you not count it in vaine, that you have followed the Lord, and laid the foun­dation not in your selves, but in the Son of God, which the Lord Grant.

WHat promise is this, which our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when he is now ascending into heaven, doth give a strict and speciall command to his Disciples, to looke at, and waite for, calling and entitling it, The promise of the Father? To that I answer, This promise is no other but the promise of the holy Spirit; and that is cleare from the following words, which saith he, yee have beard of me; This promise of the Fa­ther that they were now commanded to waite for, it was that promise, that Christ had been minding them of sometime before, Waite for the promise of the Father which yee have heard of me, which I told you of, and minded you of before; now what was that promise that Christ had been minding of his Children of againe and againe [Page 160]not long before this time? If we looke into Johns Gospel we shall finde, that the promise of the Spi­rit Christ did againe and againe pitch the faith of his Disciples upon, and that Immediatly be­fore his death, before he was taken from them. John 14.16, 17. I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may a­bide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. And ver: 26. But the Comforter, which is the Holy-Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remem­brance, whatsoever I have said unto you. So againe Chapter 15.26. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Fa­ther, he shall testifie of me. So againe, Chapter 16.7, 8, 9.10 verses, Neverthelesse, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I goe away: for if I goe not away, the Comforter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send him unto you; and when he comes; he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of Judgement. Of sin, because they beleive not on me, of righteousness, because I goe to my Father, and yee see me no more. Yea this is cleare, in the verse following our Text, For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be bap­tized with the Holy-Ghost, not many dayes hence. So that, that great promise, which Christ had been minding his Children of a little before, (which he points at here, which saith he, yee have heard of me) it was the promise of the Spirit; and it was not the Spirit in that speciall way of [Page 161]working in glorious miracles, and interpreting of Tongues, and the like; but indeed it was the promise of the Spirit in generall; for he referr's to that promise of the Spirit, which they had heard of him, which was as a Comforter, as the leader and guider into all truth, as a Testifier of the Love of Christ to the soule, as a bringer to remembrance of whatsoever Christ had said unto them, as a glorifier of Jesus Christ in the hearts of his Children, he shall glorifie me; so that it lookes to the promise of the Spirit in generall, when Christ saith, its that yee have heard of me.

Quest: 1. But why doth Christ call it, the promise of the Father, doth not Jesus Christ him­selfe promise the Spirit? doth not Christ say, I will send you another Comforter? is it not the pro­mise of Jesus Christ himselfe, as well as of the Fa­ther? why doth he then call it the promise of the Father?

Ans: [...]. Because Christ himselfe as Mediator hath the promise of the Spirit from the Father. Isai: 42.1. Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine Elect in whom my soule delighteth, I have put my Spirit upon him, &c. And its fulfilled to Christ, Isai: 61.1. The Spirit of the Lord is up­on me (saith Christ) for he hath anointed me, to preach good Tidings, &c. Jesus Christ himselfe, as he stood in our stead, doing our worke, and acting in our nature, so he did receive the pro­mise of the Father himselfe, the Spirit; and there­fore its called the promise of the Father.

Secondly, In respect of the Antiquitie of it. Because the Father had promised it long before this time, so its the promise of the Father; Christ had promised the Spirit to his but it was lately, and [Page 162]so it was a new promise, not many dayes old, made but a little before his death: but the pro­mise as it was the Fathers promise, so it was an­tient, made many hundred yeares before, though now to be fulfilled, for the Time of the old Te­stament, was the time of the Fathers administra­tion, now in this time there were many promises of the Spirit to be afterwards fulfilled, as in Jo­el, 2.28. And it shall come to passe afterward that I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your danghters shall Prophesie, your old men shall dreame dreames, your young men shall see visions. Zach: 12.10. And I will powre out upon the house of David, and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of Grace and of supplicati­ons, and they shall loo [...]e upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourne for him, as one mourneth for his onely Son, and shall be in bitternes for him, as one that is in bitternes for his first­borne. And therefore this promise as it was the Fathers so it was antient, and for the Antiquitie of this promise, because it was most antiently the Fathers, therefore it may be called the promise of the Father

Thirdly, It's the promise of the Father, because of the times and seasons of the giving out of this promise; for the times and seasons are in the hands of the Father, so Christ tells his Disciples in this Chapter, But the Father hath kept them in his owne power.

Fourthly, The maine reason is, That hereby Christ might strengthen and confirme the faith of his Disciples and Children in waiting for this pre­mise; we have need of all that can be to streng­then our faith, and therefore Christ calls it the [Page 163]promise of the Father; the Disciples might con­ceive, ô is the Father willing we should have the Spirit? we know how willing Christ is, he hath said he will send us a Comforter, we are sure we shall want nothing that Christ can doe for us, but is the Fathers heart as free to give out the Spirit, when Christ comes to heaven will not the Father hinder it? Christ therefore entitles it ra­ther the promise of the Father than his owne; as if he should have said, doe not thinke poore soules, that my Father is unwilling to give out his Spirit, that he is an Enemy to your peace, com­fort & Joy, or the coming of the Spirit of grace; no, the Fathers heart is as full and as free, as you can conceive mine to be, for its the promise of the Father.

Quest: 2. But why doth Christ pitch the faith of his Disciples now at the time of his ascension upon this promise, rather than upon any other? could he not bid them as well to waite for some other promise as for this?

Ans: 1. Because there was no promise so suita­ble unto the state and condition, that the people of Christ, the Disciples of Christ, his followers were now come into, as this promise: no promise is so suitable to a poore soule in the time of Christs absence, as the promise of the Spirit; Christ had been personally present with his Disciples some time, and he had comforted, cheered, warm'd and quickened them, and when his personall pre­sence was to leave them, no promise could be so sweete, comfortable, and acceptable to answer their condition, as this promise of the Spirit, therefore Christ gives them this promise as most suiting them; if any thing could hold them up [Page 164]against the rage of the world, and the malice of the Devill now in his absence, it would be the promise of the Father, therefore it was the most suitable promise.

Secondly, Because this promise, it was now in the very nicke of fulfilling; The promise was an­tient, but now the very time of fulfilling of it was at hand, the time of giving out of more abun­dance of the Spirit was drawing on; now, its the way of God with his Children, when the pro­mise is upon the nick of fulfilling then will God be putting on his Children in a more especiall manner to be waiting, and seeking, and looking up to him, even for the fulfilling of that pro­mise: Therefore when the seventy yeares Cap­tivity in Babylon was run out, then God stirr'd up the heart of Daniel, and he falls downe before God and prayes, and urges the promise and be­leives; when the time was even expired, when God comes to give forth his promise, when the fulfilling time is come, then God puts his people upon waiting for it: So afterwards, when Jeru­salem was to be built, when the time of fulfilling was come, then the Lord wonderfully stirr's up the heart of Nehemiah, and he falls downe be­fore the Lord, crying, O that Jerusalem might be no more a Citty without walls: and indeed its a great argument, (though not a demonstration to convince men, yet) its such an argument as carry's much weight in it to the hearts of the Children of God, when they are put on in a more speciall manner to waite upon God, for the fulfilling of this or that particular promise, for the doing of this or that particular worke, though the times and seasons are many times [Page 165]hid to us, yet they are in the Fathers power, and they are all knowne to him, and when they draw nigh, God doth usually make that worke to run over the heart of his Children, and sets them a praying, and seeking, and beleiving, and waiting for that worke; and it may be they can hardly tell how it comes to passe that they are so put upon it, but it comes from a secret way of Gods dispensation towards his Children, when God sees that the worke is ripe, and the thing is heare at hand, that it may come when his Chil­dren are in a waiting posture, he will forerun it over the hearts of his Children ere he bring it visibly forth before the world. But though this be a real truth, yet I doe not take it to be the speciall reason here, why Christ doth put them to looke for the fulfilling of this promise, rather than any other, but the chiefe reason I take to be this;

Thirdly, Because the promise of the Spirit its the great promise, that the Saints and peaple of God in the new Testament dayes are to have their eye fixed upon, and are to be found waiting upon God continually for the giving of it forth: its that great promise the Saints are to be looking up to the Father for in the new Testament Times; under the old Testament the Saints had a great bundle of promises, but there was one great and leading promise, that stood out before all the other pro­mises, and that was the coming of the Messiah, and unto this promise all the Types, shaddowes, Ceremonies and services of the Law did looke, they ran into this promise; so the Saints and peo­ple of God in the times of the new Testament, have a great and leading promise also, but this [Page 166]great promise of the old Testament is no pro­mise to them, for its accomplished, Christ hath come and dyed, and is risen againe, and we looke not for him to come and dye any more, to satis­fie his Fathers Justice; but now there is I say, a great and leading promise in the new Testament, which the Saints fix their eye upon above all o­ther promises, and that is the promise of the Spi­rit; as the Saints under the old Testament, look't cheifely to this promise of the Messiah, O when will our Messiah come, when will the Redeemer come, when will Christ come; why so, the Saints under the new Testament, have this as their great expectatior, O when will the Spirit come, when will the Spirit come down more into our hearts, O when shall we be more fill'd with the Spirit, and be enabled to walke in the Spirit, and to live in the Spirit, and have all our teaching from the Spirit, and all our strength and life and whatsoe­ver we have from the Spirit; this is that that the Saints should have their eye fixed upon under the new Testament; and so the Observation at this time shall be this.

Obser: That the promise of the Spirit is the great New Testament promise; it's the great pro­mise that the Children of God in the times of the new Testament, are to be looking up to God for the fulfilling and accomplishing of. In the prosecution of which point, I shall follow this Method, (all moulds and methods they are but things, wherein we are to seeke the edification one of another).

First, I shall shew you, That the promise of the Spirit is a great promise.

Secondly, That its the great New Testament [...]romise.

Thirdly, Why the Lord held forth his Spirit to his Children as the great promise? why he would have them looke more upon that promise than upon any other promise

Fourthly, I shall apply this blessed truth to our hearts.

First, The promise of the Spirit, it's a great promise, a very great promise: so it is,

First, If we doe consider, The thing promised, the gift given by vertue of this promise: What can be a greater gift, than for God by promise to give himselfe to a poore soule, for the Father and Son to give themselves to a poore soule? Now the promise of the Spirit, it's the gift of God himselfe, the promise of God himselfe, we have God giving himselfe by promise, the Fa­ther giving himselfe, and the Son giving himselfe, for these three are one, where the Spirit is given all are given, and where the Spirit comes and dwells, there's the dwelling of the whose, the Father, Son, and Spirit, all the blessed Trinity; now what a wonderfull gift is here? is it not a great promise then?

Secondly, It's a great promise, If we consi­der the Promise-Maker; wee make account of the promises of great men, this is a promise made by the greatest in Heaven and earth, the Father and the Son are the greatest; My sheepe (saith Christ) heare my voice, and I give unto them E­ternall life, and none shall plucke them out of my Fathers hand, and my Father (saith he) is grea­ter than I: Here are the two greatest in heaven, the Father and the Son, and they make this pro­mise; the Spirit proceedeth from both, as the gift of either; the Father promiseth it, and there­fore [Page 168]it's called in the Text, the promise of the Fa­ther, the Son promiseth it, John 16.7. Neverthe­lesse, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I goe away: for if I goe not away, the Comforter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Thirdly, It's a great promise, If we looke to the way or meanes of conveying this promise to the soule: The greater and more difficult meanes a man must use to fulfill some promise made to us, the greater and higher account we have of his promise; the worth of a mercy may sometimes be measured by the meanes through which it is brought about: Now doe but looke at the diffi­culty's this promise comes thorough, It comes upon the account of Christs Intercession for it in heaven, I will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter; before this promise can come forth in the fulnes and glory of it, Christ must strip himselfe of his glory, come downe from heaven to earth, be made a reproach, dye a cursed death, and after this goe up to heaven a­gaine, and there pray and plead, and all before this promise can be given forth; so that it's a promise that comes through all Christ's doings, and sufferings, and Intercessions, before it can be given out in the fulnes and glory of it; I will pray the Father, & he shall give you another Com­forter: It's therefore a great promise.

Fourthly, It's a great promise, If we doe but consider, The great things that are laid up in this promise.

First, All our spirituall peace and comfort is laid up in this promise; all that inward Joy and peace & comfort that a poore soule hath, it's all [Page 169]lodg'd up in this blessed promise; hence the Spi­rit is call'd the Comforter, because all our com­fort (if it be true) it comes from him; there's a Joy which men have for a season (as that of the Stony ground) which men may have by the com­mon working's of the Spirit, but it's not that comfort and Joy which the Spirit workes in the hearts of the Saints, in a speciall way as the com­forter; all the true Joy and comfort that Saints have, they have it in and from this promise; hath a soule comfort in a way of sence, from the senci­ble feeling of the gifts and graces and operations of the Spirit of God in his heart? This comfort (if it be right) it comes from the Spirit, and so it's laid up in this promise; It's the Spirit of God that must come and worke in us, and that must discover his own workings in us, that must worke our grace, and make us to feele our grace, and make us to know that that which we feele, it is grace; for if the Spirit of God doe not come in and beare witnesse to what we feele, there will be no true comfort, that we can have that way: have we comfort in a way of faith, in hanging upon the generall promise? A poore soule finds nothing, all is dry and dead, and all comfort he had formerly in duty's and ordinances is gone, now he lookes up to the promise, and draw's in comfort from God altogether in a way of faith when all is dead within; This comfort of faith is also from the Spirit, for the Spirit of God en­ables us to act this faith, we are not able of our selves to put forth the least act of faith, the soule cannot when he wants sence put forth the least act of faith, but it's the Spirit of God, the ex­ceeding greatnes of the power of the holy Spirit, [Page 170]that comes and raises up the power of a poore soule, the Spirit of God comes when the poore soule is quivering, and shaking, and trembling under Temptations, and comforts, strengthen's, stay's, supports, refreshes, and establishes the heart and the soule; so all the comfort, peace, joy, and consolation of the soule, it's from the Spirit, it's all lodg'd up in this promise.

Secondly, All our spirituall light and teaching is from hence: it's the office of the holy Spirit to be the teacher of the Saints, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance; he is the Saints Comforter, and he is the Saints teacher, all our light and teaching, it's laid up in this promise; there's a vast difference betwixt the knowledge men have in their heads, which we call notion, and that knowledge which men have from the Spirit, which the Apostle pray's for, and calls the Spirit of Wisdome and of Reve­lation; if we have any true light, it's from the holy Spirit, as all outward light by which wee see naturall things, it's from the Sun, and if the Sun were out of the firmament there would be no light to see created things, so the inward light by which we see things as they are spirituall things, all this light is from the holy Spirit, and if the Spirit of God doe but withdraw from the heart, all it's light is but a heape of darknes; so, the light of the people of God it's not in themselves, and their knowledge it's not in them­selves; sometimes men may beate out know­ledge and light by their reason and parts, I but there's another kinde of light in the first of the Cor: the 24, and this is from the holy Spirit of God; The Spirit of God it is the enlightening [Page 171]principle. True reason it's the light of man, but its as real a truth that the Spirit of God is the light of reason; therefore we have a speech in Job; There's a spirit in man, but the inspira­tion is of the Almighty, giving him understanding; that is, there's a rationall spirit in man, that can beate things out in a rationall way, that can dis­cover and draw conclusions and Inferences, and the like, but it must be the Inspiration of the Al­mighty that must give him understanding; a man can have no true light, no true knowledge, if there be not a light enlightening this light, if there be not the Inspiration of the Almighty en­lightening his understanding, if the spirit of man be not guided by the Spirit of God; the Spirit of God enlightens the naturall spirit and the na­turall understanding of man, there's a spirit in man, but the Inspiration is of the Almighty gi­ving him understanding: we have as much need of the light of the Spirit to understand spirituall things, as you and I or any other have need of the light of reason, to teach and discover to us naturall things: If a man had not the light of reason, he were a naturall foole; and a man can­not make out naturall things but by a naturall light: so, where the Spirit of God is wanting, though a man hath never so much reason, yet that man is a spirituall foole, and he cannot make out spirituall things without the light of the ho­ly Spirit; and it was upon this account the Apo­stle Paul speakes so gloriously to the Corinthi­ans, he went to preach the Gospel to consound the wisdome of the wise, Where is the wise, and where is the Scribe, and the disputer of this world? Who can understand the Gospel by the brave [Page 172]witts, and quicke apprehensions of the world, and the sharpest witts if they could not reach these things, where is their wisdome? no saith the Apostle, this is another manner of wisdome than the world knowes, For after that in the wis­dome of God, the world by wisdome knew not God, then it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to save them that beleive: The wise men of the world by their owne light, reason and parts, could never know God, God would have the knowledge of himselfe come into his Children in another way, though they take up truth in a ra­tionall way as men, (and doe not lay all upon Impressions and revelations) yet they receive these things from God, by the teaching of the blessed Spirit of God, and that hath demonstra­tion going along with it, I preach not in the en­ticeing words of mans wisdome (saith the Apostle) but in the evidence and demonstration of the Spi­rit, and the more we can learne things in the evidence & demonstration of the Spirit of God, the more light there will be in our reason, for the Spirit of God enlightens the spirit of man; if a man have a great deale of understanding, and be unacquainted with the way of the Spirits teaching, he knowes nothing, and understands nothing; The naturall man understands not the things of the Spirit of God, because they are spiri­tually discern'd, discern'd by the light of the holy Spirit, therefore saith he, We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is of God, that we might know the things that are given to us of God; as if he should have said, there are blessed things given us of God, glorious things given us of God, such things as are worth ten thousand [Page 173]worlds given us of God, but how shall we know these things? why not by the spirit of the world, but by the Spirit of God, By this Spirit of God we know the things that are freely given us of God, it's the Spirit of God that enlighten's us.

Thirdly, All our Inward life and motion, its laid up in this promise: There's no motion that can be in our soules, which may be called spiri­tuall life or spirituall motion, if it be not from the holy and blessed Spirit of God; the Spirit of God to the soule of man is as the soule is to his body; what is the soule to the body? the princi­ple of life and motion, if the soule be but out of the body, the man is presently but a carkase, and there's no stirring, moving, breathing or acting; so the Spirit of God is to the soule, if the Spirit of God be gone from the soule, there's no moti­on, no stirring, no acting, a living Saint this houre, a dead blocke the next houre, one that hath a great deale of life from God in this duty, is so dead and low as if he had no life at all in the next; so, the life of the Saints is not in them­selves, but its in the Spirit of God, and so its laid up in this promise.

Fourthly, Further, All the spirituall strength by which the soule moves, its all laid up and lodg'd in this great promise: the Spirit of God gives forth all the strength the soule hath; Eph: 3. the latter end, We are strengthened with all might by his Spirit in the inner man; all the strength or might that a poore soule hath in the inward man, its all from the blessed Spirit of God; if a soule hath strength to stand up against Satan, truly its from the Spirit of God, The Lord shall tread downe Satan under your feete shortly; If the Spirit [Page 174]of God withdraw and leave the soule but an houre, Satan will tread him downe and trample upon him, but if the soule be a conqueror, an o­vercomer, its by the blessed Spirit, all the strength we have whereby we are victors over any Cor­ruptions, its by the blessed Spirit; is there the mortification, the killing of any corruption in our soules? its from this Spirit; If ye through the Spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live; its not the worke of our faith, its not in our owne power, we may struggle and strive and labour and toile, but the least corruption is too strong for the strongest Christian in his owne strength; but now the Spirit, that mortify's the deeds of the body; so, have we strength to per­forme any duty, any worke, to heare, to speake the word of God? truly this is not our owne, its of the blessed Spirit, for if the Spirit of God doe but leave a poore soule, it cannot speake, it cannot pray, it can doe nothing; the strength that acts the people of God, its not from them­selves, therefore one while they have a heart full of the groanes and breathings of the Spirit, and a mouth full of words to spread before God, and at another time they have not a groane in their hearts, nor a word in their mouths, and they may pump, and they can bring up nothing; this shews the strength of Christians is not from themselves but from the holy Spirit of God, therefore a Christian that can at all times command his strength, to pray or preach, its to be feared that that is the strength of man and not the strength of God, the strength of the creature and not of the Spirit, the strength of parts and of old A­dam: The Lord let's his Children feele that they [Page 175]have not strength sometimes, sometimes they have, sometimes they have not, that they might live all their whole life onely in dependance up­on God; what experience had Paul of this? I know how to want, and I know how to abound, and can doe all things, but how? through Christ that strengtheneth me; yet another while Paul could not speake, his mouth is shut up, therefore pray for me, saith Paul to the Saints, pray for me that I may have a doore of utterance; so, we are not sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing; I am nothing, saith Paul, yet by the grace of God I am that I am, all my strength is laid up in the blessed Spirit, its not in my selfe, its the Spirit of God that is our strength; so all our strength is laid up in this promise.

Fifthly, All our boldnes to the Throne of grace, its laid up in this promise: Can a poore soule goe to God, and cry father, father, Abba father? why truly its the Spirit that enables him so to doe, Because you are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba fa­ther; and that is the reason why a Saint one time can goe to God and say, father, father, he can speake it out, another time he cannot goe and speake out father; it is because the Spirit, that makes the soule to cry Abba father, its not in the power of the creature, but our boldnes with the Father its the gift of the Spirit of God, its this blessed Spirit of Adoption whereby a man can run to God as a child unto his father.

Sixthly, All our helpe and assistance at the Throne of Grace, its laid up in this promise: Wee know not what to pray for (Rom: 8.) as we ought, but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and the Spi­rit [Page 176]maketh Intercession for us with groanes which cannot be uttered; its truth, a child of God doth not know what he should pray for, what he should speak or utter to God, or what he should most need, but the Spirit of God comes & helpes our Infirmities; our worke in prayer is not, to thinke what we should speake, but to lay our selves downe before the Spirit, Lord come thou by thy Spirit and mannage all our worke for us, we are to spread our selves before the Spirit of God, and let the Lord come and speake all in us: and the Spirit helpeth our Infirmities with groanes, not with words, the Spirit helpeth a Christian many times, when the soule cannot bring out a word; the soule is full of groanings, groanings that cannot be uttered, groanings that have so much in them that they cannot be utte­red, the soule many times is put by words, and is confounded through fulnes; for there is by the holy Spirit of God the representation of a mul­titude of wants together, and of a multitude of mercy's together, and the soule would faine breath out all to God, and he cannot speak them out all, but he sends them up all to God in a groane together, therefore saith the Apostle, It helpeth our Infirmities with groanes that cannot be uttered; a poore gratious soule comes and ly's before God, and cannot speake a word, O but it sends up a groane to God, and though it cannot utter one word to God, yet it may send up twen­ty petitions in one groane.

Seventhly, Our speeding at the Throne of Grace, our presenting such things there onely as are the will our father, its from this blessed Spirit: When we come to pray of our selves we doe but [Page 177]aske our owne Thoughts, and spread our owne wills before God, but if we could come and lay our selves alway's under the Spirit of God, and be willing alway's to be led and guided by the Spirit of God, there would come forth alway's the will of God, and not the will of the creature, He that searches the heart knowes what the mind of the Spirit is, because he makes Intercession for the Saints according to the will of God; let the Spi­rit pray, and it shall be the will of God; though we are poore creatures and doe not know the will of God, yet when the holy Spirit comes and draw's forth the heart, it speakes out the will of God: O therefore let us come and lye downe under the motions of the Spirit, and the guidance of the Spirit, He that searcheth the heart knowes what the mind of the Spirit is, he doth not looke so much what words, and what brave expressi­ons, and how these things are utter'd, but he know's what the mind of his spirit is; when God comes and looks upon his Children, he doth not hearken what brave words come out, but what the mind of the Spirit is therein, the great thing God lookes after, is, what the Spirit groanes af­ter, what the mind of the Spirit is: so that all our boldness at the Throne of Grace, all our helpe and assistance, and our speaking so as to put up such Petitions onely as are the will of God, its all lodg'd up in this blessed promise of the holy Spirit.

Eightly, All our Assurance and Evidence from heaven, its lodg'd up in this promise: hath a poore soule any assurance, any hope, any Evi­dence, O here its lodg'd; the Spirit is our ear­nest and evidence; He hath given us the earnest of [Page 178]his Spirit; as the giving one an earnest is an as­surance of the bargaine, so the Spirit of God is the earnest which assures the Children of God of their glorious Inheritance with the Saints in light; The Spirit is called the first fruites, the first fruites were the assurance of the harvest's com­ing, they are the beginnings of the harvest; so the Spirit of God in the hearts of Gods children is the first fruits its the seale wherewith the chil­dren of God are sealed, After ye beleived ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise; and grieve not the holy Spirit of God wherewith you are sealed to the day of redemption, that comes and seales up heaven to them, and glory to them, the Spirit comes and witnesses to them and with them, that they are the Children of God; Rom. 8.16. The Spirit of God beareth witnesse with our spirits, that we are the Chidlren of God. He saith before Ye have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare, but ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry, Abba, father. As if he should have said, we have not the old Covenant spirit, the old Testament spirit, the spirit of bondage to feare, but the glorious new Covenant spirit which helpes us to goe to God and call him father; what can be a more glorious witnesse and evi­dence to a Christian than this, yet this spirit a­lone cannot beare witnes; therefore he saith in the next verse, The Spirit it selfe beareth witnes with our spirit, that is, with this glorious Go­spel-new-Testament spirit, the Spirit of God himselfe comes and witnesseth with this Gospel­spirit, with this spirit of Adoption, that we are the Children of God; this sweete Gospel-spirit that is wrought in us, it would not witnesse a­lone, [Page 179]but the Spirit of God comes and puts his seale upon it and saith, O this is a true worke of mine, a true worke of the father in a child, so it beares witnes with our spirit.

Ninthly, The being and the Habit of Grace, its laid up in this promise: the Spirit of God its the roote and principle of all grace in the Saints, those habits of grace within, are but the off­spring of the Spirit in the soule: Grace, its not a thing naturall, a thing that we bring into the world with us, but a thing created and begotten; now the creating and begetting principle, its the holy Spirit; the Spirit it is, that doth create and beget all grace, were not the Spirit first given, there would be no habits of grace in any; all grace in the hearts of the Saints, its from this blessed Spirit; and therefore its laid up in this glorious promise.

Tenthly, All the Acting of every grace, its laid up in this promise also, the acting of faith and patience and humiliation, and all grace; as we have not the principle or habit of grace from our selves but from the blessed Spirit, so every act of grace, its from the holy Spirit also; as the Lord saith of his Vineyard, I will keepe it and water it every moment; God keepes his Vine­yard and waters it too, and he waters it every moment, or else it would wither and decay; so the Lord keepes us and our grace, and waters us every moment, else we should decay, the Spirit of God it is, that comes and waters us, and wa­ters all our grace; though the soyle be never so good, the fruite is not brought forth if there be not dropping from heaven upon it, so let the soule be good, and the plant of grace in the soule, [Page 180]yet, if the Spirit doe not come and continually drop upon and water our hearts, there will be no fruite brought forth; every soule therefore that is able to put forth any grace, he hath this from the blessed Spirit; O what a wretched thing therefore is it, that there should be such a thing in the world as the slighting of this blessed Spi­rit? that any man in the world should slight and contemne this blessed Spirit, wherein all our grace is, and the acting of every grace lyes in it; and its the exceeding greatnes of the power of the Spirit that makes every grace to act, looke upon faith in the first acting, its not wrought by us, but by an exceeding great power, even the same that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead, when he lay under all our sinnes and his Fathers wrath, its that power that workes the first acts of faith, that exceeding greatnes of power, that helps us to beleive; and so it is in all other grace, and the people of God doe know that their strength is not in themselves, nor their growth in themselves, I cannot be holy, I cannot walke humbly by any strength of my owne, I cannot beleive, I cannot love the Saints, nor love God, or the cause of God by any strength of my own, I cannot doe it of my selfe, all the acting of my grace its from the blessed Spirit of God.

Eleventhly, All those convictions that are wrought in the soule, they are from the Spirit of God: all the conviction in the soule, whether of sin or of righteousnes, it is from the Spirit of God; If a poore soule come to be convinc't of sin, that he is an unbeleiver, its the Spirit of God must convince the world of sin, because they be­leive not in Christ; if a soule come to see all his [Page 181]righteousness nothing, whether it lye in the workes of the Law, or in the very acts of belei­ving, that all is nothing, its the Spirit must con­vince the soule of righteousnes; men run from one peice of righteousnes to another, from con­fession of sin to vowes and promises, and thence to Reformation, and so to higher things, but this doth not convince till the Spirit of God come and convinces the soule, and then it saith, Lord I am nothing, I have nothing, I can doe nothing, I am empty, O that thou wouldest come and fill me with thy holines; all that can be done by man, and the utmost of reason and parts, and the utmost demonstration of truth to the eare, can never doe this till the Spirit of the Lord come.

Twelfthly, All those hints of truth, those re­membrances of truth, those bringings of the blessed word and promise of Christ to our mind they are all laid up in this promise of the Spirit: Its the Spirit, its the Spirit that shall bring to your remem­brance, saith Christ, whatsoever I have said unto you; The holy Spirit of God comes and makes the soule to remember all the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, all the promises in the blessed book of God, that concernes our sanctification, any peice of it, any thing belonging to it, or that concernes our consolation, or any peice of it, or any thing belonging to it, they are all lodg'd up in this great and glorious and blessed promise of the Spirit of God; as in the promise of the Messiah, are lodg'd all the promises of our Justi­fication, and every peice of it, so in this promise of the Spirit, is lodg'd up all the promises of our sanctification & consolation; Justification flow's [Page 182]out of the one, and holines, peace, and comfort out of the other: is it not then a great promise? O its a glorious and most blessed promise.

I had thought to have shewne you how it is the great New-Testament promise, the great pro­mise that we are to looke for under the new Te­stament; but I shall not be able to come to that at this Time.

The Lord therefore set that upon our hearts; and as there is much lodg'd up in this promise, so, O that our hearts were now all taken with it, that we might all looke up unto God for the giving out of this Spirit; methinkes none should goe home now and say, I will not regard this Spirit, I doe not see any thing in this Spirit, much lesse that any should goe away and jeere at the Spirit, laugh at the Spirit, and make a mocke of it, O far be it from our soules that any here should doe so; but let us every one looke after this Spirit, Lord come and give out of thy Spirit to my soule, come and give out of thy Spi­rit to my soule; Lord I have been a Rebell, an Enemy, a wretch, an opposer, but let thy Spirit come and subdue my Corruption, let thy Spirit come downe and bring up my heart to thee; O thy Spirit Lord to subdue this wretched dis­temper in me, that have been a mocker and jeer­er at thy Spirit: Poore soule, do'st thou want a word of conviction, to be thoroughly convinced before the Lord? O say now, O Lord send thy Spirit to convince me, now O Lord let thy Spi­rit convince my soule of sin, let thy Spirit con­vince my soule of righteousnes, let thy Spirit come and shew me how I have not beleived in Christ, how that I have taken up other things [Page 183]besides Christ as my foundation, and laid other foundations besides the foundation of God; let the Spirit of the Lord come and shew me how many righteousnesses I have set up instead of the Lords righteousnes: If the Spirit of God should come to our hearts now, not a man or woman here but would goe out and say, O I am a poore wretched creature, I thought I had had wisdome when I came hither, but I goe out a foole; and I thought I had had strength when I came hither, but I am weakness it selfe; and I thought I had had parts and gifts, but I am no­thing; I thought I could have beleived and acted faith upon God, but I can doe nothing, nothing of my selfe; if the Lord come to convince by his Spirit it will be thus indeed.

There are many legall convictions, and men goe away hardened after them, and they are ten times worse; hast thou man or woman been con­vinced of that, and hast gone away mightily af­fected, and yet can'st thou come againe and sit here and sleepe? O beg of the Lord to give out his Spirit to convince thee, and to doe all thy workes in thee and for thee; hast thou been a long time doubting and seeking what way God will owne, what truth God will owne for his truth? O labour for the Spirit, cry for the Spi­rit, for the teachings of the Spirit, beg of the Lord to teach thee by his Spirit, spread the pro­mise before the Lord; hast thou not said Lord, Thy Spirit shall teach us all things, and guide us into all truth? Here's thy promise Lord, Lord now let me have thy Spirit to reveale thy truth to me, and to shew me thy will; and when the Spirit comes and teaches us, we shall know prin­ciples [Page 184]in another way than we did before, a Chri­stian can see a cleare evident distinction betwixt those principles he fetches in from reason, and those he hath from the Spirit of God enlighten­ing his reason.

Now wouldest thou depart? O beg of the Lord to come and give thee h [...]s Spirit, and then being taught by the Spirit of God, thou wilt stand to the truth, the reason why men are this to day, and another thing to morrow, it is be­cause they are not taught by the Spirit, but their faith is laid in the wisdome of men, and they take up things from men, and doe beleive a thing be­cause such a wise man speakes it, and when a wi­ser than he comes and speakes otherwise, then they will leave that and take up what he saith; now saith the Apostle, I came not to you with the enticeing word: of mans wisdome, but in demon­stration of the Spirit, and of power; that your faith might stand not in the wisdome of man, but in the power of God; as if he should have said, I know how apt you are to take up things in the wis­dome of man, and not in the light of the Spirit of God; but cry out Lord let me have nothing but in the power of God and from thy Spirit upon my heart, in the demonstration of thy Spi­rit; this will hold, a man will stand to this, he will say, I did not receive this truth by the light of my reason, but by another light, hereupon the soule will hold to truth. As the Saints in Queene Mary's dayes could not dispute, but yet they would dye for the truth, they had their principles in the light of the Spirit, and in the power of the Spirit; Now how many now aday's have their faith founded in the wisdome of men and not in [Page 185]the power of God? If God should come and sift men, you will never hold if you will not learne of the Spirit, but have things onely from your reason. How many have spoken gloriously of the truths of the present age, and when it comes to some tryall, when there comes suffering, and their owne Interest calls off to the other side, turne their backs upon it? that which men have had onely from their reason will not lead them through Temptation, if Temptation come that man will give away his truth rather than part with his Interest, his honour or profit, or the like; a man that hath reason will gather up a great deale in the notion, but if the Lord doe not teach us by his own Spirit we shall not hold; O beg this every heart for himselfe, and for all the children of God at this day, that we might not know things by the Spirit of man but by the Spirit of God, for the spirit of man will get a great deale of knowledge and let it out againe, O that the Spirit of God (condemn'd by many in this generation) might be honoured by us; art thou a poore soule? hast thou no strength nor life to duty? do'st thou say, I come to pray sometimes and would faine have my heart in heaven, and keepe my faith up, and be full of groanes, but I cannot speake a word nor utter a groane, but am just like a blocke? O come to the Lord and say, Good Lord give me of thy blessed Spirit, I have sat often and heard in a cu­stomary and formall way, and so have I pray'd, but Lord give me thy Spirit to heare, and thy Spirit to pray, and thy Spirit to doe all in my soule; O then you should finde strength and as­sistance and helpe, and such helpe as the soule [Page 186]cannot Imagine: so, hast thou not boldnes, can'st thou not call God father? say, now Lord thy Spirit, let the Spirit of Adoption come into my heart, Lord fill my heart with thy Spirit, that I may cry Abba father, if thy Spirit come downe into my soule I shall cry father, it will helpe my Infirmities and tell me what to say; I would goe to God but I know not what to say, nor what to lay before God, nor what to aske, O Lord thy Spirit now to put words into my mouth, and thy Spirit to put groanes into my heart; so, a poore soule that goes about doubting, and saith I am undone, such and such are happy and blessed, they are the Children of God, but I shall perish for ever, whosoever goes to heaven I shall goe to hell; O goe to the Lord and say, Lord I can­not see thy seale upon this my affliction, good Lord come and give me thy Spirit, that earnest of glory, and seale my Spirit for glory, and wit­nes by thy Spirit with my spirit that I am thy childe; O let every one looke after this, every one mind this, we are here but a little while, we run through the world and little thinke of Eter­nitie, and then at last we cry out, O that I had look't after God & his Spirit, O that I had now the Evidence of the Spirit; I have follow'd pride, and vanitie, and wantonnesse, and the world, and how I might be rich, O that I had now the Spirit of God, I would give ten thousand worlds if I had them, that I had but the witnesse of the Spirit, and the Evidence of the Spirit; O, Chri­stians doe not mind the great things of God, of Religion, and of their soules, but we have got­ten Religion in a forme, and as an art like a trade in the world, men thinke they do enough if they [Page 187]doe but now & then say over a prayer, and read one of the Psalmes, or the like, O you will wish another day, O that I had Jesus Christ, O that I were sealed with the Spirit of God, if you want this, the day of Christ will be a bitter day to you: so, is your heart dry and withering? pray to God to come by his Spirit and water you e­very moment; it may be your hearts are a little stirred when you are under a Sermon, but you goe away againe and forget all, now say soule, say to the Lord my conscience is touched now, good Lord as I goe out of this place water me, and as I goe home water me, and all the weeke water me, and every moment Lord water me till I come againe; there's need of this, beg of the Lord for it, and pray to the Lord to give his Spi­rit for this end, for the Spirit of the Lord doth this; so, hast thou had many sweete promises many times, and thou forgettest them? cry Lord thy Spirit, thy Spirit to bring all these things to my remembrance, all the glorious promises, O that I might remember them all, and that by the holy and blessed Spirit; O that day is not farre off, that God will come downe with more abundance of this Spirit, it will fall upon our hearts, O therefore thinke of these things, pon­der something, and goe away with these groan­ings in your hearts, O father, give thy Spirit thy Spirit to my poore soule.

The Lord worke with you; I have spent ma­ny words, but its God that must give you his Spirit, looke up for it, and if you will helpe all faults, heale all divisions, cure all distempers in the soule, bring the soule to Joy unspeakeable [Page 188]and full of glory, get this Spirit, it will give such peace to the soule as shall passe all under­standing; The Lord give more of it to every one of us.

THis promise its no other but the pro­mise of the holy Spirit; and our Lord Jesus is pleased to entitle it the Pro­mise of the Father, that his Disciples and Children might be as throughly apprehen­sive of the Fathers willingnes to give forth the Spirit, as they were confident of his.

The last time I shewed you that this promise was a great promise: I shall now (the Lord as­sisting) goe on, and come to the second thing.

Secondly, That the Promise of the Spirit is the great new Testament promise. I say the pro­mise of the holy Spirit is the great new Testa­ment promise: here are two things to be cleared and proved.

First, That the promise of the Spirit is a new Testament promise.

Secondly, That its the great new Testament promise.

First, That its a new Testament promise; my my meaning is not, that its a promise proper and peculiar unto the new Testament Times, so, as that we are to conceive the people of God that lived under the old Testament Administration [Page 190]had not the Spirit, we must not so conceive of the thing, for the people of God in the time of the old Testament they had the Spirit; Holy men of God (saith the Apostle Peter) spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost, and therefore they had the holy Spirit with them; and if they had it, they had it in a way of promise, and therefore its not a promise so peculiar to the new Testa­ment times, as that the Saints of the old Testa­ment had not this promise as well as we; nay the Saints and people of God under the old Testa­ment, they had that very same Covenant (in which this glorious promise of the Spirit is held forth and given) that we have, the new Cove­nant it runs downe even from Adam (as I may say) to the end of all things, the new Covenant it runs through all the times of the old Testa­ment, and its this Covenant (the new Cove­nant) that gives forth the Spirit, and they had that Covenant running through all that long time, they had therefore the Spirit given forth to them. But when I say, the promise of the Spi­rit is a new Testament promise, we are to under­stand it thus; That its a promise that doth in a more especiall manner relate to the new Testament Times, though it was a promise that had a ful­filling even in old Testament times, yet it hath in a more especiall manner a fulfilling to the Saints in new Testament Times: the people of God in the times of the old Testament, they had the Spirit; but they had the Spirit (as I may so say) in the beginning, or in the dropping of it; but now the people of God in the new Testa­ment Times, they have the powring of it forth, looke to the promise of the Spirit in new Testa­ment [Page 191]Times, and the promise runs to the pow­ring it forth, that is, more abundance of it; the people of God in the times of the old Testa­ment, they had the promise of the Spirit, but they had not this promise as their great promise, for (as I told you the last day) they had ano­ther promise which was their great promise, they had the promise of the Messiah as their great promise; but now the people of God under the new Testament Administration, they have the promise of the Spirit as their great promise, they have not onely the promise of the Spirit, but they have it as the greatest promise of all other made to them under that administration. Now these things being premised, (which I thought meete to doe, that there might not be a mistake, and that none might exclude the people of God of old from the Spirit) I shall shew you, That the promise of the Spirit is a new Testament promise; and this will appeare from two things.

First, All those severall promises that we find in the old Testament, of the more full giving forth, and powring out of the blessed Spirit, did not relate to those times, but to the new Testament Times for their fulfilling: I shall shew you this in two or three places; In Ezek: 36 27. among many pre­tious promises of the new Covenant this is one, I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walke in my statutes, and ye shall keepe my Judge­ments and doe them; but to what time doth this more especially relate; why, it doth relate (as you may see, if you looke into the foregoing verses) unto the time when God will gather to­gether his Antients the Jewes out of all Coun­try's, vers. 24. For I will take you from among the [Page 192]heathen, and gather you out of all Country's, and will bring you into your owne land: it doth in a more especiall manner, looke to the time of the Jewes coming in for the compleate fulfilling and accomplishing of this promise; then will it most evidently be seene, that the Spirit of God is the guider and leader and teacher of his Children, then will the promise of the Spirit in the fulfil­ling of it be more visible. And so likewise in Jo­el 2.28, 29 verses, And it shall come to passe af­terward, that I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall Pro­phesie, your old men shall dreame dreames, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the ser­vants, and upon the handmaids in those dayes, will I powre out my Spirit: To what time doth this relate? Compare the second of the Acts and you shall there find, that Peter tells us, now is this word fulfilled in your eares, Acts 2.16, 17 verses, But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel, And it shall come to passe in the last dayes (saith God) I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh, &c The fulfilling of it is under the new Testament Administration; and truly though that in the first powering out of the Spirit, there was a glorious fulfilling of it in part, yet (I take it) the compleate fulfilling of it, and that which is specially aymed at in the Prophet Joel, doth re­late, not to the first, but to the last of the new Testament times; for Joel speakes of those times, when he shall bring againe the Captivity of Jacob and Jerusalem, and Joel speakes of a more uni­versall powring out of the Spirit upon Gods sons and daughters, than was before; so, as that at the beginning of the new Testament times, [Page 193]there was a fulfilling of that promise in part, yet it hath in a more speciall manner a looke to the last times, in which the people of God upon the account of this new Testament promise, may waite for the promise of the Father, and expect more of the blessed Spirit to be given forth to them, to be powred out upon them. So likewise Zach: 12.10. And I will powre upon the house of David, and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications, and they shall looke upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourne, &c. But when is this? why, it is (if you looke into the 14 Chapter) in a time when all nations shall be gathered against Jeru­salem, and when God will destroy all nations that shall come against Jerusalem, and in that day when there shall be great mourning among the Jewes upon their coming in, in that day this blessed promise will have a glorious fulfilling: all those pretious promises of the powring forth of the Spirit that we read of in the old Testa­ment, they looke to the new Testament times.

Secondly, That this is a new Testament pro­mise doth appeare, from the words of Christ him­self: If you look into John 7.38, 39. He that be­leiveth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that beleive on him, should receive: for the holy Ghost was not gi­ven, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. Ob­serve the giving forth of the Spirit is made a consequent of Christs glorification, of Christs being glorified at the right hand of the Father; and therefore the more full giving forth of the Spirit, its a promise to the new Testament times. But then

Secondly, How doth it appeare that this is the great new Testament promise? the promise of the Spirit is a new Testament promise, Gods people in new Testament times, they looke for it; but how doth it appeare this is the great pro­mise, to be of all other promises the greatest un­der this dispensation?

I Answer, There are three great promises that we have in the booke of God, three promises that may be called the greatest of all; first, there's the promise of Christs first coming; Secondly, There's the promise of the coming of the Spirit; and then Thirdly, There's the promise of Christs second coming; These are (as I may say) the greatest promises that we have in all the booke of God: The promise of Christs first coming, that was a promise that did belong to the old Testament Administration, as I shewed you the last day: The glorious promise of Christs second coming, that is to have its fulfilling and accom­plishment, in the time of the new Jerusalem, that the people of God doe hope and waite for; which coming of Christs personall appearance, his second coming in glory, under that Admini­stration shall have its fulfilling: But now the promise of the coming of the Spirit, that is the promise that we are to expect the fulfilling of, under the present Administration, that Admini­stration which is betwixt Christs first and second coming; not but that there shall be much more (as I shall shew anon) of the Spirit of God gi­ven forth, when Jesus Christ shall be personally present with his Children, yet notwithstanding the great promise of the Spirit (which is spoken so much of, in the old Testament and in the new) [Page 195]is that, which we are to looke up to God for, betwixt the time of Christs first and second coming. When Jesus Christ was to goe up to heaven and leave his Children, and they were to undergoe a very blacke and tempestuous day, and Christ saw what the rage of the world was, what the Roman power, and the Antichristian power, and the Kings of the earth would doe, therefore that he might not in such a darke day leave them comfortlesse, he makes this great pro­mise of the Spirit; as if he should have said, In all that time, O Saints, when ever you suffer, looke for my Spirit; when ever you want com­fort, looke for my Spirit; when you feare that this Antichrist will deceive you, looke for my Spirit; and so this promise of the Spirit, is a pro­mise that runs through all that time in a more especiall manner to the people of God, which they doe wait for the fulfilling of.

Object: If the promise of the Spirit be the great new Testament promise, how then comes it to passe that the Saints and people of God under the new Testament Administration, have so little of the Spirit?

Ans: Why truly there may be something in this as one reason of it, namely, The way of Gods dispensation; which hath been, and it is, to put death's upon his promises, not onely before the ful­filling time of a promise comes, but even when the fulfilling time is come, and in the fulfilling time God will put a death upon his promise. Though A­braham had a blessed promise made to him by God, that he should have seede, and God told him that it should be in Bondage foure hundred and thirty yeares, and at the end of that time he [Page]would wonderfully shew his power, bringing them forth with a high hand, and give them the land of Canaan; but before the fulfilling time came, there's first one death and another upon the promise; first Abraham was a hundred yeares old, his body dead, and yet without any that should be the heire of the promise; and Sarah is old and her wombe dead before the fulfilling of the promise; and after the heire of the pro­mise was come forth, Abraham must goe and of­fer up his Son, why, what might Abraham thinke would become of Gods promise, Isaac was the Son of the promise, and must I goe and offer him up, where will Gods promise be? Here was a death upon a death upon it; and after this, Isaac the Son of the promise, in whose loines (as I may say) the promise ran, the promised seede was to come forth from him, yet Isaac (after Abraham) had no seede a great while; so that before the fulfilling time of the promise came, there was deaths upon deaths upon it: yet notwithstand­ing when the Time was come for the fulfilling it, when the Lord was now giving forth that that he had promised to Abraham, and when he had sent Moses into Egypt to bring Israel out, yet then the Lord in the very fulfilling time brings deaths upon it; when the Lord had raised up some measure of faith in the people of God, expecting deliverance, yet the bondage grow's so great that their hearts grow dead as to hope, and they thinke they are further off than ever before; and afterward, when they thought they had nothing to doe but to run to the land of Ca­ [...]aan, no, but there are great deaths in the way, they must goe through a Sea, and through a wil­dernesse, [Page]and this not all, but they must wander forty yeares in the wildernesse, and there the whole generation that came out of Egypt dyes, what deaths were there upon the promise in the fulfilling time? So God made a promise to his people in Jeremiah's time, that after 70 yeares Captivitie in Babylon they should come to Jeru­salem againe, and that should be built; but when the fulfilling time was come, what deaths were put upon the promise, so that for many yeares together the building of Jerusalem and the Tem­ple was hindred? I doe urge this notion to this purpose, that though the new Testament Admi­nistration, be the Administration in which the Saints are to waite for the fulfilling of this great promise, yet in the fulfilling time there may be very great deaths upon the promise, and such, as we may see very little of the Spirit given forth, and it may be for ages and generations together (as in some generations it hath been) but little of the Spirit may appeare.

Secondly, Because although the promise of the Spirit is the great new Testament promise that is made to those times, yet the fulfilling of this pre­mise may not be alike to all, but may be especially made good to some periods of that time; The pro­mise of Christ was the great old Testament pro­mise, that which Saints all along in the old Te­stament waited for, but that was not fulfilled till the last period of that time: so it may be with this.

Thirdly, Another Reason why Saints under the new Testament Administration have so little of the Spirit, though this is the great new Testa­ment promise, It may be from Saints darknes in [Page 198]the way of the new Testament (Saints going out of the way of the new Testament) and that Lega­lity that is in and upon the spirits of the Saints; As the promise of the Spirit is the great promise of the new Testament that God gives fo [...]th in new Testament times, so God will give forth his promise in the way of the new Testament; if so be therefore the saints be darke as to the way of the new Testament, in which God will give forth new Testament mercy's, why truly they may be under the new Testament Administrati­on, and yet have but very little of the Spirit; for even in new Testament times there is (as I may say) an old Testament spirit upon the Saints, they looke upon themselves (through their darkness and Ignorance) as standing under the old Administration, they have thereby the Spirit of the old Covenant and of the old Testament wrought in them; and so far as they have an old Testament spirit, so far there will not be a giving forth of the Spirit to them in that full measure, for God will give forth the Spirit in the way of the new Testament.

Quest: What is the way of the new Testa­ment, in which God will give out new Testa­ment Mercy's?

Ans: To that I answer, The way of the new Testament its this, To receive all from God as I am a poore wretched nothing creature: This indeed is the very way of the new Testament, in which God doth give forth new Testament mercy's to his Children; if a soule come to Christ for Justi­fication, the way of the new Testament is, to give forth this pretious glorious priviledge to him as he is a poore wretched sinner, an unworthy one; [Page 199]and so if we come to the Lord for the Spirit in the way of the new Testament, why it is to come to God as I am a poore miserable sinner with­out the Spirit, having no hope nor any thing in my selfe, that I can ground hope upon, why God should give forth the Spirit to me; This is the way of the new Testament to come to God for all, and to expect all from God as I am a poore sinner; why now if Saints be unacquainted with the way of the new Testament, they may misse of the mercy's of the new Testament: if Saints come to God for the Spirit and bring somewhat of their owne with them, (as if a man in coming to God for Justification, will bring a righteous­nesse of his owne to patch with the righteous­nesse of Christ, the Lord will not give it forth, if you doe not come as a poore sinner that hath nothing in himselfe, expecting all from the righ­teousnes of Christ, so, if I come to God for the Spirit,) if I thinke to bring somewhat of my owne, to bring some good desires, and some good breathings with me, and thou saist, Lord I am so and so, I have such and such breathings, therefore give me the Spirit; why, thou art now out of the way of the new Testament, and God will not give forth the Spirit: if you would have the Spirit you must say, Lord thou knowest I have nothing, thou knowest that there is not a good thought, nor a good desire in me, and I bring nothing with me, but am a poore wretched sinner, and know not what to doe but I lye be­before thee, that thou wouldest give forth thy Spirit to me; so that Saints, they may in new Testament times enjoy but very little of the Spi­rit, if they are cast into the way of the old Testa­ment.

Fourthly, Another ground and Reason of this point, why there is so little of the Spirit gi­ven forth, and this the great new Testament pro­mise, it is, because Saints are no more in assem­bling together; Saints are not found (as I may say) as they should be in the worke of Assem­bling together; there was a twofold giving forth of the Spirit to the Disciples and Apostles of our Lord; Christ did give them the Spirit, and that Immediatly at his resurrection, he gave them the Spirit, and breathed the holy Ghost upon them in some measure, to beare up their spirits against the sorrows that were to attend them; afterward he gave them the Spirit more fully; and at both these times, the Spirit was given forth unto them when they were assembled together; John 20.22. When the Disciples were assembled together Christ came and breathed on them, saying, Receive ye the holy Ghost: so if you looke into the second of the Acts where you have the more full giving forth of the Spirit, you shall finde it was when the Saints were assembled together. Acts 2. the be­ginning of the Chapter: Here's the giving forth of the Spirit in a more full measure to them, and it was when they were all with one accord in one place, when they were met together: Christ might have given it to them one by one, when they were alone, no, but our deare Lord chooseth to give forth the Spirit when they were assembled together; that teaches us how much he loves the assembly's of the Saints, the Saints meetings to­gether; that though he could have given them the Spirit to every one in a corner alone, yet he will not doe it, but he chooses to give it to them when they are assembled together: so that if the [Page 201]Saints neglect their meeting together, there may be little enjoyment of the Spirit, though it be the great promise of the new Testament Admi­nistration. So much for the second thing.

Thirdly, Why is the promise of the Spirit, the great promise under the new Testament; why doth God give this as their great promise?

First, One Reason of it may be this, Because God in the new Testament Administration would make an advance, a step neerer (as I may say) to heavenly perfection and glory, than the former administration was: God all along hath been making an advance, ever since man fell God hath been making an advance, carrying him up step by step; now the more of the Spirit is gi­ven forth, or the more of the Spirit is in any dis­pensation, the greater the advance is, for its the Spirit that makes the advance in the hearts of Gods Children; now because the Lord under the new Testament Administration would make an advance, he would raise the hearts of his Saints nearer to heaven and glory than they were before, therefore he gives forth more of the Spirit, and he doth hold forth the promise of the Spirit as the great promise; and indeed, in the Administration that is to come (upon this account, in that of the new Jerusalem) there shall not be lesse, but there shall be more of the Spirit, for if there should be lesse there could not be an advance, there shall be the personall presence of Christ, and more of his Spirit too; if we did looke upon it onely as an outward thing, then it might well be called (as some call it) a carnall thing, but there shall be more of the Spirit of God given forth, in that day there shall be an [Page 202]advance in the Saints upon this account.

Secondly, The Lord gives forth the Spirit as the great new Testament promise, Because new Testament Saints they are Sons: This is the rea­son the Apostle Paul gives, Gal: 4.6. Because yee are Sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit into your hearts, crying Abba father: the father ex­pects from a Son (a growne Son) that he should carry himselfe better than a child; he doth ex­pect from his Son that he should know how to governe himselfe, and to order things better than a servant; why now new Testament Saints are Sons, and the Lord doth expect under the new Testament, that there should be a better carri­age, that there should be more holines, that they should know how to governe themselves in ano­ther manner of way than the people of God un­der the old Testament: Now to the end that Saints might be able to governe themselves in another manner of way, its needfull they should have more wisdome and grace given forth to them, and that they may have it, God gives forth more of the Spirit: Because ye are Sons therefore he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son therefore he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts.

Thirdly, Because God doth expect more worke from new Testament Saints: This follow's upon the other, as yee are Sons there is more worke expected, God lookes for more duty and more obedience from the Saints of the new Testament, than he did expect from the Saints of the old Testament; in the new Testament they have not so much tireing worke, they have not so much burdensome worke, O but if you looke to the spirituall worke, as they come to higher light, [Page 203]so God lookes for higher obedience, therefore for Moses his ten precepts in the old Testament we have many spirituall precepts in the new: the new Testament doth not set us free from ho­lines and obedience, but indeed the new Testa­ment calls us to a more strick't holines and a more spirituall obedience, ye are called to a higher pitch of holines and obedience under the new Testament, and not freed from it; the Lord hath set his Saints free from all that that was burdensome and that that was legall obedience under the old Covenant, but they are not free from obedience, indeed the Saints of the new Testament they are called to a higher pitch of obedience; as one that is a son growne, the fa­ther doth not lay such laws upon him as he doth upon a little Child, you must not meddle with this, nor doe that, nor goe out of the doores, nor run in the wet and dirty your selfe, &c. there are a great many lawes laid upon a child, but now when once the son is growne, the father lay's no such law's upon him, but he doth ex­pect that this growne son should doe him more service than the child, there's not the law's upon him as was upon the child, the son is free, but yet notwithstanding here's more worke call'd for at the hands of the son: so it was with the people of God under the old Testament, the Apostle tells us, they were heires under age, and therefore their state was nothing differing from the state of a servant: though they were Lord's of all in the appointment of the father, and were true heires, yet because they were under age, they were un­der such a rigid Governour and Tutor as the old Covenant, that held them under the rod of a [Page 204]great many law's; but now under the new Te­stament we are sons, and being sons, the people of God they should goe out & serve God free­ly, with another manner of spirit: I doe not say we doe so, for truly we are much to short of what we should be, the Saints should goe out and worship God with a free spirit; we are not set loose from duty's, but we are rather called to do more, & that in another manner, in a free man­ner, with a free spirit; as one that is an appren­tice, he lives in a servile feare of his Master, and doth a great deale of worke, why now when this man comes to have his freedome doth he doe lesse? no, he doth more worke, but he doth it with a free spirit, he doth it with another spirit; so its with the Saints under the old and new Te­stament, they doe more worke under the new Testament, but with lesse feare than under the old Testament, being delivered out of the hands of their enemies, they serve him without feare in holines and righteousnes all their day's.

Fourthly, Another ground and Reason of it may be this, God hath greater discovery's of truth for the new Testament times, and his people under the new Testament Administration, than was for the times of the old Testament under that Admi­nistration, and therefore the Lord holds forth the promise of the Spirit as the great promise: under the old Testament the Lord brought forth truth by little and little, precept upon precept, and line upon line, and here a little and there a little; God brought forth truth after divers and sundry manners, sometimes by way of vision & dreames, and voice, and the like, many way's of Revela­tion: But now under the new Testament God [Page 205]speakes out all his word, he hath spoken in these last times by his Son, he speakes forth all his mind to us at once; now the more truth is spo­ken out, the more need we have of the Spirit to enable us to understand this Truth, for its by the Spirit we are given to understand the truth's of God, as they are held forth in their beauty glo­ry and fulnes: and therefore because Christ un­der the new Testament Administration was to speake out all of truth, the whole of truth; that the Saints and people of God, might be able to apprehend the blessed truths of the new Cove­nant, as they are held forth to them, therefore it is necessary that they should have more of the holy Spirit given forth to them under the new Testament Administration.

Fifthly, Because the Saints under the new Testament are to conflict with greater Tryalls and more sore Temptations than Saints of the old, and therefore the Lord gives forth mere of the Spirit; Though the people of God under the old Testa­ment met with sore Tryalls, yet they were not comparable to the sufferings of the Saints under the new Testament, the rage of the Heathen and Antichristian powers was greater than ever the world knew before; now to beare up the people of God under this sad-black-long day that they were to goe through in suffering, they had need of the Spirit; therefore God gives forth the Spi­rit, he doth promise that, as the great new Te­stament promise.

Ʋse 1. If it be so, That the promise of the Spirit is the great new Testament promise, Then hence we see what that thing is that all of us should have our eyes and our hearts and our thoughts fix­ed [Page 206]upon, and taken up with; O that every soule would be looking for it, crying for it, Lord give me thy Spirit, what ever the soule wants, it may goe to God and say, Lord give me thy Spirit: This is the great promise, in which all other pro­mises are lockt up, the promise of conviction, the promise of strength and life, all are rapt up in this; why, now we should goe to God in a more speciall manner for the performance of this promise.

Ʋse 2. O then what spiritualnes is there re­quired of the Saints of the new Testament? If in the old Testament Time, when the promise of the Spirit was not given forth as the great pro­mise, if then spiritualnes was required, O how much more is it required of the Saints and peo­ple of God under the new Testament? if under the Administration of the letter there was requi­red spiritualnes, then how much more is it re­quired under that Administration, which is the Administration of the Spirit? if the Administra­tion of the letter be spirituall, and saith to all the Children of God live spiritually under me,

First, Saints, now you are under the Admini­stration of the Spirit, It doth bespeake us to be spi­rituall, to have spirituall hearts, to be spirituall in all our duty's, in all our addresses to God. Truly its not so much the length of our duty's, the multitude of our duty's that God lookes at, but that that God lookes at is the spiritualnes of the duty; what shall I find of my spirit in that du­ty? what shall I find of my spirit in that pray­er? what shall I find of my spirit in that word spoken? what shall I find of my spirit in that soule? God lookes at the spiritualnes of the du­ty [Page 207]and performance: men may pray houres toge­ther and twenty times a day, and yet not all this so acceptable to God as a poore broken expres­sion and groane of another poore soule may be; and truly, you shall find God will not Judge as they doe, if there be much of the Spirit, if it be in poore broken expressions, its more acceptable unto God than a multitude of words, and there be not much of the Spirit; Conscience will not let men alone, but they must pray, but doe you looke if you have the Spirit in a duty, for this God lookes at: there are many, that like to the rich men that cast into the treasury, they are able to offer up abundance, as to the bulke, the outward part, the outside of a duty, and the a­bundance of their parts and gifts, O but many a poore gratious soule, that hath not those parts and gifts and abilities, and cannot speake twenty words together so handsomely as some (it may be) can speake houres together, yet this mans prayer may be more pretious in the account of God than all that the other doth; many a soule can cast in much, yet its little with God, and many a soule cast's in little as to the outward ap­pearance, yet its much with God; as all the gifts of the rich men were little with Christ, yet the two mites of the widdow it was much with him: O that we might not looke so much unto the outward building, as to what there is of the Spi­rit of God. How spirituall was that holy man Paul in prayer, what spirituall Petitions, what spirituall groanes did he offer up? he could never know when he had enough, he must have all, he must be filled with all the fulnes of God, he must comprehend with all Saints, what is the height [Page 208]and depth and length and breadth, and must know the love of God which passeth know­ledge, & all his prayers run in such a high way, as one that never could know when he had enough, then we are acceptable when all that we doe is fill'd with the Spirit.

Secondly, As its good to have our prayers so fill'd with the breath of the Spirit, so in our discourses we should be more spirituall: the dis­courses of good people they are too empty, there's too little of the Spirit in them; there are young Christians (many men and women) can tell, when the Lord first wrought upon their hearts, they could not endure to come into that company that would not discourse of that which was good, and they cared not to heare of any thing but God and Christ and heavenly things, but now they have been a great while in the Schoole of Christ, they can goe a great while together and have no conference of spirituall and heavenly things; I remember thy kindness (saith God) in the dayes of thy youth, youthfull times were loving times, then their hearts were warmed, and then they were full of good spee­ches and discourses, but now Saints can go up & down & meet one another, and speak of nothing but about their trade, &c. We are lesse spiritu­all in our discourses, whereas we should be more: The two Disciples were in good discourse, and as they were so Imployed Christ came to them by the way and made their hearts to burne within them; so it is with Saints now, when Christ comes and meetes his Children in spirituall dis­courses, he warmes their hearts in a spirituall way: yea Christ himselfe left us a patterne of [Page 209]this, for it is said of him, that after his resurrecti­on he continued forty dayes speaking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdome of God, the verse before the Text: This was the discourse of Christ about the things of the king­dome, about things appertaining to the king­dome of God, and if we were risen with Christ, we should delight to speake of the things of the kingdome of God, but its too little in our hearts.

Thirdly, We should be more spirituall in all our Meditations: It is reported of that holy Mar­tyr of Christ Mr John Bradford, that he was so spirituall and heavenly in his Meditations, that ordinarily as he was at meate, the Teares would Trickle off his cheekes upon the Table; so, if we would be spirituall in our thoughts and duty's, we must be spirituall in our Meditations, a man that hath not spirituall Meditations, will not be spirituall in any thing else, for Meditation it feeds the soule with strength and life, and the more spirituall a soule is in Meditation, the more spiri­tuall will it be in other things.

Fourthly, We should be more spirituall in all our Conversation: How spirituall was Pauls con­versation? Our Conversation is in heaven; how few are there of us whose conversations are like his? Take most men in the world, and their con­versation is in hell or the world, one of the two, either they are prophane, and so their conversa­tion is in hell, or they are onely Civill, or if more yet they are Covetous, worldly, carnall, &c. and so their conversation is in the world; few there are that have heaven written upon their conversation, heaven written upō their thoughts, words, and actions, &c.

Ʋse 4. If the promise of the Spirit be the great promise of the new Testament, Let every soule take heed of under-va [...]uing the blessed Spirit of God: If it be the great promise of the Gospel, its a great sin to under-value him; as in the old Testament, those that would not believe the great promise of the Messiah, were to be accursed, as Pagans and Heathens; so in the new Testament, he that shall speake slightly of this great and glorious Promise of the Spirit, is not a Christian, but a Pagan, a Heathen; if he can speake slightly of the great promise of the new Testament, he doth under-value it: take heed of under-valuing this great promise of the Spirit; men doe under­value the Spirit divers way's.

First, When indeed they have but a low Esteeme of the Spirit of God; When a man hath a low e­steeme of a thing that is of great worth, then he under-values that thing, so when a man hath a low esteeme of the Spirit of God, he under-va­lues the Spirit of God.

Secondly, Men under-value the Spirit of God when they doe not cry unto God for his Spirit: when a thing of wonderfull worth and excellen­cy may be had for asking for, and men will not aske for it, its an under-valuing of it, saith Christ, My father will give the holy Spirit to them that aske him, Luk. 11.13. If your earthly fathers know how to give good things to their children that aske them, how much more shall your heavenly fa­ther give his Spirit to them that aske him?

Thirdly, Men under-value the Spirit, when they would set-up any thing equall with or above the Spirit: when then cry up learning, parts, gifts, or any other thing more than the Spirit, [Page 211]this is an undervaluing of the Spirit; though these things be good in their place, and the best parts of pure nature, yet they are not the Spirit, and if we goe to set up any of these things with the Spirit, we doe exceedingly under-value the Spirit of God: The reason why the Lord is ca­sting contempt upon learning and parts in our day's, its because men set them up equall with the Spirit, looking upon these things as fitting them for the worke of God, and not looking for the Spirit.

Fourthly, Men under-value the holy Spirit of God, when they dispise the little ones of Christ in whem the Spirit of the Father dwells: When I love one Saint that hath the Spirit because of his greatnes, (he goes in silke and sattin, and is ho­norable, and therefore I love him) and dispise another Saint that hath the Spirit because of his meannesse, he goes in his leather-coate & there's little love to such a one; now when Saints dis­pise meane ones in whom the Spirit of the father dwells, there's an under-valuing of the Spirit; If any dispise one of these little ones, it were better for a milstone to be hanged about his necke, and that he were cast into the midst of the Sea; why? because there's a dispising of the Spirit of the fa­ther that dwells in them; every poore little and contemptible one of Christ's, though never so poore in the world, we must love them; for if I desire to prize a Saint because of the Spirit in him, then I shall prize the meanest Saint as well as the greatest.

Fifthly, Men under-value the Spirit when they stop their eares against the Motions and In­structions of it: if a man instruct me, advise me, [Page 212]or counsell me for my good, I will not hearken to him, but slight what he saith, I undervalue the man in undervaluing his Counsell; so, we un­dervalue the spirit when we slight and will not hearken to the motions and dictates of the Spirit.

Sixthly, Men undervalue the Spirit when they speak slightly and contemptuously of it; when they jeare at the people of God, saying, You have the Spirit forsooth, aye, such a one prayes, speaks by the Spirit, &c. Men know not what they say when they speak thus, such slight words of the Spirit, argues an undervaluing thereof: If you did know the worth of the Spirit, you would not speak thus.

Lastly, Men undervalue the Spirit, when in a a down-right way they persecute the Spirit; when they hate a Saint, and persecute a Saint for no other reason in the world that they can give, but because he is a Saint, and hath the Spirit in him. O take heed of undervaluing the Spirit.

Last Ʋse. Is the Promise of the Spirit the great Gospel Promise? Then hence let us learne the duty in the Text, to waite upon God for the Spirit. Promises are to be waited for; this is the great Gospel Promise; this Promise of the Spirit here, is not so much the Promise of the having of the Spirit, (for that many old Testament Saints had, and the Disciples had before this time that Christ bids them waite for the Pro­mise) as the having more of it. When ever you come to an Ordinance, when you come to the Assemblies of the Saints, say, O Lord now give downe thy Spirit, why may not thy Spirit be given downe to me now? Thou did'st give [Page 213]downe thy Spirit formerly when the Saints were met together? So, waite in every duty for the Spirit to come downe, be alwayes waiting for this Promise of the Spirit, it's an every-day Pro­mise, for though it be fullfilled in part, yet there is more and more of it still to be given forth, and will be every day till we come to heaven; so as that there is no time in which we can say, this Promise is so fullfilled to us, as that we need no more to waite for the fullfilling of it.

There are some Promises have the time of their fullfilling, and then the duty of waiting cea­seth; but this Promise is every day fullfilling, and this Promise will never be so fulfilled, while we abide in this house of clay, till we come to Heaven, but there will be room left for waiting. Which considered, will answer that Objection which kills our hearts in waiting: O, I have waited so long, and yet have not the Spirit.

Poore soule, It may be thou hast not that measure of the Spirit thou lookest at; thou wouldest have so much of the Spirit as to have no room left for waiting for any more; but this Promise of the Spirit is not such a Promise, it is a Promise as is fullfilled by degrees, and will not be compleatly fullfilled till thou comest to hea­ven. Thou mayest therefore have more of the Spirit than thou had'st before, and thy desires after it, and complaints more then formerly for the want of it, argue thou hast it; but thou hast not so much of it as thou would'st have, and therefore thou complainest: O soule, blesse God for what thou hast, and waite for more, and in Gods time the Promise of the Father shall be fullfilled to thee according to thy desire. We [Page 214]should be every day begging for the Spirit, Lord give me more of thy Spirit: Waite upon God for the Spirit, that we may have more of the Spirit of God, that we may be taught more by the Spirit, instructed more by the Spirit, as­sured more by the Spirit, led more by the Spirit, and sealed more by the Spirit; and the Lord grant our soules may be filled with this Spirit, and that Jesus Christ by his Spirit may dwell in us, and take possession of us, from henceforth even for ever.

THis Prophet, as he was the last Pro­phet of the Old Testament, so he lived in a time of great Apostacy, af­ter their returne from Babylon, after the second Temple was built, wherein men were growne cunning in Apostacy, the Lord by his Prophet no sooner charges them with any thing, but they justifie themselves, saying, Wherein have we done thus, and wherein have we done thus? as you may see in the 7, 8, and 13 verses; They were so cunning in their Apostacy, that the Prophet could not charge them with any [Page 216]thing but they would shift it off, and put him upon the Proof: Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, even in this time when others had Apostatized and backsliden from God; yea, when the Apostacy was so high, and so great, that they justified themselves in it, they called the proud happy, they counted none, nor lookt upon any as the happy men, but the proud men, the great men, and the lofty men of the world, there was none to them: And they that were wicked were set up, whereas they should have been thrown down, and those that wrought righteousnesse should have been exalted and set up: And they that tempted God were delivered; I wish I might not say from Experience, that as it was then after their coming out of Babylon, that it is so in our dayes.

From hence we may observe.

They should be more lively, and more zea­lous, and more active for God. But it may be Questioned,

What are those things that the Saints should be often speaking one to another of, in a day of Apostacy?

I answer, They are these three things.

1 Of the Sin of the Time.

2 Of the Worke of God in that Time and Age.

3 Of the precious and glorious Promises which God hath made of better times, of times to come, to keep up and bear up our hearts.

[Page 217] 1 They should be often speaking one to ano­ther, Of the speciall evill and sin of such a time: When the Church of God is in a growing thri­ving state, there is the abounding of some speti­all grace; and so on the contrary, when it's in a declining condition, in times of Apostacy, there is the breaking forth of some spetiall sin and evill. Now it's our duty in that time and age in which we live, as in the one, to look after the grace that we may flourish in that; so in the other to pry into the evill that we may avoid that.

And we should doe this the rather, Because, as such times have their spetiall evills, so, there's no evill that doth so suddenly surprise, and carry away the soule, as the sin of the times, and of the Age: And that, because it's a generall sin, there's a croud goes along with that iniquity, and men doe usually in the sin and evill of times, goe from God. When an evill is generall, men swal­low it the more easily, and it's a hard thing even for a good man to escape that; therefore we ought the more especially to be looking to that, and speaking of that often one to another.

When the Children of Israel came out of Aegypt, their great sin was, mistrusting God; their great duty was, to trust in God, to believe in him, to rest upon him; in all his dispensati­ons he did call upon them to performe this duty, but they murmured against God, and were full of unbelief; and this sin was so generall, and be­came such a sin of the time, that of fix hundred thousand men that came out of Aegypt, there were but two, Caleb and Joshua, that escap't this rock, and went into the Land of Canaan; yet [Page 218]undoubtedly there were many more good men among them, but they fell upon the common sin of the Time.

And when the people of God came out of Babylon, the great work of God then was, the building of the Temple; yet they cry out, the time is not come, the time is not come, and so there's a generall neglect of it by the whole Congregation; this was the evill of that time, and spread it selfe over good and bad; and in­deed good men, that have escaped many other sore and great evills, yet, when it came to this, the sin of the Times, they have not been able to escape, but have fallen into it, not Zerubbabel nor Joshua but are guilty.

When the Children of Israel were in Aegypt, they could very well see and look upon the Ido­latry that was there committed, and yet keep themselves very well from it; but when it came to be a sin of the times, in the Land of Canaan, then they were catcht with it, and were split up­on that Rock; and if the Lord by speciall grace and mercy doe not with-hold us, we shall fall in­to this sin; and it's wonderfull mercy and loving kindnes, that any soule doth escape the evill and sin of the Times.

But it may be asked,

How shall we come to know the evill of the Times, that so we may escape and be kept from it?

For Answer to this,

1 Let us take notice and observe that sin which lyes diametrically opposite to the worke of God in the time: As in the Children of Israel, their work and duty was to believe and trust in God, [Page 219]in an extraordinary way; now in direct oppo­sition to this, they mistrust God, and that was then the sin of the time: And so, in their co­ming out of Babylon, their work was to build the Temple, Gods House; but in opposition to that, they build their owne Houses, and neglect the work of building the Temple, and the House of God lies wast. Hag. 1.3, 4. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the Prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O yee, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lye wast? Why now, sup­pose it were evident, that God hath written it in large and plaine Characters, that he that runs may read if he will, that THE PRESENT WORKE OF GOD IS, TO BRING DOWNE LOFTY MEN, TO LAY MEN LOW, AND TO THROW DOWNE ANTICHRIST; now if there be in opposition to this, an exalting of man, and setting up of Antichrist; is God destroying Idols, and are men making of them? This is a neglecting the work of God, and going contrary to it, this is the sin of the time. If there be a setting up of any such thing, that God hath lift up his hand against (it's not rashnesse nor passion to speak the truth of God, before God and the world, that) this is in opposition to the work of God: If God hath been throwing downe High things, the great ones of the world, and there is a setting up of those things again, things that have the same stamp, and the same nature upon them that those things had that were thrown down before them, this is the sin and the evill of the times.

And againe, Suppose it's clear that it hath been the worke of God, to appear against, and de­stroy [Page 220]whatsoever may be said to have the marke of the Beast upon it it; now if so be, there be any thing in this time and age, set up againe, that in­deed hath no other ground nor bottome for it to stand upon, but the wisedome of man, and the in­vention of man, and so should intermeddle so far, as that the power of it should be felt in the Churches of Christ, it's evident and plaine e­nough, (and it's the speaking of the truth of God, before God and the world to speak it) that this is the sin and evill of the times.

2 Take speciall notice and observe, that sin with which the most precious Saints and people of God are most taken, and drawne away from God by, that is the evill and sin of the times; For that is usually the sin and evill of the times, which the Saints of God are most taken with, and embrace; for the sin of the times doth not onely run through and run along with the wicked and profane of the world, but also the most precious servants of God: Moses that meek servant of God, and Aaron that Saint of the Lord, were catched with it, in mistrusting God; for the sin of their time did not fasten upon the rude multi­tude onely, but upon those two, and many other precious servants of the Lord. So, in the build­ing of the Temple, the sin of neglecting that work, did not onely seize upon the Congregati­on, but also it seized upon those two brave spiri­ted men, Zerubabbel and Joshua, they were asleep and neglected this work, as you may see by the words of Haggai; it had seized upon, and catched many of the precious Saints of God; and doubtlesse, if the Lord did not keep us, there is none of us now here, that are speaking of and [Page 221]against the evill of the times, but we should without Gods great mercy and love to us, be catched and carried away with it, as well as any other.

3 Observe what that evill is, that though it runs up and downe without the least controule or contradiction from the generality of men, yet not­withstanding God hath a little Remnant that will oppose, and stand up against that sin, and that evill; that is the sin of the times. For observe it, to bear witnesse to his cause in every age, God will have a handfull that will oppose themselves to the evill of the times, and ordinarily but a handfull.

When the whole Congregation of Israel re­bell'd and Apostatiz'd from God, and would have return'd againe into Aegypt, and made them a Captain, and mistrusted God; then there was a little Remnant that stood up for God, and spake against that sin, Caleb and Je­shua, they stand up and plead for God against the whole Congregation, Let us (say they) not rebell against the Lord, let us not make us a Captain to goe back again into Aegypt, for they shall be bread for us, the Lord will deliver them into our hand, we shall goe in and possess the Land which the Lord our God hath promi­sed. Thus they stand up and plead for God a­gainst the whole Congregation.

And so in their return out of Babylon, the Lord stir'd up a little Remnant to bear testimo­ny against the sin of that time; the Lord stir'd up the spirit of Haggai and Zechary, against their sin of neglecting the building of the Tem­ple, and returning out of Babylon; and where [Page 222]God stirs up a spirit in a little Remnant to op­pose the evill of the times, God is there, that is I say, a clear evidence that God is with them, and that God stands for them, and will owne them, when he stirs up a spirit in them to tell men their owne, for so did Haggai and Zechary. Is it time for you, O yee, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lye wast? (I instance in those two times, because coming out of Aegypt and Babylon, being both Types of our deliverance from spirituall Aegypt and Babylon, nothing in the word is so pat to us, as the example of those Ages.)

I remember the Speech of a holy man yet li­ving, That if he were to stand with any party, he would stand with that party that was the least, and that bore testimony against the sin and evill of the times; looking upon this, that God was there, and with those that stood up against and bore testimony against the sin and evill of the times: When there's a controversie whe­ther there is an Apostacy or no, now the gene­rality of men, of the proud men, they will say, no, there's no Apostacy at all, and so justifie their Apostacy; I, but what saith the little Remnant? what saith the few? they say, yes, there is an Apostacy, they say it's clear, and plain, and evident enough to them, that there is an Apostacy, though the generality see it not, will not know it, nor owne it, yet a little Remnant see it, and will declare and bear their testimony against it.

But the second thing we should speak often one to another of, is, The speciall worke of God at that time, what the worke of God is, and what [Page 223]the speciall duty of Christian is, in such an evill and Apostatising time.

Now there are many Duties that in such a day and age, lye upon the Saints, but I shall name but one or two, which are duties that espe­cially lye upon the Saints.

1 This is one speciall duty, To be humbled before God, and to labour to bring others to be humbled and lye low before him, for that sin. In Ezra's time, he makes it his dayes work to be humbled and lye low before God for the sin of the Congregation; he goes and spreads their sin before the Lord, and lyes low to beg mercy and grace of God for the whole Congregation, and he labours also to bring the Congregation to this, to be humbled and lye low before the Lord. But

2 It's a speciall duty of the Saints, and people of God in such a day and time of Apostacy (whatever others say and thinke of it, yet I say it's the duty of Saints in such a day) to appear for God, to stand up for God, to declare for God against those sins; Though others count it rash­nesse, hastinesse, and over-forwardnesse, yet cer­tainly it's the duty of the Saints, and is a good Principle to practice, in which we should be found, if we will shew our love to the Lord Je­sus, and his name, and his cause and interest, though all run from it. Thus in all ages, those whom the Lord hath kept faithfull to himselfe, have not onely kept themselves pure from the evill of the times, but declared against it in others.

So it was with Caleb and Joshua, they stood up for God, and protested for him, and declared [Page 224]for him against the sin of the whole Congrega­tion, though they were but two, they will haz­zard their lives for God; O, say they, doe not rebell against the Lord, doe not return againe into Aegypt. And so Haggai and Zechary, they would stand up for God, and declare for him against the Congregation, and tell them to their very faces, That they builded their owne houses, but let the house of God lye wast, whereas it was their worke and duty to build the house of God. They told the greatest of them, the chiefest of them their sin, and that to their faces; they Preached openly against the negligence and sluggishnesse of that Age to Gods work. And have not good men of latter times looked upon themselves called to doe so against the supersti­tions of the Age before us; Saints in all Ages have looked upon it as their duty to bear wit­nesse against the sin and evill of the Age. Hence Christians are called Witnesses, a man that keeps all in his breast is no witnesse, but he is a Witnesse that gives forth a Testimony to others. And truly I speak this, because we may be holy and humble and wise in doing this our duty, in bearing witnesse and testimony against the sins of the times. O my thinks, when a Saint in cold blood shall sit downe and consider, that he sees God, and his name, and his cause and interest blasphemed, and trod under foot, and abused, and dishonoured, and shall not stand up for God, nor appear for God, not have a word to speak for God, how will this grieve him and trouble him? And may such a one not question his love to Christ? It's to be feared, we have but little love to Christ and his cause, his name [Page 225]and interest, when we cannot speak and appear for him; for men to have such a Principle as this, I may stand by and look on, and see God and his name, cause and interest trodden under foot, and yet not speak a word, but hold my peace and say nothing, and another may stand and look on, but say nothing, no man must speak a word; truly, this is such a piece of Doctrine that I never heard of, and that hath read such Lectures already, as I think were never yet read: when they themselves that doe such things, can­not but know and see (and they that look on (it's so plaine, that they that run may read) that there is an Apostacy, and yet notwithstand­ing none must speak of these things, and bear te­stimony against it, truly, it's such a Principle and such a piece of Doctrine as never was practiced by the Saints in former times. And if the Saints and people of God in former and later times had practiced such a Doctrine and Principle as this is, they would never have lost their lives as they did, there would not have died so many Saints as there did, there would never have been such a large Book of Martyrs as there is; we should never have had so many living Testimo­nies of dying Saints as we have, if such a Do­ctrine and Principle as this had been practiced.

If any say these men are good men though they have many and great failings. Why if it be so, this cannot excuse the matter, Is a sin the lesse evill because a good man commits it? And you cannot but acknowledge that if King Charls or the former Powers had don some things these men have done, you would not have put such fa­vourable constructions upon them, and why [Page 226]should you think any thing the better of an evill because you think good men commit it? It's not the badnesse of any person that can make a good cause bad, nor the goodnesse of the per­son that can make a bad cause good; for though we and all the people of God have many weak­nesses and infirm [...]ties, yet that cannot make his good cause bad; the poor people of God (it hath been often upon my spirit, that they) should be allowed their infirmities; in all times and a­ges they have been allowed their infirmities, and truly the allowance now should be larger and greater then ever it was in former times; and that upon the account of reason, because they and their enemies have been brethren & friends together; and I speak this to this end that we may not goe and condemne all; (as I know this is the noise abroad) I am perswaded when we come to stand before the Lord Jesus our Judge, Christ will make another manner of judgement than now is made, and passe another manner of Sentence then now is past upon the Saints by men. And I am perswaded if so be that good men would but study things, they would see more into them than they doe, I mean things by which God is dishonoured, and his name blas­phemed, and they see it not, and know it not: And they could not in such a day as this but venture hard for God; This I am perswaded is the truth of God, and many soules that doe not see it, God will make them one day ashamed of it, that they have not had hearts for God, and tongues for God, and mouths for God in such a day as this is, wherein his cause hath called for it.

Thirdly, Another duty that lyes upon the Saints in such a day as this is, is, That they en­deavour their utmost the reformation of such a thing. Ezra did so, he endeavoured to bring the Congregation upon their knees, and to a re­formation of the sin of that Age, of taking strange wives, he caused the Congregation to enter into a Covenant to put them away, Ez­ra 10.

But the third Generall Head is this, That the Saints should be often speaking one to another of the precious great and glorious Promises that God hath made of better times to come And we find the Prophets are full of these speakings, tel­ling us of glorious times wherein we shall come to enjoy that which will make up all our suffe­rings, afflictions and persecutions. God bears up the hearts of his people this way, by promi­sing and discovering of better times to come.

When the Children of Israel were in Ae­gypt, God told them of a better time, promises them the Land of Canaan; so, when his people were in Babylon, he made them a Promise of a better time to come, he told them, then in the time of their Captivity, to comfort and chear their hearts, that the time was coming wherein all the Kingdomes of the earth, and the power and greatnesse of the Kingdome shall be given to the Saints of the most high; and with this Christ bears up the hearts of his Disciples, I appoint unto you a Kingdome, saith he; and tru­ly this will sweeten the bitternesse of an evill time, this will make up suffering times, this will make amends for all, the Kingdome that Jesus Christ will give unto those that abide with him [Page 228]in an evill time; as the Saints have had a day of Patience, so they shall have a day of Power; as they have had a day of sorrow, so they shall have a day of joy; they shall have a day of Peace and Comfort, they shall have full peace, and full joy, yea, they shall have joy and peace running over, an overflowing of joy and peace, they shall have a day of power and rejoycing; and therefore saith the Apostle Paul, speaking about suffering, Rom. 8.18. I reckon, that the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. O the thoughts of that time of glory and power, swallowes up all the thoughts of this time of suffering and of evill; I reckon and ac­count that the sufferings of this present world, are not worthy to be compared unto the glory which shall be revealed, which we shall enjoy, and be made pertakers of; with this Paul com­forts Timothy, If we suffer with him, we shall also raigne with him: And whatever the poor blind world thinks, suffering Saints shall be glo­rified Saints; they that suffer with Christ, shall be glorified with Christ; the great thing that Paul presents to the thoughts of the Saints in suffering times, to comfort them, and refresh and bear up their hearts, is, that they shall have a Kingdome, they shall come into the King­dome of God, and raigne with him there: There's a most excellent place for this purpose, Revel. 5.9, 10, 13 verses. And they sung a new Song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the Booke, and to open the seales thereof; for thou wast slaine, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, [Page 229]and Nation, and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests, and we shall raigne on earth. And every Creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the Sea, and all that are in them, heard I, saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be un­to him that sitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Now look into the next Chapter, vers. 9, 10, 11. And when he had opened the fifth Seale, I saw under the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held, and they cry­ed with a loud voyce, saying, How long, O Lord, Holy and true, doest thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white Robes were given unto every one of them. We see white Robes in one place under the Al­tar, crying, How long, How long O Lord, wilt thou not avenge our blood on them that dwelt upon the earth? And in another place we see them in their Kingdome, sing Praises and Hallelujah's to God, and the Lamb; there they are in their glory, and in their triumph. O let us look to our white Robes, to keep our white Robes about us, for white Robes shall not alwayes lye under the Altar; O this we should be often arguing of, and speaking one to another of; O the sweet and the great, and the glorious precious Promi­ses, that God hath made of better times to come; Let us make it our care (I say) to keep our white Robes about us, that in all our bearing te­stimony, and appearing for God against the sins of the Times, we may keep our white Robes: And then we shall conquer and overcome all our enemies; for that noble Spirit hath over­come [Page 230]come and conquered all along; though it hath been in the fewest, & never so weak & despised a company, yet that noble Spirit hath conquered all along; though it hath been never so low, and never so contemptible, yet it hath carried it from the great and mighty and high ones of the world O let us speak often one to another of these things, and this will quicken us, and keep a lively and active spirit in us, and among us; and therefore see what notice the Lord takes of it.

The Lord hearkned and heard. O, God did hearken and listen to hear what his Children did say for him, and to him, at such a time as this was, wherein there was such great and high Apostacies and backslidings. It is, as when a man hears many speaking against him, and his Child stands and looks on, and heares them; the fa­ther will listen and hearken to hear what his Child saith, and what his Child will speak for him, he will take speciall notice what his Child saith, and how he appears and stands up for him: Why so doth the Lord, when he sees a company fall from him, and tread his name under foot, then he will take speciall notice of them that speak and appear for him; and not onely so, but

A Booke of Remembrance is written before him. Like unto a man that keeps a Note-book about him, to write down things, that so he may not forget them; so doth the Lord, (to speak af­ter the manner of men) the Lord hath a Note­book, and he writes downe what they doe that fear him, that fear his name, and speak and plead for him, he writes it downe: O saith he, there's [Page 231]such a one, he speaks for me, and he appears and pleads for me against the sins of the times, O writt it downe presently (saith God) I will not have that forgot, I will not loose that note; when others revolt and turne their backs upon me, and when others look upon my name, and see it trodden under foot, and blasphemed, they will not speak for me, nor appear for me, but these doe, O write it downe, I will not forget that.

For them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. O it's good to fear the Lord, to be of a fearfull spirit lest we should fall, and lest we should turne aside with the croud, and with the workers of iniquity. to fear least we should backslide and Apostatize, and see Gods name dishonoured, and not appear for him, to speak a word for him; it's good to be fearfull, lest we should be drawne and carried away with the stream; Let us pray often for one another, lest we should be led and drawne away.

But these feare the Lord, and thought upon his name, though they could not speak for God, nor it may be declare for God, as others did, yet they thought upon his name; they thought, how is the name of God dishonoured? How is it spoken against and blasphemed by this Apo­stacy? How doth the name of God suffer? And thus they thought upon his name.

But now these men to whom the Prophet spake, they forget God, and yet they say, Wherein have we forgotten God, and wherein have we done thus and thus? Well saith God, there's a company of poor soules that fear me and think upon my name, write it downe, write downe [Page 232]every thought that they have of me, and of my name, how that suffers, and how that is di­shonoured; truly, if we can doe nothing else, let us think of the name of God at this day, how that suffers, and how that is trodden under foot; God took this exceeding well from them, and certainly God will take it well at our hands too.

And saith God, They shall be mine in that day when I make up my Jewells: Thou shalt be mine saith God, and what would'st thou have God say to thee more than this, Thou shalt be mine in that day when I make up my Jewels; thou art mine now, but then at that day it shal appear that thou art mine: It doth not yet appear (as John saith) what we shall be, but when he shall appear, we shall be like him. Poor soule, what wouldst thou have God say to thee more then this, Thou shalt be mine; God's thou shalt be mine, is more worth then all the world: If we could be but faithfull to God, he would gather us up to himselfe, in that day when he makes up his Jewells. O saith God to his Angels, goe and gather up that soul, for that soule is mine, he is one of my Jewells. O, God will then shew what it is to owne him, God will make it appear plainly then, what we are, and who we are.

And I will, saith God, spare him as a man spareth his owne Son that serveth him; I will spare them and pity them; O, they have many weaknesses and infirmities, what though? yet saith God, I will spare them; 'tis true saith God, they have many weaknesses, and have much frowardnesse, O but yet I will pardon all, and overlook all, I will spare them notwith­standing [Page 233]all that; I see what they drive at, and what they aime at, I see what their ends are, they aime at my glory, at my honour, and they aime to be serviceable to me, and would very gladly doe something forme, well, I will over­look and passe by all their weaknesses and infir­mities, and I will spare them as a man spares his Son that serves him: though their brethren and friends will not pardon nor forgive their passi­ons and their frowardnesse, their weaknesses and infirmities, yet saith God, I will, I will spare them. O Saints, here is our glory and our comfort, that our father, our God will spare us, he will over-look our infirmities; it's true Saints, we have many weaknesses, much frowardnesse of spirit, much passion, many failings, and many out-goings from God, and we cannot manage that blessed cause we have in our hands, with that wisdome, and with that meeknesse, and with that humility of spirit as we should; O, but here's our comfort, we have a sparing God, an over-looking and forgetting God. O Saints, our father will spare us, the father will over­look our infirmities, he sees we aime at his glo­ry, and would doe service for him, and that de­lights his heart; and certainly this will appear to be the great sin of Saints one day, that they cannot forgive and forget and over-look one a­nothers weaknesses, and one anothers infirmities. O but here's the great comfort of the Saints in such a time, that though they have many weak­nesses and infirmities, yet they have a God and father will spare them and pardon them; Saints there's sparing mercy in God, there's forgiving mercy in God, there's forgetting mercy in God, [Page 234]there's over-looking mercy in God: O the good Lord keep our hearts close to him, and help us to keep our white Robes about us, and to walk in his feare alwayes; O let us cast and venture our selves upon the rich grace of God in the New Covenant, and love in Jesus Christ.

IN the foregoing Verses, we have John (who is now in Prison) sending some of his Disciples to Christ, to propound a Question, that he might receive satisfaction therein from the mouth of Christ himselfe: The Question is, Art thou he which should come, or doe we looke for another? In effect, Whether art thou the Christ or not? Or are we to look for some other yet to come that is the Messiah, whom God hath promised by his holy Prophets to send unto his People? It seems John, though he had Preacht Christ, and was his Harbinger, his Fore-runner, and had all the time of his Li­berty spoken gloriously of Christ; yet now when he is brought into a Prison, into a state of [Page 236]temptation, he is doubting: As it doth befall the dear Children of God, when they come in­to that state, when they are under Temptation, they doe then question those things which they believed in the day of their Prosperity and Joy: So John, when he was Preaching in his Prospe­rity, and at Liberty, he then held forth Christ, but when John is cast into Prison, John's faith is not strong, now (though it was very strong once, yet) it had need of confirmation from Christ himselfe, therefore he sends to Christ, Art thou he which should come, or doe we looke for another? Our Lord answers John's Disciples that came to him, that they should Goe and tell John what they heard and saw: And what things are those? The blind receive their sight, and the lame walke: The Leapers are cleansed, and the deafe hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel Preached to them. Goe tell John of my works, saith Christ, Christ endeavours to convince him by his works, and then he con­cludes, And blessed is he whosoever shall not be of­fended in me: As if he should have said, it will be a hard thing not to be offended in me; it's a very hard thing for a poor Creature not to be offended in Christ; John himselfe that had Preacht Christ so much, is upon the very brink of an offence, and had much adoe to keep him­selfe from being offended; therefore Christ saith, Blessed is he that is not offended in me, I doe not wonder at John, it's a very blessed thing not to be offended in me; my people shall meet with such Tryalls and Temptations in owning [...]e, that it's a very hard thing not to be offend­ed. Having this opportunity put into his hands [Page 237]by John's Disciples putting this Question unto him, Christ turnes unto the multitude, As they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitude concerning John, what went ye out into the will­dernesse to see? what were yee taken with? A Reed shaken with the winde? The multitude were much taken with John, they cry'd up John as a great Prophet, and indeed Christ saith, that a­mong all that were borne of women, there was not a greater that then had risen, then John the Baptist; yet this great John, John that had so much light, John that had so much grace, John that had Preached Christ so clearly, John that the whole multitude followed, this John, when he comes into Temptation, is but a Reed shaken with the winde, What went yee out for to see, a Reed shaken with the winde? The strongest Christian, that hath the strongest grace, and most experience, and most strength, yet let him but enter into Temptation, and he is but as a Reed shaken with the wind, What went ye out for to see, a Reed shaken with the winde? But this is not that I intend to stand upon; The word that I intend to speak to, is grounded upon Christs Querie, What went yee out into the wildernesse to see? The multitude followed after John, but alas, they did not know him, nor wherefore they went after after him; So it's with poore sinners, they are apt to be taken with any thing a while, but we doe not know our owne hearts, our owne de­signes: What went ye out into the wildernesse to see? As if he should have said, What was your end? He put them upon their end, to look unto their aymes in spirituall work, their ends and designes in spirituall work; and so indeed the [Page 238]Truth which lyes before us in these words, is this: ‘ Doctrine That it's a very good, and a very profitable thing for soules to be very inquisitive into their owne ends in all Spirituall Actions.’

Was not this a good work for men to run out into a Wildernesse to hear John? Here was a good work, yet there was a bad end, they had not a holy end, a pure end; therefore Christ takes this opportunity to shew them their ends, What went yee out into the Wildernesse to see? We should be much in looking to our ends; men are at this day found much in the wayes of God, I mean, in attending upon the outward Ordinances, following of the means, for this is growne a thing in fashion, why now in such a day as this is, wherein it's so much in fashion for men to have something of Religion, every man and woman should look into their heart, what our end is; Doe I appear holy, because I can have no credit if I doe not appear so? We should be looking and prying into our ends, that Christ puts them upon, What went yee out into the wil­dernesse to see?

The Grounds and Reasons why we should be inquisitive into our ends, they may be such as these.

1 Reason 1 Because our ends and our aimes they are se­cret things; they are things that doe lye deep and unseen, and therefore we must be very inquisitive as touching our ends and aymes. We may be act­ed very high in the wayes of God, and of the [Page 239]most forward in the things of God, and yet we may mistake, and loose our selves, and run upon a false ground, if we mistake our ends. The more secret and hidden any thing is, the more need there is of enquiry into it: A man may come and appear with a great shew of Religion, O but there may be some end lying at the bot­tome, which we doe not see, which makes all filthy and abominable before God, therefore we should look to our end.

2 Reason 2 Because it's a most certaine truth, that a mans heart is where his end is. Let his end be where it will, there his heart is; If a man have the credit of men, honour, reputation among men, or if he have his owne profit or advan­tage, if any of these be his end, there his heart is, whatever he doth his heart goes not along with it, but his heart is rapt up in his end; where ever the end is, a man shall find his heart there, therefore we had need look to our end in such a day as this is: If we would find our hearts, if we would know our owne hearts, then let us search where our ends are, for where our ends are, there will our hearts be.

3 Reason 3 Because a mans heart is as his end is. As a mans heart is where his end is, so a mans heart is as his end is; If so be that the end be good, then the heart in the work is good, if the end be bad, then the heart in the work is bad; a mans heart is ever as his end is.

4 Reason 4 Because God doth locke at our ends: The great thing God looks at in all our addresses to him in any duty, is our end; God doth not look so much at the outside of the duty (as we are apt to think the Lord looks at that) but [Page 240]God looks at the end, he looks at the heart: as the end is, so the heart is, so God looks at the heart; as when Samuel came to the house of Jesse [...] he saith of Eliab, Surely the Lords anoint­ed is before me; no, saith God, I judge not as man judges. God looks not at the outward ap­pearance, but upon the heart: Now the heart is as the end is, for the heart lyes in a mans end, therefore God looks at the end, and judges of us and of all our actions, as he sees our ends are.

5 Reason 5 Because God will overlooke many failings in our obedience, if so be our end be right; and on the other side, God will not accept of whatsoever we doe, though it be never so glorious outwardly, if the end be false. God will over-look failings if the end be right, as it is with a father that hath a Child that doth aime and designe at his fathers good name, honour, credit, and profit, though the Child doe miscarry very much in labouring to honour his father, yet notwithstanding be­cause the father sees the Childs end is, that he might honour him, the father passes by all his failings: Why so, I say, the Lord when he sees that the end of a soule is, to honour God, to serve God, if this be that that lyes at the bot­tome, if this be our great end, though there may be many failings creeping forth, as of pride, of selfe, of passion, and of many weaknesses of the Creature, yet God will accept of the worke, though it have so many failings: But on the o­ther side. God will accept of nothing, though it be never so glorious outwardly, if his end be naught. Though we may doe some work where­in God may be honoured and glorified, yet if [Page 241]our end and designe be not that we may honour God and serve him, God will not accept it; That which is done (as I may say) by the bye, it's God glorifying himselfe, the Creature not seeking it nor desiring it; so God glorifies him­selfe by the very sins of men, by the very oppo­sitions of his Enemies, yet he will judge them for it.

6 Reason 6 Because there's nothing that our hearts doe so much deceive us in, as our ends: A man is more beguiled here than he is in any one thing; for we are ready to think our ends are very good and holy, and that when indeed they are very corrupt and wicked: How wonderfully was Je­hu deceived? and how did he loose himselfe in this thing? he thought he had had very holy aimes in his zeale against the house of Ahab, therefore he cryes out, Come see my zeale for the Lord; and alas! Jehu had no zeal for God, onely his heart deceived and gull'd him, he was deceived about his ends; and so we are many times deceived about our ends, we think that which we aime at is Gods honour, and yet in this doth our hearts very frequently goe beyond us, and this is most common at such times when Gods glory and our interest meet together; for when his interest and Gods glory ran together, he could run along as moved by his owne inte­rest, and yet keep his eye upon Gods glory, and make his owne heart believe that that was it that moved him; therefore a great deale of de­ceipt is here, and here was the very deceipt of Jehu, Gods glory and Jehu's interest did run to­gether, and herein he lost himselfe.

Now the way to discover our ends to be false at such a Time, it is:

1 To consider whether or no doth my heart wil­lingly run with God in such wayes wherein my in­terest lyes with Gods glory, and is unwilling to run with God in the way wherein I have no interest at all: I say if we put this to our hearts, we shall bring them upon the Tryall, if so, then it's a clear discovery, whatever the heart may pretend, how high soever it may seem to set up Gods glory, yet that is not the end, but its owne interest, for if so be I can run along with Gods glory onely when I can carry my interest with me, it's a signe I act not for Gods glory, but for my owne inte­rest.

2 To consider whether or no I will goe along with Gods glory so far till I come to the end of my owne interest, and then goe with God no further, if so, this is a clear evidence how great soever the zeale pretended might be for the glory of God, yet Gods glory was not my end. For if Gods glory had been the end, then the soule when it had come at the Butt (as I may say) that its owne interest would advance no further, yet it would have gone upon the pure account of Gods glo­ry; but now when I goe no further than the Butt where my owne interest is, I goe not one part of the way upon the account of Gods glo­ry. It's very remarkable that example of Jehu as to this, Jehu pretended high for the glory of God, but here was the tryall, when he came to that which ran crosse to his own interest, there he stuck, be runs through the whole Commands of God concerning the house of Ahab, he de­stroyes that utterly; but when he came to the [Page 243]Calves of Dan and Bethell, he could not destroy them, for that was contrary to his interest. And that very reason of state that moved Jeroboam to set up the Calves, caused Jehu to keep them up, to keep up his interest, to ensure the Kingdome to himselfe; therefore when he had gone just so far as he could with his owne interest, de­stroyed the house of Ahab, and all the friends of Ahab, which conduc't to his settlement in the Kingdome, was suitable to his interest, he could goe no further; but when he saw he was to make an advance, and goe forth beyond his inte­rest, he must goe over the head of his interest, or follow God no further; he is at a stand; he goes up to the utmost bounds of his interest, to the Calves of Dan and Bethell, but the Calves of Dan and Bethell must stand, I will not meddle with them, I will not destroy my interest, this is a clear and evident Argument that all the steps he had made before was not for Gods glo­ry, but indeed for his own interest.

7 Reason 7 Because a bad end is of such force as that it will make that action which in it selfe is good, to be bad, and instead of reward, it will bring Judge­ment from God upon a man for doing of it: That very word was spoken by the Prophet Hosea, touching that man we have been speaking of, Hos. 1.4. saith the Lord, Call his name Jezreel, for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu; It's a very strange passage; why, what did Jehu doe more then God bid him? Jehu destroyed Ahabs house, God bid him doe it; Jehu destroyed the house of Baal, and that was Gods will he should doe it; Jehn was found in the very Commands and [Page 244]will of God in what he did, and yet saith God, I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the head of Jehu; The very blood he shed in the cause of God, was charged upon him as if he had been a murderer; What was the reason of it? Why, his end was not right; it was not Gods end, his end was to root out all Idolatry, God com­manded Jehu to destroy all the Idolls in the Land; he bids Jehu, goe stand forth in my name, and tread downe in my name all the Idols, and high places of Idolatrous worship, and all the Tyrannies and wickednesses in the Land; Jehu thinks, well if I can doe it I shall get a King­dome, and I can settle my selfe fast; he goes with another end, he goes to destroy all to settle himselfe fast in his seat; and surely this was the reason why the Lord would avenge the blood of Jezreel upon Jehu, saith he, I will bring it upon him because he had an evill end in the doing of it.

8 Reason 8 Because a good end it will make that action which in the interpretation of others may be bad, and may be others be accounted bad, it will make that action good▪ I would not be mistaken, I doe not say a good end will make an action that in it selfe is bad, good; but a good end will make that action which in the Interpretation of ano­ther may be bad, it will make that good; doe but look upon Pauls actions, and they will seem very strange, when as Paul saith of himselfe in the Epistle to the Corinthians, To the Jew I be­came a Jew that I might gaine the Jewes; to them that are under the Law, as under the Law, that I might gaine them that are under the Law; to them that are without Law, as without Law (be­ing [Page 245]not without Law to God, but under the Law to Christ) that I might gaine them that are with­out Law. To the weake became I as weake, that I might gaine the weake: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some; and this I doe for the Gospels sake. And so in 1 Cor. 10.32, 33. Giving none offence, neither to the Jewes, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God, even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine owne profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. One would think that read over these passages, that Paul was a meer Statist, a politick man; for a man to please all men in all things, to come among the Jewes, and there conforme to them, to come among the weak, and there stoop to them; come among them that are without Law, and there conforme to them. One would think that here was a meer Hypocrite, but here was a blessed end that made the action good, here was his end that he might gaine some to Christ; here was a holy end, Paul did not doe it to please men, that men might owne him, and that men might cry him up, but that carriage was to gaine men to Christ; and the action be­comes a blessed action through a holy end.

9 Reason 9 We have need to look to our ends, Because all a mans comfort in suffering it will be as his end is. If a man doe appear for God in a way of acti­on, or speak for God, why truly his comfort if he be called out to suffer, will be as his end was; what was it that made Paul he could run through all things, evill reports and good re­ports, [Page 246]that he did not care what came to him, or what men thought of him? it was this, he had a holy sincere end; when the Corinthians iudged him, saith he, I care not to be judged of you, or of mans judgement: So in such a day as this, when the people of God are under suffe­ring [...], (and who may be under sufferings it's onely knowne to the Lord) O that the Lord would give us to have such ends in our actions as may be holy and sincere, that we may have comfort, joy, and peace.

10 Reas: 10 We had need to look into our ends, for, If a man have false ends, he will never be able to continue and hold out in a good worke. It's very remarkable that we have in these men here that ran after John, What went yee out into the wil­dernesse to see? They were very earnest, and ve­ry hot, and very zealous, they had a great de­light in Johns Preaching, I but saith Christ, What went ye ought to see? What is your end? it was bad: He was a burning and a shining light, and ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light. It held but for a season, they make a very great profession, and seem much to owne John, and to owne the truth, and seem much to be ta­ken with the word, but have a wrong end, there­fore they rejoycing but for a season, they came to have their hearts hardned, and they rejoyce no more: Therefore what need have we to look into our owne hearts, and observe our aimes and ends; and indeed that we may know our ends

1 It's good to be jealous of our owne hearts, that there may be some end that lyes deeper than I am aware of or than I doe discern. Its good to have a holy jealousie over our hearts in our acting, [Page 247]that there may be some end that we see not.

2 If we would know whether we have a right end, It's good to take a view of our owne hearts and ends at such a time as we have most light, and have fairest opportunity and advantage. When we have most light, that is, at such a time when the Lord doth most clearly shine upon the soule, if there be any time wherein you have a more clear sight of the love of God then at another, at that time look into your heart; to see your ends.

3 Looke into them at such time as we seem to have a helping opportunity: There are two times, which if we fall in with, will give us great help to look into our ends.

First, Look into our ends, When we see others more eminent than we, and that goe before us in graces and abilities, when we see them drop; for then the soule hath some stirring and working, and I may come to get a sight into my ends the more by that opportunity.

Secondly, Look into our ends at such time when others doe censure and judge us: If a Chri­stian be censured by another, that is a good time for him to look into his end, that will make him look more narrowly, and pry into every corner of his heart.

4 Beg of the Lord, That he would be pleased to come search and try; for after all our trialls if God doth not try us, we may be at a losse, and deceived; and herein was the sincerity of Da­vids heart manifested, Prove me and try me, O Lord, saith he: And so it's with every gratious heart, he will say, Prove me and try me, O Lord. if there be any wickednesse, if there be any cor­ruption [Page 248]that I doe not see, Prove me and try m [...] O Lord; if there be any Hypocrisie that I hav [...] not yet found, Prove me and try me O Lord▪ We are to be much in begging of the Lord, tha [...] he would try us and prove us.

5 If we would see fully into our ends, Then as soone as ever thou doest find any false end, presently deliver it as a Traytor to be executed. Say, Lord I have found out such a juggle, I have found out such a bye way wherein my heart is gone, good Lord come and destroy it.

Lastly, Keep the love of Christ warm upon thy heart. O labour so to goe to Christ as that the love of Christ may be warm upon thy heart, that thou mayest live in the light of that love, and the more thou seest of that love, the more will thy soule desire to live according to it.

WOuld you know the time to which this Prophecy looks, the second Verse tells us in generall, The last dayes, And it shall come to passe in the last dayes; now because last dayes, is taken sometimes largely, for the whole of Gospel times; sometimes strictly for the very last of the last times; therefore in other ex­pressions of this Prophecy it's held forth, that last dayes is to be taken strictly, as

1 This relates to the time when the Mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountaines, vers. 2. The Mountaine of the Lords house is Christs Kingdome, which is the Lords Mountaine; it shall be established in the top of the Mountaines, that is, in the top of worldly Kingdomes: when yet hath this ever been? Indeed, we have for many Generations had Antichrist lifting up his Scepter above worldly Princes, but we are all clear enough that yet there hath been no fullfilling of this Prophecy; But as the Devil, when he sees any glorious work of Christ to come forth, he will [Page 250]forestall it, and set up something of his owne that shall be so like it, that we are sometimes almost deceived; so the subtill Dragon, seeing that in time such a thing should be, a Kingdome of Christ should over-top all the Kingdomes of the world, he fore-runs it, and sets up a thing like it, viz. a Kingdome of his owne, which himselfe sets up, rules in; such is Antichrist, whose rise is not from God, but from the Devil; nor is Christ there served, but the Dragon is worshipped, Revel. 13 14. And they worship­ped the Dragon which gave power untothe Beast. This Kingdome (the blind of Christs) by which the world hath been deceived, and won­dred after it, before which the Kings of the earth have laid their Crownes, hath been set up; But all discerning soules, know this to be the Divels Kingdome, no Gods; the very Throne of Iniquity, not of Holinesse; but when was there such a Kingdome of Christs, over-topping others?

2 This relates to a time; when the Law shall goe forth out of Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, vers. 3. By Law (being distin­guished from Word of the Lord) I understand, the Civill Law, the Law of Civill Government, as by the word of the Lord, the spirituall Law: This therefore relates to a time, when Civil Go­vernment shall be in the hands of the Saints; when the Law of the world shall goe forth from Sion; and the Spirituall Law also, the Preach­ing of the Gospel from Jerusalem, that is, from the Cities or Churches of the Saints. And such a time hath not yet been from the beginning of the world to this day, Civill Power hath been [Page 251]in the hands of worldly men, all hath been ma­naged by them, Servants have ruled over Gods Heritage: And for the Gospel, hath it not ever come out of Universities, though Christ no where in the Gospel, did ever appoint the building of such Cities to send his Gospel from, but hath appointed his City Jerusalem, his true Church, thence it is sent.

3 This relates to a time, when the House of Jacob shall be come in, or upon coming in, for they are called to come, vers. 5. O House of Jacob, come yee, and let us walke in the light of the Lord.

4 This relates to a time, when God will dar­ken all the glory of the world, and exalt himselfe onely, from vers. 10. to 18. Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majesty. The lofty lookes of man shall be humbled, and the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed downe, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of Hests shall be upon every one that is proud and lof­ty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought low. And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the Oakes of Bashan, and upon all the high moun­taines, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every high Tower, and upon every fen­ced wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant Pictures. And the loftinesse of man shall be bowed downe, and the haughtinesse of men shall be made low: And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

Lastly, This relates to a time, In which God will shake terribly the earth; and what time is that? Other Scriptures tell us, that Christ a lit­tle [Page 252]before his coming, will shake all Nations. Hag. 2.6, 7. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts, yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the Heavens, and the Earth, and the Sea, and the dry Land. And I will shake all Nations, and the desire of all Nations shall come, quoted Heb. 12.26, 27. Whose voyce then shooke the earth, but now he hath promised, saying, yet once more I shake not the earth onely, but also Heaven. And this word, yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken, may remaine. To this time this relates, so that our Text looks to a time a little before Christs coming, and so falls into the lap of our Times.

Quest. What will Christ doe at this day?

Answ. Many glorious things here mentio­ned, which particularly I cannot now handle, of which this is one most glorious thing, The Idolls he will utterly abolish. Of which a word.

I shall shew,

1 What is meant by Idolls By Idoll is meant any thing that a man loves, honours, and prefers before God and his glory. So, a coverous mans money, is his Idoll. Hence Covetousnesse is Ido­latry; the Gluttonous and voluptuous mans belly is his Idoll; hence, Phil. 3.19. Their bel­ly is their God: The ambitious mans honour, name, and credit, is his Idoll. The holy mans Grace, whe [...] trusted in, gloried in, and when it's preferred before Christ, his truth, and word, and [Page 253]when it's made a thing more infallible than Gods truth, it's an Idoll; whatever is prefer­red, loved, looked at, talked of, trusted to, and gloried in, more than Christ, be it a thing good or bad, it is an Idoll.

Quest. 2. What Idolls will God abolish?

Answ. 1 The Idoll of Prophanesse; Some men make an Idoll of their very wickednes, love, serve, and glory in that; God will abolish this Idoll.

2 The Idoll of Pomp worldly glory, and great­nesse: What an Idoll hath this been? This God will abolish, vers, 12. For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud, and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought low. That is, those persons that are haughty, proud, lofty; puffed up with their dignity, honour, advancement and preferment, the day of the Lord shall be upon them to bring them low, to lay them, their glory and honour in the dust; and vers. 13. And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up; Cedars, tall Trees, Ezek. 17.22. Cedars, tall Trees up­on high Mountaines, vers. 14. And upon all the high Mountaines, and upon all the hills that are lifted up. Men that are in honour and dignity over others, to whom therefore others come and bow the knee, the day of the Lord shall be upon them.

3 The Idoll of Strength. Strength is an Idoll; the proud King, Dan. 11. honours the God of forces in his strong holds, vers. 38, 39. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces; thus shall he doe in the most strong holds with a strange God. The Assyrian King glories in strength, [Page 254] Isa. 37.24. By thy servants hast thou reproach­ed the Lord, and hast said, by the multitude of my Chariots am I come up to the height of the Moun­taines, to the sides of Lebanon, and I will cut down the tall Cedars thereof, and the choyce Firre Trees thereof; and I will enter into the height of his bor­der, and the forrest of his Carmell. This Idoll shall be destroyed, vers. 13. The day of the Lord shall be upon all the Oakes of Bashan. Oakes, the strongest of Trees, vers. 15. And upon every high Tower, and upon every fenced wall. Towers and fenced places are the strength of a City, the day of the Lord shall be upon these. So see Isa. 26.5. He bringeth downe them that dwell on high, the lofty City he layeth it low; he layeth it low even to the ground, he bringeth it even to the dust. Compared with vers. 2. Open yee the gates, that the righteous Nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thus for Land strength. Is the strength gloried in, Sea strength, Navall strength? God will take away that Idoll, vers. 16. And upon all the Ships o [...] Tarshish. Whether Land strength, which lyes in Armies, fenced Ci­ties, Townes; or Sea strength, which lyes in Shipping, Navies, God will abolish this Idoll.

4 The Idoll of Pollicy: What a wonderfull Idoll is this, and how much adored in the world? God will abolish this Idoll. Isa 29.14. There­fore behold, I will proceed to doe a marvellous work amongst this people, even a marvellous worke, and a wonder, for the wisedome of the wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. To what time doth this relate? vers. 18, 19, 24. In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the booke, and the eyes of the blind shall [Page 255]see out of obscurity, and out of darknesse. The meek also shall encrease their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoyce in the holy one of Isra­el. They also that erred in spirit, shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. By comparing this with Isa. 35.5, 6. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deafe shall be unstopped, then shall the lame man leap as an Hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wildernesse shall waters breake out, and streams in the desert, it is clear, it is the last dayes.

Yea, as God will destroy the Idoll of Pollicy, so also, all those rare inventions and [...]nacks, that this Idoll pollicy hath woven, framed and made. What ever pollicy, for the honour and support of it selfe hath made, that God will destroy, vers. 10. And upon all pleasant Pictures. The day of the Lord will be upon all rare inventions of humane pollicy; all the curious wrought Pictures and Images, that through the craft and wylinesse of this thing called Pollicy are made, so neat that they seem pleasant and delighting to the eyes, the day of the Lord will be upon them, the day of Gods shaking, shakes all things that are made, Heb. 12

5 The Idoll of Parts and Learning. What an Idoll hath this been? If a man be a Schollar, hath been at the University, though he have not a dram of grace in his heart, no Gospel knowledge, never perhaps seriously read Pauls Epistles over, will tell you stories out of Ari­stotle, Plato, &c. and should he speak his heart, he thinks Paul but a foole to them; yet this man forsooth, if he have but a little Logick, &c. [Page 256]in his head, and can but get him some few Com­mentators and good Books, out of which he can scrape a few Principles of Divinity, and forme them according to his Logicall notions, and write all in a Paper, and come and read it in a Pulpit, he is a Minister, and Orthodox, and to speak a word against him, is to cry downe the Ministry, and destroy Church-Ordinances. Most loathed stuffe, and a filthy Idoll! I honour from my heart parts and learning, I reverence a Gospel-Ministry; but this Ministry (and such is the generality of the Ministry this day in Eng­land) my soule loaths, because I know Christs soule abhors them; and this Idoll he will short­ly abolish.

6 The Idoll of Grace. Grace is the best thing in the world, because it's the Image of Christ upon us; yet if we adore the Image more than him whom it represents, we make an Idoll of it, and so far God will blast it: With a respect to this, I take it those words are added in the close of all, vers. 22. Cease yee from man, that is, from the best of men, gracious men, lay no con­fidence, expect no great matters from them, wherein is he to be accounted of? And hath not our times verified this? Let us give glory to God, and take shame to our selves.

Quest. But when is Grace made an Idoll.

Answ. 1. When that I lay the foundation of my Principles in grace. Here is a most wouderfull mistake among Saints, they found their Princi­ples in grace, and such shall fall one time or o­ther, to have their Idoll discovered: If they have perceived themselves to act grace in such a way, they thence conclude the way to be good, [Page 257]and the Principle to be good; whereas a graci­ous man that hath a Principle of grace, doth oftentimes act his grace, even in his falls; for he never so falls, as wholly to loose the life and activity in one way or other of this Principle, whilst it's in him it will act, and if a mans fall shut it up from acting this way, it will act in a­nother, as fire inclosed may be shut up from breaking out in this place, but it will break out in another, whilst there is fire you cannot keep it from breaking out: So, where there is grace it will vent in the time of falls one way or other; the activity of grace is as naturall to it, as the life of it.

Now take a gratious man under falls, his fall shuts up the activity of grace as to this way, but grace being in him as fire shut up in his bones, will break out in some other way: There is an aptnesse in man, though the way he is in be evill; yet when he can see an activity of grace in him­selfe, to conclude thence, his way is good: As for instance, suppose a good man under some great fall, yet not convinced of it, but thinks otherwise, he finds his heart very willing to hear and receive a reproof, or to be shewed his evill from any, in this he sees an acting of grace, and because of it, he thinks his way is right; but this is a great mistake, this comes from the prin­ciple of grace in him, not from the goodnesse of his way.

So also for grace in others; we see such a man hath much grace, and upon that we think what­ever he holds must surely be the mind of God, hence we become his Disciples, not from convi­ctions upon our hearts from the word, but from [Page 258]an adoration of his grace; this we are very prone to, and it is to make an Idoll of grace.

2 When I give that to grace I should give to Christ. As suppose, I have been acting, or I have seen another acting in this or the other du­ty, and abundance of grace, as faith, love, hu­mility, &c. hath been acted in that duty, and some glorious effect hath followed thereupon, I now look upon the thing, and say, aye, this is for my grace; This is to make an abominable Idoll of grace, we give that to grace which is Christs.

Quest. But why will God abolish Idolls?

Answ. 1. Because his designe is to exalt himselfe alone, and this, whilst Idolls stand cannot be; Whilst pomp, greatnesse, strength, pollicy, parts, and grace are Idolls, these are exalted; Some men therefore that speak not a word of God all the year long, cry up this great man, or the other great man, commend him, and God is not exalted; others attribute this or that, to theirs, or such a ones strength, wit, or parts, or grace, are exalted, made Gods, but God is not exalted.

2 Because Gods soule hates Idolls above all: For Idolls strip God of his glory, and he can part with any thing better than his glory.

Quest. How will God Abolish Idolls?

Answ. 1. By the Manifestation of his owne glory. Vers. 10. Enter into the rocks, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majesty.

1 He will in this day so manifest the glory of his Holinesse, that the Idoll of Prophanesse shall hide its head. Hence, this day, Holinesse shall be [Page 259]written upon every thing, Zech. 1.4. In that day shall there be upon the Bells of the Horses, Ho­linesse to the Lord, and the Pots in the Lords house shall be like the Bowles before the Altar, yea, every po [...] in Judah and in Jerusalem shall be Holinesse unto the Lord of Hosts; Sin shall be ashamed to appear. When the Apostles Preached, such a light there was of Gods glory, that some sins were ashamed to appear in day time, as Drun­kennesse, 1 Thess. 5.7. They that be drunken, are drunken in the night.

2 He will so discover the glory of his owne great­nesse and Majesty, that all other dignities shall be in a manner nothing; As though you set up ten thousand Candles, yet when the Sun ariseth, the light of them all is nothing: The Suns of the world shall have their light put out, by the rising of the Sun of Righteousnesse.

3 He will so discover the glory of his owne pow­er, as shall destroy the Idoll-strength, his Arm shall appear to be all in all. Men shall visibly see, that not Creatures strength, but Gods Arme is al: See how they shall sing then, Isa. 12.1, 2. And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee, though thou wast [...]angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Behold, God is my Salvation: I will trust, and not be afraid, for the Lord Jebovah is my strength and my Song, he also is become my Salvation. God is my salvation: Now men cry such a valiant man, such valiant men have saved us, but then the Song will be God alone is our Salvation.

4 He will so discover his wisedome, as shall wholly destroy Idoll Pollicy. Men shall see Gods wisedome so visibly; in discovering Plots, &c. [Page 260]as that they shall see all wisedome of man to be folly.

5 He will so powre out of his Spirit, as shall utterly abolish parts, learning, and all those things as they are an Idoll. He will powre out of his Spirit upon the Sons and daughters of Sion, that they shall thereby be more filled with truth, and more able to utter the great things of God, than all the Schollars of the world.

2 By shaking all Idolls. Vers. 21. When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth: He will ter­ribly shake whatsoever hath been or is an Idoll, whether honour, or strength, or parts, or grace, And how hath God been shaking all these a­mongst us? How hath he shaken the honour of the world, pluckt off Crownes from the heads of Princes, and throwne Nobles out of their seats? How hath he been shaking strength? broken in a wonderfull way Armies by Land, Navies by Sea; How hath he shaken mens parts and wisedome? brought wise men and learned men, who made an Idoll of their learn­ing and wisedome, to so low an ebb, in respect of esteem, as they never were; and just it is, and they shall yet be brought lower, till they learne to give God the glory. Yea, how hath he sha­ken grace? and how many men of grace are fal­len? that we might learne indeed to cease from man whose breath is in his Nostrills.

Ʋse [...] Is it so, that God will abolish all [...]dolls? Then learne this, That a day will be, how much soever men now cry up their Idolls, that they shall be ashamed to owne them, Isa. 1.29. For they shall be ashamed of the Oakes which yee have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gar­dens [Page 261]yee have chosen. Men shall be in this day a­shamed to cry up worldly greatnesse, strength, pollicy, parts, as now they doe: They may have a love in their hearts to these things as Idolls still, but shall be ashamed to owne them in the way they now doe. Read, vers. 20. In that day a man shall cast his Idolls of silver, and his Idolls of gold, which they made each one for himselfe to worship, to the Moles, and to the Batts.

2 Is it so, Then let us take heed we doe not in this day set up Idolls. To set up Idolls in this day God is pulling them downe, makes the offence double. We have seen the Lord powring con­tempt upon many Idolls already, and he is now punishing us with the Idolls we have set up, let us not goe about to set up more. O let us take heed of spirituall Idolls, the great Pro­mise of the New Covenant, is, Cleansing from Idolls, Ezek. 36.25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and yee shall be clean from all your filthinesse, and from all your Idells will I cleanse you. Plead it with God.

3 Is it so, Then learne this, There shall be a day in which Saints shall have hearts to exalt God onely; The wretched Idoll selfe shall be ut­terly abolished: This is a good day.

4 Is it so, Then Saints, seeing such a day shall come, Let us labour for a spirit sit for this day when it comes.

Two things will work such a spirit in us.

1 A Mortified heart to a mans owne things, being dead to our honour, wisedome, parts, &c.

2 An enlivened heart to the things of God, and his glory. And O! that this Spirit were in us, [Page 262]that the glory of our father could be more to us then all the world. See those blessed ones, Re­vel. 5. they cry out with a loud voyce, Worthy is the Lamb that was staine, to receive power, and riches, and wisedome, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. We too often cry out our owne worthinesse, with a loud voyce, but they the Lambs, power is the Lambs, glory, ho­nour, wisedome and blessing is the Lambs.