THE Foundation of a Chri­stians ALL Laid in his being Nothing In Himself.

YOU have here the Phoenix of his days, one that doth make the Holy Ghost (as it were) to make a digression, (a digression in the sto­ry:) you have a word here that is like a Star in the mids of the Clouds; you have a Chap­ter [Page 2] before and after this, that you are ready to say when you read it, What profit is it? nothing but a Chronologie and a Genealogie, a descent of persons; but here is that which is enough to take up the meditation of a whole Chapter, Enoch walked with God, &c. Of all the rest it is said, that they lived so long, and begat so many sons and daugh­ters, but when the Holy Ghost comes to Enoch, he saith first, of him in the 22 verse, and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah &c. and not conten­ted to give such a touch, the Ho­ly Ghost records again and moreover, that he walked with God and was not, for God took him.

That which I do design, and which I hope [if the Spirit of God so design) may be for good unto your hearts, out of these words is this, viz. to hold forth [Page 3] unto you, a chief Character of a Christian; if so be that they were Christians from the beginning, (as they were, for they all dyed in the Faith; as it is said in the 11. Hebrews,) and that is this, that he is one that is not; it is a strange Character to shew you what a man is, by telling you, he is not. This is the very main thing of a Christian; the most essential thing that can be affirmed of him, that he is not, Enoch walked with God, and was not &c.

First, for the meaning of the words, there is no great difficul­ty in them; the Phrase is com­mon of walking [that walk not after the flesh, but after the spi­rit] but what is the meaning of this, he was not. It is one thing in the Letter, & another in the Spi­rit, it hath both a literal and my­stical meaning; he was not, that is, he was translated; so we find [Page 4] in the 11. Heb. 5. where it is said, By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death, and was not found, and so it follows in the Text, he was nor, for God took him. But there is also a Spirituall meaning of it, and that is this, Enoch was not, that is, he in him­self was not; but his own being, ex­cellency and glory was past away, he was nothing, but what he was, he was in Christ: Christ was to him his life, his person, and his all; in the Original it runs thus, Enoch walked with God, and was not he; according as the Apostle saith in the Epistle to the Gala­thians, Nevertheless I live, yet not I, &c. So it is said here, Enoch walked with God, and not he, for God translated him in the Spi­rit, translated him into Jesus Christ, and so a Beleever is one in Jesus Christ, he is nothing in himself, his self is past away, he [Page 5] hath got a new self. God is his self, Christ is his self, Now that same former sence of God trans­lating him literally, that was but an outward signification to the world (as it were) of that which was Enochs real glory, E­noch was past out of the flesh in­to the spirit, out of himself into God, when he was upon earth; and God to signifie this to the world, takes him from the sight of men, and translates him locally; This was a Figure of that which was done in the spirit before, and it is far the greatest to be translated in the spirit: If a man were carry­ed into heaven, if he were not translated inspirit, he would have no joy in heaven, for flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; and therefore we are said to be translated out of darkness in­to light, and out of the Kingdom of Sathan, into the Kingdome of his [Page 6] dear Son. And thus having made way, I shall come to observe something out of the words.

First, here is the translation of a Saint, and then here is the Author, and Principle of that translation. The translation of a Saint; the point that I would observe from thence, is this, Observ. That every true Christian, he is tran­slated out of his owne being, into a being in God, and this is the death of a Christian; Enoch walked with God, and he was not, he is dead unto the world, and he is dead unto the Law, he is dead un­to his own righteousnes, and unto all created glory and excellency, but he is alive unto God: a true Christian, he is not, that is, he is not in himself, his self is past a­way, he hath got another self, a new self, and that is God, instead of his old self, instead of his rot­ten self; you shal see this in the [Page 7] 7. Rom. the latter end, So then with my mind, I my self serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Mark you there; The flesh, a Belie­ver counts none of himself; as it is in Rom. 8. 9. You are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if the spirit of God dwel in you; and so in the 6. Chap. of that Epistle, How can we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein; Sin is said to be condemned in the flesh, in the 8. Chap. 3 v. That which I desire chiefly to bind my self unto, is this, to shew unto Beleevers, that if so be they be true Beleevers, they have a being in God, and in the Spirit, yea, an intire being, & they are to have no being at all in the flesh, I say, if so be they are true Beleevers, they have an intire being in God, and the Spirit, and are to account themselves to have no being, no interest at all in the flesh. There are they that speak [Page 8] of a fleshly, and a spirituall part in Beleevers, and this same spi­ritual part they look upon as that which should be encouraged, that to which all the promises belong, but many times they can­not find this same spiritual part, and so can have no comfort, as in time of tentation; (and I beseech you consider that, for it will be a sufficient argument against the going on in such a kind of appre­hension as that is, of a spirituall part, and a fleshly, and the like, (taking this spirituall part to be grace in the act; for when they finde not grace in the act, they cannot take any comfort at all, then they [...]ake up themselves in the same heap and dunghill with the world,) but if God made out this to you, that you have an in­tire being in the spirit, and that it is possible for a Saint to retreate into the spirit so wholy, as to ga­ther [Page 9] himself intirely, and to ga­ther up all his interest into the spirit; this would be much to the relief & comfort of a poor soul.

Now I must shew you what are the fruits and conse­quences of this, and then come to shew you the way that God brings his people to this.

First, I wil shew you the benefit of a Christians losing himself in the flesh; this is the benefit of it, he loseth sin, by losing that being in 1 the flesh; pray mark it, he doth lose his sin, and the reason is this, because it is only flesh, that is the freehold of sin: and when a man is once gone out of the flesh, he is gone out of sins Territories, out of sins Dominions, and he loseth his sin by this means, and that in a two-fold sense. First, sin cannot be charged upon him, as you shall see the Apostle for it, in the 7. Rom. So then it is no more I, but sin [Page 10] that dwelleth in me. Pray marke it: Why not I? But because I am gone out of the flesh, I am gone out of the fleshly principle, I do not own my self; I have a being out of my self; I have a being in the spirit, and there can no guilt or sin follow me; the avenger of blood cannot pursue him further then flesh, for being in the spi­rit he hath got hold of the Horns of the Altar. Wil you condemn the Son of God? The heir of Glo­ry? Is Christ a Sinner? Can the Son of God be under the wrath of God? Why, he is ceased to be in himself, he is in Christ.

And then secondly, Sin it cannot rule over him, he loseth his sin that way, He that is born of God keeps himself, that the evil one toucheth him not, he that abideth in him sin­neth not: and divers such places in the 1. Epistle of John, for it is only the flesh that the Divill [Page 11] hath a title unto, and that sinne hath a title unto; sin hath title in­deed to the Old Adam, and to all the Sons of Old Adam; as they are natural, and as they are flesh and blood, they are the slaves and vassals of Sin and Satan; but the new creature, he hath nothing to do withall: It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. You may understand it this way also, when the Devill comes to tempt a Saint that lives in the Spirit, he doth as good as come and bid the Son of God to fall down and Worship him.

2. As he loseth his sin by this 2 means, so he is set free from death by this means, set free from condem­nation, the wrath of God cannot seize upon him, This is my well beloved Son in whom I am wel plea­sed. God cannot be displeased with his wel beloved Son. When a man is once in Christ, there is [Page 12] nothing issues out from God but love, nothing but smiles, and good words, and good wishes; this is the benefit of a man being in Christ, of a man not being in himself, of a man ceasing to be in the flesh; he loseth his sin, and doth escape death and judgment. And therefore it is, that this same Enoch here, (as a pledg to all o­ther that walk in his steps) he was translated that he should not see death it self, because death is as it were an Emblem of the pu­nishment of sin (an Emblem I say; for if the damned had no worse punishment then the death of the body, it were no punish­ment, but death hath a form of punishment,) therefore Enoch was translated that he should not see death, because he was not, that is, he was not himself, he was in Christ, who is the Resur­rection, and the Life.

Yea a 3. benefit: whatsoever tri­bulation 3 a Christian is in, he may rejoyce in it, if he be not; & this is indeed the very sum of his com­fort, the summe of his happiness, that whatsoever estate and condi­tion he seems to be in outwardly, yet he hath a retreating place, in which he can look upon all these things that befall his flesh, and can rejoyce in them, and be a­bove them; when a man shal see that these afflictions that are up­on him are for physick, not for punishment, he can withdraw from them all, and he can be a Spectator of them, and not suf­fer at all; he is active in all, he doth withdraw himself from un­der all; it is true, saith he, this is upon my flesh, but yet he doth possess and enjoy an other state, and another life▪ and another personallity in the Spirit; he is in Christ, and as I am in Christ, [Page 14] there is no condemnation towards me, I am sure, there is nothing but love towards me, this is the highest comfort that can be, for a man to be able to withdraw himself from all sin and misery, as if he had no part in it, though it be upon him; this is that the Holy Ghost speaks in the 91. Psalm 1. 2. it is spoken expresly there, He that dwelleth in the se­cret place of the mosthigh shal abide under the shadow of the Almighty; and that is he that dwells in the spirit, this is fulfilled many times in the literall understanding of it, that the Saints do escape when Common Calamities are in the world, but there is a fulfilling this in the Spirit; when the spiri­tual Being of a Beleever can stand and look upon his fleshly Being, as if the sufferings thereof were not upon him, but upon a­nother person, and this is the Ex­perience [Page 15] of the Saints; I am per­swaded I speake to the Experi­ence of some Saints. And thus a Christian evades all, shifts all; charge sin upon him, he shakes it off, it doth not belong to him: Lay afflictions upon him, he escapes them all, & is indempnified; not that a beleever doth therfore take boldness to sin, because of this; No, there is none doth more ab­horre Sin, then this person I now speak of; & the discovery that God makes to such persons, is direct­ly contrary & destructive to Sin.

Now the next thing is to shew The Meant you by what means God makes a Christian not to be himself, and in himself, and that is by God re­vealing another self within a Chri­stian; by this doth God put a Christian out of himself, by sub­stituting and revealing another self in that Christian. What is that? A Spiritual self, that is God [Page 16] himself in Jesus Christ, he be­comes a new Principle in that same soul, a Principle of life and of action; a Principle of righte­ousness and of strength. It may be thought to be done otherwise, but we shall find, though God carry the worke under another form and appearance, yet this is indeed the vertue and power that doth the deed, & turns a man out of himself; it is Gods discovery of himself to the soul; we may think that God doth it by the Terrors of the Law, as there, when the Com­mandment came I died, & I through the Law am dead unto the Law &c. Rom. 7. 9. we may think, God doth it by discovering the vanity of our hearts, and the weakness of our Principles, for that they cannot make their party good with Sin, but notwithstanding we are o­vercome: all this is true, but the soul is not carryed forth power­fully [Page 17] and effectually to part with it owne self, till God doe pawn himself to the soul, to be instead of himself, till God say to the soul, forsake thy self, and I will be unto thee instead of thy self; I will be thy Righteousness and thy strength; I will be instead of the Law; til then it is impossi­ble that the soul should part with self, and should not be. So that it is by the glory of God ap­pearing in the soul, that the soul is crucified and turned out of it self; even as it was with Christ; he knew if he dyed, and went a­way in the flesh, he should come again in the spirit, and that he saith himself, and discourseth of it in the Gospel according to St. John 12. 24. If the seed fall into the ground &c. He that loveth this life shal lose it; but he that hateth this life, shal have life eternal. Up­on this accompt did Christ yield [Page 18] up himself cheerfully to death. Therefore it is said, that Jesus Christ by the eternal spirit offe­red up himself; it was by the eter­nal spirit, that reveals the glorious design of the Father in his death, that Christ was brought to yield himself unto death. Now the de­grees by which this death of self is accomplished, are these three.

First, God doth make a discovery to the soul of the rotteness of old self, and of the bitterness of that self, that is tendered to us of Gods self; this discovery is made to us, and God doth together therewith reveal himself in us; he reveals himself in us; and shews himself to be our Righteousness and our Strength. The soul sees it self possessed of God, and sees God dwelling in him, & now the soul knows it cannot be found naked. Now saith the soul, I may part with my self when I will, for I have a better self.

And secondly, Hereupon the soul hath all its life in God, and his heart is set upon God; he sees God within him, and now his eyes are turned to this Emanuell, God dwelling in his flesh; and now he admires not the things he did before; he did admire other men, and their enlargements and abilities; he admired their affe­ctions and expressions in prayer, he admired such and such acts of piety and charity (which a man may do and seek himself all this while;) he admired the flesh, but now he hath no confidence or de­light in the flesh; he looks whol­ly upon God, and admires him, and admires that ever God should dwel with man, that God whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain; that he should take up such an heart, that he should become the righteousness of such a creature.

3. Hereupon follows passion & action, 1. The soul hereupon hath all its comforts from God, and di­rects all his courses to God; and he saith now, Ashur shal not save us, we will not ride upon Horses; we have made mention of other names, and other Lords, but now by thee only we will make men­tion of thy name, even thine: so he hath sweet delight and acqui­escence in God. 2. The soul doth all to the glory of God; if a man live in the flesh, he will be acting in the flesh; but if a man live in God, and live in the spirit, and live in that unseen righteousness, and upon that invisible strength, then all his application of him­self is unto God, and so he walks not after the flesh, but after the spirit, and all his waiting will be for this God; if at any time he is insensible of his presence, he waits upon God, he saith not, if it [Page 21] werethus withme, I should behap­py: as Martha said, if thou hadst [...]n here, my Brother had not dyed; (she considered not, that Christ in the spirit had power now to recover from death, as well as keep from death) but the soule saith; if God wil shine upon me, I shal be comforted; if he hide his face I am troubled; it is not I will do this, and I will do that, but God wil do this and that; and it is not, if I had such means, I should have power and get ground over my corruptions, but if God arise, his enemies shall be scattered: And such a soul is dead to the Law, and the Righte­ousness of the Law, and dead to the workings of it, and sees that the Law cannot give strength; it is God, that of his grace, is strength to the poor soul, and thus the soul hath entertained God as his guest, and let the So­domites [Page 22] come and compass about Lots House, he minds them not; the soul sees nothing in compari­son, but his soule pants, as the Hart, after the water brook; and this is the condition of a soule that is not.

Now if you ask me the reason of this, why a true Christian is one that is not: I answer, this is the reason of it, because God is all, and he will be known to be all, he will have his people to know so, and will have it held forth that he is all; and therefore there must be a dying thus, and a withering, and decaying, and a going out of a mans self. I know no other reason but this, why God did ordaine that same state of nature, before the state of grace; why he revealed Adam be­fore Christ; but only this, that so God might make it knwon to us, that he is all in all. For how­soever [Page 23] God was all in all, and would have been all in all, and could not be otherwise; for was there any thing before God, or is there any thing, whereof it may be said, it is besides God? But yet God had not been manifested to be all in all, so as he is by causing the Creature to dye to its self; as if God had created light, and ne­ver created darkness, light had been light, but light is known by darkness: So God would have been all howsoever, but he is known to be all by this same forme of the creature dying in himself, dying in those abilities which are Gods; for we have no­thing but what is Gods, and what he gives us, and is to us; but God hereby holds forth himself to be all to us, after lower and darker forms; when removed and cor­rupted, we see still another and higher blessedness in God; and it [Page 24] is likewise for to give us our taste; he that hath tasted the sower, is fit to taste the sweet; he that hath seen the fading of the flower, is better prepared to see a living a­ctivity; so we have known God in nature, we are hereby prepared to admire Gods discovery in the Gospel.

Now before the Use of this point, there is only one thing more I will mention, and that is this, That the death of a Belee­ver is into God, as I may so say, e­ven as the seed that dyes as a seed, but it dyes into a flower that is better then the seed, so doth a Be­leever do, that is the tearm of his death: (So now I have explained all that I think of to you;) now the Use is this.

1. It serves to discover and disgrace the Religion of most men that are not acquainted with this same dying to themselves: [Page 25] you have many, especially in these times, that do come under this search and tryall, and will be found too light, and there are two sorts: some who have advanced a Reformation from that same knowledg which is come abroad in these times, they have set up a form of Religion in their Fami­lies, and it may be they are fallen into a form of Communion with Christians; others are such as are only state Reformers, and the time-Reformers: Now both of them, although there may be graduall difference, yet both of them discover themselves, that they are of the earth by this: they are to be known by their con­ceits of themselves, by their mag­nifying their duties, and their forms they are in. As a Christian ceaseth to be, soe doe all things cease to be anything to him, and he doth no more admire an high [Page 26] form in Religion, then he doth admire himself; all things are crucified to him, as wel as he is crucified to them. But many are like the multitude that Christ spake to, in the 5. of Mat. They wil be very Zealous & Jea­lous, lest others should destroy the Law, who preach the Gospel purely in the spirit; and why are They zealous of the Law, but be­cause they think they can keep the Law; they know only some lower formes of the Law, (but if they knew the Highest formes of the Law it were all one,) for they are censorious of others, and wil persecute others, if they will not come up to their form: whereas you shall hear a broken-hearted Paul say, that Circumcisi­on it nothing &c. Paul saw that a man might be a circumcised Jew, & yet ly down in hel with an un­circumcised Gentile: but others by [Page 27] their censoriousnes of others, ma­nifest, that they are not ceased to be in the flesh: the truth is, he that doth know God, and doth worship God in spirit, hath such low thoughts of all manner of outward forms, that he doth nei­ther judg himself nor others, in the least kind by them, for he sees that which is so much beyond, and he is pressing towards that stil; he takes heed how he riseth up in the morning and blesseth himself, or his neighbour, in his form: for he sees much uncir­cumcision of heart in the best form.

The next is a Use of direction to poore creatures that see and subscribe to the truth: That true Christianity begins in self-deny­all, and are saying, what may we do, that we may be after this man­ner, that we may not be in our selves: that the next word wil tell [Page 28] you, God took him: Enoch had been as other men, but that God took him; he had been in the flesh, and had confidence in the flesh, and had been some body in his owne eyes, if so be God had not tooke him; so that this you are to wait for, till God take you up: you cannot bring down the spirit, a man cannot make an hair of his head white or black, a man cannot make a thought, a man cannot mould one desire or affe­ction in him, it is beyond his power; this is according to that I spake in the opening of the point, somewhat toward this, namely, that it is God revealing himself and his owne glory to the soule, that engageth the soule to forget his owne kindred, and his fathers house: Come faith God, thou shalt be marryed honorably; I wil marry thee my self, forget thy self, forget thy sins, so indeed [Page 29] the death of a Christian is a sweet death: and as the Psalmist saith, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints. God comes and takes that place that before Self had; and therefore you have the death of a Saint expressed in this manner, Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. God is there to receive the soul, or else the soul would never be content to go out of the body, and so it is here spiritually.

And the 3. and last Use is this, A Hint or Discovery to what end death is ordained, that for­mall death that we looke upon with so much fear, and with such a sad reflection upon our selves, when we think of our selves. I must ere long dye, and be among the dead. This is our Ignorance, what is death? What is it for? It is but an outward forme and sig­nification of that work, that God [Page 30] in the spirit of a Saint doth eve­ry day; for what is the life of a Saint, but a continual dying into the hands of God, his Righteous­ness expires into the Righteous­ness of God; God increaseth in him, and himself decreaseth; he hath less thoughts of himself, and his own strength, and hath high­er thoughts of God; he doth less know himself after the flesh, and according to outward appearan­ces, and he more judgeth of him­self as he is in God, and as in Christ Jesus; so that a Beleever dyes dayly, and when God hath finished his whole worke upon Mount Sion, then he will with­draw the form of death; when he hath brought his people to dye to themselves and to the world, as he wil in the latter days, then death shal be swallowed up; for as we see how men are when they are dead, they mind no more re­lations; [Page 31] a Child no longer ob­serves his Father when he is dead, ceaseth to act to the relation, and ceaseth to act to the objects of this world; strew fine sweet flow­ers before a dead corps, the corps smels them not; and bring good chear before dead corps, the corps tasts it not; so shal Saints be to sin and this world: And thus I am perswaded God would not have continued death in the world, since he hath reconciled the world, but to teach the world. And what are all these changes when a soul is gone to God be­fore, is it any terrible thing for such an one to dye? It was the speech of one of precious memo­ry in this City, when he was dy­ing; saith he, I shal but change my place, not my company; he walked as Enoch did: So it is with us in all our changes that befal us, they are but the outward formes and [Page 32] significations of that which is do­ing every day, therefore we are not to judge according to the sight of our eyes, not reckon our selves by our duties, and our graces and performances; not reckon by that power we see in our selves to resist sin, or act in duties, but look to an invisible presence of the spirit in oursouls, that can never be taken from us, which Mothes cannot corrupt, and where Thieves cannot break through and steal.

SOMETHING OF THE MYSTERY OF THE FATHER AND OF CHRIST.

THese are the words of our Saviour a little be­fore his suffering, when he spake not upon his own life, but upon the life and comfort of his Disciples, [Page 34] whose hearts were ful of heaviness: and much ado he had to keep them up from sinking; therefore no que­stion but Jesus Christ did grone in Spirit, and did go down deep, that he might bring up something from the bottom to refresh their hearts; & tobear them up against that houre that was coming upon him, their Lord and Master, and upon them, in being deprived of him: & therefore we finde him here very copious, as well as very sweet, bestowing the whole 14. 15. & 16. Chapters upon them.

Among all the comforts Christ doth minister unto them, this is one, and a chief one, That they should see him again, and he would hide himself from them but a little while: Not only his going away was for their advantage, but he would come again to them. This he tels them often, especially here at the 17. verse of this Chapter. A [Page 35] little while, and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while, and ye shall see me.

And to let pass the rectfying of their understandings concerning these promises, and these underta­kings of his; he tels them what he wil do for them when he sees them again, and what shal be their condi­tion in that day: At the 22. verse, in general he tels them, Their hearts should rejoyce, and no man should take their joy from them: And particu­larly; verse, 23. In that day you shal ask me nothing, (saith he) verily, ve­rily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shal ask the Father in my name, he wil do it. They shall have all their Petiti­ons; It shall be a day of grace and favour, such as Herods birth-day was, when he promised he would give Herodias his Daughter the half of his Kingdom: but this is not restrayned to half of the Kingdom; for we know, the spirit himself is [Page 36] promised to those that ask him; & the Spirit is the Kingdom of God, it is God, and his Kingdom and all.

Another benefit, and advantage of that time when he would see them again, is this, that I have read to you in the Text; I wil shew you plainly of the Father. Hitherto have I spoken to you in Parables, the time cometh that I will speak no more in Parables, but will shew you plainly of the Father.

Obiect. But it wil be said, Christ spake in Parables to the Multitude, but he spake not in Parables to his Di­sciples; or if he did, he opened the Parables to them; as its said, When be came into the house, he opened the Parable of the tares; and so he did other Parables.

Solu. I conceive, this Scripture mea­neth other kinds of Parables then those: for in such Parables Christ spake not at that time: but under Pa­rables, here is meant, not only those [Page 37] very portions of Scripture, which have the form of Parables; but the whole Preaching and Ministry of Christ, as Man; and not only so, but the whole Ministration and Appearance of God in the Flesh of Christ, may be called a Parable; and thus were they Parables that he had spoken to them in? I have spoken to you hitherto in Parables; but the time cometh when I wil speak no more to you in Parables, but I wil shew you plainly of the Father. And this plain shewing of the Father, is when Christ comes in the Spirit. While a Beleever knows Christ only after the flesh, he knows the love of God, and the Covenant of God, and the things that concern his peace, only in a Parable: but when God comes to do those things in him, in the Spirit, which were done to him in Christ, in the flesh; Why then doth God shew himself unto him plainly. This shall suffice in brief [Page 38] to have opened the words unto you.

The parts of the Text are these two.

1. Here is the casting up (as it were) of the Dispensation or Admi­nistration of Christ in the flesh: It is cast up, what it amounts unto; and that is a speaking to the world in Parables.

2. Here is the glory of Christs appearing in the Spirit, in the heart of a Beleever, and that is a plain Demonstration, or shewing of the Father.

In this latter are these two things.

1. Here is the Object of Divine Discoveries, and that is the Father; I will shew you plainly of the Fa­ther.

2. Here is the Quality of the Spirits Discovery: it is a plain Di­scovery.

Doctr. I shall speak first of the former, & shal observe unto you this point.

That the Preaching and Admi­nistration [Page 39] of Christ in the flesh, was but a speaking to us, as it were, in Parables.

Hitherto (saith Christ) have I spoken to you in Parables: The time cometh when I shall no more speak to you in Parables. If we enquire what a Parable is, we shal find that the Use of a Parable doth agree with the Nature of this Discove­ry, or Appearance of God in the Flesh of Christ; for to this shall I confine my Discourse.

A Parable is this; when there is a latent sense under patent words; When there are words outwardly sounding one thing, and a sense un­der those words, that is not concei­ved by the Vulgar understanding: This is a Parable: It is a Riddle; It is a dark saying. And certainly the Wise man in the beginning of his Book of Proverbs, or Parables, (as he calls them) wherein are the Treasures of the Gospell; He calls [Page 40] the Gospell there, Parables. Prov. 9. 6. Now that Christ in the flesh, is such a Parable, may be made good unto you, thus.

There is one thing doth appear outwardly, and runs into the sences of men. And there is another thing held forth under that, which few do perceive, but those that are singu­larly taught of God: That which is visible and obvious, and runs in­to the sences of men, is a Carnall transaction. A Bargain between God and Christ: The doings and suf­ferings of Christ in the flesh; and by these doings and sufferings, our Life, our Justification and our Peace. This is the outward form, (as it were,) this is the Parable. Now what is that which is held forth under this Parable?

There are these two things that are veyled and hid under this Para­ble, which most men doe not set their eyes upon.

And the first is this; The Love of the Father: This is scarce eyed by most men, but they think that the worke of their salvation proceeds from the kind heart of Jesus Christ; and so they look upon his Humane Heart and Affections, as the Root and Original of their Redemption: Whereas Christ tells us in this Chapter; I say not, that I will pray for you, for the Father himself loves you; As who should say, though I should hold my peace, the Father himself loves you. Now this is that which few men see in and under this Parable.

Christ Jesus in his dying for man, was set up by God in the place of God, to shew us the great love that God did bear unto man: I say, he was set up by God in the place of God, and that not to shew (his own) love only, but to shew the Fa­thers Love; and therefore we find these names given unto Christ, and [Page 42] these things spoken of him; That he is the brightness of the Fathers Glory, and the express Image of his Person: And we saw his Glory (saith John) as the Glory of the only begot­ten Son of God.

The Apostles and Spiritual men saw the Love of God held forth through the doings and sufferings of Christ. And therefore it is said, (I beseech you mark it) in the 5. of John; The Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judg­ment to the Son, that men might ho­nor the Son, as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, hono­reth not the Father that hath sent him. God is he that must inherit all honor and glory to eternity: but he hath for the present set up Christ Jesus, to make himself known unto the world. It was not, that Christ should make himself known, or that we should lye down in the Discovery of Christ, but that by [Page 43] Christ, the Father might be known, and discovered to us, and his love; and therefore, it is said; That this is life eternal, to know thee to be the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. The meaning is not, as if it were not enough to know the Father; but that there is no knowing of the Father but by Je­sus Christ, whom he hath sent for that end. So that Jesus Christ hath fulfilled his Ministration when he hath made known the Father, and then is the Kingdom delivered up by the Son, yea, by all the Sons of God: when once they come to know God by Christ, they deliver up the Kingdom from Christ unto God, even unto the Father. This is the first thing that is hid under this same Parable. Christ bears the name, but God doth the thing; Christ saith, I came to do the work of him that sent me. God saith unto Christ; thou shalt make me known unto the world.

But the second thing that is hid under this Parable, is, the doing of the like works in the Saints, as were done in Christ Jesus. This is that which they onely see and receive, that are delivered from the delusi­ons of Antichrist. Antichrist cryes up Christ in the flesh; cries up that same man Christ Jesus, that dyed for our sins and rose again for our Justification; but he knows not Christ in the Spirit; he knows not Christ, and him crucified, in the Saints; He knows not the power of his Resurrection in Beleevers; He knows not the exceeding greatness of that power which wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, working in us: in both these re­spects, is Christs Ministration in the flesh, a speaking in Parables.

First, because the Gospell seems to run thus, as that Christ hath done this and that for us, whereas indeed it was God in Christ; God [Page 45] was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, 2 Cor. 5. before end. And whereas the Gospell seems to deli­ver to us a History only of what Christ Jesus hath done for us in the flesh; It doth indeed hold forth the Model and Platform of that sal­vation that is carryed on in the spi­rit, and is revealed in the breasts of the Saints; I say, that is wrought and revealed there sutably and a­greably to all those steps and sta­ges, to all those points and periods you shal find in the Letter. The same things are done in the Saints in the Spirit, that were done in, and upon Christ in the flesh.

And now I have opened this point unto you; if you require any reason for it, why God did speak to us in a Parable, and why he shews us things as in a glasse; why he shews us rather the Image of things, then the things themselves; Reason. it is because of our weaknesse; it is [Page 46] because of our childishnesse.

It was the manner of the Hea­then to put wisdom into Parables, to put their wise Observations into fables, into pleasant tales and sto­ries, for these two reasons.

First, that they might hide wis­dom from the Vulgar.

2. That they might the better insinuate it into their Children, and those that were ingenuous.

And these two Reasons may be given, why God teaches the world by Parables: It is for their weak­nesse sake; It is to take them and lead them by the hand, to speak to them in childish things, in things within their own sphere and under­standing. So God hath done to us in the flesh of Christ. You will be­leeve a man loves you, if he wil dye for you; you wil beleeve a Credi­tor wil be reconciled to you, if he pay the debt himself: Why, be­hold thus doth God satisfie man. [Page 47] 2. Rea. God doth this to hide these things from the prophane of the world: I thank thee O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise, and hast revealed them unto babes &c. And therefore if you observe it, Christ did commonly speak to the Multitude in Parables: they had Parable upon Parable, they had rind upon rind, one shel upon ano­ther, that they could not easily come to the kernell. And the Reason is this, that wicked and prophane men may scoff and jeer at the Let­ter and Parable, but God doth keep the truth from that contempt and obloquie. The outward Court is given to the Gentiles to be trodden down: God makes it not much matter; men may tread down out­ward forms, and God may let them prophane them; but there is a place where none come that defile, and that is the Spirit, the truth, as it is [Page 48] in Jesus: Gods Truth is Himself. We know that precious things have covering upon covering, they have lappings one upon another [...] Iewels have Caskets to put them in; though the Casket fall into the dirt, yet the Iewells will be kept clean. So prophane and wicked men may preach and receive the Gospell in a Parable, in the out­ward Letter. But what hast thou to do to take my word in thy mouth? the word in the Spirit; for it is that hidden wisdome that is prepared for our glory; as the Apostle saith. 1 Cor. 2.

Ʋse. Now all the Use of this point I shal make to you, is this; to desire you to look into your selves, whe­ther you know any more then Pa­rables; whether you can doe any more then say over Parables.

Examine your selves by those two things spoken of before. Do you discerne God under the forme [Page 49] of the man Christ Jesus? Do you see God coming forth unto you in Christ? And then do you find the Gospel to be realized in your hearts and spirits? Do you find these transactions to be transacted over again in you? The death of Christ in you? The life of Christ in you? The Resurrection of Christ in you?

Now a further thing I aime at, is this, and this specially; The plain shewing of the Father by the Spirit, Hitherto have I spoken to you in Parables; the time cometh when I will speak no m [...]re to you in para­bles, but will shew you plainly of the Father.

I shal only speak, at this time, of the Object of Divine Discoveries, and that is the Father; The time cometh that I will shew you plainly of the Father: So that the point is this.

Doctr. That the adequate Object (or [Page 50] the whole and intire Object) of the Discovery of Christ and the Gos­pel, is the Discovery of the Father unto us.

This our Saviour plainly inti­mates here, in saying; The time comes that I wil shew you plainly of the Father. For if there had been a­ny thing else that they had needed to have known, he would have men­tioned that also; This is life eter­nal (saith Christ, John. 17. 3.) to know thee the only true God, and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent; to know thee by Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent; as I told you before, for we cannot know the Father but by Christ.

But more particularly and expres­ly in Iohn 14. 8. saith Phillip there; Lordshew us the Father, and it suffi­ceth us; pray mark: As Pilate, and other wicked men, (as Bala­am, and the High Priest) many times spake things, that they knew [Page 51] not all that was in what they spake. Sodoth Phillip here; he speaks more truth, then he is aware; Shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us; It is most true, and Christ never contra­dicts him; he never says no, it would not suffice to know the Father. The Father is the whole object of divine Discoveries. The Fathers Love; as in the 6. of Iohn 29. This is the wil of him that sent, that of all those he hath given me, I should lose none. The Fathers Person: No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. This then I say, that which was the scope of Christs comming downe from Heaven, must needs be the a­dequate scope of the Gospell: But to declare the Father, was the scope of Christs comming downe from Heaven; to declare the Fathers Person, as wel as the Fathers Love. Therfore he is called the express I­mage [Page 52] of his Person: God did not send the Image of his Person, but that we should know his Person by that Image. Many take up the I­mage and the Picture, and they ne­ver know the Person; as when they take up Christ in the flesh; for in­deed Christ in the Spirit is one and the fame with the Father; knowest thou not that I am in the Fa­ther & the Father in me? as Christ discourseth in that 14 of Ioh. 9. 10, 11. Have I been so long time with you? And hast thou not seen me Phillip? He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father. And therefore are these expressions in Scripture, of belee­ving in God by Christ, and coming to God by Him, and through Him: Jesus Christ Himself in the flesh, is but a forme in which the Father doth present himself unto the world: But what is the Father, you wilsay? Ans. The Father here is God in Himself, bringing forth all [Page 53] things within Himself, possessing all things with in Himself. God as he is, this is the Father; you know that is the expectation of the Saints to see God as he is; Iesus Christ, and all that God is to man in Iesus Christ, it is in a form descen­ding, or in a condescending form; Righteousness is such a form, San­ctification is such a form, Redemp­tion is such a form; All these are but formes in which God descends unto us; they are not God Himself as he is. And there shall come a time when these forms shal vanish, when as the Saints shall heare no more of Righteousness, or of San­ctification; for Righteousness what is it, but a relative word that re­lates to sin? when sin shall be no more, righteousness shall be no more; Sanctification is a relative word, that signifies peculiarity and separation. This refers to common things, and unclean things; but [Page 54] when there shall be no unclean nor common thing, but God shall be all in all, and all things shall be in a form or appearance, suitable to the form wherein they were in God, then the notion of Sanctifica­tion shall cease; so then the Fa­ther is the journies end of a Chri­stian. That which is first is last, and that which is last was first: The Fa­ther is first of all. There was a time when God lived only in Himself, and possessed all things in a divine form in Himself. His own Diety was his Heaven, and was all unto him. The time cometh, when these things that are brought forth in a distinction from God in pro­per beings of their own, shal be re­turned and marryed to him, and u­nited to that Original whence they sprang, and live in his life, and shine in his glory. And so the Fa­ther, who is the first, shall be the last also. The end must find the be­ginning; [Page 55] as the year is discribed to you, by such an emblem of a Snake, taking his tayl in his mouth, the end running into the beginning; all things came from God, and God by all things shews Himself. All things are Pictures and Emblems of God, and especially Christ Ie­sus; and the Saints they shew forth the vertues and the praises of God, but all these things they must, they do wheel about, until the end doth find the beginning, and so God shal be all in all: When God hath made known himself by his Sonne unto the Saints, then shal God cease ad­ministring any longer to the world, as he hath done by our flesh, and by the man Christ Iesus; but God Himself shall be all in all. So that by the Father here I mean not a Per­son in the Trinity, but rather the whole Trinity considered essentially & originally as containing in them that state & appearance of things [Page 56] which was their first and Originall glory, which is said in Scripture to be in the form of God, which this present state and appearance waits to be cloathed withall, and to be swallowed up in, so as to subsist, act and live in that, and not in their own, yet their own not to be de­stroyed by this, nor mixed or con­founded by this, but cloathed upon with this; and so of Christ it is said, that he shal come in the glory of the Father: Christ is not de­stroyed, but is stil, and keeps his di­stinct being, but this being lives, acts and appears in the Glory of the Father.

Reason. Now if you ask me the Reason of this: why! is it not all the Reason in the world, that God should only be, and only appear, and only be glorified? He may lend his glo­ry for a time, and may lend his name for a time unto others, that they may make him known unto [Page 57] the world; as a King may lend his Kingly Honor to some Leiutenant in another Country (as suppose in Ireland) that so that Country may be Conquered for him, and Gover­ned for him; but when it is done, we know all derivative power and authority, and names whatsoever, do yield up to those from whom they receive their Commission, when they have done, that for which they had their Commission; and so it is in this case.

Use. To apply this same truth, I de­sire you in the fear of God, not to mistake me, nor wilfully to per­vert what I say. Let us take heed of Idolizing even the humanity of Iesus Christ Himself; of Idolizing his doings or his sufferings; We see God through these doings or sufferings of Iesus Christ for us, as through a Glass; but it is no Blas­phemy to say, that a Beleever may come to see a Love of God born [Page 58] unto him, above and before the ma­festation of it in the sufferings of Iesus Christ. He may see it in God Himself, though by Christ. Do not think you know as much as you need to know, and as much as is the interest of your life and happiness to know, in knowing the flesh of Christ, in knowing the man, Christ Iesus; for unless you know God in his appearance under that form; you mistake Christ, and make him an Idol: I am nothing (saith Christ,) the flesh profits nothing; He that sends, is greater then he that is sent, Christ saith so himself: If God be greater then Christ, then Christ himself is but a Medium, through which you come to be acquainted with God, and in which you must not rest: There is no comparison between that which is infinite. If so be that Christ himself; if the man Christ Iesus were eternall life, he would not have said; The Father [Page 59] is greater then I. No, know the Father by Christ is eternall life. Take heed of being offended, when you shal hear such like Doctrine as this; that the sufferings of Iesus Christ in the flesh for us, were, as it were, but a Parable in which God spake to us; and that Gods Heart was not set upon the very having of a little blood for the sins of his peo­ple; but that herein he premedita­tedly, if we look upon it in the O­riginall contrivance, would com­mend his love to us, and herein if we relate to the lapsed estate, he considers us poor creatures as we are, and speaks to our childishness and weaknesse; who being made under such a Law, and having in­curred the curse, could not see how there could be reconciliation with­out blood-shedding. Be not offen­ded, when as you hear that there is a greater work done, in the Spirit, in the Saints, then was the offering [Page 60] up the flesh of Christ: That there is a greater Sacrifice offered up to God, when as the old Adam; mans own Righteousness and Strength is crucified, and is offered up unto God; I say, a greater Sacrifice, then the very Sacrificing of the flesh of Christ him self; that is, if you take the Sacrifice of Christ without the Mystery; for that Sacrifice was indeed the root, as wel as the figure of this same Sacrifice.

2. And in the second place; If so be you need be warned of Idoli­zing the Humanity of Iesus Christ; we had need to warn you of Idoli­zing other forms.

There are two sorts of formes, wherein God appears to the world: There is the Humanity of Christ, which is the first and the Highest, and the most immediate Form and Appearance of God; and there are Ordinances in which God appears, as it were at the second hand, and [Page 61] by reflexion; as when the Sun ap­pears in the Rain-bow, or when it makes another Sun like it self in a watry cloud, which is, but the Sun by reflexion; so Ordinances are but the shadow, as it were, of the I­mage; Christ is the Image of the Fathers Person, (he is but the I­mage, neither) but the Ordinances are but shadows of the Image, therefore take heed of Idolizing forms; your interest lies in know­ing the Father, not in knowing any form whatsoever; and take heed of censuring and judging spirituall discoveries. Those that should have told the Disciples, that there was a better thing then the presence of Christ with them in the flesh; certainly they would have given much offence to them: Take heed of being offended, if we say, there is a higher thing then Ordinances, then fasting, then praying, yea, we may say, there is a higher thing then [Page 62] beleeving, and that is seeing the Fa­ther, and knowing the Father with­out a form, manifesting and revea­ling himself in his own immediate light. Now this I desire you to wait for and seek for, and to press towards this point, and that for these Reasons.

1. Because every form hath weak­ness in it, and therefore you cannot rest in the knowing God in a form.

2. Every form hath some unlike­ness in it, which comes to pass through our mistake: and certainly your great Clarks do so criticize upon the Letter of the Scripture, that they are by the Letter many times led out of the way, and from the mind of the spirit: and those that look upon Christ, and calcu­late all the actions and sufferings of Christ with an eye of Reason: What a strange thing do they make of the Gospel? They make it a notional thing. Every form hath [Page 63] weakness, and an unlikeness in it; you wil never see God as he is, till you see him without a form, till you see him in Himself.

3. I shall shew you what are some of the actings of that state of Beleevers, when they shal come to be past form: Christ tells you some of them here, John 16. In that day (saith Christ) you shall ask me nothing: There is one; But what then? Whatsoever you shal ask the Father in my name, he wil give it you; This is another. This is a Be­leever that is come out of a form, that is gone beyond this form, when he goes to God, not in the name of an outward Mediator only, but he goes to God in the same Spirit, in that inward unction that is upon him; for that I conceive Christ meaneth here; whatsoever ye shal ask the Father in my name. Now e­very Beleever hath the name of Christ upon him, and hath the [Page 64] name of the new Ierusalem upon him, and hath the new name upon him; his name is the Christ of God, the annoynted of God; the annoyn­ting that is upon you shall teach you all things; now then is that man past formes that goes to God, as Christ himself would go to the Fa­ther, if he were in distress▪ He goes in the same unction that was pow­ered upon Christ Jesus: So he doth not formally make use of the name of Christ, as a man would use the name of some great man, and say; I beseech you Sir, that you would do this favour for me, for such a ones sake, but he goes to God, as a woman comes in her hus­bands name, right or interest, to a great King, her husband being a Fa­vorite of that King; the woman doth not make use of anothers name, but she makes known to the King what she is, and under what relation she stands; and so doth a [Page 65] Saint come in the same anoynting of Jesus Christ to the Father; for God in raising up Christ, doth shew to us that he will raise up all that are his, as he raised up the man Christ Iesus; not raise them out of the grave of earth only, but out of the grave of Self, out of that same base being they had in Self, and corruption, unto that glorious being in God.

4. And then another thing is this; At that day you shall ask in my name, and I say not unto you, that I wil pray the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you. Alas, while we are weak, we know not the Love of the Father to us, but think that Christ Jesus doth procure the Love of the Father, whereas Christ doth but manifest and declare the Love of the Father; and therefore saith Christ; I say not, that I wil pray for you, for the Father himself loves you.

Now having exhorted you to [Page 66] contend towards the knowing of the Father, and living in the Fa­ther, and not living in any forme, (for all forms are to cease, forms are not our perfection: The Sab­bath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.) Let me give you this caution. Let no man think, there is no use of Christ, and no use of Preaching, or Ordinan­ces of Prayer &c. No, this can­not be inferred from the Doctrine: This only may be inferred, that this is not that glorious rest where a Christian is to sit down; formes are but helps, but God doth by forms, bring us to know himself without a form; and no man knows the Father, but he that knows him by Christ whom he did send, there­fore you cannot cast away those forms: The Scriptures wil last so long as there is ought of them to be fulfilled. But that which we are contending toward, in all these [Page 67] means, is the knowing of the Fa­ther, and then we shal see that sim­plicity and unity that is in the truth; then we shall see all those knots loosed, and dark ways o­pened; then we shall see that all those things of Christ coming, and dying, and suffering for us, were but Parables.

Now this is the sum of the Gos­pel, that God loves Beleevers, and is their Righteousness and their Strength: and Love, and Faith, and All, not thus resolved, is but a Para­ble that doth cloud the Father: They were not ordained to cloud the Fa­ther, but they do through our weak­ness cloud the Father from us: They were ordained, that they might infinuate and convey, accor­ding to our capacities, the know­ledg of the Father into us, but as I said before, in all forms there is weaknes; and forms shal be done a­way, as time hastens to be no more, and God be all in all.

THE TRUTH as it is in JESUS.

THese words are an en­forcement of that Peti­tion which Christ put up for his Disciples, and for all Beleevers to the end of the world; that Petiti­on you have in the 17. v. Sanctifie [Page 69] them through thy truth, thy word is truth.

The Reason by which Christ en­forces this Petition, follows imme­diatly. As thou hast sent me into the world, so have I sent them into the world. And therefore Father (saith he) sanctifie them through thy truth, as if he should say; Behold, they are sent out into the world, as I was sent out into the world; they are sent out into a sinfull world, in­to a lewd world; they are sent forth upon the same errand and design that I am sent into the world, viz. to shew forth the vertues and praises of God; and therefore sanctifie them (saith he) through thy Truth, thy word is Truth; And for their sakes I sanctifie my self &c.

Here is a further Enforcement of his Request: The meaning of it I shall give in a Paraphrase; It is as much as if Christ had said, be­hold my Sanctification is levelled [Page 70] at their Sanctification; their San­ctification is the end, and my San­ctification is but the means: It is for their sakes that I sanctifie my self, that they may be sanctified: My own sanctifying of my self is not for my own sake, it is for their sakes; and therefore I lose my end in all that I do, I lose my end in dy­ing and suffering, if they be not san­ctified. That's the scope of the words in general. Now we come to open them particularly to you.

1. What is meant by this same sanctifying, for their sakes I sancti­fie my self. Was Jesus Christ com­mon or unclean, that he speaks here of being sanctified? Had Jesus Christ any sin in him that need to be removed, that he speaks here of being sanctified? No, there was no sin in him, neither was there any guil found in his mouth; and yet Je­sus Christ is said to be sanctified, not only in this place, but in other [Page 71] places, as Heb. 2. He that sanctifi­eth, and they that are sanctified are all one, saith the Apostle, when he speaks of Christ that did sanctifie himself.

Therefore, it is needfull to shew you what is that sanctifying of Christ that he meaneth here; what it was, and by what it was.

First, it may be taken either par­ticularly, for the sanctifying of him­self by his Cross, by offering up himself: Thereby he did sanctify himself, by offering up himself; he was crucifyed in the flesh, that he might live unto God in the spi­rit: Christ did lay down the glo­ry of the first Adam, in which he did appear absolute and compleat before his sufferings, but he layd down that glory and that righte­ousness, he layd down that same body of his, that so he might be re­newed again in the Glory of the Fa­ther.

[Page 72] 2. Or else secondly, this same Sanctification may be meant of the whole, as of the death of Jesus Christ. It may be meant of all that befel him from his Cradle to his Cross, of all that was done in him, or done by him, or done upon him: All this was the sanctifying of Christ; And it is called a making of him perfect. It became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, to make the Captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings.

And so by temptation he was made perfect, as wel as by his Cross; and so Sanctification here may be as much as Qualification; this did qualify Christ for the end for which he was designed and ordain­ed, which end was to reveal the Grace of the Father, and the salva­tion of man, in and by that grace; and all that was done unto Christ, it was a sanctifying of him, or a com­pleating of him, thus to be the Au­thor [Page 73] and the finisher of our Faith; to be a compleat type and pattern, and a compleat Covenant and Witness un­to us. Now having explained those words; for their sakes I sanct [...]fie my selfe.

There is but one word more that needs to be explained, and that is, thy Truth; For their sakes I sancti­fie my self, that they might be sancti­fied through the Truth. What is meant by this word, thy Truth?

This same word here thy Truth, is a relative word, and I conceive it may relate to this same Type, Pat­tern, Image or Representation. These two, you know, are members of a distinction, Image and Truth, Shadow & Truth. So by the Truth, in this place, you are to understand that which answers unto the sha­dow, Type or, Representation.

And so you have the meaning of these words: Thus saith Christ; Therefore am I come into world, [Page 74] and have done and suffered these things before the eyes of men, to the end, that the like things may be done in the spirit, in al my mem­bers; whereof I have exhibited to the world, a map and description in my own body and person: For their sakes I sanctifie my self, that they might be sanctified through the truth.

So then, you may observe these things out of the words.

1. That Sanctification is a large notion in Scripture; its a large notion; for the meaning of our Sa­viour, speaking of his sanctifying himself; and of his members being sanctified, is not to defix the thoughts and apprehensions of the hearers, unto that same grace that we commonly call Sanctification, in distinction from Iustification; but Sanctification is that, in this place, that comprehends the whole Mystery of God in a Saint, which is called here by the name of San­ctification; [Page 75] even as it is said, By one offering hath he perfected, for ever, them that are sanctified. It were far from pure Divinity, to understand them that are sanctified, there to be meant of inherent Sanctifi­cation, only or properly, that is, of the Grace of the Spirit working in us holiness; but he hath perfected them that are sanctified, that is, them that are separated by the Fa­thers Love, them that are called in time, them that are led by the Spi­rit, and so it may comprehend the whole Election and Vocation, and Iustification, and Sanctification, and all; and so we are said to be chosen, through Sanctification of the Spirit. But I shall not open these places any further.

2. Next observe, here are two Sanctifications: here is a typicall Sanctification, as I may so say, and here is a real Sanctification: Here is the Sanctification of Christ, [Page 76] and here is the Sanctification of his members: For their sakes I sanctifie my self, that they might be sanctified.

I should be too long if I should observe all the particulars that the words wil afford, and insist upon them; therefore I shall pick out these two things only; and the first I shal speak of but briefly; and the second is that I do chiefly intend.

The First is this;

Doctr. That Jesus Christ's Sanctificati­on, or those Transactions of Christ in the flesh, have not their ends in themselves, but they have their end and fulfilling in us.

For their sakes I sanctifie my self, that they might be sanctified through the Truth.

That which is for anothers sake, (mark it) or for the sake of another thing to be don, that is not to be re­sted in it self; but Jesus Christs San­ctification, his dying, and his rising, it was for another things sake; and [Page 77] therefore it is not to be rested in, nor to be gloried in, in it self; For their sakes I sanctifie my self.

Jesus Christ is unto his seed, as the First Adam was unto his seed. He is a common Root, and our salva­tion is transacted in him, as in a Fi­gure, As our destruction was wrought in Adam, as in a Figure. As destruction and death did seize upon us all, in a Figure, in Adam; so doth life and salvation await us all (all the elect) in Christ Jesus. It doth descend upon them all, as in a Figure; for so the Apostle doth parralell the First Adam and the Second Adam together, Rom. 5. where you may read it at large.

Now, that I say these things were done in a Figure; I wil give you my meaning of it thus, and the proof of it also.

Adam lost all his by a Covenant, and so Christ restores all his by a Covenant; but we know that a Co­venant, [Page 78] although it doth give me a title in Law, unto such or such an estate or commodity; yet this same Covenant is not the very pos­session it self. So this same Cove­nant, of which Jesus Christ is the Coppy, as it were, and is the com­mon person with whom it is made; This Covenant gives our Faith the First Hold, and First Title, but it is not the very possession it self: In possession the salvation it self is wrought, or rather revealed in us. As we do not inherit sin and death from the first Adam, meerly by Covenant, in which we were invol­ved; but we participate of the na­ture of Adam, and we so come to have an evil conscience; we have the very same Nature that Adam had, and the same trembling consci­ence that Adam had: so in this case, we have the very Death and Life of the Lord Jesus working in us.

So that you see the death and Re­surrection [Page 79] of Jesus Christ, are not to be gloried in in themselves, or as they rest in the man Christ Jesus; but we are to wait for the like things to be translated in us, and upon us; and that is the next thing I come unto: Doct. 2 For their sakes I sanctify my self, that they might be sanctifyed through the Truth.

This is that the Apostle saith, Ephes. 4. 21. If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the Truth is in Jesus; That ye put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, and be re­newed in the spirit of your mind, and that ye put on the new man, which af­ter God is created in righteousnes. &c Where he shews, what the Truth is in Iesus; even the putting off the old man, and the putting on the new man, which is created &c.

This is the Truth; this is the work in the Spirit, done in every Beleever, conforme to that work [Page 80] wrought in Christ in the flesh. This is our sanctifying through the Truth; and so you have the A­postle holding forth the Saints suffering, from Christs example; as the Ministration or Token of their salvation, 1 Pet. 2. 21. Even hereunto were ye called, because Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example &c. Mark ye, Iesus Christ is our example: Christ in the flesh, and what was done in him in a visi­ble way in the flesh, that is wrought in us in an invisible way in the spi­rit; and tis said. 1 Pet. 4. 1. For­asmuch as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, let us arme our selves with the same mind; for he that hath suffer­ed in the flesh hath ceased from sin. Mark it here: The Apostle doth not say we have ceased from sin, by Christs suffering in the flesh for us, but be doth admonish us here of a personal suffering, if we would cease from sin.

What this same suffering in the flesh is, I shall tell you in a few words. It is to have our life in the flesh extinguisht; that, as the Apo­stle saith, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: It is to know no­thing by our selves: This is to suf­fer in the flesh; as the Apostle says, I know nothing by myself; He did not act at all: to be dead unto the Law, and to be dead in our first re­lation unto God; this is the suffer­ing in the flesh.

We are first in the relation of Mercenaries, by the Covenant of Works, and have a kind of stock of our own to trade withall. Now to suffer in the flesh, is to cast awaythi same confidence of our own, to to despair of our abillities, and to see our selvs able to do nothing. For while we are in the flesh, the motions of sin which are by the law, do work in our mēbers to bring forthfruit unto death. Rom. 7.

I will give you one more Scri­pture [Page 82] to prove this, and that is, Eph. 1. 17. where the Apostle prays thus for the Ephesians: That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Fa­ther of Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him; the eyes of your un­derstandings being inlightened, that ye may see what is the hope of his cal­ling. And at the 19. verse. That you may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power, which he wrought in Christ Jesus when he rai­sed him from the dead. Pray mark it; The Apostle doth directly and ex­presly assert, that there is the work­ing of the same mighty power in Beleevers, that wrought in Christ when God raised him from the dead. And the Apostle Rom. 8. saith in general: That as many as God did foreknow, he did predestinate to be con­formed to the Image of his Son; That is, God did predestinate them to be carryed on the same way that [Page 83] Christ was, and so the same things to be done in them, that were done in him.

Object. There is only one Objection that I shal answer before I come to the Application of the point; and that is in Col. 2. 11. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circum­cision made without hands, in putting off the body of sins of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ,

Here lyes the Objection, if so be we are circumcised in Christ: If all Beleevers are circumcised in him at once; as this Scripture seems to hold forth, by the putting off of that same body of his, by that very circumcision of his▪ Why then, you will say, our San­ctification tarries not for the ap­pearance of the like things in us.

I confess this Objection lies plain in appearance against what hath been spoken.

But I shall answer to you thus, [Page 84] and shew you how we are circum­cised in Christ by his circumcision; and how it is, that notwithstanding we are actually and personally cir­cumcised by the circumcision of the Spirit, and by reall circumci­sion.

1. First, then we are circumci­sed in Christ foederally, as in our root and common person; we are unto God circumcised in Christ, as in a Figure. Pray mark it, it is, I say, as in a Figure: for thus we are to look upon Jesus Christ; not as one that came to excuse the Old man from dying, or to set us up in a state of salvation without working any thing within us. Nay, he came to reveal the Kingdom of God within us, and to set it up within us; but he first gave us a pattern of the Kingdom, and first transacted all our salvation in a Figure, be­fore he transacted it within us by the Spirit; and this transacting our [Page 85] salvation without us in a Figure. bears its use and proportion to­wards the effecting of the work of Sanctification within us by the Spirit. For thus God hath hereby caught us by guil, (as I may so speak) even as when we stood in Adam, Adam falling cast us all down. So now, God he comes and reveals a second Adam, and this same second Adam God sets up as our common root, representing us all; and this is that Covenant that God proclaims from heaven. Look what is the fat [...] of the second Adam, that shalbe the fate of all the seed; if he stand, al shal stand; if he fal, they shal al fal. Now Iesus Christ comes & stands in our stead, and was made under the Law, and he dyes and suffers, goes away in the flesh, suffers in the flesh, and is not overcome of death or Hell, or the pains of death, but rises again. Here's our salvation transacted in a Figure, and set be­fore [Page 86] us: As it did fare with Christ, so it shall fare with us; we shall as certainly come to glory, as he did. Here is the Type, here is the Ori­ginal Pattern, here is the fore-run­ner, here is the draught or copy of the Covenant written in broad Characters upon the person of Ie­sus Christ. This is the use of Christs dying, and suffering, and sanctify­ing himself; and so we are said to be sanctifyed in him, as our root, representing us. What proportion this bears to the transacting of our salvation within us, is this. Hereby we are brought to God; hereby our weak hands are lifted up, and our fee­ble knees are strengthned: Hereby we are caught (as it were) with guil, and God doth hold forth our salva­tion, as in a Parable, to us: But if so be the work rest here (let us sup­pose an impossibility,) we are but in an ill condition, if we be not cir­cumcised also together with Christ, [Page 87] really by the spirit, as well as cir­cumcised in Christ foederally and typically, and representatively; it wil go but ill with us.

We may see what is to be done by looking upon the History of Christ; but til we find the same things done in us in the mystery, in some measure, we can have little comfort: We may see the end of the Lord with us, even the same end he made with Christ Jesus; but we must follow his steps also, as the Apostle Peter saith; He hath left us an example, that we should fol­low his steps.

1. Now the use I shall make of this, is to confirm that Doctrine I have formerly delivered to you; that Doctrine that needs confirm­ing again, and that need be whetted upon us, because we are exceeeding dull of hearing spirituall truths; the Doctrine is this, namely:

That the whole History of Christ [Page 88] wil profit you nothing, nor all that you know, except you find experi­mentally the same things done in you by the Spirit.

I desire to commend this Do­ctrine to you again and again; That the History of the Gospell is but a Parable (as it were,) that holds forth to us the story of things done, and not only so, but holds forth a glass of things to be done by the spi­rit within us.

I beseech you therefore be not offended, when as we say, that Christ according to the History of him only, and according to his Mi­nistration in the flesh, is but a form in which God doth appear to us, and in which God doth give us a Map of our salvation. Thou know­est it not to be thy reall salvation, except it be revealed within thee in the Spirit. Jesus Christ is cal­led the Image of the Invisible God: God comes forth to be seen in the [Page 89] flesh of Christ, as in an Image, as in a Representation; it is not the na­ked appearance of God, but it is an Image of God. Now we know the Image serves in the absence of the lively face of the living Person; and so do all these same transacti­ons of Jesus Christ; they serve un­till the Kingdome of God be come to us in the Spirit. A Map serves untill a man knows the Country, and so do these same Transactions of Iesus Christ, they serve as con­stant Monuments unto us; Monu­ments, I say, and Pillars, and Me­morials, and Types, of that same salvation that is to be wrought and revealed within us by the Spirit; and therefore as Christ saith, we may be bold to say after him; The flesh profits nothing: if you only know Christ, as dying and rising without you, it wil profit you nothing, un­les you know him as dying & rising [Page 90] within you. Error in this is the root of the dead faith, wherof the world is full.

This is the root of that formall profession, of that form of godli­ness which men doe advance soe far in, and glory so much of, and shroud themselves under, unto the persecuting of the power of godli­ness, to the persecuting of the Spi­rit. This setting up of the History of Christ, being ignorant of the Mystery; Any man is capable of remembring the story of Christ, and telling and rehearsing it, if he hath but common reason, and can say, as wel as another, that Christ dyed for him, and can throw him­self upon Christ, and hang upon Christ.

This is not Faith; this is not Sal­vation: We have not known how to put a difference between the pre­cious and the vile; We know not how to shake off the pretenders, [Page 91] and knock off their fingers that would pretend to eternall life: Through the ignorance of this truth; we have counted it enough, if a man hath had the knowledg of the Story of Christ, and hath said, he casts himselfe upon Christ for salvation. But harken what James saith; Faith without works is dead; Harken what Paul saith, Rom. 8. 3. The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the Law of sin and death.

He doth not say, that such a pro­position of the Gospell did set him free: He doth not say, that the hearing, that Christ dyed for the sins of men, doth set him free. No, there was the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, as well as there was the Law or Letter, the outward Covenant; is it that entailes life upon Jesus Christand his seed? There is an out­ward Covenant, and there is an in­ward Spirit. The outward Cove­nant [Page 92] is this; I wil be thy God, and the God of thy seed: This is the Covenant that God made with Christ, that he made with Abra­ham of old; I wil be thy God, and the God of thy seed. Now then they that are of the seed of Christ, are in this Covenant, as al that were A­brahams seed, were in that outward Covenant; but may not any man pretend to be of the seed of Christ, and to be of the generation of Christ? And do not thousands pro­fess themselves so to be? Do not thousands in the world say, Lord, Lord, and press to enter into Hea­ven? We cannot put a difference between one or other, except we know this truth; for they say they are in the Covenant, & they say they are of Christs seed; and what hold they forth for this? They hold forth the confession of Christ, and say, that he dyed for their sins, and rose for their Justification, and this they [Page 93] beleeve, and upon this they lay their souls for salvation. May not the veryest Hypocrite do so, as wel as the truest Saint. But here is that which puts a difference, when the Spirit of Jesus Christ brings this Covenant to the heart of a poore creature, when the Spirit of Ado­ption, the Spirit of Son-ship, revea­ling God as our Father, revealing God in Union with us, our Righte­ousness and our Strength, he doth indeed seal us to the day of Redem­ption; he sets apart Christs sheep. This distinguishes them from the other: So that if you lay your sal­vation upon an historicall Christ, you wil be deceived. If you would have that in which you may con­fide, you must have Christ revealed in you in the Spirit; you must have the same spirit of Faith that was in Christ, and the same Spirit of Power that wrought in him; you must have the same eternall [Page 94] Spirit, by which you must offer up your bodies, offer up your flesh to God as a Sacrifice, yea, your selves, and your own Righteousness: This is true salvation; Here is salvation manifested unto life. But you wil say to me; Is not this a wronging of Jesus Christ? Is it not a giving away from Christ? And a giving it to grace and Sanctification with­in us?

Solu. To this I answer, that it is no gi­ving away from Christ, at all; for we make Christ to be all in all in this; only we distinguish of Christ▪ There is Christ in the Flesh; and Christ in the Spirit; Christ in the Flesh is the witness, the Covenant, the common Person, in whom our salvation is transacted, as in a fi­gure: Christ in the Spirit, is the real Truth and Principle of Righte­ousness and of Life; he is the re­all salvation within us: For what is Christ Jesus in the Spirit, but [Page 97 [i.e. 95]] the Manifestation of God, the co­ming forth of God; and unto this must we attribute, and in this we must fix and pitch our salvation; this is the Savour of life unto life, Of his own wil begat he us. Doth not the Apostle there take away from Christ? And yet elsewhere Christ is said to be the everlasting Father. This same Will of God brought forth, is nothing else but Christ Jesus in Spirit; Christ Ie­sus is the outgoing of the Fathers Wil, the Manifestation of the Fa­thers good Pleasure. Therefore he is said to dwell in the heart of every Beleever. If you confine Christs dwelling to a locall Heaven, you are ignorant of that which is the greatest joy that can be; Christ dwels in thy heart; if the Will of God be revealed in thee by the Spi­rit, Christ is in thee, for he is no­thing else but the outgoing of the Fathers Will, and the Manifesta­tion [Page 90] [...] [Page 91] [...] [Page 90] [...] [Page 91] [...] [Page 92] [...] [Page 93] [...] [Page 94] [...] [Page 97] [...] [Page 96] tion of the Fathers good pleasure; this is Christ. So that if we give to Sanctification, we give to Christ; For this is the Will of God, even our Sanctification; Christ is made unto us Righteousness and Sanctification.

But I desire a little further to examine that same, before I let it pass; it is said, it is a giving to San­ctification, and not to the blood of Christ; I say no.

For 1. I do not here take San­ctification, as it is commonly ta­ken, as to be such and such particu­lar acts of the Spirit: I know that our life lyes not in this or the other act, or in any particular act. Our life lies in union with God through the Spirit.

2. I give it not only to the San­ctification of the Spirit, but to the Revelation of the Spirit. There is the Revelation of the Spirit, as wel as the Sanctification of the Spirit, [Page 97] as the Apostle speaks, Ephes. 1. 17. That God would give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and Revelation &c.

3. There is the Spirit of grace, as well as the grace of the Spirit, and to this I give all, and the Spirit of grace is Christ Jesus; and so to him I give al: and what do I give to the Spirit? I give the Manifesta­tion of salvation to life, and that's all.

4. This is the sum of all I desire to commend unto you: That we are not justified, we are not sancti­fied, by Christs dving, by Christs suffering in the flesh only; that is not the compleat Ministration of our salvation: (There indeed we see our salvation as in a glass, and it is transacted as in a figure, as in the history,) but then are we a­ctually sanctified; when as God doth send that same Spirit of Ado­ption into our hearts, revealing un­to us the Love of the Father, and [Page 98] revealing unto us our Reconcilia­tion; that Reconciliation that was held forth to us on the Cross, but which is dispensed unto us, by our being offered up upon the Cross as Christ was. For the Apostle Rom. 8. doth in two places speak so ex­presly to this purpose, that no man can wave it, or put it by. verse 10. If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, and the spirit is life, be­cause of righteousness. Here is the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ: If Christ be in you, (and there is no salvation without it,) then the body is dead; the body of your own Righteousness, and your own Strength, and wisdom is cru­cified in conformity to the death of Christ; Christs death was but the figure of the death that must pass upon the flesh of every Belee­ver; and therefore though we may say, I am crucified with Christ &c. We cannot take any comfort till [Page 99] the body be dead in us. And the o­ther place is the 4. verse of Rom. 8. That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, &c. Pray mark it: You dream of a Righte­ousness of the Law fulfilled for you: that is true too; Christ fulfil­led it for you perfectly; but there is a fulfilling of the Righteousness of the Law in you. And the Apo­stle shews what that is, when you are crucified to the fleshly princi­ple, and walk in the spiritual prin­ciple; though you walk not in per­fect obedience, yet spiritually it is done in you: The Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.

So then look after this, that you be sanctified through the Truth, that is, that you, in very deed, be san­ctified according to the pattern of Sanctification in Christ Jesus. Let me minde you again of that Scripture, Ephes. 4. 21. If so be [Page 100] that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the Truth is in Jesus, that ye put off the old man, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, &c. Look that this be done.

Object. But you will say unto me; is not this to bring us again into Bon­dage? To charge this upon us, when as we are bid look, that it should be so and so with us.

Solution I answer, it is your great interest that these things should be done in you, but it is not expected that they should be done by you: Accor­ding to the working (saith the A­postle) of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ Jesus when he rai­sed him from the dead, and set him &c. It is Gods mighty power that works in you; it is God that cru­cifies you; it is God that quickens you. Christ offered up himself by the eternall Spirit; it was not by the resolution of his flesh, that he [Page 101] gave himself to dye, as many a Va­liant Roman hath done for his Country; but it was through the eternal Spirit; and therefore, that which you are to do, is to wait up­on God.

And herein comes the use of the doing of these things in the man Christ Jesus before your eyes: It is to strengthen your faith and ex­pectation of having these things done in you, by the same power and spirit. And therefore if you ask me what use you should make of Christs Death and Resurrection, and these things: I say, look upon them as the earnest of your salvati­on; look upon them as the very sea­ling of the Covenant between God and you. God reads over (as it were) all the Covenant before us, and seals it in our presence; and this is the scope of the Manifestation of Jesus Christ: It is but to mani­fest the life to us, to shew what God [Page 102] will do upon your flesh: So what God did to Christ Jesus, and so how he carryed him to glory, so how he was tempted, and be not you discouraged, though it be so with you. See how the Disciples were dismayed, when Christ wrapt up himself, for a Moment, in the grave, as in a cloud of darkness; They said, we thought this bad bin he that should have redeemed Israel.

See what an end the Lord made with him, the same end will the Lord make with you also.

THE TRUTH as it is in JESUS.

THis same Portion of Scripture that is read to you, is an Enforcement, or part of an En­forcement of one of those savory Petitions, which [Page 104] Jesus Christ put up at his depar­ture out of this world for his Di­sciples, and in them, for all his e­lect: The Petition is this; Sancti­fie them through thy Truth.

This Petition he doth in part ex­plain, and he doth enforce and urge it with Arguments.

1. He explains it in part, that part, thy Truth, he explains it thus, thy word is Truth.

Now before I go any further: By the word here we are not to un­derstand this same Letter, (for we know this same Letter of the word, is taken up by every one to defend his opinion, and therefore this is not the meaning of thy word is Truth:) But the meaning is this; That that word that was with God, and that was God; that word is Truth.

I conceive this same truth being a relative notion, is here to be ta­ken in opposition to form▪ Thy [Page 105] word is Truth: The meaning is this; That thy word, it is not only a form and an appearance in which thou dost make out thy self unto the world, but thy word indeed is the very Truth, (that is) it is thy self, and so Christ desires that his Disciples may be sanctified, not by planting the knowledg of the lite­ral word in their minds; but by in­graffing the nature of the Divine word in their hearts, that is, by in­graffing God himself, by God him­self becoming one with them. This is the only means of Sanctificati­on; This is the true Sanctification by the word; The ingraffed word which is able to save our souls.

Now having explained his re­quest, he enforces it, and the first Enforcement of it is this, from the title, and the reason that may be pleaded, why they should be san­ctified, why the Members of Christ should be sanctified: Why [Page 106] saith he: There is as much reason why they should be sanctified, as there is why I should be sanctify­ed: For as thou-hast sent me into the world, so have I sent them into the world. Mark it I pray, and you will see that it is not such a wringing of the nose that will cause blood; when we make a necessity of the same things to be wrought in us▪ as were wrought in Christ Iesus. For as God hath sent Christ into the world, so did Christ send these his Disciples into the world, that is, as God did send Christ into the world to make known himself, so Christ Iesus, when he hath fulfil­led his Ministration in the flesh, he sends out Beleevers; I say, he sends out Beleevers upon the same design to make out God and his glory to the world. So that then this is a sure and satisfying ground, why the same glory of the Father must work in Beleevers, that wrought [Page 107] in Christ, because that Beleevers are sent out upon the same errand and design that Christ was sent a­bout; As thou hast sent me into the world, so have I sent these into &c. Beleevers hold forth God in a spi­ritual discovery to the world, that is, they hold forth that glory of the Fathers working, and discovering it self in them in a spirituall way, which Christ held forth in a flesh­ly way: My meaning is; Belee­vers are not lift up upon a material Cross, as Christ was, and do not suffer without the gate, as Christ did; but their Old man is crucified spiritually, and they are raised and quickond by a lively hope spiri­tually.

This is the Reason that Christ saith; As thou hast sent me into the world, so have I sent them into the world; Therefore, sanctifie them with thy Truth, thy word is Truth: And for their sakes (saith he) I sanctifie [Page 108] my self. This is (as it were) the ma­king up of the Reason, and the mea­ning of it is this; saith Christ, Herein doth thy design come to its pe­riod and perfection, even in the San­ctification of my Members. Herein thy design (Oh Father) is come to the birth, and is brought forth; for while this design works only in my person, it is not at its term and pe­riod, till it come to work in their persons; for I am but (as it were) an intermediate forme and person, in whom thou dost discover thy self for the present, with relation to the like discovery in them, through the spirit, afterwards; And therefore (saith he) For their sakes I sanctifie my self, that &c. As who should say; If it were not in rela­tion to them, there should be no such thing as my dying, and suffer­ing, and rising again; It is but in re­lation to their Sanctification, that the same glory may work in them [Page 109] in the Spirit, conformable to this pattern of mine in the flesh. And thus you have the meaning of the words; For their sakes I sanctifie my self, &c.

That which I shal insist upon at this time, is the last word of the Text, Through thy Truth: So that the Observation that I would ground thereupon, is this.

Doctr. That that Glory of the Father, which works in the body of Christ, the Saints, is the Truth of that same Image that did appear in the head of that body, Christ Jesus.

It is called an Image, in 2 Cor. 3. ult. we all, as in a glass, behold the Glory of the Lord; (there it is equivalently called an Image; for your face in a glass, is but an Image of your face;) but it follows more expresly: And are changed into the same Image from glory to glory.

But stil I desire you to carry that along, that a Beleevers crucifying [Page 110] is not a fleshly crucifying, as Christs was, but his Old man is crucified by spiritually discoveries. This is the Truth, and the other is but the form.

Now I must explain my self here: You wil ask me, whether that same work of God, that is wrought in the hearts of Beleevers, be their e­ternal life, their happiness and sal­vation? Whether that be their Righteousness; for there is a great prejudice against Doctrines of this kind; as if we did take away from Christ, and give to that work of God within us, that honour that is due to Jesus Christ.

Answ. Now I conceive that neither the Actions of God in Christ, (I mean of Christ dying and rising) nor the like Actions of the Spirit in us, conforming us unto Christ, are our salvation, or eternall life, but the making out of eternal life; they are only the Manifestation of that [Page 111] grace that was given us before the world began. If you ask me then what is our happiness and our life; I conceive that God alone is our happiness, God in union with us. Mark it; not only God loving us, for love is but an expression to us. Love is a sweet thing among the creatures, and we know what love is from one to another; but the Love of God to us, is but the making out of a kind of spiritual Union that is between God and a Beleever; So that to say, that the Love of God placed upon us is our happiness, is too weak, and too low an expressi­on: but this is our happiness that we are in God, and in Jesus Christ; and that the Father and the Son is in us, and is our Righteousness and our Strength in Union with us; This is our happiness and eternall Life.

Now I say, all the Dispensati­ons of God are but to make out [Page 112] these things unto us.

Give me leave to illustrate it to you, by going a little about. This was our Lot and Portion, from the beginning; God was our Portion, and God did maintain our Lot, as Psa. 16. And God was become in Union with the creature: This was in the beginning of the Creation, and this was in the Person of Christ Iesus, as an Earnest of the whole; but this same Union, and this great happiness, that the creature might be sensible of it, and that it might come home with the greater advan­tage, (as it were) and we might have the more lively taste of it; there­fore did God ordain all those in­tervening administrations: there­fore he makes the first Adam as a figure of Christ, and therefore he bestows but a little grace on A­dam, or makes him mutable that he might fall, that the Love of the Father might be the more manife­sted [Page 113] to us, which we could ne­ver have seen, nor admired so much, if we had not been thus led about unto it. And this is the end of Christ in the Flesh, and Christ in the Spirit; and so I shal come to shew you the difference betweene Christ in the Flesh, and Christ in the Saints; for if we give glory to any other then unto Christ, we shoot beside the mark; we give it to Christ stil; but there is Christ in the Flesh, and Christ in the Spi­rit; both these agree to make out the Father; and here is the diffe­rence of that work of God within us, from that work of God in Christ. This latter is the Truth of the former; Sanctifie them through thy Truth, that is, do thou act those things really in them, which are done in a figure for them upon me: There is the Truth. I desire to cleer up this to you by some fami­ [...]ar experience.

You know that Jesus Christ is said to dye for our sins, and rise a­gain for our Justification. Here is now Christ in the Flesh; here is his Ministration. Why now, hereupon salvation is preached unto men, and it is told, that God is reconci­led, for he hath sent his Son. There is nothing to be done; Justice is fulfilled; God is reconciled; he would not else have slain his Fat­lings, and made a feast for us. Therefore beleeve: Here is the out­ward dispensation; but now a poor soul, notwithstanding all this, lyes under the guilt and weight of sin; and such a grievious sin comes to his mind, and not only one, but multitudes of sins lye upon him; whereby he cannot beleeve or take comfort in these glad tydings. Do ye not see that there is need of ano­ther Ministration? Is there not need of the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, as well as a [Page 115] Proposition of the Gospel? You come and shew a poor soul the Proposition of the Gospel; That whosoever beleeveth in Christ Jesus shal have eternal life &c. And God so loveth the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be­leeves in him should have eternall life. Yet all this while the poor soul lyes dead, til not only the Let­ter, but the Spirit of the Gospell comes and appears to him: Till Christ appears, not only in the first Court, that is his own flesh, or the Letter of the Gospell; but in the inmost place of all, that is, in this mans conscience; for we may allude to that place, Heb. 9. 24. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into hea­ven it self, now to appear in the pre­sence of God for us.

Pray mark it; Jesus Christ did not suffer in Heaven, but without [Page 116] the gate; he suffered in the world, but he is entered into Heaven. These words are spoken figurative­ly; its true, he went up visibly, to his Disciples, into Heaven, (that is) a place remote from their sight, a Cloud received him out of their sight. The true Heaven (and that Heaven where Christ doth ap­pear to the comfort and relief of a poor soul) is the conscience of a poor sinner, and that is called Hea­ven, because as Heaven is the place of God, so is the heart of man; the heart of man is the place of God. He is said to be the searcher of the heart; he sits there, and wounds, and heals there; there is Gods true place. It is not in the understanding of a man, in the notions there, but it is in the heart of a man, thither it is that Jesus Christ is gone. Christ in the Spirit is in the hearts of his people, that is Christs place, for that is the Fathers place, for he [Page 117] is in the Father, and he goes to the Father; as it is said, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Fa­ther.

Now you know that the Father, though he be without us, he is with­in us; he can neither be said to be without us or within us, inclusive­ly nor exclusively, for he fills all things, and is comprehended in no­thing. So Jesus Christ is within us; the Father is in the hearts of men, and so is Christ, and that is the Heaven where he appears now; for do but consider this, that which follows in the 25. vers. Pray mark it. Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put a­way sin. That which is rendered, the end of the world, may be trans­lated, the end of the age, or the end of that Administration. That which I note from thence, is this; that Christs sufferings put an end to one world, that world was at an end [Page 118] when Christ had suffered, that is, God had dispatcht the outward discoveries of salvation, and now he would discover it within us; now al that was to be done by him, was within us. He went into the holy place, he went into Heaven, now to appear in the presence of God for us; and there it is that Je­sus Christ speaks a word for a poor soul: There it is that Jesus Christ sits, as King, in our conscience. Christ may offer himself long e­nough in the Letter, in the Histo­ry of the Gospel; but if he appear nor in the Spirit, and sit in our con­sciences to quiet them, we shall ne­ver have any true understanding of the word aright. Christ sets us free by making us Sons, and the Son a­bideth in the house for ever. Pray mark it; unless we be made Sons, we cannot abide in the house for e­ver; we do not abide in the house for ever, by having an eternall title [Page 119] by Christ, but by a real Son-ship within us: That same which makes Christ a Son makes us Sons; and so you have it cleared unto you by that instance, that this is the truth; and the other, in comparison of this, is but the form, but the Repre­sentation or Image, but the Em­blem of this Truth; and so what is it unto us in matter of Sanctifica­tion, to say, Christ hath taken hold of our nature, and purified it, and seperated it, and sanctified it: what is this to the sanctifying of us, if our persons be not taken into that same Union, and be not sanctified with the same Spirit that Christ is.

Reason. Now for this Reason, I shall de­sire you to look within your selves; and I make no question, but if you do wait upon God without preju­diced spirits, he wil clear this Truth to you.

If so be it might be no offence, I [Page 120] should give you my own experi­ence for the confirmation of this point, (for we can speak nothing, but what we have heard, and what we have seen:) Now I must con­fess, and profess unto you, that God hath made real this Truth unto me, not by study, not by notion, not by outward discovery, but by an in­ward experiment: For this I have found, and I trust more have found it besides my self, (though it may be they cannot tell what to call those things that work within them, nor how to express it, (it may be) but this I have found, that all outward administration hath been weak, and unable to produce those fruits and effects which the Scripture makes mention of: it hath been as the Law; What the Law could not do, in that it was weak &c. And look into your selves, whether you have not found it so in your selves, that you have had some cor­ruption [Page 121] that hath troubled you: Some masterful lust you would be glad to get the victory over, and ye would account him a Messenger, one among a thousand, that could shew you how to effect your desires

I am sure, it hath been so with me; and when I have seen such words as these in the Scripture; Sin shall not have Dominion over you, for ye are not under the Law but un­der Grace.

I have considered with my self, and have done as I have been dire­cted to do, and I have told my self thou art under grace, and I have pleaded this to God, Lord I am under grace, I am under the Gos­pel, and why should sin have domi­nion over me: and thereupon I have studied the promises, because 'tis said; There are given to us excee­ding great and precious promises, that by them, we might be made partakers of the divine nature.

I have looked upon Jesus Christ dying for me, because the Scripture saith, The Love of Christ constrains us, &c. When all this while I have been like Siseras Mother, wondering in my self, why do his Chariot Wheels stay, &c? Why am I not set free from my lusts? Is the Gospel a broken Reed? Doth it tell us things that we must make up by imagination, rather then feel the real operation, and experi­ment of them within us?

The last Scripture I was much exercised in, in relation to these things, was this, in the Epistle of John; He that abideth in him sin­neth not.

Hereupon I enquire what this is, to abide in Christ, and sought to make it out to my self by my own Reason, and to find it out by the Letter of the Scripture, and all the account I could give of it, did re­late to the creatures action: I [Page 123] thought we must be still comman­ding our selves, and putting our selves on to abide in Christ; and we must call upon one another to a­bide in Christ. And thus was I ex­ercised in a continuall toyle and perplexity, and never could see my desires all this while, I could not find my corruptions slaine by all these means, til God was pleased to hold forth this discovery to me, which I do now desire to hold forth to you, viz. that it is not the flesh of these things, it is not the historicall knowledg of these things, it is not the saying you are under grace; it is not being under the forme of the Gospell that can change your hearts, set you free from sin; but it is the Spirit, that, when he comes, doth chase away all Clouds, as the Sun on the earth. It is Christ in the Spirit, who is the truth within you, represented by that History without you; and [Page 124] yet all these things are the making out of God to you; they are not your happiness, or your life; for our happiness lies not in any acti­on, be it in the greatest action; not in the mortification of sin, nor in vivification, but our life lyes in U­nion, that hidden principle within us, that is God. And if ever you would have this Union, and that which is your hope made out to you, and would have the enjoyment of it in this life, you must wait up­on that Jesus that came down from the Fathers Bosom, and lived in the flesh; you must wait upon him, to come and live in your spi­rits, not only to bring you forth in the participation of his nature, but to fill you with the fulness of God, for so we have warrant to expect, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God. Now this the Lord shew you to be a Truth: There is a two-fold Truth; there is a mediate [Page 125] Truth, and an ultimate Truth; there is a Truth manifesting, and a Truth manifested: Now the Truth manifested, is Union; That they all may be one, as we are one.

This is the Truth that God would manifest to us by these things; by coming to us in the flesh of Christ, and in the Spirit.

Now the Truth manifesting, is the Appearance of Christ in the Spirit, sutable and conformable to that outward Appearance of Christ in the flesh, without us, for our sakes: And you wil never have the Love of God, and your Union with God, manifested to you, un­less it be manifested to you by the Spirit, and except God work the same works in you, that he wrought in Christ. And thus I have dischar­ged my self of this same Testi­mony.

There are but two or three things that I shall speak by way of Use; [Page 126] and the first is this.

Consider that which our Savi­our speaks, John 16. 5. saith he there; It is expedient for you that I should go away; and pray mark it here. These times from Christs departure, are the times of the Spirit.

And pray mark that in the first place; the Spirit is the power of the fleshly administration; he is the power within us, of that flesh­ly, or administration without us. The Spirit is often called pow­er, in the Demonstration of the Spirit and Power.

[...]. Observe this, that there is but one Administration upon the world at a time; there is but one Administration upon a Person at a time: So that, if you be under that Administration of the Spirit, you are past from under the fleshly Ad­ministration. This is clear from hence, that Christ saith; It is expe­dient [Page 127] for you that I go away, for except I go away, the Comforter wil not come. A seed of corn doth not grow up in the eare or the blade, except it dye in its own first form; and so it is here,

That which I would infer from hence, is this; That you must go quite through the fleshly Admini­stration, before you can come under the spirituall Administration. You must see the Originall of the Ad­ministration, and the end of it, that is the Father; the Father sent the Son, and he sent the Son to reveal the Father: And it is not in the Death of Christ you are to see it, it is not in the Resurrection of Christ you are to see it. He brings you to the sight of this, by the power of these things working within you.

And to confirm this to you, I desire you to consider; That when as the Scripture speaks of Christ, [Page 128] and when Christ himself speaks to the Father, you shall find that the Dialect is exceeding different: When Christ speaks to the Fa­ther, look into the 17 of John, 11. And now, saith he; I am no more in the world, but they are in the world; keep through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me.

When the Scripture speaks of Christ to men, it saith; That God hath given him power over all flesh, that he should give life to whomsoever he will.

And so the Scripture exalts Christ; but when Christ speaks to the Father, he doth quite devest himself, and saith, Father I have kept them through thy name, I have mani­fested thy name unto them. verse 6. Mark ye, Christ had made this dis­covery to them, that all the power he had, was of the Father: And now, saith he, Father, I come to thee, keep them through thy name. It was [Page 129] before, by Gods name, that Christ kept them, but now it breaks forth more clearly, that it was through the Fathers name; and so I con­ceive that this is a kind of resigna­tion of the Kingdom to the Fa­ther. ☞ It is true, the Administration was to go over and over again, that is, Beleevers are first trayned up under a legall Administration, and trayned up under an Admi­nistration of Christ in the flesh, before they come to the Admini­stration of Christ in the Spirit; but as Christ himself, when he is going out of the world, saith; I have done all that I came to do: So after a time, Christ leads us from a knowing of him after the flesh, as representing things to us to know him within us, as a quickning Spirit. Consider how ☞ much it concerns you, not to shut your eyes against this, but exa­mine it, and try it, because the [Page 130] truth is, you will make slow ad­vance til you are past through the fleshly Administration, and are under the Spirit. Look into the 28. Isa. 9. Whom shall he teach knowledg, and whom shall he make to understand Doctrine, them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

Pray mark it, There is a questi­on, and there is an answer; Whom shall I teach knowledg, and whom shall he make to understand doctrine, there's the question; The answer is, them that are weaned from the milk, &c.

This same milk, and these same breasts are the foolishness of God, whereby he had made out himself to us according to our infirmity; they are the fleshly Appearance and Discoveries of God; these are the brests, and this is the milk: and till we have proceeded further, we are in the flesh: And as you will [Page 131] count it a shame for an old man to lie sucking at the dugg, so you are in an uncomely posture to be always sucking the brest, and al­ways under rudiments, and to know no more of God then he holds forth in an Image without you. This is not your interest to rest here; and therefore I beseech you to wait upon God, for the humble he will teach in his way. And although I have met with some objections against this, and more may be raised from the Scripture that may seem to make against this, yet they are made clear to me; therefore wait upon God to clear them up to you. If be this taken from me, I profess I know no hope that I have of my cal­ling; for what is our hope, but the hope of the high calling? God cals us to fellowship with himself, and hath manifested this by his Son. Weigh these things in the Bal­lance, [Page 132] and consider that Christ comes in Clouds, and not in clear Discoveries at the first; the Lord give you understanding in all things.

THE Dying and the living CHRISTIAN.

HERE is the Unity of Beleevers in their prin­ciple, and the Destru­ction of Beleevers in their Forms. All Chri­stians, in what form soever, whe­ther they be bond or free, it is to the Lord, there's their Unity; but there [Page 134] are bond, and there are free; there are Jews; those that are under the Law▪ there are those that are with­out Law; there are such as do live to the Law, and such as do dye to the Law; there is their Destru­ction.

I have already observed this point unto you.

Doctr. That God is in all forms, not on­ly in distinct forms, but in opposite forms: Whether we live we live un­to the Lord, or whether we dye, we dye unto the Lord. He that regardeth a day, and he that regardeth not a day, the Lord is in the light, a [...] in the principles of the one as well as of the other. The Lord is guide and leader of him that observes a day, and of him that observes not a day. This seems to be a contra­diction, a Paradox; God is but one, the Truth is but one; 'tis true, but there are several steps and de­grees of this Truth: We shall ne­ver [Page 135] come to be all one, and the Name of the Lord will never be one among us, untill God is come forth in his most spirituall appea­rance, and untill he hath brought us all to acknowledg that appea­rance, but in order to Gods ma­king out himself in his spirituall appearance, in his naked discove­ry, and with an open face, he doth manifest himself in forms, and un­der vails; and he doth put off one form after another; put off a more gross, and put on a more fine; put off a more thick, and put on a more thin, and spirituall, and sub­tile vail. God is in all forms, but comprehended of no form; if he were comprehended in any, then he would not be in a diversity of forms; There's the great mistake of Christians; and this same dark principle, is that which makes us so to clash one against another: We know not the mind nor the [Page 136] manner of the Lord; we think if he be in our form, he can be in no other form: God is in a variety of forms and appearances, that so, no flesh may glory in his presence.

God will not be tyed to one form always, for then that would be lookt upon as more then a form.

I have already gone through three things in the handling of this point, which for the help of your memories, I will only name to you; the expounding of it, the bounding of it, and the grounding of it.

For the bounding of it, tha [...] is the only thing I shal now remem­ber you of. Is God in all forms? Then every superstitious wretch will take sanctuary here. I answer thus far; That whatsoever form any man doth conscientiously take up, that is a form of Scripture-cog­nizance, and doth walk in it to the Lord, being perswaded it is the [Page 137] Lords mind. He hath acceptance with the Lord: For this is the bound the Holy Ghost sets in the Text; He that regards a day re­gards it to the Lord. Is a man sin­cere in what he doth? Doth he it to the Lord? Doth he take it up because he thinks it is the Lords mind? And doth he serve the Lord and not any lust? Not a lust of honor, and the applause of men? Or the profit and commodity of this world? Or the preferment of the time? Why, if he doth it to the Lord, who art thou that judgest him? The Scriptures hold forth unto us severall forms (as God hath put on severall forms in his appearance to his people, and the Scriptures are the records of all these) and direct us unto them, Now, whosoever in the sincerity of his heart, takes up any of these, and walks in them as unto the Lord, he is accepted of him.

Now the Use I made of this shall not be repeated; but there is one Use more behind. I exhorted you the last time, that you should hold it forth, that you do observe all your forms unto the Lord, and every one bring forth his proper fruit; whether you be in forms, or whether you be above forms: Thus the holy and happy man is descri­bed in the first Psalm; He brings forth his (own) fruit in his season. Look what season and administra­tion you are under, see you bring forth your proper fruit: Those that are in forms, see that your forms be advantage ground to rise up to the Spirit; Those that be a­bove forms, let them bring down the glory of God, and the Spirit, upon all forms wherein they con­verse with men; and as God hath brought them forth in the Spirit, so let them bring forth every action and form wherein they walk in the Spirit.

Use. But the main Use which I in­tended, and that for which I did in a main part pitch upon these words, is, to reconcile Beleevers in their different walkings and ad­ministrations: Indeed it is sad, that there should be any falling out, that there should be any dif­ference, as Reconciliation doth import; Let there be no strife a­mong you, for you are brethren. Let us not judg one another, as the A­postle saith here, Let not him that eateth, despise him that eateth not. If so be that Christians do not judg themselves in their forms, why should we jud [...] them? And if so be that we do not judg one another, why should we think that we are judged one of ano­ther; for there's the quarrell ma­ny times. Such a man cannot walk in a different form from me, but I think presently he condemns me, and accounts me fleshly and [Page 140] carnall: It is a sign that thou judg­est thy brother in his form, that dost think that he judgeth thee in thy form; For such as we are our selves, such we judg others to be; Let us not judg one another, for God hath received him that eateth, and God hath received him that eateth not. Where is the uni­ty of the Spirit, that the Apostle speaks of, Ephes. 4. Is there no u­nity, but where there is uniformi­ty? Because we have not still one form, have we not therefore one Father, one Lord, one Baptism, or one common condition of suf­fering? Doth not the world hate you, if you be Saints? And doth it not hate them also that walk in another form, if they be Saints? Let us not judg one another; the strangeness that is among Chri­stians, because of forms, is sad to behold; How we are loosened one from another, and how we are lost [Page 141] one to another; if we once strike out of that path wherein we have walked one with another; Is not this a denying, a crucifying of the Lord of glory? Is not this a disow­ning of Christ in one another? Is not this a knowing one another after the flesh? If you do good to them that do good to you, what reward have you? Do not even the Publicans the same? So if you love them that are in the same form with you, what thank is it? Every man loves him that will say as he says, and that will build up that which he builds up. The Apostle saith, That he that of­fends against a weak brother, sins against Christ: And is it not so; He that judgeth his brother, doth he not judg the Lord in his bro­ther? He that judgeth his brother by a form, that overlooks the ap­pearance of the Lord in his bro­ther, and sees his deficiency in such [Page 142] a form; why doth he not now sub­ject the Spirit (as it were,) and subject the divine excellency of Christians and Saints, to fleshly evidences and tryalls? It must make out it self in this fleshly form and appearance, or else there is nothing of God, nothing of the Spirit!

The Reason why we agree not in severall forms, is not because the forms differ, but the fault is in our hearts. God gathers up all forms, and imbraces them in love, and it is because we look not up­on our brethren in their severall forms, in the Spirit of God, and of Christ, that we do not imbrace them too. The Devill carches a­way the spirituall Image and Ap­pearance that is under every form, wherein all forms agree, and he fixes our eye upon the very out­ward form wherein the difference consists; and so nourishes strife [Page 143] and discord among brethren.

That which the Apostle said of the Law, the end is glorious; the end of Moses Administration was glorious: I may assume here, the true face, the true Image, and the true and spiritual Appearance in and under every form is glori­ous, and it is God, and it is one and the same, but the outward figure doth differ. He that hath the Spi­rit of God, and in that Spirit looks upon all forms, he imbraces them all, he reconciles all, he walks with all, with Jew, with men under the Law, with men without Law; and doth not stum­ble, nor is an offence.

All Saints are one body. Now as in the body there are several mem­bers, and each member differs as in a figure; so in usefulness too, yet are all usefull in their places: So it is in the several attainments and administrations that Saints [Page 144] are under; each doth differ from other in spirituallity, and power, and glory. The Scriptures are a Record and Register of all those severall administrations that God hath brought his people under; of all the severall forms in which God hath appeared to them; and the Scripture bears witness to e­very of these, and there is none of these but were usefull in their time, in their order and place, and the one doth lead unto the other in a way of ascending still; and as the hand cannot say unto the foot, I have no need of thee; so neither can the highest administration say to the lowest administration. I have no need of thee; for there are still those that are benefitted by the lowest administration, as well as there are some that are raised up to the highest admini­stration. The Nurse in a family (where there are children) is use­full [Page 145] in her place, as well as the Steward of the house, that looks to all the estate. Milk is usefull to babes, as well as strong meat to men: Therefore, as the members of the body do all of them do their office in their several places, without disputing and murmur­ing: (The hand saith not, because I am not the head, therefore I am not of the body; nor the foot, be­cause I am not the eye to see the way, therefore I will not carry on the body in the way;) So should it be in the Body of Christ. Let us every one in that station and calling wherein we are set in the body, minister to the Lord; whe­ther as Nurses to give to the chil­dren, or whether as Stewards to provide meat for strong men: If we had a right understanding of things, there would not be these breaches among us, because we walk not all in the same way, are [Page 146] not all in the same form. It is the beauty of the body to have variety of parts; The manifold wisdom of God is seen in it, his word is puri­fied seven times, and he brings forth the same truths in more spi­ritual and higher appearances, and higher, and higher yet; the same Lord is fulfilled over and over. They that are yet in the low bough's, may come to the top bough; But here's the Resolution of all; Those that are yet below, being not able to comprehend that which is above them, and that which is more capacious then themselves, they cannot bear wit­ness to it, nay, they cannot bear with it. But still take this for a certain truth, the higher you go, and the more God draws you up, the more able you will be to com­prehend and reconcile all under­appearances, and all lower admi­nistrations, and to discern them [Page 147] all in the Unity of the Spirit, and of the appearance and breaking forth of God. But so much shall serve for that Use and that Point.

Now I come to the next Point, and that's the difference between men in their forms, or rather the amount; of their difference, what it amounts to. We have it in these words, Whether we live, or whether we dye.

Who is he that dyes? It is he that is in bondage to outward ob­servances, that depends upon flesh­ly forms.

Who is he that lives? Why, it is he that is free. You know, ye often meet with these distincti­ons in Scripture, Circumcision and uncircumcision, Jew and Gentile, bond and free, quick and dead.

Liberty is the next thing to life, What good doth a mans life do him, if he be not a free man? (I mean spirituall Liberty or Li­berty [Page 148] in the Spirit;) and Bondage it is next to death. But upon other Considerations, is it here called living and dying.

But it may be said, is not the Text abused to interpret it thus allegorically, or to make a Meta­phor of it, should it not be taken literally?

Whether we live, (that is in the body) we live to the Lord, or whether we dye (that is, go out of this bo­dy) we dye to the Lord?

I answer, besides, that such an interpretation is to make the A­postle here speak impertinently, as being quite from the business he hath in hand. You shall find al­so it is cross to the Letter of the Scripture; for that is not death that men call death, and that is not life that men call life; For God is the God of the living and not of the dead; in that sense, Abraham is alive, though dead. The Scrip­ture [Page 149] calls not them dead, nor God the God of the dead, in that sense, but the living, and all things live to God.

Again, he saith not, they dye in the Lord, though that be to be ta­ken spiritually, but they dye to the Lord. And if you ask, why should they be called dying Chri­stians, dying Saints? The Apostle will tell you, when he saith, To be carnally minded is death,. Rom. 8. 6. That which is translated car­nally minded, signifies to savour carnally; to savour God and our life carnally, this is death; but he that is in bondage to forms, sa­vours God and life carnally, ergo it is death, and he is a dying man. That he savours carnally, appears from hence; That he doth relish better, and savour more the weak­ness of God in an Ordinance, then the strength, and excellency, and glory of God in the Spirit, and [Page 150] in his own proper appearance. He is more taken; his heart goes out more after a sight of God in flesh, then to see him in Spirit; is not this to savour life carnally? For to think that a mans life is bound up in any form, or in flesh, is it not a carnall savour? And yet do not many Christians do so? Do not they think that God and an Ordinance do nourish and feed, and administer strength to you, but not God without an Or­dinance. The Apostle saith, We have this treasure in earthen ves­sels. Now if a man counts not this to be treasure except it be in an earthen vessell, is not this carnall? It is true, while we do receive God in any form it is mercy, but to say, God cannot be meat or nou­rishment without a form, this is to savour our life carnally. How many Christians are troubled and assaulted with doubts, concer­ning [Page 151] their good estate, that have a load lying upon them, and Clouds of darkness before them; that han­ker after an Ordinance to come & dispell these Clouds! O if I could receive such an Ordinance, a Sa­crament in such a manner; This would solve all objections, and give them full assurance: when as they have God, they have his Pro­mises; The word is nigh thee, saith the Apostle in this Epistle, Chap. 10. even in thy heart. But behold, except this God will come to them in flesh, they can make no use of him; they cannot see how God should do it in Spirit with­out a form; this is to savour life carnally, therefore they linger in their desertions and temptations, and are not help't out of them, be­cause they stay for God to come to them in such a way, and see no salvation for them in himself, for then they would depend upon [Page 152] him. Agreeable to this Scripture is another, viz. Rom. 8. If we live after the flesh we shall dye. Now there are many sorts of flesh, saith the Apostle; There is one kind of flesh of men, another of beasts, another of birds, another of fishes. There is flesh of fishes, that will carry a man swimmingly like the Spirit; and there is flesh of birds, that wil soar aloft like the Spirit; there is high-raised flesh, but if we live af­ter the motion or principle of any thing below God, we live after the flesh. Even if we live after the mo­tion of Graces themselves, not re­solving our graces into God. If the sparkling and turning of our graces themselves be the wine, that doth chear and refresh us; yea, the flesh of Christ, if we stick in that vail, (and stand not in the naked Spirit of Christ, before God, pas­sing through Christs flesh, both in him, and in our selves, as he hath [Page 153] past through it,) we are not yet past out of the flesh.

I say not, that they that have the use of forms are dying Christi­ans, but they that depend upon them, they that cannot have life from God, unless he present him­self to them in the flesh.

Reas. 2 The second Reason; They that fall short of God are in a dying con­dition, but those whose life is bound up in any form, they fall short of God. He that attains not God, loses the Race, He that at­tains not the prize of the high cal­ling of God in Christ Jesus, loses the Race, and he dyes. He that is in bondage to outward observan [...]es, and depends upon them, fals short of God, that is, of the glory of God; He hath God under a vail in his form, but not God in his glory; He sees God vailed, not his open face, not as he is, He hears of God in a Parable, he sees him not plain­ly; [Page 154] even the flesh of Christ is a vail, and till we are past through that (through the Mediatorship, and through the fleshly state in our selves,) we appear not in the open presence of God.

Reas. 2 The end of forms is death. The end of Christs fleshly state and ap­pearance was death; either we must lye and dye in form (I mean not eternally,) or we must dye to form.

There's no coming to a higher state but by dying to the former state, Christ was Crucified in flesh, before Justified in Spirit; He that endures to the end shall be saved: He that passes through all things, forgets, and dyes to imperfect dis­coveries, to fleshly appearances, (let them be never such spirituall flesh,) he only is in the way of this salvation here meant.

The fleshly form (as it is in Saints) hath in it the seed and prin­ciple [Page 155] of the spirituall appearance, and genders it by dying; God that commanded light to shine out of darkness. God brings forth glory to his people by affliction, tribula­tion and dying. Their comforts go away in the flesh, ere they come in the Spirit. While the flesh lasts upon them, the Spirit is not bro­ken forth. While the form or fleshly appearance is any thing to us, and we promise our selves any thing from it, God is not all in all; while God is not all in all, our comforts are not brought forth in the Spirit, and so are not made perfect.

In all fleshly appearances there is Enmity to God, therefore God is Enmity to them, and is the death of them. This Enmity is discovered in the disputes that we have about faith; Whether it justify as a Condition, or as an Instrument only; and about the Spirit, whe­ther [Page 156] the Spirit be in us by presence or by influence only, which are mists that arise out of the bot­tomless pit, and argue, God is not all in all there, and so that soul is not perfected.

The Scripture in 1 Zeph. 2. &c. paralels the dispensation Christi­ans are under, I wil utterly consume all things from off the Land, saith the Lord. I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the Heaven, and the fishes of the Sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked, and I will cut off man &c. and v. 4. I will stretch my hand up­on the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, &c. (upon Professors;) And I will cut off (ver. 5.) them that worship, and swear by the Lord and Mal­cham. This is the condition of our times, light is broken in upon us, and we see that Ordinances are nothing without the Lord; every one will confess that; that the Let­ter [Page 157] is a dead Letter without the Spirit, and the Ordinances are meer forms without Gods Appea­rance in them; and therefore our design is to couple the Lord and Ordinances together, and we can­not endure to hear of the parting of them: Swear by the Lord and by Malcham; even as you see men now adays do, so we may have but Ordinances, we are well: This is that which I was speaking of be­fore, that we do promise our selves something from the fleshly form and appearance, and so like the Israelites, we are hankering after the flesh-pots of Aegypt; though they had as good meat in the Wil­derness, yet the flesh-pots ran in their minds. So, though God offer himself, and though Christians tell you (for what they tell you, God tells you,) they tell you they cannot find God in such and such forms, but find him abundantly [Page 157] good in the Spirit, and they find that he recompences the want of all forms in the Spirit; though he be gone out of the Temple, yet they find him in their hearts; they press you to wait till God appear to you in the Spirit: Oh (say you) I can never beleeve it, that God should do it without an Ordinance, or that God should strengthen you without an Ordinance. God (think you) with an Ordinance can strengthen me, and deliver me, and save me out of a tempta­tion, not otherwise: this is to say, that the Ordinance or fleshly form, doth add something to God. If you will confess God to be all in an Ordinance, you must con­fess him to be all without an Or­dinance, to be sufficient of him­self.

I desire not to be mistaken; I do not judg those that find God in Ordinances and outward [Page 158] forms, Let them wait upon God, and let them receive and partake of the benefit of the Ordinance, and let them bless God for it, and be faithfull to their own princi­ples, and let them be sweet to o­thers; but when we do find God in a form, and in an Ordinance, to say, he is not to be found and en­joyed any other way, this is not a right Spirit. Nay, when we find not God in an Ordinance, yet we will keep to it, as if God were not to be enjoyed any other way. This is the greatest unreasonableness that can be, to put no worse a name up­on it.

Now I have done with the Rea­son of the point.

I should shew now who are the living Christians, and how they are in a more living condition that are free from the bondage of outward observances, that do not depend upon any fleshly appear­ance [Page 160] or administration, but see a fulness and sufficiency of God in the Spirit, and enjoy the same; for else, for men to have a notion and principle of it, and not to enjoy God in the Spirit; they may come from a sad outward Religion and forms, to no Religion, nay, to A­theism; and God will judg the free as well as the bond. They may be free from Ordinances, and yet may be as fleshly to God, as if they were under the Jewish obser­vances.

But the Use that I would make of what hath bin delivered, is first a Use of Admonition unto those that are still in forms; and second­ly, a word of Instruction to us all.

1. It is for Admonition to those that are in forms; We say not, that the Lord is not within you, nor that which you do, you do not to the Lord; but the holy Ghost saith of you, you are dying Chri­stians. [Page 161] While thou canst only see God in a fleshy Image and Repre­sentation, thou art in a dying con­dition: For it is a sign, thou seest not God in his glorious and Spi­rituall Appearance; for if thou didst, thou wouldst say as they in the Mount at Christs transfi [...]ura­tion; Oh it is good for us to be here: Let us look no more for God in forms, and fleshly admi­nistrations; at least, you would desire to have your portion in flesh­ly Representations; (not but that, that man, who hath God broken forth in him, in spirit and power; may suffer others in those forms, and not lose his own enjoyments;) You are Christs, and you are Christians, but you are in a flesh­ly and dying estate, and you may be put shrewdly to it, that do de­pend upon a form and fleshly ad­ministration: When it cannot be had, what wilt thou do? Thy case [Page 162] is much as a mans that is kept up by Cordials, and by means that the Physitian uses to him, and not to be compared with him that is in a way of recovery, that is past the danger of his disease in whom nature is growing strong, and is o­vercoming the malignity of the disease by little and little. When the other wants the Physitian, it is as much as his life is worth; and the Cordiall, if it be long a fetch­ing, the man begins to faint; he hath not his strength within him, but without in Cordials; So is the cases between him that lives upon Ordinances, and him that lives up­on Christ in the Spirit. Christ is never in a journey, or to fetch a great way off, therefore I say, you are in a dying condition that de­pend upon forms.

2. Use is of Instruction, to give us light in what the Lord is now doing, and in the consequence thereof.

You have heard that forms can­not dispense to us the spirituall Discoveries of God, but by their going away in themselves; then God hath sent out the Spirit of Elijah among us, and God is contending with flesh; and God is come into his Temple, to sit there as a Refi­ners fire; and he is bringing down all our forms; But how? He is de­stroying them in the flesh, that he may give us them again in the Spirit.

This is that account upon which we may converse together, and speak together informs; as yet, not in the oldness of the Letter, but in the newness of the Spirit; not accounting the form any thing, Ministers not reckoning them­selves to be anointed above their fellows, and so making themselves Lords over Gods Heritage. No, it was only Christ Jesus was a­nointed above his fellows, in that [Page 164] Administration, wherein he was to be of publique use to the body, but the anointing runs down from the head to the skirts of his garment, &c. The anointing is upon you all Christians; it is the divine ap­pearance within us anoints us a­bove the world. The Lord hath a quarrell with all flesh, and we shall hear God speaking in one a­nother more purely; and he will turn to us a pure language, when he hath made us a poor people. Po­verty and Pureness shall go toge­ther.

And then we will go no more forth to Malcham; and when God hath silenced, and stopt the mouth of all flesh, and he alone is exalted; then he will give you Judges, as at the first, and Counsellors, as at the beginning; and we shall all know the Lord, and be able to speak to one another, as at the begin­ning.

Think not your Religion will not be, if the flesh of it be destroy­ed; we shall know it more in the Spirit, and see the anointing dis­covering it self upon the Body of Christ.

THE Dying and the living CHRISTIAN.

SUch is the Nature of Man, such our dark­ness and blindness, such our unacquaint­edness with spirituall things, that we are even shie, and startle at that that is our great interest.

The Disciples, when Jesus [Page 167] Christ came walking unto them on the Sea, after he had bin a while absent from them, took him for a Spirit, and cryed out for fear. Jesus Christ, the Lord, that Spirit, that quickning Spirit; He hath bin absent from us a while; namely, during the Apostacy, du­ring the raign of Antichrist, and he is now visiting us, and is com­ming to us in his own appearance: (When Christ who is our life shall ap­pear, When he shall break forth from under the Vail:) Now we know him not, and are exceeding­ly afraid; yea, we cry out for fear, we cry out of destroying Religion, pulling down Ordinances. This is the very case in the Text here. There were some in the Apostles days, that were still in the flesh, I mean, that were in that gross flesh, that were under that same thick Vail of the Jewish Paedagogy, and they were offended at others, from [Page 168] whom God had taken that Vail, and that did not walk in those Observances: they did judg them, very like they judged them to be irreligious men; What not observe a day, that God himself hath in­stituted? Not observe distinction of meats that God himself hath founded? What audaciousness is this to throw down the Ordinan­ces of God.

On the other hand, those that did see ground perhaps in the Letter for what they did, for the casting off the yoke of these out­ward Observances, yet not walk­ing spiritually in this liberty, de­spised them that were still under these. When any thing of a form is received by our nature, by our flesh, there is a miscarriage in it. If God appear in our forms, we judg those that are above them. If God lead us above them, we are ready to despise those that are under [Page 169] them, remaining all this while in deed and in truth, under a form our selves, though we appeare in this distinction from others, for uncircumcision is a form as well as Circumcision, and it shews it self so to be by this uncircumcised despi­sing of others for forms sake, in whom there may be as much or more power then in our selves.

In this Chapter the Apostle states the Controversie, and gives us a Rule to administer towards the one and the other. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not, and let not him that eateth not judg him that eateth, for the Lord hath received him. Peradventure the one of them is in a better state then the other, yet they are both of them in the Lord, they are the Lords. The one is a Living Chri­stian, the other a Dying Christian, yet they are both the Lords: For saith he, Whether we live, we live un­to [Page 170] the Lord, or whether we dye, we dye unto the Lord. And so we come to the words, whence we have obser­ved; That God is not only in different forms but in opposite forms, such as are regarding a day, and not regar­ding it.

We have observed likewise what the difference of Christians doth amount unto: those that are in bondage to Forms, and those that are set free from those forms; the one is a living and the other a dying man. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord, or whether we dye, we dye unto the Lord.

I spake of the dying Christian the last day, and shewed you in what respect he is a dying Chri­stian that is under Ordinances or that depends upon them (for eve­ry conversing in Ordinances is not a depending upon Ordinances:) First, It is a dying condition for he savours life Carnally, they savour [Page 171] their life according to the weak­ness of the flesh, and not according to the power of the spirit, accor­ding to the carnality of the forme and not according to the spiritu­ality of God. Therefore 'tis that men do put the Ordinances with God, as those that swore by the Lord and Malcham; they left not out the Lord, but would joyn Malcham with him too, they sa­vour life carnally: and secondly they fall short of God, they fal short of the glory of God, ergo, they are dying Christians. They see God in his weakness, but they see him not in his strength: and third­ly, they must passe through death, for every form is raised up that it may dye, and not that it should live for ever: it is raised up for a Ministration to Minister to some other thing, and therefore must have its period. Every form is but a way, yea the body of [Page 172] Christ is but a way, Through the new and living way that is his flesh: And I might have added another Reason, and that is this, That Je­sus Christ, the end of his appearance in the flesh was death; He was manifested in the flesh and brought down the love of God and the glory of God in his flesh: he spake the things of God to us in fleshly signs and parables, and the end of that State was death, and so likewise must the end of every State of Christians in the flesh and in Forms and Ordinances be: The Comforter could not come except Christ did go away. An higher appearance of God cannot come but it removes a lower ap­pearance of God, as a grain of corn doth not rise up but by dy­ing and rorting in its first body, as the Apostle speaks. But it shal suffice to have spoken thus much concerning the dying Christian.

But now what is this same li­ving Christian?

Whether we live we live unto the Lord.

Who is it that lives? why the Lord lives, and onely the Lord, they shall swear, The Lord liveth: and, As I live saith the Lord: There is none lives but God, so that whosoever lives, it is by the Lord living in him. The Apostle saith so much, when he saith, not I, but Christ liveth in me.

This same living th [...] of the Lord in us doth relate unto the dying and buriall of the Lord in us. The Lord he is buried or ob­scured in us, and then he riseth, as it is said, I am he that was dead and am alive, and behold I live foreven­more, and as it is Ephes. 4. He that ascended is the same also that first descended into the lower parts of the earth. And this is the great Mystery of godlinesse; God mani­fest [Page 174] in the flesh, and justified in the Spirit; first manifest in the flesh, The Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us, &c. And so the Word comes, and at length car­ries up flesh with it into spirit.

Indeed we are but the grave, as it were, of the Lord Jesus. This whole Creation, as it is known after the flesh, and as it is injoyed by us, and as we converse with it car­nally, and as it is carnally received by us, it is but the Tombe, as it were, where the Lord is interred; it is but the grave, the sepulchre wherein the Lord is buried.

Why then, what is the living of the Lord, the Lords Resurrection, the Lords sprouting forth out of this same grave, this same sepul­chre?

Answ. It is this, it is the Lords appearing and the Lords discove­ring himself, and the Lords com­ming forth and putting off his [Page 175] Vaile and covering, putting off his grave-cloaths (as I may say,) this is the Lords living.

For the more profitable hand­ling of this, take these things.

1. That the Lords death is the creatures life. The burying or ob­scuring of the Lord Jesus is the life of man, and the life of formes, and the life of flesh.

2. And in the second place the resurrection & appearance of the Lord is the death of man, and the death of forms, and the death of flesh. While the Lord Jesus hides himself, while he breaks not forth in his glory the creature is some­thing, and Forms are something, and they grow up and flourish as the grasse doth by the showrs. But when the Lord Jesus comes forth in his Spirit, and appears, then the grasse withereth, and the flower fadeth, so we finde it in Esay 40. 6, 7. The voyce said, Cry. [Page 176] And he said, What shal I cry? All Flesh i [...] grosse, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grosse withereth, the flower fa­deth; because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grosse. What is the meaning of the Spirit of the Lord blowing upon it? The meaning is this, when the Lord comes forth in his Spi­rit, and reveals himself in his glo­ry, then the glory of flesh passeth away, as when the Sun appears in the firmament the stars take their leave: we know that as flesh is enmitie unto spirit, so spirit is enmitie unto flesh, and therefore it is said, that they lust the one against the other.

In the third place take this proposition, That as the obscu­ring of the Lord Jesus is the life of the creature and the life of that flesh, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the extinguishing [Page 177] of the Creatures life. So thirdly, this is, and hath been the design of God, and his glory from the be­ginning; to come forth out of this same grave, and from under this same Vail (under which he hath lain hid, and been covered) by se­verall steps; and therefore every step of Christs appearance, is, comparatively with the former darkness; a state of life, and a gra­dual Resurrection.

When Christ did come forth from under the Jewish Ceremo­nies, when the body was come, then was Christ raised in some sense, and then did Christ begin to live and flourish; and those that saw this, they lived, in the Apo­stles sense here, Whether we live, we live unto the Lord.

Here was a graduall Resurrecti­on in this, though not a compleat Resurrection. There was a thicker Vail taken off of Christ, and a [Page 178] thinner vail put on: so that Christ then coming forth under a thinner Vail, is called by the name of the highest and last appearance of all; It is called a (Living,) not but that Christ did still lie under a vail, as the Apostle saith, Through the vail, that is, his flesh. And the New Testament Ordinances, though they are finer vails, yet they are vails to the Lord; yea, I may say, that the very graces of the Saints, as we look upon them in a kind of fleshly form; as we look upon them in their particu­lar names and circumstances; so they are a vail to the Lord Jesus; yea, Christ is said to rise when he comes into the world; I am come, that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly, that is, more abundantly then they had under the Jewish Ordinan­ces, because that was a grosser vail: In this sense you may understand, [Page 179] That I am the way, the truth and the life, &c. If you understand it in the flesh, it is in comparison of the former, a lively appearance of God; Not that this is the highest appearance of God, for to you that look for him, he shall appear the se­cond time without sin unto salvation. So that, I say, Christ is coming out of the grave, and every step is a step to life, a step of the Resurre­ction, a degree of life. Now then from these things, if you ask me who is this same living Christian, I shall answer you, first, in a Sub­ordinate sense, secondly, in an Ul­timate sense.

In a Subordinate sense, he is a living Christian, in whom the Lord Jesus hath passed through many forms and vails: He that is not in bondage to those same gross, and thick, and dark appea­rances of God.

But now in the Ultimate sense, [Page 180] the Truth is, that while we are on this side, that same highest and brightest appearance of God, till he comes to be all in all in us; we cannot be said to be living Chri­stians, though in respect of for­mer and darker appearances; the present appearance of God to us, may set us up in a higher degree of life, yet in comparison of that which is to come; the very best and highest of this state is but a death; while God administers to us under any form, under any vail, there is so much of darkness, and there is so much of fear and enmi­ty against God: and therefore (I pray mark it) those disputes a­mong us concerning faith; whe­ther the act of faith doth justifie us; or whether it be an act of God that doth justifie us; I conceive that herein faith is perverted, and we do make a quite contrary use of it then ever God appointed; [Page 181] he [...]ath set up faith, as a light in a dark place; and behold we are a­scribing that unto faith which is due only unto God. And hence is that other dispute; Whether God doth dwell in us only by grace, and be with us only by influences and op­perations, as he is in other creatures after their kind: Whence arise these questions, but out of the smoke of the bottomless pit? and out of enmity against God? That grace, and the influences of God will step into the place of God himself, they will step into the place of the Bridegroom. Christ himself in the Spirit, is the grace of the Spirit. So that while God appears unto us under any form, (even grace that is the purest vail,) yet God is not all in all: we find faith would be something, and grace would be something, and this is through the flesh.

Now there is but one thing more [Page 182] to do, and that is a little to explain as far as we can, what this same resurrection in a man, what this same putting off of the vail is; what the state of a Beleever is in such a condition.

I shall express it to you by these two things; By the purity, and by the strength of it.

The Purity lies herein, that the Lord, he is all in all: Here is the Purity of that state; Ordinances they are not, Graces, they are not; the Lord is all in all; the Lord is all in graces, nay, the Lord is all in himself; he is sufficient to the soul: The Lord is that which Or­dinances were, and that which Graces were, that the Lord is; as you shall see, Rev. 21. 22. And I saw no Temple there, for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb are the Temple of it. Mark it; what are all Ordinances, but as the Temple was under the Law? The Temple [Page 183] was that same form, wherein God appeared unto his people. It was a figure to them of the body of Christ, in which the fulness of the God head, was to dwell, and doth dwell: When Jesus Christ came, who was the body, the Temple was no more. So, the same compa­rison we may make between the flesh of Christ, or Christ in the flesh, and Christ in the Spirit; What was the flesh of Christ but the true Temple, the body, the sub­stance of that figure and shadow that was amongst the Jews? Thus it was in relation to types that went before; But what was it in respect of that which was to come afterwards? I will send you another Comforter, even the Spirit of Truth, &c. That this Comforter may come, this same presence of Christ must be removed, It is ex­pedient for you that I go away, and destroy this Temple, and I will raise [Page 184] it up again the third day; But when he was raised again (I beseech you do but mark,) did Christ let his body be of that use to his Disci­ples after he rose again? When Mary came, and fell at his feet to kiss them, saith Christ, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father. The same with that which Paul speaks, 2 Cor. 5. Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet henceforth know we him so no more. Mary (saith Christ) my body is no longer a Temple, but your hearts and spirits must be the Temple; I am not yet ascended, &c. Thou must know nothing in me as before; Thou must know God in me; I am breaking forth into the glory of the Father, and shall not appear in the flesh any more.

Christ in the flesh met with many an unbelieving soul, that went unbelieving away from him; but Christ appearing in the Spi­rit, [Page 185] opens the most unbelieving heart. This is the first thing in this same living Christian; nothing but Purity it self; nothing but God himself, is his repast, is his delight.

2. But then secondly, This e­state may be described by its strength and power also. It is that which, I confess, is a stumbling block to the world, (and it may well be so) to see men boast of such attainments above ordinan­ces, and yet to have so little sign of them in their walking and con­versation; to see them carnal still, to see them dote upon the world still, to see them still as proud and passionate as ever. My beloved, you have not so learned Christ, if you be living men; if you have the living principle in you, your life is not to discourse in another sphere and dialect then most men do; it is not to be able to contradict, and throw [Page 186] down the forms of the world. This is not this same living man; No, where the Lord Jesus is broke forth in Spirit, where he is risen from the dead; Mighty works will shew forth themselves in that man; It is a state of power and of glory, and therefore saith the Apostle, phil. 3. That I may know him, and the power of his Resurrection. Oh, there is power in Christs Resurre­ction! All these Scriptures belong unto that state, He that is born of God sinneth not, for the seed of God abideth in him, neither can he sin, because he is born of God; He that abideth in him sinneth not. You have these Scriptures in the first Epistle generall of John; To them that look for him, the second time shall he appear without sin unto sal­vation. Oh, if Jesus Christ doth but put up his head in our Hori­zon, he chaseth away much dark­ness, as the Sun when it peeps to­wards [Page 187] day, but when Jesus Christ is fully risen, there shall not be the least Cloud, the least corner hid from him; he will detect all corruption there, and divide be­tween the joynts and the marrow. There is no such purifying in the world, as by the presence and ap­pearance of the Lord Jesus in the Spirit; he purifies, while in him we see the Love of God in the flesh; but when Iesus Christ is ri­sen in you, he makes you purifie your selves, as he is pure; he fetch­eth up all from the bottom. This takes you off from I dollizing, not only the forms of your Religion, but the forms of your content in outward things. Let not that man say he lives in the Spirit, that is buried in any creature. Let not any man say he is above Ordinan­ces, that is not above the forms of this world. If he do not weep, as if he wept not, and rejoyce, as if he re­joyced [Page 188] not, and buy, as though he pos­sessed not, and use this world, as not abusing it. Considering, that the fashion thereof (these forms as well as others) passeth away.

This is a state of power, his prayers are made with spirit and life, he enjoys God in every thing that he doth, and is in Heaven in all he doth; he wants no command to tell him he must do thus and thus; he would naturally do those things, whereby he might shew forth the vertues and praises of him that hath called him, for he is a living man; who needs stir up life, to live, in a living man? Life wil shew it self; If you be living Christians, the Spirit of God will work in you, and it will be like fire consuming your flesh, and every day carrying you forth to the ho­nor and praise of God.

This is a living man, and this is he in whom Christ is risen.

But one Question more, and that is, of what part or principle in a man are these things spoken; Doth this life break forth in the flesh, or is it a life in the Spirit only?

I answer, that this life is not in any part or principle in a man; It is not in the soul, it is not in the body, it is not in the Spirit, but a a man is taken up into this life; It is when we are removed from our selves, that we are in the Spirit; Enoch was not, for God took him. The Lord takes us into this life; we take not the Lord into our principle; we are not comprehen­ders of this life, but we are com­prehended: Here is the mistake; we see men that hold forth such a doctrine and principle as this, and we see flesh, it may be, in them still, and they see flesh in them­selves still. Do but consider there­fore that same place, 1 John 3. [Page 190] beginning compared with the 6. verse; Now are ye the Sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what ye shall be; but when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Compare but this with the 6. verse. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not.

We are the Sons of God, but it doth not yet appear; our flesh is a vail, and while we are in the flesh, let us act never so spiritual­ly, yet we fall short of this life; Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God: But if at any time, we are taken up into the communion of this life, it is by be­ing taken out of our selves; there­fore, saith Paul, Whether in the bo­dy, or out of the body, I cannot tell. I conceive, God gave Paul an ear­nest of that which he will make known to his people in the latter days; and made it known to Paul in a visible and sensible rapture: [Page 191] and whosoever in the latter days, is taken into the communion of this life, must be spiritually dissolved as Paul was; for as Christ crucifi­ed in the flesh, is but a fleshly pat­tern of our being crucified in the Spirit. So Paul being taken out of the body fleshly, is but an I­mage of the Beleevers being taken out of the body into the Spirit; and so when we are taken up into him, He that abides in him sinneth not. But when we go to make out God in our flesh, behold we cannot make out the glory of this appear­ance in us; when we come to live in a fleshly principle, I say, we find shortness, and death, and dark­ness, and make out the things of God, in visible and audible shapes, as it were; but God makes out himself to us, when he takes us out of our selves into himself without any form; Did you see any shape, saith the Lord to the Israe­lites, [Page 192] when the Lord talked with you? So when the Lord takes a man into this communion with him­self, he takes him out of the flesh, off from Ordinances, administers not to him in the flesh; and thus indeed it is, that only when we are taken out of our selves, can we ap­prehend or speak of this same life in God. A Beleever, when he is ta­ken up into God and Christ; he sees that which he cannot make out by all his parts, and all the helps that he hath; he sees that freedom from sin; he sees, as it were, that omnipotency with him; when he is taken up, he sees him­self perfect, as God said to Abra­ham, walk before me, and be perfect. Here is that which he cannot make out to the world. Well may men say; Do not we see that you are a man; I am so, but you cannot see what I am, when I am taken up into God. God is the subject [Page 193] and recipient that comprehends us, we cannot comprehend him.

Use. Now all that I would infer from hence, is thus much; I beseech you that you would know the things that concern your peace. O, what a sad thing is it, that men should run away from life! This is an e­vill heart with a witness, to de­part from the living God. This is darkness with a witness, when the Creature will comprehend God, and will not be comprehended by God; when we will say, There is no other enjoyment of God, then what we can make out in the flesh; No o­ther state then what may be visi­ble to men. Oh, take heed of this, and take heed of despising those that bring you the glad tydings of peace; How beautifull rather should even the feet of those be, though upon the Mountains, that bring these glad tydings, that say [Page 194] unto Sion, thy God raigneth.

Christ hath been long in a Se­pulchre, he is now rising, and you have the Testimony hereof brought to you by men like your selves, and we are not able to make out the glory of it to you: This flesh is not the subject and recipient of this glory; this flesh is laid by, But what we have seen and heard, we declare unto you; And therefore, we beseech you not to depart from the living Lord. E­very man would be a living man in his health: Every man would be a living man in his trade, would drive a free trade, and will you on­ly be content to be dead creatures in respect of communion with God? I beseech you, gird up the loyns of your minds, be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is yet to be brought unto you by the Revela­tion of Jesus Christ in Spirit, as [Page 195] well as beleeve that grace that is already brought by the Manife­station of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Do but consider, that God hath always entertained his peo­ple with a long expectation of things, ere he hath given them. It was but in the Apostles days, that the first fruits of the Spirit were given. The Israelites were in Ae­gypt 400 years, before they came to the Land of Canaan. This was but a typicall Canaan, and not worth the waiting so long for as the spirituall Canaan.

Then again consider, Gods pro­mises have been first sown, and dead in the earth of mans unbe­lief, before they have been per­formed; witness, Sarahs womb barren; witness, the children of Israel in Egypt made slaves and bondmen; what likelyhood was thereof their being a Kingdom of [Page 196] Priests unto God? Nay, from the beginning of the performance, there is usually an Apostacy that comes before the ful accomplish­ment; was it not so when God be­gan to perform his promise to Is­rael, of leading them into Canaan? Did not they fall back in the wil­derness? Was it not so in Abra­ham when Isaac was born, and growing up to his Fathers hope? Then Isaac must be sacrificed. So, I conceive, it is here; the Spi­rit began to be sprinkled in the primitive times in gifts, and since that, what an Apostacy hath there bin? So that the Spirit is yet to be poured out; and now after the Apostacy is to be the harvest. And so I am perswaded many Christians enter into Ordinances, in the Spirit, and fall back into the flesh; there remains therefore a Restitution, a latter day, a latter [Page 197] rain; as Job speaks, at the latter day I shall see God in my flesh; and is not the Lord putting up his head in our Horizon? Therefore think not the promises of life and salva­tion have given down all they have travailed with.