A FEW VVords to Christians, About the late and present Posture of Spirituall Affaires Among Them.

IT was not onely the Civil part of this Nation that lay under Misery and Oppression before this great Commotion, but Religion also, and the Religious party, had a deep share in it, being most of all troden under foot. That present form of Government, which then was in force, struck at the life and power of that, which it was erect­ed to be a wall unto. Nor did onely the sweetness of Liberty and Propriety put men, that were sensible thereof, upon striving to re­gain and possess them; But the preciousness of Freedom to Con­science, tender Conscience, which had been so long yoked and burthened, did much instigate Christians to assay the recovery and [Page 2] re-enjoyment of it. And the result hath been much alike to both; both have been buried in the dust of Contention and Confusion. The Contention hath grown so hot, that men have almost forgot what they contended for in both, which at first was not a power to oppress and captive others, but to attain Liberty for themselves and others.

It is to you, O Christians, that I intend a few Words, (to which I hasten,) and that concerning your choycest Jewel, Religion. In what state is it? In what state hath it been? Hath it thriven, or decayed? Is it alive, or dead? Whom do ye embrace in your bo­soms, your true Love, or a stranger? What, is your Religion of the right coyn? hath it the stamp of your King, or is it counterfeit? Truly there are so many different pretenders stand up to lay claim to him, who belongs but to one, (his own Spouse, as he is but one, his Light one, his Will one, his Way one, in the midst of infinite va­riety and contrariety) that he had need have infallible certainty, who satisfieth his spirit with his interest in him.

But I would speak but little to you; I will therefore come to those few Questions I have to propose to your consideration con­cerning the state of spiritual things, in reference to the many changes it hath under-gone, and the present condition wherein it stands. The first whereof may be this:

1. Whether Religion hath not received a wound in the inward part of it, since this Contestation about outward things, and the outward part of Religion? Whether the life and power of Religi­on (which was always scanty enough among the best) be not now much abated, and runneth not so low, that it is hardly, if at all, dis­cernable? It hath been the complaint of divers, both Presbyteri­ans and Independents, and therefore may well deserve the consider­ation of each sort. O Christians! Be not so busie about the out­ward part, about the dress of Religion, as not to enquire into the state of the inward part, whether that flourish, or languish and decay.

2. If it do appear to you, That Religion hath received a blow within, a wound at heart; let me ask you, in the second place, Whether it doth not nearly concern you, to bethink your selves how it may be cured in time, before it bleed to death? Thou art busied, O Christian, about garments of Religion, for thy self and [Page 3] others to wear; look within man, thy heart faints, thy life is ex­piring: Thy faith is even dead; thou canst not trust God, but run­est to thine own wisdom to contrive for thy self, and to thine own power to effect thy counsels. Thy love, what is become of it? O what a strange thing is love among Christians? Patience, Hu­mility, Meekness of spirit, &c. where do they grow? What is there of these left within, in the heart, when there is such a general complaint, that they are not to be found in the lives of Professors?

3. Let me ask thee, in the third place, Whether the Establish­ment of, or voluntary submission to, any outward Form of Govern­ment, or Church-Discipline, of what kinde soever, can heal this breach within? Will Presbytery do it? Why doth it not do it in Scotland, where it hath scope and power enough? Will Indepen­dency or Anabaptism do it? How come so many then to lose the lives of their spirits in such Relations? The Form doth seldom con­tribute much to the Power, but the Power is very commonly eaten out by the Form. I know men that are engaged much to any way, are highly conceited of it, thinking it would effect strange things, if it were but generally owned and embraced; and are ready to impute all miscarriages and bad effects to the want thereof: but this is but a favorable and self-ish judgment; I propose this questi­on to thee to consider and ponder of, till thou art enabled to pass a righteous judgment upon it; and then perhaps thou wilt be as ready to condemn thine own form and way of Administration in this behalf, as thou art to condemn such other ways as thou now op­posest.

4. Let me ask thee yet again, Whence this cure is to be expect­ed, and can alone be had? From whence did any true Life and Power flow at first, and whither is it now retired? Who is it that hath wounded? Can he heal? Can any else but he heal? Who is it that hath shaken the foundations of mens spirits, and battered down the fabricks of their Religion about their ears; yea, even of such as have built with hewen stone? Truly, Miserable is that man, whose life is almost wasted, and day­ly wasting, and yet he still running to that for Recovery, which destroyeth him. It is one fair step towards Redemption, to know from whence to hope for it, and to have the eye taken off from e­very thing else.

[Page 4] 5. And lastly, Let me put this one thing more to thee; What Dispensation thinkest thou are we under at present? Whether have we attained that Light, that Life, that Power, by which we are to walk, and under which we may comfortably sit down? Or are we to expect and wait for a reducement to that state wherein the Primitive Christians were, when the Spirit was poured out upon them, and they led thereby into Church-communion? Or are we to expect any other state promised in the Scripture, and (as some say) experienced by themselves, which this is to give way unto?

This is a very weighty question, and very needful, especially in these shaking times, wherein men had need be much enquiring, and not over forward to settle, when a Power above them stands so ready to shake, and hath so sorely shaken, that which was very likely to have stood.

To further such a little, as are desirous to bend their thoughts hereunto, by opening a way for a more full and exquisite search, I shall communicate some of the workings of my minde formerly concerning these three things.

As touching the first, Whether we have attained to such a Dis­pensation, as we may walk on comfortably in? The workings of my minde have been very various and doubtful concerning this; one while inclining to the one part, another while to the other: Sometimes apprehending the substance both of inward and out­ward Worship and Conversation, so clearly revealed in the Scrip­tures, and so testified within, in the spirits of Christians; and so much life and power also communicated from above, as might ve­ry well suffice to lead them on very sweetly and comfortably in this vale of Tears to their Resting place. Otherwhiles again apprehend­ing from light sence, and evident experience, so much deadness, so much darkness, such a vail over the heart, and over the Scriptures; such uncertainty in things that were received, such a want of pow­er within to buckle with power without, that there appeared no possibility of rubbing on like Christians after this rate; which hath made me often wonder, whether we were under the Law, or un­der the Gospel; there was so much work, so little strength; so large promises without, so little of what they spake within. So that though I had many advantages, both from the earnestness of the desire in my own spirit, and from the considerations that were ad­ministred [Page 5] to me; as also from my own experience, and enquiry among such as pretended both light and experience in the point in hand; yet still there was somewhat of concernment to keep me back from a positive determination, even when I was nearest unto resolving.

For the second, Whether we are to expect a Restoration of the the Primitive State, or no? My mind wrought much after the same manner. Sometimes it seemed very likely to me that it should be restored: Sometimes again the weakness both of the Ordinances and Administrations of it, and their sudden death, made it seem to me fitter to pass away, and give place to that which is more durable.

There were three things eminent in that Dispensation, Gifts, Ad­ministrations, and Graces.

They had several sorts of gifts; gifts of healing, of speaking with tongues, of working miracles: Again, they had gifts of prophecy­ing, of singing, of revelation, of interpretation, &c. Then they had Administrations, they had proper ways of administring every gift, which were appointed to them, and whereinto they were led, by the same Spirit which bestowed the gift. Some gifts were bestowed in reference to persons without, for conviction and conversion; and other gifts in reference to persons within, for mutual edifica­tion, exhortation and comfort; the same Spirit leading them to the use of these in some measure, who imparted the gift unto them. Then lastly, they had Graces, strong, powerful graces were poured out unto them, graces that were truly spiritual, not acquired by their industry, but breathed by the Spirit of Life; such as Faith, Love, Patience, Humility, Meekness, &c. and there is a vast difference between these when they are dropped out of Heaven, and those that are extracted out of the Earth, though they may bear the same name, and carry the same resemblance. The common fires of the Jews, and the fire on the Altar, were not the same, how little difference soever might seem between them to common judg­ments.

But what became of this glory? How soon did this Sun set! What Christ foretold concerning the material Temple of Jerusa­lem, proved true also of this Spiritual, this Apostolick building, there was not one stone left upon another that was not thrown down. [Page 6] Who would have thought so glorious a fabrick should so soon have been laid flat! That the Churches, so well founded and setled by the Apostles, and not barely by them, but by the Spirit of God in them, should so soon come to ruine! And since it hath thus passed away, must we not be forced to confess, that there was some flaw, some defect in it, or else it could not so soon have decayed and pe­rished?

And truly methinks there seemeth to lie as just an Indictment (in kind, though not in degree) against this Dispensation, as did against the Dispensation under the Law, for weakness, for unprofitableness, for inability, to make the comers thereunto perfect. What a poor state were the Churches in, even in the Apostles times? How sub­ject to be shaken in doctrine? How carnal and defective in practise? They had the Spirit poured out upon them, and yet wanted both outward light, and inward life and power. They had abundance of gifts, but knew not how to use them towards the edification of the body, but employed them to the building up of that which was to be destroyed.

And it was not only a weak state while it was enjoyed, but was also continually languishing, and soon expired: And all the endea­vors that have been to rear up this fabrick again since, either in the internal or external part, have had the like success with those endea­vors that have been used to re-build the Temple of Jerusalem since its desolation; before the building can come to any maturity or perfection, it is still blown down.

Such a continued, experimented discovery of the frailty of it, seemeth to me to foretel its death, not its resurrection; its casting away, not its restitution.

Now for the third Branch, Whether we are to expect any other state, which some from experience (as they say) can and do testifie concerning, whereunto this, and all former Dispensations are to give way? Wherein two particulars would be distinctly consider­ed, The thing it self, whether such a thing is to be or no? and the testimony which we hear, or at least may hear, given out by persons concerning it, which is of a very high kind, they say, they have tasted, they have felt it in their own experience, and commend it unto us as a thing they know already is in part, and suddenly shall be more fully seen and enjoyed. I intend to speak somewhat to both these, [Page 7] and that very freely, (for I hope the time is coming wherein my heart and thoughts concerning all things shall be opened) and first concerning the experience of these persons, which though it come afterward in order of nature, yet I shall begin with it, to lay it out of the way; and then I shall come more fairly and directly to the thing it self.

As touching the experience of those persons who thus speak; though they have made a noise in the world, & drawn the eyes of many upon them, and the hearts of many after them; yet there lieth so just an ex­ception against their persons and practises, as cannot but damp their testimony, and eat out that strength which otherwise it might carry with it. There is a greater ground of rebuke and reproach lies upon them, then hath usually attended the people of God, who have al­ways, and that too justly, layn open to reproach. The weakness of e­very Administration, the frailty of the persons under it, the great boasts that have still been made by some of them, of their interest in God, nearness to God, power from God, and yet the low ebb that most commonly they are found in, hath still given too much occasion to wise flesh to despise such a weak and mixed appearance of the Spirit of God in them: yet this is not their worst, but their ordina­ry state; you shall sometimes have them buffeted by Satan, overmastered by corruption, forsaken by God, giving up all their hopes, (My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord, said Jeremiah, Lam. 3.) all their light darkened, all their life extinguish­ed to appearance; and this is such a stumbling block as it is hard to leap over.

But none ever lay so open to reproach as these: Persons wallow­ing with delight in that which the eyes of Sence and Reason (if the eye of Religion were quite put out) cannot but call unclean, filthy, wicked: boasting that they are all, and all is theirs, and yet possessing nothing; not knowing where to attain necessaries for the body: speaking greater words then ever were spoken, but with less demonstration of the Spirit and of Power, then God was usu­ally wont to give out to them whom he called to speak after a far lower rate. How can any mans stomack forbear nauseating such kind of persons? I must profess there is nothing I have met with more contrary to my temper, and answerably more distasteful to me, who have been always strongly bent towards, and in prosecution [Page 8] of exact purity, both within and without, to the utmost extent and degree. My temper hath likewise enclined me much to modesty, sobriety, silence; I have still desired to be much, to enjoy much, but not to make any great sound of what I was made or enjoyed; and I think few can testifie any great boasts they heard from me of that Light, that Life, that Power, that Sweetness, which once I tasted of, nay for a season possessed, but still kept back the discovery of it, further then the drawing of it forth into action (wherein I was not overforward neither) did occasion it. To be, but not to appear, was very delightful to me; but to make a glorious appear­ance beyond substance, to speak great words beyond what I felt or enjoyed, was in no wise pleasing unto me, or passable with me. And if I deal ingenuously, I must confess, I never found my spirit rise with greater detestation against any thing, then this which I am now speaking of. It was irksom to me formerly to hear men talk of the Spirit of God, of being assisted by the Spirit of God, when it was too too clear that their own parts & abilities were the Master­engine in all their performances: but this was far more distasteful to me, and that which I could in no wise brook, until I was through­ly battered, and shewn my insufficiency to judg any thing.

Since which time, I have learned by much experience, that the clay is not its own, but the Potters; nor hath it liberty to chuse its own form, but must be cast into what form the Potter pleaseth, and into what several forms he pleaseth: One while it shall be a vessel of honour, by and by a vessel of dishonour; anon a vessel of honour again, then a vessel of dishonour again, of greater dishonour then before; and afterwards perhaps a vessel of greater honour then before. The same peece of earth one while lyeth common with the rest of the world, by and by is separated for a garden or vineyard to the Lord, enclosed with his fence, surrounded with his wall, for him to possess and please himself with; anon the fence, the wall, is broken down, and it laid open, and made common again: and thus it is tossed and tumbled into several sorts of various conditions as often as the owner of it pleases; and what shall be the issue of all, who knows but he who is all? There are many devices in the heart of man to exalt himself, and throw down others, (every one thinks it will go well with him, and is ready to prophecy Woes to others,) but the Counsel of the Lord it shall stand. Others shall meet with that [Page 9] blessedness he promiseth to himself, and he shall meet with those Woes he denounceth against others.

When Israel is a grievous slave, the despicablest peece of earth throughout the whole Creation, then is Israel picked out, chosen for a vessel of glory: When Israel lifts up it self above the rest of the world, looks upon the rest as Heathen, as Dogs, (it was their usual phrase to term the Gentiles by,) they were the chosen people, the rest cast off; they the holy people, the rest prophane, wicked, sin­ners of the Gentiles: Now must Israel be turned back, and be put in mind of his own original, which was the same with theirs, (his father was an Amorite, and his mother an Hittite,) and he must change places with them, a parcel of the Heathen must become the choyce separated people, and these must be cast by. Having tasted somewhat of this in my own spirit, having been hurled by might and power into several forms and shapes, and such too as I have been strongly fortified against, and have strongly opposed, it hath made me somewhat shy of finding fault with any peece of clay, in what guise soever I find it.

And I cannot but advise all, who have respect to their own ease and safety, to take heed how they judg these persons. This is no ordinary case; and though Sence or Reason, much more Religion, may presume upon the seeming clearness of the ground, and so grow bold in pronouncing sentence against them; yet it is the light of the day can alone declare things of this nature, and till the time of judgment be come, that light may be withheld. The nature and end of the various passages between God and his people, are many times then most hid, when they seem most manifest: There is commonly deepest love in the bitterest cup, and the purest glory is frequently vailed over with the darkest covering. Flesh hath been always bold in judging, it may now be met with; there may now be a trap laid to catch and ensnare it to its own confusion and destruction. This occasion is so palpable, that it will be very hard for Flesh to avoyd, being drawn out to judg and condemn; and yet its being drawn forth may be but an entrance into its own judgment.

Methinks I see how apt man is, according to his own state in Religion, and according to his own apprehension of things, pre­sently to give out his verdict. This is because the foundation was [Page 10] not well laid, will some say. This is the effect of their leaving Or­dinances and Duties, will others say. This is the fruit of their pry­ing into Mysteries and Secrets, may a third sort conclude. But how knowest thou, O vain man, that it ariseth from any of these? or who gave thee liberty to vent thine own Imagination concerning so intricate a passage as thine eyes never met with before? I can tell thee of another cause different from any of these, whence it may proceed for ought thou knowest.

There is a wine prepared for all to drink of, to empty them of all their glory, which the people of God must begin with. God will have no glory stand in his way: Religion is the highest glory, stands most in his way, therefore that must first down. Nature is glori­ous, and doth glorifie God in its kinde, but yet it stands in the way of Religion, which is an higher glory; Therefore the first thing Religion does, where it comes in power, is, to break Nature, to dash the glory of Nature. Religion is more glorious, and does more glorifie God; but withall, being more glorious, it stands more in the way of a greater glory, then the glory of Nature does; and therefore the present controversie is more sharp against it, then against Nature.

There is a time to set up, and a time to pull down; a time to raise, and a time to level: And that which is truly excellent and glorious in its kinde and degree, must vail and dye, when the season of the discovery of a greater glory draws nigh. And the people of God speak very lamentably of it, as a thing they did not look for, as a thing they thought to have avoyded, but were forced unto by a Power which could not be resisted; Thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. There is a wine of Gods mingling that will astonish, a wine made by his art and skill purposely to astonish, which can without fail effect it; a wine that will quickly lay the Creature dead drunk, and strip him as naked (if not more) of all the knowledg of God, yea, of all spiritual excellencies, as a man drunk after the common natural way is of the knowledg of natural things, and of natural excellencies.

There is a Consumption determined to pass through the whole earth, upon every earthly person, and every earthly thing in per­sons truly spiritual. Every earthly thing must be consumed. Not onely earthly relations, earthly converse, earthly imaginations, [Page 11] earthly endowments, customs, with the whole fashion of this out­ward world: but likewise earthly Religion, earthly Ordinances, earthly duties, earthly graces, earthly knowledg of God, earthly desires after God, earthly enjoyments of God, earthly acknowledg­ments of God, earthly praising of God, earthly hopes, evidences, assurances of everlasting life and blessedness; all that is earthly must be consumed every where. And that which you call spiritual, hea­venly, in this dark eclipsed-Moon-light, God may call earthly in his clear Sun-light; and whatsoever he calls earthly, must under-go this Consumption.

All flesh is grass, and the glory thereof as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. There is a blasting breath of the Lord gone forth, and going forth, which shall make every thing that is fleshly, that is not pure spirit, to dye, and give up the ghost. There is a ter­rible storm and tempest to come forth (Isai. 28. 2.) to batter down all the beauty and glory of Ephraim, of dear Ephraim, of Ephraim the pleasant Childe.

Now hence it may proceed, These persons may have been made to drink this wine. This judgment, which is to go over all, may be begun in them. The Spirit of the Lord, which will blow upon and make the glorious beauty of all to fade, may have already blown upon them, and have so blown upon t [...]em, that there may no re­mainders of that life and sweetness, whereof their spirits were once full, be left standing.

Therefore look about you; Let him that standeth take heed, lest he fall. Consider what ye will do when ye come to drink of this cup; how ye will keep off astonishment, and preserve in you the knowledg of spiritual things, when ye are made to drink the wine of astonishment; how ye will do to retain the beauty and glory of your Religion, when the Spirit of the Lord blows upon it. Alass Sirs! If these things be done to the green tree, what will become of the dry? If persons, in whom there was such an eminent power, purity and life of Religion (as there was known to be in many of these) be thus dealt with, be thus stripped, have the very founda­tion so struck at in them; what will become of persons who have very little better then a Form, whether of Presbytery, Independ­ency, Anabaptism, or any other kinde? how will these stand a­gainst [Page 12] the tempest? how quickly will the unquenchable fire devour such stubble? If the Oaks of Bashan, the Cedars of Lebanon, per­sons of such height, such strength, be fell'd to the ground, be burnt in the fire, be so much consumed, have so little (if any thing at all) left, what shall become of the Brambles of the Forrest? And yet none more forward and confident in judging, then such as are least able to stand, and shall soonest fall, when they come to Judg­ment.

But I will insist no longer on this, which is (to the point in hand) but circumstantial; but proceed now to the thing it self, which is of substance indeed, and of very great weight, which is this, Whe­ther we are to expect any other state, which that we are or have been in, and that the Primitive Christians were in, is to give way to? Whereunto I have this to say:

There seemeth to me to be a larger pouring out of the Spirit pro­mised, and to be expected in the latter days, then hath as yet been dispenced; larger both for extent and vertue: it is to be poured out more generally upon the people of God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and more effectually upon those on whom it is pour­ed out▪ and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, &c. This second pouring forth of the Spirit is to be fuller of vertue and effi­cacy in several respects.

1. In respect of the knowledg of things, and the way of dispen­sing it. There was a great deal of knowledg given out then, in re­spect of what had been before, and after a far clearer and more powerful manner: but yet it was still weak, dark, imperfect, and given out by weak fleshly instruments, earthen vessels, and in a weak fleshly manner, through much infirmity of the flesh, as Paul speaks: And it was received in but weakly too; so that ignorance did still prevail, and men were very carnal and dark under those ad­ministrations and receptions of Light, and had need to be taught over and over again the very elements and first principles of Chri­stianity.

But at the second pouring out of the Spirit, there shall be no need of any such givings out of Light, Ye shall not teach every man his neighbor, saying, Know the Lord: Knowledg shall then be uni­versal among the people of God, They shall all know me, from the least to the greatest: The knowledg of the Lord shall cover the [Page 13] Earth, as waters cover the Sea. Now there is a gasping after more Light, more discoveries of God; but then every vessel shall be filled, and filled from the Fountain. The waters shall be no more sullied by the pipes that convey it, but pure Light shall spring from within.

2. In respect of the remembrance of things. It was a work ap­pertaining to the Spirit, upon his first pouring forth, to bring things to their remembrance. The things that Christ had spoken, what they had known or heard, that was useful for them, the Spirit was to put them in minde of, when they should need it, either for di­rection or comfort.

But at the second pouring out of the Spirit, the Spirit shall in­deed bring all things to our remembrance much more fully: all the things of God, all the things in God, all the things done by God. Then we shall indeed remember the things of old, before this late Earth was formed; when there was nothing but the Light of God, the Life of God, the Power of God, circling within its own pleasure.

3. In respect of power over spirituall enemies and evils. They had power over these in a great measure. They could in some sence play with sin, laugh in their spirits at the condemnation of it, at the reigning power of it: There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ; and if sin abound, grace abounds much more; and again, Sin shall not have dominion over us, for we are not under the Law, but under Grace: here is fine sporting with sin. But for all that, it was but sad sport some­times, sin gave them now and then such gripes, as made them roar out, Oh wretched man! and, Who shall deliver! Yea, the body of sin stuck so close, as troubled the best of them all their dayes, so that they could not throughly do the things that they would, nor throughly avoyd the things they would not do, but were often forced, by the power of sinne, to do what they hated.

So for the world: They were delivered from this present evill world; but so as they were still troubled with it, and faine much to be pressed, not to love the world, nor the things of the world, not to fashion themselves to the world, &c. They were half out, and half in; got out from the world, and yet the world [Page 14] stuck close to them; drawn upwards by the Spirit, and yet still held downwards by the flesh.

And for the Devill; his head was a little crushed, but he was not quite trodden under foot. They were not ignorant of his devices, they knew his wiles well, and yet for all that they were not free from being entangled by him. Paul himself was buffet­ed by his messenger. He went up and down the very Churches like a roaring Lyon, seeking whom he might devoure; neither was he content with particular souls, but he never left till he had swallowed up all the Churches.

But at the second pouring out of the Spirit, spirituall enemies and spirituall evils shall be pure sport. Nothing shall hurt or de­stroy in all Gods holy mountain: Then the sucking child shall play on the hole of the Aspe, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den. The sting of sin shall be so taken out, that it shall be as harmless as any other thing. Such Light, such Life, such Puritie, shall then be dispensed, as shall transform the very nature of things. Darkness shall become Light; Death, Life; Impurity, Purity, unto them. They shall be so fully, so truely pure, as all things shall be pure to them; so fully living, as all things shall be life to them; and full of that light, which maketh every thing light about it. Sin, and Devil, and Hell, have no evill Originally in themselves, but only by a sharp Law are made terrible to weak flesh, but are very pleasant to the might and strength of perfect Spirit.

4. In respect of wisdome to use things. They had not wisdom proportionable to make use of the things bestowed on them. They knew not how to manage their gifts and graces (as appears in the 12. chap. of the 1 Epist. to the Church of Corinth) to the best advantage, but their very table became a snare to them. Their food, though it was weak, yet it was too strong for their stomacks. The wine of the Spirit was too heady for their weak braines, so that it turned them out of the way. Paul himself, though more then an ordinary man, yet not able to bear more then ordinary Revelations.

But at the second powring out of the Spirit, he shall become a perfect guide. There shall be wanting neither light to see the right, nor life to fall in with it to the full. The way of holiness, [Page 15] true holiness (not a shadowie, not a representative, but true holiness) shall be so plain, that waifaring men, that never went that way before, though fools, who have no skill in it, who know not how to ask a wise question about it, shall not erre therein.

And this is my interest, herein lies my heart, this is all the lit­tle hope that is left me, (or rather that is a little revived in me) after the bitter death and losse of all. And if this also faile me, or be over-much prolonged, I know not which way to turn, having nothing further to expect, but to lye down in miserie. I have seen an end of all the perfection I have hitherto been ac­quainted with; and if I had it again, yet it would be too nar­row to yield my Spirit content, which through much extremity hath been forced from its hold, to seek out and pant after, a firmer, a deeper, a larger foundation.

And now what shall I say to you, my dear ones? had I a word in Season, oh with what delight should I give it forth unto you I and yet why should I poor ignorant wretch be speaking, when he who knows how to speak, sees it good to be silent? Had I not better fall a weeping over you? but what value have my tears above my words? yet let me weep or speak, or both, at worst it can be but like what we dayly meet with; lost labour, vanitie. And I could almost fall into a patheticall perswading of you (if I were sure it might be prevalent and profitable) to weep with me; yea, and yet somewhat further, even to leave this same eager prosecuting the Formes and Shad­dows of things (which passe away, which perish in the very use, which did not contain life and substance in them, even whilest it passed through them) to withdraw your Spirits from doting on your present enjoyments (if they be present) and to consider what is absent, what is worth the enjoying, and to mourn after it; To forsake the house of Feasting in these poor, low, dark, shallow things, and to enter into the house of mourn­ing, after deep, after excellent things, after that life and sub­stance which will alone be in request for food and satisfaction of Souls, when these shall vanish, and their emptiness and naked­ness appear unto, and be acknowledged by all.

There is ground of mourning in a double respect: both in respect of what is lost, and in respect of what was promised to be enjoyed.

[Page 16] First, In respect of what is lost, and that in a double respect also: In respect of what you your selves have lost, and likewise in respect of what the state of Christianity hath lost.

Consider what ye your selves have lost, and mourn over that. What Sweetness, Meekness, Patience, Humility, Faith, Love, &c. did appear in Christians a while ago? What Life and Vigour in Prayer? What inward searching of heart, and outward strictness of conversation? Oh where is this! Is it not gone? Nay, is it pos­sible to be recovered? Be provoked to jealousie, O ye professors of this age, hold forth the truth of things, or give up the name also: if ye have lost the Substance, please not your selves with the Title, but throw it away also, rather then it should hinder you from pres­sing after the Substance again.

Consider likewise, what the state of Christianity hath lost: what it once possessed, whereof the shadow is not now to be found.

What presence of God dwelling in them. God dining, supping, walking up and down with them, and they with him. We know God by outward apprehensions, sucked in from the letter of the Scriptures: They knew God from the sight of him, from his in­goings and out-goings in their own spirits. They, by a spiritual eye received from God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son, saw them­selves in God the Father and in Jesus Christ: They saw God the Father and Jesus Christ in them. They were come to Mount Sion, to the City of the living God, &c. They saw, they tasted, they handled, the Word of Life. They had golden Candlesticks, and Christ walking in the midst of them.

What Power of the Spirit of God going forth in them. They could pray in the Spirit, act in the Spirit, live in the Spirit. They knew how to move towards God in his own Spirit. Out of their belly did indeed flow rivers of living Water, which did continually run back, and carry them back into the Sea of Life.

What Liberty of Spirit, true Liberty, wherein they knew how to use every thing, and be in bondage to nothing: Such Liber­ty, wherein the Spirit might take its full scope to meet and enjoy God every where, in every thing; and the flesh have no advantage thereby to feed it self any where, in any thing.

[Page 17] This was once the state of Christians, that which they were in a way to attain, that which some did attain, yea that which was generally attained in some degree. But where is it now? Who comes near it? Indeed a strong Imagination may fancy, that it hath attained some kind of resemblance of it; but do but compare it with the reality of this state, how soon will it appear but an Ima­gination, but a fancy? and is not this a just occasion of lamenta­tion?

Again, There is ground of mourning, in respect of what was promised. More was promised then they enjoyed. A more full presence of God, a more abundant power of the Spirit, a more perfect liberty in the Spirit. He that beleeveth, out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living Water. I will dwell with them, and I will walk in them, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Though they had the enjoyment of this in respect of us, yet this was but a promise in re­spect of what was to be enjoyed. Promises are very large of plenty, fulness of bread, but the children of the promises are very scanty, almost famished for want of it. How full are the Scriptures of pro­mises to the last days! We say, these are the last days, and surely we meet with (in part) the misery that is spoken of, as belonging to the last times; but the happiness, the sweet enjoyment of God, the plentiful pourings forth of the Spirit, which are so abundantly promised to those times, seem more remote from us in view, then they have been from preceding ages.

If ever there was a time for tears without, and grief of spirit within, this seems the season: when after such an expectation of Light and Glory, of Settlement and Establishment in the things of God, such thick darkness, such universal shame, such dreadful Shat­terings, have so apparently overtaken us, and are so likely dayly more and more to overtake us. Not only our Superstruction, but our very Foundation is shaken; and when we have striven and tryed to the utmost to settle again, we may be forced at length to confess, that there is no setling any more upon it, but we must come to a deeper bottom, or sink for ever.

Certain Scripture-Prophecies, &c.

How dark must it needs be, when the whole vision of God is become as a sealed book, that none, either unlearned or learned, can read any part of it?

Needs must the fear of God, the whole Worship of God, both outward and inward, be taught by the precept of men, (if it be taught at all,) when the true Vision of God is wholly hid.

Yet miserable is that fear, that worship of God, which is taught by the precept of men, whose wisdom hath ever been foolishness [Page 40] before, and hateful to the eye of GOD.

But because man will be stepping into the place of God, and by his light patching up those defects, which can only be healed by Gods Light; God will at length not only confound these his pre­sumptuous enterprises, but strike at the very foundation of this wis­dom, even in the wisest and most prudent, which have been looked upon as the safest guides.

And what then will poor man do for his Religion, for his Wor­ship; when the wisdom of those that were wont to frame it for him is so smitten, that both they themselves and others, cannot but see and acknowledg it perished?

Behold a drunkenness, which is not a matter of shame, but a crown, a beauty, a glorious beauty; yet a Wo follows, which pitifully bemires this crown, this beauty, this glory.

It is not the common sort of the world that are here spoken of, but Israel, Gods own people; nor the common sort of Israel, but Ephraim, the pride or glory of Israel, Ephraim the dear Tribe, the Tribe picked out to be blessed, (In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim:) Nor yet the common sort of E­phraim, but the choicest, the peculiar ones, who by their worth and excellency, their strictness and exactness, were the crown of that pride. This drunkenness was a peculiar kind of drunkenness, inci­dent only to the people of God, my proper to the devoutest among [Page 41] them: it was Religion, Devotion, that Ephraim was drunk with, it was the steem of that wine overcame him, overturned his weak brain, and made him stumble and tumble into misery, while he thought he was going on safely and swiftly towards happi­ness.

He that will take pains to search, and hath an eye to see with, may perhaps find Ephraim drunk with these three things:

1. With his religious Performances; his Sacrifices, his Obedi­ence to the revealed Will of God; his fasting, his feasting, or thanksgiving, and such other Ordinances of Worship. Ephraim expressed his drunkenness herein, both by his over-valuing them, and by his over-performing them.

He over-valued them, he looked upon them as more excellent things then they were, forgetting out of what lump they came, as well as out of what lump he himself came. He looked upon them as more pleasing to God then there was cause for, who little regard­ed them at the best, but now began to turn much more from them, finding man so taken with them. My Soul loatheth your solemn Feasts. Praising God, using the creatures in a way of acknowledg­ing and honouring the Creator, a set and solemn lifting up of the Name of God, what can carry a greater shew of excellency in it? and yet, oh how God turns from it! My Soul loatheth your so­lemn Feasts.

And Ephraim did over do them too, (as man thinks he can never exceed in acts of worshipping God, especially if they be of his own institution.) Ephraim did more of these then ever God desired of him; did even tire God out with the multitude of his Sacrifices and Services. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams, or with ten thousand Ri­vers of Oy [...], &c. Let God call for never so much, he shall have it. God had so much of these, he was fain to cry, Hold. To what pur­pose is the multitude of your Sacrifices, &c. your new Moons, &c. I am weary of them. Who hath required this at your hands?

2. With his spiritual Priviledges; his nearness to God, his In­terest in God, the Testimonies of Gods presence with him, such as the Ark, Temple, &c.

Ephraim did over-value these too, thought these to be of ano­ther nature then they were, of a more excellent lasting nature. Little [Page 42] thought he that these could pass away, or be of so little efficacy, as many times they were, while they remained.

3. With his Security in respect of both. He thought himself seated in blessedness, and far from misery. The overflowing scourge may over-run the world, but he thinks himself safe from it: And as for Hell and Death, they may seize on others, but he is at agree­ment with them, he is secured from them by his interest in God, and by the promises of God to him, which cannot fail.

Ah poor Ephraim! what wilt thou do, when thou shalt meet with this Wo? when thou shalt not only find thy glorious beauty a fading, but the Spirit of the Lord blowing upon it with a strong East wind? when that Spirit that breathed life into it shall not only withdraw from it, but blow sharply upon it? when thou findest by sensible and undeniable experience that which thou thoughtest utterly impossible?

Whatsoever is not everlasting may pass away: that which thou callest everlasting may not be so. The narrowness of thy eye may cause thee to take things to be everlasting, which are far short of it. Things everlasting after thy measure may be of very short continu­ance after Gods measure: Look to thy footing.

Here is the lamentation of Ephraim over his own dead and for­lorn state, wherein he very pathetically deciphers and bewails his misery, and casts an eye of grief likewise upon the sad distasters that befall the world at the same time.

The first Verse speaks mournfully of Gods sharp dealings with his people, expressing withal their affectionate desire to have them changed. O God, thou hast cast us off, &c.

The second Verse holds out his sharp dealings towards the world, with a desire of relief towards it likewise. Thou hast made the earth to tremble, &c.

[Page 43] The third Verse contains a further aggravation of the sharpness of Gods dealings towards his people, which it sets forth both in general, Thou hast shewed thy people hard things; and lays down a particular instance, Thou hast made us to drink the wine of asto­nishment.

The hard dealings they complain of in the first Verse are three. Thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered or broken us, and thou hast been displeased. Thou hast cast us off from thy self, scattered and broken us one from another, and in our own spirits; and that which is worst of all, thou hast suffered thine heart to be offended against us, thou hast been displeased.

Thou hast cast us off. This points at the relation and state, which God and his people stand in one to another, and should of right be found in: which is a state of union, a state of fellowship, a state of embracement. He the Father, they the children; He the Husband, they the Spouse; He the Master, they the Servants; He the King, they his Subjects. They should live in the same King­dom, dwell in the same house, sit at the same table, lie in the same bed, have the same share within, and the same lot without in every thing. Every thing that is theirs must become his; every thing that is his must become theirs. All their beauty, their excellency, their glory, must not be to adorn or serve themselves with; but to adorn him with, to cloath him with, to serve him with. All his Wisdom, his Excellency, his Power, his Love, his infinite Riches, Greatness and Majesty, must not be to please himself, but to fill them with, to lay out for them, to bestow upon them, to empty into them.

When God takes a people, he draws them nigh to himself, opens his bosom to them, embraces them, pitches his Tabernacle among them to dwell with them, builds an house for them to live together, erects a bed, prepares a table for them, feeds, cherishes them, as the man doth the wife, the father the child; stands in their defence a­gainst all opposition. Sin within, enemies without, nothing must speak a word against them: if they do, he takes it as spoken against himself. He that toucheth them, toucheth the apple of his eye. And so 'tis with them, The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. This is the proper state between them.

[Page 44] But now behold, hearken, and you shall hear them complaining, and that to God himself, O God, thou hast cast us off. Thou hast thrust us out of thy presence, Thou hast withheld thy sweetness from us. We are not now one, but severed, and at a great distance one from another. We never meet at the same bed, at the same board, in the same house, no not in the same Kingdom: but thou thy self art gone into a far Country, and hast left us here in a strange Land.

O God, our happiness lies in thine embraces, in union and com­munion with thee. We desire nothing but to be near God, to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives, to see in the bosom of the Lord all the motions of our spirits: But O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast given us a bill of divorce, and sent us packing. We can hear no news of thee, no news from thee. Lie we in never so great depths of misery, and pangs of spirit, thou regard­est not. We are as a woman forsaken, bearing up and down the reproach of our widowhood continually, O GOD, thou hast cast us off.

Thou hast scattered or broken us. There should be a publique communion among the people of God. They should have fel­lowship one with another, as well as with God. They that are so near in one spirit, should not be such strangers here in the flesh.

And there should be also a meeting and current of life in every ones particular spirit. Faith, Love, Hope, Joy, Peace, &c. should meet in the inner man, and go forth from the inner man into their several ways of spiritual motion. Thus it is when things are right.

But now, Thou hast broken us. Thou hast scattered us up and down one from another. How are the people of God rent in spi­rit one from another! So scattered, that they can have no true spi­ritual communion together! And how broken and shattered in their own spirits! their life broken, their light broken, their joy broken, their peace broken, their hope broken, their faith broken; yea every thing so broken, that there is nothing left whole within neither. Surely some feel this.

Thou hast been displeased. All Relations are knit up of Love. The relation between King and People, father and child, husband [Page 45] and wife, are knit by several ways of affections one to another, wherein their hearts stand towards one another, according to the tye and bond of the Relation. Now in several cases their hearts turn one from another. They do not only act harshly one towards another, as it often falls out; but in some cases their hearts turn one from another.

And this points at somewhat in God, who hath so ordered things, that though the original tye between him and his Spouse be ever the same; yet there are certain cases, yea, he himself often casts her into such a posture, wherein his heart turns from her. He can at the same time wonderfully love her, and yet loath her in her pre­sent condition. Though he loves her in her person, yet he loaths her in her state of weakness and vanity. And though the strength of his love to her person causeth him at sometimes to turn towards her, and entertain fellowship with her; yet the vileness of her pre­sent state soon turns his stomack, and causes him to withdraw a­gain.

And so the husband likewise is at present in such an unlovely state, so dark, so hidden, and in that respect so unlovely; his excel­lencies so clouded, and he thereby appearing so unlike himself, that the Spirit of the Spouse too turns from her Husband, and she doth not like such a God as he now appears to be.

Now of all things, this is most irksom to each, When they per­ceive the heart of either turning from the other. God regards not all the sins of his people. Let him but find their love flow forth fully towards him, their hearts stand entirely and only to him-wards, he has enough. Nor do the people of God much grumble at the afflictions and miseries that befall them from God, they know they have need of these things. But when they suspect that they take offence at one another, that their hearts begin to withdraw, then they stir up one anothers jealousie. God complains much of his peoples thus provoking him to jealousie, and likewise speaks of his provoking them to jealousie in the same manner. And this is that that lies sore here at the Spouses heart, Thou hast been displeased. Sure thou hast taken some offence at us; or thou wouldst never have dealt thus with us.

O turn thy self to us again, Now the Spouse speaks to God, as he doth at another time to her; Thou hast played the harlot with [Page 46] many lovers, yet turn again to me, saith the Lord. Thou hast cast us off, and scattered us, and hast been displeased, O turn thy self to us again, saith the Spouse; that will help all, all the rest will quickly be forgot.

The Church feels her sickness, and knows what will heal her. Her wound, her misery, came by Gods turning from her, by his turning his back upon her; and she knows nothing will heal her, but his turning again to her, and that she calls to him for. She doth not pray to have her wounds healed, or to have comforts or enjoyments from him; but she prays for that which will do all, O turn thy self to us again. All our content lay in thee, All our trouble arises from thy absence, from thy turning away and departing from us, O turn to us again. She prays for healing for the world in the next Verse, Heal the breaches of it, that will serve their turn: but no healing but the presence of thy self will serve our turn. If thou intendest any pity, any relief to us, there is no way but this to bring it home to our hearts, Turn thy self to us again.

There is nothing can throughly wound a Soul truly acquainted with God, but his withdrawing from it: Nor is there any thing can heal that wound, but his return again. This is all the request such a Soul knows how to put up from the bottom of his spirit, O turn thy self to us again.

Vers. 2. Thou hast made the earth to tremble, thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof, for it shaketh.

At the same time when God rouls up the Heavens like a Scrole, he kindles a fire in the bowels of the earth. When he causeth the spiritual Beauty, Glory, Rest and Peace of his own dear people to pass away, the earth must not enjoy theirs long after. When Christ cryed out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, there was immediately an Earthquake: And when the people of Christ (who are of the same Body, feel the same things, and cannot but express the same sence) cry out, O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast bro­ken us, thou hast shut up the light of thy countenance (which was ever our life) in the displeasure of thine heart; the earth shall feel somewhat to complain of too. When he falls upon all the several parcels of his own holy Land to lay them flat, he will likewise arise to shake terribly the earth: And he doth here so tear and rent it, [Page 47] that he makes it tremble under sense of what it feels, and of what it further expects.

But this is no delight to the poor people of God, They desire not to have the earth share with them in misery. Though the earth has ever delighted to see them rent and torn, has been still persecu­ting them, even when God has smitten them, yea most when they have been most smitten by him; yet they have no pleasure in the breaches God makes on the earth, but would fain have them heal­ed, and put up a very affectionate request here for it, Heal the breaches thereof, for it shaketh. It cannot stand long in this po­sture, visit it betimes with health, with Salvation. It shakes already, relieve it, rescue it, before it shake quite in peeces.

Vers. 3. Thou hast shewed thy people hard things. Thou hast dealt very hardly with thy people: Oh many hard things that we could mention, many bitter, sharp passages that our spirits have been sensible of. We never looked that God should have dealt so with us. Who ever would have told us that God would have dealt so with his people, we should have accounted him an abominable lyar. We looked indeed for hardships in the way, hard graplings with enemies; but we did not look for such things from him. We thought he would have stood by us, and have helped us; we did not think that he himself would have wounded us deeper then any else could. We did not look for such kind of things from thee, O God, and we cannot but complain of them as hard usage, nay in no wise justifiable between God and his people, according to the measure that we understood his Covenant and Promises by.

To give a particular instance of somewhat we have felt, but ne­ver could expect or fear, Thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

Astonishment is an amazedness of spirit: When one knows not what to think, which way to look, nor what to do; then a person is astonished. Spiritual astonishment is when the Soul is astonished in and about spiritual things; when the Soul does not know what to think of any thing that is spiritual. A spiritual man knows spi­ritual things: He knows the Father of Spirits, and the way of a Spirits communion with his Father; the way of the Spirit of Lifes going forth in his own Spirit: He knows God, Christ, Heaven, Hell, Life, Death, Joy, Peace, &c. Spiritual astonishment is the [Page 48] amazement of the Spirit concerning these; when the Soul does not know what to think of any spiritual thing, as of God or Christ, Heaven or Hell, &c. wonders whether there be any such things or no, wonders whether his knowledg (as he accounted it formerly) of them was not a meer imagination: wonders at every creature that he sees, at every thing that he hears, what it is, what it means; is in a condition that he is amazed how he came into it: finds con­tinual misery and torment attending him, but cannot tell which way to stir for any relief; can neither tell how to stir▪ nor yet how to stand still; cannot tell how to hope, or how to despair; would fain move some way, but cannot; would fain stand still some where, but cannot; would fain know, or be quiet under its igno­rance, but can find no bottom to fasten either on. This is spiritual astonishment, true astonishment, through astonishment. If the Spirit could fix any where on any thing, it were not perfectly asto­nished. But when it knows nothing, can own nothing, can turn from nothing, can turn towards nothing, can move no whither, nor abide any where, it is confounded to purpose.

That which produceth this astonishment is wine, drinking of wine; it is a drunkenness with wine. A wise man can search through the causes of things, and is not easily astonished: but if he drink wine hard, it takes away his understanding from him. The spiritual man is very wise, can search into the causes of spiritual things, and is not easily confounded at the variety of Gods ways till he come to drink wine, and that strips him of his understanding like­wise. There is a wine of astonishment, a wine that does naturally produce this effect, as it was purposely made for this end. A wine there is that God has made and prepared for the creature to drink, which shall drink up all the excellency of the creature; which who­soever drinks throughly of, will quickly lose not only all his natural understanding, but all his spiritual understanding also. Psal. 75. 8. In the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red: it is full of mixture. Red wine, wine mixed▪ yea throughly mixed▪ full of mix­ture; sure it is very intoxicating: very easily may he be brought into a state of astonishment who drinks such kind of wine.

But how come they to drink this wine? Thou hast made us to drink. It was not their love to the wine, they had no mind to it, they turned from it; but thou hast made us to drink. He poureth [Page 49] out of the same, Psal. 75. 8. The dregs the wicked shall drink, but, they must drink the top. They must begin to the world, they must drink the first draught, and be purged of all their earth and filth first. Judgment must begin at the house of God. Jerusalem must begin the Round to the rest of the Nations. Though till they come to taste of it, they are apt to mock at the mention of it, (Isai. 28. 22.) thinking their nearness to God, and interest in God to be such, that they may laugh at destruction, as beholding the evil day far from them, and they themselves sufficiently fenced against its overtaking them: No, it must pass over all. God holds the cup in his hand▪ and if they will not drink, he will pour it down their throats; Thou hast made us to drink. Therefore Jerusalem is said to drink it at the hand of the Lord. Isai. 51. 17. Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

When the Lord is pleased with Jerusalem, he has a cup of sweet wine, a cup of joy and delight to chear and refresh the Spirits of Jerusalem. But when the Lord is angry, he has a cup of astonish­ment, a cup of trembling, a cup of confusion, of sleep, of death; all which Jerusalem tastes in it, when she drinks of it. And Jerusalem cannot chuse whether she will dri [...]k the cup or no, but must drink it, which hast drunk at the hand of [...]he Lord. God stands like a mo­ther that holds a potion of physick in her hand, and will make her child take it, though sore against the childs mind. Yea some mothers will make their children drink the very thick of the potion, the bot­tom of the cup: And poor Jerusalem must drink the very dregs too, if God will have it so.

O how sweet is God in building up, how terrible in throwing down! How pleasant, how quickening is the cup of his love; how dreadful, how destroying is the cup of his wrath! There is none can so much as imagine the power of his wrath, that have not tasted the power of his love. If Christ and his people had not felt and known so much sweetness in the Love and Life of God, they could never have found so much bitterness in the cup of his indignation, in that cup of death which he prepares to put an end to that kind of life.

The people of God must lose that very life that Christ lost, by [Page 50] that very cup: We must all taste of his Baptism. O how sweet is that life in its season, how pleasant is it to thrive and grow in it! Communion with God, The mutual opening of hearts one to ano­ther, The continual meeting every where in everything in one and the same Spirit, is very ravishing and transporting: But to have this pass away, or (if the the life of be too strong so to do) to have it killed by power, by a cup of deadly poyson, is so sharp and terri­ble, that the pangs of dissolving the body are hardly worthy to be a shadow of it. Yet if any have a desire before-hand to conceive what it is, such as have tasted of the spiritual pleasure of this kind of life, may give some guess at it.

This drink is the Wo God administers to expel the former drunk­enness by: This wine, whoever is throughly made drunk with, will quickly find all his former beauty and spiritual glory stained, and his nakedness uncovered by it.

This is the Issue, the Result of all to Ephraim, though little ex­pected by him. God liked not his beauty, therefore stained it with his vomiting by the force of a new kind of wine. But while Ephra­im was drunk, had lost his eyes and his ears, could see nothing of God, could hear nothing of God, God was forming him anew; and after he hath layn long enough in the grave, for his former shape quite to rot and waste away, he must be brought forth anew to the praise of him that formed him.

This people have I formed my self: You thought I was de­stroying this people, and perhaps they themselves (because of what they felt) thought so too. They were become the blackest people under Heaven, upon whom the blackness of darkness seemed to have seized for ever. And indeed I was destroying that fleshly shape and Image of holiness, wherein they formerly appeared, and which their spirits too much doted upon; this was I resolved to lay in the dust, and not leave the least reliques of it. They were the most [Page 51] deformed people too, without eyes, without ears, could hear or see nothing of the greatest danger, nothing of the greatest good, but all good passes by them, and every snare takes hold of them. Thus did I deal with them, thus did I undo them; but withall, I was forming them anew. I was not only destroying the old form, as men thought, and they thought; but I was likewise introducing a new form, and that a very excellent one, one for mine own self; not to serve my design upon, as allshapes I have hitherto cast my people in have been, but for my self to possess, enjoy, and please my self in for ever. These desolate spirits have I built into such a Tabernacle, into such a Temple, as shall never be pulled down again; but here will I dwell for ever, this is the true place of my rest, these vessels shall indeed hold all my glory. This fabrick shall be so perfect, so fair, so full of lasting beauty, that all that behold it shall not chuse but praise the skill of the workman, who hath prepared so fit an habitation for his own Spirit, and so perfect glory, pleasure and content for his own habitation.

Then shall the blind see, and the deaf hear, when those that now see and hear may be made blind and deaf.

When the new eye and the new ear is brought forth in new-made Israel, the old eye and the old ear in old Israel will be out of re­quest.

Amen saith my spirit within me; Let old things pass away, and all things become new. Let the Scheam of this present world, both outward and inward, pass away, and a new Scheam of both be brought forth. A new light, a new eye; a new sound of things, a new ear to hear that sound; a new discovery of God, a new mind to receive that discovery into; a new Heaven, a new Earth, and new Inhabitants for both; a new Worship, new Worshippers, new wine, new bottles, all new: and he that is perfectly weary of the old cannot but say Amen with me. Amen, Halelu-jah.

Cursed be all the idol▪ gods of the Heathen, but blessed be the living God for evermore. He shall be God indeed that doth these things. Lo this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us, and we will be glad and rejoyce in his Salvation. Amen, Halelu-jah.

Be not offended, We must tune our Harps to the new Song, when once we taste of the cup of this new Salvation.

O doleful! O Joyful! weeping▪ wailing, gnashing of teeth in some, joy unspeakable in others. The Prodigal shall be welcomed home with the fatted calf, with mirth, musick, dancing, which his other brother, through grief and anguish of spirit, cannot partake of, nay perhaps it may prove the will of the father not to admit him to this feast, which he makes to welcom home the unthrift. He will fill the hungry with good things, but the rich will he send emp­ty away.

Yea, the Lord God will slay thee. Thou hast a name now that thou livest, though thou art dead, but the Lord will kill that appear­ance of life in thee wherewith now thou flourishest, and cast thy name out for dead. That name thou now hast shall rot and dye, and be no more accounted for a living name: He will call his people no more after that name, but he will have a new name (which the Mouth of the Lord shall name) to write in the foreheads of his servants, and to call them by.

Then the Wilderness shall become a fruitful field, and the fruit­ful [Page 53] field shall be counted for a Forrest, Chap. 32. 15. And there will be great joy and singing among the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the dumb, when they shall all be perfectly healed; when the barren parched ground shal abound with that water which it thirsted after, and grew so heartless and barren for want of.

Then said I, When, when! O Lord God, how long! Thou hast a long time holden thy peace. Awake, awake, put on strength, O Arm of the Lord. Uncloath thine Arm of flesh, and cloath it with strength, if thou meanest to do these things. Sleep no longer under the vail of flesh, but rent it from the top to the bottom, and come forth in thine own likeness; and so soon as we see this in this E­quipage, we will sing and shout, Hosanna in the highest: Blessed be he who is, and was, and is no longer a coming, but come. Even so, Amen.