THE Prophet in the former part of the Chapter, having ſeen and taken notice of thoſe wonderfull works wrought by Jeſus Chriſt, both in his Judgements and Mercies, he breaks out into wonderful praiſe; rejoycing and admiration of his wonderful Works, and of his Counſels of old, O Lord thou art my God, I will exalt thee, I will praiſe thy name, V. 1. for thou haſt done wonderful things, thy Counſels of old are faithfulneſs and truth; In which, he gives thanks, as in the perſon of Jeſus Chriſt, or as a member of him, and expreſſeth the deep and wonderful things which have been wrought onely and alone by Him. From whence we may take notice, that the ſongs and praiſes of all Saints, are only and alone to magnifie and lift up Jeſus Chriſt:Pſal. 29.9. In his Temple every one ſpeaks of his glory: they have nothing to ſay in praiſe of man, of the power of man, wiſdom of man, or the glory of man, of the faithfulneſs of man, of the counſels of man, but of the Lord alone.

They are not telling forth what they have done, to bring glory to themſelves; or to ſet up their wiſdome, or power, or parts, or any thing in them; of their righteouſneſſe, of their holineſs, of their love, of their joy, of their peace, or any thing of this nature;Luk, 18.11. as the Scribes and Phariſees, I am not ſo and ſo, and I do thus and thus, thereby to magnifie themſelves, or to make others think highly of them; no, but their ſongs and their praiſe is alone to exalt Jeſus Chriſt, and to tell of his doings, of his counſels, of his faithfulneſs and truth, of his mercies and loving kindneſse, of his righteouſneſse and judgements; this is their glory, and this is their ſong.

In the Second verſe, you may ſee how he ſets out the ſpoiles and the ruins that Jeſus Chriſt hath made; Great and glorious Cities made heaps; of a defenſed City a ruine: That ſtrong city Babel built up by the power and wiſdom of man,Gen. 11. for his protection and defence, which he would raiſe up to Heaven, to prevent deſtruction hereafter, that the deluge of wrath may not ſwallow him up; The ſoule having ſeen the Almighty power of Jeſus Chriſt, ruining, and bringing down this Tower, and this BABEL in himſelf, and making all this work power, wiſdom, providence of man, of ſelf and fleſh to be made Bable, Confuſion; here now, the Saints give all the glory to Jeſus Chriſt alone; Man finds that he was raiſing a Temple, ſetting up a Worſhip of his own deviſing; for what end? that he may ſecure himſelf, provide for himſelf, deliver himſelfe from wrath, from hell, from the overflowing ſcourge, from the devouring flood; he thought himſelfe to be wonderfull in working and glorying in his own devices,Eſa. 28.15 in his own religion, in his own forms, and thereby thought this Tower would ſecure him, no deluge could reach him, he was above all danger; as Paul, he was marching on confidently and boldly in his own uprightneſſe, and thought he acted all things according to the rule; Acts 9. & ch. 26.9. Pſal. 49.11. Dan. 4.30. Now in the height of all his pride and confidence, Jeſus Chriſt brings him down, ſmites him from his horſe, he had built a city (as it were) and called it by his own name, mangified his own ſtrictneſſe, his own holineſſe, and ſaid as Nebuchadnezzer, Is not this great Babel that I have builded? Now the ſoule ſeeing all this to be a lye, to be confuſion, and a deceit, and a deluſion, and all turned by Jeſus Chriſt into ruine and confuſion in his own ſoule, and not a ſtone left upon a ſtone which is not thrown down; Matth. 24.2. this the ſoule comes to ſee is alone the work of Chriſt; that he hath made, of a glorious city an heap, Eſai. 25.2. and of a defenced City a ruinous place of ſtrangers: and this to be no City and ſhall never be built againe: when once Jeſus Chriſt pulls down Babel in us, it ſhall never be built againe: He hath laid it all flat to the ground. All of mans ſetting up muſt be utterly ruined: no part of that building ſet up upon the ruins of mans power, wiſdome, ſtrength, parts, will Chriſt make any uſe of for his kingdome, but all muſt be ruined,Luke 21.6. Ezek. 21.27. laid flat to the ground, and he will not leave a ſtone upon a ſtone. The work of Chriſt is an overthrowing, overturning, overturning work: the work of Chriſt is to ſlay, ſtrip, and undo men: to ſtrip them of all conceit of themſelves to lay them flat to the earth, to equal and level them with the worſt of men. The work of the Devil is to build up man in his own wiſdom, in his own ſtrength, to make him ſomething; to cry peace peace to him, when there is no peace; Jer. 6.14. to put wrath far away, and to tell him he is thus and thus, he hath ſuch love and charity, and meekneſſe, and conformity to the will of Chriſt, and therefore fear not,Matth. 16.22. none of all thoſe things ſhall happen to thee. When indeed this is nothing but the work and wiſedome of the Devil in man:Eſai. 28.15. to make him ſecure, and put the evil day far from him and thereby hath made a covenant with death and hell; and of all men, he ſhall be preſerved from ruin; why? he is a holy man, he hath ſubmitted to ordinances, he is under the pureſt forms, moſt agreeable to the wil and mind of Chriſt: Whenas all this may be nothing but the work of the divel in man, meerly to delude him, and to keep away guilt, that he may not ſee the bottomleſs gulph of ſin and deluſion that is in his own heart.

But when once Jeſus Chriſt hath thus declared his power in this ſoul, and brought forth his eternal counſels in it, then he comes to ſee that all this is done in faithfulneſs and loving kindneſs, and in tender compaſſion; then he comes to ſee that he was deluded, Hoſ. 12.1. and fed himſelf with lies, with wind and vanity, and that the way to ſafety was not to build up this Babel, Eſay 25.4 but to bring it into confuſion: for, ſaith he, in the fourth verſe; Thou haſt been a ſtrength to the poor and needy in their diſtreſſe, a refuge from the ſtorm, a ſhadow from the heat. So that you ſee, the matter of Saints praiſes is only to magnifie and ſet up, and exalt and make Chriſt great and wonderful. They cannot ſay any thing of themſelves, or of men, for they ſee them to be nothing but ſin, and the fountain of miſery, deſolation, and deſtruction, even the very beſt, the higheſt, the holieſt in their own eſteem. And ſo he goes on, Thou ſhalt bring down the noiſe of the ſtrangers, &c. the branch and the Terrible ones ſhall be brought low: V. 5. And all this is, but to ſhew forth what further work Chriſt makes; how he goes on making more Havock in Satans building; Mans work, or the work of Satan in him, is to ſet up and exalt the wiſdom of man, and power and holineſs of man, and to ſleight and debaſe the wiſdom, holineſs, and power of God, all this is fooliſhneſs; but his own is wiſdom indeed, and holineſs indeed: Now the work of Chriſt is to pull down theſe ſtrong holds and high imaginations: 2 Cor. 10.4. Babel muſt be confounded, and Bethel muſt be erected: Chriſt wil himſelf ſet up his own Temple, his own houſe, his own Kingdom, and wil bring man to ſee that he is nothing but want and miſery, Note. emptineſs and confuſion, ſin and death, Hell and condemnation: And that Jeſus Chriſt alone is fulneſs, riches, life, light, glory, and all that can be named or eſteemed good, and man s nothing but what may be named and eſteemed evil, And this is certainly the work that Chriſt makes in every ſoul wherever He enters: And Chriſt brings the ſoul really to ſee, All this true, in it ſelf, all done and acted in man: that this Babel, and this Antichriſt is ſet up in him; and alſo, that the power and wiſdom of Jeſus Chriſt hath ruined and deſtroyed them in him; and that this can be no other, but the work of Chriſt, conquering and bringing all things, even every thought, into ſubjection in him,Jude. v. 5. and he gives him the ſole praiſe and glory of theſe mighty works in him, why? for he knows he had no hand in it himſelf: he could not believe of himſelf, repent of himſelf: never would the ſtrong man bind himſelf, ruin himſelf;Luke 11.22, but when a ſtronger then he comes, then he is diſarm'd, and never before: and thus he ſees himſelf delivered from bondage, ſet free from the divels chains, brought out of Babylon; and that Chriſt alone is all in all, he is all fulneſs and no emptineſſe, all riches and no want, all wiſdom and no folly, all righteouſneſs and no impurity at all: But contrary, himſelf to be nothing but emptineſs and nothingneſs, darkneſs, miſery, folly, madneſs; folly and madneſs is in his heart while he lives, Eccl. 9.3. and afterward goes down into the pit: while men thus build up themſelves, and have theſe high opinions of themſelves, they are in the pit, in darkneſs, in miſery, in bondage, but they ſee it not, till at length they fall down and ſink into it for ever.

But where Chriſt appears in mercy, there he brings down the noiſe of ſtrangers, all this in man and of man is but the noyſe of ſtrangers, though man have a high opinion of himſelf, and glories in theſe conceits, and thinks himſelf in the Kings favour, and if any ſhal be ſaved he ſhal, and ſo bleſſeth himſelf and all is wel, and no wrath, nor no divel, nor no hell, ſhall come neer him; yet alaſs, this is but the noiſe and the voice of ſtrangers, which muſt be brought down, Chriſt cannot own this voyce (for 'tis the voyce of ſtrangers) but will bring it down to hell and to the ſides of the pit, for,Eſa. 14.15 all this language is nothing elſe but the language of death, and the language of Babel, the language of the divel, and the language of confuſion: all this is but the branches of the Terrible ones; Eſay 25.5 the branch which hath enlarged and ſpread it ſelf over the whole earth;Pſal. 14.3. Every one is gone aſtray, and there is none that doth good, no not one. And all the imagination of mans beart is evil, Gen. 6.5. and only evil continually: not a man upon the face of the whol earth, but this branch hath ſpread it ſelf over him,Eſay 30.3 and he ſits under the ſhadow of it; he hath ſomething of man to ſhroud and cover himſelf withall, This is the branch of the terrible one, that Jeſus Chriſt wil cut down. Mans holines bears great ſway, and who dare ſpeak againſt it? Its high and lifted up, and reacheth to heaven, yet the power and faithfulneſſe of Chriſt ſhal bring it low, it ſhall fall and never riſe again,Ibid. 24.20. and the tranſgreſſion therof ſhall be heavy upon it. And curſed be he that buildeth again the walls of Jerico.

And then he comes to the verſes read, what ſhall come to paſſe after the accompliſhment of all theſe things, In this mountain ſhall the Lord of Hoſts make unto all people a Feaſt of fat things, &c. He ſpake not of any mountain before, but of a branch, and he preſently changeth the metaphor, and ſpeaks of a mountain. It ſhews us thus much (by the way) that there is not any one thing in the World but it holds forth Jeſus Chriſt:Note. all the whol creation is a repreſentation of Jeſus Chriſt: all tipes, all metaphors are reſemblances of him.

In this Mountain: Mountains are things of the greateſt ſtrength, moſt ſtable, moſt immovable, moſt durable: and he is in Scripture often call'd, The mountain of ſtrength, The mountain of holineſs, Jer. 31.23. Eſay 33.6 The ſtrength of Salvation, and the Mountain of his Glory. No man ever comes into the mountain of ſtrength, nor into the mountain of Glory, nor of Holineſs, nor of Salvation, till they come to Jeſus Chriſt: ſtrength and glory and riches and power and righteouſneſs & peace is only to be had in him and no where elſe, only In this Mountain will the Lord of Hoſts make a feaſt of fat things full of Marrow, Eſay 12.3 Rev. 2:17. & wine on the Lees well refined; in him only can we drink out of the wells of Salvation, and eat of the hidden Manna: So that theſe words contain a further making out of the excellency and glory of Jeſus Chriſt, unto miſerable and undone man: If once man come to be thus loſt, undone, and brought down in himſelf, then will Jeſus Chriſt make him a Feaſt of fat things; if once his peace be loſt, his righteouſnes loſt, his joy loſt, his help loſt, his ſtrength loſt, then will Jeſus Chriſt be all theſe unto him, he will make out a peace for him, a righteouſneſſe for him, a glory for him; he will be to him, a feaſt of fat things full of marrow, and wine on the lees well refined.

And ſo, as he ſaith in the next verſe, I will deſtroy in this mountain, the face of the covering caſt over all people, and the vail that is ſpread over all Nations. That is, mans opinion of his own goodnes, his ſeeming righteouſnes, which was as a covering, as a vail, that man could not ſee himſelf miſerable and under wrath and hell and darkneſſe: This is the covering; every man naturally hath an opinion of his own goodneſs, he hath ſomething or other to cover himſelf withall; but ſome have finer, and (as they conceive) richer coverings then others, they think they have more holines, and more repentance, and more love, and more good works: & theſe are by ſo much the worſe, theſe are at a farther diſtance from the Kingdom of Heaven:Matth. 21.31, And Publicans and Harlots, and the vileſt ſinners ſhall goe into the Kingdom of heaven, and they themſelves (that have ſo much holineſs) ſhall be ſhut out: Luk. 23.45. Here now The vail of the Temple muſt be rent, from the top to the bottom, The rock of their righteouſneſs muſt be rent, their ſhame muſt be laid open,Ibid. 12.3. what they have done in the ſecret chambers of their own hearts, muſt now be proclaimed upon the houſe top, they cannot conceal it, the covering is removed: Now they come to ſee that Jeſus Chriſt is only the rock of their righteouſneſs, and that they have none at all; all other rocks, all other righteouſneſſes muſt be rent, that ſo their want, their miſery, their condemnation, their hell, their horrour, their darkneſs and deluſion, may be diſcovered: and if men be once brought to this, to be content to be miſerable (as indeed all mankind is by reaſon of the fall) to be content to ſee themſelves undone, to be ſhut up under the wrath of God, condemnation ſealed upon them, and the pit to have ſhut her mouth upon them: having once thus loſt all their power, wiſdom, righteouſnes, then all death, hell and darknes ſhal be ſwallowed up in the death of Chriſt, Then he wil as it is in the eighth verſe,Eſay 25.8 Swallow up death in victory, and the Lord God ſhall wipe away all tears from all faces: In this mountain he will take away all ſorrow, and the rebuke of their ſins, all guilt, all condemnation, all bonds, all captivity, all ſtrong holds, all chains, all death, all fears, griefs, terrors, and all things of that nature: This rock, this mountain will ſwallow up all, and ſo take away the rebuke of his people.

When a man is brought into this mountain, he ſhal be thus fed with fat things and wine on the lees, and all tears waſhed away, nothing left of that nature and this is that day of the Lord, this is the Lords reſting day, and this is the ſouls Sabbath and reſting day, when all rebukes, all frowns, all griefes are removed: All other Sabbaths and reſts externall are but figures and repreſentations of this true reſt. And then it follows in the ninth verſe, And it ſhall be ſaid in that day, Loe, Eſay 25.9 this is our God, we have waited for him, this is the Lord, we have waited for him, he will ſave us, and we will be glad and rejoyce in his ſalvation, for in this mountain ſhall the hand of the Lord reſt, &c. when Chriſt hath thus appeared to the deſtruction of all things in man and hath brought him out of himſelfe, and hath ruined all his ſtrength, righteouſnes, wiſdom, &c. then Chriſt wil be all in all to him, then will he feaſt him in this mountain; and the ſoul ſeeing all theſe things accompliſhed in it ſelf, then it cannot chuſe but rejoyce, triumph and ſing; Even the Song of Moſes and the Lamb, This is our God that we have waited for: This is the Lord, in him alone is power, and wiſdom, and righteouſnes, loving kindneſſes and tender merecies, Thou O Lord only art worthy to receive honour, Rev. 4.11. and glory, and power, thou alone art our ſtrength, and Our ſalvation; all their happines is concentred in this One God, and they have no God but him, no Saviour but him; they have but One God, and one faith, and one baptiſme, Eph. 4.4, 5, 6. One body, one ſpirit, one hope; One Lord, one God and father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all. They rejoyce in this, that they ſee themſelves made nothing, that they are emptied of themſelves, of their power, wiſdom, righteouſnes: they now rejoyce, triumph and ſing becauſe the vail of covering of the all Nations is removed, in their hearts: that their high thoughts are brought down, that their wiſdom is made folly, that their opinion of their own glory, of their own ſomethingneſs, of their own holineſs is removed, and Chriſt alone is He in whom they enjoy all things.

From hence ye may conclude upon this point:

That Chriſt alone is the Saints ſtrong mountain, Doct. and their feaſt of all good things. He is only their mountain of ſtrength, he is their joy and their ſong, he hath rent and deſtroyed the face of the Covering which is upon all people; they ſee that none can remove this Covering, but Chriſt alone: and therfore he having done this in them and for them,Pſal. 4.7. this rejoyceth their hearts far more then if he had increaſed their Corn, or their Wine, or their Oyle: here is their feaſt, here is their day of Thanksgiving, here is their Sabbath, which ſhall never end; here is their marrow and fatneſs, here their wine, and their fat things full of marrow: He is their mountain, their glory, their rock; and all this they ſee is wrought in them by the power only of Jeſus Chriſt. And this adds to their rejoycing, that they ſee they had no hand in it, they ſee that they did not chuſe him, but he choſe them; that they inſtead of chuſing him, ran away from him, oppoſed him, fought againſt him; and yet he followed them, and never left them till he had conquered them: and this now is their joy, and their praiſe, and their ſong; and nothing in heaven or earth ſhall be exalted or magnified by them, but only Jeſus Chriſt, their ſtrong mountain, their feaſt of all good things.

Theſe Souls only come to ſee, that there is a vail, and that this is the vail of Covering ſpread over all Nations; all thoſe, upon whom the vail is, ſee not the vail, but he only in whom 'tis rent, from whom its removed: And all their deſire is, that it may be removed from all people, that others may ſee that which he ſees, and enjoy that which he enjoyes, that Chriſt may be a mountain to them as he is to him, a rock to them as he is to him, a feaſt to them as he is to him. And they can ſay truely, and name this mountaine Jehovah-jireh; onely in the mount of the Lord, can this be ſeen: Abraham could not ſacrifice his Son, till he came up into this mount: once come in to this mountain, then the ſoule can part with all things for the love of Chriſt, nothing is ſo dear as Chriſt. And this is the concluſion wrought by the Spirit in Abraham: Jehovah-jireh, ſaith he, in the mount of the Lord it ſhall be ſeen: there is no ſeeing any of theſe things, nor there is no true feaſting till we come into this mount of the Lord. What was that going up of Abraham to the mount Moriah think you? In the truth of it, it was no other thing but this, his going up from himſelf, and out of himſelf, forſaking all things for this one thing, and comming up to this mountain of the Lod, where the Lord alone was all in all: Beloved, know this for truth, there is no wiſdome, no rightouſneſſe, no ſtrength, &c. nowhere elſe, but here, In the mount of the Lord it ſhall be ſeen, and nowhere elſe: There is no ſelf-denial, no true repentance, no conquering of the leaſt ſin, no true peace, no joy, no love, no wiſdom but onely in this mount; whatever men pretend, that they are wiſe, or holy, and the like, 'tis all but deceit and a deluſion, till we come up to the Mount, till this Vaile be removed: we can never bind the ſtrong man, we can never cut off our right hands, or pul out our right eye til then;Matth. 29 30. we can never forſake our ſelvs, we can never deny our own power, wiſdome and holineſſe.

Here now is this mountain of ſtrength, here it was that Abraham ſtaggered not through unbelief, but was ſtrong in faith, giving glory to God. Rom. 4.17.20: Here he 〈◊〉 and was fully perſwaded that he that had promiſed was able to performe; that though Iſaac were ſacrificed, yet God was he who could quicken the dead, and calleth things which are not as though they were. Herein was Abraham, the father of the faithful, and Iſaac the ſeed of many Nations, and all the faithful are his ſeed in this: And his going up to the Mountain, is no other but what is done by all the faithful; that litteral mountain, was not the truth, but onely the figure of this ſtrong mountain Jeſus Chriſt, he is that mountain ſpoken of Eſai. 2.2. called there the mountain of the Lords houſe, Eſa. 2.2. which ſhall be eſtabliſhed on the top of the mountains, and ſhall be exalted above the Hills, and all Nations ſhall flow unto it. Jeſus Chriſt is that mountain, who is unalterable, unmovable, unchangable, never to be ſhaken, nor never to be removed: and to be eſtabliſhed on the top of all mountaines above all the mountaines of man: the mountaines of mans wiſdome, of mans righteouſneſſe, which were eſteemed (by men) never ſo high, never ſo ſtrong, yet this mountain ſhall overtop them all, and be eſtabliſhed above all. Beloved, none come to know theſe things, but thoſe in whom they are wrought, in whom the Vaile of the covering is removed; men may pretend to theſe things and be very confident they enjoy them, when indeed they are under the Covering to this very day.

This is that ſtone alſo that Daniel ſpeaks of, Dan. 2. which was cut out of the mountain without hands, which ſmote the Image, which was ſo terrible in the form thereof, Dan. 2. he head being of fine Gold, his breſt and armes of Silver, his belly and thighs of Braſs, his legs of Iron, and his feet part Iron and part clay. Now the ſtone cut out without hands, ſmote this terrible Image, and it ſelf became a great mountain, V. 25. and filled the whole earth: However this may be applicable (as by ſome it is) to the outward Monarchyes in the world, one ſucceeding and overcomming another: yet, all thoſe things are but figures of the truth: for thoſe things are not done without hands: but the truth is done in ſpirit: whatever it is that men ſet up to ſhelter themſelves under, any form, any religion to defend themſelves from the wrath of God, from the guilt of ſin, from ſeeing themſelves odious, with all their righteouſnes and rags, All things of that nature are Images, and are ſuch Images, and ſo Terrible that no man is able to break them to peices: 'tis only The Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands, can bring them down or break them to peices. Theſe Images are diverſe, and of ſeveral tempers and conditions; ſome are of Clay, that is, ſome are of low rudiments, poor and mean things that Men ſet up and rely upon and ſhelter themſelves with all, their good meanings and good hopes and the like; and theſe may be eſteemed but as the feet of this Image: others goe higher, and they depend up on things of more worth and ſtrength, that ſeem to be made of Iron, they cloath themſelves with moral vertues, and put confidence in them, and theſe they thinke will defend and ſave them: But there are ſome that goe higher then all theſe, and they pretend to cloath themſelves with the garments of Jeſus Chriſt himſelfe, and the graces of the Spirit, and in theſe they glory: and this gliſters like Gold, but it is not Gold, and they ſeem to have faith, but have not faith, and love, but 'tis not love, and patience, but tis not patience, &c. And they are no other but Images and Idols, upon which many men (profeſſing Religion, and under the ſtricteſt formes and fellowſhips) rely, and ſhelter themſelves under, and think theſe will defend and protect them from hell and deſtruction, and Gods wrath: theſe things cover them and cover the wickedneſſe of their hearts, that they cannot ſee themſelves how vile they are, how infinitly wicked in the ſight of God;Eſay 30.1 theſe cover themſelves with a covering, but not with the Lords ſpirit, Wo be to all ſuch; for theſe poor ſouls do moſt pitifully and miſerably delude themſelves: theſe inſtead of putting on the rich and glorious robe of Chriſts righteouſneſſe, doe cloath themſelves with the ſtinking, loathſome, abominable and diveliſh righteouſneſſe of man: I, and they preferre it before the excellency of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: and of theſe Chriſt himſelfe ſaith, verily, ſuch can never enter into the Kingdome of Heaven, but Publicans and Harlots, and the vileſt of ſinners ſhall enter into the Kingdome, Matth. 21.31. when they ſhall be ſhut out. For theſe are thoſe that have put the ſtumbling block of their iniquity before their face, as the Lord ſaith by Ezekiel; and have ſet up their Idols in their heart, Ezek. 7.19. & 14.4. &c. and yet come to enquire after the Lord; and theſe men of all other wil the Lord cut off; theſe men the Lord will anſwer, them by himſelfe, and will ſet his face againſt them, and will make a ſigne and a proverb above all other, and will cut them off from the midſt of his people Iſrael: I will anſwer them according to the multitude of their Idols, ſays God, and wil not be enquired of at all by them, for theſe are the rebellious houſe: Theſe commit the higheſt abominations: Theſe ſet up their poſts by the Lords poſts, & their threſholds by his threſhold; which is the higheſt iniquitie: Theſe have daubed up a wall with untempered morter; they are the Wall; and the Prophets that propheſie peace to them, they are the daubers, and the ſowers of pillows under all armholes, that pollute the Lord among his people for handfulls of Barly, and for peices of Bread, that ſlay the ſoules that ſhould not dye, and ſave the ſoules alive that ſhould not live, by their lying to his people that hear and receive their lyes; having made the righteous ſad, Ezek. 8.12. & 18. Eſa. 29.15. and ſtrengthened the hands of the wicked that he ſhould not return from his wicked way by promiſing and ſhewing him the true way of life. Theſe are thoſe of the houſe of Iſrael that have ſet up the Idols of Jealouſie in the Chambers of their Imagery, and dig deep and think to hide their Counſels from the Lord, and theſe are their Idols and their Gods they worſhip, ſerve, rely upon, and ſacrifice to: Therefore with theſe will the Lord deal in fury, becauſe theſe wipe their mouths and put the branch to their noſe and pleaſe themſelves in their owne Idols, and with the gods that their own hands have made.

Now men being thus confident in their own righteouſnes, and thinking this form, and that duty, and their ſtrict walking, ſhal deliver & protect them, and they reſting ſecure under this mighty Image, then comes the Stone cut out of the Mountains and breaks in pieces this glorious Image;Dan. 2.45. It falls upon all their duties, upon all their righteouſneſſe, upon all their towers, upon all their Idols, and cruſhes them all to peices, breaks in peices that ſtately Image made of iron and clay, and braſſe, and ſilver, and gold, and makes all their high opinions of themſelves become like the chaff upon the ſummers threſhing floore that the wind carrieth away. Ib. 2.35. And then they are brought to ſee, that all their confidence was but an Idol, an Image, a Lye, Vanity, wind, deluſion. And then, and never before, this little ſtone becomes (in them) a great Mountain, and this fill the whole earth: Man being once diſcovered to be, as he is, Vanity, a Lye, Babel, Confuſion, Darkneſſe, Hell, Horrour, Miſery, and what not, with all his glorious righteouſneſſes, diſcovering them to be but rags, Eſai. 64.6. and filthy rags; when man is brought really and not in words onely, (for that is part of the Covering) to be nothing but ſinne, emptineſſe, nothingneſſe; then is the work begun, the foundation laid: Thou art Peter, upon this rock will I build my Church: Matth. 16.18. and the foundation being thus laid, the gates of Hell ſhall never prevaile againſt it: the other building was but upon the ſand, and cannot withſtand when therain fals and the winds and ſtorms blow, but the fal therof will be great; but when this work is brought about in the ſoule, that man is laid low, made nothing, emptied of himſelf: this is a foundation upon which building, let the rain fall, Ibid. 7.25 and the winds blow, and the ſtormes beat, yet it ſhall ſtand, becauſe it is founded upon a rock. This rock is onely and alone Jeſus Chriſt, that bleſſed eternal rock of ages; upon whom all the Saints from the foundation of the world to its conſummation are founded and bottomed, as upon mount Sion, which ſhall never be removed: All the Patriarcks and Prophets give teſtimony of this rock; to him that is the rock of ages, and is that great Mountain that ſhall fill the whole earth: He that ſhall onely raign, and ſhall be all in all, whoſe Kingdome alone ſhall be exalted:1 Cor. 10.4. All the Fathers drank of this rock; as the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Cor. 10.4. they were baptiſed unto Moſes, but they all eat the ſame ſpiritual meat, and all did drink of the ſame ſpiritual drink; for they drank of that ſpiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Chriſt.

He is that unſpeakable glory, power, majeſty, eternity, &c. that can never be lift up enough, never able to be unfolded nor ſet forth by Men and Angels according to his greatneſſe, his goodneſſe, his unchangableneſſe, his glory, his wiſdome and infiniteneſſe: He is the wonder of ages, the brightneſs of his Fathers Glory, Heb. 1.3. and the expreſs Image of his perſon: He it is that is ſet forth by all creatures, by all Types, Metaphors, Repreſentations, and yet all come infinitly ſhort of him. He that once comes into this mountain we have been ſpeaking of, he ſhall be fed with theſe fat things: there is no attaining theſe high and fat things but in the Lords Mountain; tis not mans Mountain, nor mans fat things can feaſt us with theſe things: but this man ſhall be fed and ſhall have the Vail rent from the top to the bottom: the Covering that is the Covering of the Vaile of all Nations, that is more or leſſe upon every man; But it is He onely in whom mans glorious Temple is deſtroyed, and all of mans building laid flat, and not a ſtone left upon a ſtone, Mat. 24.2. that is not thrown down.

That we may come and make ſome uſe of all we have ſaid, and apply it to our ſelves:

This diſcovers, Ʋſe 1 that all things that Chriſt will make uſe of in his Church, muſt be materials of his own, from himſelf, of his own providing; that ever it be that man provides, that men hew out by their own wiſdom, or power, and frame never ſuch curious Images, they are all abominable, all muſt be deſtroy'd, broke to pieces, blown away, made nothing: All fat things are only to be had in this mountain; There is no deſtroying the Vail of the Covering of all Nations, no bringing man to ſee his own miſery, his own hell, his own darkneſſe, but here; no ſhewing man the excellency of the riches and glory of Chriſt, but here; no true feaſt, but here; all other feaſts are but death and poyſon: what ever feaſt man provides, or takes content in, he feeds himſelf with lies, he is but as an hungry man ſtill, that dreams he eates, and when he awakes he is empty: but this Feaſt of fat things, and Wine on the lees, Eſay 29.8 and fat things full of marrow, and wine on the lees well refined, is only prepared and given unto us by Jeſus Chriſt; Man naturally feeds upon nothing but ſin and miſery, and hell and damnation: and theſe are ſweet to him: why? becauſe there is a vail upon them, the Covering of all Nations; ſome things, more or leſſe excellent, ſome righteouſneſſe, ſome holineſſe, ſome duties, ſome reformation, ſome forms, ſome ſhadows; and Theſe are the Covering, by reaſon of which he neithr ſees nor taſts death, nor hell, nor deſtruction. In Chriſt there is all life, all reſt, all peace, all diſcovery of good things; but if man remain in himſelf, and dwel in his own mountain, there is all darkneſſe, and all deformity, nothing but death, trouble, bryars, thorns; but it never appears ſo, till but death, trouble, bryars, thorns; but it never appears ſo, till the vail be taken away; till then, man is never ſtript of himſelf, never turned outward, but all is under this Covering; and while ſo, he bleſſes himſelf and ſaith I am ſafe, all is well, there is no death nor hell can come neer me, I am a reform'd man, I walk exactly, I preſſe after the ſtricteſt rules of the word, I am under the pureſt Ordinances; here now,Gen. 3.6. man eates death, and taſts of the forbidden tree, and the tree is ſweet to him, and to be deſired.

But now when Chriſt comes into the ſoul really, all theſe thoughts are curſed, damned, thrown to hell, and the man becomes vile, abominable in his own fight: inſtead of ſeeing himſelf an heir of glory, as before, his thoughts are clean altered: the vail, the Covering is removed, and he now ſees himſelf an heir of hell, a poor deluded undone creature: He ſees THE ASSE the fleſh, muſt not goe up into the mountain with Abraham, but muſt be left below, let that bear the burden, as fit and meet it ſhould, let it bear the wrath of God, it muſt be deſtroyed, it muſt be condemned, it muſt goe to hell; All the glory of man, all the excellency of nature, all the holineſſe of man, the wiſdom of man, all muſt be left below with the Aſſe, the fleſh, at the bottom of the hill, and there muſt be a going out of our ſelves, a looſing of our ſelves, that we may goe up to the mountain, and there be feaſted, and there ſee viſions, there ſee ſtrength, there ſee glory, there ſee power, there ſee riches, righteouſneſſe, and all good things; then man ſhall ſee how he called evil good, and good evil, Eſay 5.20 darkneſſe light, and light darkneſſe; there he ſhall be feaſted with all delights, there he ſhall ſee how wiſdom hath furniſhed her table, Prov. 9.2. there the ſcales are removed; here he beholds Jacobs ladder; here is the valley of Achor, here he enjoys his hopes, here he ſees viſions, and the third heavens opened, and here he feeds upon the hidden Manna, &c.

But know this,Rev. 2. that all theſe thing are not done at once, but by degrees; as man leaves the Aſſe behind, ſo he aſcends the mountain: as man goes out of himſelf, ſo he enjoyes Jeſus Chriſt, and is made one with him; as man is made nothing, ſo Chriſt comes to be made all; man becomes all in Chriſt, and nothing in himſelf: ſo far as man utterly denies himſelf, ſo far he eats of theſe fat things; when he ſee himſelf oppreſſed with ſin, or wrath, or hell, he preſently runs to this mountain when he is parched with drought he runs to this rock, to this fountain of living waters; Jer. 17.13. below in the valley in himſelf he can find no comfort, nothing but wrath, and death, and darkenſſe, and deſtruction, there's is nothing but the bottomleſs pit, there's nothing but madneſs and folly, nothing but lies and vanity; there's nothing but fears and frights, horrors and amazements, and the ſmoak of the bottomleſſe pit: he now cries out, Wo is me, Rev. 9.2. did I ſo much delude my ſelf, to think my ſelf to be wiſe, holy, &c. when as there was nothing but folly, and an infiniteneſs, of madneſſe! And now he ſees that there is in him Antichriſt indeed, the beaſt with ſeven heads and ten horns, and himſelf bearing the mark and image of the beaſt.

And all this the ſoul ſees by faith, for faith is the ſouls eye; when Faith goes up from its ſelf, and looks upon Jeſus Chriſt, there it ſees all riches, all glory, all wiſdom, all unchangeableneſs, all purity, all life, all reſt, all in all; in a word, it ſees him to be unutterable, unſpeakable, and in him things not able to be uttered, not fit to be uttered, but only to ſuch as are admitted into the ſame condition, for others cannot comprehend theſe words, they are paradoxes and riddles: They ſee themſelves to be nothing but ſin and horrour, and there is the bottom or the foot of Jacobs Ladder; and they ſee alſo Jeſus Chriſt with all his riches, glory, power, wiſdom, righteouſneſs, there is the top of the Ladder: theſe things are only to be ſeen in this mountain.

When Saints by faith look down into what they are in themſelves, they ſee there is a bottomleſſe pit of ſmoak and darkneſs, blackneſs of darkneſs, darkneſs that may be felt, Exod. 10.21. and they ſee the ſmonk covers the face of the whole earth: there he ſees in this valley ſuch a bottomleſs depth of ſin and Miſery, that he is aſhamed of himſelf, and aſhamed that others ſhould ſee him to be ſo.

Now while the vail is untaken away, all the endeavour, all the wit, all the power of the naturall man, is, to keep on this covering, to keep it from being rent: he would by no means have it removed, he would upon no terms ſee himſelf as he it, to ſee himſelf undone; to be nohing but emptineſs and miſery, this kindles the fire of hell in him: what? he that thought himſelf ſo holy, ſo full of goodneſſe; now to ſee himſelf to be ſo far deluded as to be all ſin, and all darkneſs, and all hell: he that thought himſelf to be a lover of God, and a lover of righteouſneſſe, to be no other but a hater of God, and a bater of true holines, and a hater of the truth! Oh now, by all means, he would cover and hide this monſtrous Image from himſelf, and others: he would not for all the world ſee himſelf, nor have others ſee him, thus vile, and thus miſerable, but the contrary to admire himſelf, to magnifie himſelf as good, excellent and holy; but when Jeſus Chriſt comes, he wil in deſpight of all mans wiſdom, and cunning, and power, diſcover him to himſelf; he ſhall whether he will or no, behold his own ſhape, ſee himſelf in his own colours: Then he cries out, Ob miſerable man that I am, who ſhall deliver me? •• m. 7.24 Lord help me, I am undone, I am a man of polluted lips; and with Peter, Lord help or I periſh, I ſhall fink for ever into this bottomleſſe gulph, from whence there is no redemption.

He ſees now the vail rent, and himſelf loſt for ever: and that ſuch is the bottomleſneſs of this gulph that he is in, that nothing can redeem him thence, but only the blood of Chriſt; no hand can help him, but only the infinit bottomleſſe mercy of the Son of God. He ſees now nothing in Heaven or earth, no righteouſneſſe of men or Angels could ſuffice for his ranſom, but Jeſus Chriſt alone, the Son of God himſelf, muſt lay down his life to redeem him out of the nethermoſt hell: Now Chriſt revealing this to him, he hereby aſcends up into this mountain, and there he feaſts, and there he hath all his wiſdom, all his power, all his life, all his meat,Jer. 17.13 all his living waters: here, he now hath all his teachings; he now ſees Chriſts mountain exalted upon the top of all mountains, above the top of all mans mountains, of wiſdom, power, holineſſe, &c. though they have been raiſed in mans eſteem never ſo high, and eſteemed as the mountains of the Lord; he ſees his knowledge now meer folly, his wiſdom, darkneſs; his righteouſneſs, ſin; his power, weaknes; his glory, ſhame; his Heaven, Hell: this he ſees in himſelf, and he can ſee nothing elſe but this miſery and this blindneſs upon the face of the whole earth; every man is under this darknes, is under this Covering, the face of the Covering of all Nations.

Chriſt went up to the mountain, and taught the people. Mal. 2.2. The truth is, this is that mountain where Chriſt alone teacheth: all other teachings are folly and ignorance till we hear the word at his mouth: Here in this mountain the ſoule beholds viſions, and receives the manifeſtations of Chriſt, and the myſteries of the kingdome; hereit ſees from the bottom to the top of Jacob, Ladder:Mat. 24.15. here he ſees the Abomination of deſolation ſpoken of by Daniel the Prophet, that had it not been for the love of Chriſt, the meer power and hand of Chriſt, he had been gon for ever; loſt for ever, ſwallowed up in a myſtery of iniquity; but when Chriſt brings him into this mount, then he ſees himſelfe eſcaped, then he ſees Sodom and Gomorah all on a flame, all ſelf & fleſh, and al mans wiſdom and righteouſnes burnt up, and the ſmoak thereof aſcend as the ſmoak of a furnace: and then he can ſay experimentally Jehovahjireh; Gen. 22.14. In the mount of the Lord it ſhall be ſeen.

Saints can teſtifie of theſe things, becauſe they have ſeen and felt them done in themſelves, and tis that which their hands have handled of the word of life: 1 Joh. 1.1. they can give teſtimony to the wiſedome of Chriſt, to the power of Chriſt, to the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, to the evrlaſting, and unexpreſſible goodneſſe of Chriſt, as it is expreſſed and put forth in their hearts; they can give no teſtimony of man, of any goodneſs, wiſdome, power, &c. in themſelves, but they know Chriſt to be all in all: he ſee man and himſelfe, and all things of man to be nothing but a pit of darkneſse, a lump of ſin, a gulf of miſery, without the leaſt wiſdome, goodneſſe or power; but whatever is good or ſtrong, or holy in him, tis not himſelf, tis not of man, but of an from Chriſt alone: he ſees experimentally, that he hath (as of himſelfe) no power, no ſtrength to reſiſt ſin, no repentance, no minde to hate or reſiſt the leaſt ſin, but the contrary: He findes a curſed, helliſh, demned, unbeleeving heart, full of evil and that continually, Gen. 6.5. a heart inſtead of loving God, it fights againſt God, in ſtead of doing good to his Neighbour really, he ſeeks not his good, but his own ends in all he doth, that he doth nothing at all for God; but himſelfe is his ſupreame and ultimate end, ſo that his higheſt and beſt actions are loathſome, defiled, abominable. Now the ſoule ſeeing theſe things to be really thus, Then all his ſtrong, high & towering conceits fall down before the light, wiſedome, power and excellency of Chriſt: and he ſees that there is none of all theſe through all the whol earth but in Chriſt alone, no wiſdom at all but his, no power at all but his, no righteouſnes at al but his, and no creature to receive any glory but hm alone: then he falls down and cryes out O'wretched man that I'am, who ſhal deliver me from that body of death? Rom. 7.24. who ſhal deliver me from this bottomleſs gulf? who ſhal deliver me from this monſterous fiend my own ſelf?Rom. 9.3. he now ſees the Locuſts of the bottomles pit, covering the face of the whole earth: every one running after his own ways and following his own laws, every man ſetting up new Gods, every man ſetting up the Image of his Imagery, and the abomination of deſolation in himſelf, every man making himſelf his own god, and ſeeking to be ſomthing, and making the eternal glorious God to be an Idol and nothing: He ſees himſelf with the whole earth beſides, ſaying with the builders of Babel,Gen. 11.4. go to, let us build us a Tower and a City, whoſe top may reach up to Heaven, that we may not be ſeattered and deſtroyed; they will ſave and deliver themſelves from hell, wrath, and deſtruction, by their own power, by their own wiſedome, by their own inventions, by the brick, ſlime, and morter that they have made; Now the Lord looking down from Heaven, to ſee what the Children of men are doing, and he in himſelfe ſees how God hath ſaid, Let us go down and confound their language: God in them hath diſcovered the evilneſſe of their wayes, the evil of ſelf-ſeeking, ſelf-glory, of their ſelfe-wiſdome, ſelfe-power, ſelf-righteouſneſſe; and they in whom, or to whom the Lord diſcovers theſe things, all this contrivance, and all this work n them is made BABEL, Confuſion, a heap of Lyes, tis all deceit, deſtruction and miſery: but in Jeſus Chriſt he hath righteouſneſſe indeed, life indeed, power indeed, heaven indeed: And then he can adde and ſay with the Apoſtle, Thanks be unto God who hath given us victory through Jeſus Chriſt: O death, where is thy ſting? 1 Cor. 15, 54.55. Oh grave, where is thy victory; then hath this corruptible in him put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality, and then is brought to paſſe in him the ſaying, as it is written, death is ſwallowed up in victory.

Herein the Saints finde Jeſus Chriſt to be their joy, to be their feaſt, to be their mountain, to be their glory, to be their All. In this mountain they finde and receive all theſe good things, and are fully ſatisfied, and that they are to be had nowhere elſe: If they look anywhere elſe, they know there is nothing but ſin, corruption, death, hell, mortality, and the grave. And they having found this mountain, they finde themſelves eſcaped, delivered from all thoſe things: And now they ſit down with Abraham, Iſaac, Mat. 8.11. and Jacob in the kingdome of Heaven: They have found Abrahams boſome; they have found the tree of Life in the midſt of the Paradiſe of God, they have found the Hidden Manna, Rev. 3. they have received the White Stone, with a New Name, which none can know but ſuch as receive it. They ſee themſelves delivered; I, and are at reſt from themſelves. They ſee their owne wiſdome, their owne power, their owne holineſſe to be as it is nothing but ſin and hell and miſery; and a deluſion. And this they rejoyce in, to ſee this Pharaoh overwhelmed in the ſea, this makes themſelves ſing the ſong of Moſes and the Lamb, and to ſee all this to be done, not by their power, nor by their wiſdom, nor by their watchfulneſſe, nor by any endeavours of theirs, but that the whole work in every part of it was Chriſt alone, that tis he alone that is mighty to ſave, he that is alſo glorious in apparel, Eſa. 63.1.2. and travelling in the greatneſſe of his ſtrength, none aſſiſted him, no man ſtood by him, but he alone, made bare his own arme, that ſo he might have all the glory: Theſe things ſeen and accombliſhed in themſelves, is their feaſt of Fat things, their Wine on the Lees, their keeping the Sabbath, their day of praiſe and Thankſgiving. They have none to praiſe, nor to ſpeak well of but of him alone: They find that he alone was their deliverer, and he was their Captain and their Conquerer: that he alone was their leader, their guide, their teacher: And that all teachers were but Deluders, Southſayers, Lyars and Deceivers, but onely Him: they can call no man Maſter and Father upon earth, Mat: 23.9 for one is their Maſter and Father, which is Chriſt alone: As Paul ſaith, he received not his Goſpel of man or by man, Gal. 1.12. but by the revelation of Jeſus Chriſt: ſo they receive not their power, not their wiſedome, nor their teaching of, or from man, but onely by and from Jeſus Chriſt alone.

Then alſo, Ʋſe. 2 in the next place, let us farther make this Uſe of this point, to take notice of the miſery and deſperate condition of all men by nature, what a deluge of deſtruction is upon them, becauſe of the face of the Covering of all people, becauſe they ſeek help, and ſtrength, and riches, and glory, and wiſdome in other mountains beſides this Mountain, becauſe they find ſtrength, and wiſdom, and reſt, and rejoycing, and feaſting in their own mountains: And the more comfort and delight men take in their own wiſedome, or holineſſe, or the like, ſo much the more miſerable, ſo much the farther from the Kingdom of Heaven; when men look upon themſelves as being ſtrict or holy more then others, becauſe they are under ſuch and ſuch forms, ſuch rules, and are ſo comformable to the word and mind of Chriſt, and here ſolace and feaſt themſelves,Luk. 17.21. and cry, Loe here is Chriſt, and there is Chriſt, in this form, or that fellowſhip, and think therefore they are in a ſafe condition, but it will go ill with all others,Eſa. 65.5. ſtand farther off, I am holier then thou: The dangerouſneſſe of theſe mens condition, I ſay, you may diſcover from the preſent point, when they make any other thing their rock, or their mountain but Chriſt alone; when they think they can guide themſelves, provide for themſelves, teach themſelves, theſe are in a very miſerable condition, theſe are thoſe of which Chriſt ſaith, go not after them, for they are deceivers and deluders;Luk. 17.20. for the Kingdome of God cometh not with obſervation, as they ſay, by obſerving this rule and this form, or that fellowſhip, or any way that man hath found out to cover himſelfe withall. All theſe are but fig-leaves, which will not bear out the wrath of God, theſe are but mens Coverings, which cover themſelves with a covering (as they think) from all evil and wrath,Eſa. 28:20 but 'tis not the Lords Spirit: The Bed is too broad, and the Covering is narrow, it will not defend them from the Lords fierce wrath: Theſe are they that have kindled a fire to warm themſelves at, Ibid. 50.11. but they ſhall lie down (ſaith the Lord) in the fire that they have kindled, and in the ſparks that they have gathered together: And for all their forms, and prayers, and duties, and ordinances, and holineſſes, and waſhings, and baptizings, and receiving the Sacraments, and the like, yet this is that they ſhall receive at my hand, They ſhall lie down in ſorrow: for when you did all theſe things, did you them at all unto me, and not unto your ſelves? did you at all faſt unto me? though ye pretended to ſeek me early, and to ſeek me daily, and did delight to know my wayes, as a Nation that did righteouſneſſe, and as if they forſook not (in the leaſt) the ordinances of their God, and take delight in approaching to God: yet for all this ſaith the Lord to the Prophets, Cry aloud, Eſa. 58.1. lift up your voices like a Trumpet, and ſhew my people their Tranſgreſſion, and the Houſe of Iſrael their ſins: All theſe things will not deliver thee from wrath, but thou (rather then any other) ſhalt lie down in ſorrow, and Publicans and Harlots (for all your holineſſe and ſtrictneſſe) ſhall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before you, Mat. 21.31.& 11.22. And it ſhall be eaſier with Tyre and Sydon in the day of judgement, then for theſe that have done theſe and theſe things in his name; yet for all this will Chriſt ſay, depart from me, I know you not, ye workers of iniquity: there was nothing but iniquity in your righteouſneſſe, in all your duties, in all your forms and profeſſions: you of all other I will not know: you of all others depart from me; you of all others are workers of iniquity; you above all ſhall lie down in ſorrow, and in the ſparks that you have kindled: you thought your ſelves better then others, holier then others, when you are indeed and in truth the vileſt and worſt of all others. Therefore moſt deſperate and moſt miſerable are theſe above all, in as much as they thought themſelves before all: when they think becauſe of their holineſs, becauſe of their conformity, becauſe of their moderation, becauſe of their abſtinence, becauſe of their meekneſse, becauſe of their gravity, therefore they are better then others; here is the great and unſpeakable deluſion of their own hearts; For grace and true religion never teacheth any man to think highly of himſelf: but to think highly of Jeſus Chriſt; grace debaſeth man more and more; and brings him to ſee the Bottomleſse deceit and deluſion of his own heart; It teacheth men not to think better and better of themſelves, but worſe and worſe; and makes men not to deſire praiſe or high eſteem from others, but it would have Chriſt have all the glory and praiſe, and it ſelfe to be leſs and leſs, and worſe and worſe it its own eſteem; for the more grace, the more light, which diſcovers more and more the infinite and bottomleſſe vileneſſe and deluſion of their own natures.

Beloved, this is the true teaching, which comes only and alone from Jeſus Chriſt: mans teaching can never bring this about; but this teaching and learning is from the Father, from Heaven: men learn this leſſon onely in the Schoole of Chriſt;Joh. 6.45. there God is made ſomething, and indeed all in all, and man is nothing but an infinitneſſe of ſin and miſery. Let every one therefore examine himſelfe by this rule, and lay it cloſe to his own heart: if he feeds himſelf, or glories, or feaſts himſelf with any other thing then this, that he is brought to nothing: that God alone may in him and in the whol earth be all in all: let him be ſure he hath not his teaching from this one Father, Eſa. 29.13 and this own Maſter, but his teaching is onely by the precepts of men. And till a man be come to know this in experience, whatever he thinks of himſelf, and whatever acquired parts or holineſſe he hath, and though he be never ſo much admired by others, he feeds but on the wiſdome of the fleſh, and lives and depends on that the World adores for their gods, either on the external luſts and pleaſures of the world, or elſe on Silver, and God, riches and honour, Lands or preferments, &c. which cannot profit a man in the day of wrath, Prov. 11.4. or elſe they feed upon their own righteouſneſse, their own duties, on their leaving this ſin, Prov. 11.4 or that ſin, or (as they ſuppoſe) all ſin, all groſſe ſin, and it may be conceive that their obedience is according to the rule and mind of Chriſt, conforming ſtrictly to the higheſt and perfecteſt formes and fellowſhips; and reſting in this, they feed but upon husks and vanity, and delude their poor ſouls; as the Prodigall, he would fain: have filled his belly with the husks, but no man gave unto him: Luk. 15.16. none of all theſe things can ſatisfie; they will not deliver, nor keep off the wrath of God; they will prove no covering, no ſhelter at all, but the wrath of God will break in upon them, and make them appear wretched and miſerable, vile, naked and abominable. And that ſoule that is brought to this, to be ſtript of all its garments, and made naked, and loſt, and undone, (as to it ſelfe and all things of man;) this is the happy Soul, the bleſſed Soul. The other, all others put their truſt in the arm of fleſh, and are departed from the fountain of life, Jer. 2.13. from the living God, and therefore are not, nor cannot be bleſſed, but are thoſe that are curſed.

Therefore we would that ye ſhould take ſpecial notice of theſe two things: Firſt,Note theſe two things. Jam. 3.15 1. What the Vail is. Gen. 3.6: what this Curſed diſpoſition in man is, what the Vail is wherewith he ſo deludes & deceives himſelf: and Secondly, how this Vail is removed: Firſt what it is; It is that earthly, ſenſual, and deviliſh wiſdome in the hearts of the Sons of men, perſwading them to be that which they are not: that they are holy, and juſt, and good: that they have goodneſs, and holineſſe, and wiſdom, and power, &c. and if they improve theſe (ſay they, as they may,) they may bring themſelves into a happy and a ſafe condition, and conclude that they can forſake ſin, and they can be righteous and holy: this is that deviliſh wiſdome that the Devil infuſed into Adam in his fall: this was and is his eating the forbidden fruit: When God had created him dependant upon himſelfe for all his power, wiſdome, goodneſs, holineſs, he fell from this condition, to have a dependance upon himſelf and on the creaturely being, on his own wiſdome and holineſſe, &c. to have a power in himſelfe: and thus he departed from the fountain of all good, to ſeek a happineſs in himſelfe in his own nothingneſs; and thus he became loſt, curſed and miſerable: This is THE VAILE, The Covering, the deceit that is upon all fleſh, the Vaile of the Covering of all Nations. And it is called a Covering, becauſe it hides and keeps away the light that ſo man cannot ſee himſelfe as he is, curſed, and helliſh, and infinitly miſerable. Now this Vail wil not ſuffer the light to come upon him, to ſee himſelf as he is, becauſe man by all means and wayes labours to maintain a good opinion of himſelf, and for others to have the ſame, and would by no means ſee himſelf loſt and undone; this Vail hides that darkneſs and gulf of ſin that is in him, and tels him that it is not ſo nor ſo with him, but he is holy and righteous, and hath wiſdome and power, and the like: This is the Vaile that is upon the heart, which muſt be rent, if ever man come to be happy; if ever he hopes to feaſt in this mountain of fat things. You know we uſe Vailes, that the defects and deformity of things may not appear: and ſo man doth by his own heart; he would by no means ſee the uglineſs, the monſterous deformity thereof, he would by no means once think that hell and the bottomleſs pit is in him; he would by no meanes ſee the ſmoak of that bottomleſs pit ariſe out of his own heart: but tis certain, though men hide this from their ſight and Beholding; yet all men have covered themſelves with this Vail, and 'tis the covering of all Nations; In Adam all die: 1 Cor. 15.22. not a man upon the face of the earth, but all have eaten of this forbidden tree: and becauſe we have eaten, all the endeavour of man now is to keep away the ſight of guilt; he would not ſee his deformity, his loſt condition; but with Adam he runs among the buſhes and hides himſelf among the trees from the preſence of the Lord; Gen. 3.8. he labours to keep away the light, that he may not ſee his own blackneſs and deformity. What ſayes he, Have I no wiſdome, no power, no holineſs, no love, no faith, no power to repent, no ability to any good thing? this he cannot endure to hear of, this he runs away from, as from death and the devil; this cuts him to the very heart. Therefore all his endeavour is, to keep this Vail whole, that is may ſtil phiremain: thus he remains under the Old Teſtament: 1 Cor. 3.14. and the Vail is unrent, and is ſtill upon the heart. But in the day that the ſoule turns to the Lord, it is content to ſee and acknowledge its own miſery, its own darkneſs; then is the Caul of his heart rent, Hoſ. 13.8. then is hell laid open in him, and the bottomleſs gulfe ſeen in himſelfe: And that Hell men ſo much talk of, he ſees to be really in himſelf, and that himſelf is the very Image of the Devil.

Secondly take notice how this Vaile comes to be removed and taken away.

Now this Vail is only rent and done away by Jeſus Chriſt:Secondly, How the Vail is rent. Rev. 5.5. & 9.1. not all the power: nor all the art of all the Sons of men is ever able to remove this Covering; there is none to be found in Heaven or Earth to open the ſeaven ſeales but onely he, Jeſus Chriſt alone hath the key of this bottomleſs pit: None can unlock this helliſh heart of man but himſelfe; his heart is the bottomleſs pit, and the Devil is the keeper: And till Chriſt himſelfe come and unlock and open this gulfe, Mat. 12.29. and remove the Devil, tis not all the endeavours of the Sons of men can bind this ſtrong man, nor open the foule and dark heart of man; but all their ſtudy, and all their endeavours are to ſtrengthen this Vaile, to make it thicker, that they may not ſee the horrible pit: man runs to this thing and tother thing, and all is to keep from his ſight the knowledge of himſelfe; either I ſay to the Cares of the world, or the pleaſures, or the riches and contents thereof, that if it once begin to be opened, and he ſees the ſmoak thereof begin to aſcend, he ſtrives by all means to cover it cloſe again; he choaks theſe thoughts,Mark 9.44. and to quench the fire which can never be quenched but onely by the blood of the Son of God; or elſe I ſay, when men are ſtill dogd with the thoughts of hell, and theſe things will not be a ſufficient covering, they ſeek out farther, and get a covering of their own deviſing; they get to this duty and to that form, and change from better to better (as they think) and from one degree of holineſſe (as they conceive) to another, and therby get an opinion that they are children of God and Heirs of Heaven, and therefore they are ſafe and all is well with them; and they think they do all this in conformity to the mind and will of God, when it is meerly to hide and cover themſelves from their own beholding, and that they may behold themſelves holy, and wiſe, and gracious, and happy: Now I ſay, the work of Chriſt is to diſcover all this to be a deluſion and a lye, and to let him ſee that he is a curſed, helliſh, damned, undone, miſerable creature; and no good in him at all; And to let him ſee that Chriſt Jeſus alone is the only Ordinance appointed of the Father to bring many ſons unto glory, Heb. 2.10 and that there is nothing an Ordinance but Chriſt alone; and in vain do men talk and keep ſuch a ſtir about Ordinances, except Chriſt be the power of every Ordinance: Acts 10.42. & 5.31 He is ordained of the Father to be Judge of quick and dead; he is alſo ordained to give repentance, and forgiveneſs of ſins; what can an Ordinance doe if he be not the Ordinance, if he be not the power and vertue of all Ordinances? tis he alone is ordained to be the only Teacher, and Maſter, and Father; and therefore call no man Father nor Maſter, nor no external Ordinance a guide, but only as he is in it: and therefore, that is in it ſelf empty and dead, and whatever acts not in this one Ordinance Jeſus Chriſt the ſon of the Father without whom ye can do nothing at all, Joh. 15.5. whatever it be, it is no other but a deceit, a Covering and a Lye.

THis is a portion of Scripture, which in the Letter & Hiſtory is apparent to all that hear or read it, and every one knowes the meaning thereof; But what is the mind, the myſtery and meaning of the Holy Ghoſt, is only made known to them that are taught of God: and making no queſtion,Joh. 6.45. that thoſe who have the ſpirit of God will own the myſtery and divine ſenſe, we will through his aſſiſtance proceed to open them to you;Mark 4.11: for to them it is given to know the myſteries of the kingdom; but to all others they are parables and paradoxes, which they neither will, nor can underſtand.

The whole earth was of one Language. The whole earth; that is, that natural loſt condition, in which all the Sons of men are, all being gone down into the earth to ſeek a Happineſſe there:Jer. 2.13. Having forſaken their life and happineſſe in God, they have all digged unto themſelves broken Ciſterns, hoping to find a life and a happineſſe below among the creatures: And this is the condition of all the Sons of men; this is the condition, and this is the Language of the whole earth: And in this all the ſons of men are equal; darkneſſe is come upon all, the Image of God is defaced in all; All the whole nature of man, hath but one Tongue, but one Language; they are ALL gone ont of the way; there is none that good, Pſal. 14.3 no not one: there is not one better then another among all the ſons of men, but all are equally loſt, All equally departed from God: All are under the ſame condemnation, they all ſpeak one Language; and with one mouth, they all Blaſpheme; and what one doth, all doe, there is no difference: And in this condition men proceed and go on, they are journying from the Eaſt. What way ſoever any of the Sons of men go, they are ſtill journying on, in and under this miſery: The nature of man is labouring and travelling further from God, from the Eaſt, from the light of God, from the life of God, which they have loſt, and are now walking on in darkneſs, miſery, and blaſphemy; and all ſaying and concluding in their practice, that there is no life to be had in God, no comfort in him, he is a helpleſs dead Image, a meer Name, & there is nothing at all in him to relieve and help them; he hath neither power, nor mercy, nor goodneſs, nor wiſdom, nor Alſufficiency: he is a dry tree: And therefore they have turned their backs upon him, and will ſeek out a reſt, and a god, and a help of themſelves; And they are journying: whither? To the Land of SHINAR; whats that? to the City of drowſineſs or the Land of ſleepineſs; when men think that by their own induſtry and endeavors, and by their acquired parts, or by their rules and forms, or by their religion which they have taken up, to ſecure themſelves, and to find reſt: Here now they begin to erect a BABEL, a Tower that may reach to Heaven, which may ſecure them from all danger, and that they may aſcend and dwell there, where no deſtruction may reach them, thereby to prevent the overflowong deluge, that it may not come at them.

When man is once gone out from God, who was his life, and his light, and his reſt, and his happineſs, being not content with him alone, Gen. 3.1. nor with the tree o life of which he might eat freely, but caſting his eye upon the tree of knowledg of good and evil, he luſts to eat thereof,V. 6. for tis pleaſant to look upon; man would by no means live upon God, and have a dependance out of himſelf, but he will take a ſecure courſe and provide for himſelf; he likes well this tree; and here he feeds and eats; he travailes in this pleaſant plain of Shinar, and here he begins to bethink himſelf to dwell and take up his reſt; here he can ſleep quietly under his own labours, and ſit repoſedly under his own vine, and here now is the place where all men conſult together to raiſe a Babel; This is done by, and in every man: man having loſt himſelfe and gone out of his way, having no Houſe nor Tabernacle, having departed from his houſe built by God without hands, he bethinks himſelf of building himſelf a houſe made with hands, by his own ſtudy and invention,2 Cor. 5.1 and this ſhall be his abiding, and here he will dwell, and here with his own hands he will make himſelf a ſhelter from all ſtorms and from all deſtruction.

And they ſay one to another, Goe to, let us make brick and burn them throughly: They ſay to one another: that is, not as if men ſingly ſpake thus to one another, but every man enters into a conſultation with himſelfe, and with the Prince of Darkneſs. And now they having forſaken God the true guide, they hearken to the Devil and to the Father of deceit and lyes, and take his counſel,Joh. 8.44 and him they will follow, and his works now they do, and not the works of God. And what do they? And they ſay one to another, Go to, let us make brick and burn them throughly; That is, they think and reſolve to act like wiſe men, and make all ſecure for themſelves; their building ſhal be ſtrong and durable, and their materials accordingly: Bricks throughly burnt, which ſhal not fail and moulder away; that is, the things that he chuſeth ſhal be things agreeable to his own liking, and they muſt be of his own inventing, elſe he wil put no confidence in them; none ſhal chuſe for him: whatever it be that wil advance man and make him ſomething and great, as to himſelf and others, and things that men eſteem highly of, thoſe he chuſeth: Nay, and not onely ſo, but he wil have ſomething of his own to truſt to, to come into the preſence of God with, and he wil frame to himſelf a religion and a righteouſneſſe that ſhal avail before God, which he ſhal accept, and in which himſelf may put confidence. And here now poor man hath deluded himſelf, and they have made themſelves aprons, Gen. 3.7. and (as they think) a ſecure Covering: here hath he made himſelf a ſhelter and a Tabernacle, and built up to himſelfe a Tower reaching to Heaven, and ſo ſhall prevent deſtruction and condemnation; When man begins thus to build, he chuſeth (as he thinks) the likelieſt and the probableſt means for his ſecurity, and in his conceit builds ſo ſtrong, that no winds nor no ſtorms can ſhake him, nor no deluge overflow his building: and ſo confident he is, that he thinks the power of Heaven and Earth can never ſhake this building: for the Top thereof ſhall reach to Heaven: he is ſo far ſafe, that he is ſheltered from the wrath of God, and from the frowns of God: he hath gotten ſuch a righteouſneſs and ſuch a conformity of the rule and mind of God, that he is as it were a perfect man, he ſees little amiſſe in him: and though he may in words confeſſe he is a ſinner, yet let but any one ſin be charged upon him, and he hath (as he thinks) a ſufficient excuſe, and wil clear himſelf from all ſin.

But is this all the end of this ſtrong and ſtately building? no; But let us make us a Name, leaſt we be ſcattered upon the face of the whole earth: Leaſt we ſhould be in as bad a condition as others are, and as the wicked of the world are: we wil be wiſer, and condemn them, we wil not be like the Publicans, wicked and prophane; but we wil forſake ſinne and live uprightly, and we wil do ſomething that we may get us a Name that we are holier then others, Eſa. 65.5. 1. Cor. 3.10: and we wil be no leſs then Maſter Builders; no ſuch wiſe man as we; no ſuch ſtrict holy men as we; and the end of all this, is, leaſt death and miſery, and ſin, hell, and condemnation ſhould break forth and ſeize upon them, with the reſt of the world.

But now in all this time what does God doe? He beholds their works, and their doings, and their contrivings verſ. 5. And the Lord came down to ſee the City and the Tower, which the children of men builded; which is not to be underſtood as if God removed or came down Locally, as leaving Heaven, to come down to the Earth, as men when they remove from one place to another: But God came down, that is, he began to manifeſt himſelf, to ſhew himſelf to the Sons of men; before he let them alone, and they thought themſelves ſecure and all was right, ſafe and well, which they had done; now the Lord he begins to appear, to confound their thoughts and inventions, and to ſhew all the ſons of men their folly, vanity and madneſſe, in all this they were ſo confident of, they think they are ſecuring themſelves from ruine, when alaſs poor ſoules, they are running as madly upon their own ruin and deſtruction as any elſe in the whole Earth; nay, are farther from returning then any other, in as much as they are more wiſe, more holy, and more confident then others.Luk. 13.28. And herein is their miſery the greater; therefore it is high time for the Lord now to come down, to ſcatter this building, and to make it BABEL and Confuſion. Behold, the people are one, and they have all one Language, and this they begin to do, and nothing will be reſtrained from them which they have imagined to do. As if he ſhould ſay, all the ſons of men are running headlong to their own deſtruction, they are all as one man, all do one and the ſame thing, and they have one Name and one Language, and all go one way: Satan hath almoſt gotten his full poſſeſſion, and they will be wholly guided by him, and follow his counſel, they are all departed from me, and he is almoſt quite & irrecoverably loſt and gone: and yet every man thinks he is right, and no man conſiders what he doth, nor once thinks of returning; for every man is right in his own eyes, and nothing will be reſtrained from them, and if I go not down, if I do not diſcover my ſelf, and make their folly and madneſſe, and their miſery appear, they are running on confidently, never to return. Therefore I will go down and confound their Language; I muſt bring to naught all their works, wiſdome, confidence, and inventions, that I may ſave man from deſtruction. Now the work of the Lord is to pull down, ruin, and deſtroy all this ſtately building of mans erecting, and to lay it all flat, and to let man ſee, that whatever he plants is in vain; Every plant which the Father planteth not, Mat. 15.13. muſt be rooted up: whatever man hath wrought by his own power, and in his own wiſdom, muſt be brought to confuſion,Luk. 21.6. and be made Babel, and not a ſtone left upon a ſtone; Though the Temple which the Sons of men have ſet up, be never ſo glorious and precious in their beholdings, yet all muſt be deſtroyed, and they and all their works and endeavours, all their forms and inventions turned into a ruinous heap. Eſa. 17.1. & 25.2:

And the Lord will not onely ſay this, but he will alſo do it verſ. 8. So the Lord ſcattered them abroad from thence upon; the face of all the Earth, and they left off to build the City. When men is once convinced of his miſerable condition, and ſees himſelf and all the ſons of men thus deluded and befooled, and begins to ſee that all their confidence is madneſs, and all their works ſin, Ibid. 64.6 and all their duties as menſtruous rags, and all their forms and inventions no other but Babel and deſtruction, then and not before, they leave off to build this City; for then they ſee themſelves (as it were) ſwallowed up in death and miſery, and that their beſt actions are but dung and droſſe, and abominable things, and that there is no ſtability in any of the ſons of men; and this is the Lords work alone, this man hath no hand in, tis the Lord that ſaith and doth it, Ezek. 22.14. to confound this Language, and ſcattereth men from this building, ſo that they can now no more contribute their wiſdome or counſel, their ſtrength or endeavours to this City of Confuſion.

Verſ. 9. Therefore is the Name of it called Babel, becauſe the Lord did there, confound the Language of all the earth. All that is of man, from the power, wiſdome, excellency, righteouſneſſe, of man, let it be never ſo beautiful, and never ſo eſteemed, all is meer BABEL, but a City, a Temple, a refuge of confuſion. And the Lord will ſcatter and confound every builder therof; that is, he will commix, confound their language, they ſhall be all amazed, confounded to behold what the Almighty hath done, to ſee their ſtrong mountains ſo removed, and their ſtrong City of refuge ruined and blown down.

My Friends, ſo far as the Lord hath declared to me, this is the Myſtery and the living ſenſe of this portion of Scripture.Mat. 11.10: & 19.12. He that hath ears to hear let him hear: and he that hath eyes to ſee, ſhall ſee; he that can receive it, let him. The truth and things of God carry light, power and demonſtration in themſelves; he that thinks by his own power, or by his own wiſdom, or his own light, or his own learning, to diſcover them, he is ſtill in darkneſſe, he is to this day raiſing Babel, and the Lord is not yet come down to confound his Language, and the truth is hid and ſealed up from him.

Now that I may come to make a little farther application of theſe things to our ſelves. The firſt Uſe let it be this, Ʋſe. 1 from what hath been ſpoken we may conclude, that all the ſons of men, the whole race and every particular perſon, is equally in one and the ſame condition, they are all of one maſſe, of one Lump; not one wiſe, and another fooliſh; one righteous, and another ſinful: not one earthly and another heavenly; not one in light, and another in darkneſſe: not one carnal, and another ſpiritual: bue the whole earth is of one language: They all, even the beſt, the righteouſeſt, they act nothing but ſin, and rebellion, death and emnity,Jer. 2.13. Pſal. 1413 they are all carnal, all departed from the fountain of living waters, they are all gone aſtray and become abominable, and not one that doth good, no not one: every one of the ſons of men are under wrath, with ALL their works and righteouſneſs: every one is no other but a child of hell, and a ſon of perdition and confuſion. And there is no good that any of them can appropriate, or lay the leaſt claim to; for there is no wiſedome but the wiſedome of God, nor no righteouſneſſe but the everlaſting righteouſneſſe of that only ONE and Alſufficient Saviour the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: He that ſayes there is any good thing in man, any righteouſneſſe, wiſedome, power, any endeavours, after any good or the like, he is no other but a moſt abominable blaſphemer. And this conceit and preſumption the Lord hath curſed and will confound:Mat. 12.33. for can an evil tree bring forth good fruit? Either make the tree evil and his fruit evil, or elſe make the tree good and his fruit good: can man be evil and wholly evil, and yet bring forth any thing that is good? or is there any good or any holineſs but what is from the fountain of good? for any to dare to ſay otherwiſe, is high blaſphemy to God and Jeſus Chriſt, to take that which is proper and peculiar to the ever bleſſed God, and to aſcribe it to a ſinful, nothing, empty creature: for any man to take the Crown from off the head of Jeſus Chriſt, and to ſet it upon his own head, and ſay this is his, what greater indignity? what higher blaſphemy then to ſay that which is crooked is ſtrait,Eſa. 5:20. Job. 38.2. and to call darkneſs, light, and evil, good? Who are theſe, that darken counſel by words without knowledge? From what principle think you, cometh all the religion of this nature? and from whence cometh this kind of teaching? That man muſt be ſomething, and MAN muſt do, and HEE muſt act, and HEE muſt beleeve, and HEE muſt repent, and there is ſomething required of him to doe by way of condition, or elſe the grace of God is fruſtrate. Certainly theſe men are no other but Babel. builders: they never yet knew the confuſion of Languages in themſelves, they were never yet undone, made nothing, nor ſtript of their own power, wiſedome, righteouſneſſe, nor convinced of the vanity, and nothingneſs of all their power and endeavours: they never yet ſaw that theſe things were alone proper to Jeſus Chriſt, but they muſt work, and they muſt doe, and they muſt act. Theſe certainly (whatever they ſay) never yet were convinced, that man was a lump of ſin and weakneſſe, never yet ſaw where the bottomleſs pit is, never yet cryed out miſery and ſhame upon themſelves, but think they have ſome goodneſſe and ſome power, and while they are in this condition, they do behold much goodneſs in themſelves, and many fine things of their own making:Acts 19.24. many Silver ſhrines and goodly performances; they can reform, and repent, and give laws, and take ability to themſelves to keep them: And thus miſerable man deludes himſelfe and erects Babel.

But when the Lord comes down to ſee what the children of men are doing, and begins to ſhew them their madneſs and folly, and to open the mouth of the bottomleſſe gulfe in them, then man appears to himſelfe black and ugly; and that he is as a Blackamoor that can never by all his endeavours change his skin, or alter his courſe:Jer. 13.23 but that he is meer weakneſs and nothing but emptineſs and confuſion, but till this time, what a proud conceited creature is man? and how doth he look upon himſelfe, and upon his riches and his parts, and his endowments before others, & thinks every one ſhould admire him, as he doth himſelfe, and all his actings tend to this end, To be admired and to get himſelfe a Name, and he is ſtill ſpeaking of his rules and of his doings, and of his righteouſneſs, and of his ſtrictneſs; and all this is but to magnifie and make himſelfe as great and as excellent as may be. This Beloved is the condition of all the Sons of men: their folly is their wiſdome, and contrarywiſe, their wiſdom is their folly. For man to be made nothing, and emptied of all his glory, to be made naked and bare, and poor, and blind, and miſerable, Rev. 3.17 Mat: 26.24. and to fo • ſake himſelf, and take up the Croſſe of Chriſt: this he abhors and ſpits at: This Doctrine is Hereſie and Blaſphemy: This is the preaching he calls folly and ign • rance, Familiſme and Ranting, any reproaches that can be invented.Joh. 19.12 And if Chriſt himſelfe were upon earth, they would call him a Heretick, an enemy to Ceſar, and a Seducer, and a Divel, what not? and who would be ſo forward to ſcourge and Crucifie him, as thoſe that ſo much outwardly pretend for him, and ſay, they are his servants and pretend to walk according to his life and commands?

In the hearts of All the ſons of men there is nothing but this confuſed Language: for how can a clean thing come out of an unclean? Job. 14.4. Mat. 15.11. This is the Language that comes out of man that defiles man, yea ALL the ſons of men, the wiſeſt, the learnedeſt, the holieſt; who ſought more after a conformity to the rules of the Scripture, then the Phariſees? Who more exact in thoſe rules? Who attained more external learning then they? The ſpirit of man being once gone out from this ONE and Only Reſt, he hunts and purſues after a thouſand things to make up his emptineſs; having loſt the Center of Eternal joy, he is in continual motion and reſts nowhere: He walks up and down through dry places, and findes no reſt, Luk. 11.24. he hunts up and down for the Land of SHINAR, a place to ſleep in, but cannot find it.

Conſider O ye ſons of men, whereto tend all your labours, all your endeavours, all your unweariedneſſe? is it not to get ſomething to reſt upon ſome pillow, ſomething to lay down your troubled and unquieted ſpirit upon? is there not ſomething of ſelfe in all you do? to provide for your ſelfe, to lay up for your ſelfe? Are you not travailing from the Eaſt to the Land of Shinar, that you may get to the Land of ſleepineſſe? Some, journying to one thing, ſome to another, and all to this Land of Shinar; to find a Reſt, to repoſe themſelves upon, and to truſt in; Some, they are journying after riches, ſome to honour, ſome to vain-glory and eſteem of thoſe whoſe eſtimation they think to be a happineſſe; and theſe things (and ſuch like) of the loweſt and pooreſt things, many make their SHINAR, their happineſſe, their glory, their reſt: And others there are, and they go a little higher: theſe things do well, that the other reſt in; but thoſe things they think ſomewhat too low, and therefore they will ſeek ſome better things, as they conceive, as Learning and Arts, and skill in Tongues and Languages, Philoſophy, Aſtronomy, Aſtrology, Geometry, and the like, and to excel others, and to be more able then other men. Theſe or ſomeof theſe they count is their glory, & excellency, this is their SHINAR, and place of ſleepineſs: But moreover ſome there are, who reſt not here, that cannot ſleep here; but they think if they can but attain to ſome higher things, that concern the ſoule and Heaven, and Eternity, then they could therein take their content and reſt; the other who contented themſelves in riches and honour, and the like; or thoſe that gloried in their Arts, and Sciences, they are convinced, all theſe were too ſhort, becauſe they reach but to the body, and to humane things, to thoſe glories that men eſteem highly of; But if they could but attain to ſomething to pleaſe God withal, if they could but worſhip God after this or that form, in obſerving ſtrictly theſe and theſe duties, and get into this or that fellowship, this or that gathered Church, which worſhip God after the pureſt and moſt Primitive way, and neareſt the rule of Chriſt, if they can but leave this ſin & that evil, or if they could but leave all known ſin, herein and the like, many men make this their peace and their reſt; this is their SHINAR, and and place of ſleepineſs and ſlumbering. And having gotten thus far, they think they can patch up a righteouſneſs, that will be pleaſing to God himſelfe: for they can hardly ſee a ſlip or a falling really in themſelves, though they are aſhamed to ſay ſo, yet let them but examine their inward parts and they ſhall find it ſo: They think they have in a Goſpel way, performed the condition required on their part, and they are ſincere in what they do; and if at any time they come ſhort, then Chriſt by his righteouſneſs will ſupply and make it up, and herein is their peace, and this is in their eſteem a goodly, and a glorious, and an excelling righteouſneſſe; none ſo high at they, none ſo holy as they, ſtand farther off, I am holier then thou, and I am thus and thus qualified; And he looks upon other men with diſdain, becauſe they come ſhort of him, & becauſe they are not ſo ſtrict as he, nor have taken ſo much pains in religion, and done ſo many duties and walkt up to ſuch rules as he, as the Phariſee, I bleſſe God I am no Whoremonger, Drunkard, Swearer, nor as this haſe Publican; Luk. 18.11. I make conſcience of omitting the leaſt duties, I faſt twice a week, and I relieve the poor, and pay my dues to the Miniſter, and I would leave all ſin, and I would do every duty: and thus men thinks they have convered themſelves warm, and this is their Shinar, the place of their deſires and reſt, here they have found a place to ſleep in, and a pillow to repoſe and lay their heads upon, and to reſt their travailing and wearied thoughts, and they could never reſt till they come to THIS Shinar. But I here proclaim to all ſuch, be they never ſo ſecure in themſelves and applauded and cryed up as happy and bleſſed men by others, yet all this is, but This Shinar, this is but the Babel which here the Lord ſpeaks of, and it ſhall be no other but the place of Confuſion: Luk. 13.28. Nay Publicans and Harlots ſhall go into the Kingdom of Heaven, when they themſelves, theſe perfect men in their own, and in others eſteem ſhall be thruſt out: Alas, they cover themſelves with a Covering, but not with the Lords ſpirit: the bed is too ſhort, and the covering too narrow, Eſa. 28.20. they cannot cover themſelves therwith: yet have indeed preached in my name, and propheſied in my name, Mat. 7.22. and in my name done many GREATWORKS, and wonderful, but for all this depart from me, ye are no other but workers of iniquity, ſayes Chriſt to ſuch: the higheſt and gloriouſeſt, and the moſt ſeemingly holy of all theſe things cannot be the place of reſt: Ibid. 5.20 Mich. 2.10 for except your righteouſneſſe exceed the righteouſneſs of the Scribes and Phariſees, ye can in no caſe enter inter into the Kingdome of Heaven. Ariſe therefore and depart hence, this is not your reſt: For indeed there never is, nor never was, nor never ſhall be any other but one onely place of Reſt for all the Sons of men: And that is onely and alone Jeſus Chriſt, that Eternal Rock and Refuge for all Nations and Generations, that perfect ſacrifice of the Eternal ſon of God, to which nothing in the leaſt can be added, and nothing elſe was ever required or accepted, but only this Beloved IMMANUEL, in whom alone God is well pleaſed. Mat. 3.17.

But when thou thinkſt thou muſt do this duty and that, leave this ſin and that evil, and why? becauſe this is the condition on thy part which thou muſt perform, or elſe Chriſt will not perform the promiſe of life and ſalvation on his part: herein men are deluded and for all their pains and endeavours and ſtrictneſſe, yet they fall ſhort of the kingdome of Heaven. For it is not thy works, nor thy duties, nor thy forms, nor thy notions, nor thy Church-gatherings, nor any thing elſe of thine which is the accompliſhment of the promiſes, but they are all yea and amen onely and alone in him,2 Cor. 1.20. in whom the promiſes are made; if theſe works be wrought by thy induſtry, by thy care, by thy watchfulneſſe, by thy wiſdome, by thy power, they are all odious and abominable: Eſa. 66.3 God will as ſoon accept the offering up of Swines blood, and regard as ſoon the cutting off a dogs neck as many of theſe thy duties: for, whatever is done by thee or in thee, except it be done by the wiſdome, power, and hand of Jeſus Chriſt, who is the promiſe maker, and the promiſe worker, and accompliſher, they cannot be in him Yea, and in him Amen; for he alone is the promiſe, that is the maker and fulfiller; he muſt work it by his power; but as long as thou thinkeſt thou canſt do any thing, or haſt any thing to offer, or any thing to accompliſh, and thou muſt do it on thy part as a condition, the Lord abhors all ſuch ſacrifices as abominable: when thou thinkſt ſuch and ſuch rules are preſcribed, and I muſt obey and ſubmit to every rule, not the leaſt but I muſt do it, and then the promiſe is mine, for now I am in the right way; and then ſayſt to thy ſoul, ſoul take thy eaſe, this is the true place of reſt,Luk. 12.19. here thou mayeſt lye down in ſafety: examine thy ſelf, is not this thy end? How be it all this is nothing elſe but the building up of Babel in the Land of Shinar: All this while when thou thoughteſt thou waſt travelling to thy reſt, thou art travelling quite contrary; to ruine, deſtruction and confuſion: thou art but travelling from the Eaſt, to the plain of Shinar, a place beautiful indeed and pleaſant to the ſons of men, when they had turned their backs upon the Eaſt, and were gone out from God, their reſt, and were not content with the fountain, Jer. 2.13. but followed the Streams which in the end are dryed up, and there is no water to quench thy thirſt, but onely a meer hell and place of torment,Luk. 16.24. and not one drop to cool thy tongue.

Secondly, Ʋſe. 2 we may ſee here that Sleepineſs is the end that all theſe builders of Babel, propound to themſelves; they would have ſome reſt from their doings, and from their labours, and from their wiſedome, and their endeavours: their end in all they do is Security, that they may ſleep quietly, that they may not fear neither death, nor hell, nor judgement, that they may cry to their ſoules,Jer. 6.14. Eſa. 28.18. peace, peace, when there is no peace; and how they having made a covenant with death and hell, here they will reſt, and here they will build, and here they will ſleep. Being come to this pleaſant plain, here they reſolves to ſecure themſelves, and build a Tower reaching to Heaven: They conſult and conclude, now they have their hearts deſire, and nothing ſhall be reſtrained from them: And all this they doe, ſayes the Holy Ghoſt, leaſt we be ſcattered: All theſe things, and all theſe devices, are but Coverings of mens inventing to ſave themſelves from wrath and from the guilt of conſcience, which elſe would gnaw within them,Mark 9.44. Eſa. 4.6. Mat. 7.26 and be in them the worm that never dies: hereby they think they have made themſelves a ſhelter from the ſtorm and the wind, but tis but as the houſe built upon the ſand having no Foundation, it can never ſtand, here is no ſecurity; though they think to provide for, and ſecure themſelves, and think themſelves wiſer and holier then all other men; Their end is alwayes ſelviſhneſs, to ſecure and provide for themſelves; and the means by which they attain all, is alſo within themſelves, by their own wiſdom, power, parts, righteouſneſſe, endeavours, and the like.

Alſo in this way of man to come to life and reſt, what does he? Ʋſe. 3 he bethinks himſelf with all the wiſdom he can, to chuſe wiſely and diſcreetly: we will here build (ſay they to themſelves) and we will build ſure and ſafe, and we will make brick and burn them well; that ſo their building may endure, and not fall upon their heads. They have ſtill ſomething or other, that they themſelves invent, and pretend the rule of the word to goe by, as the ſafeſt way: ſomething that they finde out, that their own ſelf tells them is a likely way: Say they to themſelves, Chriſt has promiſed if men beleeve and repent, then they ſhall be ſaved: Well, I will goe and perform theſe, and reform my life and the like, (ſayes man) and then theſe promiſes are mine. The Jewes (eſpecially the Phariſees) were ever expert and nimble at this; who more ſtrict according to Gods own rule, who more ſearched after every Iota of the Law, and as farre as they were convinced ſtrived after conformity? herein lay the top of their Religion: And here they had builded up Babel. Now when Chriſt comes and ſtrips them of their righteouſneſs and pulls down their Babel, and by his Doctrine layes them open to the world, and makes them appear as they are, to be open Sepulchres, diſsembling Hypocrits, Mat. 23.7 to be but pretenders to righteouſneſſe when they have none at all but to make Religion a cloak to devour Widows houſes, and to ſerve their own turns, to make for their entertainment with the world; Chriſt now He opening theſe filthy Sepulchers, he ſhews what they were within, how fair, and beautiful, and holy ſoever they ſeemed to be without: This made them ſo mad, as to perſecute him even to death, nothing would ſerve them but his blood, and the cruelleſt death was too good for him: yet theſe were men of no low principles (as men think) they were the graveſt, the ſobereſt, the wiſeſt, the learnedeſt, the ſtricteſt obſervers of the Law, and the teachers of it to others. Men higheſt in eſteem, the ſtricteſt for worſhip, according to the pattern: they feared God (as they, and generally all men thought) and loved their neighbour, and did righteous theings to men, and herein was their glory.

Now ſome among us go farther then all this; they ſtrive to walk according to the rule, and wherein they come ſhort, they have a Mediatour and an Interceſsour, and that is Jeſus Chriſt who died at Jeruſalem, whom the Jewes would not acknowledge, but crucified; and they will repent and beleeve in him. And now Beloved, theſe have builded up Babel higher then the other: for alas, this is nothing but wearing a garment of linſey-woolſey, Levit. 19.19. Mat. 9.16. this is nothing but ſewing a new peice into an old garment, and making the rent worſe; this is but putting new wine into old bottels, and the bottels are broken, and both bottels and wine (as to theſe men) utterly loſt. They think man muſt do, and man muſt teach, and man muſt inform, and ſee not that Jeſus Chriſt is the only Teacher, the only Maſter, the only Guide: they muſt find out, and they muſt ſtudy, and they muſt collect, and they muſt gather here a flower and there a flower, and this they preſent to the people as a precious poſie, whereof they themſelves in their own experience know nothing at all; but they have ſought it out by their learning, and ſtole it out of other mens labours;Luk. 10.2 Are theſe (think you) Prophets and Labourers of the Lord of the Harveſts ſending: No No; all theſe things muſt be loſt, eſteemed as dirt and dung: you know what Chriſt ſayes,Luk. 5.37 put new wine into new bottels, and then both are preſerved: If all that we do, be any thing but what Chriſt does in us: If all we teach, be not Chriſt his teachings in us: If all our works be not from the new man, born of God which cannot ſin: if all be not the works of Chriſt in us, whatever it be that man erects and ſets up to direct or guide him, but onely the wiſdom from above: whatever it is that ſtrengthens him, but the power from on high, all muſt be pulled down and ſcattered,Mat. 15. all made BABEL: Every plant that the Father hath not planted, muſt be rooted up: if it be not wrought and acted by his Spirit in us, it cannot ſtand.

When men think by their power and wiſedome, and by their Authority to act for God, and they can propagate the Goſpel and eſtabliſh truth and ſettle Religion, and they can make an uniformity which all ought to ſubmit to: whereto doth all this tend, but that man ſhould take upon him the work and ſoveraignty of the Almighty? and this is the plaine Engliſh, God is not wiſe enough, nor powerful enough, nor Allſufficient enough to erect the Kingdome of his Sonne:Luk. 10.2 but we muſt do ſomething, and we will contrive, and we will ſend forth Labourers as wee ſhall think meet: and what we judge to be truth and wiſedome, and holineſſe, that and no other, ſhall be eſtabliſhed: What's all this, but to eſtabliſh the wiſdom of man, and the power of man, nay indeed the weakneſs and ignorance, and the blaſphemy of men above the ſtrength, wiſedom, righteouſneſs and alſufficiency of the eternal God? Whats this, but charging of God with weakneſs and inſufficiency, and aſcribing that to man, which alone is due to God? Is this any other, then to make the weapons of our warfare ſtrong in man,2 Cor. 10.4. and in the power of his might? Now the bleſſed work of God, is to pull down this Babel, built by the ſons of men: oh ſayes man, Lets have the wiſdome and power of the magiſtrate, and let him ſhew himſelfe ſtrong for God: and what he judgeth evil, and ſinne, and ſchiſme, and hereſie, let that be rooted up: and he will make the crooked things ſtrait, and he will undertake to make men religious and to reform their lives:Luk. 3.5. Whats all this, but to be wiſe in his own wiſedome, and confident in his own ſtrength, and holy in his own holineſſe, and that he alone is judge in the things of God. What greater blaſphemy can there be? In ſtead of being ſtrong in God and in the power of his might, Eph. 6.10 they are mighty and ſtrong in man and in themſelves. Now all theſe works alſo the Lord will ruin and deſtroy; All this ſtrong building he will make Babel, CONFƲSION; all this Language will the Lord confound, ſcatter and deſtroy. Whatever it be, which is of man or by man erected (though pretending a ſervice and a worſhip of God) either found out ad invented by himſelfe, or elſe pretending a preſcribed rule in the word for it, and this done by the power and wiſedome of man, it is no other but a Babel, and ſhall be made a City of Confuſion. And this the Lord will certainly doe and bring to paſſe in man; either that both he and his works, his wiſdom, righteouſneſſe, power, &c. may be deſtroyed and confounded together, that both himſelf and all his works may be burnt up together, or elſe that his work ſhall be burnt, and yet he may be ſaved, yet ſo as by fire; for this fire of the Lord ſhall try every mans work of what ſort it is; 1. Cor. 3 13. if the Lord in mercy deſcend and come down among the ſonnes of men, to burn up all their works, their wiſdome, their ſtrength, and all things of this nature, to ſtrip man of all his abilities and righteouſneſs, and make him nothing in himſelfe, and abominable in his own ſight, this deſtruction of the fleſh is that he may be delivered from death and wrath, Ezek. 20.43. 1 Cor. 5.5 and that his ſpirit may be ſaved in the day of the Lord, and that he may bring him to reſt, peace, wiſdom, righteouſneſs and glory in that alone and A • ſufficient Saviour the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, in whom alone are all theſe: but in the creature nothing but trouble, confuſion, death, ſinne, hell, and condemnation, in which All the ſonnes of men are concluded, and all their beſt workes; and Chriſt alone is ordained of the Father to be our ſtrength, wiſdom, righteouſneſs, redemption, 1 Cor. 1.30. and ſalvation. Him alone hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Iſrael, and forgiveneſſe of ſins. Him alone I ſay, being made unto us wiſedome, righteouſneſs, ſanctification and redemption; 1 Cor. 1.29. That ſo no fleſh ſhould glory in his preſence, but according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord, and in the Lord alone.

BEloved, when the power of God from Eternity (which was himſelf,) was made out in the appearance of fleſh at Jeruſalem when this eternal word (I ſay) was in that Vaile, which was the making out of the true body of Chriſt: when the Saviour of the world appeared in the fleſh, to make out himſelfe to the Sonnes of men; in all his actings and ſpeakings we finde nothing elſe ſought, acted, or ſpoken by him, but the fulfilling and accompliſhing of the work and will of the Father, about which he was ſent; Joh. 6.38 and therefore whatſoever he did, or ſaid, was onely that he might finiſh and accompliſh that great work about which the Father had ſent him; therefore in that regard he ſaid he had meat to eat that man knew not of, John. 4.32 underſtood not, did not ſee. And as he came to fulfil the work of the Father, not onely in the fleſh in thoſe manifold and unparalleled ſufferings he underwent, but alſo in the power of that ſpirit that he might convey life and ſalvation to the ſoules of men, this was his meat and drink; ſo that this is it that in all his ſpeakings he chiefly holds out; ſo here he having declared that he was that bread that came down from Heaven, that only true and ſpi • itual Manna which cometh down from Heaven, Joh. 6 33. that nouriſheth the ſoules of men, and beſides which there is none other: Hereupon (he holding forth this ſo boldly and ſo clearly) the Jewes, the scribes and Phariſees, thoſe Religious and learned men of the times not knowing the myſtery of this bread, became extreamly offended, and deſpiſed and derided him, ſaying,Verſ. 41 Hew can this man give us his fleſh to eat? Truly Beloved, that which is held out to us by this, is, That the Jew is in every man by nature, and is diſcontented at the ſpeaking out of the ſpiritual things of Jeſus Chriſt. When it is holden out that there is no other Wiſdome, Strength, Righteouſneſs, and Holineſs but that which is onely in and from the Son of God, and that this is the only meat and drink of the ſoule: And that there is not any one of the ſonnes of men, that hath either wiſdom, or holineſſe, or power, or any good thing of his owne: this is a hard ſaying to fleſh and blood;1 Cor. 2.14. for the natural man receives not the things of the ſpirit of God, neither indeed can he, for they are ſpiritually diſcerned.

The Words now read, are the anſwer of our Saviour to the murmuring objection of the carnall minded man or Jew ſaying, how can this man be bread unto us, or Manna, or meat and drink?Joh. 6.42 Is not this the Son of Joſeph? and the reaſon is, becauſe they ſaw onely the Vail, but not the Godhead, the eternity or everliving WORD that was under that Vail, viz. his fleſh or his external appearance. Now he therefore gives an anſwer to this their murmuring, and ſhews the reaſon and ground why it could not be otherwiſe with them, that their carnal minds could do no other but murmur at theſe ſpiritual makings out of the minde of God; Becauſe no man could know him, love him, and believe in him, but thoſe that were given him of the Father; thoſe that were drawn by the ſpirit and love of the Father onely, would underſtand, love, and beleeve, and know him; but otherwiſe all others they would nor could do no other but murmur and repine: for all others, in ſeeing they did ſee and not underſtand, for their fooliſh heart was blinded and darkened with impenitency of heart; therefore ſaith he, no man can come to me except the Father which hath ſent me draw him.

Firſt, here is diſcovered by way of Negation and Excluſion, the impoſſibility of man (as man) to come to Chriſt: no man, &c.

Secondly, here is laid down the power, way and means by which man comes on to Chriſt, and that is in and by the drawing of the Father: when the FATHER draws, man cannot but come; and when the Father draws not, man cannot come unto Chriſt. No man can come to me except the Father which hath ſent me draw him, and I will raiſe him up at the laſt day (as if he ſhould ſay) if he be not drawn and raiſed up by me, he can never come, and I never raiſe nor draw till the laſt day, till mans day, mans power, wiſdom, ſtrength, holineſs, all that is in or of man, is at an end, and that he is loſt, diſtreſſed, and undone. Then at that laſt day I will raiſe him up, I will come in and ſtay no longer; for while mans day, (that is, mans life, wiſdom, and ſtrength laſts) there is nothing but reſiſtance, blindneſſe, fightings, and oppoſitions.

Firſt, no man can come, that is, In his natural, blind, dead, and loſt condition, wherein he is as a dead bone, Ezek. 37. there is no life at all in him, wherein he is ſtark blinde and ſees not the things that concern his peace, therefore he hath no will, nor power, nor mind to come unto me: UNTO ME,Luk. 19.42. who am the Saviour of the world, the truth, righteouſneſſe, and Sactification it ſelfe; to come unto me, that is, to ME indeed; for men had power enough to come to Chriſts bodily appearance while he was on the earth, but this is not the comming to him: to come in conceit, notion, opinion, or in a verbal or litteral way, according to the Hiſtory and relation of him. But to come to Chriſt, is, to come in the life of Chriſt, in the power of God, to come unto him in the eternall power, that HE may onely teach them, lead them, and guide them, and be their onely Maſter that they may know no Maſter, no Father, no Teacher, no Leader, nor no ſtrength beſides him; Oh Beloved, this is not to be done without the drawing of the Father; or not but in a Fatherly way, ſince he is the fountain of eternal love; the Father or Fountain of love that hath made out his eternal Love himſelf in the ſimilitude of fleſh: 2 Cor. 5.19: for God was in Chriſt (ſaith the Text) reconciling the world unto himſelf, not imputing to them their treſpaſſes. It muſt be the love and good will of the Father made out to the ſoule that muſt call it and will draw it, and cauſe it to come in, to be at peace with him and be reconciled, onely by his owne making out his love in Chriſt. So I ſay this Eternal love that ſent out Chriſt, and that gives with Chriſt all good things, it is the ſame eternal love and power, Rom. 8.32 and everlaſting goodneſs and good will of the Father that draws and brings the ſpirits of men unto Chriſt, elſe they come not.

Draw them; how is that? with ſuch a drawing as muſt be effectual. As the Rain falleth not in vain, but the earth bringeth forth fruit meet for them for whom it is appointed: Heb. 6.7. So the eternal word and power of the Father made out through the fleſh of Chriſt to the ſoul, calls, invites, draws and works effectually and brings home the ſoul; and this drawing of the Father is the eternal and everliving power of the Godhead or ſpirit that wonderfully draws the ſoules of men: and when they are thus drawn, they cannot but follow: and being thus drawn by him, this is the joy, life, wiſdom, and righteouſneſs of the ſoule, here it dwels, reſts, recreates it ſelfe; having loſt its own life, it lives and receives full ſatisfaction in the life, and power, and wiſdom of Chriſt. Then, it is the office of the Son whom the Father hath ſent to quicken it, and raiſe it up at the laſt day, and make it like himſelf, even to ſit together with him in heavenly places. Eph. 2.6. The point I ſhall offer to your Conſiderations is this.

That the drawing of the Father only leads the ſouls of men unto Chriſt, Doct. otherwiſe none can come unto him. Before this truth can be beleived in us, or be of benefit unto us, it muſt become a truth of evidence and manifeſtation and experience in our hearts; yet to witneſſe this from the litteral word, that this is truth, you may be pleaſed to look upon a place or two; yet they can make out nothing to us except the ſam be made out by the eternal ſpirit in u • ; • lſe the word is but a dry tree & a dead letter:Cant. 1.4. The experience of the Spouſe in Cant. 1.4. witneſſeth the ſame; draw me and we will run after thee; her experience had known, that the drawings and leadings of thoſe cords and bands of love (that are never to be broken in Jeſus Chriſt) the drawings of theſe bands of love only made her willing to go after that Husband, Father and God of Loving-kindneſs and mercy; otherwiſe man never comes, nor is ever drawn but onely by theſe cords of his love. Again the ſame is witneſſed in Jer. 31, 3. there he tells you, becauſe he had loved them, Jer. 31.3. therefore with loving-kindneſs had he drawn them: And in Hoſea 11.4. he declares he had drawn them with the Cords of a man, with the bands of love; Hoſ. 11.4 the ſoule finds it is onely the power of the Father, the love of the Father that hath drawn him out of many waters: as the Pſalmiſt witneſſes, for David had found it ſo,Pſal. 69. Ibid. 40.2 that he had delivered his ſoul out of the mire and horrible pit. There is nothing but the eternal power of God that is able to draw a ſoul out of the deep and mierry pit in which it lies: the drawing of the Father, the power of the Father only draws men unto Chriſt; otherwiſe they will not, nor cannot come. That this is ſo, Divine truth witneſſes, and the experience of all Saints, that men will not, cannot do, act or work, nor come in unto Chriſt without this drawing.

Firſt, becauſe Jeſus Chriſt is not known and underſtood in the pretiouſneſs, excellency and value of him to the loſt, blind, Reaſ. 1 and carnal heart of man; for man in this condition knows not the worth, ſweetneſs and excellency of him; therefore man comes not unto Chriſt, as David witneſſes; He looked down to ſee if any of the ſons of men would ſeek after God, Pſal. 14.2. but they are all gone out of the way; there is none thath doth good, no not one: ſo I ſay, man comes not to Jeſus Chriſt, becauſe he is ignorant of that life, glory, righteouſneſs, and immortality that is laid up in him; therefore the Apoſtle renders it as the reaſon why the Princes of the world (Princes of learning, and Princes in zeal and religion) kild him; why, becauſe (ſaith he) none of the Princes of this world knew him; for had they known him, they would not have crucified the Lord of life. So I ſay, the ground why our ſpirit comes not to Jeſus Chriſt, is, that blindneſs and ignorance that is in the heart of man, becauſe he knows not the excellency and pretiouſneſs of Chriſt; As our Saviour ſaid to the woman of Samaria, John 4.10.Joh. 4.10. If thou kneweſt the gift of God, and who it is that ſaith unto thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldeſt have asked of him and be would have, given thee living water; and ſo it was with Jeruſalem,Luk. 19.42. Reaſ. 2. ſhee did not know the things belonging to her peace; becauſe they were bid from her eyes.

Again, men cannot come to Jeſus Chriſt, becauſe as he is the power of God, and appears in the wiſdom of God, ſo he appears as foliſhneſs unto them, and they diſdaine him as a weak and mean thing; as Iſaiah faith in ch. 53. v. 2. there is no form nor beauty in him why he ſhould be deſired: Eſa. 53.2. as a root out of a dry ground, he hath no form, no comlineſs, and when we ſhall ſee him, there is no beauty that we ſhould deſire him; he is deſpiſed and rejected of men, a man of ſorrows and acquainted with griefs, and we hid our faces from him: he was deſpiſed, and we eſteemed him not; therefore the Apoſtle tells us 1 Cor. 2.14. the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, becauſe they are fooliſhneſs unto him, and are ſpiritually diſcerned: and ſaith he in 1 Cor. 1 23. we preach Chriſt crucified, 1 Cor. 1.23: to the Jewes a ſtumbling block, to the Greeks fooliſhneſſe; ſo that man doth not, will not, nor cannot come to Jeſus Chriſt, becauſe the ſpirit of Chriſt appears a poore deſpicable thing,1 Cor. 3.10. Pſal. 118.22.23. 1 Pet. 2.7 and the heart of man is ſet againſt him: and even that ſtone that is to be the head ſtone of the corner, it is rejected and laid by, even by thoſe that account themſelves Maſter builders; and this is the Lords doing, and it s marvailous in our eyes.

Again, another ground why the ſouls of men come not to Chriſt, Reaſ. 3 is, becauſe the appearing of Chriſt in the ſpirit makes all the hidden things of mans heart lie open, even that which man himſelfe never ſaw, nor never thought was in him, and this man hates, and will not abide to ſee nor behold that depth of pride, that ſelfe-glorying, hypocriſie, &c. and taht bottomleſſe pit of miſery; mans eye never looked into himſelf, into his own heart: but in the day of the appearance of Jeſus Chriſt all this is diſcovered and laid open; therefore man would by no means come to Chriſt, becauſe the appearing of Chriſt diſcovers his ſin and condemnation: man loves his own life: skin for skin, and all that a man hath will be give for his life; but he that loſeth his life ſhall find it: Job. 2.4. Mat. 10.39. John. 3.19 therefore our Saviour tells us plainly that this is the c • ndemnation that light is come into the world, and men love darkneſs rather then light, becauſe their deeds are evil; for he that doth evil hateth the light, neither comes to the light, leſt his deeds ſhould be made manifeſt that they are evil. So here the ground is rendred why the Goſpel is Condemnation to the ſons of men; the Goſpel brings light, but men reſiſt it & hate it. Certain it is that the light of Chriſt is in every creature, for he is the true light that enlightens every one that come into the world. Joh. 1.9. Mat. 6.23. And if this light that is in us be darkneſs, how great is that darkneſs. Here is the condemnation of all the ſons of men that they dare not ſtand in the light of Chriſt, not being able to behold hell in their own hearts, but labour by all means to cover it; for the light of Chriſt would ſhew them that there is no thought, action, or duty, or performance that ever they did, that had any thing of purity in it, but it was all ſin; Now man not daring to ſee his own miſery, therefore he runs from this light, and gets himſelfe behinde any tree. He runs from the appearance of him that ſits upon the Throne, and ſo reſolves he will not ſee his own miſery, death, and condemnation; Rev. 6.16 neither will he believe it though he be told it by an Angel from Heaven, he will not come to the light, leſt thereby he may know, or be convinced that his deeds are onely evil.

Againe this is the work of the Father to draw men unto Chriſt, becauſe no leſſe then infinitneſs and Eternity is able to bring God and man together; the ſeparation between God and man is ſo vaſt, and they are at ſuch an infinite diſtance ſince his fall, that nothing but Infinitneſs can bring theſe two infinite ends together; for the ſoul of man in one ſin, ſins againſt an infinite God; in any one ſin it goes out and turns away from the infinitneſſe of all bleſſedneſſe, good, joy, glory, and peace, and ſo goes down into the infinitneſs of nothing, (for nothing is a kinde of infinitneſs) and he is indeed gone into a far Country, Luk. 15. 13. as the Prodigal was; now therefore nothing but the infinite powers, and infinite wiſedome and ſtrength that is in the Lord, is able to bring life out of death, ſomething out of nothing; therefore there is nothing to bring the heart of man out of that far country wherein to it is gone, and out of that bottomleſs pit into which is is fallen; nothing can do it but infinitneſs and eternity; 2 Cor. 4.14. nothing but the ſame ſpirit that raiſed up Jeſus Chriſt from the dead, can quicken our mortal bodies: there is nothing I ſay, able to do it (but the ſame ſpirit) to bring a poor ſoul from hell and condemnation, and make it one in unity with the ſpirit; And therefore the Apoſtle witneſſes, Eph. 2.13. you that were aliens, hath he made nigh by the blood of Chriſt; Eph. 2.13 and you that were ſometimes afar off, hath he made near by the blood of Chriſt. So now, I hope this appears a truth to you, and I hope the Lord will make it ſo in you by experience; till then it is not a ſavour of life unto life; for except you have the Scriptures made good in the power thereof, in your own hearts, what are the Scriptures to you? And I have alledged them for that very end that you may finde and ſay, Theſe things are all fulfilled, not only among the Jewes and at Jeruſalem, but really and truely in my ſelfe. So then I hope ſome of you ſee it is the alone power of the Father that draws the ſoules of men unto Chriſt: otherwiſe no man can come unto him. But give me leave yet a little farther for the clearing it, and explaining it by the way; What this power of the Father is, or how the Father doth draw or bring the ſoules of men unto Chriſt?

God is ſaid to be a Spirit, and they that worſhip him, muſt worſhip him in ſpirit and in truth: Joh. 4.23. God is nothing but life, glory, and power, ſpirit and immortality; and whatſoever thing we could have a notion, or ſimilitude of, that is able to ſet out ſtrength, and life, and glory, and wiſdom: yet all theſe come infinitly ſhort of ſetting out the ſtrength and power of the Lord of Hoſts, the great Jehovah, who is (Pſal. 121.5.) he that keeps Iſrael:Pſal. 121.5. he that keepes Iſrael, neither ſlumbreth nor ſleepeth; ſo that is is to be cleared, what power it is that brings the ſpirits of men unto Jeſus Chriſt. Certainly there is nothing but the ſame eternal ſpirit that was in Jeſus Chriſt: it is the ſame immortal and immediate hand and power of God that doth ever raiſe up the ſoule of man, and bring it unto Chriſt, and nothing but that ſpirit only: and therefore from hence is that of the Apoſtle, that no man can ſo much as ſay that Jeſus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghoſt: 1 Cor. 12.3. Joh. 3.5. and except a man be born of water and the ſpirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God: for tis all one, and tis wrought by one and the ſame Almighty Spirit, to ſay that Jeſus is the Lord by the ſpirit, and to be born of the ſpirit: for man to ſay & confeſs ſo ten thouſand times, if he do not feel him to be the Lord and the Almighty in him, all his confeſſions in words are nothing; And by one ſpirit (ſaith the Text) ye are all baptized into one body, even the whole body, and they all teſtifie one and the ſame thing, that there is but one ſpirit, 1 Cor. 12.13. Eph. 4.4. one Lord, one Faith, one Baptiſme, one God and Father of all, Eph. 4.4. and they have all been made to drink into one ſpirit, which is that One, Boundleſs, Infinite and Eternal Spirit of the Father, that like the wind, bloweth where it lifteth, and we may hear the ſound, and tasſte the operation of it in us,Joh: 3.8: but know not whence it cometh, nor when it will work, but cometh and goeth when it pleaſeth, and not in the leaſt when men will: they have no command of that free and good ſpirit. It is onely this one ſpirit that makes the ſoul one with Jeſus Chriſt; therefore the Apoſtle witneſſes, if Chriſt be in you, Rom. 8, 11 he that raiſed up Jeſus from the dead, ſhall alſo quicken your mortal bodies by that ſpirit that dwelleth in you: this is that ſpirit that ſearches all things, and tries all things, even the hidden things of God: 1 Cor, 2.10. this is that living ſpirit that blows upon the dry bones: the ſpirit of the four winds that blows upon the dead and rotten bones:Ezek. 37.4. and the blowing of this ſpirit brings ſinew to ſinew, bone to bone, and this makes them live and ſtand up before him; and there is nothing elſe but this ſpirit that doth it, there is nothing can be conjoined with it. However men may ſay, and keep a great deal of buſling about the power of man, that ſo it may not be ſaid there was any to help him: yet I ſay it is the ſpirit of God alone that draws man to Jeſus Chriſt, that it may not be ſaid that his Idol hath done it; for otherwiſe the mouths of all would not be ſtopped,Ibid. 48.5 Rom. 3.19 Zach. 2.13 and all fleſh would not become ſilent before him. Neither would it be ſaid that the Saints rejoyce in nothing elſe but in the Lord Jeſus alone.

Obj. But I know it will be objected,O • bj. though God doth thus, and he onely draws the ſoule to Jeſus Chriſt; yet this is not done without means, and inſtruments.

Anſw. Firſt, Anſw. truly I grant it is ſo, but the wayes of God are like himſelf infinite, and he is infinitly wiſe, and his wayes are paſt all the thoughts and imaginations of the hearts of men; for eye hath not ſeen, Rom. 11.33. 1 Cor. 2.9 nor ear heard, nor is the heart of man ever able to finde out the ſecret wayes of the Lord.

Secondly, God hath not onely determined a thing, but determined alſo by what power, and inſtruments, and means he will bring it to paſſe; but in this it is otherwiſe with God then with man. Man may propoſe a means to an end, that is weak and may faile; but God never intends and purpoſes an end, but the means is as infinite as himſelfe, and as eternal and omnipotent as himſelfe, ſo that his meanes cannot faile: he ſpeaks and it ſhall and muſt come to paſs. 'Tis true God hath ordained the means by which he brings men to Jeſus Chriſt;Pſal. 33.9. but this means is hiw own power, and ſpirit, and ſtrength.

Obj. But thou wilt ſay, Obi. Is it ſolely by himſelf alone without an Organ and Inſtrument? is there not ſomething ſubordinate?

Anſw. Truly the workings of God have alwayes a ſubject wherein to be manifeſted: Anſw. as in man, there is the ſoule which is the Recipient and ſubject in which the things of life and death are acted; there is uſually an Organ: And how ſhould they hear without a Preacher? Rom. 10.14. yet both the Organ and the Preacher are empty dead things; And if I or any man, in being exerciſed about the things of God, ſhould look upon our ſelves otherwiſe, quite laying by all thoughts of power, wiſdom, ability, to do any thing, but to be only as a Pipe or Ciſtern, through which thoſe divine things paſſe, and no more, we take that praiſe to our ſelves which is alone due to God. Now though it be ſo, I ſay, that this Organ is but a dead thing through which the life of God paſſeth, if we be any thing elſe in our meſſage and ſpeaking to you but as men that have denied our ſelves, laid aſide our own wiſedome, ſtrength, conceits and abilities, and all the workings of our own heads, if we be not dead to all things, that ſo the Lord may ſpeak through us, then I may boldly ſay we are not thoſe Inſtruments and Embaſſadours by which he entreats his people to be reconciled unto him:1 Cor. 3.6 Therefore be pleaſed to conſider that place of the Apoſtle in 1 Cor. 3.6. I have planted, and Apollo hath watered: So then Paul may be called a Planter, and Apollo a Waterer; but doth he goe no farther? nay, (ſaith he) Neither is he that planteth any thing, nor he that watereth any thing; Verſ. 7 but God that gives the encreaſe; thoug they may improperly be called PLANTERS and WATERERS, yet neither is the Planter any thing, nor the Waterer any thing: So that it is clear, it is no otherwiſe but thus; It pleaſed God out of his own love and goodneſſe to condeſcend ſo low as to ſpeak the Words of Eternal Life & mercy by us, and to one another, that men of the ſame Blood and Frailtie ſhould become Inſtruments and no other, in the hand of the Lord, taking no glory to themſelves in any thing; onely to be as weak, and fraile, and dead Inſtruments whereby the Lord will ſpeak out the Words of Eternal Life. But this creature is to be conſidered as nothing at all; neither is he that planteth any thing, nor he that watereth, but God is all; therefore, I ſay,1 Cor. 3.7 till it be ſo with us, that we are dead to all our own wit and reaſon, and all our underſtanding; till theſe are killed and dead, and we ſtand onely waiting upon the Lord, as Habakkuk ſaith,Hab. 2.1. Hab. 2.1. I will ſtand upon my watch, and ſet me upon the Tower, and will watch to ſee what he will ſay unto me, and what I ſhall anſwer; I ſay, when the ſoule is thus dead and ſilent to his own wit, to his own ſelfeſeeking, to all his own opinions, of wiſdom, or ſtrength or parts: I ſay, there is no man which is a true Prophet or a Meſſenger from God till then: For all the Prophets and Embaſſadours from God come thus qualified, and they are not aſhamed thus to ſhame themſelves, and to be as nothing in the eyes of themſelves and others, that ſo the Lord alone may be lifted up and exalted in them. And when God appears thus in the poor dead Organ, then uſually God works in them, and by them: For, ſaith the Apoſtle, We have this treaſure in earthen veſsels. 2 Cor. 4.7 God uſeth Organs and Inſtruments, but there is no Efficiency in the Inſtruments; for, notwithſtanding all that I can ſay and ſpeak, if the eternal ſenſe and mind of the ſpirit be not at the back of it, and goe home with it, it will be but a Parable, a Hiſtory, and a Paradox to you.Mat. 13.11. Saith Chriſt, to you it is given to know the myſteries of the Kingdom. So then it is onely the immortal Word of the Lord that draws the ſoul, and it is the power of eternity which works all, and it is from mercy and great condiſcenſion (on his part) to ſpeak out theſe things by ſuch fraile Inſtruments; but it is ſo,1 Cor. 1.29. That no fleſh may glory in his preſence: And that the praiſe may be of God, and not of the Veſſel, or of man.

And know farther, It is the Spirit of the Father, the ſame Eternal power of the Father, even the ſame that is God: for it is the ſame God, though the manifeſtations be diverſe, and though there be the manifeſtations of the Father, and Son, and Holy Ghoſt, yet they are One: for they are not Three, but One.

The next thing I ſhall explain, is, what is meant by Chriſt; no man come UNTO MEE: By Mee, here is not meant the coming to the fleſhly preſence and body of Chriſt: then muſt we (with Mary) ſeek him among the dead; no, he is riſen, he is not here; it is not meant of the coming to Chriſt in the Hiſtory, and Notion, and in the Letter: ſo all men making profeſſion are come to Chriſt:2 Cor. 5.19. Joh. 1.14. the Text ſaith, God was in Chriſt reconciling the world unto himſelf: and the Text ſaith again, The word became fleſh, and dwelt in us: what is it to come unto him? Certainly then it is to come to the EMANUEL: he that is God with us, or rather God in us; but ſaith the Apoſtle, to thoſe that are called we preach Chriſt crucified: 1 Cor. 1.24. Chriſt the power of God and wiſdom of God. So that to come unto Chriſt, is to come to the power of Chriſt in us, to have him abiding and dwelling in us, carrying us, and leading us into all truth: and therefore he tells you againe,Joh. 16.13. Col. 1.27. Chriſt in you the hope of Glory; and therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, try your ſelves know you not that Chriſt is in you, except you be reprobates? So that to come to Chriſt, is to come unto the power of Jeſus Chriſt; and Chriſt is the power of God, 2 Cor. 13:5. and the wiſdome of God; Nay, it is God in us, teaching us, and guiding us, and directing us; he being the ſole Maſter, Ruler, power, and ſtrength in us; this is to come to Jeſus Chriſt: From whence it being thus explained, there is a deduction or two we would draw from what hath beene ſaid.

Firſt, if the immortal Spirit onely draw the ſoules of men unto Chriſt, that is, unto himſelf; Ʋſe. 1 for he is the love of the Father made out unto us; for Chriſt was God dwelling in fleſh; Then if it be ſo, then Man conſidered (as Man) cannot be any wayes drawn, or driven, or can come unto Chriſt: Not any power of man (as man) or the power of the whole Creation is able to draw man unto Chriſt, but onely the power of the Father. Let men ſay what they will, there is no power of man, or any actions or diſciplines of man are able to bring man unto Chriſt; for he is weak and cannot, wilfull and will not, guilty and dare not come to Chriſt; he dare not appear before him. But this is a drawing whether the carnal mind will, or will not; though it murmur and repine, yet it draws him out of this ſpiritual Egypt and bondage: Then this ſhews how falſe all their pretences are which the world ſo much admires and cries up. Every man thinks he can goe to Chriſt, and he can bring others to Chriſt by arguments and perſwaſions, and the like, and for this purpoſe are all the forms of Religion ſet up under pretence of comming, and bringing, and going to Chriſt, and going on to the Heavenly Canaan, and to the New Jeruſalem. But did they but look into their own hearts, they would ſee this was but going from the Lord, inſtead of going, or comming to him: all theſe devices are but to cover over the iniquity of their own hearts: For every ſeveral way and form will ſay, they are journying to Chriſt, and to find him; when alas, where is the man that minds him? but onely ſeeks himſelfe, his own reſt, and to quiet his own heart, and to cover the ſmoak, and the cry, and the guilt that lies upon him, and to get comfort to himſelf, and then he is ſafe, and he thinks he is gotten neer to Jeſus Chriſt. And when he wants peace, then he bethinks himſelf of walking more cloſe, and ſtricter to thoſe forms and rules that quieted his conſcience before; and thus he runs in a round, and makes himſelf, his works, and duties his Saviour. For if thou askeſt thy own heart ſeriouſly what is the reaſon of thy praying and going into this form, or the other form, is it not becauſe thou thinkeſt God therefore accepts thee, and loves thee? And is not this to deny this truth, that there is nothing but the power of the Father can draw thee, that there is nothing able to draw thee, but the immortal ſeed and Almighty hand of God; and to ſay, that ſomething elſe is ſufficient to draw thee unto Chriſt? But here now lies the depth of this deceit; thou draweſt in a Religious way, and haſt gotten a covering, and a profeſſion, and ſuch and ſuch actions into thy hands; and here thou reſteſt, and what follows? thou gathereſt together, and heapeſt up all Nations to make thy ſelf ſtrong and ſecure; Hab. 2.5. but thou covereſt not with the covering of the Lord; and ſo thereby layeſt ſin upon ſin, thou covereſt indeed with a covering, that thereby the Condemnation,Eſa. 30.1. Hell, and Guilt in thy own heart may not be made manifeſt in thee.

Now conſider whether ever thou canſt come at Jeſus Chriſt, who is the Rock of Ages, that goeſt not in the leadings of the Father. But if thy heart did apprehend that thou wert that child (which Ezekiel ſpeaks of) caſt out into the open field, Ezek. 16. and hadſt no hand to help thee, nor no eye to pitty thee; if it were ſo with thee, then he would appear in thee, and lead thee: if thou thoughtſt thou waſt the ignoranteſt creature in the world: if thou waſt but blind enough, and bad enough in thy own ſight; but the miſery of the world lies herein,Joh. 9.41 becauſe they think they ſee, therefore their ſin remains; for there is no difference among all the ſons of men, for All have ſinned and fallen ſhort of the glory of God: Thou mayeſt,Rom. 3.21 and I know doeſt think ſo, that there is a difference in ſome; but truth hath witneſſed it that every man hath ſinned, and is at an infinite diſtance from the Lord God of mercy; and there is no ſalvation, nor no power, but in the hand of the Allmighty, and that he alone is able to make peace and bring together thoſe two Infinite diſtances, and to make them One.

Now judge whether this, or the way of the world brings the greateſt inconveniency, and whether this way of man do not ſet him at a farther diſtance from his true reſt; for if man think he can come to Chriſt by any thing of himſelfe, by any Religious actions, and performances: then from this it muſt needs follow, that he ſees not his own weakneſs nor wickedneſſe; nor there is no ſin, nor wickedneſſe, nor miſery made manifeſt unto him: And he makes lyes his refuge, Eſa. 22.15 and under falſhood he hath hid himſelfe, and drawn way his heart from the living and eternal God, to depend upon the lying and deceitful power and wiſedome of man, and digged to himſelfe broken Ciſterns. Jer. 2.13. So that

Secondly, this will follow, that this man hath made a Rock to ſtay himſelfe upon; for if thou thinkeſt that thy actions and performances will bring thee neerer unto God then other men, or that any thing can draw thee neerer, but the meer hand and ſpirit of the Father: is not this (I ſay) to ſet up ſomething againſt the power of the Father? Is not this to ſet up errour againſt truth, and darkneſs againſt light, and Antichriſt againſt Chriſt? for here it is manifeſt that there is nothing but the power of the Father to draw men unto Chriſt. Now ſeeing thou haſt made Lyes thy delight, and vanity thy truſt, ſee what is pronounced againſt thee, for all thy confidence and ſtrong opinions of thy ſafety and ſecurity: Curſed is the man that truſteth in man, and maketh fleſh his Arm, and whoſe Heart departeth from the Lord. Jer. 17.5. So, I ſay, this meerly leads man from a denyal of himſelf, to a ſetting up of himſelfe; from a waiting and depending on the power of God, to a depending and hanging on the wiſedome and power of the fleſh; now when the ſoule has made experiment of this in it ſelf to finde, ſee, and feele it really in his own heart, that no hand drawes to the Father, but the Spirit onely; Oh then! this will make the heart of man lament, and ſay, what a hard heart have I? I cannot goe one ſtep towards my Saviour;Mark. 10.51: this makes him cry out, and ſay, come Lord Jeſus and open my blind eyes, that I may receive my ſight, and thou Son of David haver mercy on me; and there is none but thou alone can cure my leproſie, and ſave my ſpirit, or elſe I periſh, I periſh for ever: and this is that which makes man to have the true circumciſion, and to worſhip God in the Spirit, Phil. 3.3 and have no confidence in the fleſh.

Then if it be the Fathers power and ſpirit, that onely draws men unto Chriſt: Ʋſe. 2 Then neither man nor Magiſtrates can draw or drive them thither: the work of the Father is his own work, and he hath not ſubſtituted any other in his place; for he will not give his glory to another, neither ſuffer his holy name to be polluted. Eſa. 42.8. Now if it be thus, that unleſſe the Father draw man unto Chriſt, man cannot come, then it muſt needs be lyes and vanity for any of the ſons of men to take upon them, and ſay they can and they muſt act ſomething, either to draw or drive men unto Chriſt; we know this hath been the undertakings of all ages and times;Joh. 16.2 but what was the fruit of it? Under pretence of doing God good ſervice, they have ſhed the blood of the Saints, that it might be fulfilled that not a Prophet periſheth OƲT of Jeruſalem; Luk. 13.33. for ſtill in all ages, who have more perſecuted the Goſpel, and the true Profeſſours thereof, then thoſe who ſhew moſt Zeal and profeſſion of it? Chriſt and all the Prophets and Apoſtles, and generally all the Martyrs have ſuffered upon this account; that upon them might come all the blood ſhed upon the earth, Mat. 23.35. Gal. 4.29. from the blood of the righteous Abel, to this ve • y day; and that the bond-woman alwayes perſecutes thoſe that are from above. Now, I ſay, for the Magiſtrates to ſay, they can propagate the Goſpel, and keep back errours; alas! what is all of this nature, but high preſumption againſt the power and abſolute Authority of Jeſus Chriſt, and taking the government of the Church out of his Hand, and proclaiming themſelves wiſer then He? But I ſhall but propoſe to theſe poor ſelfe-wiſe Creatures, theſe one or two things. Are they able to rule themſelves, and to keep errours out of their own hearts? I ſuppoſe no man ſo ignorant of himſelfe as to deny or affirm that he can, the nature of man being ſo depraved, that he cannot reſiſt really one ſin, as it is ſin. And moreover, is it not a truth, that if the Lord watch not the City, the watch-men watch in vain? Pſal: 127.1. And yet thou that couldeſt not keep one ſin out of thy own heart, how canſt thou undertake to watch over the Church of God, and keep out Errours and Wolves that they come not in? Alas! poor ignorant man, this is thy pride and the vanity of thy heart; 1 Sam. 17 28. Pſal. 121.4. for 'tis the Lord alone, that keops Iſrael, and he neither ſlumbereth nor ſleepeth.

Againe, doſt thou not ſay that thou art a Chriſtian? if ſo, then thou wouldſt believe that he is a God Alſufficient; I am God Alſufficient, walk before me, and be thou perfect: Gen. 17.1 Is he alſufficiēntly Wiſe, and Strong, Holy, Good, Merciful? &c. then is not this the manifeſtation of thy abſolute infidelity, when thou thinkeſt he will not take care of his own Church? Or elſe thou concludeſt thus, if he be Wiſe enough, yet he hath not Power enough, and therefore thou muſt help him. And is he not Alſufficiently Good, and will he not take care of his own cauſe? Never feare, but he will: I, and take ſo much care,Mat. 16.18 that the gates of hell ſhall never prevail againſt it.

And againe, is it not ſaid, that it pleaſed the Father, Col. 1.19. that in him ſhould all fulneſs dwell? And that in all things he might have the preheminence: and, ſaith he, plainly,Joh. 5.22. Mat. 28.18. Eſa. 9.6.7. the father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement unto his Son: And that all power in Heaven and Earth is given unto him. And again, to us a Son is given, and the government ſhall be upon his ſhoulders. And that of the Increaſe of his Government and peace there ſhall be no end, upon the Throne of David, and upon his Kingdome to order it, and eſtabliſh it with Iudgment and Iuſtice, even for ever. And that the zeal of the Lord of Hoſts will perform this. And againe,Col: 2.3. that all the treaſures of wiſdom and knowledge are hid in him. Now, is all the power of the father given into the Hand of Chriſt? And, have not we all ſaid the Pope is not the Vice-roy nor Vicar of Chriſt? and does not every man throw dirt upon him, and yet we can get into the POPES place, and ſit in his ſeat and ſay, we are the Subſtitutes of Chriſt. That which we deny him, we take to our ſelves: certainly all this is nothing elſe but helliſh arrogancy, and the pride of the man of ſin, and ANTICHRIST within us that exalts himſelf (in us) above all that is called God, 2 Theſ. 2.4. that puts us into theſe wayes: and to think that we can draw, or we can drive to Jeſus Chriſt, when there is none can do this, but meerly and ſolely that only and eternal power and ſpirit of the Father.

Thirdly, if it be ſo, as we have clearly proved, and none dare deny it: Uſe. 3 neither can then the wiſdome, nor power, nor ſtrength, nor any rules of Fellowſhips, or Church-gatherings, or any diſcipline of man draw nor drive others in, but 'tis onely the drawing and driving of the eternal power of the Fathers ſpirit; It is true, the Sons of Men may do and have done, and do compaſs Sea and Land: and what is it to doe? to make a Proſelyte; and what then? he is but twofold more the child of perdition then before. Mat. 23.15. They may indeed gather men into Fellowſhips and Churches (as they call them.) But to gather men into the ſpirit of the Lord Jeſus, this was never the work of man: no ſtrength, nor power, nor wiſedome of man could ever doe it: and without queſtion every plant that the Heavenly father hath not planted, Ibid. 15.13. ſhall be rooted up.

It is true, and I grant, there was ſome mention made of the Church and Churches in the times of the Apoſtles; but what Churches were they? They were no other but what were called by God himſelfe, in the power of his ſpirit, and not of or by man. Where do we read of this mans Church, or the other mans Members? but they were called the Church of God, and not divided by thoſe diſtinctions of vain-glorious, ſelf-ſeeking, ambitious, covetous men, as they are in theſe dayes. Nor did they Owne one another, or had any relation one unto another in their love or eſteem upon that account.Note. But they looked upon one another in what place ſoever, as but one body, and having all but one ſpirit, meerly becauſe thty were all baptized into One body by that One Spirit.1 Cor. 12.13. They did not know one another as they were of Paul and of Apollo, of Cephas and this mans Church (as they now call it) But as they were all baptized by one Spirit, and into one Body, and as they were of one mind and of one ſpirit, and ſo of one heart, Heb. 12.13. and ſo brought to the general aſſembly of the Church of the firſt born. And therefore we muſt conclude there is nothing that gathers or draws in the ſoul of man unto Jeſus Chriſt, but the everlaſting power of God. We know alſo, men may worſhip at Jeruſalem this way and that way, and pretend to honour that Chriſt who died there, and yet they doe but draw nigh to him with their lips, Eſa. 29.13 but not with the ſpirit & in truth; but no man can do theſe things in the power of God, nor ſo much as SAY that Ieſus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghoſt, and by the power of Jeſus Chriſt. And be ſure that every plant that my heavenly father hath not planted, ſhall be rooted up.

From whence alſo laſtly, Ʋſe. 4 If the power of the Father only draws the ſpirit of man unto the Son, and unto Jeſus Chriſt: then let every man look in, and unto his own heart, and ſee whether he doe not reſiſt the drawing of the ſpirit: Behold, ſaith he, I ſtand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and ſup with him, Rev: 3.20 and he with me: enter but into thy own Chamber and be ſtill, and look into thy own breſt and ſee whether thou be not daily and hourly reſiſting the Spirit of God that would draw man unto Chriſt; didſt thou but look into thy own heart, thou ſhouldſt find there was never any thought that did ever ariſe in thee to check or controle thee in thy evil wayes, but that very thought was a light in thee, (if thou wouldſt have heeded, or regarded it.) And that light alſo did tell thee, that all thy beſt actions were but ſin; and that all the wayes thou walkeſt in, there is nothing but fear in them, and death in them, and miſery in them. And thy beſt and holieſt ſervices are an abomination. There is a ſpirit within thee that is ſtill troubling and checking thee, for every proud, and for every evil thought; and what is this for?2 Cor. 8.2 onely to let thee ſee that thou art dead and reprobate to every good work, and all thy deeds are evil; and all that thou knoweſt, thou knoweſt not as thou oughteſt to know: It is to let thee know that thou art naked, and poor, and blind, and miſerable: It is to take away thy falſe ſtrength, and thy falſe wiſedome, and riches, and to let thee ſee thy weakneſſe, and folly, and poverty; but this is thy onely miſery, and the general univerſal miſery of all the ſons of men that they dare not ſtand in the light and abide in it; To abide in ſuch a light which ſhewes that man hath not one good thought, Pſal. 73.22. but is as a beaſt before God; That he hath no holineſſe, nor no righteouſneſſe at all: Now for thee ſo farre to preſume and to think ſo highly of thy ſelfe, that thou art of ſuch abilities, and wiſdome and parts as to ſit down at the head-end of the Table: or becauſe that thou haſt gotten in thy own conceit into the beſt way of Religion for knowledge, and practice, and performances: and therefore thou art Some-body, and thou muſt be magnified and reverenced: and for theſe men now, to be brought back, to look into their own hearts, and ſee themſelves as bad as the reſt of the world, and to ſee themſelves the worſt of men; Oh Beloved, what a mighty fall muſt theſe men have, before ever God brings them into this condition? which muſt be if ever they be brought or drawn home to Jeſus Chriſt by the power of the Father.

And yet to adde to this, beſides all this thou haſt gotten a covering for thy ſins, and haſt wipt thy mouth, and ſaid thou haſt done nothing, when all thy wayes are nothing but reſiſtings, fightings, and emnity againſt God: Do not men reſiſt him when they ſeek eſteem to themſelves, and they muſt be great, and reſpected, and honoured? what is all this but to rob Jeſus Chriſt of his honour, and ſteal it away to put upon themſelves? Oh that the power of God would but make men abide in the Center of their own hearts to ſee that there is nothing there but darkneſs, nothing but folly in regard of God and Chriſt: if man would but dwell and abide here, to ſee himſelfe loſt, and wretched, miſerable and undone, then God would lead him, and bring him unto ſalvation: but this is the condemnation, Joh. 3.19. that light is come into the world, and men love darkneſs rather then light, becauſe their deeds are evil. I make no queſtion but are all here pretend at leaſt to be ſeekers of God. Now enter into thy owne heart, and tell me what is the end of all thy Religious actions? are they not done for this purpoſe, that thereby thou mayeſt gain and get a good opinion to and of thy ſelf, that thou haſt ſerved God in a way he commands, and when thou haſt done, thinkeſt thou now art accepted? is this thinkeſt thou the free-will offering that is in Jeſus Chriſt, wherein we ſerve him not as Slaves or as Servants, but as Sons? Sons that are begotten out of love, and out of love ſerve him without fear all the dayes of our life. Now, I ſay,Luk. 1.74 when thy Religious actions are onely made uſe of to hide over thy ſin, and to get a good opinion of thy ſelfe, this is not the work of the ſpirit of God, this is not a drawing to God but from God: this is a drawing into thy ſelfe, to depend on fleſh, and to feed on the dead aſhes of thy own heart, Eſa. 44.20 and not to know that there is a lye in thy right hand. But now if thou didſt but ſee thy owne ſinne, and thy owne evil heart, thou wouldeſt not dare to ſpeak of God but with much trembling: but know if thou ſpeak of him or of Divine things, thou ſpeakeſt as vainely, and as diſſemblingly as wickedly, and haſt nothing of Divine nature more then another: then the world of men for all thy many words and large profeſſions; thou wilt not ſay We ſee; for then thy ſin remaineth. But if thou goeſt out mourning and weeping over thine owne miſery, and over thy curſed heart, to thee I ſay, the Lord will draw thee and lead thee in the everlaſting power, ſo that thy own carnal heart, and all the power of hell ſhall not be able to keep thee from Chriſt; but thou ſhalt underſtand and find that it is the power of the Father onely that draws every man unto Chriſt; And he will cauſe thy captivity to return as the ſtreams in the South: Pſal: 126.4.6. and thou ſhalt find that he that goeth forth weeping, ſhall doubtleſſe come againe with rejoycing, bringing his ſheaves with him: that ſo thou mayeſt rejoyce and magnifie him alone, utterly renouncing thy ſelfe, and all the power of man, as having no hand in His Almighty work.

BEloved, there is in all the ſons of men, a ſpirit of hatred and oppoſition againſt the wiſdom, power, and righteouſneſſe of God, ever ſince their going out and departing from the preſence of the Lord; having forſaken him their rock and their ſtay, they have turned down into their own wiſdom and power, and having choſen that for their God and their guide, they will not by any means be turned back to the Lord to forſake themſelves, their own wiſdom and righteouſneſſe, power, and parts, but they uſe all their ſtudy and endeavours to goe on with all confidence after the gods of their own hands which they have made and choſen; and man never returns to that love, peace and amity with the Lord, but by the Almighty hand of the Lord, by the very ſame power, and no other, but only that which can raiſe the dead out of their graves,Rom. 4.24 & ch. 8.11 Jer. 2.13. and the ſame ſpirit that raiſed Jeſus-Chriſt from the grave. And ever ſince this departing from the fountain of life to the broken and empty Ciſterns of the creature, there are but only two Leaders, two Guides, two Maſters, two Teachers, which all the ſons of men follow: there are but only two ſeeds, Gen. 3.14 15. & ch. 4.2. 1 John 3.9. the ſeed of the woman, and the ſeed of the Serpent: There are but only two Brethren, Cain and Abel; the Immortal and perfect ſeed of God, which is holy, pure, and undefiled, which cannot ſin; and that wicked, curſed, helliſh ſeed of Satan which never did, nor never doth, nor never ſhall doe any thing elſe but ſin, rebel, and fight againſt the wiſdom, light and power of God: There is no middle ſeed between theſe two: All actions, all thoughts, all induſtry, all inventions, all Religions, are either from the wiſdom which is from above, Jam. 3.15, 17. 1 Cor. 15.47, 48, 49. or elſe from that earthly and humane wiſdom which is from man, and from below. As the one is from Heaven Heavenly, ſo the other is from the earth earthly: the firſt man is of the earth earthly, the ſecond is the Lord from Heaven, heavenly: And as are the earthy, ſuch are they that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, ſuch are they alſo that are heavenly: and as we have born the image of the earthy, ſo ſhall we alſo bear the Image of the heavenly. The one of theſe Guides, is light and truth, and glory, and leads to reſt, peace, fulneſſe, ſatisfaction; the other leads to darkneſſe, miſery, and deſtruction, and yet pretends to light and truth, and wiſdom, but the waies thereof goe down to the chambers of death: This earthly guide alwaies draws downward, to ſeek reſt in the creature, Pro. 7.27. in ſomething either without man, or within him, and ſo drawes and deludes away the poore ſoule of man from that Eternal Al-ſufficient JEHOVAH, to ſit down ſatisfied with the empty and broken comforts and helpleſse Idols, that the inventions of men have made and ſet up, and ſay, Theſe be thy Gods, O Iſrael, Exo. 32.4 which will bring thee out of bondage, and give thee poſseſſion of the land of Canaan; the one is the true light, and the true viſion, the true URIM and THUMMIM, which never can miſlead or deceive; Ibid. 28.30. the other is the ſpirit of darkneſſe, ignorance, deceit, witchcraft, ſorcery, a lying and a familiar ſpirit: And it pretends to ſeek after God and after holineſs, and after peace and reſt, but tis meer Sorcery and Witchcraft; This is that Jannes and Jambres that alwaies will withſtand Moſes: for they pretend to imitate Moſes, but they are no other but Wizzards, Southſayers, and deceivers: they pretend for the truth, and yet withſtand the truth; and ſaies the Apoſtle, As Jannes and Jambres withſtood Moſes, ſo doe theſe alſo reſiſt the truth, 2 Tim. 3.8. being men of corrupt minds and reprobate concerning the faith: But they ſhall proceed no farther, for their folly ſhall be made known unto all men, as their alſo was. They ſhall be found to be no other but Deceivers, Magicians, Southſayers.

Theſe words we have now read, they ſhew us, what man is, and what all men doe, before they come to the light of God; they ſhew that he is blind in himſelfe,2 Tim. 3.13 deceiving and being deceived; that he is confident in his own power, in his own wiſdom: and that he chuſeth to himſelfe Horſes and Chariots for his defence and preſervation; and he will have a Captain and a Leader of his own chuſing, whom he will follow: And he uſeth all his inventions to ſecure himſelfe againſt all that ſhall oppoſe him:Eſay 30.16 & Jer. 2.23. he hath builded himſelfe Forts and Caſtles, and Strong-holds and Bulwarks; and he hath the Charitos of Egypt and ſwift Dromedaries (as the Prophet ſpeaks) to ſecure and deliver him, on which he reſts, truſts and depends, and on which he rides, and thinks that thoſe things ſhall defend and deliver him: And the truth is, ſo great and ſo deep, and ſo ſubtily contrived are all his witchcrafts, that all the wiſdom of all the ſonnes of men is never able to diſcover them to be ſo, but only the wiſdom & ſpirit of God, and that onely can diſcover theſe ſeeret and cloſe, and fine contrived inchantments; like Pharaohs Magicians: how did they act and imitate, and doe the ſame things Moſes did, for a long time, as if they had wrought by the ſame power Moſes did,Exo. 7.11, 22, &c. when as they were no other, but Deceivers, and Enchanters, and Magicians? In the ſame way doe Magicians worke in all ages; Whatever the Saints and people of God doe by the power of God, they can contrive and imitate the ſame, in all their ſpirituall inchantments: they have their Temples, and their Worſhip, and their Groves, their forms and inventions, Mark 13.21. and cry, loe here, and loe there; when theſe are nothing elſe but their own Idols, and Groves, and Images, the inventions and works of mens hands: And when they have decked and trimmed their Idols gloriouſly, they not onely fall down themſelves to them, as Nebuchadnezzar did,Dan. 3.11. but enjoyn this Idol-worſhip to all others; and he that will not fall down to what they ſay is truth and Religion, Him they perſecute and brand with thoſe odious names of Hereticks, Sectaries, Schiſmaticks, Familiſts, and the like.

But in the day when the Lord will appeare to make all theſe Magicians and Southſayers to be lyars, (which day they hate and hide themſelves from, becauſe they hate the light:John 3.20 Neither come they to the light, leſt their deeds ſhould be made manifeſt, and declared that they are not wrought in God, but are acted in the power of man, & by the wonderful working of Antichriſt in all power, and ſigns, and lying wonders, and in all deceivableneſs of unrighteouſneſſe: 2 Theſ. 2.8, 10.) And the Lord when he ſhall riſe, wil diſcover and conſume them with the breath of his mouth, and with the brightneſſe of his comming, and all thoſe glorious Images and fine contrived modes and forms, and lying wonders, wherein they truſted, in ſo much that all the world wondred after the beaſt, Rev. 13.3. as if that theſe were the only religious men: But when God appeares with his light, all theſe ſhaddows, deceits and deluſions, all theſe Inchantments and Sorceries wherewith men have cloathed themſelves, ſhall be cut off; Theſe Cities that the ſonnes of men have builded for their ſafety, ſecurity, and preſervation, they ſhall all be cut off from their hands: Now, of all things in the world, theſe men hate nothing more then this light, and this day of the Lord. Theſe Sorcerers uſe all the means they can to keep away this light, and to darken this glory, by their reproaches, ſlanders, lyes and ſcandals: And they will tell you, all this is falſe light; why? becauſe it diſcovers their Inchantments and deluſions: And they will tell you that all theſe propheſies concern other things: they were onely literally fulfilled when the people of Iſrael were carried captive into Babylon, and there can be no ſuch Myſtery in them: And ſo for the promiſes, they will tell you, are to be fulfilled externally and litterally; or at the moſt they will carry out the propheſies to be fulfilled onely in the Great Meſſiah who was born at Bethlem, and was crucified at Ieruſalem, yet indeed know him not. And he that ſhall goe farther then thus, is with them a deceiver: which ſenſe is no other then thoſe low poore and carnall thoughts and expectations which the Jewes had of him, expecting an outward and externall deliverer, and all things to be fulfilled in a litterall way: As if the holy and divine ſpirit of the Lord onely buſied it ſelfe about ſhadows and forms and external worſhippings, & bodily exerciſes, which profit nothing, & carnal ordinances and things of the world, and that he had no higher aym then what every one may come to act and doe: when indeed and in truth his main end is to declare the Kingdom of Heaven, and ſet forth the new Ieruſalem, Rev. 21.2. comming down from God out of Heaven, and to ſhew, that his Kingdom is not of this world, and conſiſteth not in meats and drinks, touching, taſting,Rom. 4.17 or handling, or any thing the outward man can be exerciſed in, but that his Kingdom conſiſts in righteouſneſs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoſt.

Yet ſome, yea moſt men who pretend very much in the knowledge of Chriſt, yet carry all propheſies of him no higher then his appearing in the fleſh, and therein ſay, all Scriptures were fulfilled: As that propheſie here expreſt, in the ſecond verſe of this chapter, The virgin of Iſrael is fallen, Amos 5.2 ſhe ſhall no more ariſe: ſhe is forſaken upon her Land, and there is none to raiſe her up: ſome ſay, this concerned Iſraels captivity, when all her glory departed from her, and ſhe was ſtript of all her beautiful attire and virgin rayments, to which it may be applicable I deny not; but that is but in an outward, literall, and externall way: but the ſpirit of God hath a far higher aym then this, viz. That outward and externall glory, when men truſt to that, and profeſſe themſelves to be the Iſrael of God, becauſe of that, then the Lord threatens that the pride of all their externall forms ſhall all be forſaken, and no man ſhall regard them, and there ſhall be none to raiſe them up. And that place in Micah chap. 5. verſ. 2. they ſay is the promiſe of the reſtauration of the Church,Micah 5.2 and that ſhe ſhall be reſtored and her Rulers. But ſome who would ſeem to goe further, carry it to the higheſt interpretation, (as they conceive) to Jeſus Chriſt his comming in the fleſh, and they have referred to this place, and cited it in the margin in Matth. 2.6. Thou Bethlem in the land of Iudah art not the leaſt among the Princes of Iudah, Math. 2.6 for out of thee ſhall come a Governour that ſhall rule my people Iſrael: That in regard he was the MESSIAH which was then born, and given to the world, and was to ſuffer, and die, and riſe again: All which things are true in a lower and externall ſenſe; but there is more in it then ſo, for Chriſt is yeſterday and to day, Heb. 13.8. and the ſame for ever, and his goings forth have been of old from everlaſting; and therefore cannot he be limited according to the ſhort time he was in the fleſh. But Chriſt is the ſame in all generations, and he is chiefly manifeſted in the ſpirit; and all his words expreſſe no leſſe; he ſtill takes our eyes off his fleſhly appearance, and ſayes his Kingdome is not of this World, Luke 17.21. & Joh. 18.36 John 6.51 Luke 22.20. and his Kingdome is within you: and his body is the bread which commeth down from heaven; and the cup which he gives is, The cup of the New Teſtament in his blood: Tis not the eating the bread made by men, or wine of grapes in that whcih feeds the ſoule. And ſo for Chriſts death and his going away, there is more in it then his fleſhly dying, or the application of that: But this is held out, he muſt goe away, elſe the Comforter which ſhall lead into all truth, John 16.7 will not come; His bodily preſence, and our apprehending of his fleſhly appearing and fleſhly ſuffering, Hee in this ſence muſt depart, or elſe the Kingdome of God cannot come upon us, nor the Comforter come: Touch me not (in this way) for I am not aſcended to my Father. And while ye look upon my fleſhly preſence, I cannot ſend the comforter;Acts 1, 11. But that muſt go away; Ye men of Galilee, why ſtand ye gazing up into Heaven? Why do ye gaze upon his External appearing? Sayes the Apoſtle,1 Cor. 5.16. Acts 1. Henceforth know we no man after the fleſh; no though we had known Chriſt after the fleſh, yet henceforth know we him no more. This ſame Jeſus which is taken up from you into Heaven, ſhall ſo come in like manner as ye have ſeen him go into Heaven: that is, whatever has been done by him to your ſight, ſhall be done in a Heavenly and Spiritual manner; after that ſame manner ſhall all thoſe things be done over again, of which all thoſe things were but the ſymbole, the pattern, and the reſemblance of the actions of Chriſt in the ſoul for ever.

You know it is all along propheſied of the Meſſiah what a great and mighty King he ſhould be, and that the Government ſhould be upon his ſhoulders, and that he ſhould rule over all his enemies with a rod of Iron, and the like:Eſa. 9.6. & Pſal. 2.9. That none of all the oppreſſing Conquerors, and Nimrods of the Earth ſhould be able to ſtand in the day of his power: Now we know theſe things were not fulfilled in the days of his fleſh, neither are all the ſtrong and mighty Nimrods deſtroyed to this day, but cruelty and oppreſſion, and the Monarchyes of the World are in their full power ſtill; Therefore there muſt needs be a further meaning.

Certainly, therefore they are the Mighty Nimrods in the ſpirits of men, which are to be brought down, thoſe high thoughts and ſtrong holds, and towering Imaginations, that lift up men in their own thoughts, that ſay, I am, and there is none beſides; as Babylon,Iſa. 47.8 Rev. 18.7. I ſit a Queen and ſhall ſee no ſorrow: I have the onely true worſhip, and loe Chriſt is in my way, and in my form, and in my rules; and I of all other Churches come neereſt the rule; when Chriſt ſaith plainly, go not after them; for if it were poſſible, they ſhall deceive the very Elect: if they ſay he is in the ſtreet, or in the wilderneſſe, Mat. 24.23. Luk. 17.20, if they ſay he is in the ſecret chamber, believe them not: for the Kingdom of God cometh not with obſervation: There is nothing to be known of Jeſus Chriſt in the Spirit, and in the Myſtery, by all the higheſt Forms and Ordinances (as they call them) in the whole world; for we ſee how many men doe daily live in them, uſe them, handle them, and never yet come to enjoy Chriſt in the Spirit: And all is, becauſe they make theſe forms and duties, and fellowſhips, and waſhings, and eating bread, and drinking wine, to be no other but graven Images wherein they reſt and bleſſe themſelves in their Idols, Exo. 32 4. and ſay, theſe be thy Gods O Iſrael: For there is no one that ever entred into theſe Forms and Modes, mending this, and reforming tother, and thinking this mans faſhion is better then tother; I ſay there is no one, but bleſſes himſelf in kiſſing his Idol; ſaying (at leaſt in their hearts) now God will bleſs me, now I am in a better condition, now I have my hearts deſire; and to all other men they ſay ſecretly, ſtand farther off, Eſa. 65, 5. I am holier then thou; I am in a better way then any other Church, and ſo cenſure all that go not in their new faſhion, and after their new Cut. But be aſſured for all theſe thy graven Images which thou haſt ſo bedecked, and that are ſo SACRED, that no man may ſpeak againſt them but he ſhall be cenſured for a Devil, a Blaſphemer, a ſon of Belial; yet the Lord when he comes with his light, he will diſcover thy Nakedneſs, thy Witchcrafts, thy Sorceries, and he will let thee ſee that thou art no Saint, as thou wouldeſt be thought to be,2 Cor. 11.14. but a Devil transformed into an Angel of light; and thou ſhalt be made to confeſſe this, and all thy goodneſs ſhall be as the morning dew: Hoſ. 6.4. And thou ſhalt ſee that all thy Inchanters, and Sorcerers, and Magitians, and Peepers, and Southſayers, with all their cunning and neat Interpretations of Scripture (to ſerve their own turns, to maintain their deluſions and ſorceries) all theſe will not (when Chriſt ſhall come in his light) ſtand thee in any ſtead: But thou and they, ſhall be utterly aſhamed and confounded together; when Chriſt ſhal once ſpeak that word in thee in the power of the Spirit,Pſal. 97.7. Confounded be all they that worſhip graven Images; then, both the Maker, the Former, and the Worſhipper thereof ſhall be in a moſt miſerable condition: In as much, as men have taken more pains about their Idols and Images, and made them more neat and curious; and in as much as they have ſpent more time herein, and have been OLD Worſhippers of Old Idols; ſo much the more will be their ſhame and their confuſion. 'Tis true, you may call them Ordinances, and give them neat names, but Chriſt will then ask, who required theſe things at your hands? And yet they were the things he did require.Eſa. 1.12. But think you I am pleaſed with ſacrifices or bodily worſhips, which profit not at all; and which never could make the commers thereunto perfect? Heb. 10.1.

If Jeſus Chriſt appear not in theſe, and ſtrip thee of thy Idols, and of thy Sorceries, thy wayes lead down to darkneſs and to the bottomleſs pit, and thou ſhalt never enter into the new Jeruſalem, but wilt be without among lyars, and whormongers, and ſorcerers, and dogs; for even thou, Rev. 21.8. & 22.15. who pretendeſt to ſerve Jeſus Chriſt, thou art the very man that haſt crucified him, and put him to death; thou art Hee that haſt ſlain the two Witneſſes which lie dead in the ſtreet of the great City, which ſpiritually is called Sodom and Egypt,Ibid. 11.8 where alſo our Lord is crucified. When man thinks that any good thing is in him, or ſhal deny that Jeſus is alone wiſdom, righteouſneſs, power, goodneſs, &c. he hath ſlain and crucified Chriſt, and killed thoſe two Eternal Witneſſes. And theſe are the two Olive trees, Verſe 4, 5. and the two Candleſticks which ſhall for ever ſtand before the God of the whole Earth, and theſe two anſwer one another for ever, and run and empty themſelves into each other for ever before the preſence of God: and if any man ſhall dare to hurt theſe two Witneſſes, which the Eternal God hath ordained to ſtand before him for ever; then fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies; and if any man hurt them, he muſt in like manner be killed.

When Chriſt will ariſe and will raiſe up theſe two Witneſſes, which are ſlain by all the ſons of men, and which lie dead in every ſtreet, in every Nation, and in the ſtreets of the great City of the whole Earth; This is no other but ſpiritually Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was and is crucified, and not onely at Jeruſalem where he was Litterally and Externally crucified, but here in Sodom and Egypt ſpiritually, where was and is that true Crucifying, that every beleever experienceth in himſelf; for elſe how ſuffered he in Sodom and Egypt?

When Chriſt appeareth thus in man, then he appeareth as the great and true MESSIAH; then he comes into his own Temple, and takes his own Throne; then he caſts out the Prince of darkneſs who hath all this while uſurped his Throne in man, who is his Temple: here he makes a whip of many cords, and whips out the buyers and ſellers, and the money-mongers, Mark 11.17. who trade for themſelves, and aime at their private ends, ſeek their own glory, and not his glory who is Lord of the Temple; and when he does this in man, then and never before can it be call'd the Houſe of Prayer, then is Jeſus Chriſt Mediatour, and Interceſſour, then hath the Father made him King, Prieſt and Prophet over his Church; then all that he did in the fleſh is made good, acted and fulfilled in thee; then thou haſt experience that Jeſus Chriſt is he who was dead, Rev. 2.8. and is alive; then haſt thou experience of thoſe two Eternal and Immutable Witneſſes; then haſt thou thoſe two Olive trees in thee, and the two Candleſticks which continually run one into another, and continually feed one the other: and this light is the light of God which cannot be put out, but ſtands for ever before God: here are the true diſcoveries of life and death; theſe are the great changes and mutations, of which all the changes and mutations, all the lives and deaths in the world, are but Types, Shadows, and Symboles: Here now is Jeſus Chriſt indeed whom the Father ſends:Mark 24.23. & Mark 13.21. & Luke 17.23. But if man ſay, Loe here is Chriſt, or loe there, or he is in the wilderneſs, or he is in the ſecret chambers, beleeve them not, go not after them: If they ſay, Loe, he is in this form, or that mode; in this rule or that diſcipline: and this mans Church is modelled after the pureſt form, and the neateſt cut: here thou ſhalt find reſt and ſatisfaction: here is He whom thou ſeekeſt: here is thy Beloved: Know, all things of this nature are but lyes and deluſions, except thou finde Jeſus Chriſt comming thus in thee; and ſeeſt that thy heart is become an habitation of Devils, and the hold of every foul ſpirit, and the cage of every unclean and hatefull Bird. Chriſt manifeſts in thee where death and life is really, and he diſcovereth Death and Hell, and Darkneſs, and Sin, and the Bottomleſſe pit, and Sathan and Antichriſt, and the Dragon and the like, mentioned througout all the Scriptures, to be all in the ſoules of men; and that theſe are the things that are to be deſtroyed and conſumed, and that here Babylon is fallen within man, and is that great WHORE whom the Lord will Judge: Rev. 18.2. & Verſ. 11. Ibid. Ch. 19.6. Then ſhall the Merchants of the earth weep and mourn becauſe they can Merchandiſe no more, and ſtand afar off and bewail her downfall: and here it is that the Saints ſing Allelujahs to him that ſitteth upon the Throne, becauſe he hath taken unto him his great power, and will raigne for ever and ever.

If Jeſus be not thus manifeſting himſelf in thee, doing over again all thoſe things ſpoken of in Scripture (under ſeveral and divers Allegories and Metaphors) then is the Prince of Darkneſſe ſtill raigning and ſitting in full power upon his Throne in thy ſoule, and there he ſits, and there he raignes, Luk. 11.21, 22. Ch. 10.18. the ſtrong man yet keeps poſseſſion, Lucifer is not yet thrown down, nor Satan fallen from Heaven like Lightning;Rev. 17.1 Antichriſt and the great WHORE are ſtill ſitting upon the ſeven Hills and many Waters, arrayed in Purple and Scarlet, and decked with Gold and precious Stones, yet full of filthineſs and fornications, and thou art not yet come out of her. That great Word, COME OƲT OF HER MY PEOPLE, Ch. 18.4. is not yet ſpoken by Jeſus Chriſt in thy heart; though thou haſt been many years a Worſhipper of Chriſt, and pretended to him, yet if theſe things be not effected in thee, whatever duties forms or fellowſhips thou haſt taken up, or any exact obſervances, Jeſus Chriſt is not in thee, ſince he is not in this mans way, nor in that mans Church, as men blaſpemouſly ſpeak: for, hath any one a Church but only Jeſus Chriſt? will any man dare to aſſume to himſelf any part of the Immaculate Church, or of any one member of Jeſus Chriſt, and ſay this or theſe are my Churches and my people, and my Congregation? Oh Blaſpemy in the higheſt degree! And though theſe talk of Hereſies and Schiſmes, and charge them upon others; yet judge ye, who are thoſe that make rents and utter blaſphemies againſt the honour and glory of Jeſus Chriſt,Heb. 13.20. that one eternal Saviour, and that great Shepherd of the Sheep. And who is Paul and Apollo, and others, but Miniſters and Servants by whom ye beleeved? are they any thing, or is there any glory due to them? But if Jeſus Chriſt come into thy ſoul diſcovering himſelf by caſting out the ſtrong man, and Antichriſt, and letting thee ſee death and hell, and all evil to be in thee, and hath quite ſlain man in all his excellencies and glory, then he will ariſe in thee and appear to be life alone, glory alone, power alone: and till then men meerly delude themſelves under all forms, pretending ſtrictneſs, conformity, and obedience to Chriſt, when indeed though they have preacht and propheſied, Mat. 7.22.23. and in his name done ſo many great works, which ſhall amaze the people of the world, and the general ſort of profeſſours, yet Chriſt who ſearches the heart ſhall profeſſe unto them, I never knew you, depart from me ye workers of iniquity; though men may admire them, and eſteem them the higheſt, the wiſeſt, the holieſt, the meekeſt, the graveſt, the ſtricteſt of all the ſons of men; yet he ſees them to be the worſt, the wickedeſt, the profaneſt, the greateſt workers of iniquity, the pureſt Hypocrits; for that which is highly eſteemed among men, Luk. 16.15. is in the ſight of the Lord abominable. For man hath nothing of good in him, but all his imaginations are evil, and onely evil, and continually evil; and Jeſus Chriſt is good, all good, and continually good, and nothing elſe but good: and he that gives other teſtimony, either in word or deed, is a lyar, and the truth is not in him. Rev. 11.8 And thoſe two Eternall Witneſses are in him ſlain, and lie dead in the ſtreets of the great City, that is, in the whole nature of Mankind: which two Witneſses can never be raiſed and ſtand up upon their feet till Jeſus Chirſt himſelfe come and revive them and cauſe them to live: HERE IS WISDOME,Ibid. 13.8 and let him that readeth underſtand: and he that hath read theſe things in himſelf, he alone can underſtand theſe things.

And when the Lord is thus doing this work, we may ſee the manner of his working and proceeding with the ſons of men, in the following words: I will cut off thy Horſes out of the midſt of thee, and I will deſtroy thy Charets; this is one part of his acting: He will cut off his Horſes and deſtroy his Charets: that is, whatever it be that man rides on, or truſts in, or thinks to be delivered by, all his helps or refuges, all his hopes or confidences that are below or leſs then Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, hee will cut off and deſtroy: though his confidence be never ſo great, and that wherein he truſts be never ſo ſtrong, and his Charets never ſo many, In that day when the Lord wil ariſe, they ſhall be all cut off, all utterly overwhelmed like Pharaoh and his Charets in the Sea. Let it be what it will wherein thou truſteſt,Exod. 14. and thinkeſt to ſit ſafely in the midſt of all wrath and ſtorms: if thou putteſt truſt in riches, honour, power of men, wiſdom, parts, or any thing thou haſt choſen, and thinkeſt thy ſelf ever the better, or ſafer for them, all theſe ſhall be cut off from thine hand: Nay, though thou art in the very Chariot of Religion,Mich. 5.12. and higheſt profeſſion of the truth, and haſt choſen to thy ſelfe the pureſt forms, and Ordinances (as thou calleſt them) and Church-felloſhips, waſhings, breaking of bread, or any thing elſe in thine hand, which can be named, except Jeſus Chriſt himſelfe whereby thou haſt quieted thy ſpirit, and haſt thereby gotten to thy ſelfe a peace and a reſt, all is a deluſion and an Idol. It may be, Thou, when thy conſcience began to accuſe thee, and wrath appeard to amaze and affright thee, thou ſaidſt within thy ſelf, I muſt now do ſomething, that I may deliver my ſoule from this guilt, I muſt quench this flame, for I am not able to bear it: I will run to this duty and take up that form, and obſerve ſuch and ſuch rules, and then I ſhall do well, and I ſhall ſecure my ſelf from wrath and hell: As the Phariſees, what think you drove them to the Baptiſm of John? certainly it was this fear, and this guilt upon their ſpirits: For, ſaith he to them, O Generation of Vipers, Mat. 3.7. who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? bring forth fruits meet for repentance: as if he ſhould ſay, when ye were affrighted and terrified, you thought comming to my Baptiſme would ſecure you, but you are but Vipers for all this; and this ſubmitting to Baptiſme, doth not declare true repentance: But know, the Ax is now laid to the root of the Tree, Verſ. 10. and every Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewen down and caſt into the fire. And further, you boaſt of being the children of Abraham, and the ſeed of the faithful, and becauſe ye are members of the true Church; but, all this is to little purpoſe; for God is able of theſe ſtones to raiſe up Children unto Abraham: So that you ſee, for all your Forms and Fellowſhips wherein you truſt, you ſhall be in that day of the Lord ſtript naked of all your garments, and of all your refuges; all thoſe Horſes and Chariots which you thought ſhould preſerve you, and carry you out of all danger, they ſhall all be broken and cut off, and thy ſoul plunged into the bottomleſſe pit, Pſal. 38.3. and thou ſhalt have no reſt in thy bones, becauſe of thy ſin, and by reaſon of thy miſery, for thou ſhalt not know which way to turn thee; for all thy Idols, and all thy Images ſhall not in that day be able to help or deliver thee;Jer. 4.4. for, the wrath of the Lord ſhall burn as an Oven, and then thou muſt ſtand naked before the preſence of the Lord, who is a conſuming fire; Heb. 12. &c. to burn up and conſume every thing but Himſelf.

And not onely ſo, but as it follows in the next words; I will cut off the Cities of thy Land, and throw down all thy ſtrong holds. As when outward enemies came upon the people of Iſrael, and invaded their Land, and the Lord had ſaid, they ſhould go into captivity, then nothing ſhould be a defence to them, but the enemy ſhould break into their ſtrongeſt places, and their Cities ſhould not ſecure them, nor any of their ſtrong holds which they had made for their defence do them any good. This now was true in the Letter, but this is alſo as true in the Myſtery, in the living and ſpiritual ſenſe: When men have made themſelves defences, and think they are ſecured from wrath and hell, and all ſtorms, and no evil ſhall touch them, neither will they be carried captive by Satan, nor by the Prince of Darkneſſe; and although by their wiſdom they contrived theſe forts and ſtrong holds, and thought themſelvs never ſo ſecure therin, yet all of them ſhall be vain, hopeleſs, and helpleſs: and nothing within them, nor without them ſhall help them, and the wrath of the Lord ſhall make them vile, odious, and abominable, which before they got coverings for: now whether they will or no, they ſhall ſee themſelves as they are, and they ſhall not be able to have one good thought of themſelvs, but the contrary; for this light of the Lord diſcovers their blackneſs, their deformity, and that there is no power nor wiſdom can help them, but onely the good will, and the good hand of the Lord, nothing but his meer goodneſſe: and they ſhall ſee that there is no power, no goodneſſe, no mercy, anywhere but in the Lord alone; and, if he doe not pitty them, there is no mercy at all for them.

And not only ſo, That men have their horſes to ride on to carry them ſwift away, that no danger may overtake them, and Chariots wherein they ride and put their truſt: ſo likewiſe that they have Cities and Strong-holds for their ſecurity: ſo that all the wiſdome and power of man cannot make them more ſtrong and ſafe to beare off the wrath of God, but alſo (ſaith he) in the next verſe, Verſ. 13 I will cut off witchcraft out of thine hand, and thou ſhalt have no more Southſayers: Men have their Juglers and Diviners, their Southſayers and their Witches: All that witchcraft whereby men have deluded and deceived their ſouls, in that day ſhall be diſcovered; thoſe falſe SEERS who cryed peace, peace, when there was no peace: All that Witchcraft which men uſed in the things of God, in ſetting up Images, and forms, and ſhadows, and herein deluded men, making them believe they were the things themſelves: And though they have wrought them up never ſo curiouſly, and made them as neere the life as might be, yet in that day they ſhall come to ſee they were but Images and dead things, which could not help at all: And now they ſhall no more live upon them, or hang, depend, or call upon them for help or reliefe, though they were made after the beſt pattern, and never ſo like the things of God, yet they ſhall then come and ſee clearly they were deluded and bewitched, and all diſcovered to be meer fancies and inchantments: but then 'tis here promiſed they ſhould have no more Southſayers, no Inchanters to deceive their eyes; who have ſo much cunning to keep up their trade and their credit, and their maintenance, that they can make things appeare as they are not, Acts 10.27. and to keep things from appearing as they are, as you know, that is the way of Iuglers and thoſe that uſe Ledger-de-main and HOCUS-POCUS tricks; they deceive and delude the eyes of the beholders, with their nimbleneſſe, and with a ſleight of hand: So doe theſe ſpirituall Juglers; by their wit, and by their learning, they blind the truth of the Goſpel, and make you take ſhels for the ſubſtance, and counters for gold: Now, when the Lord himſelfe will ariſe with his light, all theſe inchantments ſhall vaniſh, and all the Inchanters be confounded; you ſhall be no more deceived with fine, ſmooth, ſoft words; and there ſhall be no more a Magician, nor a Southſayer, nor a Peeper, nor a Sorcerer, nor any that worketh a Divination: And he will deliver his people out of their hand.Ezek. 13.23. Numb. 23.23. As Balaam ſaid, when he would fain have curſt the Iſraelites, and wrought by divination, and put upon them an Inchantment, he ſaith, Surely there is no enchantment againſt Iacob, neither is there any Divination againſt Iſrael: That ſoule that is enlightned by the God of Iſrael, and hath experience of the truth, cannot be inchanted by theſe lyers, or by theſe Southſayers, they have no power over them, for they are built on a rock, on Jeſus Chriſt that eternall and unchangeable rock of Ages;Mat. 7.25. Deu. 32.4 who is that immovable BASIS on which all the Saints in all generations have built and reſted on, for their faith ſtands not in the wiſdom of man, or on the power of man, but in the wiſdome and power of God.

And then he goes on in the next words, The graven Images alſo will I cut off, ☞ and thy ſtanding Images out of the midſt of thee, and thou ſhalt no more worſhip the work of thine own hands. Now what is an Image, but the picture and form of that thing to which it relates? thoſe Images and pictures which men by their own inventions have framed to imitate the things of God, and have ſquared them (as they conceive) very like the pattern, and have made them very neat and curious, ſo that they paſſe for current, and they are generally received, and the men themſelves eſteemed rare workmen; yet this day of the Lord will diſcover all theſe things, they ſhall all be taken away: nay, though they be Old-received Idols, and of LONG ſtanding, and made by the moſt exact and curious workmen, and ſcarce ever queſtioned in many generations, but received as if made by God himſelfe: yet even theſe things ſhall be diſcovered and detected, and the Idols and Idol-makers ſhall be confounded together.

And, why ſhall all theſe things be done? It follows in the laſt words read, And thou ſhalt no more worſhip the work of thy hands. Beloved, what doe all men when they by their wiſdom and inventions cut out forms and platforms of Religion, and one ſquares his Idol this way, and another tother way; this Church hath this way and rule, & tother another form, as every one thinks beſt; ſo many Churches, (as they call them) ſo many ſeverall forms, and theſe they pranke, and adore, and admire themſelves in admiring them, this form and that new cut, and that mode: and the next he muſt mend, and pare, and adde, and he thinks to neatifie it, and make it more paſsable and commendable, and ſo more generally to be received, that the more may like it, that he may have the more to be of his members and Church, and they may be eſteemed the beſt reformed, and neareſt the rule: what (I ſay) doe all theſe men doe but worſhip the work of their own hands? And, becauſe they are ſquard according to the rule (as they ſay) and have ſtood long in the eſteem of the world, therfore he that ſhall queſtion their way, and their wiſdom, and their Religion or their principles, muſt be no leſſe then an Hereticke, a deceiver, a Ieſuit, any thing.

Look upon the Papiſts, and obſerve how many generations they have ſtood in their form of worſhip, and how generally it hath been received in one halfe of the world; yet we conclude they are no other but Idolaters. And if we ſhall examine, and bring to the touch many received opinions concerning Chriſt, and concerning the Scriptures, and the word of God, and waſhings, and baptizings, and breaking of bread, as they are now uſed, and as they are and have been generally in uſe, we ſhall finde them no other but inventions of men, according as they underſtand the Scriptures, and ſay, theſe are the things themſelves, though not in words yet in their practices they ſay no leſſe, and are no other (as they uſe them) but Idols, and the work of their own hands: and theſe they worſhip, adore, and bleſſe themſelves in uſing thereof. And though they may goe ſo far, as to give the ſenſe, and hit the litterall meaning, yet they may be and are farre from the myſtery, the true meaning and the mind of Chriſt, as the Apoſtle calls it, and the knowledge of truth, as it is in Ieſus. For if they doe hit the letter,Eph. 4.21 and ſquare their diſcipline according to it, alaſs they have not the life and power for all that: they who think themſelves moſt exact, and think to hit it, and imitate it to a tittle; yet they reach but the ſhaddow and the Image, 2 Cor. 3.6 the dead letter, and not the life, and the things themſelves, for they are of a farre more excellent and ſpirituall nature, which no man (as man) could imitate nor follow, nor obſerve, but onely he who is taught of God, and that it is given him from above to believe and comprehend; for, the dead letter is not the life, but all things that the eye ſees, and the eare heares, are things that muſt paſſe away, they muſt remove, that ſo the heavenly things may come in the room thereof, even thoſe things of which all externall things are but the patterns and ſimilitudes, Even Chriſt himſelfe after the fleſh: and this is that Myſterie of Chriſt which is hid in God, Eph. 3.5, 9. Col. 1.26. Heb. 9.23. & kept cloſe from ages and generations, but is now revealed in his Sonne, only by the holy ſpirt; for, ſaith the Apoſtle, it was neceſſary that the patterns of things in the Heavens ſhould be purified with theſe: but the Heavenly things themſelves with better Sacrifices then theſe; for Chriſt is not entred into the holy places made with bands, whihc are figures of the true, but into heaven it ſelf, now to appeare in the preſence of God for us. Therefore all things but Chriſt in us muſt remove and paſse away: elſe the heavenly things cannot appeare: for whatever is not of the Fathers ſetting up and planting,John 15.2 muſt be rooted up, and tis the Lord himſelfe muſt teach his own worſhip. For Paul clearly confeſſeth, he had his knowledge in the myſtery of Chriſt, by Revelation: for all his great knowledge in the letter, yet he ſaw he was blind and ignorant of that, as you may ſee he expreſſeth at large in Eph. 3. at the beginning, and elſewhere. And none know this but the Church, and thoſe that are true members of Jeſus Chriſt; nay the Angels, and Principalities and Powers, know not theſe things, which he calls the manifold wiſedom of God, verſ. 10.