Administration of Baptifm, the Holy Communion, and Ifa. 40. other preparatory Duties; as it is written, Prepare ye the Way of the LORD, make straight in the Defert a high Way for our God.

3.

So Light is more tranfparent in refined Bodies, than in groffer Pieces of the Earth: Therefore, fays our bleffed Saviour, He that hath my Commandments, and Joh.14. keepeth them, be it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifeft my felf to him.

20.

Blessed are the pure in Heart, for they shall fee God.

Sometimes again, thefe Revelations may be fudden and furprifing by ftrange and unufual Ways; as in the Converfion of St. Paul, when fuddenly there shined round about him a Light from Heaven, above the Brightness of the Sun, that he could not fee these that journeyed with him for the Glory of that Light: So that every Revelation hath its Degrees and Seafons, its different Ways of appearing and withdrawing. The Wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou heareft the John 3 found thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and 8. whither it goeth:fo is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Ezek.

II.

As when the blind Man in the Gofpel, whom our bleffed Saviour cured of his Blindness, firft faw Men as Trees walking, but dimly, then more diftinctly he faw every Man clearly.

Again, in Ezekiel's Vifion, the Spirit of the Lord, the Glory of the God of Ifrael, (when he was provoked with the Spirit of Jealoufie, and all the Abominations that were wrought there) removed by Degrees, first from the Cherub to the Threshold of the Houfe, from thence to the midft of the City, and then to the Mountain on the Ealt Side of the City: So unwilling

the

the Lord is to leave us until there be no Remedy, and wilfully we leave him, as thefe wicked Jews did; wherefore the Lord deftroyed them and their Temple in like manner; if any defile this myftical Temple with fleshly Lufts and fpiritual Wickedness, the Lord will deftroy him; as it is written, Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dweinth in I Cor. you: If any Man defile the Temple of God, him hall 16. 17. God deftroy, for the Temple of God is Holy, which Tempr.

ye are.

Thef.

Now, that we may grow up unto an holy Temple in the Lord, fee how the Apostle confecrates this myftical Building, and all the Courts thereof, as Solomon' did his Temple: The very God of Peace (fays he) fanctifie you wholly, and I pray God your whole Spirit, and 5.23. Soul, and Body be preferved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

Next, let us confider how neceffary and useful, how edifying and comfortable this inward Light and Life is, John without which we are fpiritually dead, and differ nos thing from the Beafts of the Earth, or the Fowls of the 6.63. Air: It is the Spirit that quickeneth us, and enlightens us when we fit in Darkness, and in the Shadow of 1. King. 6.63. Death; as he hath faid, that he would dwell in the thick Darkness; that is in the Mind of Man, and make all his Paths as the fhining Light that fhineth more and more unto the perfect Day.

I

Prov.4.

18.

PL.143.

Therefore the Pfalmift prays, Teach me to do thy Will, for thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good, lead me into the Land of Uprightness. Quicken me, O LORD, for thy, II. Names fake for thy Righteousness fake bring my Soul eat of Trouble, and out of Darkness.

The Myfteries of the Gospel are fo High, fo Tranfcendent above Nature, that till the Faculties of the Souf be elevated and enlightned, purged from all finful Lufts

Q 2

and

and Paffions, which are the only Vail that covers thefe Glories, and makes them feem Dark and at a Distance as when the Earth, or fome dark Cloud hides the Light, and interpofes betwixt us and the Sun, that if the Question were, demanded of us, Understand ye what read? we had the fame Ingenuity, we would return the Euch's Anfwer, How can we, except fome guide us? Except the good Spirit of the Lord enlighten our Underfunding, purifie us from all Filthiness of the Flesh, and our own corrupt Spirits, and lead us into all Truth

No Man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son revealeth him; as he faid to St. Peter, when he confeffed him to be the Chrift the Son of the living Lord, Bleffed art thou, Simon Barjona, for Flef and Blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father which is in Heaven.

As the Sun cannot be feen without his own Light, soneither can the Father of Lights be known without the Light of his own Spirit: No Man can fay that Jefus 1 Cor. is the Lord, his Lord, and his God fincerely, fo as to 12.3. love and obey him, but by the Holy Gloft. But God hath revealed thefe thefe Things unto us by his Spirit: For 1 Cor. the Spirit Searcheth all Things, yea the deep Things of 2. 10. God.

It concerns us very much to confider by whom we are guided, every one is led by fome Spirit, but every cae is not led by the good Spirit of God: Therefore we are commanded to try the Spirits, whether they be of 1 John God, because many falfe Prophets are gone out into the I. II. World..

Ye shall know them by their Fruits, (fays our bleffed Matth. Saviour) that is, by their Doctrines and by their Doings, as the Soul is known to dwell in the Body by vital and fenfible Actions, fo the Holy Spirit is known to dwell

7. 16:

in the Soul by fpiritual Operations, and the gracious Effects of Holiness, Love and Humility..

We may fee as great Difference betwixt the Works of the Spirit and the Works of the Flefh, as betwixt Light and Darkness,

The Apoftle reckons up fome of the one, and fome of the other in the Fifth to the Galatians; Now the Works of the Flefb are manifeft, which are thefe, Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lafciviousness, Idolatry, Witch craft, Hatred, Variance, Emulation, Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Hereftes, Envying, Drunkenness, Murders, and fush like of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in Times paf, that they which do Juch Things, fball not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, LongSuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance against fuch there is no Law. And they that are Christ's, have crucified the Flesh, with the Affections and Lufts.

But efpecially we are concerned to try our own State, Examine your felves, (fays the Apoftle) whether ye be in the Faith; prove your own felves, know ye not your own 1 Cor. felves, how that Jefus Chrift is in you, except ye be Repro- 13. 5: bates. The Spirit of Man, fays the wife King, is the Prov. Candle of the LORD, fearching all the inward Parts,

20. 27.

Few or none are fo Weak and Ignorant, but may, if they be willing, know their fpiritual State: For as the Apostle argues, When the Gentiles which have not Ròm.2. the Law, do by Nature the Things contained in the Law, 14, 15. these having not the Law, are a Law unto themselves, which show the Work of the Law written in their Hearts, their Confcience alfo bearing Witness, and their Thought's in the mean while accufing or elfe excusing one another. So the Holy Spirit himself beareth Witnefs with our Spirit that we are the Children of God..

As

As in the State of Nature, every healthful Man may know that he is in Health: So in the State of Grace every good Man may know that he is led by the good Spirit of God, and if he have not the Certainty of Evidence, yet he may have that of Adherence, as in a dry State, when a Chriftian may wrestle long with the Terrors of the Lord, and be deferted a while for the Punishment of his Sins, or the Exercise of his Graces, crying, as Chrift did upon the Crofs, My God, my God, Matth. why hast thou forfaken me? Yet even in this fad State 27. 46. (which nevertheless may be more fure, though not so comfortable as a melting State, when the Heart is foft by Complexion or Suffering) we must not defpair, but wait patiently on the Lord, who will be a Light unto us when we fit in Darkness.

Micah

7.7.

Hab. 2.

3.

Ifa.

44.

Though the Vision tarry, wait for it, faith the Prophet, it will furely come: As it is written,

Yet now hear, O Jacob my Servant, and Ifrael whom I have chofen.

Thus faith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee 1, 2, 3. from the Womb, which will help thee, Fear not, O Jacob, my Servant, and thou Jefurun, whom I have chofen.

For I will pour Water upon him that is thirsty, and Floods upon the dry Ground: I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed, and my Blessing upon thine Off-spring.

Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the Voice of his fervant, that walketh in Darkness, and hath no Light? Let him trust in the Name of the LORD, and stay upon his God

And again, thus faith the Lord, For a Small Moment have I forfaken thee, but with great Mercies will I gather

7, &c. thee.

In a little Wrath I hid my Face from thee, for a Moment; but with everlasting Kindness will I have Mercy on thee, faith the LORD thy Redeemer.

For