AN HEAVENLY WONDER OR, A Christian clothed with CHRIST.  
Purposely penned to comfort CHRIST'S Sin-sick-SPOUSE.  
By SAM: MOOR, Minister of the Gospel of God sometimes at Brides in Fleetstreet, LONDON.  There appeared a great wonder in Heaven, a woman Clothed with the Sun, and the Moon under her feet, and upon her head a Crown of twelve Stars, Rev. 12. 1. Thy beauty is perfect through my comeliness which I have put upon thee, Ezek. 16. 14. 
LONDON, Printed by Matthew Simmons, 1650.   

To the truly Honourable, and my very well beloved friends in Christ, and quondam Auditors; Col. Anthony Stapley, Col. Herbert Morley, Col. John Downs, Mr. Wil Hay, Mr. Francis Allen, Alderman of the famous City of London; and Mr. Henry Herbert, Esquires, Members of the Right Honourable the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England.  
Honourable Sirs,  
SIn hath an ill name all the Scriptures over, and it hath not its name for nought; it never had a good look from God, God doth as it were strive for comparisons, to set out the vileness thereof: it's 
●zek, 16.6. ●h. 24. 11, 12. ●om. 3. 13. ●zek. 16.8.  compared to the blood, & pollutions of Infants, to the corruption of rotten Sepulchers, to the scum of a seething pot, and what not? all which are but shadows of its deformity, the substance thereof is beyond compare: yet lays 
●ex jubet, gra●● jurat, praecipe Deus quod ●e praestat.  Christ his skirt over the uncomely sinner, to make him an heavenly beauty, never ask aught with him, but what he has promised to work in him; and this is the fruit of his crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and reign, the acceptation of the person, and ablation of the sin; does not this make us wonder? why cry we not out, who made us to differ? Lord! How ' is't that thou showest thyself to us, and not unto the world? That was a good 
●hn 14. 22. ●●zianzen. ●●rist hath ● ubera as ●ll as his ●bera, ways ● consolation, as well as direction.  saying, Lord, I am an Instrument for thee to touch; but our steeled hearts, till touched with this Loadstone, are neither drawn nor driven: Christ appears, Lawyerlike, in Heaven, for his own Clients, to nonsuit all the Devils accusations, and make his darts dintles: who's the great Master of Requests there, but he, who's near us in incarnation? and can he know us at a distance, in the business of intercession? this is that Jesus, who gave both virtue, and value to his own death, both to satisfy, sanctify, and save; this is he, of whom we may well say, as writers of the Jasper; it's easier to admire, then 
Serm● non va let exprimere, experimento opus est. Chrysostom.  declare it, and far more easy to say what he is not, than what he is; and truly, there shall be a succession of Christ's name and fame, till he hath given up to his father, his all at last, with behold here I am, and the children thou 
Heb. 2. 13. Amor Dei est ecstaticu● sui nec se sinit esse juris. Propter te domine, propterte. Quicquid agas, propter Deum agas, do all for God's sake. Qui misit unigenitum, immisit vultum, quid tandem tibi negaturus est? Bern.  hast given me; O! that his love would beget its own likeness, that many might have an aptness of reception, for the heavenly influence, image, and impress; if we give not him our affections, are not all for God, our actions will be abortive, still borne.  
What! that the flesh should be clothed with the Spirit, and sin covered with grace, does not this attract love? what will do it then? besides this, after once Christ is ours, we are armed against all crosses, outward or inward. Credit God should we then, who giving great things, gives, in those gifts, a grant of the less; we may take his bare word, and trust him, and that against sense, 
●oh. 6.35, 36. Hic credere est ●dere. August-Nunquam con●usi Deo consisi. Deut, 32.36.  in things invisible, and against reason, in things incredible; for true trust in this Trustee, is a remedy before the remedy comes; that being brought, and made present to faith, which is distant, and as it were lost to sense; Thus Abraham, and others saw afar off, what by faith they embraced as it were at hand. No such Midwife as faith; it hath delivered, even graves of their 
The Word is compared to ●oney, who's ●ature it is to ●urge green ●ounds, ●hough it ●ause pain to ●he exulce●are parts. ●ul●era purgat, 〈◊〉 mordet, ●●ex. Aph●o problem.  dead, and gathered one contrary out of another, Honey out of the Rock. Hence absent joys are present, wants are plenitudes, and calamity is beguiled; as good society, deals with the time. Nazianzen rejoiced that he had something of value (viz. his Athenian learning) to lose for Christ. Anexagoras, being asked wherefore he was borne, replied, Ut Coelum contemplar, that I might busy my thoughts about Heaven; Hierome to comfort an afflicted Hermit, wished him to take a few turns in Paradise, by meditation, 
In Paradiso ment d'eambulare tam di● in ●remo non eris. Fox, act san● mon p. 1484.  and assured him, so long as he had that in mind, he should not be sensible that he was solitary, and alone. This day, said Master Bradford Martyr; I think, Hearty Hooper, Trusty Taylor, and Sincere Saunders, end their course, and receive their crowns; the next am I, which hourly wait for the Porter to open me the gates, after them to enter into that rest; God forgive me my great unthankfulness, for that exceeding great mercy. Thus like Rivers, all saints run into the Sea, Jesus Christ, their Ocean sweetness, even into him, who is savourest to the saints in deepest distress, and helps men forsaken of hope: 'tis he that made Martyrs go as merrily to die, as ever they did to dine; who then can turn his back on sweet Christ's bleeding embracements, and kick at his naked bowels?  
But this, even this alas! is the Cordolium (hearts grief) of the gracious, that this Lamb is prized only of a few, the most are but pictures of Piety; There's something more I would 
〈…〉 ad ●stias, Christi●●os ad Leoner, ●d ignem, ad ●nem, said. ●e primitive persecutors, ●ertullian ●nd now the papists. ●mnis Christi●us crucianus. ●uther. ●eb. 2. 10. ●omentaneum ●● quod cruciat ●ternum quod ●electat. ●elch. Adam-●appy was ●●at tongue ●● the primitive time, that ●ould somed ●●t aliquid ●avidicū, anything of Da●ds doing, ●uch more ●●ppy is he 〈◊〉 speaks ●t, aliquid ●hristi, any ●●ing of ●hrist from experience.  mind you of, ab●a●ion of sin sweetens our sufferings, prompts and heartens us to bear them; every Christian is a Crucian, Grace is in continual conflict with corruption, only glory makes a total conquest; this Captain of Salvation was made perfect through suffering for sin, that he might bring many sons to that glory: sufferings hurt not when there is an assurance our sins are Sepultured in the Saviour's wounds. Master Knox a little before his death, risen out of his bed, and being asked wherefore, he, being then so sick as he was, would do so? he replied, that he had sweet meditations of the resurrection of Christ that night before, and now he would go into the Pulpit, and impart that to others, he had felt in his own soul. The nearer any thing is to its centre, the stronger and swifter it moves; the wine of the spirit of God, and the water of life is strongest in Saints, when drawing to an end. Spiritual motions are quickest, when natural ones are slowest; most sensible are they when the body gins to be sense less, most lively when Saints lie dying, the Sun shines most amiable towards the descent; and rivers, the nearer they run to the Sea, the sooner are they met with the tide; O 'tis wondrous sweet to ponder the do and sufferings of Christ, by which he hath made some sinless, all fair and comely in his own ornaments. Truly Saints should rise with their Saviour, and think on their own country, their father's house, and meditate the heavenly mansions above, more than inferior good; This world's but their place 
Fugiendum es● clarissimam patriam, ibi pater, ibi omnia. Plotinus. Discupio solvi tecumque O Christe manere. Portio fac reg ni sim quota▪ cunque tui. Pareus a little before his death. Vlteriùs was the Emblem of Charles the Fifth.  of commoration, heaven's their place of conversation, that hath foundations, but earth hangs on nothing, as Job hath said; and a sanctified fancy climbs upon creatures as on a Ladder to Heaven; Saints have Heaven aforehand, in praetio, in promisso, in primitiis. Some, have their non ultra, are not winged for heaven, but the gracious have their ulterius, still on, on, farther yet; and their sublimius, yet higher still, their profundius, still deeper, and the deeper, the sweeter, if we dive in the Ocean Christ; and a Christians motto should be, None but Christ, none but Christ, as said 
lambert's acts and mon.  the Martyr, when he held up such hands as he had, with his fingers ends flaming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the more pain, the more gain, said Ignatius, I had rather be a Martyr, than a Monarch, it's to my loss if you bate me any thing of my sufferings said Gordius; 
●emporalia Dei ●●vis im●ensa ●n pereunt, sed ●rturiunt. bishop of ●illaine. ●oh. Manlij. ●●. come. p. 539. ●ist holy war.  things laid out for God do not perish, but flourish, our dying comforts are alive in Christ our life and theirs. The passion-dayes of Martyrs were called, Natalitia salutis, salvation birthdays, the day break of eternal brightness.  
The next thing is that we listen and comply with the motions of the gracious spirit, and withdraw our consent 
● Saint in the ●ays of sin ●il, nisi coa●●us agit, does ●othing with ● good will.  from reiteration of sin interceded for and by us forsaken; a sin which is directly against the son, though 'tis true in depraved nature, the act and consent go both to evil, the stubborn voice whereof is, I do evil and will do it, yet in grace, though the act go sometimes to sin, the consent is absent, and its mournful voice is, the evil which I would not that do I; in Glory, the act and consent go both to good, and all good, and neither of them to any evil, the triumphant voice of which, is, the evil which I would not, I do not, and the good which I would, that do I.  
Sirs, We live in an age wherein there's a succession of raw and unconcocted conjectures, and conceptions, 
Sinceritas serenitatis mater. Rev. 3.4.  of good and evil; be you instant and constant with God, for soundness of judgement, and sincerity, which is the Mother of serenity; now alas! Pseudo-Christ▪ s have brought forth Pseudo-Christians, yet happy is the man that defiles not his garments, he shall walk with God in white, for he's worthy.  
Let fallen brothers be restored in the Spirit of meekness, set in joint again, as the Greek word is; as Chirurgeons 
Gal. 6.1.  and bonesetters, who handle their patients tenderly, from whom this metaphor 
●e hodiè, & ●go cras, he ●ll to day, ● may I to ●●orrow. Bern. ● Tim. 2.8. ●antillùm tan ●llùm adhuc ●usillum, ●hrist will ●me ere ●ng.  is taken; some, saith the Apostle, have erred concerning the truth, or as the word is, have miss the mark, like unskill full Archers, or inconsiderate Mariners, by mis-reckoning of one point, have miss the Haven, and run on the Rocks; airy contestors, and empty strivers, that have not only cumbered, but almost covered, this part of the earth; but stand you fast, quit yourselves like men, be strong, hold fast what you have received of the Lord, let no man take your crown, and pray 
●uando Chri●●s Magister ● am cito dici●r quod doce●r. August.  you may ever lie and live under the dew of Christ's lips.  
Honourable Sirs, You have honoured God, and God hath honoured you; I hope Theodosius his opinion is yours, 
●eronimus. ●●r, laudat a●lator, sed non ● verus ama.  who would rather be Membrun Christi, then Caput Imperii, a member of Christ, than the head of the Empire. Suis quisque laudibus favet, I think not true of your Honours, Sine blanditia dico, I flatter not, but I am ambitious to animate your courage and candour for God.  
I bless God, I judge it a greater mercy to imitate, then to encomionize virtue; many future generations will better express the worth of such worthies works, than can the extentions of my Pen, when the History of commonwealths Patriots, shall be made extant.  
Finally, You have here stamped the impress of my obliged respects; to allow 
Phil. 1.7. Sanctior est copula cordis quam corporis. Illi linguarum ego aurium Dominus. Tacit. fie on a Zoilus he'll carp at an Homer. Quem in intimis visceribus habeo ad convivendum, & commoriendum, said Bradford. in a Letter to Laurence Saunders his fellow Martyr, Act. & Mon. fol. 1483.  an oblivion of your love to me, and the truth, would be ingratitude in the highest degree; I have you in my heart, and that not without cause; nor do I forget how you held yourselves concerned in all my sufferings, under the lash of lewd tongues, neither that encouragement which in the course of my Ministry I received from you; truly, thankfulness is not measured of God, or good men, by the weight, but by the will of the retributor: I assure myself that a public acknowledgement of your public favours towards me, will be as kindly taken as given; And if by these labours, which are not unto lassitude, you may reap a yet farther profit, from your very humble servant, and loving friend and debtor, you will glad his spirit who is,  
And resolves to be, through the strength of God, an unfeigned friend to you▪ and all the members of mystical Christ, until days are lost in the ancient of days.  
Sam. Moor.   


Erratas in the Epistle to the Reader.  
Line 34. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 67. r. giddy heads with a comma.   

Erratas in the Book.  
Page 12. line 3. deal for all, and r. man. p. 13. l. 3. deal a, p. 20. l. 4. r. the l. 5. r. the, p. 55. l. 16. r. where's, & l. 27. deal in, and in the margin r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 67. l. 18. r. Lenis. p. 68 l. 9 r. her, p. 69. l. 2. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 15. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, & l. 23. r. fates, p. 70. l. 1. r. begging, p. 71. l. 10. r. put, p. 74. in marg. r. Lachrimas.  
Some other lesser faults there be, as mispointing, and misjoining of words and sentences, which the Printer desires the Reader to reform with his Pen.    

To the pious Reader.  
THE sense of Christ's love so swells and ascends; that the Spouse in her Canticles is not Master of her words, in telling his worth: every word is like a Mountain. If thou come to his person, nature, offices, honours; Myrrh, Aloes, Cinnamon, Frankincense, all the powders of Merchants, that ever Africa, Egypt, or other Countries had and have, are but short, poor shadows, and hungry generals to him; he's all abstractive sweetness, all loves, 
Cant. 5. 16.  all desires, and all of him, every piece of him, is love and loveliness itself: yet when all's said that can be, Spouse like, may we say, he stands behind our 
Cant. 2. 9  wall, q. d. the veil of our flesh: and as he cannot seem, so neither can we see, the half of what he is, ●ill this veil is taken off, and we have entered the veil of heaven. And as he is, so is his love, ineffable, not conceptible. Christ's love gets the better of all souls that go to heaven; for what's great Heaven, but an house full of vanquished Captives to Christ's drawing love. 'Tis sweet swimming in those waters where sweet Christ casts his Net. We may, like the fish, be caught by the food or pleasure of this Fisher of men; his baits take with the eye and taste too. Can Paul, being crafty, catch (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, pia fraud) with an holy guide; how much more 
2 Cor. 12. 16.  Christ: he, with one cast of his countenance, can view all in heaven, and all on earth; giving out his heart full of burning love, East, West, North, and South; and gather into himself all who are given him. O the fullness of love, joy, peace, prosperity, & pleasures! the first fruits of that land, which lies beyond time, and death, must needs be above expression. In the interim, these things make a marvel, that God is kind to the unthankful and 
Luke 6. 35. Rom. 4. 5. Matth. 5. 45 Rom. 12. 2●  evil; justifies the ungodly; lets his sun shine on the unjust; overcomes evil with good; and speaks well of such as deserved ill: this, even this, is the subject of the following discourse. In which wonder, thou hast somewhat more than a taste of the true sense in which Christ's Spouse is spotless, all fair; and how sin is, and is not charged on Saints; What sins they commit not; in what sense they're sinlesle; how fare so, by Sonship, and Saint-ship; and the fruit that all 
Eo nomine Considered as Saints.  such Gods gracious do and deal should have in pardoned and purged sinners. I make no plea for the Press; Let the fruits of my former Labours extant, rid me of the toil. I am weary, and almost wildred in waiting for the result of extremes, though a glimpse of their nature I have had Some load the head with what's the members; others the members with what appertains to the head: if my fault, 'tis against my will, this Treatise tells thee. Does thy fancy want food, this is not for thee; quaintness in discourses of Christ, like painting in windows, does more darken the light then adorn it. Giddy heads question, sick reach after little but words; and questio satis vexata is the best fruit of their intelligence. Such want not mercenary meddlers to match them, whose food, at the best, is but piety ad extra, the superficies of Goodness. 'Tis a comfort to some, that airy notions nourish them not. All are not Chameleons; some cannot live only on 
Sunt qui perhibent Chamae●eonta victitare ●aere solo.  air; every thing is not bread for every soul: the sincere, immixed milk of God's word best answers the appetite of the empty. All wine, milk, honey, and fatted Calves killed, together with all choicest edibles, are but imperfect pictures, and painted nourishments, if compared to Christ's glorious Gospel-dainties. Oh! when precious Christ lets out to the soul the sweet smell of ointments poured forth of his death and wounds, it's a rare feast then, and not till then, does the soul see, smell, and taste apples of love, free grace, satisfied justice, and propagated mercy; and then such rarities raise the wonder to inform the judgement, and raise the affections; for Christ, and towards him, is most in my eye. Oh mortals I has Mammon your hearts, and the heart of your love and life? what shall Messiah have? O munde immunde, as he, in an holy indignation, said of this world; how fastens our purest substance on thy pollutions? why seeks it rest in that whose composition is all of tumults? Nusquam inveni requiem nisi in Christo.  
To conclude; if thy thirsts like his in his flight, thou mayst perhaps in this wonder, find, what to thirst may afford, if not sweetness; yet savour.  
Give God the glory, reap thou the good; and I have, what I hope, I aimed at, in penning this small piece.  
The Lord lead thee into all truth, and me into thy mind, when thou seekest, and meetest him in his way.  
Thine in the Lords well-beloved: his Christ, the Saints Jesus, SAM: MOOR.   

AN Heavenly Wonder. OR, A Christian clothed with Christ.  Cant. 4. 7. Thou art all fair my love, there is no spot in thee. 

CHAP. 1.  

SECT. 1. All Fair.  
ALl Christ's Encomium's 
Psal. 45. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnde nomen, Joppa à pulchritudine & Elegantia, à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derivatur Leigh. Crit. sacr..  are sweetly empharicall, beautiful; not only in colour, but comely proportion and Elegancy; attractive beauty, such as draws love and liking, is the import of this word: and 'tis a word of double form, to note out double, q. d. very excellent beauty, and augment the signification. The righteous is more excellent 
Prov. 12. 26.  than his neighbour, why? he fulfils all righteousness? that's his comeliness; it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness said Christ: but 
Matth. 3. 15.  the next neighbour to a righteous man fulfils but some righteous things only, therefore not so excellent. Beautiful, in thy graces, the ornaments I have given thee; thou art comely through my comeliness 
Ezek. 16. 14.  which I have put upon thee: thou art my Spouse; but I am thy beauty: thine own is not, has lost its being. Where's room for vain boasting, glorying in the flesh? 
Vxor fulget radijs Mariti Velut inter Stellas Lund Minores.  the Spouse shines out indeed, but 'tis in the rich rays of her husband's beauty. Christ's lustre shines out in Christians, as the Moon among the lesser Stars, and their glory's but the sparklings forth of his spotless nature, in them; Christ's beauty fills all the corners and concavities of the widest desires of souls. Thou O Lord art 
Psal. 3. 3.  my glory, said David the King: we hold all things in Capite tenure from Christ, thence let us take our name: will you mind that satisfying saying? that you may be filled 
Ephes. 3. 19  with all the fullness of God, filled with God, a full expression, with the fullness of God, that's more; yet higher, with all the fullness of God. Beauty in God is the amenity and loveliness of his nature, and all infinite perfections, as they offer themselves to his own understanding, and to the understanding of men and Angels in their pleasantness; and this, even this, is the All of a Christians beauty. Is't queried how this can be, that Christ and Christians share in beauties? We answer,   

SECT. 2.  
'TIs 1. by regeneration and that into the union and sameness of Christ's nature: the Spouse of the first Adam came from his own side or loins, so did the wife of the second; see how sweetly divine favours hang together: the Father opened his bosom, and the Son opened his side, to make the chief of sinners, the chief of Saints; the Spouse opens too; I opened to my beloved said she; when once sweet Christ was opened in Paul's Ministry, 
Acts 16. 14.  Lydia's heart opened too, that she took in her husband and all his say; there's no love lost be twixt head and members you see. 
Cor. 7. 1.  We are made partakers of the divine nature, & he's partaker of humane nature. Christ and Christians are Copartners in natures divine, humane. Such souls are truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superterrestrial, and the soul 
●eb. 2. 16.  of such souls, i. e. Christ their life is so too. Christ matches with those of his own Stock, and Tribe, Husband and Spouse have but one and the same Father: the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
1 Pet. 1. 3.  Christ hath begotten us again, saith the Scriptures. Christ's a Christians near Kinsman, yea brother as well as Husband; go tell my brethren I ascend to my Father, and your 
John 20. 17.  Father, to my God, and your God. Sweet is the dew of such sweet lips, which lips, like Lilies, drop 
Cant. 5. 13.  such sweet smelling Myrrh.   

SECT. 3.  
2. BY Transnomination, the change of their names. To have a sameness of name from the sameness of nature with Christ, beautifies believers bountifully. When the match is made up between Christ and the soul, that soul bears her Sovereign's name. The Spouse of the first Adam and her husband had both one name, God called their name Adam in 
Gen. 5. 2.  the day that he made them: so the Spouse of the second Adam, in the change of her condition from a single, to a married estate with Christ, the Lamb, had a change of her name, the head is called Christ, 
Cor. 12. 12. ●●put & cor●●s unùs est ●hristus, Aug. ●al. 3. 16. ●rap in Locum. acts 9 4. psalm 24. 6. Chron: 22.9 ●iodate on ●ant. 6. 13. ainsworth on ●●e same.  and the members are called Christ. Why persecutest thou me, i. e. mystical Christ, my body. And God is called Jacob in the Psalms; Christ is Solomon, in this sweet song, in Hebrew Sholomoh of peace; and his Church is called Shulamite by her Bridegroom's name; and therefore the forming of the word is rather active then passive; Christ and Christians are homonymon, of the same name; he's called the fairest among men, she the fairest among 
●sal. 45. 2. ●ant. 1. 8. 5.  women. Believers, these are sweets we speak of, Christ is called your fullness; of his fullness have we received: and ye are called his 
●ohn 1. 16.  fullness; his body is the fullness of 
●phes. 1. 23.  him that filleth all in all. 'Tis one branch of the new Covenant, that God would give his people a new 
Isa. 62. 2.  name, yea a better name than is that of sons and daughters. Beauty is a taking thing, can do much with Christ, thou hast ravished my heart, carried, snatched away my heart, my Spouse, and God will do much for his name's sake, 'tis a coercive▪ cogent argument, which takes with God, when nothing else will; Thou O Lord art in the midst of us, 
Jer. 14.9.  and we are called by thy name, leave us not, leave us not for thy name's sake; Christ and Christians are namesakes, have but one name.   

SECT. 4.  
3. BY hereditation or birthright. Children of men are not all Heirs borne; but all God's Children are first-bornes: great is the comfort of such; every Spouse of Christ is a lawful borne Heir of all Christ's Ornaments, goodness, they are heirs, heirs of God, and joynt-heires with Christ; words like Mountains of Pearls: Christians, Christ's beauty's your birthright, you're black, but comely; black in yourselves, but comely in Christ; Loathsome in yourselves, but lovely in this Son of love, and the life of your Lustre is laid up in him; that when he appears, you also may appear with him in glory. A 
coloss. 3. 4.  believer (my friends) is very rich & very honourable; say he were a beggar on a dunghill, for Christ's not poor, and he's joynt-heire with Christ; a Lazarus full of running sores, and bowed to reception of relief from dogs and clothing of Rags; he's all 〈◊〉 ●till, nor is his body like a Leopards that cannot change his skin. Pearls are pearls, though in midst of puddle. The Father of Christ hath begotten his Spouse to an inheritance incorruptible, and 
Pet. 1. 4.  that fades not away, in which place of Peter, the Holy Ghost expresses their inheritance by two most fit words; the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 
Flos qui nunquammarcescit, dictus indè immortalis ab a & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Plin. lib. 21. cap. 11.  the name of a precious Stone, which, though cast into fire and soiled, cannot be blemished; but is the more brightened; the other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the name of a flower, which, Writers tell us, may be kept continually fresh and green; all Saints are high born Children, of a Princely seed, blood-royal; they are Lords of the Higher 
Luke 22. 30.  House, divide the throne with Christ by birthright, they are Christ's assessors, & fellow-Peers, to judge the world with him; yea to judge Angels beauties; their birthright, inheritance, heritage. 
1 Cor. 6.2, 3.    

SECT. 5.  
4. BY propagation▪ Christ's beauties of a spreading nature, there's a vastness in its extentions, it goes far and wide, and 'tis the covering of the uncomeliness of all his Lineage; sinful deformity can go a great way, it can stain all externals, internals too: yet Christ's beauty outvies, outruns, and outlives it, will spread all over the black Spouse, till she's comely without and within. sprinklings of Christ's blood spreading inwardly, being first shed abroad, will fetch out all sinful spots & stains, 'twill make a man shine like the Sun in the kingdom of his father; this heavenly Pelican, revives his dead young ones with scattering 
Revel. 1. 5.  his own hearts blood among them; and when wrath burnt about them, cast himself into the midst thereof to quench it, all this from the appearance of Christ in them; He appeared to put away sin, viz. in the same sense the Laws are said to be made void, when they lose their 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Heb. 9 26.  power and force. Art thou Christ's Spouse? sin shall never so spread in thee, so as to cover and overpower all that's good in thee, make it lifeless, love-lesse, if once precious Christ lays his skirt over thee, the shame of thy nakedness, which is thy deformity will, be invisible: Light from Heaven will first or last, shine round about thee, and then darkest night will be lightest day, than thou wilt see no corner in thy heart, where Christ's beauty has not been: this ocean of glory has his rivers running out from him, which, when they have cleansed hearts, return into him again. Let sweet Christ load thee with fetters of Love, that thou mayest sink deep, even down to the bottom of this Sea of grace, if not a bottomless, fathomless one. The brightness of pearls is from the frequent beat of the Sun's beams upon them, thence become they radiant; every Christian, is Christ's pearl, and all his beauty, is beaten in by beams of Christ's beauty.   

SECT. 6.  
5. BY paction comes beauty too, Thou shalt not be for another, 
Hosea 3. 3.  for all, so also will I be for thee. Christ keeps himself and gives himself for Christians; they do the like for Christ: when he bestows himself on a soul, he brings his Dowry with him. Christians, do you note this? in the league of Christ with the soul, there are exchanges made of glory for shame, beauty for deformity; sweet Christ makes such matches as never man made; gives gold for dirt, cloaths earth with Heaven, gives glory for shame, a massy Crown for a massy Cross, takes off a poor soul's rags, and returns robes; and gets nothing with us, but a burden of sins, as heavy as a mountain of iron, as hell itself; a burden which he must bear and bury; yet we poor souls can be  of this Suitor, and often say him nay. Ah Lord! what a wonder is this, will no body take it up, stand arnazed and amused in earnest! a Christian being married to Christ, in 
1 Cor. 3. 21. Psal. 37. 11.  League with Christ, makes all things thine by paction; art thou hungry? all the bread i'th' world's thy fathers; art thou in a Ship at Sea? thou ' art in thy father's waters; art thou in the fields? they are thy redeemers, thy husbands, and what seest thou which is not his? all the Woods, Trees, Flowers, Corn, Cattell, and birds in every bush, call thy God father, and they are all thine, not in possession, but in a choice, freehold Heritage; thou hast the best income of all, and thy Land is named all things; the worst things are thine by way of reduction, 
Rev. 21. 7.  and the best things are thine in way of reversion; Tanquam haeres ex ass; There's a sweet communication of all Christ's beauty, goods, and goodness, to the wife of his bosom: and 'tis he that heads all her glory, Crowns all her comforts, and converts all her crosses into contentments; his presence is her Paradise, his victory her safety. O! Christ, is a condition sweetening Husband, he makes our sour herbs, and bitter pills sweet, our rough ways smooth, and doth plain all mountains that intervene twixt us and him, our souls, and his blessed bosom; and all this, to strengthen our motion that way. Christians by Covenant, are coupled to Christ; the Tabernacle 
Col. 3. 14.  Curtains had their juncture by Loops; Christ and his members their juncture by Love, the bond of perfection or couple thereof. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.    

SECT. 7.  
6. BY Speculation Spiritual, or Contemplation of the same kind: Roses, Lilies, Meadows, Gardens; and all things fair and pleasant, ravish the sight first; and then woo and win the heart next, and so take rooting there; sights of Christ's beauty, if clear, are transforming, 
Colamus huncdeum reverenter donec a speed speciem transeamus.  and the more the eye receives that light, the more is its strength of sight, Christ's beauty being more quickening than killing to the optic nerves and powers; believers do contemplate, by faith, the glorious Light of God, his mercy, truth, and goodness in the Gospels' Glass, thence they receive his impress, Image, and likeness; We, with open face, beholding 
2 Cor. 3. 18.  the Lord's glory, are changed into the same Image: Where, the Apostle 
Diodate on the place.  intimates a likeness, or sameness of Glory, coming in by holy speculation; and a gradual likeness too from glory to glory. i e. say some, from grace to grace: for fullness of grace is the best thing in 
Trap. in locum.  glory, next to its Author; other things, as joy, peace, and love, are but the shinings forth of this fullness of grace, in glory. The parts of vision are precedent to the parts of action, hence the right eye is preferred before the right hand, God himself although he had neither accession nor intermission of delight, yet by way of Emphasis to us-ward seems to give his vidit the precedence of his fiat. q. d. he 
Rein. Pass. & facul. p. 204.  joyed not so much in that he had given the Creatures their natures, as in that he saw their goodness. Hence, say some, the day of his rest was more holy than the day of his labour, that being appointed for Contemplation, as the other for production of his Creatures. Holy Speculation and Contemplation of Christ, has a great hand in letting in the light of the beauty and Glory of Christ. He that studies Moses his Optickes, and has a patriarchs eye, makes the best choice by the sight of the invisible Essence; an elegant contradiction, seeing him who is invisible. Christ's 
Heb. 11. 27.  Spouse is all fair, in what sense and sort you have seen.    
There is no spot in thee. 
CHAP. 2.  

SECT. 1.  
IT's the good will of him that dwelled in the bush to call things 
Dent. 33. 16. Rom. 4. 17.  which are not as though they were: Holiest Majesty pleaseth to overlook greatest impurity; sins of Saints are superlative, as acted under the received Sovereignty of Christ their King: yet behold a wonder, Saint's sin, and do not sin, have spots, and are spotless; 
Exod. 15. 11.  it's his saying who's wonderful in 
Pro. 10. 12.  holiness. There's a sin-covering Love, which has covered and conquered corruptions of Saints, yea, multitudes by multiplied pardons; her sins which were many are forgiven 
Luk. 7. 47.  her; this bids the godly Bee of good cheer. Saint's sins are ever before them, yet cast behind their God; My sin is ever before me, 
Psal. 51. 3.  says the soul in Languor, and then makes melody with her father's love; Thou in love to my soul 
●sa, 38. ●7.  hast cast all my sins behind thy back. Their Crimson sins have lost their colour, and had their Sepulture in their Saviour's wounds, their foul sins are lost in this open fountain, to whom themselves are a fountain sealed; yea 
Zech. 13. 1.  his fountain of purest springs and fairest gardens. Thus speaks he, whose lips, like Lilies, drop sweet 
Cant. 4.12. 15  smelling Myrrh,  There's no spot in thee. 
Cant. 5. 13.  
The word, in the Originals of three Languages, imports any outward blemish in the body, as blind, lame, or deformed in any limb or 
Levit. 21. 18. 21. Deut. 15. 21. and 17. 1. Rev. 14. 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 undè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and the Chaldee, Mum●: quo verbo L●x. illud frequenter reddunt Macula, ●●abes, vitium.  part, and is here fitly applied, by the Holy Ghost, to blemishes in the soul, h. e. sins, vices, and spots of the inward man. Christ, when he woos his Bride; to win her, works over those miracles on her soul, which he was wont to work upon bodies of old; makes the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, the lame to walk, and the dead to live again, sets all to rights where he comes to cohabite. Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, spotless, and a Christian is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too, they are both immaculate, their union grounds it; so in the Text, the Spouse is said to have no spot in 
1 Pet. 1. 19 Eph. 5. 27. V●●ij expers, irreprehensibilis; in quibus, nec momos invenit quod carpat. Cornelius a Lapide.  her too. That place, in the first of John, the third & ninth verse, gives you a light into the opening of this phrase of speech; He that's borne of God doth not commit sin: for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he's borne of God; he sins not, viz. unto death, as some will; he sins not, viz. he resists sin, as others; he sins not, viz. as a servant, or subject of sin, say a third sort: 
Propriè significat rem aliquam certis qualitatibus orno dicitur enim à nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qualis. Leig. C●●r. Sac.  the Greek is very emphatical, and signifies so to sin, as to make a trade of sin, to make it ones work and business, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, q. d. he does not act the sin; does not sin artificially, as do others; has no art in sinning; though he act it, he does not art it, does not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, make much of sin, not curiously and industriously adorn and set it forth with all art and skill, as the word properly imports. One place more in he eight of John, and the thirty fourth verse, where t●e same word is used, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin; but the best of men commit sin, even of them who are Christ's own servants, freed from sin: the meaning then of that place is this, he sins as a servant of sin, who makes sin, makes a trade of sinning. So in the Romans, that which our translation has, Fulfil not the lusts of the 
●om. 13. 14.  flesh; the Greek has it, Do not make 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etc.  the lusts of the flesh. He that committeth sin is of the Devil, says the Scripture, that is, that creates sin, for sin is the Devil's Creature, his workmanship; and his Children, his 
John 3. 8.  works they will do, said Christ to the boasting Jews. There's no spot in thee, some spots are not the children's, we'll show which they are next, in what sense they're spoken spotless, how and why so called.   

SECT. 2.  
1. UNpardonable spots are not the Spouses; she cannot outsin pardons, she may sin away the comforts of her body, but can she sin away her soul? an unpardonable sin is a sin unto death; such kill crimes she perpetrates not, sins against the Father and sins against the Son may be forgiven, but sins against the Spirit shall ne'er be forgiven, she's on the other side the grave of the last sin mentioned; she has no sin that God has not pardoned, hence her sin is not now, iniquities of Israel are sought for, and there are none, and Judah's 
Jer. 50. 20. Mr. caryl on Job Chap. 7. v. 21. p. 717.  sins shall not be found, because pardoned, as was promised, as Jeremiah hath it; pardon of sin destroys sin: as to forgive a debt is to make it no debt; so a pardoned sin is in Gods account no sin; pardon of sin is our acquittance from sin, our quietus est, sealed in the blood of the Lamb; all proscesse at Law, is to to such, stayed, prohibited, as to them; They have a Propitiator; & he's their propitiation, saith John; in Hebrew, Copher, he coffers up, as 
1 Joh. 2. 2.  it were, and covers all their sins; he's their covering: the Apostle seems to speak him so, in allusion to the Ark, covering the two Tables within it; The mercy-seat covering the Ark, and the Cherubims covering the mercy-seat, and one another: so Christ has covered a Christians sins, all his sins, and the curse, sins demerit, and him has the Father set forth for the remission 
●om. 3. 25.  of their sins; set forth, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, pointing out the same thing, even with the finger, as the word is for remission, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for the relaxion 
●ioda●e.  or releasement of sin, as of bonds or fetters, as the Greek has it; Christ's Love cannot sin an unpardonable sin; O Spouse! speak thou, 
● full description of the sin ●gainst the ●oly Ghost.  canst thou do despite to the Spirit of grace, persecute the known truth, and the Author thereof, sinning wilfully? what, canst thou, after Heavenly illumination, partnership in the Spirit, tastes of Heavenly gifts, with the good word of God, and the Powers of the world to come, decline Father, Son, and Spirit, prove an Apostate, fall away, and sin remorseless? thou canst not sweet Lamb, is never Bride of his served him so, had such straitened bowels towards him; such sinners cannot be renewed by repentance, shall never have pardon in this world, nor that which is to come; 'tis the saying of Christ the Judge, and why? for thou actest afresh Crucification of Christ to thyself, art a Caitiff, shame-Christ, fresh-kil-Christ, Quasi dicat, Christ was alive to thee, and in thee, not only in patefaction and manifestation, but in operation: but now, he that lives in himself, & to others, is dead to thee, and with the life of Christ, hast thou lost the life of all that's good for thy better part, how will he quicken thee no more, never entreat, woo, or beseech thee any more, never will heavenly gales of the Spirit reach thy heart more. Who reads these lines that trembles at truth, and is void of regret, now all ordinances, duties, services are lifeless, love-lesse to such a soul, who will cry when too late as he, I wretched in myself dying, 
Nil misero vivit moriente mihi.  nothing is alive to me. But I fear sometimes may a loyal soul say, this is my spot, and I have find in this very kind; I would feign know the worst by myself: an universal hardness of heart attends it. There's a twofold hardness of heart, one in those who never did or can sin in so high a measure; the other in them who are flagitious in this highest degree of sinning; hardness of heart in the first sort is like the hardness of water congealed, an Icicle or Icy hardness which is such as that for some season it may bear burdens of weight and bulk; but when once the Sun with its lasting heat of rays and beams smiles upon it, dissolves, melts away into its own liquid moisture, as at first: so here, poor soul, thou criest out I have a hard heart, O what shall I do, I reap no good from the word or works of God, thrive not under thriving means, and sometimes sayest thou hast sinned this sin. Consider, sad soul, thou art hardened but by fits; thy winter lasts not long, thy summer's Sun is coming, and brings along with it the Sabbath of those thoughts, Jesus Christ will shine out unto thee with a continued smile, and then thy hardness will lose it nature, mercy can mollify such in a matchless manner. Peter 
Math. 26. 70. ad sinem. Luk. 22. 54. to 63.  a good man, yet had he a very hard heart for a time, an unworthy, unkind servant to his Master, the while; when sweet Christ was had to the high Priests Hall, he would not own him, was ashamed of him, followed him a far off, and when he had entered the House, den●'d him, did it thrice, bound his say with an oath and a curse, to prove he knew not the man, yet for all this, kind Christ, by one look of Love, thawed his frozen, hard heart, that it melted like wax in the sight of the Sun, he wept bitterly, not without cause.  
But secondly, hardness in such as have sinned this sin is such as is the hardness of a Stone, a stony hardness, which the more it hath of the Sun, the more its hardened still, such wax worse and worse, and after the hardness of their hearts, heap up the reward of misdeeds; hence the same Sun that softens wax, hardens clay, makes the soft iron hard, and the hard steel soft, the hot fire cool, and the cold water warm; Have such their hearts broken by judgements? the hardness remains still; save that 'tis dispersed into several parts, & broken parcels: as a stone, that's broken all to pieces, is a stone still, retains its hardness in the least of its parts, as truly, as when 'twas united, and in the whole thereof. There hardness is Homogeneous, 
Homogeneum est quod constat● ex partibus, idem nomen cun● to●o habentibus, Keck. System▪ Log. l. 1. c. 22▪  like that of a stone, each small portion retaining the nature and name of the whole; Quaelibet pars aqua est aquae, every drop of water is water, and every spark of fire is fire; so is such hardness, though dispersed, divided, taken in pieces, such may have their legal fractions, but strangers they will be to all evangelical contrition; and spider-like, suck they poison from the same flower the Bee sucks honey.  
2. Loss of feeling, and alienation from the life of God, as Paul to the Ephesians speaks, darkness 
Eph. 4. 18, 19▪  of understanding, and blindness of heart, Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, hardness, brawniness, a hoof upon their 
Collum obductum, Trap.  hearts, brawny breasts, horny heartstrings; a metaphor taken from hardest hands of hardest labourers; under a dead and dedolent disposition, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De●olentes, Desperantes. Mo●tanus.  desperately sinful, and remorseless, fearless of the Majesty of God, to which is added a cauterised conscience, like Devils, having nothing to do with God, loath to be tormented before their time, and a contracted hardness through custom in sin, so as neither Ministry, nor misery, nor miracle, nor mercy, can mollify their hearts, being dry, stiff, inflexible, and senseless, impenitent, having a lifeless frame as to the use of means, being bereft of all and singular checks of conscience, sinning unsmitten, and not at all wounded in Christ his wounds, the last degree and fullness of that sad alienation from the light and life of God. Men, when so sick that their excrementalls pass through them insensibly, are then mortally sick: we say so, such can think, speak, and act any thing, all lasciviousness, and uncleanness, & that with greediness, void of all sense and feeling, which argues they have the initium, pregustion, beginning, and 
Vide Mat. 13. 13, 14, 15.  first taste of spiritual and eternal death already; hence matter of holy and heavenly Melody is to them 
Simulata sanctitas, est duplex iniquitas.  as Music in a dead man's ears, or language to a stock or stone, which penetrates not. That the Quondam high flown, but now ●ouly and low fallen professors, of this age, be not of this number, faxit deus; it is my desire, if to God it seem good; O foolish and unkind! can looseness of life speak out your love to the Lord? blush you not at all when you look on the Lamb that was slain? must he indeed be twice slain? what, by you? is Iscariot alive still? can you like 
Caveatur osculum Iscarioticum.  that, kill Christ, kiss and kill together? what again and again? were not his wounds widened before, canst thou add afflictions to his bonds, who owned and relieved thee in Chains, sought thee out and refreshed thy bowels? Canst thou, thou that didst once cry up Christ, be vicious, when he is gracious? avertat deus. Scipio, when an Harlot was offered, 
Vellem si non essem imperator.  him could say, I would, if I were not a General: say thou, if I were not a Christian; will some do so much for their honour, and canst thou do less for thy God?   

SECT. 3.  
2. THe spot of presumptuous sin is not the Spouses, that's the great transgression David feared 
Psal. 19 13.  to commit, prayed to be freed from; Keep bacl thy servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me, then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. To sin this sin, is to sin contu●●aciously, pertinaciously, maliciously, industriously, with the highest hand, on purpose, as some will, to affront Gods good motions of grace, proudly; I'll give my opinion, 'tis a sin that looks like Hell, it has no home but Hell; Nifallor; all sin seems to be the Devil's Creature, he was the first that made sin; but this sin seems to have been that which made him, Satan, a Devil, and to have transformed him from an Angel of light into a Prince of darkness: This spot is not the Spouses. But behold another draught of this sin, 'tis so to sin, as that a man propounds pardon to himself before the act of sinning, 'tis to venture upon any sin, any uncleanness, on this ground, because God has mercy to forgive it, 'tis to multiply sins, because God can multiply pardons, 'tis to sin that grace may abound; And shall we sin that grace may abound, said holy Paul? what, we Christians? we on whom Christ's Love has laid all obligations? we who sinned immensely, before we knew him, and yet found mercy with him? O God forbidden; How can we that are dead to sin 
Rom. 6. 1, 2  do so, we cannot, we cannot. q. d. that were unreasonable, and to an ingenuous heart impossible. To reason, from grace to sin, is the Logic of the old Serpent, Satan. To apply that saying in John, That if 
1 Joh. 2. 1.  any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, who's a propitiation for sins: to apply it, I say before the sin is committed, and to venture on sin upon that very ground is exceeding dangerous; but after, to the remorseful exceeding cordial. 'Tis a certain Maxim, that to have a pardoning Master, and pitying Majesty, is a comfort under the fruits of sin, affliction; but no encouragement to the works of sin, rebellion. The spot of presumptuous sin is not the Spouses.   

SECT. 4.  
3. THe spot of the reigning sin is not the Spouses; Sin shall not have dominion over you; for 
Rom. 6. 14.  you are not under the Law, viz. sins Law, but under grace, viz. the Laws and Commands of grace, neither sins power of damning, nor domineering 
Destituitur peccatum potentia damnandi & dominandi, as they say, Manet peccatum, dejectum quidem; sed non ejectum, evulsum non expulsum tamen. Bern. Psal. 19 10.  has its throne there; rebel it may, but reign it does not, it's in them, but rules not over them, they know no Lord but King Jesus; sin is not in them King, but tyrant. Sin has a strong heart, is put to death with much a do: yet done it is in them, and to them; it's kept under though not cast out, irradicated though not wholly expelled. It fares with sin, in Saints, as with those Beasts in Daniel, their dominion was taken from them; yet their 
Dan. 7. 12.  lives were prolonged for a season and a time: so God may suffer sins of Saints that have lost their dominion & domination to survive he may let thee fall, to try what's in thy heart. q. d. that thou mayst try and know it, and thy want of his power to subdue it; yet 'tis but for a season and a time, and then the King of Glory will come, and fill all the corners of thy heart with light, life, & liberty. Sweet Lord! shall thy Kingdom come into our hearts? shall thy will be done in our vile hearts, as 'tis done in thy pure heavens? What in ours, O Spouse, only thy Husband has his dominium forte, mighty rule, his strong Lordship, his Empire in thy soul, sed suave, but 'tis a sweet one, blessed art thou under his principality. Germanicus reigned in the Romans hearts, Tiberius but in the Provinces; so 'tis with Saints, sin may reign in their members, externals, but Christ reigns in their minds, internals; sin in Saints is dejected from its regency, though not ejected from its inherency: whilst they are here, the spot of the reigning sin is not the Spouses.   

SECT. 5.  
4. She does not sin longing, wishing there were no Law forbidding sin, no God to punish sin; the fool's heart says there's no God. i. e. wishes it were so, that he might sin unsmitten; masterless Monsters send Messages after Christ, saying, We will not that this man reign over us, longing to live without Law, lawless. Some have as many Lords as lusts, aut faciendum aut patiendum, such as will not be his throne, must be his footstool; it's a prison to sinners to be held in by Law, but 'tis a paradise to Saints: a good man is thankful for every curb of corruption, the smitings of the righteous 
Psal. 141. 5.  are kindnesses to him, an excellent oil; he dreads Ephraim's case, to be let alone, sinning; Lex, Lux, said Solomon the wise, the Law's a light, and Lamp, for manifestation of 
Pro. 6. 23.  sin, and manuduction of the soul to her Saviour; Saints sinne not, wishing there were no Law forbidding the evil thereof, yea, & which is more, they bless God when crossed in an evil course; Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me, and blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, & from avenging myself with mine own hand; for indeed the Lord God lives which has kept me from hurting of thee, said David to Abigail, he blesses God, the advice, the woman, every thing that gave curb to his corruptions; gracious spirits think it a mercy to have the course of sin stopped, love the means that effects it; to be given up to hearts lusts, is the greatest plague of all; they long not that there were no Law, but love it; O how I love thy Law, said the sensible 
Psal. 119. 97.  Prophet, 'tis my meditation all the day, and I delight in the Law after the 
●om. 7. 22.  inner man, said holy Paul; this is not the spot of Christ's Spouse. A gracious Spirit does with great attention hear this Lawmaker, as those in Luke, who were so attentive to 
Luke 19 48.  his doctrine, that the Rulers found not what to do; the people ●anged on him, saith the Greek word; 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  all Christians hang on Christ's lips, as the Bee doth on the flower, the babe on the breast, and the little bird on the bill of her dam, that they may receive the Law from his 
Mal. 2. 7.  mouth.   

SECT. 6.  
5. THe spot of a beloved sin is not the spouses; her sin is by her loathed, but not beloved; the evil I do, I hate, saith the Apostle; she has as bad conceits of sin 
Rom. 7. 15.  as ever she had, though once pleased in the act, her affections are crucified to corruption, so is corruption to them, they are dead to each other; sin in Saints is, 1. Dead judicially, dead in sentence, they adjudge it to death, resolve it shall die; they sin not with an esteem of sin, their judgement's against it, they have laid hatred to the root of sin, which will be the death out. ●. 'tis in them Civiliter mortuus, civilly dead; a man is dead, saith the Civil Law, when he's in subjection to another, is not acted and animated by the power of his own will, but by the will of him that rules over him; so here, sin in Saints has not its own will, is not its own Master, is in subjection to them, because their love thereof, its life, is withdrawn, better be stowed, laid out. 3. Sin in them as loathed, not loved, is naturally dead: things are naturally dead two ways, inchoate, consummate; inchoate, as when a tree is smote at the roar with an Axe, which is an omen it will whither, die, be fruitless, for future; though for present it have leaves and fruit upon it: hence 'tis said to be dead, because it has received its deadly blow: so a man is said to be a dead man, when he has received a deadly wound, though he may stir, struggle, strive, and live a while after, to do some hurt to him that did the deed; so a man alive in Christ, by virtue of his union with him, has a deadly blow given to the root of his sin, not only in the judgement, having lost its repute there, but in the affections also; it shall never any more ●oost and root there, never recover its strength again; and though it have a little life for a while, and may be injurious to the subject where 'tis, yet cannot last long and bring forth as before, but withers, grows less and less, till quite exhausted, wasted, notwithstanding its show of leaves. 2. A sin not beloved has a death consummate, and it is so dead by this sign, viz. when it brings not forth in its season. i e. when advantages and opportunities of sinning, occur, accord, agree, and come together. In winter, Trees and Plants seem as dead, but if in the spring, we see neither 
Doct. Sib●  fruit nor leaves, we then say they're dead indeed; so when a Christian has an advantage, an opportunity to fall into sin, may do it, yet not work himself into outward blame and shame, and sin does not then bear fruit and bring forth in that fit season, 'tis dead indeed; for what the season of the spring is to trees and plants, the same, or the like, is an occasion of sinning unto sin. joseph's case, and his carriage 
Gen. 39 7. to 13.  in that case, clears this well; he had an advantage, an opportunity, all advantages, and a fit season to sin in, a wanton Mistress, who wooed him often, saying, Lie with me, a continuation of her suit, she did it day by day, her actual assault, she caught him by his garment, would have no nay, a place of privacy, there was none of the men of the House within, no likelihood of accrueing shame, or blame, in public; and himself an high Officer, a man of credit, able to have crushed a rumour and bruit in the birth; yet sin in him was then dead, it could not live being loathed; He harkened not unto her to lie by her, or to be with her, saith the Text; he shunned and hated both the sin, and the occasion, 
Vitanda est glacies, si nolis Cadere.  with the appearances thereof, would not lie by her, would not be with her; a good pattern of piety for others: he shunned the sin as cross to God, not men; How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? yet then in, that case, his lust was lifeless, brought not forth; Christ's Spouse sins not with a love of sin, the evil she does, she hates; There's no spot in thee.   

SECT. 7.  
6. THey sin not with the whole man, their fall is not Toti a toto in totum, they sin not with a clear freedom and full consent of the will, there's still some reluctance, giving out, drawing back of some of the inward powers, they sin not with all their strength, greedily, with both their hands; not earnestly, as the Prophet speaks; 
Micah 7. 3.  their conflicts with sin, when falling thereinto, are an attestation of this: the mind, or soul, we say, is the man; but the mind sins not, With my mind I serve Christ, and 
Rom. 7. 5. 19, 20.  the evil I would not, that do I, saith the Apostle, they sin against their wills, cannot will sin; they nill and thursdays, in the strength of Christ, all sinful thoughts, words, and works. And if I do that I would not, 'tis no 
Ver. 20.  more I: Quasi dicat, there was a time, when I willed what I acted, and did what I would and could in sin; but now I am not the man, I am not I, 'tis no more I that sin, sin is in me, but against my will, I cannot will to sin, choose to sin might I gain a world for so doing. Christ's Spouse sins not, viz. not with clear freedom, and full consent of will. Hence is said to be spotless, not to sin: for as to will 
Note.  sin, is to commit sin in the account of Justice; so to nill sin, is not to commit sin in the account, of mercy. Man in the first Adam, when he 
Matth. 5. 28.  stood in the glory of his best perfection, the image of the invisible God, made out but a mutable will, a will he had to stand or fall which he pleased; and hence did he will his fall freely; but a man in the second Adam has a better standing, greater strength, and a better and more accomplished will; hence no man in Christ can will his fall, will wandering from God, and a wavering heart, in the sense before asserted, viz. with the wills clear freedom and full consent, so that 
Capell Tempt. pag. 36.  God imputes no more to us, then is approved and allowed by us.  
You have now seen what spots the Saints have not, what sins they commit not: But have Saints no sins? does Saint-ship and Sonship make sinless? No; If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, 
1 Joh. 1. 8.  and the truth's not in us, saith John; he that, Donatus-like, says, I have no sin for Christ to cleanse me 
Non habeo Domine quod ignoscas.  from, has no truth in him, is like to his father, who lied ab origine, from the beginning.  
1. Christ's purest Spouse, has the tincture of sin in herself, it has befallen Christians, in this case, as it fares with a man who has fallen into a ditch, notwithstanding he has been washed from the mud, yet may we smell he has been defiled: Christ's time of suffering was the Disciples time of sinning.  
But secondly, a Christian as he enjoys himself in Christ, and so far forth as he lives in Christ, he's sinless, and his sin is not imputed to him, he's all fair, has no spot in him.    

CHAP. 3.  

SECT. 1.  
Arguments are these;  
1. EVery man is, and every man does, in Gospel account; that which he is most active in; but a Spouse of Christ is most active in good, least of all active in evil, therefore said not to sin. David had many failings, yet was he most in the practice of good, and least in the practice of evil; his heart, as well as hand, was more in the ways of grace, than in those of sin; for he sinned only by accident, if I mistake not; mind that most singular Encomium that's given him; he was a man after Gods own heart; he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, all the days of his life, and turned not aside from any thing the Lord commanded him, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. 
1 Kings 15.5.  There's but one sin mentioned, and that one is not, because pardoned; he was eyed, deemed, and prized according unto that he was most active in; so that in the account of mercy he had no spot in him: a gracious heart is active, most active in good, but passive, most passive in evil; he suffers, when he sins, than most of all; evils of suffering pinch him not so much, as evils of sinning▪ the one being but as a scar in the flesh, the other a wound in the heart, for such souls are most wounded in Christ's wounds; as the loyal wife is most wounded in the wounds of her husband. Let complaints of Saints come forth, and they'll give evidence to this truth; many are judgement-sad, but few sin-sad; Christ's spouse is one of those few, sin is more her burden then is suffering, she's a sensible sinsick soul. On the contrary, a graceless heart is passive, most passive, only in good; suffers most, whilst it does well, and esteems it not so much peace, as perplexity to walk with God, is active in goodness by accident, most active in evil, therefore a sinner, no Saint by nature or name, as Christ wills for one. Christians, consider, 'tis not your starting into duties, your exact performance of them, or your fastening on goodness only by fits, that adds a beauty, a comeliness to you, but 'tis that the hearts most in, that the hands most in, that your strength, all your strength is laid out upon, which shows what you are, in Gospel account: mark, O man, the bent of thy mind, the▪ might of thy motions, thy constancy of continuation in the service of Christ, that thou mayst be all fair, spotless by imputation.   

ARGUMENT 2. SECT. 2.  
EVery man is, and does, in Gospel's account, what he sincerely endeavours to do, but a Spouse does not endeavour to sin, does not put forth her might in sin, does not strenuously perpetrate sin: Hence is said, not to sin; to be void of the spot of sin; to have no sin. Holy men, in Scripture, are said to have humbled themselves, and to have purged themselves, though the Lord knows the creatures insufficiency in such respects, and does the work himself; yet because they sincerely endeavoured to do it in his strength, they are said, in the account of mercy, to have performed it; and indeed the Scriptures are no way wanting in producing precedents for proof; Manasseh, Josiah, Hezekiah, 
2 Chron. 33. 12. & 32.26. & 34.27. Psal. 35. 13. 1 Joh. 3.3.  David, and many others, are said to have humbled themselves; and he that has that hope, purges himself as God is pure, saith John.  
'Tis the good will of God, to crown imperfect actions of Saints with approbation, acceptation, to take a sincere will, and willing mind, for the deed itself: every man is, in the account of God, what he hearty endeavours to be, 
2 Cor. 8. 12.  in good or evil; but a godly man's heart is not in sin, not set to sin; he does not press on that way, but he presseth on to the way of escape from it, even the Lamb of God that takes away sin; I Press towards the 
Phil. 3. 14.  mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I persecute the mark; it's the same word that's used in the Acts, where Paul speaks to Agrippa, that he compelled men to blaspheme, and 
Acts 26.11.  was exceedingly mad against Saints; did persecute them into strange Cities. Paul resolved, as he had been the chief of sinners, now to strive, if possible, to be the chief of Saints; now to excel in grace, as much, yea, much more, then before he had exceeded in sin; hence that saying in the Corinthians imports 
2 Cor. 5. 12, 13. Paulus▪ in omnia praeceps, nil actum oredens cum quid▪ superesset▪ agendum de Caesare. Lucan 2 Phar.  as much; Whether we be besides ourselves, it is to God, or whether we be sober, it is for your sakes; for the love of God constrains us. Paul sets before them the coming of Christ, and their appearance before his judgement seat, with greatest intention of Spirit, and contention of speech. 'Tis said of Origen, that he was ever earnest, but never more then, when he spoke of Jesus Christ.   

ARGUMENT 3. SECT. 3.  
THat which gives the denomination to persons, or things, is the predominant quality in those persons, and in those things, but grace, in the gracious, is the predominant quality, though there be other ingredients in the compound; hence they're called Saints, not sinners; and are eyed in him that sanctifies, as sinless; no action denominates the efficient, but predominant qualities give appellation to the subject; 
una actio non denominat.  particular actions prove not the soundness or unsoundness of the affections; for a good man may do an evil action, and an evil man a good action; but predominant qualities are the fairest and truest Characters of what our minds be, and such as our minds, and their objects be even such are we; grace rules in Saints, sin in sinners: on the contrary, the predominant quality in sinners is sin, hence they have the name Sinners; 'twas Paul's comfort, that his mind was Christ's servant, though his flesh was the servant of sin, his mind had the mastery, was predominant; 'tis here, as in things natural; water's our instance, which consists of many elements; but because moistness and coldness are the principal predominant qualities in the compound, thence it has its denomination, 
1 Kin. 15. 14.  is called water. Asa removed not the high places, did evil in many things, nevertheless his heart was perfect with the Lord all his days; uprightness and integrity of heart were predominant in his heart, therefore 'twas a perfect heart, and so called, mercy was the cause, would it should be so.   

ARCUM. 4. SECT. 4  
EVery man is, and every man does, in the account of the Gospel, that which he is, and does, when he's most himself, but a gracious man, when he is himself least of all, when he's most himself, selfrenued, can he fall into sin? hence may be said not to sin. Man, when he sins, is not apud se, in his right mind, but does ex se ire, go out of himself; and therefore repentance, which is the change of the mind and man, by which he comes from a depraved to a renewed self, is expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a word that imports recovering of wits, lost wits, and is of some translated, after-wisedome; the parable of the lost son conduces to the clearing 
Luk. 15. 17. A man in ●uch a pang ●f passion, is ●id by an unusual phrase, ●on esse apud ●, and as it ●ssen's, ad se ●diisse, to re●rn to him●●lfe.  of this; he craves his portion, takes it, leaves his home, and father's bosom, travels, goes far, as fare as he could, spends his substance on his lusts, living loosely; but want makes him a servant, and brings him to live on husks, could he get them; but all this while, he was not himself: but having received a sense of sin, next a sight of the means of escape from it, which was God's way of striving to bring life again into his dead child, he breathes after home, not being judged, according to what he was before, but according to what he was, when he came to himself, ver. 17. which appears by the sequel, from the 29. ver. to the end of the Chapter; for when his brother accused him to his father, for what he had been and done, no notice is taken of such things, nor answer given as was expected, but words of grace and favour are in the reply; Thy brother that was dead, is now alive, he that was lost, is now found; q. d. he's now another manner of man; there's a truth in what thou sayest, and I know it very well; but he was mad when he did those things, was not himself, was dead; but the case is altered: tell me not what he was, and did, but what he now is, and doth; thou wouldst have me kick, and kill, but I'll kiss; 'tis my live child, my found child, he's now come to himself: there's a time when God does, and will make it out to his children, that their former sins shall not be reviewed; 'tis that they are, and shall be, which his eye is upon, his heart most in: Is not God a good Father? he's all bowels, very pitiful. and of tender 
Jam. 5.11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Jer. 31.34.  mercy; one of many commiserations saith the Greek word; I'll forgive their iniquities, and will remember their sins no more. God does 
Hanc veniam ●etimusque da●usque viois●im.  forget as well as forgive, and forget all he forgives. Christians, this God does for you, what do you for each other? we ask pardon, let's give it.   

ARGUM. 5. SECT. 5.  
EVery man is, and does, in Gospel account, that which he is, & does in sins consummation, in the finishing of sin; but the espoused of Christ does not consummate 
●●m. 1. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  sin, finish sin, therefore are they said not to sin, Sin when't is finished brings forth death, viz. When full, perfect, complete, throughly and exactly made an end of, as the word is; but no sins of Saints do thus terminate, are thus mortal, can thus kill them; sins of Saints were crucified in Christ's crucifixion, can never so revive in them again, as to bring this death upon them. They do not crown sin, the end crowns and proves the action good or evil, Exitus acta probat, and end imports 
Finis coron●● opus.  perfection, i. e. an exact performance of the action; sins, in Saints, are broken, uncocted, evils not digested into full groat, and full strength; hence are they said to be mortified, washed, cleansed: take an instance, Passion flowing thence 
1 Cor. 6.11.  where the grace of Patience is not whole but broken, wounded and maimed, not perfect passion, 'tis not commander, but commanded; not in them, as in others, they have but their pangs and fits of such furies, do but start and startle into sin, 'tis not long lived in them, and that little dying breath it has, is as soon expired as inspired, as soon out as in, they're not constant in sin: sed contra, some do something about sin, little against sin. 
Peccata saepe radiuntur, sed non irradicantur is most true of some.  These are not such; sin in them has its deadly wound, the axe is laid to the root on't, ruin'd it is, or will be.   

ARGUM. 6, SECT. 6.  
EVery gracious man, is in the account of God, and his Gospel, that which he shall be in the state of perfection, hereafter; but men of grace, when men of glory, in perfect state, shall be spotless, have no more power to spot themselves; hence are they deemed spotless here, by imputation, I mean. God, faith the Apostle, calls things which are not as though they were: 'tis granted, hee'● not that he shall be, in fullness; but he's 
Rom. 4.17. Non quoad to●um, sed quoad ●r●dus. ● John 3.2.  that he shall be, in truth; Christ minds not so much what we are, as what we shall be; We are now sons, saith John, and children have their spots, as the Scriptures speak, but it appears not what we shall be, for we shall be like him, and as Christ is, 
1 Joh. 4. 17.  so are we in this world; he minds not so much, what image we have marred, as what of God unto us he's made; he's made holy, and holiness to us, comely, and comeliness to us; he's said to forgive, & forget sin, not to mind, to remember it no more; he has a greater memory of his people's virtues, than vices; thinks more on their future then present state.  
The first borne heir of a rich man, is in the account of his father, wealthy, say he has nothing but necessaries; because, Though he has little in possession, he has much in reversion, if he lives too't. So here, a Christians comeliness is not so much in possession, as in reversion; not so much in his own, as in Christ's own hands; yea, the life of his lustre and grace, though in his own possession, yet the means of preservation is not within, but without him, in Christ his head, from which well of Life he draws all his waters that are living in himself: dying things absent and far from us, are made present and nigh to us by imputation, and fidei mendica manu; promises afar off, were seen and embraced 
Heb. 11.3.  by Abraham, where the Greek has it, he saluted them, kissed 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab a 〈…〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Christ in the promise, and was interchangeably kissed of him, when Christ was then afar off and not incarnate; yet were they drawn together by mutual nearness, and dearness of love, as the word in the original, imports; Christ considers, accounts, and concludes them, as under the enjoyment of their distant, and absent as well as present beauty, and purity. Sweet Christ can kiss them, as eyeing them in their comeliness, which is to come; when it shall be their glory, to be lost in his glory, and their throne, that he has his throne, and their greatest joy, to live with him the joy-maker; such heads are destinated unto the Diadem: you have seen in 
Tertul.  what sense Saints are sinless, in what sense not; the Lord make these things advantage to you, godly gain.    

CHAP. 4.  

SECT. 1.  
1. WAtch thy wayward heart that thou makest not God a liar; every sin is a lie, 'tis called in Scripture a lying vanity, 
Jonah 2.8.  and for a man to observe it, is to forsake his own mercies. Saints sinning give God the lie; Infidelity is a lie, and gives God the lie, and which is more, maketh God a liar; he that believeth not God has 
1 Joh. 5.10.  made him a liar; and he that says he has not sinned makes God a liar: 
1 Joh. 1.10.  be not slow of heart to believe; does Christ account thee all fair? make not thyself all ●oule; does he say thou art sinless? and wilt thou, canst thou sin senslesly?  
'Tis true, corruption, edged with a temptation, gets, as it were, the hill and the wind, and upon such advantages too oft prevails; we can stay no more from sinning, than the heart from panting, & the pulse from beating; our lives we may fear, abound more with sins then the firmament with stars, or the furnace with Sparks, which caused that saying, Libera me Domine a malo homine meipso; Lord, free me from that evil man mine own self: in our hearts our sins are voluminous, in our lives, our erratas are in a sense infinite; 'tis not falling into the water that drowns, but lying in it; so falling into sin sinks not thy soul, but living in it; and although sins of Saints are not in the account of God, because pardoned, yet when 
Trap.  they see the sins of others, have they cause to say with the good Martyr, 〈…〉 Whether or why am not I such? whether 
M. Bradford.  or no has God cleansed me, and if so, why has God done this for me? What am I more than they, 
Domine non sum dignus quem tu diligas. Augustin.  that God should thus love me, charge no sin upon me? make not God a liar, though thou canst not escape sin whilst in the body, yet do not make sin, make a trade of sin, not art it, not sin artificially, presumptuously, delightfully, willingly, with the whole man, industriously, that were to dam up the way of donations divine.   

SECT. 2.  
2. RUminate sensibly what this Lamb suffered to take away sin, and make thee spotless; he himself was made sin for us, who knew no sin, nor did sin, neither was gui●e found in his mouth, and when he was reviled, he reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, who his own self bear our si●s, in his own 
Cor. 2 5. ●●. ● Pet. 2. ●1, 22, 23.  body on the tre●, saith the Scripture, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him; he was a sinner, not only by imputation, 
Heb. 12.2. Luk. 23.5.11.  but by reputation, he was numbered among the transgressors; he it is that did drink hell dry to the bottom, has left no hell behind for thee; He was slighted, set at nought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made no body, derided, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they blew their noses at him; he was railed on, buffeted, scourged, had his agonies, his bloody sweeting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clottie blood issued through his flesh and skin, in an abundant measure, and that without any external violence, 
Sanguinem congellatum quasi extruserit.  merely by the force of his own saddest thoughts within him; was strongly accused, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with great intention of Spirit, and 
Mark. 8. 12. Expletur, Lachrimis egeriturque dolour. Phil. 2.7.  great contention of speech; he sighed deeply, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had a straightened heart, and made himself of no reputation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did exhausted, 
Evacuavit se ex omni gloria & aequalitate cum Patre, Zanch.  exanimate, evacuate, annihilate, and empty himself of his all, for a season, he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 price, and counter-price for lost undone souls, and at last had his decease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his exodus, his departure out of that Egypt and Egyptian bondage; a coercive, cogent 
Ex omni ad nihil seipsum redegit. Beza. 1 Tim. 2.13. Luk 9.31. Esay 52.14.  consideration, to cause compliance with Christ. O Saints! in Zion behold your King; First, as weeping for, and over you; his face was foul with weeping, and his visage marred more than any man's; yea, than any of the sons of men: O what a sweetness of strength attractive there is in the sight of a Jesus! as standing and knocking at the heart's door, with a tear in his eye, crying, Open unto me, even unto me, my Sister; I am thy Brother, not a stranger; and my locks are wet with the▪ due and drops of the night: shall sweet Christ put his hand to the hole of the door, and thy bowels not move for him? shall no drops of Myrrh, sweet smelling Myrrh, fall from thy hands and fingers, when thou layest hold on the handles of the lock? Secondly, Look 
Cant. 5.4.5.  wishly on Christ as bleeding; for, in thee, in drawing thy soul, he drew till the blood came, clottie blood; 
Luk. 22.44.  he than was begging strength, to bear the rod for sins, that were not his own; Messiah was cut off, but not for himself, saith Daniel; my sins, and thy sins, squeezed the blood out of his blessed sides, hands, and feet, and pierced him in the most nervous, tender parts; such foes were we to this good friend; yet Jesus Christ is burnt up with love to poor sinners, to make them rich Saints; and wilt thou cast water on this fire, by resistance? Canst thou then? hast thou bowels of iron, and suckedst a Tiger when thou wast young? Thirdly, Cast thine eye on Christ, as dying; on a crucified Christ, Christ on the Cross, now, even now stretching out his arms, holding out his breast, opening his bosom, and heart, crying out, who will, whosoever will come, let him come and lodge in this heart of mine; 
john 7.37.  the sour cross, was sweet Christ's deathbed, there he made his last will, and which is more than other dying friends can do, he died, drawing, pulling sinners into his own heart: O saints, and sinners! 
M. Rutherford.  'tis a most vile thing to meet dying Christ with disdain: Christ dying leaped for joy, that by dying he could keep sons alive. Now tell me, O my friend, when thou seest him set a full cup of wrath, death, and hell to his head, and seest him sigh, sing, and smile; for thy good; canst thou break that cup of trembling on his fair face, and not have thy heart fettered with Christ's silken love-cords, which are softer than oil? sure, his love applied to thy heart hearty, will make thee ingenuous, free, thankful, respectful. Solomon's honey, and sampson's Dalilah are sweet drinks, that swell some, who are after glad to vomit them up again, and are pained with sickness at the remembrance of them; but 'tis not so here, that love that Christ has from us is better bestowed; and stouthearted sinners, I'll tell you your doom; Christ's love comes near you, but you fly from it, you will need mountains to fall upon you, and hid you from his presence, sweet Lamb, that he is; that's an hell-like 
La●ere, erit impossibile, apparere, intolerabile. Anselmus.  sorrow, yet must be suffered, when to hid 'twill be impossible, and to appear intolerable: O think on the day of Christ's appearance, when he'll speak with a voice like thunder; I am he, behold the man whom ye have crucified, the sides that you 
Ego sum, ecce hominem quem crucifixisti●, ecce latus quod pugugistis, ecce vulnera quae in fiaeistis. Rev. 1.7.  have pierced, my hands and feet; lo, see the wounds you made, and this will he say when he comes with clouds; every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him; They shall look 
jisdem quibus videmus oculis flemus.  and lament; then a good conscience towards God will more bestead, than all the treasures in the world.   

SECT. 3.  
3▪ LOve him, and live to him, who 
Plus valebit conscientia pura quam marsupia plena. Bern.  accounts thee lovely; truly, without halting, wholly, without halving; let Christ's love be thy pattern; a Sea of love has a bottom, an Heaven of love, a brim; but infinite love is limitless, such is his; the infinite love of God in Christ, moves in a circle of life; Christ's heart is the spring and fountain there; all rivers and streams of love meet as a congregation of all good, and there's the Ocean, the Sea of love and loveliness: Christ's Chariot runs on wheels of love, and the pace is easy and sweet, and he breath's with 
Probatio dilectionis exhibitio est operis. Greg in Evang. Hom. 30. Mat. 22. 37.  his Aura levis, his gentle gales, that are cheering, that thou mayst breathe like him: Christ's love is an Elixir, which by contaction, if there beany disposition of goodness in the same metal, 'twill rendered of the same property itself is; 'tis a rarity, a great one, and a merveilous Lenocinium, enticer of desires. 
Luk. 8.4.7. Melancthon.  One conflicted under the pangs of death, and at last comforted, breathed out her thoughts thus; now, and not till now, understand I the meaning of those words, Thy sins are forgiven thee; then, and not till then, it should seem, was heart raised and ravished with unspeakable love, to this lovely Lamb, which love is the fruit of remission of sin; 'tis a sad thing to have a selfish, circular love, that has no centre but self, ascends no higher, goes no farther. Among the Romans, they who were saved, were wont to crown him that saved them, and to honour him as a father, all their days; so Christians should take the Crown of glory, of all their salvations, and good 
●uot verba ●● absurda.  actions, and set it on Christ's head, who best becomes it; he that speaks of himself seeks his own glory, said Christ; selfe-seekers, and Thrasos boasters of yourselves, where's your esteem of Christ? is this your best 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 example you give? 
1 Tim. 4. 12. Magno conatu magnas agere nugas. Magni nugatores. 1 Tim. 6.4.  does this make the stamp on your coin? then it's not current with Christ. Some are in Paul's language, proud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, blown, and swollen up, knowing nothing aright, and as they ought to know; a tumour in the body, is a symptom sad enough, in the soul, saddest of all, doters on questions and strife of words, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, question-sick, the best success whereof will be languor in the end; such must be withdrawn from us; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, stand off, keep at a distance from such, knowledge 
Socrates.  without love, is like rain in the middle region; that was a grave speech, I know that I know nothing. Some get the tree of knowledge but lose the tree of life, says one; Apostates from first love frown on your faces; some are at first warm, next lukewarm, of a middle temper, but at last freezing could in affection to Christ.   

SECT. 4.  
4 Fellow thy husband, begin 
Principlum fervet, medium repet, exitus▪ ulget. Hymnus evangelisisslmus.  with thanksgiving, sing to this Jesus the Canticle most evangelical; as thou didst put no bounds to thyself sinning, being now saved from it, put no bounds to thy thanksgiving: Ingratitude, say some, is a Monster in nature, a Solecism 
Let thy modus be sine modo. Bern. Luk. 1.68. Arbour honore●ur, cujus nos unbra tuetur.  in manners, a Paradox in grace, damning up the course of donations divine and humane. We respect the tree; who's shade's, our defence; Thanksgiving was Luther's Sancti crapula, the stomach should be full out, and then there's no ease or rest, till the heart's unladen in Christ: has God let thee see thou'rt sinless, that he has put away thy sin? then cover 1 That thou mayst do, and suffer as much, and more, now sin is pardoned, as thou wouldst have done and suffered for a particular knowledge of it; before thou hadst it, than thou wast all action to have it, nothing was irksome which was a leading means to it; O then, what running to God, and the godly, for information? what praying, hearing, reading and enquiring was there then? then thou thought'st it more worth than are worlds, and what's the mercy the less, because out of Christ's hand into thine own? 2 Be active in sanctification, because formerly thou wast passive in regeneration, and in 
God's the Agent, man's the Patient then. 2 Cor. 7.1.  making satisfaction for the transgression, having through great and precious promises, received the divine nature; where's the cleansing from all filthiness of flesh & spirit? 3 Spend, and end all thy days in meditation and admitation of what the Lord thy God has done for thee, who was once under the curse, the law, the lash; cry as the Prophet, O who is a God like to our God, that parclons iniquity, transgressions and sins, 
Micha 7.18, 19  who delights in mercy, and casts our sins into the depths of the Sea, wonder thou art not so vile as the vilest in God's esteem, that he bears thee any good will, gives thee one good word, can speak so well, and thou deservest so ill, that thy name does not stink with God, what but free grace, full grace, rich grace, has put a difference 'twixt thee and other men; lay then the blame of future sufferings upon thy sinning, and let every unkindness in carriage towards Christ, be killing to thy very heart, and ponder his great goodness till all time be lost in eternity.   

SECT. 5.  
5. TAke thy stand in Christ. Motion has no rest till in a fit place, nor thou, Chrstian, till quieted in Christ; no bird will prune herself, and sing, till she has taken a stand that's pleasing; 
Mat. 9, 27. adult.  dost thou suffer for Christ? thou mayst afford it, thou gettest and gainest well by it, thou mayst lay out ones for him, lend him one's, and he'll retaliate hundreds, an hundred fouled, and better; God lets us suffer, not to abuse us, but to use us, make the best use of us; yea, he has already done, and suffered 
Non ad exi●ium sed ad exercitium.  more for thee then thou ever didst, or canst do for him: Believers, in this strange land, may you hang up your Harps upon the willows; yet sing your Hebrew songs, and songs of Zion to your King; but by Physic is the way to health, and to joy, you pass through sorrow, you have but your seedtime here, your harvest hereafter; may sow in tears, but shall reap in joy; Fructus est ipse in semine, and even the fruit itself is in the root; not to be afflicted, is not to be affected; to cover the Altar with tears is not so comely, as to 
Bern. in Psal. 90. Serm. 17, Mal. 2. 13. Hosea 14. ●.  do't with the calves of our lips; every bird can sing in the Spring; but Birds of Paradise, heavenly ones should sing in Autumn, waters of wells are warmest in Winter, so should thy heart be with joy, in sorrow; there's a mirth of mourning, Paul and Silas sang Psalms in the stocks, and had pleasure in contemptible, comfortless 
Peter Martyr, in 2 Sam. 24.  chains, Luctus gaudio mixtus, mourning with mirth mixed, best becomes Martyrs; some can weep, singing for joy of heart, in frowning 
Habet & lacryinagna voluptas Seneca. Ipse dolor voluptas est, Aug. Confess. l. c. 2.  days. Spouse, consider thy Husband; the fountain of joy itself did not, in the days of his flesh, seem a man of much joy, yet rejoiced in spirit; the wine of the grapes of the Canaan above, and the water of life, with the immortal bread, is sufficient to make man hearty hardy, in greatest hardships under the Cross of Christ: Such as gather Simples, take herbs in the Spring, flowers in Summer, fruit in Autumn, roots in winter; and why Roots in Winter? because the sap is then gone down, is most in the root, when least in the branch, most under ground, when least above it; the richest veins of oar lie deepest; dost thou miss the sap of sweetness in thyself a branch? Christ is thy Vine, thy Root, and secures it for thee; gather thy scattered comforts into Christ, enjoy him, and them in him, and thou choosest the better part, wilt find losses for Christ, clear gain; being eased of thy sin, the greatest work is done, the greatest trouble is over; God shoots his arrow, as Jonathan, not so much to harm as to warn thee.   

SECT. 6.  
6. STay thy marvel, that so many mind earth, and so few mind heaven, they're not married to the Lamb, else would they live, lie down, and rise with him; such Terriginae fratres are written in the earth; O Lord, they that depart 
Jer. 17.18.  from thee shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken thee, the fountain of living waters; these, Grashopper-like, breed, live and die, in the same ground; and though winged they are in some measure for higher things, yet fly they do not; sometime they hop heaven-ward a little, but fall to the ground again, and at last their earthly womb they make their heavenly Tomb, moiling like muckwormes, clogging themselves with thick clay, till in judgement they're cloyed; men of the first Adam, only from the earth, of 
Homo ab humo.  an earthly breed, and hence are they strangers to this second Adam, the Lord from Heaven: Poor souls, what's the world? 'tis but a Cipher in God's sight; look, even in the profits and pleasures, they are but as smoke, which wrings tears from the eyes, and then becomes nothing; and all the joys of life are but seeming one's unto what's future; all seen things are sweeter in the ambition, than in the fruition; they're too too cloying upon a review, we in time loath what we have formerly loved, as Amnon served Tamor; 
Desideria dilata crescunt at cito data vilescunt.  we love our food when it is meat, but loathe it when 'tis excrement; prise it when we take it into us, despise it when it passes through us: all secular and sublunary delights are like Sodom's Apples, 
Quae contacta cinerescunt.  the inside of who's beauty is but ashes.   

SECT. 7.  
7. LEt all go whether 'twill, that Christ may come where, and when he will; let all 
Aut pax, aut pactio, when Christ comes.  go for him where ere you find him; he's the only Peacemaker, and peace-matter, who alone under his father, can turn Golgotha into ●abatha; Moses could lose a fructill Egypt for Christ, a place where Nilus overflows, and seed, being sown, yields four rich harvests in less than four months, to the owners thereof. Origen chose rather to be a poor 
Ephes. 2. 13. to 17. Sic certaminis Moderatur. Plotinus. Phil. 3.8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Catechist in Alexandria, than, denying Christ, to be with his fellow Pupils in great authority and favour. And all Paul's gain was left, deemed loss, dross, dung, and dogs meat for Christ; such 
Quis non patiatur, ut potiatur.  things if in competition with Christ, are, to such souls, objects of loathing, not of love; and such great loser's for Christ, are greatest gainers, who repent they knew not the commodity sooner; Deity rewards the devout.   

SECT. 8.  
8 TAke comfort, and be of good cheer, that Christ accounts thee sinless; thou art not such as the world would make thee, thy worth is hid from their eyes; when they'd mind nothing but thy failings, let this refresh thy spirits for ever, that thou art arrayed with Christ, in Christ's attire; thy nakedness is not, the shame and blame thereof is not, thy sin is not; but thy God is. O heart! open wide and well, that Christ may fill thee; now that which sought the life of thy glory, beauty and comfort is dead, now mayst thou return from the wilderness of sorrow, and solitariness, and dwell in thine own City, not made with hands. Now Christ is thy life, and death will be thy gain, now mayst thou sing triumphing, O death, 
1 Cor. 15.55, 56, 57 In Christ says the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 super superamus, we do, over overcome. Rom. 8.37.  where is thy sling? O grave where is thy victory? and give thanks to the father, who has made thee victor through Christ his son; yea, more than Conqueror, for thou hast over overcome, as the word is in the original; now to die, is no more to thee, but repatriasse, to reverse home, go to heaven again; now mayst thou joy in affliction, stand in temptation, be perfect in action, and go freely to 
Bern.  the full breasts of consolation in Christ. O Spousel speak well of thy husband, where ere thou goest, commend him to all, both friends and enemies, and sigh the Peacemaker has spoken peace-matter, return no more to folly.    
Dixi. Laus Deo.  
FINIS.