Practical Divinity: OR A HELP THROUGH the blessing of God to lead men more to look within themselves, and to unite experienced Christians in the bond and fellowship of the Spirit.  
Delivered in sundry exercises lately spoken by Cap. PAUL HOBSON, Upon these Texts.  Prov. 28.1. 
The righteous are as bold as a Lyon.  Cant. 6.9. 
My Dove, my undefiled is but one.  Phil. 4.11. 
I have learned in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content.  
Published by an hearty Wellwillerto Peace and unity among the dissenting Godly and to the promotion of spiritual and experimental truths, without affectation or opinions, or prejudice against persons. Tending as to the edification of the reader chief: so also, somewhat in vindication of the Author.  
Licenced and Published according to Order. And sold by R. HARFORD at the Bible in Queenes-head-alley in Pater-noster-row. 1646.   

The Publisher to the Reader.  
READER,  
THese Sermons although not intended by the Author to to be made thus public, he being absent when they were taken in hand; But being very much desired by many and pressed hereunto, conceiving truth herein held forth so clear, that the spiritual and experienced Christian will relish and seal thereto; Being desirous to own truth wheresoever found, not daring to oppose it, truth carrying such a light, power and demonstration in itself, 
James 2.1.  we durst not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glory in respect of persons.  
It could be wished the Author would publish his own labours; but they appearing to many, worthy the communicating, they are here presented to thy view; And although they may not be so full and emphatical as they were delivered, being taken by writing them from his mouth, yet love will make thee not curious to spy faults, which is too common a fault in our times, but to take in good part what is here held forth to thee, by him who aimeth at thy spiritual good, and somewhat also in vindication of the Author of these Sermons, (whose I believe they are, not only in regard of expression, but also in experience in a good measure) an imputation of errors being laid on him as on others, more than true.  
And indeed we believe as it was lately said before a solemn Assembly, there is (it may be) abroad a greater cry of errors then really there is, although with grief be it spoken, there be many foul errors broached, and some very blasphemous which deserve as severe punishments as the word of God requires: yet let not real and glorious truths suffer under the name of error; Our Lord Christ himself was counted among the transgressors, and St. Paul confesses after the way that yond call heresy, so worship I the Lord God of my Fathers; and let us not judge all that error, which we by reason of darkness, or not being come to the same experiences, cannot see to be truth; but let us try all things and hold fast that which is good. 
2 Cor. 10.12.   
Neither as the Apostle saith aught we to boast of things without our measure, as the manner of some is, that is of other men's labours and experiences; in another man's line, of things made ready to our hand; for we are very ready to think higher of ourselves then is meet, or we have cause, 
Gal. 6.3 2 Cor. 10.17.  having built up ourselves in our own conceits, to be something when we are nothing. That because the Apostle Paul, Luther, & others, through affliction and high experiences of God's assistance, and thriving by the Cross, were transcendently hold in God and for God, therefore they are ready to appropriate and boast of their labours and experiences as if they were their own, and were come to such an high pitch and had the same enjoyments.  
But it were far better & safer for us this something were brought to nothing, and we convinced of our own weakness ingrace and how carnal we are and how far below the life of Christ and true boldness; This man should go home justified rather than the other. But he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord, that Christ may be all in all; 
Gal. 5 22.23.25.  for not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the lord commendeth; for self being set up and gotten into the chairt, it will swell, boasting itself above what is meet, or what it hath received, and then others better than themselves must be their footstool, that by the degrading of others they may advance themselves: but says the Apostle, they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts; the fruit of the spirit is joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law; if we live in the spirit let us walk in the spirit, and let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.  
But read I pray thee these Sermons seriously and with a single eye, (if so it be given thee) and weigh the subject of them and whereto they tend, and apply them to experience: and thou shalt see how much or how little thou hast of the life of christ. And if thou beeft enabled to aim at thine own good in perusing them, I doubt not but thou wilt accept, and not quarrel at them. So I commend both them and thee to the blessing of him, who only is able to make us grow up into him in all things who is our head, 
Ephe. 4.15.  that speaking the truth in love, 
Phil. 2.1.  and having fellowship in the spirit; we henceforth be no more children, 
Ephe. 4.14.  tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But holding forth the word of life, till we all come in the unity of the faith and knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of fullness of Christ,  
In whom he desires to serve thee, Far well.   

DEarest friends, that which I purpose to speak this morning very briefly, that I may give way to our Brother that is to speak also, shall be out of the 28. Prov. part of the 1 ver. But the righteous are as bold as a Lyon. It will be necessary that we read the foregoing words in regard of this word But, having some reference to some what said before the wicked flee when none pursueth, but the righteous are as bold as a Lion; most of the sentences in this book of the Prov. are without any dependence, but are entire speeches, having their full sense in themselves; but here we have 2 sentences in one verse, one explaining and setting out the other, two affirmative Propositions in opposition one to another; whatsoever can be spoken of a wicked man and one that lives from God, without God, the contrary in opposition may truly and properly be said of a godly man, here called a righteous man, because he lives in God, lives with God, he acts by the power of God, he lives in another Region, hath a contrary life, he is elemented in Divine loves, partakes of the Divine nature, 
2 Peter 1.4.  and lives in the divine glory.  
These words we have now read, they are an affirmation of a saints privilege, and of a Saints property; All souls which are brought home to God, that live with God, this is their privilege, they are made righteous by God; made righteous by Justification, a righteousness held out to them: and also made righteous by the glory and righteousness of God in them; and such a man cannot choose but be bold for such a God; And not only bold in opposition to wicked men, because they flee when none pursueth, 
Psal. 53.5.  and fear where no fear is; but the highest resemblance of the highest creature, is too low to set out what such a man's boldness is in God and for God, and therefore you see the Holy Ghost makes use of the choyfest of all the creatures for courage and boldness, to set out the temper of a saint, when he lives in God and God in him; nay the highest and most raised sublimity in the creature is too low to set out the lowest acts of a saints spirit.  
I may draw one point from the former words, of wicked men's fear, because it leads to unfold the other points concerning a righteous man's boldness. The wicked flees when none pursueth.  
Doct. The Doctrine, That man that lives without God, although made by God, he is so far a man of fear and not of faith. But I shall let that go, and come to the words intended; There is not only a difference in the spirits of wicked and righteous men, but a direct opposition; the one acts all together downward to the earth, to self, to carnal, low, and base ends; the other acts altogether upward to God, to heaven, to self denial, to high and pure ends.  
Doct. First observe, That the people of God are a righteous people. They are righteous, not only in regard of Justification, that is a righteousness held forth and made out to us: but also in regard of that you call sanctification, that is, a righteousness revealed in us; and this is peculiarly a saints privilege; He not only lives under life, but he lives in life, is life itself: I confess it is a great and precious privilege to live under life, to have and use Ordinances; but to have them and not live by them, nay, to have them and not to have lives above them, this is below a saints privilege; the world hath thus much privilege; But the saints they use not only the Ordinances, but they are a means to put them into life; to make them one with life, they know what the Anoninting is, what the unction of the Father is. But now if you ask me what is menant by a righteous man? Ans. Some take it to be meant of Christ himself. The righteous are as bold as a Lion, that is, (say they) Christ, for he only is righteous, and not any man, therefore he is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. 
Revel. 5.5.  But my light says, this a description of a saints spirit, for there is nothing can be said of Christ, but may all so be said of Saints, as saints; for he lives in the same life with Christ, in the same region, in the same glory; nay he lives in the same Sovereignty and authority; is Christ a son and heir of his father's glory? So are all Saints, they partake of the same sonship, the same inheritance; is Christ a King? so are the Saints, partakers of the same Kingship. Hath he put down all rule and all authority and subjected all his enemies under his fear? so have the Saints, so fare as they live with and in Christ; they set their foot upon all their lusts, upon all the world: they are conquerors over Death and Hell, they have set their foot upon the very neck of Satan. I know beloved there be degrees to this life, there is a dying before we come to this life; but this is certain, as a Saint comes up to this life, so he puts down Principalities, and Powers, when he lives as a saint he puts down all rule and all authority that before he was subjected to and captivated under. And the very matter of Christ's glory, the same for nature and kind, though not for degrees in this life, is a Saints portion.  
Doct. The 2. Observation these words hold forth, is from this expression of boldness, the righteous are bold. Doct. That the people of God are a bold people, full of courage.  
Doct. The 3, Doctrine, Men and women must of necessity be made righteous by Christ, before they can be bold and conragious for Christ. All other boldness is a false deceiving boldness, except it proceed from hence; in that we are freed, set at liberty, made righteous by Christ, many are bold 'tis true; but 'tis no true boldness, 'tis a presumptuous boldness: there is a natural boldness, and there is a legal boldness, and there is a pharisaical boldness, boldness of divers kinds; but this true real, unconquerable, undeceaveable boldness, is only to be had and enjoyed in the life of Christ, being made righteous by him, not only by a righteousness made out to us, but by a righteousness revealed in us.  
The next Observation is from the resemblance here used. The righteous are as bold as a Lyon. 'tis a comparison taken from the highest, and choicest of all Creatures for undaunted boldness and courage, in that he fears no creature, nothing can turn him out of his way; the holy Ghost upon every occasion when he would set out the property and privileges of Saints, he still chooses the choicest of all the creatures to set it out by; to set out of what a high, choice and raised spirit a Saint is off, as he is a Saint: the high frame of a Saints spirit that lives with Christ, is not to be set out by the choicest of all the creatures, and that may be next the point.  
Doct. Doctrine, That the highest of creatures is too low to declare the glory of a Saints spirit. 'tis impossible by the choicest of all creatures, & by the perfection of all creatures, to make it out to men in the full glory, beauty & excellency thereof; He that enjoys it knows it best, but he is not able to comprehend it; for he is comprehended by it. And therefore he himself is not able to make it out to the full, but is swallowed up by it.  
These points the words hold forth to us; but I shall not handle them severally, but we will rather choose to gather the full sense of them all in one conclusion, viz.  
Doct. That Souls made righteous by God are in the enjoyment of God transcen dently bold. Here are 3 conclusions in one. 1. Here is Saints are made righteous. 2. Saints thus made righteous they are bold. 3. They are transcendently bold. For the opening this point, we must open all the words.  
1. To be made righteous what it is. We shall not now speak how we are made righteous by justification, as righteousness is purchased for us, and held out to us. Because I conceive the words intent a man in the other sense; a man made righteous, by revealing of righteousness in us, in that we are made one with the life and glory of Christ: we speak now of a righteous spirit, a freed spirit, a spirit made one with Christ, a spirit overcome in the enjoyment of Christ's spirit, a spirit wrapped up, overwhelmed by the sweet inflowing and come in of the glory of Christ: a spirit wherein Christ sits in glory and displays his loves to the soul, so that by the very coming in and enjoyment of Christ, they are made one with Christ, transformed into the very nature and glory of Christ. So that all self and the very form of the old creature is annihilated, and all turned into Christ; He is removed from his former centre, his own bottom; there is a new engrafting and being carried up into Christ, so that he is transformed into the hidden, divine, superexcellent glory and riches and life of Christ: so as he is (as I may say) christed with Christ, made glory with the very glory of God and Christ, so that this they not only know in their understandings, but have, feel, and enjoy it, and it works in them a life, and fruit suitable to this glory and transformation.  
Those that lie in the heart of Christ, that have found themselves transplanted from themselves, transformed into Christ, by Christ, they find their heart transformed with loves & ravishments towards him, to him, and none else, but as they see them, and enjoy them in him, and him in them; there are intercourses & returns of love to each other. This is not the righteousness of Justification, when Christ holds out a righteousness purchased for thee, and thou by faith laying hold on it for the acceptation of thy person; but this is Christ himself; his hand taking hold of thee, bringing thee over from thyself into himself, and transacting thee into himself, and this is that that causes interchanges of loves, so that Christ in loving thee, he loves himself; and thou in loving him lovest thyself, in one and the same act; and in all your acts Christ acts, and in all Christ acts within you, you act; so soon as ever you are brought over into these enjoyments, you are swallowed up in Christ, and in your lowest acts Christ acts as well as in your highest; in the very lowest estate, you may have the highest enjoyments: that when you are trampled on by the world, when your enemies think they have got the day and have their will of you, then may you have such sweet enjoyments of Christ, 
Mat. 5.11.12.  that in this regard you may rejoice and be exceeding glad when you enter into divers temptations; 
Jeames 1.2.  when the world and persecutors think they have taken from you all your comfort, and bereft you of all your life, then may you be more than conquerors, enjoying a life hidden from them; that when they think you are captived, they themselves are captived, and you the conquerors, as deceivers, 
2 Cor. 6.8.9.10.  and yet true (says the Apostle) as unknown; yet well known; as sorrowful; 
Col. 3.3.  yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich: as having nothing and yet possessing all things: you are dead to the world, but your life is hid with Christ in God; by this you may take a sight and small taste of what is meant by a righteous man in this place, the righteous are as bold as a Lyon.  
Secondly, what is meant by this word bold; truly friends I must confess I have been along time mistaken what this bold spirit in a saint was; I took it to be this, and that, and mistaken in all; time was when I had a natural boldness which many men have, which is borne with them, being of a resolute bold hardy temper of spirit; yet this was discovered to me to be but nature; and many a wicked man is possessed thereof: then afterward I came to be a civil man; then in that I paid every man his own, and lived uprightly to menward, so that no man could tax me of doing any man wrong; herein I grew bold; But this also was discovered to be but civil boldness, and upon false grounds. Then I came to Legal boldness, attaining to such a degree of obedience to the Law, that I thought myself all most blameless, and herein I grew bold indeed, and I thought it was true boldness: but it was discovered this was not the true boldness neither, and there is many other kinds of boldness; there is a sinful boldness, men being ignorant of themselves, and what sin is, and what God is; they are bold to sin, and sin with a high hand daringly, with brazen faces. So also there is a pharisaical boldness, when men are bold because of their external conformity to the Law, and external submitting to Ordinances, because they are in a right Gospel's way, because they are of a fellowship where they enjoy pure Ordinances; And am not I (say they) as good as you, what do you more than I? I do not speak this that you should neglect Ordinances, and forsake fellowship, for I know the High God may be enjoyed in a low Ordinance; And you ought also to hold forth God in Ordinances to others, to men of the World, and Saints below you; though you enjoy that which is fare above all Ordinances, even the real and lovely presence of the Lord Christ in himself.  
Many men because they enjoy Ordinances in purity, and hold forth a great Profession, they gather hence a great boldness, and look big upon themselves, and think who may walk more big, bold, and confident than they (what, they not Saints? who is a saint then?) I that have gone thus far, and tied myself constant to duty, what not I of thus long standing? But beloved, none of all these is the true boldness; a Saints boldness is from other principles, of a more noble and higher frame; His boldnesle is, because he lives with, and enjoys the highest God: In that they are gotten above all the world. Things below are too base for their spirits; they count it gain to lose themselves: the other count it gain to gain themselves; And hence it is, because they see themselves got above all things, they live undaunted noble lives; They live in the upper Regions where Christ lives, above all things inferior to himself.  
They are so much drawn into Christ, that they cannot much mind these things below, they are not much troubled how they ebb or flow, because they are aloft; They are not tumbled to and fro, as they in their Tides tumble too and again; They are filled with noble blood, divine blood; the Spirit and Glory of Christ and God, rests upon them, and runs in all their veins.  
Beloved, what can that man fear, that is thus transacted, transplanted, united to God, drawn up into God, in whom all self, and flesh, and carnal ends, 
2 Cor. 12.9.  is perished, dead and buried, and he made a new man in Christ, risen in, and with Christ? Here is the man is here spoken of; Here is the boldness of a Saint: No marvel all the world, nor all the fluctuation of and in the world, cannot disturb this man's Spirit; for he is above all, aloft, he is in the bosom of Christ; Oh dearest friends, this life is a hidden thing, and you that enjoy it know it, and none else; I know your experiences of this life, fare exceed what ever my tongue can express; when men have imprisoned you, and think they have overcome you, then are you most at liberty; When they have brought you to poverty, then have they most in riched you; when ye die, ye live; when you have all things, then have you nothing; 
2 Cor. 6.10.  when you have nothing, then have you all things; 
Phil. 3.8.  you are so taken up with Christ, that all below Christ, is as dross, and dung, 
Gal. 6.14.  and you say with Paul God forbidden that I should rejoice in any thing, save in the Cross of Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.  
While you are with Christ, what can hurt you? all the troubles in the world seize no more on you then water on a Ducks back.; While the world is reviling, you are singing; while the world is imprisoning, you are embracing; While the world is hating and persecuting, you are loving; While the world is casting you off for sects and schismatics, you are in your injoying; While the world smites, Christ is kissing: such a mysterious hidden secret, is the life of a saint, that it befools all the world. When the world thinks they deserve their hatred, they love and pity them; while you think they look upon you, they look above you; their eye is not upon their opposers, but what they enjoy from Christ; they are of more noble, higher spirits, then to fasten their eyes so low as upon their opposers; I profess when God brought me of from one condition of boldness to another; but especially when he fetched me off from legal and pharisaical boldness; in so much that I saw, that all boldness which had its rise and birth, in self, from self, and to self, it must be confounded; and I came to see that all true boldness must run out from the very heart and loves of Christ; it must be from a spirit filled with such royal, noble, divine blood, as none but the sons of God partake of; and then I saw the world was of a blood so low and base, that it cannot be sensible what this life is.  
The second thing we would come to show, is, wherein this boldness dothconsist. A soul thus made one with God, made righteous by God in the enjoyment of God, and by the righteousness of God revealed in us, he is bold in these three regards.  
First, He is bold with God. Secondly, He is bold in declaring for God. Thirdly, He is bold in undergoing any thing laid upon him by God.  
First, He is bold with God, he is free and familiar with God; There is such intimate communion between Christ and him, that he can freely, and with a sonlike spirit and affection, ask any thing of God, his enjoyments embolden him; For he sees God so unbosom himself to him, that his very heart is not too much for him. He asks not as a servant with slavish fear, but as a son, as seeing all his inheritance is in God. He knows what ever is in God, in Christ, is as freely his as they are Christ's; he hath as true right to them as Christ; He lays claim to all the beauties and glories of Christ, to all the riches, life, and treasures in Christ, as his own proper portion. He does not ask with a daunted fearful spirit, he approaches into his very Bosom, to his very Heart: and what ever is there, he knows is his own to ask and enjoy; and this he does freely, fully; he lays claim to all Divine loves.  
And by this enjoyment, he makes returns of loves; all the loves his heart can hold, shall all run out to God again; by this very embracement, he comes to act in God and God in him.  
And I pray you observe this, and think of it when you do not see me; The very enjoyment of God carries over your spirits, & all you are to God, to give up yourselves to him; you will not stand upon such needless questions. Whether saints are bount to duty; they by that very act of enjoying God, make themselves over to God, to be acted, and ruled by God: their own will ceases, and Gods will is become one with theirs, and theirs with his; you cannot choose but love & act for God, for you are with God, in God:  
Friends, I hope some of your spirits do echo to these truths, and find them true, by your enjoyments in some degree. Do not think that this is the life you must look for only hereafter, when you are come to Heaven after this life; I tell you this life is now, and I verily believe the time is coming, that saints shall come to see this life made good to them, and in them more and more.  
Object. But it may be some will say, you speak of a very high life; is it possible that such poor Creatures, such poor Worms as we are, should be so embraced by the Eternal God? How comes this to pass?  
Answer Answ. In three regards the Saints have experience of these things. First, In regard they know they have a propriety in him. Secondly, In regard they have knowledge in experience of recourse to him. Thirdly, of a constant familiarity with him.  
First, They have a knowledge of propriety in him, they know that God hath made himself their Father, and they his sons, this makes them bold; who can be more bold with a Father then his sons? Though Abraham be ignorant of us, yet thou art our Father, 
Isal. 63.16.  behold we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God. They know God does not cast them off because of their sins; this does not make them no sons, but they look upon God as an infinite gracious loving Father; They have experience, that coming to their Father is a means to purify their hearts, and if they stand off till they have cleansed themselves, this has been a means to throw them more into sin; and though they have sinned, yet they throw themselves into his arms, they have experience that he does not upbraid them for coming to him, in ask themselves, how dared they approach to him, being so defiled with sin; But they find, that bringing their hearts to him, is the only way to cleanse themselves; they find such loves in the bosom of the Father, such bowels to pardon, such embracements, that they know no way in all the world comparable to this, to break their hearts, and to make them throw sin far away. Time was when they said, true it is, Christ calls, and invites me to come, but I am so defiled, so sinful, I dare not come: I will reform my life, and get more power against sin, and then I may go with boldness.  
But this soul who hath enjoyed the loves of God, so sweetly, so intimately, he finds this is the way to remain foul still; And though he might refrain sin, yet he was not purged from sin; This end, and that end wrought with him; something from self, and to self: but sin as sin was as strong as ever. But he found this way the only way to heal sin, and get a new heart, a new nature, viz. to throw himself upon his Father, into his Father's arms: Though Abraham be ignorant of us, 
Isai. 63.16.  yet thou art our Father; And this going to God frees us from our sins, and nothing else. To say I am legal, and I am full of corruption, I am weak and I can do nothing: all this while, we stand at a distance, and weaken ourselves more; We are not free, we are locked up in ourselves, and strive by our own strength. But if you would be holy, throw yourselves into the loves of God; this very enjoyment will give you an enlarged, a free, and broken heart; then sin will be hated from a new nature. God does not say I love you, if you be holy; but, I love you to make you holy. Beloved, this is the new covenant that the Gospel holds out to us; and herein lies the power of the Gospel, to make of unrighteous, righteous, to work by love, not by constraint.  
Men that never had experience of this life, they lay Laws, and Constraints upon men to duty, and know not the power of love. When the Prodigal had but a resolution to throw himself upon his father's loves, you see how he was received; No sooner does God open his heart to a poor sinner, but he sees the everlasting rolling bowels of a Father, toward him, and then they interchange loves and bowels; 
Hos. 11.8.  That their repentings are kindled together; 
jer. 31.22.  I do earnestly remember him still: my bowels are troubled for him: 
Jer. 3.22.  Bowels role towards one another, and then the poor sinners come to see their own names writ in their own hearts, that before was writ in the heart of God; And see his dearest loves have ever been toward them for good; He sees now he was not excluded from God, because he had departed away from him, and blacksliden, but was the rather called to come to him, because he had blackslided, and defiled himself; 
Jer. 3.22  As Jer. 3.22. Return ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings; Behold we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God. He has experience that he had lain long striving against sin, but found no power from a right ground, from a right principle; But when he (it may be) after many years striving with his lusts to subdue them, and bring them under, he resolved at last to go to God and said: Lord here is my heart, as bad as can be, the more I strive with it, the worse it is; I have striven long and cannot conquer one sin; but Lord do thou now take it, do with it what thou will; all this while I was ashamed to come to thee, my heart was so bad; now I commit it to thee; and then he found a subdued heart, and never before.  
So long as I look upon my obedience and my conformity, and when I see a want, I hold off from God; this breeds obstructions between the soul and God. Your praying, and your duties, and your obedience, do declare that you live in God, and not that they may bring you to God.  
Brethren, this is the way: have you finned and fallen from God? stay not but return to God, than he will heal your backsliding; Stay not, as men usually do, till yourselves have healed your own backslidings, and then you will believe. This way doth never rightly overcome the heart; but be ye weak Christian, or be ye strong, try this way, and you shall find a wonderful change in your spirits; you may draw nigh to God, with boldness, the way stands open; God never chid a soul that throws itself upon him.  
Again, this often recourse to, and familiarity with God, it makes a man rightly to understand God, to know his very nature; men that live out of God, mistake God; they judge otherwise of his nature then it is; Saints by enjoying God, they know God; what a God of sweetness and loves he is; how free in communicating of himself; what an unchangeable God he is; how ready to receive a sinner; what loves run from him into them, when once they are come in to him; though God frown, they know his nature is nothing but unchangeable loves; however he deals with them in his Providence, they know all his ways are ways of love to them; He cannot hate them, nor do any thing as a fruit of hatred; They understand God, they know his ways with his Saints; though he kill them, yet will they trust in him; 
Isai. 55.  Though in external Providence he seems to frown, yet they know what's in his heart; they take all in good part their Father doth unto them.  
This is that which raises up their hearts to a holy boldness of spirit; What ever men intends they know God smiles; what ever his providences are, they know his loves are constant, unchangeable; This makes their hearts rejoice, and triumph, to live above; though the body be under sufferings, yet their spirit is free; walks up and down in loves, is compassed about with joys, swallowed up in GOD, and lives amongst Divine Crowns.  
If a man have no experience of these things, he lives darkly, mournfully, he measures God by himself; if men be angry, he thinks God is angry; if providence change, they think God changes; and this raises not, but overwhelmes the spirit of a man; this sinks his spirit; for he judges God like himself; but what says God? are my ways as your ways, and my thoughts, as your thoughts? 
Isai. 55.  As high as the Heavens are above the Earth: so high are my thoughts above your thoughts, and my ways above your ways.  
Secondly they are bold for God; ye never see any principle, but it works suitable to itself; so the Saints have a principle from God, which qualifies them so, that they can stand for God: 1. In suffering for him; if it be his will, they shall suffer losses, ignominy, derision, yea Death itself, they have a principle from God will bear them out; Look upon Paul, what a spirit had he when they told him of bonds? 
Acts. 21.13.  what mean ye to weep and break my heart? for I am ready (says he) not only to be bound, but to die for the name of the Lord Jesus.  
And so the three Children, what resolutions had they to suffer? We know our God whom we serve, 
Dan. 3.17.18.  is able to deliver us, but howsoever be it known unto thee, we will not worship this Image; Frowns, nor scorns from men, will not turn them out of their way.  
And the reasons of this are, First, the real conviction of security in God, before they engage themselves for God; as 2 Tim. 1.12. For which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know in whom I have believed, and I am persuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed to him, against that day.  
The soul seeing God such a buckler, and seeing himself so secure; this makes him not stand at any thing, but to engage himself and all he is for God.  
Object. But you will say then, this is but self-love: not to engage, but that he knows heshall be secure.  
I answer no, 'tis not selfe love, but love to God. But here lies a great mystery, in a Saints thus engaging for God.  
It arises from being partaker of the very nature of God; and his will is so swallowed up and resigned into Gods that he acts God's will, not his own; So that his security is not in any outward protection, but in what the will of God is? and if his spirit live in, and with God, what ever fall to him, this he accounts his security.  
Rea. 2 Every spirit acts suitable to that spirit it is in conjunction with; Now Christ's spirit, is the most noble, most high, most raised spirit; and the spirit that is in Christ, is in the Saints; their spirits are in conjunction with the spirit of Christ; therefore they must needs be of noble, high, & raised spirits; that though they be in the flesh, their life is in the Spirit, their life is in Christ; though they have thorns and afflictions in the flesh, yet to them they are as none; they are not much troubled at them, for their spirits live among divine thrones and Crowns.  
The 3. reason of a Saints thus boldly engaging for God, is, Though they suffer externally, yet there is within a supply of contrary love; and smiles;  
Men indeavorto throw scorns, and derisions upon the Saints; and invent such deriding names, that they would make them odious: even as the very offscouring of the World, and that they may render them as the vilest men upon earth.  
It matters not, God visits them with his loves; He communicates that to their spirits, which abundantly makes up their suffering, and makes amends a thousand thousand times.  
One comes and he calls you Sectaries, another Independents, another schismatics, another Anabaptists, another Antinomians, another comes and tells you, they are this day going to petition the Parliament against all your Independents; now what of all this? were you but carried above, and did you live in God? these would be like so many small puffes of wind that would scarce blow away a straw; For a man never fears a man, when he knows himself above a man; when he knows himself free from him, and out of his reach to hurt him.  
All the men in the World cannot hurt a Saint; nor all the Devils in Hell; a man will never fear his Enemy, especially when he knows he is killed before he comes near him.  
Christ hath overcome sin, Death, Hell, the Devil, the World; and therefore, what need the saints fear any of these? 
2 Cor. 4.17.  The afflictions of this life are but light and momentary: but there is an exceeding weight of glory to be revealed. Will a man regard a small cross, when he has a weight and an exceeding weight of Divine loves, of Divine Crowns?  
This is enough to make a man, not only to be content to bear afflictions and frowns from the World; but also to love the cross, to love the frowns.  
When thou hast a loss in thy Estate, in thy name, or any way, Christ comes with his loves, and makes an over abundant supply; I do not say; he gives thee the same things; but, he gives thee that which is a thousand times more worth.  
If thou losest farthings, and gainest pounds; if thou losest straws and gainest pearls, what loss hast thou?  
Thus Christ doth to a Saint at the very instant of his suffering, if he live with & in Christ; for Christ's way is, not to send the affliction and let it lie heavy, and press a man down, and then he afterwards lets men reason themselves into content; for a Saints content, as a Saints, is not from reason, but from a present enjoyment of Christ, which is communicated at that very instant, immediately from the very bosom and heart of Christ.  
Intercourses of loves runs out from Christ; which alone is their satisfaction, without reasons help.  
The fourth Reason, why the Saints are so bold in declaring, and engaging for God is; because, in all their sufferings, they engage not at their own cost and charges; they live not by their own life, they live not by their own strength; but they engage at Christ's charges, & they live by Christ's life, they spend upon his strength.  
ti's a Phrase we have often up, especially in the Country; they may spend freely that spend upon other men's Purses.  
So the Saints, they go on in their way, and walk like Saints, because they live not by and of themselves; their life, and their strength, and their comforts, are all Christ's; they spend upon his Stock.  
This makes them so free and so bold, spend while they will, they have a vast Treasure, never to be exhausted; Still Christ supplies them with new strength, and new life.  
Let men go on to revile and abuse the Saints, and study names of Factions, and Independents and the like, to make them odious; No matter, Christ assists them; Christ hath names full of Love and sweetness for them.  
And if they should proceed to persecution as they may, and imprisonment, no matter; There comes a new suppy from Christ answerable to their sufferings.  
But the Saints being weak and not knowing this, they many times needleslly trouble themselves with forethinking what they shall do, if Suffering, and Afflictions, and Troubles increase; And the reason is, because they apply, and compare Future Troubles to present strength.  
But those that live in Christ, and with Christ, they know they cannot engage upon any new affliction, But there is a new supply of Strength, and Courage, and life from Christ; and therefore they reason thus.  
If Bonds, Reproaches, and imprisonment, or Death itself do attend me; There is Fresh Joy, New Life, and more Srength attends.  
The more opposers, the more Strength, the more Joy, the more Glory, the more Loves, the more Embraces, The more overcomings of Loves.  
And therefore this is that which makes them Bold in Declaring for God.  
Who more bold for God in declaring truth then the Apostles, in Acts the fourth? though they knew troubles and persecution attended them, 
Acts: 4.10.  and bonds in every place, be it known saith Peter unto you and to all Israel, that by the name of jesus Christ of Nazareth was this man made whole, whom ye crucified, but God hath raised him up, and this is the stone set at naught by you Builders and is now become the head of the corner, neither is there Salvation in any other; Now when they saw the boldness of the Apostles, and saw that they were ignorant men, they took knowledge that they had been, with jesus, and could say nothing against the Miracle they had wrought in the name of jesus; Then they took counsel and straight charged them they should speak no more in that name, and they answered boldly, whether is it right in sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye? for we can not but speak the things we have seen and heard: and so the whole Chapter, and divers other places do declare, with what wonderful boldness they declare Christ; because Christ lived withthem, lived in them, they had experience of his strength and love in supporting. And their love could not but return in declaring the things they had seen and heard.  
And the Reasons of this are, because the enjoyment of these things beget a love to the things declared, & gives power to declare them with all courage and boldness; the Saints are made one with Christ, sucked and drawn up into Christ, they live by loving and love by living, they declare through loving, & love through declaring. And suitable to their love they cannot choose but declare, love in them hath the pre-eminence, it predominates, it overrules all other things in them, they must needs, they are constrained to declare the life they live in.  
If a Parliament should command, that men should not declare what experience they have of Christ, as I hope this Parliament never will, they could not contain, it would be as fire in their bosoms, it would burst out, loves would so constrain them; could they sit and see and not speak? I tell you there is such mighty constrains in the power of love, they could not keep in.  
It boots not the World to act against the power of love to raise persecution, the more they act against it the more it works, the more it constrains.  
Again another reason is, why they are so constrained to declare what they see and know, because the matter declared is the very power declaring. They are so leapt up in the loves of Christ & so made one in him, that the things they declare is not another thing from them, but they are the very things.  
And therefore if they are so bold in declaring, never blame them, for they and those things are the same; no nor never admire them, for there is such a constraining power in them they cannot do otherwise. And that he hath he receives not from others as their experiences, but they are his own, they are himself. Paul (you see) when once Christ had appeared to him, there was such a Light, such a Glory, such a Power, such a Demonstration of Truth to his Soul, that he immediately went & preached Christ; he went not to the Brothers to be confirmed in what he saw and felt, but the power love was such, that come life come death he must declare it.  
And a third Reason may be, because he enjoys what he declares; what he enjoys he acts, and what he acts he enjoys; while he says he sees he feels; while he speaks of love, he acts in love.  
Here now you see the quality of a Saints spirit. And indeed this acting and enjoying he esteems his protion, his everlasting inheritance, his Heaven; his very work is his reward, esteeming (saith the Apostle) the reproach with Christ, 
Heb. 11.26  greater riches than the Treasures of Egypt, 
Phillip 4.8.  this life was the recompense of reward Moses had an eye too, and Paul he counted all things loss and dung, to gain & enjoy it; and David herejoyceth in the word as one that findeth great spoils, 
Ps. 16.5.6. ●.  for in keeping thereof, there is a full reward.  
Beloved friends this is your Heaven, and if you cannot count this a sufficient Heaven and reward, you will hardly think Heaven hereafter a reward, especially in the condition you are in; but did you act in love and lived in Christ here, you would say were this life but perfected, I have enough, enough; I desire no other Heaven, this portion is enough; as David says in 16 Psalm. 
Ps. 16.5.6.  The Lord is the portion of mine Inheritance, the Lines are fallen to me in very pleasant places, yea I have a Goodly Heritage.  
Now we come to the Third thing wherein the Saints are bold: They are bold in undergoing any thing from God; must I be poor, must I be sick, must I be in prison, must I be in Death, he is bold to undergo it; he sees the loves of God in all that comes to him: Let all the world conjoin together against this man, and look never so black and terrible upon him, he sees his God smiling, his God speaking nothing but loves.  
As sin and the law, though they are in conjunction to terrify him, yet he is bold, for he sees God reconciled. And as they (the greater) can not daunt his boldness, so neither can men, nor can the Word, all they can do cannot make him think his Father is angry.  
Though God himself try the Saints; they living in him, and enjoying his love; Though he seem in his Providence to be angry; yet they find loves in his very bosom, in his very heart, when men enjoy not this, every frown from men, and every frown from God, casts them down; they forsake their boldness, because they have no exprience of the sweet and unchangeable nature of God. as Ezek. 22.14. 
Exek. 22.14.  Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong in the days that I shall deal with thee: They being backsliden and departed from God they were not able to look on God as a father, when he afflicted them, as the Saints can do; Doth God chide? yet they know 'tis in love. Doth God wound? all are fruits of his love.  
So now you see how bold a Saint is with God; How bold in standing for God; How bold in declaring God, How bold in undergoing any thing from God; and all this by living with God, by living in God, and enjoying God. This man must needs be a bold man that hath such inflowing of loves from God; what shall such a man account dear for such a God? How bold was Jer. in the Prison? though put in the Dungeon, where he sank in the mire and was ready to starve? when he was taken out again and remained in prison, he could not hold his peace; the power of loves constrained him to speak what he had seen and felt.  
And so job though he was afflicted in his Estate, in his children, in his own person, 
job. 13.15.  what (saith he) though he kill me he deferves to be trusted in; I cannot forsake him for all this.  
And old Ely when there was such bitter things spoken against him by God, saith he it is the Lord let him do with me what seemeth him good. 
I Sam. 3.18.  And that is the highest Act that is expressed of him. And the reason is, because that man that lives in God understands God in himself, what his heart is. If we look on God as he acts out of himself and not as he acts in himself, there is nothing but changes, to day sick, tomorrow well; to day in prison, tomorrow not; this year rich, next year poor; Now if we shall judge that God changes as our condition changes, 
I●●●. 17.  what comfort? But God in his nature is one & the same, no changes nor shadow of turning, always alike. Again a saint in God lives in the will of God, God's will is all in all to him. And this is that which brings him up to that raisedness and height of spirit; he sees God in what ever he doth to act his own blessed will on him, and so he see but that accomplished, therein he rests and rejoices, because he lives above aloft, he lives in the Centre, in the Fountain of loves. If we live in the streams, if we live below among the Creatures, there is nothing but trouble and rumbling this way and that way, ebbing and flowing; but the Centre, the Fountain, the upper Regions are quiet, still, composed, sattisfied. Again, because if God do take all from the Creature and take him up to live in himself he hath not lost all but found all a thousand fold. Yet in the most roughest acting out of God. he finds loves in God; else his spirit would be down to day and up to morrow, according to those actings; but this life with God, in the bosom and bowels of transcendent loves, there all disputs are at an ends, he lives in providence above providence, he lives above reason's Region and Element, and therefore when Reason would make disputes and arguments from Gods external deal; as if God were as rough as his providence; this life silences all, and lays the soul to rest in the sweet embraces of the loves of an unchaingable Father; though he kill me yet will I trust in him.  
And again the Saints have such experience of the loves of God, flowing warm from the heart of God that they cannot be beaten out of good thoughts of God: as we say by a friend whom we know and love & have intimate acquaintance with; if this man or that should bring tales of evil intended by him towards you; you would say I will not believe him, for I know him so well that the thing is impossible to be true; So do the Saints find God such a true friend such an intimate close friend, that hath so much expressed his love to them that though sin, the Law, Hell, Death, the Devil, the World, Providence, or whoever should bring them ill tidings from their father: ob (say they) it cannot be, I know him so well, I have such sweet such frequent enjoyments with him, that I cannot think a hard thought of him, this draws up the Soul to a high, yea a higher and higher enjoyment of God.  
This enjoyment transcends yea sleights all other enjoyments below it, it transcends Nature, it transcends Reason, it transcends external providence, and all the roughest actings thereof. Let never so high accusations be laid on the Saints, they value them not, their life with God makes up all; As some have laid divers accusations on me and on the Saints, some are Truths, and we are ready to maintain them, we hope to the death; others are false and charging upon us that we never said nor held, and all to make us odious to the World; As for instance that I should say, there was no other use of Christ but to declare love to the World, and for this end he came and for no other. Who ever holds it for my part I count it an error, my Judgement is otherwise, I hold no such thing, I disclaim it; Christ came to sattisfie and answer a law, as well as to make out love; and though these and the like, and such other things may be fathered upon us, partly through darkness, not seeing and enjoying Truth, & partly through malice, to lay to our charge, the things we never knew nor held; yet we hope God will vindicate his Truth and vindicate his saints, and Truth shall burn and flame out so gloriously, that he will make all opposers and slanderers ashamed, therefore let not the saints much trouble themselves at these things, let the Creature be still and silent, and let God alone, he is but working a way for his own praise, in confounding his enemies, and vindicating the simplicity of the saints, who live with him and in him to their everlasting comfort and Joy.   

BEloved friends, that I intent to speak unto you at this present, shall be from the word of God, in the 6 of Cant. 9 verse.  
My Dove my undefiled is but one, she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bore her.  
That which I shall speak to you at this time, shallbe only from the first words, My Dove my undefiled is but one.  
There is not much dependence of these words on the foregoing words, but so much dependence there is, that as you may see in the former words, that the Daughters of Jerusalem inquire of the Spouse of Christ where her beloved is, she had so set him out and expressed her ardent affection to him, that they begin to wonder & desire to see what a one her beloved was, because she was so ravished with him, say they in the first verse, whether is thy beloved gone, oh thou fairest among women, whether is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee? she answers them in the next verses, My beloved is gone down into his Garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the Gardens and gather Lillyes. And I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine, he feedeth among the Lilies. And then Christ in the next words gins to describe and set out what his Spouse is, and anotomizes her in all her portraiture and beauties, not only how beautiful she is to him and amiable through his beauty put upon her, but also how fruitful his Spouse is in the enjoying her beloved that there's not one barren among them, so amiable every way that Christ was ravished with her beauty, therefore (saith he) turn away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me.  
But then this description might breed this objection, are all so beautiful and comely? are all so fruitful that there it not on barren amongst them; they are several and of several tempers and judgements, nether do they all appear so fruitful as he describes? he answers all in this ninth verse My Dove my undefiled is but one, All Saints in Christ are but one; men of the world, and poor Saints, weak Saints, that see not their privileges by Christ, they are ready to say how can this be, that the Spouse of Christ is so beautiful so fruitful, they see it otherwise, they can see no beauty in them, they bring forth but little weak and poor fruit, here is some of this way and some of that fellowship, some of this Judgement and some of that, some are in a Church way and some are not, some are Congregated and some are uncongregated, I but for all that, though among themselves they be divers, yet in Christ they are but one; You, 'tis true, make a difference but that should not be, This is but the folly and weakness of men, but see and look upon them as they are in Christ, and you shall see they are one to him, as they are in him and live with him and in him, they are fruitful, though not as they are in themselves. The points that I apprehend these words hold forth are these.  


1 Doct. That Christ's Church is Christ's Dove,  
2 D. Christ's Church is Christ's undefiled Dove,  
3 Doct. That Christ's Church or Christ's Dove is not divided but is one and united.   Now for the first of these, if you ask why Christ's Church is called Christ's Dove: I conceive for present 'tis in two regards, first in regard of their Privileges, how much they are tendered by him: and secondly in regard they are made glorious and amiable by him. 1. Considering how precious they are to him, what affections he hath let out to them, the dearest loves and the very heart of Christ runs out to them, singly, solely, nothing that is in the very bowels and heart of Christ, is too good, too dear for them; there's nothing in Christ but is there laid up, kept and preserved for a Saints treasure; all the choice loves of God, the choicest life of God is treasured up in Christ for his Saints; and when once they have forsaken themselves, then to be enjoyed by them, and delighted in for ever; he thinks nothing too good for his Spouse: he hath not only filled himself for them, but emptied himself for them, poured out his own blood, his own life, his own glory to save them, to enrich them.  
Christ shows how precious they are to him, first in regard of the place where he lays a saint, that is, in his very bosom, in his very heart; not only in his common providence, but in his very heart, he never leaves a saint, till he bring it from step to step by degrees into himself; that the soul is so leapt up in him, that he hath made it one with himself. And that soul that is acquainted with this life knows this, and none else; others know not what it means, I was (says he) a slave under the Law, and it tyrannised over me; many a hard lesson, and many a hard task I had set me, and many a bitter stripe; and he in bowels of loves came and freed me, he redeemed me from that tyranny; I was under the kill letter which threatened nothing but death and hell, and now I have found his loves in setting me at liberty; and now I can read his loves in every line, in all his proceed, and these are, I say, such loves that none can prise, but those that have them, read, seen, and felt them in them. This is a Saints portion peculiarly to live with Christ, to live of Christ, to live in him. 'Tis the world's portion to live under life, and not enjoy life, but a saint lives in life; life and he are one; they are brought by Christ into the very overflowings of loves, they live in the very streams of loves, compassed about with loves; Christ comes to them continually, sups with them, wraps them up in admiration of himself, and fills them with divine loves.  
Secondly, Christ declares how precious saints are to him, by taking all advantages to do them good, by sin, by sorrows, by sufferings, by afflictions, by life, by death, every way; none of all these but Christ makes them advantages and helps to them. When they wrestle with sin, it would be too hard for a saint if Christ did not help them, and sin would get the advantage over them; should Christ but leave us in a temptation, we were undone, but Christ comes with a conquering unresistable power, & rescues us from sin, and brings us over to the loves of himself.  
So also in affliction, the saints they moil and toil, and are even worn out in it, that they know not what to do, that they are ready to give out, and lay down all, then Christ he comes in and supports, and puts under his hand to stay the soul from sinking; when our own strength is done, than Christ comes in; nay, we many times wrestle ourselves into great straits; Christ comes now and releases us; that when we lose ourselves, he gains us, and wrestles us into his own loves and glory; he ravishes us with his loves, and then also is he ravished with our loves as you see in this chapter.  
Secondly, they are made glorious by him, and with him, as David saith, 
Ps. 68.13.  They are like the wings of a Dove covered with silver, and her feathers like yellow gold, 'tis a metaphor, you must conceive taken from very pleasant and glorious coloured Doves, to set out how Christ beautifies, and makes his saint glorious and amiable. The very same glory that is on Christ, is on a saint; Christ and a saint have not two different lives, two different glories; but both one and the same, says the Apostle, 
1 joh 4.17.  As he is, so are we in this world. Brethren, the life of a saint is a mystery, Christ and they live in the enjoyments each of other, the life of a saint is internal.  
Surely friends, let me tell you, 'tis not known by partaking of fellowships and ordinances, although we ought to partake of them, and hold them forth to the world, but the beauty of the life of Christ's consists in the enjoyment of Christ's loves; so that the soul, is therein centred and satisfied, as it is expressed 17. 
joh. 17.23.  joh. Thou in me, and I in them, and they in me, that they may be made perfect in one. All saints they are beloved with the same loves that the Father loves the Son, the same riches, the same life, the same love, the same glory is bestowed on them. 
Eph. 11.3.  We are now in this life, set in heavenly places in Christ, many think they shall have this life hereafter, when they shall come to heaven: but those that live this life, they are in heaven here, and sit now in heavenly places; and herein is the great mistake among Professors, they do not live in and with Christ here; they use ordinances, and hold forth a profession and here rest; but for this heavenly life, this intimate uniting life, they look not after it, they expect it not, they know it not, they live it not. Oh brethren! did you but know this life in experience, you would never rest till you were in it, and were comprehended by it, (for I pray mark) that this life must comprehend you, and not you it; you do not know, beloved, what manner of men you should be, were you in it, it doth not yet appear, says the Apostle, what we shall be, but when he shall appear in us, we shall see him as he is, we shall be made like him. Christ's life shall be in us and we in him.  
We may talk of this life, but when we live this life, than we shall know it, than we shall be swallowed up of it; I myself knew it not what it meant, though I often spoke to you of it, till of late; and alas that we see and have of it, is but little small glimerings of this life. In truth I now perceive there is but little enjoyment of Christ in the world, this life is a hidden life, men talk of it, Christians talk of it but alas how coldly, without affection, withoutlove, without overwhelmings, which shows they live without it, did you know this life, and did you live in the heart and loves of Christ, in the embraces of Christ, it would make us live otherguesse lives than we do. Oh beloved, how full of loves and sweetness should we be? how full of selfe-deniall? how much seeking the good of others as your own? it does not make men of that harsh censuring, judging spirit, that is now so rife in the world, it does not make men so swelled & flyblown with their own parts and with, the good opinions of others, if you had it, it would make you live fare above all these things. And so far as any man's life and comfort runs not parallel with these things, truly let him be never so great in profession; in good earnest he lives yet in the flesh, and is not gotten into the life of Christ, Christ and they are not of one, but of two contrary spirits and lives. But oh the sweet transcendent loves, joys, overcommings that Saints enjoy, who live with Christ, and in Christ, they live in loving, and love in living, Christ and they are of one spirit, 
16. Eze. 6.  as 16 Ezek. 6. When I passed by thee, I saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blond, live, and I caused thee to multiply, etc. and then thy time was a time of loves, etc. then wast thou comely through my comlinese, that I had put upon thee. Christ makes his Spouse beautiful with his own beauty; but we for the most part think highly of ourselves, and of our own beauty, and are comely to themselves, through their own comeliness, and therein they glory; and most in the world run this way in practice, though in judgement they deny it; but he who is come up to Christ, to have his beauty put on him; his life and his enjoyments; he hath put off himself, he hath put of his own life, his own beauty, his own comeliness, and what ever enjoyments come from self, all these he is crucified too.  
But this is a life none come too, nor none knows what it is in the enjoyment of it, but he that has it. So much for that Head. We come to a second thing to be considered, that is, why they are called Doves, and that is in regard of the Saints property. The property of Doves is to be full of innocence, and secondly full of love, and thirdly full of delight.  
First, full of innocence, a Dove is the harmlessest creature in the world, so are the saints; the meekest, the harmlessest of all men; if they be reviled, they revile not again; they esteem not of the praisings or revile of the world, because they have no life in the world, nor of the world, as saints. If they have, they live below themselves, they live apart from Christ; they are of so mortified a temper in any worldly respect, if they live with Christ, and in Christ, that they cannot think any thing a gain in the world, nor any thing a Loss: if they lose any thing, houses, lands, wives, children, honours, these they account no loss, because to them they were no gain; if they gain any thing, they count it not gain, except they gain their life in it; and that is God himself, christ himself; to have God in all they have, or else they account they have nothing, & if they have nothing, if they live as I before shown you, in the very bosom and heart of Christ, and in the mutual embraces of each other, that they can say experimentally and feelingly, and enjoyingly, my beloved is mine, and I am his. This is their gain, this is their all, and they have no thoughts of gaining in the world. For if they gain these things and not God in them, they think themselves loser's. 'Tis true, they love wife, children, friends, honours, so Christ be in them, with the discovery of his sweetness and loves, than they are well and at rest.  
They think it no hard thing to be reviled in the world, if God speak love; let blind self-seeking, selfe-advancing, men of the world say what they will. And therefore beloved friends observe your spirits; do you find yourselves moved and disturbed by others revile? so far you live in yourselves; so far you are unmortified, uncrucified, you live not as Christians, according to the life you hold forth; if you did, you would see where their life is, & how far below Christ, and how much in themselves, that live in reviling & defaming others; and in stead of being angry or to yourselves and in yourselves, returning like for like, you would pity them, and pray earnestly for them, that God would open their eyes, that they also may see upon what low and base principles they live and move.  
Again, Doves are single-hearted and full of love, so are the saints, as saints; they love, and delight in loving; It is observed by some, of some Doves, and so of Hinds, that if their Mates had died, they were so affected with it, they would die also; such a resemblance is in the saints, they are full of love to each other, are sensible of each others sufferings; they do not seek to undo, vex, and defame one another, but pity and help one another, they do as they would be done by; they will not requite evil with evil, as do the men of the world, and all those that are not come up to the life of Christ to live as Saints, for they delight in loving; they live by loving, and love by living, for 'tis said of the Hinds and Doves, they have these three properties, first, they live by loving; secondly, they grow fruitful by loving; and thirdly, they die without loving. The saints do thus; they delight in love, they grow fruitful by loving, and die if they do not love. 1. They live by loving, they are carried out in the first place in love to Christ, as the cause of their love; for Christ's love to them, causes their love to return to him; and they love Christ also in the Saints, these loves are the saints feast; they live by Christ's kissing and embracing them, and by their kissing and embracing Christ, and also in kissing and embracing one another's spirits; by communicating to each other their experiences and enjoyments of Christ; there's no greater joy, nor higher act in them then to act love, these are the dainties they feast on, then are they transcendent in their spirits, and then are they most full of Christ. Secondly, Doves are made fruitful by loving, so are the saints; when thrive they more than when they have the sweetest communion and are most open to one another, to each others enjoyments, and so kiss and embrace each others spirits?  
No sooner hath a saint kissed the heart of Christ, but it is made fruitful by that very kiss, by that embracement, and by that enjoyment; The very enjoyment of Christ makes them fruitful. And they cannot be otherwise. They being once come to this, to enjoy Christ they cannot be unfruitful. Here is a saint then; his very love, his very nature provokes to fruitfulness; if he be not fruitful, what ever he may be taken for, as a great Christian, because a great professor; he never yet enjoyed Christ, never yet knew what the loves, the overcoming transcendent loves of Christ were.  
Fruitfulness is made over to the soul at that very instant; it is like the opening of the pores of the body, than the blood interchanges and have free course and mingles itself through the whole body; this love of Christ (I tell you friends) it opens the pores of the soul, love and fruitfulness runs from Christ into the saints interchangeably; as Christ's heart is open to you, so is yours to him; there is a secret conveyance to each other in the acts of loves.  
And thirdly they die without it, saints as saints, except they love they die; I pray observe, saints as saints cannot die, but their life dies, their joy dies, they live uncomfortably and as dying, as if they had no life. I speak now in regard of actings; a saint when he acts not love, he dies; he may have ordinances, and use external intercourses to Christ and with the saints, and yet he as good as dead, no more life in act and comfort then the men of the world, if the warm heartblood of Christ do not run, and have free course into his soul; the saint acts not as a saint; but yet he may act in religion & worship; but, 'tis but to himself, & to his own credit and honour, and esteem among men, or for some other selfe-end, and yet have no life as a saint. The new man and Christ is as dead, and acts not, and therefore it is, sometime a saint has overflowings of spirit, mightily enlarged, his spirit has no bounds, another time he is bound up, straitened, the pores of his soul are locked up; he hath no intercourse of loves from Christ, and therefore has no breathe, no declarations of Christ's loves to him, no experiences, he is wrapped up in himself, and to himself: and therefore this makes him, (the soul being as sensible of this as of death (for 'tis a death to him) this makes him to go to Christ, and complain heavily, oh! how he groans in spirit till he be revived, till his spirit, till his loves come into him again, and cause him to act and live. Oh! says he, let my Christ come into me or I die, I cannot live; 'tis true (says he) here is ordinances, and here is a fellowship externally; but what's all this, if my soul be frozen, if my heart be bound up; if I live within myself; if. I have not intercourses and returns of loves, from my beloved, I die, I die.  
Now beloved, would you have me make some use of this point from the particulars thereof; I hope you have done that yourselves as I went along, but I will a little make out some uses. I cannot be large because of the time and my own weakness; and I would make it out to you of what I have found in my own experience; though I must confess it is but lately, and no great light neither; there are depths, there are glorious transcendent truths, in these experiences; but oh! how dark, at how small a crevice do we see? How short do we come? I tell you, though I have many times spoken of these things, yet how coldly, no ravish, no inlarging, no overcommings of spirit, how bound up? truth is, I had the Theory in my understanding, and I thought I had practised them, because I knew them; but 'tis but new, 'tis but small the experience of them; but God will reveal and lead on his saints from step to step; that they shall go from strength to strength, digging up fountains till they appear before the Lord in Zion; Professors talk much of heaven, but I profess they never were in heaven, nay never will be, if they come not to this life; you hope it may be this life will be hereafter. But I tell you, your heaven is here as well as hereafter in a degree: be not deceived to pers wade yourselves you are saints, and you are Christians, and have not this life, we have described; so fare you are in your sins, you are yet below Christ, you are yet in yourselves, you are not come up to the life of a Christian, to the life of a Saint.  
Uses, from the particulars; first, are the saints so happy in their priviled ges, that they are Christ's Doves, and so precious to him? is it the privilege and portion of the saints to be so precious to Christ? then take this as the first consectory, this will follow, if it be so.  
Then they will not long to be precious to the world; you will not be troubled though the world, though men, though friends, though enemies regard you not; so you be precious to Christ, this is enough for you; what though such a friend speak evil of you? what though such a Professor loves you not; and there another professor suspects you, and you are troubled; Why saints, where is your life, in the world or in Christ? if in the world, no marvel you are troubled; no marvel you are offended; if your life be in Christ, (you will say) what matter; so Christ thinks preciously of you; if you have the sweet and mutual embraces of Christ; and your spirits run into each other, and kiss and embrace each other, here would be your rest.  
Secondly, observe from the next particulars, is nothing in the heart of Christ, too good for saints? does Christ embrace, salute, kiss, ravish, the saints in his transcendent loves? Does he endow them with the same glory he himself hath with the Father? for I must put things together, strength will not hold out to take them all severally as the things deserve. Have any of you felt these things in your own experience? I do not ask you, if you have had the knowledge thereof in your understandings, but have you enjoyed them, and found the loves of Christ, so large, so overcoming to your souls? do you see and feel, that Christ thinks nothing in his very heart too good for you? The Scripture indeed is very full to prove this, I need not cite them, but have you made proof thereof? are these things so to you? are they proved by your enjoyments? then I will tell you what it will work.  
First, nothing that you have will be too precious for Christ, Christ's very heart, his life, his riches, his loves, his glory, is not too precious for you. And your very heart, your life, you will not think too precious for him, much less your honour, your riches, your credit; I tell you friends, nothing will be too dear to part with, so you may be taken up to these enjoyments; you will tread upon all as dirt, as dung, so you may gain the loves, and embraces of Christ. Will friends, will honours, will parts, will ordinances, stand you in such stead as the loves of Christ? will they lay you in the very heart and bosom of Christ? will they redeem you from the law and set you free? will they take you from under the power of the kill letter, which threatened nothing but death and hell? will they take all advantages to do you good, by sin, by afflictions? will they come in and help you, when you are quite worn out? will they help you out in straits? No, no, they will not, they cannot: but all they can do, is but to lay you in their own bosoms, they cannot help against the terrors of the Law; they take all advantages to do you hurt, they cannot help you out of straits, but rather help you into straits, etc. The saints, as saints, they look on all outward comforts thus, and how then can they be in love with them; they look on them as chaff, as stubble, as nothing; their life, their loves, their treasure is in the loves of Christ, and having Christ's heart, running out to them and theirs to his; 
joh. 17.23.  Thou in me, and I in them, and they in me: Thus much you hold forth by your profession of Christ, and if it be so, than I wonder why something of yours is too good for him; if you lose your honour, your good name, your estates for him, you think much, you think Christ deals hardly with you; and well you may, if he bestow not himself upon you; but had you as good a thing in the room of that you lose, you would never repine; if Christ be such happiness, such riches, such ravish, so that he is better than all things else; what's the reason you stick so much upon the creature? what's the reason you come not off to this life? what's the reason that ye come no sooner, make no more haste, have no more long to it? But friends, were you in the arms, in the embraces of Christ, you would repent you came no sooner into these joys and loves; that you were no sooner crucified to the flesh, and to yourselves. Oh! beloved, I tell you, you would slight all things as they stood in opposition to Christ. But as I told you before, they do love wife, friends, children, but 'tis in Christ, as Christ appears to them, in them. But friends, where is your great boasting of your profession and Christianity, and living to Christ, if these things be so? If Christ take away straws and give Diamonds and Pearls, what cause hast thou to complain? If thou dost complain for the losing of these straws, it is sign for all thy boasting thou hast no Pearls; but these straws, these nothings were thy Pearls and thy Diamonds.  
Again, is a saint made glorious by Christ, and is Christ and his glory all one? then were you made glorious by Christ, you would be swallowed up in the loves of Christ; you could not live apart from Christ, but you should live in Christ. You have heard this is your privilege, as saints; you shall not live in one region, and Christ in another, but you shall enjoy the same life, the same joys, the same loves with Christ.  
Again, is the presence of Christ in himself? then 'tis not to be enjoyed elsewhere; 'tis not in fellowships; 'tis not in ordinances, simply considered; yet these ye are to use to hold forth the discipline of Christ to the world, yet not to rest in these; these distinguish you externally from the men of the world; but you will be as of the world still for all them, if you enjoy no more but bare ordinances. This I speak, because many satisfy themselves in this, in receiving outwardly the ordinances, and that they are accounted Professors, and sequestered from the men of the world, and because they are found in such and such fellowships, being well thought on by others; alas these will do you no good; for all these you may have no more life than the men of the world. You see no man can live in the bosom of Christ, and in the glory of Christ, but he is made one with Christ; Saints, they are not only made perfect hereafter; as most Professors run away with that; but they are admitted and have some entrance into heaven here; they live as Saints, they walk as saints, they trade as saints, they live with Christ; they walk up and down in loves, love compasses them round about, they are swallowed up of loves; they live in loving, and love in living; ordinances are but shells; but saints while they are cracking the shell to others, they are eating the kernel themselves, and live thereby. Alas friends, you may be partakers of all external ordinances, you may submit to Baptism, you may come into a right order of a Church way, you may frequently break Bread together, but what's all this friends? this is but the shell of the business, the husk, the bone; but is Christ glorified in your spirit, (here is the life) and you in his Spirit, here is the kernel, the marrow; do you live as he lives? are you made one in spirit? truly friends, examine, and look well to yourselves, for mine own part, often have I spoken to you, & taught to you, that which I found not in experience; yet I thought I had; but truly I find now I comprehended them, yet I was not comprehended of them; I knew not what eating the kernel was, nor tasting the marrow, the sweetness till of late.  
Again, are saints well and fitly called Doves, in regard of living in loves, and by being made fruitful by loving, and in regard they cannot live except they love? then observe that the people of God, are an innocent people; they are innocent to the Law; Christ hath fulfilled it for them, and freed them from the Law, and brought them to peace and liberty from under the power of the kill letter.  
Again, are the saints no selfe-seekers but selfe-deniers? then I wonder what means that rough and rugged carriage in those that say they live with Christ, and in Christ, and enjoy Christ; & yet their life is much in seeking to defame others, and to set up themselves: This is not to live as saints, this is fare from the carriage of saints, this is not to live in loves, & to grow fruitful by loving; the carriage of a saint is (you have heard) to seek another's good as their own: These than live not in Christ; but they live in the world, Christ and they live in two contrary Regions; these declare they yet live in the Creature, in self, in flesh: these seek for honour of men, and not of Christ; so they may but set up themselves, it matters not what becomes of their brethren. As those that love Honour or Riches or what else in the World, so they can but get them for themselves, they care not how many suffer for it, so they have it: are these (beloved brethren) such as live as Christ lives? those that revile because they are reviled, nay revile when not reviled; how fare is this below the practice of saints? such men proclaim and hold it forth they are no saints in practice, what ever they would have the World or God's people think of them.  
The saints, (you see) they undervalue all man's reviling, it is to fare below them to revile again, to return evil for evil; you see they are passive in suffering, but active in loving: the other are proud, self-seeking, self boasting, and they yet live in the flesh, and are not come to live in and with Jesus Christ.  
Again, observe from the second thing that the saints grow fruitful by loving and delight in loving, than they are not constrained by the law to duty, but they love it of themselves, it is no forced thing in them; they do not task and force themselves to obey Christ but it is their nature, and they work freely, their lives are in loving, and in loving they have their life. Till men come to live this life, these things, to all men else are a hidden mystery; and if a mystery no marvel then men so much mistake in setting out this life, and what a Christian is, for no man knows it, nor hits it right but he that lives it, for all else, live and grope in the dark and few attain to it.  
Some men say this is the Christian, and some that is the Christian, and it may be mistaken in both, for they make Christians according to their own fancy; if he do but jump with them in opinion, this is enough to hold him up a Christian, oh! he must needs be the godly man, and and yet see not that rule the word holds forth in the life, marrow, & mystery of it: but beloved it will be so, every man judges by what light he has; & if his light be false or dark, so needs must his judgement be. Yet in my experience I see but (as it were) a dram of that weight of glory that is to be revealed upon the soons of truth.  
And I will tell you what my thoughts are; I am persuaded, ere long, God will pick out himself a choice people; now here is some what to do about Churches and selected Congregations, but you will see (if I mistake not) ere long, Congregations picked out of Congregations; of Men that have experience of this life of living with God. And the ordinances shall be yet more and more purified; and yet they not rest in ordinances, but shall have the marrow of ordinances: I say the time will come, that there will be a people who kiss and embrace one another in spirit, and shall live in loving and in joying one another, fare more than ever, yet our eyes have seen.  
We should now have further proceeded to the next points, namely these, from the words, My Dove, my undefiled is one. Doct. 2. That Christ's Dove is not a defiled, but an undefiled company. Thirdly, that Christ's undefiled Dove is but one; though they be scattered and divided here to men, yet to Christ they are but one, where we should have showed the folly of many in these days, that they ty their loves only to that congregated body of which they are in fellowship with; and if they differ in judgement from them, they have no love to them; neither do they account them of the number of Christ's one, undefiled Dove; this is gross ignorance, and proceeds from weakness, pride, and folly; and is indeed mere Antichrist, and the fopperies of men: congregated, or uncongregated, so they be Christ's Doves, we ought to love them. But my strength faileth me, and so I commit you, and what hath been delivered, to the blessing of God.   
PHIL. 4.11. 
I have learned in what ever estate I am therewith to be content.  
THe first point from these words is this. Doct. That contentation, is a Saints lesson; first, let us see what a Saints contentation is? Secondly, the benefits that flow from a Saints contentation.  
First what a Saints contentation is, it is this; to be content with God, and in God in all conditions; herein is only a true rest; if it be in any thing else but God, it is no true rest; If honour, or pleasure, or profit, or credit, or applause, or riches, or any thing besides God doth give thee rest; thy rest and content is in the creature, and not in God: for then, as these things ebb and flow, so doth thy content. But he whose content is in God, his content is, as God ebbs and flows to him; so that if he have God and enjoy him, he cares not how the creature comes or goes. If he have riches, and not God in them, he hath no true rest.  
And on the contrary, if he have poverty, disgrace, banishment, or imprisonment, and enjoy God, he hath his rest still. Because his content is not in, and with the creature, but it is in and with God; Gods will is his rest. He that lives in the will of God, he sees God's will is best for him; and his will is so swallowed up in the will of God, and made one with it, that he hath no peace but in this.  
And this life he hath and enjoys not by reasoning himself into this condition; as, for a man to say thus; this is God's will, and I must be content; it is but a folly to resist his will; it must be so, and I cannot help it; therefore I were better be content, then to fight and strive against it; for I cannot remove it, till God please.  
Now this is not the content of Saints, but that which reason dictates to a man, which a man without grace may reach; and in this content most are satisfied, and take it to be a Saints submission, and contentation when it is not.  
But a Saint's rest, content, and satisfaction, is not from reason; but from a sweet enjoyment of God in every condition; so that in every condition, he finds God so sweet, so ravishing, that he concludes; these conditions are best for him, better than any other. And this man he sees really; that God chooses his conditions better for him, than he can choose for himself; so that this man finds really, and experimentally, such enjoyments of God, such sparklings of love, such precious experiences of grace scattered up and down in those conditions, that he cannot wish them otherways, except the will of God be to change them, and to put him into any other condition better for him.  
For if he desire health, or honour, or riches, or parts, or any other conditions, and therein find not God and his glorious out-going in his soul, and experiences of his loves; he hath no rest: but poverty and the contrary he desires rather, so he may have the enjoyment of his God in them.  
For I told you, it was God alone, and God in all things, and with all things, was the true rest of Saints. His rest is not in this and that, but God in this and that; so that whether he have this thing, or that thing, if he have not God in this, and that thing, he hath no rest, not as a Saint; I pray observe that. I do not deny, but many men may have a rest, but it is not a Saints rest, as a saint; and that which flows from grace, and from the loves and embraces of God himself.  
Whether it flow from reason (as I told you before) or whether it be from enjoying the creature. As many men that live below reason, that live by sense; they have a content and satisfaction; because they have the creature; riches, or honour, or credit, or beauty, or parts, and they are herewith content: truly friends, this is no better than a sensual content; and this is fare short of that content that comes from reason; and therefore, much more of that which flows from God and grace; for he that hath it from God, and by enjoying that sweetness of loves that is in the will of God; he lives with God, lives in God, is in the very bosom of God, in the very heart of Christ.  
And he that lives there; no marvel though he regard not the motion and alteration of the creature; but as God altars to his enjoyments.  
When he enjoys most of God, then hath he the greatest content, though he have the least of the creature; and when he enjoys less of God, then hath he the less content, though never so much of the creature; and the reason is, because nothing without God, nothing below God can be his rest.  
Secondly, for the good, and for those benefits that flow from this enjoyment, of God and from a Saints content.  
1 He that lives this life, he is free from the combustion of opposition; for when God doth one thing; and the will of man would have another, here now Gods will and man's, fight; and rush one against another, like two contrary streams or seas, which will not mingle. Where these two wills meet, there must needs be much trouble, and great combustion in their opposition; the man cannot be at rest; 
jea 1.6.7.8  but as the Apostle james says, He is in a very unsettled, wavering condition, like a wave of the Sea carried and tossed every way, and cannot receive any thing of the Lord, being double minded, and unstable in all his ways.  
He would have a rest composed of God and the creature. And such a man cannot receive any thing of God, in a saintlike way; till he come to enjoy God singly and nakedly; he can have no lasting, no true rest.  
But did we rest in God and not in the creature, we should be free from this combustion, and this alterity in our spirits. And so fare as we want it, so fare we are short of a saintlike satisfaction and rest.  
And where this content is not, there is that combustion In opposition, and resisting Gods will, (as I said) like two mighty Seas that dash one against another; and where that is, there is a foam, froth, and filth cast up which annoys the man; A discontented heart, that cast up mire and dirt; Much sin, froth, and defilement. And as the Apostle, saith; this man is unstable in all his ways, and carried about with every wind of Doctrine. Every wind of Doctrine changeth his opinion; and certainly there is no man rightly established, and groundedly firm in his opinion, till he come into this life, to live with God, and in God.  
But he whose will is emptied into the will of God, he lives with God, and in God; he sits above all the Alterity of the creature; change this man from one condition to another, he changes not, as his condition changes; throw him into any condition, which way you will, he still falls on his legs.  
This is the man that David speaks of, that he maketh to lie down in green pastures and leads him beside the still waters, 
Ps. 37.4.  he restoreth his soul and leads him in the path of righteousness for his Name sake, and though he walk in the valley of the shadow of death he will not fear; thy rod and thy staff is with me. and they comfort me, they see loves, and gains, and profits, and sweet experiences more precious than pearls in the very rods of God, and are fully satisfied with the goodness of God. God spreads them a fair Table in presence of their enemies, and their head is sweetly anointed with oil, and their cup runneth over, like the oil on Aaron's head; which perfumeth all Gods deal, to them & runneth down to the very skirts of their garments, 
Ps. 133.  and like the dew of hermon and as the dew on the mountains of Zion, for there he commandeth the blessing even for evermore, and this is that David speaks off in the 37. Ps. 4. Delight thyself in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 
Ps 23.  What's that think you? that you shall have riches, and plenty, and credit, and ease, and full tables and great earthly possessions? No no, but that in the want or fullness of these things, you shall have God to be your rest and content; that your will and Gods being united, you shall have no desires but what's agreeable to the will of God.  
This is that dwelling in the Land and being fed of God, as David speaks in the 37. Ps.  
For so long as we live on the creature, we cannot have this spiritual life, and these divine promises made good to us; but of necessity, we living on the creature, we must be subject to the troubles distraction and changes of the creature.  
As those that live in any element must needs be subject to the motions, Alterations and troubles of that element in which they live. As birds, or fishes: birds live in the air, if the air change and be infected, so needs must they: or fish, if the element of water wherein they live, be poisoned or disturbed so are they; and so it is in this; those that live in the creature and with the creature: must needs sympathize, and be suitably qualified to the creature.  
But he that sits above with God is above all change in the creatures element; he is selfe-denied to the world, and all in the world.  
Again, this is the way to persection; so far as we are satisfied with God, and satisfied with truth; so far we live in perfection; I do not say that person is perfect, or without sin; no, but so fare as we live this life, so fare we come toward perfection, and live in perfection, and live with God; The new man carries us to God and perfection; it ascends and carries us upward, to God and Christ: but so fare as we come not up to this life; so fare we live below God, and are drawn downward to the Creature, to the World, to Hellward, to Divell-ward: as one when he saw a Bird tied with a stone to her Leg, as she mounted to flee upward, still the stone drew her down to the Earth, and thereupon he fell a weeping; because it did so fully represent to him his own condition, he could not but weep. Grace carries and draws a man on to perfection; but the old man draws down to the Earth, to defilement, to destruction.  
3. Again this conditon of a Saints rest is a gathering condition; it puts him in a gathering way. I pray you observe it, this man is the thriving man, he only is in a thriving way; this man is like to grow a rich man indeed. All our ways are scattering ways; if we live on the creature we gain not, but scatter and lose all; he that lives this life of a Saint, that God has taught him this lesson, flowing from his own self, from the very heart of God, and the bosom of Christ; he gathers such precious flowers of experience, and gains such precious Jewels and Pearls, that he counts himself rich in them, and in nothing else; If he live beside God, he looks on himself as a man that scatters all; as a growing to be a bankrupt; one that has no experience of the rich gainings of grace; 
1 Tim. 6.6.  Godliness with content (says the Apostle) is great gain. there's no true content but in gains by grace, and the rich experriences of God's workings in the soul; to see which way corruption comes to be crusified, and he killed to the world and the world to him; to see how his power and life comes in, and to observe the glorious outgoings of God, and the manner of his glorious and Godlike proceed with his soul; this satisfies and composes his heart; to see how sweetly God hath conquered his soul, and brought his will into subjection, that was so raging, so rebellious. Then he counts it all joy to fall into divers temptations; knowing, & finding by experience, that the trying of faith worketh patience, 
Isai. 13.9.10.  to be entire wanting nothing; and so fare as he comes into this life of perfection? to rejoice in that he is made low; and he that is of low degree in the creature, to rejoice in that he is made rich in God, and high in God; 
Ro. 5.4.  and he sees how patience bringeth forth experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not a shamed.  
We will now come to some short uses and consectories from this point, and from the benefits thereof.  
Use the first; Is contentation a saints lesson? is a saints spirit a satisfied spirit? then so far as any one of us have not a satisfied spirit, so far we have not a Saints spirit, so far we are not saints; So far as we are not satisfied, contented, at rest and composed, so far we are short of God, and have not the life of God; so far as we live not with God and in God; For this is held out to us in the very nature of God; God is in himself at rest, serene, composed; no distraction in the Creature touches him, he sits above; that is, he is free from all changes and all alterations in the world; so is that man so fare as he is a Saint, being united and made one with God; though he live among the creatures, as God has his being in and through all the creatures, yet he is not altered by the creatures; So has this man as he is a saint, not his joy, his life, his riches, his treasure in the creature, but in and with God, above all creatures.  
Again, is a saint as he is a saint, of composed satisfied spirit, composed of one spirit; for that is promised in Jer. I will give them one heart, 
jer. 32.39  and one spirit? then he is not of a divided discontented spirit; he is not troubled with those wish and woulding as men below are. Oh that I had this condition or that condition: but (says he) let any condition come, so I have God in it: God is my rest and not the condition; be it riches, or health, or the best condition wherein the men of the world, and so fare as we are unregenerate, to think therein is rest; oh says one, had I but such a ones conditition, such Lands, such Honours, I could be contented and satisfied; oh says another, had I not such enemies, were they but cut off&overthro wne, I should have rest; this is not the temper of a Saint as a saint; But he says I have found that promise fulfilled? I have the desire if my heart, 
Psalm. 37.4.  my rest is in God, and I cannot tell what to wish other than I have, what I have I would have; and what I would have I have: if thou art not come to this, thou hast a divided heart.  
Some men they are ready to say, and bless themselves in their condition and say, I thank God I am contented; but wherein is thy content? thou hast a good estate, and thou hast the desire of thy heart in the creature, thou hast rare parts, or thou art honoured among men, & herein thou art satisfied; and thou thinks this is a gracious content; thou dost not murmur, but blessest God for thy condition; alas, this is but sensual, this is but nature; if thy content were right, it would not be in the creature but in God; Should God wheel thee into another condition, and wheel away these outward contents, then where will be thy comfort? And some who are gone a little higher, they can boast and say, I bless God I am content; I am in poverty, in disgrace, in prison, etc. I am persuaded to submit to them, because it is so and it cannot be no other ways; 'tis therefore better to be content, then to fight against the condition, except I could help it; this is but reasoning a man's self into content, this content is not a Saints content; that is, to be content as seeing an excellency in this condition; as seeing beauty, and loves, 
Psalm. 68.24.  and the glorious outgoings of God's proceed; They have seen thy go O God who art in the Sanctuary, therefore the Virgins love thee; oh the sparkling pearls and diamonds this soul discovers; experiences worth all the world; he sells all that he hath to purchase this field where these jewels are. 
Matth. 13.46.  But he that reasons himself to rest, he is not satisfied nor content, though he saith, he is; for he sees no loves, no joys no gatherings, no riches in these conditions, he longs to have the conditions changed, if he could; he longs not for the experiences of the condition; But the other says, let me have those sweet experiences, and then any condition; for those experiences are my riches, my life; I am now in a gathering way; now I see my riches come in; instead of envying and wishing for others conditions, thou wouldst say: no conditions like mine, no riches like these riches, no credit like this credit; what to lie in the very bosom and heart of of Christ; That whether he continue poverty or remove it, honour or remove it, so that I may have my joys, my experiences, the enjoyment of my God, for therein is my rest.  
For this man, a Saint, is contented with God, and not with something done by God; but with God in all conditions; As we may look upon the Spouse in the Cant. let her be buffeted so she may but have her beloved she cares not; 
Cant. 5.7.  she will through all for him; & the reason is, tell him, I am sick of love; if she have not her beloved, give her what you will, riches, honour, parts, ordinances; oh she cries out, what means all these things, you mistake my disease, I am sick of love.  
If you be content, what means this wishing and woulding; what means this picking and choosing your conditions? what means so much envy of others conditions, if you see them but before you? Does a man that has a thousand pounds, that has pearls and diamonds, envy him that has but a penny or pebble stones▪ 'tis never seen. Therefore we may conclude thou hast no Pearls, no treasure; thou hast not found the field wherein is the pearls; thou hast not found God in health, and God in sickness, God in riches, and God in poverty, and God in parts, and God in want of parts, and God in all.  
I pray observe this; nothing contents the soul, but that which answers the soul in all conditions, in all its wants; riches, honour, beauty, etc. do not answer the soul's wants, without God be in them; it must be something suitable to the soul's nature; that must be Godlike and spiritual, else it will not feed the soul; these terrene things feed but sense not saints; A child delights not to play, but with children, not with old men; so the soul delights not to play with creatures which are all below God; but it loves God, and delights in God, in the loves and embraces of God, and God delights in the embraces of saints, their embraces are mutual.  
Take this as another consectory from this Doct. Is a saints rest & satisfaction in the enjoying of God? then ti's not not a sessation of any outward accommodation, can cease a saints content and satisfaction; for his joy, his rest lives, when all outward comforts dies. As Habac. 3.17. Although the figtree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the Vine: the labour of the Olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock cut off from the fold, and their should be no heard in the stalls. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord: and joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength.  
Again, If so fare as a spirit is content and at rest, it's so fare like God; then those that profess themselves sons and daughters of God and are not content; they are not like God; they are not sons and daughters of God; they are not the Image and offspring of God; for those that are Gods sons, and borne of God, they are like God, hold forth God's Image; and so fare as we come short of this we hold forth the Devil's image; and we are no farther to account ourselves the sons of God, then as we are begotten of God, and so far as we are content with God, and God in all things; Else we are begotten of the will of man, and of the will of flesh, and not of the will of God.  
Again, does this contentation of a Saint give him ability to be in a gathering way in all conditions; then those that thrive not by all conditions so fare they are no Saints, but they are in a scattering, undoing way; they are scatterers and losers in all condititions, because they enjoy not God.  
Contentation with God is our greatest gain, and the reason is; because this fixes a man's heart to his own portion, which is God alone; and so fare as we run out from God to the creature for content, so fare we run out to strange women, to commit adultery, and play the harlots, as Jer. 3. shows, Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers, 
Jer. 3.1.  yet retutne again unto me saith the Lord. Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her hushand, so have you dealt treacherously mith me, oh house of Israel. All things but God is strange women.  
Again, is he that is content with God free from the combustion of opposition; then we gather further; that no condition is cross to this spirit; we commonly cry out of crosses; from men, from friends, from enemies; crosses by Kings, and crosses by Parliaments, and why is all this? crosses in a Presbiterian way, and crosses in an Independent way, and why? the reason is, because our spirits are not laid level to all conditions; to see all conditions equal to him, that lives with and in God. truly friends think of this seriously; our crosses are not without, but all our crosses are from within; we have wills of our own, which crosses; and dashes against God's will in our conditions; and hence is the cross: for were my will and the conditions suitable and laid level, here would be no cross; And hence it is we are so unquiet: the working of our wills and conditions being so thwart and contrary, that they cast up foam, mire, and dirt; and hence it is that we are so unstable, we are not fixed, but carried up and down with every wind of doctrine; hence it is, that so far as we are content with any thing below God, we are liable to the change and confusion of the nature of all things.  
See then friends wherein a saints content and rest lies; 'tis God in friends, God in relations, God in all outward accommodations? you see also how great a good and benefit arises from this life; When they fail God stands; we are free from the combustion of opposition; that man has no cross, no condition is rough to him; ye are in a gathering way, ye shall grow rich; your heart shall be fixed and not carried away with every wind of doctrine and opinion; Lastly, this fixes your heart fast to your own portion, which is God himself. And those rich enjoyments of his glorious outgoings; 
Psal. 68.24.  they have seen thy go o God, even the go of my God, and my King even in the Sanctuary.  
FINIS