VII.

the measure of our time, nor the command ofS ER M. our own concernments. We find our felves controuled and over-ruled in many things every day. There are many thousands of things that we would have otherwife, if we could tell how. There is fomething invifible to which we owe our breath, and that hath dominion over us, whether we mind it or not. And have we no concern with that Being, which hath fuch imme diate power over our lives, and all our comforts, in this present state and world? But what talk we of measuring our concernments by this prefent ftate? Have not our own fouls a fecret confcioufnefs in them, that they are made for eternity? for a world where they are to be perpetual inhabitants, after a little fhort time is over? And have we not therefore now in this life, most to do with invifible things, especially with the great invifible LORD, both of the vifible and invifible creation?

WE fhould foon know our felves to be most concerned with what is invifible, and most of all with GoD, if we would but understand the state of our cafe. We know our felves to be creatures. We did not come into this world of our own choice, or by our own contrivance. We made not our felves, neither was it the object of our choice, whether we would be of this or that rank or order of creatures; but were put into that rank of beings wherein we are, by a fuperior and higher hand. Yea confidering what fort of being it is we have, and what a nature the great Author

I 2

VOL. Author and Parent of all nature hath furnished us

I.

with, it is eafy for us by a little reflection to come to this knowledge, that we are not what he made us; that we are fallen creatures as well as reasonable ones; that we have incurred the displeasure of him that made us; that we are abfolutely at his mercy; that there is such a darkness and blindness upon our minds and underftandings, and fuch a stupidity and death poffef fing our very fouls, that can never be fuppofed to have been in the firft formation of fuch a creature by the hands of GOD. Lastly, we may find, that we are become impure and corrupt; that. there are perverfe finful inclinations and affections, which we our felves cannot but disapprove of, and difallow upon reflection; and that hereby we are under a very egregious guilt, and fo fubject to wrath and eternal punishment. If we would but allow our felves to confider this as our ftate, we should foon know that we have more to do with the invifible GOD, than with all the world of visible things. Yea further, how amiable would he appear in our eyes, if we did but understand our felves! if we would but take notice what dark blind creatures we are, how would it recommend him to us, who is reprefented as the light of our eyes, and the life of our hearts! In a word, if we would but confider what deformed creatures we are, how impure, and alluding to the expreffion in Job, fo plunged in the ditch, that our own clothes might

d Job Ix. 31.

abhor

VII.

abhor us, Oh how delectable would the thoughtsS ER M. of him be! how lovely would he be in our eyes that brings fuch overtures of purification to us! I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness; and from all your idols will I cleanse you. And he that offers this, will certainly effect it in all thofe, who are defigned for a bleffed commerce with him for ever, in order to make them perfect in his own comeliness.

THEN again, if we confider how liable we are to his wrath, how faft bound with the cords of our own guilt, how amiable would that notion and name of GoD be to us, which was proclaimed to Mofes, The LORD, the LORD GOD, merciful and gracious, long-fuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, tranfgreffion and fin. But we measure things by the fight of our own eye, because we will not allow our felves to take any cognizance of the true ftate of our own cafe. Whereas if we did but confider the matter, and give our felves leave to think and inquire, we fhould know there are things which concern us. unspeakably more, that are out of fight, than what come under our view day by day; and that efpecially we are most concerned with him who is leaft in our fight, and moft remote from the view of our external eye. And then add to all this,

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• Ezek. xxxv1. 25.

[4] THAT

f Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7.

[4.] THAT invifible things are a great deal more capable of being intimate to us, or we may be infinitely more converfant with them, than it is poffible for us to be with things that are feen. We love a friend, whom we have often feen; and it may be the oftener we have feen him, the more we love him. But we cannot be with this friend always. The dearest friends muft part. We cannot have him perpetually in our bofom to converse with in a friendly manner. A great many things muft concur to the entertainment of our friends with delight, and to converse with them with pleasure. For inftance, they must be in a pleafant humour, and at leifure for converse, We many times wait for vifits, and they are not given; or we defign them, but are disappointed. Meffengers may be fent to this or that place, one after another; and yet two friends, that would converfe, cannot be brought together. Befides, when we are converfing with fuch lower objects of our love, we mult make ufe of fpeech, and are fain to employ words, thofe neceffary but imperfect inftruments, or media of converfation. But we cannot convey by words our full and clear apprehenfions to others, fo as to let them know all that we would have them know. And moft of the controverfies in the world, about matters of opinion in religion, do arife from hence, that men cannot be brought to understand one another. I cannot tell how to make another mafter of my thoughts, but one way or other the notion will be mifreprefented, and fo not lie fo

diftinctly

diftinctly clear in another's mind, as it doth in SER M. his that would propagate it. But if we could VII. this way infuse into them a full and clear knowledge of what we our felves do intend, yet we cannot thereby infuse a living fenfe, nor convey the affections that are in our own bofoms to another by words.

BUT how intimately converfant may we be with the invifible GoD, and that bleffed fpirit that understands not only our words, but our figns and groans, and the living sense thereof that is unutterable. GOD can also be converfant ''with us whitherfoever we go, wherefoever we are, fo that as foon as we are minded to retire, we find him with us. As foon as we retire into our felves with a defign to converse inwardly with the living GOD, he is immediately prefent with us, and it is as easy to converse with him as with our own thoughts. As foon as we think, fo foon are we with GOD, and as foon is he with us. In the twinkling of an eye we find him. We look unto him and are lightened. Thus with a caft of the eye the foul is filled; it finds it felf replenished with a divine and vital light, that diffufeth the sweetest and most pleasant influences, and favours through the foul.

SURELY then, what is invisible, and most of all the bleffed GoD, is moft fit for our converse : an omniprefent GOD who is every where prefent with us in the very first instant: so that there are no bodies, or other circumfcribing circumftances to withhold and divert that commerce between