THE SINNERS Sleep WHEREIN CHRIST Willing her to arise, receiveth but an untoward answer.  
By HENOCH CLAPHAM.  
EDINBURGH PRINTED BY RObert Walde-graue, Printer to the King's Majesty. An. 1596.  
Cum Privilegio Regio.   

TO THE TWO VIRTUOUS GENTLEWOMEN, THE RIGHT Worshipful M. RICHARD and THOMAS OGLE, their Wives: HENOCH CLAPHAM, wisheth all good things in Christ jesus.  
SEnding (Right Worshipful) some tokens unto my friends in ENGLAND, I could not but pull out, not my purse, but my pen and dispatch the two subsequent Exercises unto you, as a sign of my Souls wish. My boldness needeth your pardons, and my homely style your favourable constructions. The first I have ever found, and the second I presume will never be lacking. Let the profane puffed up with BAAL'S leaven, swell like a Toad: they shall sooner burst than you have cause to repent holy Zeal. Blessed Fore-guides, God hath given unto you both, with more comfort may you follow Christ with your Cross. They that will not (through Pride and carnality) be contented to bear the Cross, shall have no benefit by Christ his Cross: but (as they deserve) be crossed out of the book of Life. And so, with the bowing of mine heart, I end.  
Edinburgh, 1595. Your poor Cuntryman, desirous ever t● show himself thankful unto GOD for you. H. Cl.   

THE SINNERS SLEEP.  The Song of SALOMON, Chap. 5. Verse 2.3.4.5.6.7.8. The Text. 
2 I slept, but mine heart waked (at) the voice of my Well-beloved that knocked, (saying) Open unto me, my Sister, my Love, my Dove, my undefiled▪ for mine head is full of dew, and my Locks with the drops of the Night.  
3 I answered) I have put of my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?  
4 My well-beloved put his hand by the hole (of the door) and mine heart being affectioned towards him.  
5 I rose up to open to my Well-beloved: and mine hands dropping down Myrrh, and my fingers pure Myrrh, on the handles of the Bar.  
6 I opened unto my well-beloved: but my well-beloved was gone and passed, mine heart was gone because of his speech: I sought him, but I could not find him: I called, but he answered me not.  
7 The Watchmen that went about the City, found me: they smote me and wounded me: the watchmen of the Walls, took away my veil from me.  
8 I charge you (oh Daughters of jerusalem) if you find my Well-beloved, what shall you tell him? That I am sick of love.  
SALOMON, that peaceable Roy of Israel; during whose reign, the bloody sword of David was sheathed; even this Solomon for his peace, became the glorious type and fore-figure of Christ jesus, (not of Christ coming from 
Isa. 63.1.  Edom & Bozra, with his bloody garments of conquest: for in that, David was figure) but of Christ the 
1. Chro. 22 7.8.9. compared with 2. Cor. 6.16  peaceable builder of the new Testaments Church, signified by his rearing of Zions' material Temple, wherein by his holy spirit he would dwell as a loving, amiable Spouse. This Solomon of Israel, for this Peace and Spowsage, is throughout all this Most excellent Song, a glorious peculiar type and significatour of JESUS, anointed, King, Priest and Prophet to his Church: he introduced in the person of a Spouse and sweet holy Lover: she brought in as a woman espoused, and sometimes (considering the diverse estate of the church, according to diverse times and occasions) as a woman wooed & suited unto.  
In these verses read, a part of the Church is set down under the person of a woman slugging and sleeping in her bed, at the door of whose lodging, her beloved standeth knocking & calling, using diverse motives to cause her arise and open unto him: to whom, notwithstanding she returneth a sleepy sluggish answer, insinuating a denial, whereupon her beloved departeth. After that, She (as better advised) ariseth, openeth, searcheth, calleth, but he would not be found or heard off. She not resting here, traveleth farther, for the finding of her beloved what time unawares, she falleth into the hands of the City's watch, who entreat her foully, beating her, wounding her, & snatching away her vail: But escaping with life, she still setteth forward in her holy pilgrimage, and so, soon after meeteth with the daughters and chaste damsels of jerusalem, to whom she commendeth her estate, straightly desiring them, if so they happily meet with her beloved, they would vouchsafe to signify her estate unto him: namely, That she was sick of love. And this is the very full argument of the Text red. It may aptly therefore divide itself, first into a mutual colloquy, or conference betwixt Christ and the sinful soul, contained in the two first verses read: secondly, into the issue of that conference in the residue, until the 9 verse. In the Conference (and thereupon only at this time) is considerable, first the time intimated in these words; I slept but my heart waked: secondly, the speakers, and their speech. The first speaker and his speech, is given in these words, It was the voice of my well-beloved that knocked, saying, Open unto me, my Sister, my Love, my Dove, mine undefiled: for mine head is full of the dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. The second speaker, (namely, the sinful soul) and her speech lieth in these words: I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?  
The time of this conference was, (as the sinful soul acknowledgeth) when she Slept, namely in her Flesh: and yet then Awake, But in another part, namely in her heart or spirit, I slept (saith she) what time my beloved came unto me knocking, etc. She that before shamed not to excuse her flesh laid down in the bed of Security t● sleep; she now acknowledgeth, how lewdly then she was occupied. And i● every thing that is written, be writte● for our learning (as indeed it is) the● this teacheth us not to be abashed t● confess our former or present sleep● estate: that is, that such days, month and years of our life have been slep away in the flesh, the damnable wor● of the flesh. There be three sorts o● Sleep mentioned in the Scripture● The first sleep, is that necessary re● which occupieth the body after tra●uell: so slept 
judg. 4.21  Sisera in jael's Tent. Th● second sleep, is the rest of the bod● after the dissolution of the soul: 
1. King 2.10.  David (departing this life) is said t● sleep with his Fathers. The third kin● of sleep, is to lie in a natural, carnal sinful, unrepentant estate: Hereof Pa● speaketh, when he saith, 
Ephes. 5.14  Awake th● that sleepest, and stand up from the dead, that is, from the works that have introduced the first death, as also deserve the second death, wherein thou yet sleepest: And to lie in sin, may well be said to sleep in sin: first, because the sinner thinketh, that sin is as necessary for the comfort of his flesh, as sleep for the wearied body: secondly, because a man is as hardly to be stirred and pulled out of sin, as a man in a dead sleep to be awaked, and to leap out of his bed. As the Serpents sting darted into a man's leg, doth by little and little draw the body to sleep, and that unto the death, the venom thereby the sooner exhaust of the heart: so the Serpent and Dragon of Hell, having pierced a man with his venomous darts of Covetousness, Idolatry, Theft, Adultery, Murder, Drunkenness, Lying, Pride, etc. He covets only that man would be tickled with the delight thereof, and so sleep by continuance in such sin, because he knoweth the reward thereof will be death. Adam and Hevah (the corrupt Root, from whence we as corrupt branches do spring) they having suc●ked up the poison of sin, lo, they seek starting holes, 
Genes. 3.  among the bushes they go, so far from desiring to be awaken out of sin, as they fli● from the voice of God, because the● would not be questioned about thei● sin: but as Christ here visiteth th● sinful soul in the time of her sleep so JEHOVAH there calleth out ou● Fore-parents, examines them, corrects them, by whipping them out o● Eden. Awake therefore you sons an● daughters of Adam, that have sucked up the poison of Murder, Pride, Adultery, & covet to sleep therein, account it a sovereign mercy of God, that h● calls upon ye, and vouchsafeth to visit ye. Cain so slept in his murder, as God 
Genes. 4.  marked him for a Reprobate Esau so slept in his belly hunting, and neglect of holy things, as God would not give him to find 
Heb. 12.27.  any place to repentance: The Prophet Balaam slept so in Purse-prophecie, as God therefore not only gave him to 
Nom. 31.8  be slain together with the wicked, 
2. Pet. 2.15.  but also to be canonised for the leader of false Prophets, and as the giver of ill example to all peevish Prophets in these last days. jesabel so slept in 
2. King. 9.30. etc.  painting her face, curious tiring her head, and other sorceries, as God in just judgement gave her to break her neck, and her painted curious flesh to become dogs meat. Awake thou therefore that sleepest, stand up from the dead, & Christ will give thee light. Do now at last with this sinful soul, confess thy sin to God & forsake it, so shalt thou find mercy. David having about one year slept in his sin, was by the Prophet Nathan awaked; who awaketh and crieth, 
Psal. 51.  Have mercy upon me oh God: wash me: purge me: create in me a new heart, etc. upon which humble and unfeigned Confession and Petition, he received this word from God, * The Lord hath pu● away thy sin, thou shalt not die. Tha● thou mayst therefore obtain mercik with David, sleep not in Pride, uncleanness, Blood-thirstines, profaneness but awake and walk more warily, redeeming the time lost: else fear, le● the Lord swear in his wrath, that tho● shalt never enter into his rest. To da● therefore harden not thine heart, b● arise out of thy Sin thou hast slept i●  
But mine heart awaked.) The hear● which is the seat of that faculty ● the soul called the Will, under th● which, is contained every Affection, ● here put for the whole soul, consistin● of the faculty of the Mind, seated especially in the head, under the which, contained the interior senses; as al● of the Will, especially occupied abo● the heart, in his several affections. B●cause the Affections are seated in th● heart, therefore we say, we love a● hate with our heart: and though the interior senses, as Understanding, Conceit, etc. be seated in the head (and therefore we say, He hath a head able to comprehend knowledge, to conceive, remember, etc.) yet sometimes it is said, he hath an understanding heart, but this improperly. Now that she saith, But mine heart awaked, it is as though he should say, Howsoever my flesh slugged and slept, yet mine inward man or spirit, was then not so sleepy and untoward. Here we are to observe her upright judgement: who condemneth the flesh because it slept, but justifieth the spirit because it was waking. A lesson which we are to learn; namely, to condemn what in us is condemnable, as also to justify what in us is justifiable. JOB had learned this lesson, who when he was to set his work before God his piercing sight, he saith, 
job. 9.30.31.  If I wash myself with snow water, and purge mine hands most clean, yet shalt thou (God) plunge me in the pit, and mine own clothes shall make me filthy. But when he was to answer his kinsmen, charging him with hypocrisy, he saith: 
job. 26.5.6  God forbidden, that I should justify you, I will not take mine innocency from myself until death: I will keep my righteousness, and will no● forsake it. As JOB keepeth this equity towards God and man: so in this place the poor soul keepeth an equal balance betwixt her Flesh and Spirit: th● flesh a sleep, the spirit awake. For ● man to say, I hope I am as good a christian as any of them all, and then to b● a sleep in Adultery, Pride, Envy, Murder, etc. Is to bear false witness against Christ's mystical body, which consisteth not of rotten unfruitful twigs for such are 
john 15.2.6.  cut off from the Vin● Christ; neither shall such sleepy 
Matth. 25 10.  foolish Virgins enter into the kingdom for the gate shall be shut. And for man, in whom God hath wrought care of holiness, a love of truth: fo● such a one simply to say, There is n● one good thing in me, is to bear fals● witness against the grace of God, an● the work of his spirit. As the form is common to the proud wicked: so this is a spice of hypocrisy, that would humble itself to the harming of God's spirit: or else a fruit of desperation to the daunting of Faith.  
That her heart was waking, what time Christ was calling her flesh from sleeping in security's bed, we are to observe, that there was in her a candle light; by the glimpse whereof, she in her conscience knew it to be Christ, or an heavenly power, contrary unto her unregenerate body and soul that knocked, although she had not willingness yet to arise out of sin. A candle every man & woman bringeth in their hand with them into the world, that is Light of nature, commonly called Conscience, which is not so blind, but it oft chargeth the heart of the Barbarian with some sin: as also looking upon the 
Psal. 19.1. Rom. 1.20  Heavens, Firmament, and other visible creatures, they by that little light are led to the acknowledgement of a God & Lord that ought to be obeyed. This light and knowledge is sufficient to leave a man inexcusable to judgement: but unable it is to lead a man to salvation. And therefore David saith Psal. 19.7. The Law of God is a perfect teacher, as though he would say, the former teacheth but unperfectly: bu● as for God's Law, it teacheth perfectly, by converting the soul and opening the eyes of the spiritual blind As the first light is a check to the soul so the second being cherished & kep● burning by the oil of God his spirit is able to save the soul: but if this light be once quenched and put out, how● great and fearful shall be that darkness Well, she hears Christ calling he from sleep, her own heart witnesseth that it was Christ's voice, and yet (a● afterwards) she giveth scope of sleeping to the flesh. A right fearful estate and an estate, wherein I fear too many at this day do stand: namely, do● hear and know Christ's holy voice, calling them from sleeping longer i● theft, adultery, profaning the Lord's day, drunkenness, etc. and yet lie still in their sin, as not minding to part with it. Of such a one, what saith Moses? after this manner: 
Deut. 29.19.20.21  He that heareth the words of the Curse, (namely against sin) and blesseth himself in his heart saying, I shall have peace although I walk according to the stubbornness of mine own heart, thus adding drunkenness unto thirst, the Lord will not be merciful to him, but then the wrath and jealousy of the Lord, shall smoke against that man, and every curse that is written in this book, shall light upon him, and the Lord shall put out his name from under heaven, etc. A terrible judgement but from a just God, who will raze persons, and their houses and families (be they never so potent) from the face of the Earth, if so they be found nourishers of their sin, when they hear God's word cursing their sin. If therefore the light and underslanding thou art endued withal, do not lead thee unto repentance, fear lest it prove a check-soare to thy conscience, and seal thee up excuseles against the day of vengeance David's knowledge led him to repentance when he cried, 
Psal. 51.4  Against thee, against thee only have I sinned: for with this Confession he made Conversion, he turned from his sin. But JUDAS Iscariot, his knowledge caused him after this Confession, I have betrayed innocent blood, to run unto the rope, an● therewithal to take vengeance on that throat, that had breathed out wicked covetous counsel, against the Lord o● Life: so adding one murder to another. If while we speak unto thee and thy sin, thy conscience secretly telleth thee, this is Christ's voice: it is God his holy word that thus smites on my sin, awake and sleep no longer therein: let not sin domineer and rule in thy mortal members: quench not the spirit, but obey his motion to repentance: giving therewithal thanks to our God, who should so mercifully forewarn thee, lest otherwise thou should be damned. So much briefly for the time of Christ's Call, together with the estate she then stood in. Now followeth the speaker Christ, and his speech.  
It was the voice of my well-beloved.) The poor sinful soul awaked, and making rehearsal of things passed, she now entitleth CHRIST well-beloved, whom before in her sleepy estate, she no doubt took but for a troubler of Israel. SALOMON saith, 
Prov. 28.23.  He that rebuketh a man shall find more favour at the length, than he that flattereth with his tongue. As this is verified here, where he is now called Well-beloved, as being worthy love, whom before she neither loved nor kindly entreated, so shall it ever appear in the end, that who unworthily have refused our wholesome counsel and correction, shall once (even in that appointed time) be of another mind. The wicked shall in Hell (when it is all too late) affirm and cry out, Such and such were worthy to have been beloved for their calling of us to Repentance: howsoever we then hated them. As for the Elect they shall once in this life leave sleeping in sin, neither then shall they defer to justify such, as before they condemned: for Repentance is an altering of the judgement, and a renewing of th● affection. Let this therefore stir up every man to 
Heb. 13.13  exhort one another, especially, the ministers of the word, 〈◊〉 give no rest unto sleepers in transgresion, howsoever the wicked rail vpo● them, and entreat them right rudel● for the day shall come hereafter (wi● they, nile they) wherein they shall turn their tongues and account us worth of love and good liking. 
Lev. 19.17  Hate not t●● brother in thine heart, but plainly rebu● him, and suffer not sin upon him: ● though he should say; Let him not M● begrowe in his sin.  
But how came Christ unto her? 〈◊〉 a voice, by what kind of voice? by knocking voice: unto this knocking the holy Ghost alludeth, when he telleth the 
Revel. 3.  Lukewarm people of Laodicea, that he stood knocking at their door, the word in the original signifying To * doss with the horn, as doth the strong necked beast with the main force of his head. As Christ ordinarily for the awaking people from sin, doth send a lively voice, not a confused Noise, so that voice is a powerful knocking voice: not a bare reading, nor a smooth calm preaching, but a powerful thundering out, and incessant beating upon the door of the sleeper, the portal of the conscience unrepentant. 
Isai. 58.1.  Cry aloud (saith JEHOVAH to Isaiah) spare not, sound out thy voice like a Trumpet. If the sleepy sickness have ceased on a man, he must not be whispered in the ear, but scourged on the sides. In a wrong box are these men, that exclaim on the preachers, because they thunder out Curses against sin, whereas (alas) God hath ordained nothing but Curse for sin If they like not the curses, let them cas● away the Cause of a Curse, namely their sins: 
Rom. 6.23  for the wages of sin is death. If men be so foolish as to suffe● sin to mos-begrowe them, and as canker to eat their hearts through, ye● we the Lords watchmen, must no● cease to sound the trumpet, but knoc● till their hearts awake: either it shall become the savour of life unto life, by repenting: or the savour of death to death by still sleeping. 
Jude 22.23.  Some we must save by fearing them (saith Jude and others by pulling them out of the fire If we saw a brother plodding the waters towards a whirlpool or Syrteses, we would fear him back by al● means: and if we saw another in the fire, we would not stand speaking with Eli the Priest, Thou dost ill my son etc. but we would snatch hold of some limb, and violently pull him out, because of the present danger. Easier dealing is for bruised reeds, broken hearts: but knocking and rougher bits for an unbroken Mule and untamed Heifer.  
To what end knocketh Christ at the portal of her conscience? Open unto me, saith he. so that the end of his voice and knocking is, to gain Entrance. Why did JEHOVAH call forth Adam? to the end he should come forth and appear. To what end did Noah prophesy of the deluge? to the end that they should prevent the judgement by repentance. To what end did Christ so preach to jerusalem, but that thereby he might gather them under his wing as a hen gathereth her chickens? To what end doth the Lord stir up many in these days, to knock at the doors of festered Consciences, but that they would open unto him, and let his spirit enter: not the spirit of adultery enter, for that is there already: not the spirit of pride to enter, for that is there already: not the spirit of the world, or hypocrisy to enter, for they are there already: but to the e● that Christ by his holy spirit, righteous spirit, chaste spirit, loving spiri● might enter. They that will not op● their heart to make this change, namely to send out Satan, and to receive Christ: to send out the unclean spiri● and to take in the holy, it is pittier their life. But why doth Christ cra● this soul to open to him? can he no without voice and knocking enter? ye● he can, but his ordinary revealed wi● is otherwise: namely, by the 
1. Cor. 1.18.21.  lively voice of preaching to beget faith; an● that preaching with authority as di● Christ, not coldly or weakly as di● the Scribes and pharisees. A man ca● burst open a door without a key, bu● ordinarily he useth a key: so can th● spirit of Christ burst open an hard heart, without the spiritual key of David, displayed by preaching, but ordinarily he useth the key of preaching. As a man is said to open the door, but not without a key: even so, the spirit of God is said to open the heart, but not without preaching. And as the ●ey is said to open the door, but not without the help of man's hand; even so, the word preached is said to open the hard heart, but not without the hand of Christ, which is his Spirit. What great cause have we then, not only to pray that God would send Preachers into his Harvest: but also that he would grant his spirit to accompany their preaching, that so God his holy workman, his spirit, and his holy tool and instrument, the word preached concurring together, many hearts may be opened to due attending the word, as was the 
Act. 16.14.  heart of Lydia the Thyatirian to PAUL'S Sermon. Now as he calleth & knocketh at the portal of her conscience, so he useth therewithal many sweet alluring titles, saying: Open unto me my Sister, my Love, my Dove, mine undefiled. If the King of the Land should come unto the door of some base woman, inhabiting his Land, who stood in traiterlie estate, & at her door shoul● knock, entreating entrance under th● terms of Sister, Love, Dove, perfect one (and that with a pardon i● his hand) could her heart be so hard a● to lie still in her bed, and not rather to arise hastily, come and open, fall at hi● feet, and beg pardon? Our anointed JESUS, who hath received all powe● in Heaven and in Earth, he ever b● the voice of his written word calleth and knocketh at our door, with I beseech you brethren, I beseech you sisters, desire you in the bowels of JESUS, and many other sweet speeches he oftentimes useth, if happily any thing might move us: but oh alas, how many arise from the dead? how many leave sleeping in sin? how many open a free heart unto JESUS, that so entering 
Rev. 3.20.  he might sup with us, and we with him? When jesus came into 
Luke 19.8.9.  Zacheus his house, and he entertained him with holy restitution, jesus told him, that Salvation was come unto his house. Happy man he, that as verily had obtained salvation as received the Saviour. But in these days, men fear least the receiving of JESUS bring trouble, poverty and death unto their house, (whereof anon in his place) and therefore Christ may knock and call at his pleasure, for they will obey at their leisure: but the day will come, that shall pay for all.  
Open unto me my Sister. Christ in a certain Sermon saith, that These are my brethren & sisters, that hear the word of God and keep it: but here he calleth her Sister, as also undefiled or perfect one, that is, so far from doing his will, as she refuseth it, and doth her own will, keeping her heart barred against Christ, when he would have had her open. This term therefore and the other, do not properly appertain to her present sleepy estate, as yet she lay in an unrepentant estate, (for so she was no visible Church or member of a Church) neither in that presumpt●ous sin, could she warrant the applying of mercy in Christ, the word being against her: (For to whom one g●ueth himself as servant to obey, his servant is he whom he doth obey. Rom. 6. 1● but she here gave herself as servan● to obey unrighteousness: therefore servant to unrighteousness. But she is termed of Christ in regard of her fir● election, which hereafter should be se●led unto her heart by an effectual coling, what time the power of his ca● should appear by moving her to rise, and seek after Christ with th● cross on her neck: denying her sel● for following after Christ. So that may well say, he calleth her Sister, Lo● Dove, undefiled, because she was calle● to be a Sister, a Love, a Dove, as also to live in an undefiled estate. Brothers and Sisters we are to Christ, being 〈◊〉 him our Mediator reconciled to th● Father. Christ the Son of God be nature, we sons and daughter's 〈◊〉 God by adoption; and brethren and sisters to Christ, by the handfast and betrothment of faith, which makes us 
Ephes. 5.30.  members of his body, of his flesh, & of his bones. So that thereby we are not only his Brethren and Sisters, but also his Love & spousess. Doves we are called to be, for 
Mat. 10.16  innocency and harmlessness. The Naturians affirm the Dove to be without gall: and sure I am, we are commanded to be without Bitterness. Undefiled, we are called to be, as also to be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect: Of every which title, much might be said, which here I pass by: but from the whole this we are to learn, that as in regard of our Election known to God, we are to him, from the beginning known for Sons, Daughters: as also, Brethren and Sisters to Christ, (even before we can with jacob and Esau, do good or evil.) So the calling of a Christian is, for to stand in union with Christ: in obedience and holy service to him, as to our head and spiritual husband: to har● not so much as our enemy: and fin●lie, to be holy in all our words a● works, as beseeming the children God: brethren and sisters of Chr● & these that profess themselves subjects of the Kingdom of Heaven, not the World. If a Monarch and great Ki● should call us to be his brethren a● sisters, oh we would stir our stump and endeavour ourselves thereunto trow if we heard the King at our do crying, awake and rise thou man, a● come and wed my daughter: awa● and rise thou woman, & come to w● with my son, and that in pain losing thy life, I trow we would n● lose our life and so good a marriage for lying in bed a while. If the Kin● should cry, come out of these defile and fowl ways, and walk in the swe● heavenly allies, we would not like swin● still lie grovelling in the mire, and r●fuse so sweet an offer. And will we● found more sluggish, careless and swinish towards our heavenly King of Kings, who offereth unto us regal affinity, & right happy undefiled ways? Awake therefore sluggish flesh, sleep no longer in swinish pleasures, but arise unto thy God and say, Welcome be the voice of the holy one: cast out of my heart, the power of darkness and sin: let thy spirit sit hereafter in my conscience, as in a chair of estate, and there occupy dominion and jurisdiction over sin, that so as a fruitful branch, I may not only be graffed into the vine Christ, but also live by the sap of his spirit.  
Sweet Christ, having used all the former sweet titles, for the moving of her heart to give place: doth in the second place lay down a weighty and most reasonable argument, drawn from the misery he underwent for her sake: that thereby at least and at last, she might buckle herself to arise.  
Mine head is full of dew (quoth he) and my locks with the drops of the night. By the Head, the chiefest member, he● meaneth the whole: and by the Loch a beautiful accident unto the body he meaneth outward comeliness. A● the body oppressed in the night wi● dew abideth much grievance, & th● beauteous locks weatherbeaten a● quickly unfeaturated and deforme● as befell unto Nebuchadnetzers hair● Dan. 4.30. so would Christ give poo● souls to understand, that for their sa● his body underwent much grievance as also he lost his beauty. Of the fir● namely the grievance of his body, th● whole story of our redemption is f● persecuted in the cradle, in being d●uen 
Matth. 2.  to Egypt: hunted after by t● wicked, and finally smitten, buffere● crucified, pierced: and that which more, so smitten by his Father, (o● sins being imputed unto him) through the anguish of spirit, his b● die in the Garden was bedewed wi● blood: and on the cross he roared o● vehemently: My God, my God, why h● thou forsaken me. This Dew of the Night, not of the Light ISAIAH foresaw in the spirit, as already reigned down upon him; and therefore said, He was wounded for our transgressions, he was broken for our iniquities, 
Isai. 53. ●  the hastisement of our peace was upon him. As for the second, namely, his Beauty, what outward thing was there in him amiable or lovesome? As Isaiah long ●efore could say, 
Isa. 53.2.  He hath neither form ●or beauty, for the which we should desire him: so in his whole life there was but, Penury, infamy, reproach, underbearing all hard usage, having undergone the form of a servant, etc. And wherefore underwent he this grievance and deformity? His body and soul was tormented, that ours might be eased: and he became unbeauteous, that he might so beautify us: neither is that his embasement ended, nor shall be so long as he hath a ministery in the Earth: For through them he desireth us to be reconciled: a deep embasement that he should petitionate unto us; he b●ing the Lord of glory, and we a degenerate people. Hard hearts we hau● that have put him to such torture an● grievance, and yet continue so than● les, ey continue still sinning, as though still we would clothe him with new sins, and so put him every day to ● newly crucified and tormented.  
Secondly, in that Christ gives t● understand, that during our spiritual sleep, he presents himself before th● door of our conscience with his hea● and locks bare, as with his cap in h● hand, whereas he ●ight have co● with an helmet on his head, and a tw● edged sword in his hand, we should th● rather be ashamed of our spiritual i● civility, that so proudly stand in o● own light, when he in all patienc● and long suffering, (desiring not th● death of a sinner) doth by his 
2. Cor. 5.20.  Ambassadors beseech us to be reconciled to God.  
Thirdly, whereas he calls the drops, Drops of the night, he would have us to know, 1. that while we live in sin, we live in darkness, like bats and owls that fly the light, 2. as also that these fruits of darkness, black works of ours did fall upon him. Man having bathed himself in the works of Darkness: Christ cometh and putteth man his ugly black garment upon himself: which the Father seeing, he raineth down on his Son, the dew, hail and storm, that otherwise was due unto man.. Sin was imputed to him, as verily, as we had Righteousness imputed unto us: ay, He was made sin for us (saith the Apostle) that we should be made the righteousness of God (not, in ourselves, but) in him. 2. Cor. 5.21. The reason then our Saviour here useth, is this:  I stand bareheaded, entreating, suffering for thy sake the heavy hand of my heavenly Father upon me, debasing myself in the form of a servant, that so thou mayest be freed from the punishment due to the works of darkness, as also be advanced into the state of Glory: seeing all this I do for thy love, I pr● thee let me stand no more without, but receive me into the closet of thy Conscient▪  
Oh wonderful alluring argument and ungainsayable request if the dev● were not in man, and man vnreason●blie bewitched. But let us hearken ● her answer.  
I have put off my coat, how shall I p● it on? I have washed my feet, how sha● I defile them? This answer consisti● on two branches, let us first examine what this Coat is, which she hath p● off. God putting his Image on ma● especially seated in the most speci● part of man, namely his soul: he possessed the higher faculty or power of ● soul (namely, the Mind) with the fi●nes of all necessary Holy knowledge, 〈◊〉 also the Inferior faculty (the Will) wi● full holiness in every affection: with th● Mind and understanding part (for so call it for learning sake, though a si●ple essence admitteth no parts) Sa● begun: who having perverted the mind, and abused the Understanding and Conceit, lo after that (through God's just judgement) the Mind, and so consequently the Understanding, Conceit, etc. went a wrong way by the conduct of sin, which now had ceased on the powers of the soul. Understanding perverted & blinded, losing Light, and admitting Darkness and Error, caused Adam's soul to seem stripped and naked, which before was clothed with glorious Light. The Mind so perverted and turned out of the right way, the Will (as an handmaid) was ready to follow in her affections: for the eye being darkened, no marvel if the foot turn aside from the right way. Thus the Image of God was turned into the similitude of Satan, light into darkness, and holiness into unholiness. God had put on our Fore-parents the Coat of an understanding mind & Holy will, from whence proceeded Power of Moving well, but having broken the Commandeme● lo they were stripped of their Co● and they perceived themselves N●ked. Genes. 3.7. The Coat put off, t● Sun was set, and the Dark-night can upon them, and the Seed of their loin▪ And therefore in the work of Regeneration and New birth, the spirit God beginneth to build, where Sat● first cast down: namely, with rectifying the Mind: and then with sanctifying the Will, which is called the putting on of the 
Ephes. 4.24.  New man.  
This Garment, the putting on● the second Adam Christ jesus, by op●ning the door of her conscience, sh● insinuateth she cannot do, because was darknight: that is, because he● Mind was possessed with ignoranc● thinking that darkness, that is, Ignorance shall be to her a sufficient excus● of not arising out of her bed of secur●tie and worldly ease: I have put off my coat, how should I put it on, is then a● though she should say: I in my fore-parents ADAM and HEVAH, have put off my spiritual Coat of an understanding mind and holy will, since which, a spiritual darkness hath reigned over me, by reason whereof, I can not see how to put on that Garment aright, & therefore thou must have me excused. Thus the sinful soul pleadeth ignorance and darkness, when the King of knowledge & light standeth at the portal of her door, with a torch in his hand wherewithal to enlighten her: not unlike to a foolish person in bed, who called upon by the King's messenger for preparance unto the entertainment of his King, should reply: It is night, I cannot see to attire my body, the King must stay till the day shine in at the window. Were this a fit answer for a subject, especially if the King himself were at the door, and offered unto him at the window the benefit of torch light? Verily Christ knocketh not by any minister of his, but therewithal he offereth to the soul sitting in darkness, saving light and knowledge. But as ● Jews having in the midst of th● 
joh. 1.9.  That true Light which lighteneth e●ry man that cometh into the world: b● 
Chap. 3.19  loving darkness more than light, th● would not know him, except to 〈◊〉 him, and bury him with a stone sea●on his head, that so he should not 〈◊〉 so in these days men will plead ignorance, when God hath lighted ma● Lamps amongst them. When Sp●tuall Light, (namely, DAVID'S Laterne (Psal. 119.105.) is proffered vn● them & toucheth their knuckles, 〈◊〉 cannot see the wood for trees: yet th● can see to dash out the Light: neith● will they know these lights, that w● 
john. 1.8.  john bear witness of the Light lights: except to persecute them, i● prison them, kill them, that so if it we● possible, the Light might be put o● that offendeth their bleared eyes, a● makes their lewd works manifest▪ so much as multitudes now say wi● the wicked in JOB, 
job. 21.14.15.  Depart from 〈◊〉 ●or we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. Who is the Almighty that we should serve him? But let such wicked ones know, 
2. Thess. 1.8.9.  That the Lord jesus shall show himself from heaven with his mighty Angels, in flaming fire, rendering vengeance unto them that do not know God, and which obey not the Gospel of our Lord jesus Christ. Well, Christ will come suddenly as doth a thief, 
Revel. 16.15.  Blessed therefore is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and God make all (Angels and Men) to see his filthiness.  
But mark that this poor soul confesseth her spiritual nakedness, although by an interrogation she maketh it too difficult to be attired. A confession which few will be brought unto in these days: for they rather will say, I am not more naked than others, more ignorant than such. If they may pull others into their Confession, so be it, they will more easily confess somewhat: but to single out themselves, and to particulate their own sin, that v● few will come unto. Which sin● confession, although it be a lifting of the head towards repentance, ye● it nothing available without Rep●tance or Conversion itself. It is not ●ficient for thee to lie in the bed of adultery, and to confess that thou h● put off the coat of Chastity, exce● thou arise from Adultery, and put 〈◊〉 the coat of Chastity. Fly evil and good. 
Prov. 28 13.  He (saith SALOMON) that 〈◊〉 knowledgeth and forsaketh his sins sh● find mercy.  
The second part of her answer lyi● in these words: I have washed my fee● how should I defile them? Is as much if she said: I have fitted my affections otherwise, in so much as if I arise and op● unto Thee, I see not how I shall do it, b● with embasing and endamaging my sel● By Feet every where in holy writ, meant the Affections, or Will which the container of the affections. B● Moses 
Exod. 3.  putting his shoes off fro● his feet, is there under ment, a putting ●ff, or laying aside earthly, carnal and beastly affections. By the 
john. 13.  washing ●f feet commended by Christ to his Disciples, is signed forth the bearing ●f holy affections one towards another. When DAVID saith, 
Psal. 119.59.  I turned my ●eete into thy testimonies: he meaneth, returned his affections to God's law: ●nd indeed, the feet willingly go on, ●r turn to that way the Heart affects. By all which, appeareth my former conclusion to be true: namely, that he thought herself in an estate good ●nough for the present season: ay, ●hat now to rise were but a defilement to her ways, an endangering of ●er health. An answer notably wicked, and highly worthy the departure of Christ: and yet an answer given by many to Christ in these days, who can say: I affect the Word and the pure Government of the Church of Christ: not one of them wisheth more good ●hereto than I do: but because of the present policy of the Land; because of my present calling, wherein I mu● bathe myself (as in a bed) I cannot ●rise and shake of these things for th● entertaining of Christ's Sceptre an● holy government: but first I shall defile my name and credet (which nam● and credit with the world I must affect) and secondly by reason of cold Laws abroad, I should by arising t● give place to Christ, hazard the los● of liberty and revenues, which I affect as my life: And indeed the prai● of men rather than of God, and the regard of bodily ease before souls health is so dear unto this serpent's brood● that lick the dust & go with their bellies upon the earth, that if they be deprived of these, they are ready to sta● and hang themselves with Achitoph● in a halter. These say in their heart● what profit shall we have in opening to Christ, as the wicked in JOB say 
job. 21.15.  What profit should we have, if we pr● unto the Almighty? These hold th● heresy, that good PAUL long since condemned: namely, 
1. Tim. 6.5  That gain is godliness: and therefore after once or wise admonishment to be rejected, ●it. 3.10. Wicked man thou art, are ●hy feet or affections to be washed & ●rimmed for any other use than to attend Christ's call? Paul setting down ●he spiritual soldiers furniture, Ephes. ●. appointeth the feet to be shod with ●he preparation of the Gospel, because our affections should turn our ●eet to the Gospel, not for the gazing ●hervpon, but for the receiving thereof. But sorsooth it will be a discredit ●o my young Master and young Mistress to leave their chess, cards, dice, dancing, discoursing companions, proud courtesan tire, etc. Oh it will be a disgrace unto them to obey the voice of the Preacher (upon whose head and locks resteth punishment and dislike of men) to obey their call, would make them forsooth, as beggarly and as much despised, as he that calls them from these vanities, wherein th● have slept from their infancy. Indeed the misery and simplicity of Chri● and the plainness of the word, was stumbling block to the jews, and a offence to the Gentiles. If Christ wo● come to our Magistrates, Merchant and rich Na●bals with a golden crow● on his head, and Salomons peace-scepter in his hand, oh then it may be Christ in his Ministers, word and h●ly ordinances should be welcome. Christ would come unto our weom● with a curle●d forehead like a Bu● with pictures of Serpent's dependa● his locks (figuring their serpentine ●fections) appareled like the 
Nomb. 25.  Moabitish women, for the alluring of Go● Israel to whoredom: If Christ wou● come unto the poor people with ple●tie of barli eloaves and fishes: finally if he would not keep such a knocking but would bless the Adulterer, ki● the Murderer, embrace the thief, a● preach strong drink to the pot companions, oh then he should be a Prophet for the nonce: they would bring him in with the voice of a Trumpet, and as much diversity of Minstrelsy, as was at the 
Dan. 3.  dedication of nebuchadnetzar's Image. But seeing he comes in earthen vessels, poorly, not making any noise in the streets: therefore their feet are washed to another use: they bought not their shoes for to run at Christ's call: they can use their feet to a more credible and pleasurable service. Well, 
Eccle. 11.9  walk in the ways of thine heart (not of God's heart) and in the sight of thine eyes (not of God's eyes) but know that for all these things (not one of thy sins forgotten) thou shalt come unto judgement.  
Christ standeth without: we with this sinful soul keep ourselves within: he powerfully crieth, Open: we lie tumbling in our sins the mean while, making interrogatories, with What, and If, and How? he desireth entrance with sweet speeches and forcible reasons: we (with salomon's Slugga● that thinks himself more wise, th● seven men that can render a reason) d● give him a sly answer to our own ●ter sorrow. Do we say that we ● coupled to Christ by faith; and in t● mean time keep Christ at the spea● point? are we coupled, or rather se● red? he wooeth us and we will not wooed, when are we like to be wed● 
1. john 2.4  He (saith JOHN) that saith he kn● Christ, and keeps not his commandem● is a liar: then much more say I, is h● liar, that saith he is coupled to Ch● and yet denieth to do his commanments. Let us therefore at last awa● arise and open our hearts wide, t● Christ by his holy spirit may en● and there establish an heavenly re●ment and kingdom. We pray, Let Kingdom come: take heed lest by nying the passage of his word thro● our souls, we be found adversari● his Kingdom. We pray, Let thy will be done by us in earth, beware therefore, lest we be found resisters of Gods glorious will revealed in the word, and so consequently be not found Mockers in steed of Prayers. The Lord hath knocked in these parts of the world a long season: defer not to repent: lest thou grieving his spirit (which should seal thee up to the day of glorification) he leave of knocking, and leave behind him a flint stone at thy door, I mean, do give thine heart up to be hardened with Pharaoh, and in steed of an heart sealed, thou have thy conscience seared with an hot iron.  
But leaving this our Sinner here sleeping: or rather between Sleeping and waking, namely in a Slumber: I will in the next tractate (God permitting) take examination of her soul: by which time I expect her first Resurrection. In the mean time rouse up your Souls heavy through sleep; that finding with Her, an assured place in ● First Resurrection: you may finally w● her Rise joyfully in the second Resurction: whereas these that Rise not h● first from the Bands of sin, shall sluber and sound sleep on to the po●er of the Second Death.  Melior vigilantia somno. 
FINIS.   

THE SINNERS RESURRECTION.  The Song of SALOMON, Chap. 5. Verse, 4.5.6.7.8. The Text. 
4 My Well-beloved put his hand by the hole (of the door) and mine heart being affectioned towards him,  
5 I rose up to open to my Well-beloved: and mine hands dropping down Myrrh, and my fingers pure Myrrh, on the handles of the Bar,  
6 I opened unto my Well-beloved. but my Well-beloved was gone and passed: mine heart was gone because of his speech: I sought him, but I could not find him: I called, but he answered me not.  
7 The Watchmen that went about the City, found me: they smote me, and wounded me: the Watchmen of Walls, took away my veil from ●  
8 I charge you (oh Daughters of Ier●lem) if you find my Well-beloved, ● shall you tell him? That I am si● love.  
Now followeth ● issue of the Con●rence betwixt C● and the sinful So● wherein is consid●ble: first, the departed of Christ insinuated in these wor My Well-beloved put his hand by the of the door: Secondly, her Arise Search after Christ in the residue the Text. In her Arise and Search, ● is set down the cause of her Aris● these words: Mine heart being ●ctioned towards him, I rose up to open ● to my well-beloved, together with ● Cause of that Cause in these word● And mine hands dropping down Myr● and my fingers liquid Myrrh upon handles of the Bar, I opened to my Well-beloved. Secondly, is set down the fruit of her late opening in the next verses. The first fruit is sour, because of her late obedience, and that lieth in the 6. and 7. verses, where first with an heavy heart (remembering Christ's former speech) she searcheth for and calleth after her Beloved, but cannot see or hear of him: Secondly, during her search, she falleth into the hands of the City's watchmen, being by them smitten, wounded, disrobed. The second kind of fruit (because late repenting is better than never repenting) is more sweet and comfortable: for last●ie, she meeteth with the Daughters of jerusalem (the visible Church, or body of Christ) to whom she communicateth her perplexed estate, that so together with her (as feeling members) they may bewail her unto her well-beloved, with love of whom, she ●s now not a little wounded. Thus much for the whole, now to the parts.  
The silly sinner having returned a● untoward answer out of her bed of Security, Christ he ceaseth knocking not awaiting her lewd leisure a● longer, & therefore drawing his han● from the door, he departeth. This ● doth, because as his presence make● her wanton, so his Adieu for a season may happily cause her to search into the cause, and by little and little be d●uen into a dump, and so after that ● as inquisitive after her Love lost, ● before she was toying and negligent The like course the Lord was urged ● take with 
Hos. 5.15.  judah and Ephraim (that ● Israel, the greatest Tribe put for th● whole) They not listening unto h● voice by Hoseah & other his Prophet JEHOVAH determines on the case th● I will go and return to my place till th● acknowledge their fault and seek me, ● their affliction they will seek me diligently. By these two witnesses appeare●● the cursed crookedness of our nature who the more we are wooed, the mo● wilful we be, but being once set at six and seven, almost or altogether cast off, even then (if ever) we seek after Christ. I will not say, oh ye two Sisters judah and Israel hearken, but oh ye two Sisters, England and Scotland hearken: how long by the voice of his Prophets sounded out in words and writings, hath he called upon you for reformation of manners? how have the hearts of your Magistrates been knocked upon, that once Christ might be received fully, and not only in part? that not only he might use his voice ●n your judgement seats, but also his hands for executing judgement and justice in equal balance: not passing by ●he Murders, open professed Atheism, Adulteries, thefts of the Rich and Noble, as also to render unto the Widow, Orphan, and Strangers their ●ight? how long hath Christ sued vn●o ye, for obedience to his Sceptre and Power, born & exercised in his church; ●ut ye answer as being fast a sleep, and not yet well wakened. Christ's voice too homely, and his spiritual ordin●ces too naked for such a cowple● spangled Sisters, as is England & Sc●land. His word and ordinances sh● not further be received in (kno● Christ till his heart ache) than they ●gree with present policy, & the pl●sures of festered consciences. W● well, mock on: If Christ can doe● good by the voice of his own P●phets, but day by day shall be pos● off (if not have a flat answer, He s● not reign over us) then expect ere lo● his departure, his lamentable dep●ture. As two sisters (by natural vn● and evangelical covenant) ye wa● hand in hand, but not without bit● one another, take heed that (by Ch● his desertion) ye consume not (as ● 
Gal. 5.15  Apostle saith) one another: that phraim eat not up his brother Ma●ses, and Manasses Ephraim: and a● that, a third eat you up both, I h● said. Sure I am, that if Christ brea● house and departed, ye have to expect no better judgement, than had 
Ezek. 23  Aholah and Aholibah, jerusalem and Samaria. What prerogative royal have ye oh ●he Rulers of the Earth before judah and jerusalem, that (knock the beloved) ye will sleep on, and scarce lift up ●our leaden heads, under your arms ●n your Pillows, while his holy voice ● sounded out by his Prophets, and ●et suppose to scape scotfree? 
Gal. 6.7.  Be not ●eceived, God will not be mocked, as ●e sow assuredly ye shall reap. If the ●ord for disobedience cast off the jew, his kinsman according to the flesh) ●nd hath at this day marked him forth ●ith bloody Cain, to wander in the ●rth as an abject: If for the establish●g their own devised Priesthood, ●nd unholy ordinances, the Lord stir●d up the Assyrian King to come against the ten Tribes of Israel, who led ●hem away Prisoners, neither what is become of them, can be heard off to ●his day: What art thou (oh Brutus Land) that the Lord should forbea● thee, and not rather hastily forsa● thee? ey cause one of you to whip an●ther, till both be weary: 
Pro. 14.14  For the he● that declineth shall be satiat with his o● ways. What is the Lord, that y● should tempt him? Is he unrighteous Is he like unto thyself? He is patie● and of long suffering sayest thou. I deed he is so, and that thou maist●● by his former sparing thee, thou● now no longer he defer Iudgmen● He goeth to battle with a leaden foo● but come he once in the field, he w● as hardly be entreated to departed wit● out bloodshed. He hath called a● knocked upon both your doors, ● within your Palaces: First, by Pe●lence: Secondly, by present Famine What followeth in the third plac● Alas, alas, fearful and horrible Blo●shed. Pestilence and Famine, came n● like dumb dogs, but had there Ange● or Men sent of God, preaching the● withal the Cause and the End. But t● heed, lest when the sword passeth through (and it will assuredly ere it be long, if you repent not) lest I say, when the sword passeth through you, it preach in an horrible confused noise, not in a distinct voice: lest in stead of hearing the lively voice of the Prophet, your ears hear nothing but clashing of weapons and armour, horrible lamentations and roar, crying out, Aes me, Aes me, 
Rev. 6.17:  the great day of JEHOVAHS' wrath is come, and who can stand? If you will not otherwise be wakened, this way the Lord will wake ye and rouse ye up. If fair means will do no good, he will put a cutting bit in your mouths, sharp spurs in your sides, and ride ye up and down, till your eyes be open, your hearts ache with the burden of your sins, and you unfeignedly fall down, and cry out in the bitterness of your souls: Have mercy upon us, oh God, have mercy upon us, we are weary of our by-paths, we covet peace oh our God, that so we may serve thee in the sepulchres of our Fathers. We h●●● abused thy Prophets, ôh Lord we rep●●● it: Oh take away our Sins, and let 〈◊〉 Sunshine of thy countenance once aga●● shine in our streets, and we shall not on●● profess thee in word, but also in deed. 〈◊〉 Lord hear, oh Lord forgive, oh Lord consider and do it: defer not for thine ow● names sake, oh our God. Wit is nothing worth till it be bought, nor will m●● know what Christ's face is, till he ha●● turned his back. 
2. Sam. 24:  David seeing the pestilence inflicted on his poor subject could cry out, Oh Lord, I have sinne●● yea I have done wickedly. The Prodigal, being thoroughly bit with famin● came to himself and repent, b●● neither pestilence nor famine hath y●● done good upon us: a fearful sign● that the Basilik hath stung unto det● and men's hearts brawned with the f●● of sin, and made insensible: and therefore either incurable or not to be c●red but by extreme rigour. To da● therefore hear his voice, lest to morrow Christ departed. Yet he knocks, ●ot only upon the door of thy heart, ●ut also putteth his finger in at the Hole of the door, that is, he toucheth ●hy conscience, or that light of nature ●hat every man brings into the world ●or making him inexcusable, which is ●s an Hole prepared for Light, as also, ●or his Finger that should open the Door. While the Prophet toucheth ●hy conscience, and the supernatural Light is offered to the Hole of thine heart for enlightening the Inbred accusing light, thou art in the way to Sal●ation? but if the saving Finger of God ●e once taken away from thy door, Oh plague of all plagues, how great shall be thy darkness? A man coming forth of the Sun into his Chamber, is blinder than when he went out: and thou, after Christ shall cease shining unto thee by his own Prophets, and so art left unto the closet of thine own heart, shalt be more blind and stuped than before the finger of God was upon thee. If the finger of God cast● out thy devil of pride, murder, th● adultery, profaneness, assuredly taking away of that finger, shall be hardening of thine heart, and very ha●ly after that, will the keepers of 〈◊〉 house be dispossessed: and that wh● worse is, ten to one whether eve● gain the holy hand of God snal co● upon thee: for having before giu● the good spirit the repulse, how ca● thou expect his presence at another season.  
This sleepy soul, having sent h● beloved away with a sleeveles answ● what ensueth? he departeth. He bei● departed, what followeth? I arose (sai● she) to open to my Well-beloved. A tri● time. She ariseth to cope, when t● Merchant is gone. A right description of our crooked ways. Christ cryet● 
Rev. 3.18.  Buy on me Gold, white Raiment, a● eye salve: when he is gone, than we ● rise: the quality of one that is rath● minded to play Bank rupt, than for ● maintain credit in the Lord his commonwealth, and City of the Saints. While the Physician offereth his help ●ee repute him vile; but when he is ●one, than we are ready to call for him. Well, better at last than never. Better ●is for David after 12. months, to a●se out of his sin, than to die and ●t therein: better for Paul at last to reach JESUS, than with Herod ever ●o persecute him in his members: bet●er for Zacheus once to make restitution of pelf falsely purchased, than to ●e in the Devil's debt: and better for ●ee whatsoever thou art, now to shake ●ff thy sin, by unfeigned arising thereout, than with the reprobate to pierced in thy wickedness, and so suddenly ●e together with thy sin, swallowed ●p into the Hell of Hells. Many (and ●hese be hypocrites) tell us, that they ●re risen from their sin: but howsoever their bodies be arisen to our judgement, yet their heart (and that God ●eeth) is still upon their halfpenny: and of the abundance of their unholy heart their lips (if we mark well) ● oftentimes run over. 
Pro. 28.13  He that confesses and forsaketh sin, shall fin● mercy. Content not thyself with a● knowledging thy open-seene or t● known sin to man offended the● by: nor yet content thyself with confessing thy secret unknown sinew to God, to whom thy sin is one● known: except herewithal thou forsake the same. If thou arisest in thy o●●ward man to the satisfying of man, d● likewise arise in the inward man (ev● with thy whole soul and strength) f● the pleasing of God, who is the 
Prov. 16.2  Po●derer of the Spirits. This Rising from f● and error, is termed the First Resurrection or Rising (Revel. 20.5.6.) Ble●sed and holy is he, that hath place i● this first Resurrection (or true Repentance here made) for on such the s●cond death (awarded unto the body 〈◊〉 soul in that great day of Doom) obtaineth no power.  
That this Arising of hers was not hypocritical, and only in show to man, she in these words explaineth: Mine heart being affectioned towards him, I Arose. How came she by this hearty affection? it followeth: Mine hands did drop down Myrrh, and my fingers liquid Myrrh upon the handles of the Bar. That the Cause is here placed after the Effect is a thing common in all speech humane and divine. As for the liquid or thin Myrrh, it is here set down, as the cause of the Door-barres giving place & Opening. And indeed, except (after Christ by his ministery hath called upon us) he doth therewithal inject and cast in by that hole and light of nature (termed Conscience) except I say, he thereby convey in the Pure oil of his Grace, the door of our hard heart will never open. Though light flash in upon our soul, to the enlightening of the Mind, yet without the oil of Sanctification be powered upon our heart (the seat of the Will and Affections) all light and knowledge will do no good. What help● the Natural will unto this Resurre●on? as much as a stream running to the North, helpeth the Boat to f● into the South. When the stream● turned backward by Art, than stream is serviceable, not before: e● so, our natural Will, free enough run from the warm Sun into i'll North, being once by God Grace converted (and therefore Repentance is called Conversion) than not fore, it becomes serviceable in work of this first Resurrection. 
jam. 1.18.  God his own Will (saith james) begets by the word of truth. As the wor● God is the instrumental cause of C●version, Regeneration: so the freewit God (tied to nothing in man) is effectual moving cause thereto.  
The 
Luke. 10.30. etc.  passenger in the parable ●ing down from jerusalem to Ieri●● wounded and left half dead, as h● brought in only to stop the mouth a proud Scribe, who bragged of his integrity towards God & his Neighbour, as may appear by our Saviour ●is exhortation, verse, 37. compared with the 29. aforegoing: so Free will men (who make that Passenger to be ●dam left but half dead in his will, ●nd therefore even in nature to have ●re-will to good) must remember that God said, 
Gen. 2.17.  In the day thou eatest of the forbidden fruit, thou shalt die the death: meaning an whole, not an half death: As also, that Adam himself acknowledgeth that 
Gen. 3.10  He was naked, not half ●aked: together with Paul's calling the Ephesians to remember how their Resurrection was from 
Eph. 2.1.5  Sins and tres●asses, wherein before they lay Dead, ●ot half dead) so Frewil men I say, must learn, that doctrine must expound parables, not parables doctrine. And therefore, if by the passenger they will understand Adam, let them by that Half-death, understand that which ●he Scriptures deny not, namely to be the Powers or Faculties (of the So● themselves left undestroyed, tho● the qualities were perverted. Wh● in the time of Unregeneration, t● strongly run in the ways of Death to Death: so, (neither doth God spirit work upon us, as Carpenter on Logs, having no sense: but) he death in us a Mind and a Will, which him being renewed and turned into right way, are made lively in the w● of life: 
1. joh. 5.3. Mat. 11.30  insomuch as they can say, Commandments of God are not grieu● but the yoke (of Christ) is easy and burden light.  
As the holy Ghost is (for this w● termed Ointment by Saint JOHN Epist. 2.20.) alluding to the legal ● the figure hereof: so, till Christ left this oil of myrrh for the so●ning of her hard heart, she had power to open: and therefore m● methodically followeth, That ● she was unawares enoyled with this or thin Myrrh, than she opened saith some Free-will man, I grant that she opened not her heart for entertaining the Spirit of Christ, till first she was by the same spirit anointed: notwithstanding (saith he) she ariseth of herself, though she open not of herself: and that Self-arising I resemble to the power of man's Free-will, by the which he willeth good before he do good. Then (oh Fre-wil-man) thou grants unto me, that to do good is not in our power. As to your willing good in a Carnal unregenerate man, & then not to be able to do good, it is no other Will than was in Balaam, who cried, 
Nom. 23.10.  Let me die the death of the Righteous (Israel) and let my latter end be like his. He herein willed (or more properly wished) to die the death of the righteous; but yet he willed not first to live the life of the righteous. So some wicked men I doubt not, but oft are convicted with the sight of God his word, and sometimes do wish that they could live by the Rule of that word: but what maketh them so wish? the terror of God's wrath thre●ned to the disobedient & unholy, ● of any love they bear unto God holiness. This is a slavish wish, no ● will, and therefore in the Nature man, no preparation (as of nature) open the hard heart. The Devil a damned souls may so wish or will, are they unable to arise to saving ● pentance. Secondly, to Arise with t● soul, is to repent with this soul. S● ariseth not for a while, and after th● go and bind herself unto her sin● couch again (for that were to A● in Show, not Indeed) but she so a●seth, as she after that ceaseth not follow Christ: and this Reall-Resur●ction, none will deny to be True Rep●tance. At no hand then can this her sing resemble the will which is befog Repentance. Thou wilt reply: To op● the heart, is to repent, therefore to ● (which goeth before Opening) is ● to Repent. I answer, To open the he● here, is properly the manifestation of Repentance first begun in the heart (even as the Apple-bud is a sign of the Sap in the Tree, not the sap itself) And therefore mark, how the holy Ghost saith, that the liquid Myrrh after her Rising, besmeared her Hands, (or outward works wrought by the hands) not her Heart. This Oil of grace, wherewithal her outward actions were now seasoned and sanctified, had it not therefore in the first place enoyled her Heart and inward man? ●es verily: for if the Heart of the Tree were not first moistened, the Branches would never bring forth Blossom. The 
Psal. 1.3.  spiritual Tree is first planted by the Rivers of waters, and then bringeth forth seasonable fruits.  
1 Let us then learn, that 
Rom. 7.18  in our flesh dwelleth no good thing: but frewill unto obedience, is a good thing: therefore free will unto obedience, dwelleth not in our flesh.  
2 
jam. 1.17.  Every good and perfect gift is from above, and cometh from the Father 〈◊〉 Lights: not from our degenerate ma● and unregenerate flesh: But to obtain freedom in the affections, to embrace a●● follow the holy spirit, is a right good a●● a perfect gift: Therefore from above, ●uen from the Father of Lights, and n●● from our degenerate man and vnt● generate flesh.  
3 
Rom. 2.4.  The bountifulness of God, leadeth us 〈◊〉 Repentance, therefore not our own wil  
4 To approve the thing that is Good, less than to will the thing that is Go● But to approve the thing that is good, i● work of the Regenerating Spirit, and 〈◊〉 of our nature (Ephes. 5.8.9.10.) Therefore to will the thing that is good, is 〈◊〉 more a work of the regenerating spiri● and not of our nature.  
5 
Phil. 2.13.  God (without regard of any thi●● in us, even of his own pleasure) works in us not only the Deed, but also t● will unto good: therefore, no such W●●● is ingenerate in nature. This Less● had our poor sinful soul here learned by experience, who had no power ●o Arise and Open, until first her beloved had left a secret power behind him, by the subtle odour whereof her heart was pierced, smitten with a dislike of her sin, and provoked with an ●oly hunger and thirst after the pre●ence of JESUS.  
And this Doctrine would not be oppugned by our late free-will men in England, if they first had been smitten ●owne in the feeling of their damnable nature, and the deathful ways of ●he flesh. But as a sort of them have hitherto preached Man's Misery, as a Parrot singeth Sol, Fa, that is rather because they have heard it with the outward ear, then for that it is drawn from an experienced heart: thereof it comes, that their vnhumbled heart breaketh out into such doctrine of Pride: causing every proud javell at his Epicure table, to brag of his own natural power, by the which he can choose any thing that is good: for saith the proud Glutton, Hear is an apple the fruit dish, is it not in my power to t● it or forsake it? No, thou belly-god● if a sparrow set not his foot on t● ground, but by the fore-decree God, (and so saith our Saviour 
Mat. 10.29  Matthew) how canst thou think t● he hath not decreed of thy taking forsaking the Apple? If the Sparrow fall on the ground by necessity of ● Decree, so shalt thou eat or not eat necessity of the same Decree. Ask ●roboam the son of Nebat, whethe● be in a man's power to put out ● hand, and to pull it in again? he w● tell thee no: 1. King. 13.4. Ask Lot's w● whether it is in ones power to cast t● eye back, and then to turn it forwe again? she will tell thee No. ● though with the learned, I in so● sense do grant, that thou hast Fre-w● (as unto ill, so) to every thing tha● in the doing or not doing, of an indeferent nature, or whose action is me●lie Civil: yet doth it not therefore f●●owe, that thy will is Free to the Take●ng or Doing of things spiritual, heavenly, holy. Because thou hast power in thy hand to take or forsake a mor●ell of meat, (a thing neither Holy nor unholy in itself) it therefore followeth, that thou hast like freedom naturally to the things of God: the Consequent may sound reasonably to the Belly that hath no ears: but unto him that hath but one crumb of spiritual sense, it reasoneth thus: I have power to do the thing is not holy, therefore I have power to do the thing is holy. Lord Bishops have opposed themselves ere now to Doctrines more tolerable than these: let every of them that will not be suspected of Popish hearts in Protestants skins, use their great power to stop the course of such Romish seeds, else I can tell them, these that have forsaken the English Parishes, because of the Ecclesiastical government, will ere long say, they have cause so to do, because of public countenancing of popish grounds. Oh saith he (that writ upon the words of Chris● in Luke 23.28.) some tell us that the● weep for our Church of England, bu● unto such our Church saith as Chri● to the women; Weep not for me, b● weep for yourselves. Surely, the ma● may so say in the name of the church, but sure I am, that all that have an● sense of sin, will with sorrow affirm, That the present estate of the English Church is mightily to be lamented. Bu● in a Sermon stuffed from head to toe, with Poetical vanity and affectation of speech, what should we expect? Bu● to leave false Prophets (teaching false fundamental doctrine, or crying peace peace, where is no ground of peace) Let us examine the remaindor.  
Christ receiving an untoward answer, setteth down with himself to forsake her, as the 
Hose. 5, vlt.  Lord forsook judah and Ephraim for a season: and yet mark that he leaves the Oil of Grace, namely, his working spirit behind him: so that it may be said of him, as ●f a politic lover, He departs in his body, but stays behind in his spirit. Not unlike to a discrete besieger of a Castle, who not prevailing by outward battery, doth secretly undermine the walls while the enclosed (dreaming of the besiegers departure) sleepeth sound. Christ departeth in his comfortable voice, My sister, my love, my Dove, mine undefiled, but in the mean time useth the inward unction of his spirit for the suppling and making the hard heart soft and pliable to every holy motion of that spirit. But to whom communicates he this inward working Grace? doth he give this inward teacher unto such as to whom the gospel hath not sounded powerfully by some outward teacher? If that be so, than what needeth the ministery of man. No, no; this grace internal was Communicated to the poor sinner, whose ears before had been pierced with Doctrine. As it is 
1. Cor. 3.6.7.  God, by the inward work of his spirit that giveth encre● unto his spiritual plants, so first 〈◊〉 hath appointed Paul to preach and pollos to water. The Apostles eni●ing first the outward ministry of ●sus, unto them after was sent the 
joh. 14.26  S●rite of truth, who brought the form doctrines unto mind: insomuch as so●what which they understood not the time of his bodily presence, th● after his bodily departure called vn● mind, and then truly understood; as ●mongst other things may be seen ● their after conceiving the sense ● these words: Destroy this Temple, and ● three days I will raise it up again. joh. ● 19 compared with vers. 22. All whi●● as it teacheth us to depend on the ordinary means to grace (namely the outward ministry, together with whic● the Lord ordinarily convaieth his sp●rite, 
2. Cor. 3.6.  and therefore are they called Minister's of the spirit) so we whom th● Lord hath stirred up in this declining age (or rather confused times) are no● to be discouraged, though oftentimes we see not present obedience to our preaching. The husbandman's seed cast into the earth, seemeth to be lost a ●ong season: yet the wise seedsman with patience awaiteth the Lord's time, and ●n time receiveth a comfortable crop ●nd of that which doth spring up, all is not of one days sprout, but some soon & some latter. Though Saul yet slaughter Christians & cause many to blaspheme Christianty, yet hope the best; ●n patience possess we our souls: when he hath the commission and broad seal of the hy priests utterly to destroy the believers at Damascus, then happily the Lord will knock down sir Pursuivant, and send him to make his recantation at Damascus. As the spirit bloweth where he list, so when he list; some must be called at one hour, some at an other: cease we not in the mean time (hoping the best) to persever in our embassage.  
The spirit of God worketh by little and little in the heart, as liquid oy●som and some penetrateth the flesh passageth through the hand. Dealing with worldlings, we have not to de● with half dead folks (as freewill-n● teach us) but with these that are 
Ephes. 2.5.  D● in sins. Life is not so easily put into dead man. Much a do we have ● gain a person out of a trance, we ●fuse into him. Angelica water, rub● temples with Aquavitae, thrust al● into his mouth, buffet him, shake hi● hoist him up in the air, and more w● will do but to kindle the coal of l● that is ready to quench: how mu● more ought we toil and sweat, to fy● a dead coal and to raise up dead Laz●rus from his grave of Sin, wherein ● hath lodged not 4. days, but 4. year● 20. years, 40. 50. years. Yet if Ie●●● love him, he will after some groni●● in the spirit, raze him: and if he lo● unto the Lord's vinyeard, he shallfetched in, though but at the last hou● Though now they neglect the onward ministery, as this sinner did in the former treatise, yet happily (as she doth here) they shall once arise, open, & seek after that ministery which before they neglected.  
She arising (because her heart now at last affectioned jesus; & what freewil-man dare say, that an vnregenerat person doth affect jesus) she arising by virtue of a secret touch, or draft of God's spirit (for none come to God without drawing, john. 6, 44.) she setteth hands to remove the Bars of the door, that is, she is not only contented with the good affection she bore unto her beloved, but for her further comfort, as also to testify obedience to her beloved, she laboureth with heart and hand, even with all her soul & strength to put away & remove the occasions (which were as bars) to the hindering of her heart in the ways of holiness. Dost thou mark this (oh thou hypocritical professor) she saith not with thee: I have a good meaning and a good heart to God: I could wish I had more le●sure to hear the word: If it were not 〈◊〉 these and these lets or bars. I would 〈◊〉 aside my falls Calling etc. she saith not but knowing her former offence, sh● ariseth & setteth hand unto the ban● of her heart, not to make them fa● (as many do to the searing of th● conscience) but to remove them: th● so 
2. Tim. 2.16.  coming out of the devils snare (〈◊〉 all such bars are snares) she may co● to amendment of life. When the kin● of heaven invited guests to the lam● supper, one was letted by his oxen, 〈◊〉 other by his farm, another by his 〈◊〉 not unlike unto many in this desper age, who called and invited to fellowship with the faithful, & to spiritual ●uing communion, do thus reply: I ● not do it but by neglecting my cattle, ●zarding my farms, displeasing my w● make myself a gazing stock to all men, 〈◊〉 Oh fool, were these as beloved as t● eye, and as serviceable as thy hand, t● saviour (if thou mean to follow hi● hath commanded thee to pull them ●ut, cast them away, and contentedly ●o take up thy allotted Cross & follow ●im. Nay, were it that 
Dan. 6.  Darius made law, that none should make petition ●nto God for 30. days, under pain of ●eing cast into the lions den: every professor of Christ must, rather than ●e lions den bar him from that, or a ●y other holy exercise, give not only ●n eye, or hand, but his whole body to ●eath. Better it is for me and thee, to ●nter into the kingdom of heaven by ●auing a Limb, ay, my whole body be●ind me in the adversaries hand, then ●king them away with me, to have ●oth body and Soul Perpetually tormented in hell fire. He that will not ●rsake father, mother, wife, children, ●nd all that he hath for Christ's sake when it standeth on losing Christ or ●oosing them) verily, he is unworthy ●f any portion in Christ. And if these ●ings which are not ill in themselves ●ut by accident, must not bar us from any Christian duty, how much le● are things merely ill in themselves sufficient bars to hinder us? Chur● callings derived from the Son of perition, Commonweall (or rather co●mon-ill) callings derived from the Dragon the Beasts parent, 
Reu. 13.  must m●● allege thes for excuses? One saith, 〈◊〉 Emperor & prince by Donation h● authorised me, invested me, impo● this yoke on me. But oh fool: if n● Emperor or Prince can before G● his judgement seat allege father, m●ther, wife, life for sufficient bars lawful lets unto duty, what can th● or thou say in behalf of bottomless ● Callings? oh saith the dumb minister can live no otherwise: oh saith ●dice-house keeper, I can live no otherw● so saith the thief, I know not h● to live but by stealing: what then? b●cause thou canst live but by Evil, thou content to go to the Devil thou be not, then cast aside thes ba● for 
1. joh. 3.8.  he that committeth sin is of ● devil. But if thou be contented to go to the Devil (never say God forbidden, when thou wilt do that which he doth forbid) then let the magistrate in due time hang thee up, lest otherwise thou live to the death of many bodies and souls. Alexander the Coppersmith, could not live except he did 
2. Tim. 4.14.  Evil to the holy man, but what got he by it? even this prayer he got of Paul: The Lord reward him according to his works, which in plain english is thus much: The vengeance of God light upon him. Though Paul thus imprecated by special instinct, yet I can tell thee whatsoever thou art that lives by unlawful Calling and works, Thou hast all prayer against thee: for the Saints ever pray, That if men will not forsake false callings it will please God to root them out of the Common wealth, and bring confusion upon their lewd exercises, wild beats are not to dwell in the Lord's mountain, nor Rats in the Lord's commonwealth. If we will profess ourselves Christians that is, followers of Christ, let us man●fest the good meaning of our heart, 〈◊〉 setting our hands to the removal ● all Bars, that otherwise may keep from performing any part of obedience due unto our God.  
Some there be, that can be conte●ted to remove some Bar, but not ev●ry Bar: if they put away one sin, th● will keep another sin: these have (〈◊〉 the Hebrues speak) an heart & an hea● that is, one heart for God, and another 〈◊〉 the devil: one heart to embrace Religion (as joab had on hand for Amasa) b● with the other hand they secretly st● Religion, as joab did his friend. But su●● must know, that God useth not to p● stakes with the devil, he will have 〈◊〉 or none. The consideration whereo● caused David to cry, with my wh●● heart have I sought thee O God. Lot h● at first gone unto the mountain 〈◊〉 God, had not fertile 
Goe 19.19.20.  Zoar been a ba●ting Bar in the way. Naaman had become a good Israelite, had not his 〈◊〉 lawful calling of 
2 King. 5.18.  supporting his master in the house Rimmon, been a bar ●n his way. One leaf of Coloquintida will mar the whole vessel of pottage: and one Bar can keep Christ and the Sinner asunder. We read, that Cain murdered but once: that Cham brui●ed his father's nakedness but once: Saul spared Amalek but once: 
Ezek. 11.  Pelatiah mocked the Prophet's sermon but once: judas betrayed his master but once: yet for that one sin & for that once committing it, Cain was marked a Rogue for ever: I'm not only in himself but in his Posterity accursed for ever: Saul left of God to seek unto the devil in stead of Samuel: Pelatiah smit with sudden death: and judas left to truss up his carcase in a halter. With ●his poor soul then arise with thine whole heart, open with thy whole heart ●nd testify thy heart's affection towards ●hy Beloved jesus, in not removing some Bar but every Bar, seem it otherwise as necessary as the Eye, as helpful as thy Hand, as serviceable as thy F●  
And because these Bars to newness of life, will not easily be removed, the poor soul layeth not h● hands only on the Bars but first on t● Handles of the Bar: that is, she applieth heart and hand to gripe the Bar● fast, as at one Push (if it be Possibl● her heart shallbe patent & wide op● to the spirit of jesus. Many seem to labour the removal of inward and onward Bars unto godliness, but th● go so awkwardly & untowardly abo● that removal that no good is done long labour. As Paul teacheth Ti●thie not only to war, 
2. Tim. 2.4 5.  but to warn● as he ought: so would Solomon not on● have us to remove our Bars, but remove them as we ought: that is, n● to stand dandling our lusts, or tr●ling the time in putting away the occasions of sin: but even at once (if may be) to cast them behind us. So d● Saul the Commissioner, who at t● first blow cried: 
Act. 9  what wilt thou h● ●●e to do Lord? he determined not first to go sell his unlawful commission, and then attend on Christ: but at the first, setting that and all things else apart, he betook himself to a new lord. So did 
Math. 9.9.  matthew the toll-gatherer, and so did the residue of the Apostles. But so do not our people, who either will not permit Christ to enter at all: or if, yet at their leisure. Master Parson and Master Vicar will it may be, leave of murdering souls, but when? after he hath provided for himself & his wife, in the mean time souls shall starve ere his carcase starve, after his belly is served, god shall have his due if he can get it. Such belly Gods will lay hand on the Bar, but so untowardly and loosely, as the Door shall open I know not when: an evident sign that they have as much meaning to part with their Sin, as an horseleech with a gouty leg: that is, they will leave sin, when they are bursten with sin. A nettle gingerly handled doth rankle the hand; but being rudely a● roughly gripped, it nothing harme● Sin must be suddenly strangled the throat, or else, as an Adder it w● slide through thy fist and leap in t● face. Agag living but a while, after S● was commanded to kill him, was ca● that Saul afterwards was left to 〈◊〉 himself. Spare not sin, for it will n● spare thee: strangle it, or it will strang● thee.  
This poor soul setting Heart a● Hand to the removal of all lets & impediments to godliness, what followeth? Liquid, Myrrh, drops from 〈◊〉 hands upon the handles of the Bar, th● is, the oil of Myrrh made her han● soople and nimble unto this work of 〈◊〉 moving the Bar. Going in good earnest roundly unto the work, she w● awares, findeth the spiritual oil ● Anointed jesus helping her hands, an● furthering her holy labours, not vnl● to him, that digging to pit a carry o● findeth a coffer of treasure: seeking 〈◊〉 thrust out the evil spirit, she unawares meeteth with the good. Not that the good spirit had not before possessed her heart; & bond the strong man Sin: but that the holy spirit is not visible 
Mat. 12.29  unto us, till we bring forth holy works. This caused S. james to say, 
jam. 2.18.  Show me thy faith (which is inward) by thy work, which is outward. The heart's affection must be manifested by the hands action. This lesson she had learned, & this will james have every professor of faith to learn.  
We are called Christians: and what is this word Christian in plain english? Every Grecian can tell thee, that Christian (in english) is One anointed, jesus Christ, is, jesus anointed. We take the name Christians of Christ, because we should be anointed as was he. He was anointed 
joh. 3.34.  above measure, because 
joh. 1.16.  of his fullness we might receive: not only in our mouth and lip-profession, but also in our hand and outward action. Every one calling himself Christian, calleth himself anointed; anointed to what? anointed to whoredom? anointed to murder? anointed to quaf● anointed to pastime? such anointing cometh from the spirit of th● black burning pit. Nay, to be a tru● Christian, is to be truly anointed t● every good work; as was our anointed head before us. The father is the husbandman; jesus anointed, 
Ihon. 15.  is the vine; and every true Christian is a branch enoyled with an 
1. joh. 2.20  ointment from him that is holy. This secretly transfused to the heart, caused her to affection her beloved, and so to arise to open. But anointing her hands to Do (aswell as her heart to think and her mouth to speak) she casteth aside such cursed Bars, as before kept the spirit of jesus without, and therewithal openeth the Dorre of her soul in good earnest: the oil of god his grace, not only bedewing her hands, but streaming down every finger.  
To these that are called 
Rom. 8.  according to God his purpose, all things fall out happily 
Psal 1.4.  whatsoever they do, it shall be prosperous. The poor shunamit's oil increased not more fast (2 King. 4.) then doth the oil of the Good spirit in a right Christian or Anointed: faith upon faith (Rom. 1.17.) Grace upon grace (joh. 1.16.) Strength upon Strength, Psal. 84, more and more anointed (as it were) to the every finger's end: that is, to the ending of every action. This is new learning to the fool, and smally heeded of the counterfeit Christian: who thinketh Christianity a science speculative not practic: a prating of the tongue, not a practice of the hand. But he that is not anointed from heaven to do good, he is anointed from hell to do evil. 
jam. 3.6.  The (bad) tongue is set one fire from hell: and I am as sure, that wicked working hands are set on fire from the burning lake. He that increaseth not in good, increaseth in evil: & he that goeth not to day a step towards God, doth to day go two steps towards the devil. If wickedness drop from thy fingers, thou art wicked: if h●ly actions issue from thy hands, wh● dare say but thou art holy? 
Math. 7.18.  for a goo● tree bringeth not forth evil fruit, m● an evil tree good fruit: make the tre● good and his fruit good, or the tre● evil, and his fruit evil.  
But this liquid or thin piercing oil, is said to be of Myrrh, sweet i● savour but bitter in taste. As many can be contented, to savour and smel● to many simples, whereof notwithstanding they abhor to taste: so more can be contented to smell unto Christianity; to hear & look upon Christian doctrine, then spiritually to eat, & digest into practice. To hear the word is sweet: to read the word is sweet: to talk of the word is sweet: but to do that word is far more bitter than Aloës. Till we come to practise, all is well: but beginning once to turn hearing, seeing, speaking into Doing, then gins a battle betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit: a strife betwixt the Oil of grace, & the sap of our crabtre nature. A greater strife was not betwixt 
jude.  Michael and Satan about the body of Moses: then here will be betwixt old Adam and new Adam, for the producing a good work. The spirit crieth, Obedience: the flesh proclaimeth Disobedience. As ezechiel's scroll was sweet in gusture, but sour & bitter in digesture: so spiritual things at the first, do ravish the whole man; but when obedience is required, than three parts of the same man resist, and cry out with the sons of the Prophets, oh, Death is in the pot. Elisha must cast a little meal in the pot, or the broth will be to bitter; as bitter as the waters of 
Exod. 15.23.  Marah in the wilderness of Shur.  
Neither is the oil of God his spirit bitter in itself, but of a sovereign preserving and comfortable operation: but as the word of God is called the savour of death unto death (not simply, but in respect) so is this liquid piercing Myrrh bitter, not in it ow● nature, but by reason of our pevish corrupt nature, which as a corrupt stomach is apt to convert a sugared pot●●on into poison. The Sophies of Per●●● offered corporeal 
Math. 2.  Myrrh unto Iesu● in the swaddling clouts; and Nicodem●● (john, 19.39.) brought Myrrh to h●● burial: the one preaching bitterness in his life, and the other proclaiming no les bitterness in his death: and ye● such a bitterness, as without which, o●● fruit would never have been sweete● nor our actions, to God acceptable● To live with Christ is bitter to th● flesh: but to die with Christ, more bitter: and yet of absolute necessity, we must both live and die with him, if w● will appear with comfort before th● Father. If thou long after the Sweet o● heaven, do not then repine to foretaste the Bitterness of the earth. The sharp battle must be fought, befor● the golden crown be got.  
But having risen out of her sin and put away these Bars, that in fore time kept the spirit of jesus, from entering in unto full operation, what ensueth? Her beloved was gone and passed. A correction for late repentance: yea, very just and equal, that if man will repent at his leisure, he should meet with the spirit of comfort at Christ's latest pleasure. But here was not an end of her heart's sorrow. As he was gone past her feeling, so immediately hereupon, she remembreth his former speeches kind and reasonable: the remembrance whereof, smiteth her to the heart, whereupon she soundeth & is ready to depart away in a qualm. When she at first heard him crying bareheaded, Open my sister, my, love, my Dove, mine undefiled, for mine head and locks suffer the night's tempest, than she lay tumbling in her sin, and regarded not his sugared voice. Then she returned her sluggish answer, with interogatories implying Impossibility, thinking Christ had nothing else to do, but to wait her lazy leisure: Well, no● at last (though at her own leisure) sh● ariseth, and looketh for the comfortable presence of jesus his spirit, but (alas) he is gone and passed. He gone an● past, now her memory presenteth hi● former speeches unto her conscience Her conscience pondering upon the● speeches, strait it accuseth and condemneth her soul of Ingratitude, o● churlishness and abusing of the spirit o● jesus. She thus charged and condemned of her conscience, she (through th● weight of the burden) falleth down in a spiritual trance, her heart overwhelmed with sorrow. And is here an● end? no, She seeketh her beloved within her, & without her, but findeth him not And is there an end? no, She calleth S● crieth upon her beloved, but he answereth not. Seek she him in the leaves o● the sacred Bible, or seek she him elsewhere, she meeteth not with him. Ca● she and cry she, never so earnestly upon him in her morning, noontide and evening prayers, yet he speaketh not peace unto her conscience. Oh judgement of all judgements unto the wicked: and the sharpest correction of all corrections to the sons and daughters of God.  
When the wicked have despised the voice of wisdom, & rejected her Correction, what shall befall them? Solomon saith, 
Prov. 1.27 28.  That when affliction and anguish shall come upon them. Then shall they call upon her, but she shall not answer: they shall seek her early, but not find her, meaning, Not at all. Esau shall seek Repentance with tears, but shall not find Repentance, though his heart break: judas shall Repent his treachery, but shall not find the comfortable face of Repentance though he hang himself.  
As for the sons & daughters of God, if they defer Repentance, and grieve the spirit of jesus, they shall not scape scot free. Many times shall they toss their natural Reason, and turn over the leaves of the Gospel, but ye● for a season not find any comfort within them, any solace without the● Many times shall they call for Comfort in prayer, but cold prayers sha● they make: rising with as heavy hart● as they kneeled down: seeing yet nothing in God, but angry face, a frowning countenance. Who hath spen● any years in Christianity, & know not this by experience? he that saith he hath spent some years in truth o● Christianisme, & yet was never plunged in this pit; either he hath walk in perfection of obedience, beyond many: or that (which is more to be feared) he hath been for the time bu● in a deluding dream.  
But how comes it about, that she meeteth not with her beloved, or wit● the spirit of jesus, seeing she could no● Rise out of her sin, but by the spirit of jesus? seeing she could not put aside the Bars, that before hindered th● free work of jesus, except thereto sh● had the help of his hand, which hand is his spirit: how could she be said, not to find or feel the spirit of jesus, seeing she could not persist in seeking & calling after her beloved, were it not that she had the spirit of jesus?  
True it is, that jesus and his spirit were not passed away, nor yet absent from her. Nay, in very deed, they were present touching her heart, and guiding her hand in all this her comfortless toiling: but how? They were present in preparing her spiritual temple to an after banquet. Christ by his spirit was sweeping her heart, With an hard stubbed broom, that so she might not only be half, but wholly swept & prepared to a glorious marriage. Should a sick person say, that the physician is never present, but when there is ease in the sickness? Is not the Physician as well present, when he ministereth bitter Pills for cleansing the stomach, as when afterwards (the stomach cleansed) he administereth sugared receipts? But as the poor patient crieth out (the dead flesh cutting out) oh that I had a Chirurgeon indeed, for he would not torment me, after such a butcherlike manner: even so, the spiritual Patient languishing under the burde● of sin, (whereof the Memory speaketh, & the conscience accuseth still) he thinketh the beloved far away when the Beloved is hard by, working the souls good as fast as he may. David being i● extreme trouble, he crieth out 
Psal. 10.1  wh● standest thou so far of jehovah, hiding the in the time of affliction? Good man because the lord cast a mist of afflicti● about him: he therefore jmagined th● Lord to stand a loof: alas, it was b● the want of clear sight, for the Lor● was never more near him. Nay, ou● Beloved David, jesus himself on th● Cross roared out 
Mark. 15.34. , My god, my god, wh● hast thou forsaken me? Alas (sweet saviour, encompassed with our infirmity, but without sin) God was ne● nearer than at that time, as it appear● presently after, when he lastly cried 
john. 19.30.  Tetelestai. It is finished, that is, the whole work of man's Redemption is finished. Christ, then was not absent wholly in his spirit to this poor sinner, for she had Faith, by virtue whereof she Risen, by virtue whereof, she Sought, by virtue whereof, she called upon God. Had she not believed, she would not have sought ease: had she not hoped, she would not have continued seeking: & had she not loved the spirit of jesus, she would not have swooned for Love, nor her heart been overswaied by the recordating his former speeches. In a word therefore, she Believed, she Hoped, she Loved: that is, she was endued from above, with the holy gifts of Faith, Hope, Love; the holy Trinity, from the Trinity in unity. Christ was present in the beginnings of his spirit, only absent in the full Reveal of Mercy, of forgiveness, of Syns' remission.  
If fair means will not prevail, to cause us arise out of sin: then, well done it is of our father (and a worthy wor● of mercy) to whip us, to briech us, & ● so bring home the prodigal, & once ● lost Son. If, when with much patienc● he hath awaited our Rising, and wit● sweet means alured us to conver● yet we will not arise, yet we will no● convert. Let us expect a famine of th● body, a famine of the soul, & an Ili● of Crosses in our way. To open th● heart freely for entertaining the Sp●rit of jesus, and having opened, not t● receive him, what greater cross? T● seek after the spirit of jesus, ay, to cr● and call for the grace of God by muc● and often prayer, and yet to be deny the thing we seek for, to miss th● grace we call for. Oh what great cross then this. If peace of conscience be a sweet gift passing all understanding of man, than the want of th● peace with a thorough feeling of th● want, must be as bitter gall passing ● the conceit of man. If 
Prov. 15.15.  a good heart ● a continual feast, than a bad accusing condemning heart, must be a continual famine. He that once hath been well burnt with this fire, and bitten thoroughly with this Scorpion, will be afraid for ever after, of abusing Gods call, & of turning his grace into wantonness. And shall not some men's harms, teach others to beware? having seen another under the lash of halfe-despaire, shall not that fear thee, & fright thee from nuzzling Sin (Satan's snake) in thy bosom? Just than should it be for God, to leave thee crying with Cain: My punishment is intolerable: 
Gen. 4.  & with Saul to say Slay me: and with Achitophel to cry, Come halter and strangle me, for I have abused the goodness of my God. But a great mercy of God it shall be, to lash thy heart, to wound thy Conscience, to confound thy affections, and for a time to kindle a feeling of hell's fire in thy breast; that so thy stubble burnt up, thy sin consumed, and the inward man once purged of the sin thou hast slept in, thou so mayest meet with the comfort of God hi● spirit, and the amiable countenance of jesus.  
But is this torment of Conscience all the punishment inflicted on o● housewife newly risen out of sins be● No, what followeth? The watchm● of the city found me, they smote me a● wounded me: the watchmen of the wall took my vail away from me. Here is ● new skirmish, a new rod stiept in vinegar, a sharp bit to the flesh. H● soul before perplexed within: her lazy flesh now vexed without. Certain watchmen find her (find her against her will) & they smite her, wound he● and take away her vail. She dwelled i● a City, and the City had watchmen wakeful watchmen: the little Mou● could not stir, but the Cat had her b● the throat. He leaps at her, another smites her, another wounds her, another pulls (as it were) her Skin over her head: and this is the fruit of h● late repentance, of her late resurrection, of her obedience almost over-late. She ariseth at her own leisure, and therefore is Whipped of God at his pleasure. When she lay slugging and snorting in sin, suffering jesus to stand without in the night cooling his toes, than she deemed herself most master: but now at last, she finds that she wished not to find, that Christ is Head, an overruling head, able enough to bring a proud soul under, and sufficient for humbling the rebellious flesh.  
This City shadows out the World and False-Church: into the which jesus sometimes, steppeth to call from sleep such as the Father hath given unto him. The Watchmen of the City (that is within lodged in the streets of the city) they shadow out the worldlings Civil magistrate: The watchmen of the walls (or highest parts of the City) do livelily denote the Ecclesiastical or false spiritual Rulers, who stand a loft to over-watch the city, and by their tempests trumpets sound to give warning of a● adversary to the world's state. By the● finding her (for she no doubt had leaned to bew are of men) is argued the● industrious watchfulness: by their smiting, wounding, vnvailing her, is she●ed their studious care of keeping ● their Citizens in subjection to the● worldly state. This watchfulness an● Care of theirs, argues the world mo●● witty in their dark generation, the● are the children of light. Christia● magistrates and ministers, may be se● to school of these men: these bein● more watching & caring to keep thei● worldlings in subjection to the Prince of Darkness, then are they for causing & continuing subjection to the Lor● of light.  
But to pursue the Sinners story: Sh● being disquieted in her soul through the absence of her beloved, what dot● she? she seeks all about, and calls an● cries, but findeth and heareth of no● comfort: What doth she then? dot● she go back again to her sinful bed, ●nd so sleep it out with the residue of the city? Doth she say unto her soul: Soul, seeing there is no more comfort to be had (though thou have shaken of thy former sin) seeing there is no more solace in seeking after Christ, go back again my soul and glut thee in sin, go sleep on again with the city's bone companions: saith she so? doth she so? If so she had said, she had said like a number of false Christians in these days? If so she had done, she had had a number of companions in this swinish age: wherein (having taken the start of profession) they twine to their first crookedness, and suck up their former unclean vomit: so making 
2. Peter. 2.20.  their end worse than the Beginning. Or doth she say within herself: Cursed am I of God: reprobated am I of God there is no mercy or salvation for me: therefore come ye cursed hands and strangle me: take up a dagger and stab me: go to some cursed water & drown thee: doth she say thus? doth she ● thus? If she had said so, she should ● have lacked fellows. If so deuellis● she had done, she should have found desperate souls in these days. B● none of these wickednesses she do● what then doth she? She takes (answer) her Tent on her back, & throut the city she ploddeth, if happily sh● may meet with comfort elsewhere, se●ing it was not there: finding not comfort at home, she laboureth to fin● comfort from home: her feet that b●fore were washed for sleep, are no● washed and fitted to voyage abroad a sign she was well wakened: a sig● of a new mind: a sign of new feete● sign of a new soul: a sign of a ne● body, in-somuch as it might be tru● said of her, 
2. Cur. 5.17.  Behold, all things are bec●● new.  
She setting forward to find comforts lo, she falleth into the hands of th● streets watch; Here was a new d● comfort. She was smitten of the stree● watch; another discomfort. She was ●ounded of the streets-watch, another discomfort. What a finding of comfort was here? one hart-breake in ●he neck of another: one sea-billowe ●eating upon another: not unlike to ● jobs 
job. 1.  case, who after the first smart ●hewes, had a second: after the second, ● third: after the third, a fourth tale is ●old more sour than all the former. The Lord set job as a Butt to shoot ●at: and is not this poor sinner here ●bet on like a smiths Anvil? doth not blow sound upon blow: one stroke fall on the neck of another. This is the Lords salve for deferrers of Repentance a plaster of Galbanum and calx viva, or unquenched lime, must corrode, the botch, that will not be sesonably ripened? if the feet have been to tender, to tread the way to the Temples door at the nearest, they must be whipped in and out, & so brought unto the Lord, though by the furthest way about. The flesh that for dayntenes may not now arise till the Son's heat have taken ●way the morning's cold, must (if Go● love it so much) be accommodated 〈◊〉 all wethers, all fare, all kind of clothing As persons must not think to sleep to heaven, so neither to find aye t● well-beloved at the threshold, much le● at the elbow. To these that have da● lied with repentance, shall a placard of sins-remission be hardly (if at al● purchased.  
The civil officers smite her: why they wound her, why? because she ce●sed to be that she had been, and no● would be trudging from their city. Sh● might have slept to the Devil if sh● would, they would never have said Black was her eye. But now arising & seeking after jesus his lively voice, the● beat her, and foully entreat her. It seemed strange unto them, that she wol● not run with them in the same excess of riot. They muse much that she wi● be more precise than all the city beside. That now she will begin to stan● upon points: & to call her ancestors religion into question. What, was she not borne in the 
Reu. 17.18  great city of the nations, or in the suburbs of the Metrapolitan? was she wiser than the whole world that had drunk of the Rose-co●orued Queen's cup? had she borne in her forehead so long the beasts mark, and would she now scratch it out, and take upon her a new mark? How would she 
Reu. 13.17  buy or sell in the world, if she could not content herself with her former Constitution? Had not her father, mother, grandfather died in that city, and had they not sealed the cities laws with their blood? would she not be cooled a while in prison for taking of her fiery edge? would she not be smitten till she left of her new fangle-way; and would she not be rather wounded to death, then by her leaping out of their sheepfold, others should be enticed to skip after? Be sure, the magistrates had the city's law on their side, and they wanted not sufficient reason, for doing all they did. Be sure, they wo● bid her mend herself where she co● & no doubt they would give her le● to try her cause in their city's Co●  
Alas poor soul, thus she fell ●mongst wolves, then where was h● right? If she appeal, she hath to appeal there but to the Court of Lio● where Pilate is precedent, and a company she Bears the grand-jurie. H● Beloved was there smitten before h● and is it possible for her there to sc●scot-free? Her Beloved was there cro●ned with thorn, & thinks she not to crowned with brambles? Poor sou● before her estate was lamentable, b● now more worthy to be deeply deplored. No remedy now, but do as h● head did there before her: namely, sturne no answer to the deaf Adde● but patiently undergo their repro●ful dealing. She that before, comise●ted not the body of her welbelou● standing in the night's weather, sh● must now be whipped a while in t● body, that so she may the better know what it was for her Beloved to suffer. He suffered in the soul, so doth she: he suffered in his flesh, so doth she: thus is she conforming herself to her Beloved in spirit & flesh. Christ 
Heb. 2.10.  our Prince was consecrated by afflictions; and will we be made holy without them? We would come a nearer and softer way to heaven than he did: but foft fire makes sweet malt, no haste but good. Though there be variety of sleeping ways to hell, there is but one waking way to heaven. A waking way? ey, a way that will keep a person waking and sober that walks in it. A narrow way, an ascending way, a rough unbeaten way: for few find it: & few having found it, do keep it to the upshot. If there were no other hindrance, but worldly rulers in the ways entrance, to keep a people back with push or pike, assuredly, they were sufficient to keep one waking.  
But was here an end of her misery? No. When the Civil ruler's ha● apprehended her, smitten her, wounded her, wh●t then? Some body m● needs salve their mischief done. H● case was a Case of conscience, how th● might the civil rulers do that they h● done by law? Tut, that they had don● they would stand to it before t● judicial bench. That they had don● her, was, because they found her ro●guing from lawful home: because th● found her discontented with the p●●sent state, and therefore by conseque● a rebel and underminer of the Citi● weal: as for her Case of conscience th● refer that to the watchmen of the wa● these that were more highly seeney spiritual things, for as for themselu● they were but Lay men. The poo● soul thus handled and spitefully o● treated by the street-watch, dow● comes the wal-watch to see what st● in the streets. Down comes Lord M●lefacious (I should say, Bonifacius) Lo● Impius, (I should say, Pius) Lord ●pus, Lord Vorax, Lord Focus, Lord Furcae, even all Bishop Boner's brethren. Holding up their trains, come all the Perjured Parsons: after them come the half starved Vicars: and behind them with bag and baggage come trailing on the Currats and lack-learning syr-Nick, and sir Tom, these come not with out their Commissione, sealed long since by Silvester Magus. They hale her before the pontifical seat: ad appositum: she must stand forth and answer to her Ordinaries interrogatories.  
Poor soul, how was she hemmed in with troubles before the temporality & now the spirituality must coarse her. What do they? They pull away her vail, her foreheads shadow the covering of a shamfaste brow. Thamar having some shame in her face (and therefore not brazen-fast like an hedge-hore) did with 
Gen. 38.14.  a vail overshadow her face. Holy Rebecca under standing that Isaac (her hoped-hus. ●and) was coming towards her, she covered her bashful face with h● vail, & so meet him Gen. 24.65. A● Ahimileck reproving Sarah for h● want of shame (in having after a so● denied her husband) doth tell her, th● 
Gen. 38.14.  Abraham was the vail of her ey● that is, should have been as a vaile● covering of her more modesty. By ● which appeareth (contrary to ma● their ignorant assertion) that the V● was a covering for matrons, not professed harlots. Thamar her sitting ● the high ways caused judah to demeh● an whore, not her vail. Let the va● therefore for Civil use, remain a rig●● Civil and matronelike wearing. ● Scotland it is much used, in hy & lo● Germany most common: and I thin● every where more frequent then in E●gland excepting such places as whe● they et forth their painted faces sail.  
What is it that the spiteful mi●sterie do with her? They take away ●vaile; that is, they take away the co●●ing of her bashful face, that so she may seem to all the city, an Harlot. The term of modesty taken away, how reproachful shall that person be? But how do they this? I will not say they disgrade her (as father Latimer was unvailed) But I say, they at least spoil her of the ornament of Credit, they rob her of her good name, & that ●is, by proclaiming her Schismatic from the true faith: by proclaiming her obstinate in some fundamental point, & so consequently an heretic. when the dragon with his horns could not push the 
Revel. 12.  woman and her seed to death: then his filthy mouth spews out corrupt waters after her: and the prophets like frogs, come out of the dragon's mouth, go croaking up & down to incense the whole city of the world against jesus his spowsesse. Never is there a notable mischief practised in a commonwealth, but some hob goblin priest is in the one end of it. I am not so young but I have seen that, & thousand besides me have put it dow● in their tables, Probatum est.  
And here, (oh my God) let m● earth & wormsmeate, debate this o● question; what is the cause, that co●ming into divers places (and teaching nothing but truth and such trut● as the adversary Cannot convince nay, dare not appose to) divers supposed Brethren, Cannot abide to see th● multitude of people following or sparing to my exercises, But th● strait deem my credit to be the● discredit, & the Lords harvest reap● by me, they dame they own loss ● though the Lords keys should be p● under their own only girdle? Wh● is the cause, that I but seeking thy glory and the people's salvation, the citi● wall-watch do often times rise up against me, saying of me as the Sodomites of Lot. 
Gen. 19.9.  He is come alone as a stranger, and shall he judge & rule? Surely t● God, I now perceive the cause of t● correction to be my late reformat● ●y Repentanc shaped forth at my own ●easure. I having before neglected thy timely voice, thou now gives me into ●he hands and power of counterfeit 
Cant. 1.6.  Companions, that have a look but ●o true love unto thy voice: what then remains oh my God? should I therefore desist & leave of to go forward? my head jesus preaching so powrfully, as the catching hearers durst not but commend him, the proud Pharisees to them hearers returned this speech: 
john. 7.48.49.  Do any of the Rulers or Pharisees believe ●n him but this people which know not the ●lowe are cursed. I see the same lot light ● on my master jesus: but with a difference He was punished in thy wrath, because our sin was upon him, & he was to be plagued every way for our sin: as for this dealing against me, thou stirs it up (not as a plague, but) as a correction for my former neglegence and therefore may more comfortably be supported Only (oh my God) in due me with patience, love, faith unfeigned, discretion & holy perseverance in thy fear, and then exercise me as thou wilt; be it by lashing magistrate, or false brethren. Give m● as willingly to pass through blood● stripes, as sweet oyntings: give me ● cheerfully to pass through bad repot as good report: through poverty, a● through riches: through death, a● through life: and then a fig for their railings, for their lashings, for their unvailing.  
The poor Soul distressed thus within, through the not beholding the comfortable face of jesus: and oppressed without, first by the ungodly Civil magistrate, then by the virulent tongued Prophet or Ruler Ecclesiastical, what doth she? Doth she now desperately cast down her Cross & turn to her bed of ease and worldly rest again? Doth she curse the time that ever she Risen to follow Religion, doth she recant her Resurrection, and subscribe to the Ecclesiastical Vultures? Doth she cry out, oh my soul, oh my body, I am ●t able to endure longer this burden, and ●herefore farewell jesus, here is an end of my pilgrimag? Good job saith, that 
job. 16.12 14.  the ●ord had taken him by the neck & beaten ●im: that he had broken him with one breaking upon another, and that he did ●ou upon him like a Giant: but as all that could not either cause him profess himself an hypocrite (for so he had lied of himself) nor yet could make him cease his hope in God his Redeemer: so neither could the Sea of surging calamities beating, & still rebeating upon her, cause her either to profess herself an heretic, schismatic, nor yet cause her to desist hoping in her well-beloved: & therefore forward she goeth in her pilgrimage. Behind her she leaveth the lashing officers Civil: behind her she leaveth the lewd City's ministery (counterfeit Companions, false brethren) by what name or title soever they were termed: Were they Lord bishops, Deans, Archdeacon's, Parsons, Vicars. curates: or were th● lewd Pastors, Doctors, Elders, Deacons; whatsoever they were, wicke● they were. Such as would have had th● Poor Soul, to have slept with them 〈◊〉 the Devil for company sake: Behind her back she leaveth them, as Lot lef● Sodom, and as the Lord would ha● his people to 
Rev. 18.4.  forsake spiritual Bab●lon.  
The poor soul having after much turmoise escaped the hands of the City's watch, she 
jere. 50.8.  like an he Goat befog the flock, goeth marching on with he● face towards mount Zion the City o● David, even of jesus anointed. She● lift up her feet (as did jacob flying from Esau) & ceaseth not plodding forward (not looking back with a repenting eye, as did Lot's wife) until she attaine● the sight and presence of jerusalem daughters. Being fallen upon their co● what saith the poor distressed Soul unto them? This she saith: I charge y● oh Daughters of jerusalem, if you me● my Well-beloved, what shall you tell him? that I am sick of love. A petition she putteth up unto them: first with a charge, then with a pathetical Interrogatory (for the Hebrew admitteth that) & by both plainly intimating her fresh bleeding heart, whose gushing streams none could staunch, but only her Well-beloved.  
As the Lord jested not with her soul: so neither doth she offer up her petition as a jest, but in right good earnest, as earnest of her perplexed soul. But who are these daughters of jerusalem to whom she incommendeth her case? Such they were, as to whom she might boldly speak: and such they were, as at whose hands she might boldly expect help: & such they were, as by whose prayers unto her Beloved, she might be the rather accepted: and such they were, as were like to obviate her Beloved, before herself. All these Circumstances (gathered from her manner of dealing) do plainly prove that these Daughters of jerusalem, a● opposite-ones to the former Watch men of the City: and that therefore the must necessarily be, The true visi● Church. As jerusalem was called 
Psal. 87.3.  Th● City of God, (first, because God ha● there placed the Temple, his Delight Secondly, because that material City, figured out the New Testaments Church, called jerusalem from abou● Galat. 4.26. Revel. 21.) so jerusalem Daughters (that is, people) were G● his Citizens and visible Church. To these the distressed soul comes, unto them she maketh her moan, and her● she expecteth comfort, or no where She runs not to the Daughter's o● Sodom, nor yet of Babylon and Egypt spiritually so called: Alas no, she cometh to jerusalems' Damsels, Saints by calling, the Daughters not of slavish Hagar, but of Sarah, who is free with her children. Without the City of the Saints, out of Shems Tent no comfort, much less is Salvation to be had.  
Oh the palpable blindness of wounded souls in these days! If the hand of God have smitten them, have wounded their soul, have crushed their conscience, whither repair they for balm, to Gilead? One starteth aside with 
jon. 1.  jonah, to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of JEHOVAH. Another runneth unto the smooth Prophet, that he may daub up the wound with untempered mortar. The third goeth for life (Ezech. 12.18.) to the smooth tongued prophetesses, who lay soft pillows under their sore elbows, that so they may sleep on peaceably to the Devil. But how many after they are once wounded, do stand forth with Hosheah's people, & cry one unto another 
Hos. 6.1.  Come, let us convert unto jehovah: for he hath spoiled and he will heal us: he hath wounded us, and he will bind us up: how many (I say) once smitten by the lords hand, do turn back to be cured at the Lords hand? The heathen prophets writ that, to whom Ajax his spears head gave a wound, by it or by n●thing the wounded was to be cure● but sure I am, that if the Lord by th● ministery of his word have gadge● any conscience, by the same word o● the Lord they must (if ever) be cure● for where he by his heavenly key opens, no man by humane help ca● shut; and where jehovah by his ka● shutteth, that by no natural wit o● man can be opened. If the two edged sword of his word have given thee a gash, it is neither cards, nor dice, nor dancing, nor bone companionship that will surely heal thee. Well i● may for a season skin over the malady of thy soul, but the day of the Lord will come, wherein 
Eze. 13.13  a storm from heaven shall burst out in Iehouah● wrath, and then shatters down the untempered mortar, false application of life and peace: for There is no peace unto the wicked, Isa. 48.22. no salvation to the sleepy impenitent, & therefore no promise of the Gospel to be applie● to such.  
If when the spirit of Christ hath stabbed thy ulcerous soul, thou de●esire relief, repair unto the same spirit, who within the true visible Church sealeth up the promises of the Gospel. Lot gained b●t vexation of soul in Sodom, and thinks thou to gain hearts ease there? Lot could not sleep quietly in his Zoar, and thinks thou to reap holy contentment in thine unholy choice? Henoch finding no  or sound joy in the society of the profane, he therefore abandoned such fellowship, & 
Gen. 5.24  walked with God, and therefore was taken away from men, as worthy the only presence of God. Seek comfort where thou should seek, and thou hast promise to find comfort. Knock for it at the lords portal, and thou shalt find entry: but ask for soul's health, where thou should not ask for it, and my soul for thine, thou shalt receive but a false comfort. Bad powder may give a false fire, but the guilt of thy soul rests vndischarg● and when jehovah comes to examine thy general acquittance, lo, it will pro● a peculiar blank fair without, nothi● within: a false heart seduced thee: a● thou but dreamt of releasement.  
Well, this poor soul laboured have peace spoken unto her conscience and therefore she cometh to Ieru●●lem, that is, To the vision of peace: 〈◊〉 only in the Church is there peace a● the vision of peace: without, neith● peace nor vision is sanctified or seal● to any soul: much less, assurance ● salvation. This, holy Luke intimated in his Apostolical history, when h● saith, 
Act. 2.47.  And the Lord added to the chur● from day to day, such as should be sau●● Neither is it possible for any to love jesus, that covet not to be joined wit● his mystical body: for where the Corp● be (saith our saviour) thither will th● Eagles resort. CHRIST hath given hi● slaughtered corpse to be fed upon wit● in (not without) the Church, and th● Eagles of jesus (not Sodoms Car-crows) ●re to be fed of that sacramental body. job saith, that 
job. 39.13.  the Eagle maketh ●er nest in the rock, and sure I am, that spiritual mounting minds will nes●el within the Rock jesus, against whom ●ell gates cannot prevail. job saith, 
32.  that the eagle's eyes behold the meat a ●●r off: & sure I am, that the Lords Eagles by the eyes of faith, behold jesus their spiritual food as far off as above the Sun. job saith that the eagle's young●●es suck up blood: and sure I am, that ●esus his Eagles do by the mouth of fifth, suck up the sacramental blood shed on the Cross, by whose blood they live, & in whose blood their garments are only made white. All which considered, what marvel was it, that his poor soul would by no means be hindered from jerusalem, the place of saving vision & eternal peace, what marvel is it, if unto these heavenly ●tizens, she commence her souls mea●●ng: If unto these damsels, she offer her petition & more than a petition Let us examine the words.  
I charge ye Oh daughters of jerusalem etc. Here is an homely Exordiam, a seeming rude beginning. In stead of, I desire ye, she saith, I charge ye: and what should be the cause of such abrupt entry, and so emphatical admiration? Surely, her case required n● less. If a man come to petition at something of his king that is of less value, or may at leisure be timely enough granted, than such a supplicator useth speeches more circumstantious and less pathetical: but if a man (having committed wilful murder) have his deadly, adversaries pursuing him at the heels, he suddenly cometh running unto his King, and (considering a minute's delay may danger his life) he as suddenly falleth down crying Oh King, as thou wouldst find fau●●● presently before jehovah his judgement seat, so let me obtain a pardon at t● hand. The present perplexity of h● soul causeth him to pass by common form of petition, and in stead thereof, to exact pardon by an open or secret adjuration. If a man come to his sworn brother in so tickle & desperate case, he standeth not saying, Good brother, I am now to petitionate a thing at your hands, whereto if you shall vouchsafe to lend an avaricious ear, as also a well construing mind, I shall think myself not only happy, in being yoked with such an Alter ego another I, but also account myself for ever after, tied unto you, as to another parent: his case being (as the former) desperate, he standeth not upon such ambagious insinuations, but he in a more homely sort rusheth into his friends chamber, and without by your leave, or good-even, he (with hands folded together, and half dead countenance) crieth, I charge thee as thou art a man, and as thou hast any drop of ho●est blood in thine heart, that thou commiserate my present estate, and labour with the king for my pardon. Our poor soul here, was not her case desperate, and hung not over her head an heavy sword in a small single thread? How was she tormented within? and how was she scourged without? She might say with the Psalmist, One deep calleth another for in the neck of one distress ensued another: storm upon storm, flooke upon flooke, lash upon lash. Was it any marvel then, if here she omitted common form of petition? If for bodily health men will deal so earnestly, how much more for soul's safety.  
Again, she had not to deal with curious companions, false brethren and sisters, but with such as had truly put of the old man with his deceivable lusts, and had put on the new Adam Christ jesus, as a fashioning garment upon their words and works with them therefore she might converse after a more bold and familiar manner. Had she to deal with a number of our prattling professors (preachers and hearers) she would have been twice advised, ere she had powered her soul into their laps: for 
Prov. 29.7.  the righteous knoweth the cause of the poor, as for the wicked they regard not knowledge.  
But wherewith doth this poor passionate Soul Charge the daughters of jerusalem? for sooth with this: That if they meet her beloved, they should unto him impart her estate. And because they should be specially attended unto this her special suit, she frameth her speech thus: If you meet my well-beloved, what shall you tell him? she urgeth them to tell her case, & then she demandeth what it is they should speak? This verily notifieth her insatiable thirst and spiritual appetite: first, of having her souls wish imparted to her beloved: secondly, of her deep swallowing affection, that would be satisfied with nothing but the presence of her beloved jesus. The first is plain by her manner of stirring up the church members to attention: the second is as openly demonstrate in her answer to the former demand which is this: tel● him, That I am sick of love.  
The particle (If) admitteth not a doubt, If they should meet with her beloved, but (as every one knoweth that is acquainted with the hebraism in other places) it is as much as if she said when, or, as you shall meet with my beloved, tell to him this. The Anglisme is of like sense: for we say indifferently, If you have to deal with the King, or, When you have to deal with the King, or, as you shall have occasion to deal with the King, do insinuate this thing. Neither is the particle (if) les significant than when, or As, but a particle (indeed) of more modesty, putting a bit in the mouth of her former Charge or homely speech, as willing to qualify her former homely dealing: any good Rhetorician will acknowledge this, but fools will understand no reason.  
The poor soul, charged and almost surcharged with jehovahs' heavi●● pressure, she chargeth the daughters of mystical jerusalem with the receipt of her soul's oblation, that so in their more purified censers, they might offer up her bitter (but savoury) myrrh unto her beloved. By their ascending to her right regal lover, she hoped the return of an happy answer: no marvel then if she were, first, earnest to seek them out: secondly, earnest to acquaint them with her estate: thirdly, earnest to set them on work for her intercessors: 
Prov. 25.25.  for as cold waters are to a weary soul, so are good news from a country (though) far of. Special cases, require special speed: & a divine whip must be sal●ed by divine physicians. As the Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: so unmeet it is, that such should be acquainted with our soul's misery. To what end communicate we our spirits affliction, if not to receive comfort? & what warrant of comfort is there to be had by such intercessors, as have no promise to be heard for themselves? As the Lord is able and willing to cure a●● our private sin, upon private confession: so, by publishing that to others who are themselves profane, wh● are like unto Terentius prattler, that sai● he was Full of holes, unable to conceals a secret, what good can we expect from such? namely this: to have it polished in 
2. Sam. 1.20.  Gath, and in the streets o● Ashkelon, at the hearing whereof, the Uncircumcised shall leap for joy. By this foolish devout Confession, the grief of soul that before was private and single, it becometh public and double, worse than ever it was. It is but blind devotion, that lacketh the eyes of discretion: let younger Christians learn that.  
She communicateth not her heart's sorrow to the blessed Saints departed, but to the Saints living. james i● special case, willeth 
jam. 5.16.  this, but the first is no where willed or commanded Our Saviour, Mat. 18.15.16.17. urgeth in some cases, Confession to the Saints living, but no where unto the dead. JEHOVAH (job. 42.8.) urgeth jobs kinsmen to make job their Intercessor by sacrifice, but no where he willeth men to seek unto the dead. Saul sought unto dead Samuel, but he met with a living Devil. Know what thou art to confess to God, what to men, and also learn, Where▪ when, what, how, & to whom to confess, when thou dost confess: for the devil under colour of devotion, seeketh how to overturn true Religion and the credit of the Saints. Neither must thou think, that Saints here living are properly Intercessors or Mediators, (
1. Tim. 2.5.  For there is (but) one Mediator between God and man (even) the man Christ jesus) but improperly are they so called: namely, because as faithful feeling members, they communicate to the Lord their fellowlike misery: & therefore it is, that the Saints interceding for any their poor members, they come unto the Father, (not by themselves) but by the Son: for his 
Reu. 8.3.  Cuser is only Gold, and in him is the F●ther well pleased. Let the Saints departed have their due: let the Saint living have their due, neither to either or both, do attribute the Lords due.  
But what would she have them to impart to her beloved? namely, this That she was sick of Love: alluding unto a Virgin over-rapt with an amorous conceit, who by reason of her Betrothed his absence, is ready to sound and to pass away in a love-qualme. David but wanting the Tabernacles presence he 
Psal. 84.2.  fainted: how much more would he have fainted and faultered under loves affection, if so he had lacked the feeling presence of his God, that could not be contained within any material Tabernacle or Temple? She here was arrived at the Lord's Tabernacle, (namely, at the society of Saints) but she yet attained not the comfortabl● face of him, that hath promised, tha● Where two or three are gathered together 〈◊〉 his Name, there in the midst he will be. She sees the body but not the Head: She, therefore maketh suit, eye, chargeth the body (by reason of that duty which is owing from member to member) to acquaint her beloved with this, namely That she was sick of love. She that before, would make no better use of Christ his knocking at her door, must now be glad to seek after Christ and knock at his door. She that before would not make better use of Christ his private petition, must now be glad to come unto Christ by public petition, and that under the broad seal of his church. when Christ knocked, called, suited, she lay snorsing in her sin: just therefore that now she knock, call, and suit unto Christ, though come out of sinne●ey, she who before for keeping fellowship with the City, had neglected fellowship with Christ and his mystical body, just it is, that now she should come unto Christ no other way, but by f●seking unto his body. An acquittan● for sin, is not so easily won. Ma●● thinking they have it, go unto hell i● a dream: many feeling the want th● of, do labour for the plakard of Rem●sion, but seeking for it where it is no● they pop into hell without it. Som● feel the want, labour for supplied that Grace, and quickly have it, by reason they come roundly off at Christ Call. Others finding their box empt● of that quittance, do labour for it, b● obtain it at leisure, by reason of thei● former rude behaviour to their Ca●  
Turn not therefore God his grac● into wantonness: if thou do, then expect either to have thy conscience s●red with one hot iron, that so thou ma●● pass up and down, a Goat brand to hell: or (at the best) await a black glooming day, wherein thy soul sh● be stripped in the eyes of many, an● thou in body and soul whipped fro● one place to another, before thou obtain the heavens-charter of sins re●ission. 
Isa. 38.14.17.  Hezekiah chattered like a ●rane, and mourned like a Dove, before 〈◊〉 had assurance that his sins were ●●st behind jehovahs' back: neither was David (who so oft was bet in the lords ●orter) unacquainted with passing through this fiery furnace, before he ●●s fit Gold to receive jehovahs' impress. But as their coming under his lash correctory, may fear us from ●allyinge with repentance: so their ●nce meeting with the Sunshine countenance of their beloved, may teach ●s not to despair of mercy: considering, jehovah desireth not the death of ● sinner, but rather that he would re●ent and live. Lastly (for some necessite urgeth brevity) that perplexed ●●ule may undoubtedly believe and ●●pe for happy release, who truly can 〈◊〉, My soul is sick of Love, as David ●●de, 
Psal. 42.2.  My soul thirsteth for God. If God have given thy soul to hunger 〈◊〉 thirst for righteous things, it is because he is minded afterward to 〈◊〉 thee. As a prudent householder wi● there bestow his meat, where f●● he perceiveth appetite & hunger: s● the householder of the Church (eue● Christ jesus) reacheth there forth h● hidden Manna, where first he percei● spiritual appetite, Need makes the n●ked run, and hunger breaks the sto● walls: neither will any thing stop, st●● or quench the soul's want, the soul wish: 
Cant. 8.6.7.  for love is strong as death, devouring as the grave, like to fiery coals and vehement flame. This Love of God wa● not in Cain, in Esau, in Achitophel, ● Iscariot: for if it had, Cain had not be● finally impatient? Esau had not nourished fury in his breast, Achitophel wol● have thought no shame, that the lo● should have shamed him, in frustrating his delphik-like oracle: nor wo● Iscariot have deemed Christ his oblation insufficient to save him.  
If we would not be driven in● these straits, let us prevent that 〈◊〉 timely Resurrection from sin.. If we have slept away the third, sixth, ninth, and tenth hours, yet let us not now at the last hour shame, to arise & go into the Lords blessed vinyeard, and there labour with others for the penny of promise. Every man & woman in that vineyard, worketh in some honest room and holy calling, one bearing the infirmities of another, labouring to do all their things in love. Awake therefore oh Sleeper, arise, it is day: nay, the Sun is ready to set and to leave our horizon: Christ tendereth his mercy, as yet, but after Sunset, catch christ and mercy where thou can, I have no promise of mercy for thee. Happy is ●he who by others harms is more wary let this sinner's affliction fear thee from sleep, and let her patience and discreit carriage, lead thee unto the infallible Vision of peace: where peace of conscience is not finally failing, howsoever sometimes it stands a far of for a season.  Serò, sed seriò surgit.  

An Animadversion.  
SOme (from my Epistle to Engla● prefixed to the Summons to Doo●day) would gladly collect, That I he● unlawful for a Pastor of the new Testam● Church, openly to rebuke open sin. Such 〈◊〉 know, that I never was so absurd: na● would have them to know, that I wo● not only have public sins public rebuked, but (which more is) I do leeve that such offenders (not satisfy the congregation by apparent hum●ation upon the Church's rebuke) ● Church ought (first, for keeping her s● unleavened: secondly, for the humbl● such sinners) without delay to excommunicate such.  
Because of salomon's speech (Prov. 26 I have said now no more: but became of his next speech (vers. 5.) I have sa● thus much: and so an end.