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Refurrection, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whofe foever John Sins je remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose 20. 23. foever Sins ye retain, they are retained.

In fine, here was a Fulness of Confolation to fupport them under all Sufferings: Some while before the Dif ciples were troubled, and Sorrow had filled their Hearts, when their Maffer had told them that he was to leave them and go to the Father; but now they rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory, for his fpiritual Prefence. He had withdrawn his bleffed Body for a while, and now fends his Holy Spirit to comfort them, 2 Cor. and to abide with them for ever.

The more empty we are of all outward worldly Enjoyments, the more fit and capable we are to be filled and replenished with the Divine Comforts and Graces; for as the Sufferings of Chrift abound in us, fo alfo our Confolation aboundeth by Christ.

Why art thou caft down, O my Soul, and why art thou difquieted within me? Hope thou in God. For thus faith the LORD, For a fmall Moment have I forfaken thee, but with great Mercy will I gather thee. In a little Wrath I hid my Face from thee for a Moment, but with everlasting. Kindness will I have Mercy on thee, faith the LORD thy Redeemer.

5.

Bleffed be God, and the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who hath bleffed us with all Spiritual Bleffings in heavenly Eph. 3. Places in Chrift.

Now from the whole of our Text and Difcourfe we may learn many useful Inftructions concerning the Nature and Excellency of Divine Revelation, the Neceffity and Advantage of having the Holy Ghoft to be our Guide and Comforter: And then by what Means we can beft purchase this blessed Guide and Comforter to abide with us for ever.

As to the First, concerning the Nature and Excellency

of

of Divine Revelation, which tranfcends all Senfe and carnal Reasonings of Men, as far as the bright fhining Sun doth the twinkling of other Stars, or a lamp at Noon-day.

The natural Man, fays the Apoftle, receiveth not the i Cor. Things of the Spirit of God, for they are Foolishness unto 2. 14. him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually difcerned.

Senfe gives us only the firft Appearance of Things prefent, and material Reason leads us higher to intellectual Reflections, and afcertains us of the Truth of Things as they are in themselves, and depend upon their first Caufe, the Creator and Governour of all the World, in whom we live, and move, and have our Being, when we behold the Works of Creation and Providence, as it is written, The Heavens declare the Glory of God, 19.1,2. and the Firmament (heweth his Handy-work...

Pfal.

Day unto Day uttereth Speech, and Night unto Night fbeweth Knowledge.

For the invifible Things of him from the Creation of the Rom. World are clearly feen, being understood by the Things that are made, even his eternal Power and Godhead.

I. 20.

But Revelation raises us above Nature, and the Things of Nature, to see the Author and Preferver of our Being without any Vail or Covering: This fhows the Caufe of our Mifery, how Sin entred into the World, and Death by Sin, that Remedy was moft proper for our Recovery, to expiate the Guilt, and deliver us from the Dominion, as well as the Punishment of Sin, which is now made manifeft by the appearing of our Saviour 2 Tim. Jefus Chrift, who hath abolished Death, and hath 1. 10. brought Life and Immortality to Light through the

Gofpel.

This is the true Light that shineth in the Darkness, and enlightens every Man that cometh into the World.

But

But we all with open Face beholding as in a Glafs the 2 Cor. Glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame Image, 3. 18. from Glory to Glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. When the Soul (like as a Glafs representing our natural Face) is enlightned with the Spirit and Glory of the Lord, and all the Powers thereof enlarged and filled, with all the Fulness of God, and his Gifts fuitable to our Condition and Capacities, whereof Mofes was a Type and a Figure, when the Lord fpake unto him Face to Face, as a Man fpeaketh to his Friend, the Skin of his Face did fhine with the Brightness of that Glory. For God who commanded the Light to fbine out of Darkness, (which was upon the great Depth, when the Spirit of God moved upon the Face of the Waters) bath fhined in our Hearts, to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God, in the Face of Jefus Chrift. For we were 2 Cor. fometimes Darkness; but now are we Light in the Lord: 4. 6. therefore let us walk as the Children of Light.

Exod.

34. 35.

Now the feveral Ways whereby God manifeft's himfelf to us, will appear by a plain Comparifon betwixt our Bodies (which the Scriptures call the Temple of the Holy Ghoft) and Solomon's Temple, wherein was firft the Outer Court for the People, next the Inner Court for the Priests and Levites, and then the Holy of Holies. for the High Priefts: So here in this myftical Temple, there is firit the Outer Court of the Senfes, wherein God' manifefts himself in bodily Shapes and Appearances, as he did in thefe Preludes of the Incarnation to the Patriarchs before the Law, and afterwards more clearly in the Incarnation it felf, when the Son of God took upon him the Form of a Servant, and converfed with us daily and familiarly in our own Nature. God who at fundry Times, and in divers Manners, Spake in Time paft Heb.I. unto the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in these last Days 1, 2..

Spoken

Spoken unto us by his Son. That which was from the 1 John Beginning, which we have heard, which we have feen with our Eyes, which we have looked upon, and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life.

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Next, here is the Imagination and Phantafie which we compare to the Inner Court, wherein God manifefts himself by Dreams and Vifions, as he did to the Prophets under the Law. Laft of all, here is the Holy of Holies, the Mind of Man, his Soul, and fpiritual Subftance, wherein God erects his Throne, fhines forth in his Glory, and is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth; its here we fee, and converfe with the Father of Mercies, the Fountain of Light, and the Perfection of Beauty: For the Lord hath chofen the Heart, he hath defired it for his Habitation. This is his Reft for ever, here will he dwell, for he hath defired it; its here we entertain the Knowledge of our deareft Lord by Faith and Love; its here the Spirit of Life and the Spirit of Glory refts, and fills us with Joy unfpeakable and Fulnels of Glory; its here we receive the hidden Manna, the Confolations of God, and thefe Myfteries which humane Reafon and Philofophy could never reveal unto

us.

This is that experimental Knowledge which the Saints have of God by inward Senfation: As we fee, and hear, and know outward Things by our Senfes, fo we have Rom. a fpiritual Senfation of God and his Kingdom, which is not Meat and Drink, but Righteoufnefs, and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghoft, which is fweeter to the Soul, than Honey and the Honey comb; as it is written, Thou haft put Gladness in my Heart, more than in the Time when their Corn and their Wine increased.

14. 17.

Pfal. 7.

4.

Alluding to thefe Senfes, we have these Sayings and Experiments of the Saints, namely of feeing and tafting

O taste and fee that the LORD is good, blessed is the Man Pfal. that trufteth in him.

34.8.

How Sweet are thy Words to my Tafte, yea fweeter than 119. Honey to my

Mouth.

103.

I have heard of thee by the hearing of the Ear, (faith Job 42. Job) but now mine Eye feeth thee.

4.

O Generation, fee ye the Word of the LORD, (faith Jer. 2. the weeping Prophet) have I been a Wilderness unto 31. Ifrael, a Land of Darkness.

Again, of feeling and fmelling; Let him kiss me with Cant. the kiffes of his Mouth, for thy Love is better than Wine.

Because of the Savour of thy good Ointments, thy Name is as Ointment poured forth; therefore do the Virgins love thee.

Likewife of Hearing, Make me to hear Foy and Gladnefs, that the Bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

None can understand thefe hidden and unspeakable Pleasures but they that feel them; Non capit intelligentia (fays a devout Author) nifi quantum experientia attingit.

A Stranger intermeddleth not with their Joy, only the Experience of illuminated Perfons is the most fure and comfortable Knowledge.

I. 2.

He that hath an Ear, let him hear what the Spirit faith unto the Churches. To him that overcometh will I give to Rev. 2. eat of the hidden Manna, and will give him a white Stone, 17. and in the Stone a new Name written, which no Man knoweth faving he that receiveth it.

When thou faidft, Seek ye my Face, my Heart faid unto thee, LORD, thy Face will I feek.

As the Way to the Holy of Holies was through the Porch and Outer Court, fo the Way that leads to this Acts 1. inward Light and experimental Knowledge of the Saints, Luke is fometimes through the Senfes, by the ordinary Means 24. of Providence, as the preaching of the Gofpel, the

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