VOL. vifible ftate into a dufky fhadow to our felves. I. We can clothe all the world with darkness, in a

moment, only by fhutting our eyes. And therefore as our eyes would fignify nothing to visible things, if we did not use them; so nor will our thoughts fignify any thing in reference to the invifible world, unlefs we employ them upon their more proper, and peculiar objects.

WE fhould alfo recollect with our felves, that there is fuch a thing as an invifible world, which is the best and noblest part of the creation of GOD. We our felves, as to the better part of our natures, belong to it. Therefore we should not behave as ftrangers, and unrelated to that world. We fhould confider how glorious the invifible world is, and recount who are its inhabitants, what are the affairs and pleasures, the excellencies and ornaments of thofe inhabitants. Let us think with our felves, what vast numberlefs myriads there are of glorious fpirits, creatures of GOD, that are compofed all of mind and love, whofe perpetual business and employment is to behold, and adore the great Father of fpirits, the PATERNAL MIND, or REASON, as the Heathen have called him, the original Intellect, that is every where and ALL IN ALL.

WE fhould think with our felves, that the affairs of thofe innumerable multitudes of glorious fpirits, and their pleasures and delights, are the fame. Their bufinefs is to be always beholding the divine glory; and by adoration and praise to return it to him, reflecting it back again to

X.

its own original. We fhould think with our SER M. felves, what the lovely ornaments and excellencies are of those bleffed inhabitants: We should confider their vast knowledge, their mighty power, their pure holinefs, their profound humility, the benignity, love, and ferenity, that are every where to be found among those happy beings.

AND when we have thought and confidered all this, then let us afk our felves, "Why am I a "ftranger to this invifible world?" For indeed we are strangers to it, while we are unrelated to GOD, and his Chrift. But this is not our neceffity, but our great folly, that we continue in fo diftant and unrelated a ftate. We are naturally aliens, ftrangers, foreigners; but there are overtures made to us by Chrift, to become of the houfhold and family of GOD. And this family is made up of heavenly ones, though part be in heaven, and part on earth. Our Lord Jefus Chrift himself, befides his natural, hath an acquired dominion and lordship over the whole of it. By bim were all things made, both visible and invifible; and even befides that, by the blood of his crofs, he is become the Head over all principalities, and powers, and thrones, and dominions; whether they be in heaven, or earth, or under the earth.

So that if we be of thofe who profess themfélves to be Chriftians, and are united to him, We are come to an innumerable company of angels, and the fpirits of the just made perfect. We are VOL. I. actually

Eph. 11. 19.

M

d Col. 1.16-21; Heb. xII. 22, 33.

I.

VOL. actually joined as members of that body, which is all but one community of glorious creatures above, and holy ones here below, in whom the beginnings and first principles of the new creature, and the work of fanctification are to be found. So that we may again demand of our felves and afk, Why do we eftrange our felves "and carry it as if we were, unrelated to those "invifible creatures?" Thofe bleffed fpirits are continually mingling with us, if we will believe the divine teftimony concerning them. The angel of the Lord encampeth about them that fear him, and delivereth them. And what are all the angels, but miniftring Spirits fent forth for the good and fervice of them who are heirs of falvation? They are converfant in our affemblies, as fome understand that paffage in the first Epiftle to the Corinthians, where the woman is directed to have power over her head, that is, a vail, in token of her fubjection to power, becaufe of the angels ; though fome understand this paffage otherwife. And again more expressly it is faid, that unto powers and principalities in heavenly places is known by the Church the manifold wifdom of GOD.

THEREFORE in that we do not entertain more frequent thoughts, and exercise our minds more about what the Scriptures reveal in this matter, we are certainly injurious to our felves. We keep back our minds from being clarified from earth

f Pf. XXXIV. 7. Eph. 111. 10.

Heb. 1. 14.

1 Cor. XI. 10.

earth and fenfible things, by which they might SERM, be raised up to the honour and advantage of X. being employed about the Bleffed Go D himfelf. For if we were filled, all the day long, with becoming thoughts of the ftate and condition of the affairs of the inhabitants of the invisible world, how eafy were it to fix upon GOD the great Ruler of all, the Father of fpirits!

AND being of the fame community, making but one fociety with thofe bleffed creatures, as being under the fame head with them, we make a great fchifm in the body if we break off our felves from them, and their employments and affairs, and involve our felves with things that are vifible, and the objects of fenfe. Of all men in the world the fenfualift is the greatest fchifmatick. He breaks himself off from all the affairs. and concernments of the invifible world; and wraps himself in this narrow fphere, as one quite cut off from Go D, and all that are more immediately converfant with him. We, I fay, quite rend our felves from that body, that happy fociety, if we do not apply our felves more to mind the concernments of that other world, and to have our fpirits, thoughts, and affections, exercised and carried up thither. And again,

3. IT is neceffary in order to fupply our not feeing GOD, that we moft firmly believe the report and teftimony that is given of him in the gofpel of his fon. What we cannot know by our own eyes, we must be beholden for the knowledge of to the report of others. And it is the

M 2

business

VOL. business of the Gospel to make a report of GoD I. to us, and the errand of his Son into the world was to bring us this report. He who best knew him, and from eternity was in his bosom, bath declared him; and that on purpose for our relief in this cafe, because no man hath seen GoD at any time. Since therefore Go D is invisible, and we are creatures that depend fo much upon fenfe, he bath spoken to us by his Son, the express image of his perfon. So that it is by no mean one that he hath fent us an account of himself, though we cannot fee him.

ALL reports fignify as they are believed. They fignify nothing where no credit is given to them. But what should induce us to doubt, whether the revelation which Chrift hath made to us of GOD, in his word, be true or no? What fhould make us imagine, that GOD fhould mifreprefent himself? What! Doth he need to beguile us, his creatures, whom he hath intirely in his power? the works of his hands, whom he can wink and beckon into nothing? Do you think he means to beguile us with fpecious reprefentations of himself, otherwife than as the matter really is?

THEREFORE we fhould thus confider with our felves."We have not indeed feen Go D, "nor is he liable to fo mean a thing as human "fight. But we have an express discovery of " him by his own Son, who came upon this very "errand and what he has faid was not cafual"ly,