Experiments of Spiritual Life & Health, and Their Preservatives / In Which the Weakest Child of God May Get Assurance of His Spirituall Life and Blessednesse Etc.

by Roger Williams

Gods people long alter visible enjoyments of God.

10thly. It is an argument of spiritual health, and strength, to maintain or recover an holy vehement longing, after the enjoyment of God, and of Christ, in a visible, and open profession of his own holy worship and Ordinances, separate from all false worships, Gods, and Christs, &c.

Hence that of David, Lord I have loved the Habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth: Hence he professeth he had rather be a Door keeper in the house of the Lord, (that is in a low condition, in Gods house,) then to dwell in the tents of wickednes, though in never so safe and pleasant a condition.

Hence he sums up all his desires in one, Psal: 27. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, &c.

Hence (though David mist of the Lords Order in carrying of the Lords Ark, and afterwards he mist in his thoughts about the building of God an house and Temple: Yet in both he discovered his holy strong affection, to Gods publike honour, and worship. The very same which afterward the Prophet Jeremy, and Daniel declared in their bitter Lamentations, for the Ruine of Gods house. And both Daniel and Zacharie, and Haggie, mightily declare this affection for the rebuilding, and setting up again this Temple and worship of God, and what they prophesied, that both Ezra and Nehemiah, and afterward Jehoshua and Zerubabel zealously performed and executed.

True Christians affection to Christ Jesus in his visible worship.

Hence it is that in the heavenly Love Song, the love of Christians to Christ Jesus in his ordinances is most elegantly set forth by a similitude taken from the strong affection of married persons: I am, saith the Spouse, sick of love, and O ye daughters of Jerusalem tell Christ Jesus so: If I finde him without I will kisse him openly in the streets, and will not be ashamed: True heavenly affection (like marriage love) at first kindles from some private sparks, to an open flame of publick profession, without shame before all men.

Obj. May not Hypocrites (as Saul in slaying the Gibeonites, and Jehu in slaying the Baalites) discover strong affection and zeal to the Lord and his worship, and consequently in these times to Christ Jesus and his holy kingdom?

I answer: Hypocrites and counterfeits in their profession of love to Gods publick worship ever run upon one of these two Rocks. For,

First, either they set up, and maintain, and fight for a fancie, a counterfeit, a false Christ, according to the prophesie of the Lord Jesus, that many (that is, thousands and multitudes of people) should so use his name, that is, with a willing ignorance and delusion.