these be continued in their power and purity there the Tabernacle of God is among men and when these are taken away I-chabod the Glory is departed We may say God hath forsaken us As the Ark was a Tipe and Token of God special presence with the Jews so the Gospel and Gospel Ordinances are a signal Token of Gods abode with us for in these we may see him in these we may enjoy him by these we may be made like to him as in the 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face behold as in a Glasse the Glory of God and are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Thirdly They make their abode with them in the Spirit which proceeds from the Father and the Son So they may both be said truly to abide with us while we have the Spirit the Comforter which proceeds from the Father and the Son as a pledge of their Love Joh. 15.20 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father I will send him sayes Christ even the Spirit of truth which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which proceeds from the Father there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son to the People that keep his word and thus Believers are said to hold fellowship with the Father and the Son in the 1 Epist of John 13. It is by the Spirit we are drawn being drawn we come being come we are enabled to walk with God and Christ It is this Spirit that doth all for us As in the Ecche The Ayre being moved by the voice returns the same sound by its own motion So in all our Communion with God and Christ the Soul being moved by the Spirit returns answer by vertue of the Spirits motion in us Come sayes the Spirit I come sayes the Soul being taught by the same Spirit All the works wrought on the Souls of men in order to Salvation are wrought of God and Christ in us but by the Spirit As in these three special particulars First By the Spirit they instruct and teach The Spirit is an enlightning Spirit a Spirit of Judgement and of burning The Spirit reveals the Counsels of God the great Misteries of the Kingdom Leads into all truth makes men wise to Salvation Secondly By this Spirit they quicken comfort the Souls of men Rom. 5.5 It is by the Spirit that the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts Our cold and frozen Spirits are warmed and made fit for action and by this Spirit we are awaken'd Hence the Church prayes for the breathings of this Spirit Cant. 4.16 Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out Thirdly By this Spirit they do strengthen and establish the hearts of men in the wayes of Holinesse thus they are made strong in the Lord and in the power of his might strong to resist tentations strong to suppesse corruptions strong to perform duties by this Spirit they are carryed through all difficulties by this Spirit their Infirmities are healed Rom. 8.26 they are made to persevere and kept stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord and Sealed up to the day of Redemption Thus God and Christ do make their abode with them that keep the words of Christ till they come to make an everlasting abode with them in Heaven And according to the workings of this Spirit more or lesse in the hearts of men God is said to be present or absent from his people Reasons Secondly The Reasons why God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words Reas 1 First Because of their special Love to and Care of them that keep his words Indeed all the Care of God in concerning his people that he hath in the World therefore in the Second Commandement he is said to shew mercy to thousands of them that fear him and keep his Commandements that do not cast his word behind their backs and forsaking his Appointments follow their own Inventions So that if we faithfully keep his word he will abide with us in our work And this is the Great Reason in the Text My Father will Love him Not but that he Loves his Elect from Eternity but he will manifest his Love to them and therefore he will make his abode with them as the People of his Love for in Deut. 32.9 The Lords Portion is his People and Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance and in Mal. 3.17 they are called his Jewels and men will abide with their Treasure Reas 2 Secondly Because of the near Relation that is between God and Christ and them that keep his word That is a very full place of Scripture for this purpose Mat. 12.50 Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother What nearer Relation can there be than this So near are they to Jesus Christ that keep his word observe his will and be true and faithful to his Appointments and sure such near Relations will desire Cohabitation on both sides First God and Christ are said to stand Related in a Paternal Relation Secondly They are said to stand Related in a Conjugal Relation First God and Christ stand in a Paternal Relation to his People First God is their Father and they are his Sons and Daughters And this the Church doth acknowledge in Isai 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not thou O Lord art our Father c. And with this the Lord comforted mourning Zion Isai 49.14,15 But Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me But God sayes Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have Compassion on the Son of her womb Yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee on the palms of my Hands c. My abode is with thee Secondly Jesus Christ is their Father Isai 9.6 The everlasting Father Therefore he promiseth his Disciples in this 14. Joh. 18. I will not leave you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orphans or Fatherlesse Children He is the most affectionate tender hearted Father Tam Pater nemo tam pius nemo None so good none such a Father as he 〈◊〉 Tertul. Secondly God and Christ stand related to them that keep his word in a Conjugal relation and God hath said a special command of co-habitation upon persons in this relation The man must dwell with his own Wife First God is related as a Husband And will not God dwell with his People whom he hath espoused to himself I have betrothed thee unto me for ever Hosea 2.19 Yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and in judgement and in loving kindness and in mercies I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness And
them Sure it was some great guilt in the former verses we find it to be their Hypocrisie Apostacy and Idolatry any taint of this kind will make the jealous God forsake our solemn meetings Secondly Pray God and Christ into all your Civil affairs The Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with God in their entrance upon every work was a commendable practise It is reported of Publius Scipio the Roman that he would alway go first to the Capitol and then to the Senate So we should begin our Civil Imployments with Spiritual duties And do as Abrahams Servant when he was to take a wife for his Masters Son he took God along with him and thus to abide with God is to have God to abide with us Therefore sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called and in the 24 verse Brethren let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God And God will abide with him Thirdly Pray God and Christ to your Tables at your eating and drinking For man doth not live by bread onely If these be Guests at your Tables you must needs have Cheer enough there 's more sweetnesse in a morsel with them then in all dainties without them And then you may be sure also your Tables shall not become a Snare unto you Theophrastus reports of the Heathens that they did first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did first Sacrifice and then Kill lay on their meat entertain and eat And it is the Apostles rule seeing all things come of God through Christ That God and Christ should not be Unbidden Guests but as in 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God Fourthly Pray God and Christ along with you in Morning when you rise and at Evening when you lie down visit him Morning by Morning and Evening by Evening this is the way to have a Prosperous day and a Safe night David took this course Psal 4.8 I will both lay me down and take my rest for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety and this gave Jacob such a pleasant Dream Gen. 28. that having God with him he was an night within view of Heaven Dir. 2 Secondly Love God and Christ above all and then God and Christ will not depart from you For He shews mercy to Thousands of them that love him and hath made over Himself and Heaven and All to them that love him It is reported of Ignatius that his Love was such to God and Christ that he had the name of Christ Cordi ejâ—…s inscâ—…iptum Graven upon his heart It is such a Heart-love that He requires for He is a jealous God and will have all our Love If we Love any thing better First It will steal away our Hearts from God And Secondly It will take off the Heart of God from us so that God and Christ will set themselves against us Dir. 3 Thirdly If we would have God and Christ to make their constant abode with us Delight in the Society and Fellowship of the People of God with whom they dwell Never be ashamed to converse with them whom God and Christ do own for theirs The Apostles argument why we should entertain Strangers in Heb. 13.2 because thereby some have entertained Angels unawares is but mean and inconsiderable to this Reason why we should entertain and own the Saints of God for thereby we are sure to entertain Christ as in Mat. 25.40 For this cause the Gibeonites made a League with Israel For we have heard that God is with you And there is a promise in Zech. 8.23 That Ten men out of all Languages shall take hold of the skirt of a Jew saying we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Mal. 3.16 They that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it c. He was with them and indeed God dwells in the Tabernacles of the Righteous Dir. 4 Fourthly If we would have the constant abode of God and Christ with us Let us keep our selves clean from Sin our Hearts pure Consciences undefiled and as the Apostle sayes voyd of Offence towards God and towards Men very careful not to Sin against God and very circumspect not to Sin against Man that this may be our Comfort that the world must needs say of us as they did of Daniel that they could find nothing against him save in the Law of his God as in Daniel 6.5 Whatever others doe beware of Sin Say as Joshuah I and my House will serve the Lord. Watch against Sin Chuse any Suffering rather then the least Sin Consider in that choice two particulars First Consider in all your sufferings God will be with you but in any of your Sins he will not abode with you as in the example of Israel Exod. 32.23 When the Calf was got into the Camp God forsakes the Hoast of Israel When Saul forsook the Lord the Spirit of the Lord forsook him That was an excellent Saying of Azariah the Son of Obed in the 2 Chron. 15.2 and Oh that all England could hear it Hear thou me Asa and all Judah The Lord is with you while you be with him If you seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you Secondly Consider 'T is an Act of high presumption reflecting much upon the Purity and Holynesse of God for 〈◊〉 to imagine that God will own and prosper them with his Presence while they go on to do wickedly in their Whoredomes Drunkenesse Blasphemy and all manner of Prophanesse which God can no more own then disown himself So they foolishly promised themselves Peace Deut. 29.19 though they walk in the imagination of their Hearts and add Drunkennesse to Thirst But the Lord will not spare but his Anger and Jealousie shall smâ—ak against them till he hath brought them down from their high Mount of a Sinful and Carnal Confidence Therefore the Prophet reproves that wicked people Mich. 3.11 where the Judges the Priests and the Prophets were corrupted Yet they say Is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us Therefore shall Zion be plowed as a Field c. as Abner said to Joab This will prove an evil thing and a bitter in the latter end as Galen sayes of Meats Quae dulcia sunt facile in bilem amaritudinem convertuntur Sweet meats generate Choller and Corrupt matter So Sin that is a sweet morsel now will be Shame Death and Hell at last Dir. 5 Fifthly With an humble acknowledgment of former Barrennesse under Gods gracious presence with you resolve and endeavour to be more fruitful God never left his Vineyard and pull'd up the Hedge and commanded the Rain not to fall upon it in Isai 5. till it became Barren or did bear corrupt fruit The exil'd Confessors in Queen Maries dayes confessed that
as Ursin sayes in the Preface to his Catechisme the cause of their present suffering was their former Barrennesse and Unprofitablenesse under the Gospel and a sad example of this is Jerusalem over whom Christ laments O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou c. if thou hadst known in this thy day c. but now they are hid from thine eyes and when once a people grow up to this heighth to reject the Gospel then expect some fearful Judgement Read the last Chapter of Chronicles the Second Book and at the 16 verse and then you will see when the wrath of God is like to break out upon a People without a remedy Dir. 6 Sixthly If you would have the continual abode of God and Christ with you Let God have all your Thoughts let Him be your meditation this is the way to have the best Company when you be alone David would meditate of him day and night and professed the meditation of him should be sweet to him Here consider two particulars First Consider that no Place State or Condition can hinder the Soul of this way of secret Communion with God and Christ This priviledge could not be denyed to a benighted Jacob to an Imprisoned Jeremiah to an Exilâ—d John in Patmos by this saies Jerom Solitudo fit Paradisas a man may turn a Wilderness into a Paradise and therefore we read in Cant. 11.12 how the Spouse invites Christ to go with her as Isaac did into the Fields to meditate Come let 's go into the Fields and lodge in the Villages Secondly Consider In these secret silent visits of the Soul God and Christ do take abundance of delight Our Night thoughts our Field thoughts our Closet thoughts are very welcom to Them yea when we can do no more but think of God our very thoughts shall be an accepted service Cant. 2.13 He loveth the Fig-tree that putteth forth her green Figs. The ripe fruit is in the â—…d so holy endeavours in pure breathings and desires God accepts when our Infirmity or the Iniquity of the Times may be such that we can do no more Direct 7 Seventhly If we will have God and Christ to make their constant abode with us then let us walk humbly with God He that beholds the proud afar off will be nigh to them that humble their souls under his mighty hand Isa 57.15 Thus saies the high and lofty one that inhabits Eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the High and Holy place with him also that is of an humble and contrite spirit God hath two Heavens in which he dwells First His Glory dwells in the high and holy place in Heaven above Secondly His Grace dwells in the humble and lowly spirit Here will I dwell saies God Dir. 8 Eighthly If you would have the constant abode of God and Christ with you be sure to look to your hearts that you walk in your uprightness be true to the Word of God be true to your profession There is not in the world a more lively representation and Image of God than the heart of the upright therefore God loves so much when he hath drawn his likeness upon them to walk with them therefore David resolves Psal 101.2 I will walk in the midst of mine house with a perfect heart O when wilt thou come unto me This was the comfort of the Apostle that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had his conversation in the world God will be with such and such shall be with God Psal 37.37 Mark the perfect man behold the upright the end of that man is peace And thus God appointed Abraham to walk that he might be with him a God in Covenant Gen 17. Walk before me be thou perfect and gives him this encouragement I am God All-sufficient Gods All sufficiency being sufficient to keep the Soul upright being rightly improved There be two things which usually Bias the Soul away from God and makes it warp from its holy principles 1. The Frowns 2. The Flatteries of the world Against both which there is a sufficient remedy in the All-sufficient God First That which often perverts the Soul from the truth is the fear of troubles and wants If I keep my integrity saies the Soul I shall be Undone I shall Lose my estate Embroyl my self in many Troubles perhaps a Prison Exile or Death comes next But what force is there in this Tentation If we hear on the other hand God saying if thou wilt be upright fear no troubles no wants I am a God All-sufficient as in Job 22.25 to the end of the Chapter The Almighty shall be thy defence then fear no force thou shalt have plenty of Silver thou shalt gather Gold as dust and the Gold of Ophir as the stones of the Brooks Then fear no wants Secondly There is another thing in the world that hath a very great influence upon the spirit of a man to pervert him and turn him from his integrity and that is The hopes of preferment and greatness of the world But this is but a poor bait if we look upon the All-sufficiency of God Doth the World promise thee Riches God will out-bid the world and gives Eternal Riches Will the World give Pleasures God will give better with him is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Will the World give Gold God will give Diamonds Will the World give all its Glory God will give thee the Glory of a better World rather than that shall be a snare unto thee Dir. 9 Ninthly Pray much pray continually God will be in the hearts and houses of his Praying people when he hath a Curse in store for Prayerless Families in Jerem. 10. the last verse First That God will abide with you and the Kingdom in his Gospel and pure Ordinances that you may dwell in Beth-el and not in Berl-aven a house of vanity and grief Pray that God will not remove his Candlestick from you nor utterly extinguish the light of the Kingdom Secondly Pray and I shall pray with you that God will give you a faithful Pastour after his own heart not according to your hearts that he may teach you by his Doctrine and his Life too A faithful Teacher to go in and out before you to shew you the Word of the Lord One that may be among you as it was said of Athanasius that he was Magnes Adamas 1. Magnes As a Load-stone to draw your Souls with a gentle hand and melting heart from your sins Heaven-ward 2. Adamas As an Adamant of an invincible courage and zeal against all sin and prophaness one that will not spare Sin That he may save your Souls Pray that God would give you a Star a Star out of his right hand not a Churlish Orion that brings a Cold Barren and Cloudy Winter but a Benevolent and Friendly Pleiades that there may be many Sons brought into God and your Souls may find a continual Spring and that you may be as Trees of Gods own planting and may flourish in the Courts of the house of our God and may bring forth more fruit in old age Dir. 10 Tenthly and Lastly If you would have the constant abode of God and Christ with you Conform Conform universally and fully to the Gospel of Christ Consent and Assent Unfeignedly to all the Truths and Doctrines thereof that you may walk worthy of God and all that Grace which hath been revealed to you for Christ hath said If a man keep his Word the Father will love him and both Father and Son will come to him and make their abode with him Wherefore I shall conclude this Exhortation with that of the Apostle in Philippians 1.2.7 Only Let your conversation be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent from you I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel And so shut up all with that in Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all them which are Sanctified FINIS
come to hear to turn hearing into doing Say as Paul did Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do and Cornelius Acts 10.33 Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Secondly Beg of God to give you such a heart that you may not only say as the people in a good humour once to Moses All that thou shalt speak unto us that will we observe and do but find your hearts such as in Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments always c. It is he by whom the word is made as James hath it ◠Jam. ◠1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 engraffed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A fruit-bearing word Begin all your hearing with prayers and conclude them with prayers because 't is of the greatest concernment Use 2 Lastly A use of comfort First If we keep this word the word will keep us It will keep us in the worst of times yea at all times Pro. 6.22 When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee If you keep his Commands his Commands will keep you If you keep his Promises his Promises will bring you to Glory Secondly If we keep his word we shall not want present comforts The present gratuities which we have from Christ should be enough to encourage us if there were no future reward Psal 19. In keeping of them there is great reward 1 Tim. 4. ◠verse Thirdly Jesus Christ hath promised a blessedness to such persons they be a blessed people Rev. 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things which are written therein and so in Luke 11.28 Blessed are they c. and with the best of blessings doth be crown them in the Text My Father will love him and we will come to him and will make our abode with him which is the second observation Obs 2 God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his word In which Observation we shall take notice of these three particulars First How God and Christ do make their abode with them that keep his word Secondly Why God and Christ will make their abode with such Thirdly What an excellent blessing it is to have God and Christ abiding with us First How God and Christ do make their abode with them that keep his word in which these three particulars must be shown 1. How God abides with his People 2. How Jesus Christ abides with them 3. How both God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his word First How God the first Person in the Trinity is said to make his abode with them that keep his word And this will be two wayes seen First It is not here to be understood of his common or general presence as he is the infinite God and being Omnipresent fills Heaven and Earth for so he abides with all the works of his hands yea so he is with them that fear him not Secondly It is here properly understood of Gods abode by way of special presence as he is a gracious Father there fore Jesus Christ doth first express the Fathers love and then his abode as the product and fruit of his love My Father will love him and we will come unto him c. He will come and abide with his as a God in Covenant with them therefore hath he put it into a promise in the 2. Cor. 6.16 I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Secondly How Jesus Christ will make his abode with them that keep his word which will be shown also First Negatively Secondly Affirmatively First Negatively It is not to be understood of a carnal or corporeal presence of Christ as the Papist imagine as if the flesh of Christ could be in all places whom the Heavens must contain till the time of restitution of all things for saies the Apostle 2. Cor. 5.16 acknowledging If he had known Christ after the flesh yet so he knows him no more Secondly Affirmatively He makes abode with his people after a spiritual manner God the Father makes his abode with his Servants as a Father to them Jesus Christ abides with them as the Head of his Church as it is in Ephe. 5.23 He is the Head of his Church and the Saviour of his Body God abides with us in Christ Jesus Christ abides with us by his Spirit Corn ◠lap A learned Author shews four ways of Christs abode with Believers 1. Politicè ut Rex in Regno As a King in his Kingdom and so he gives Laws as the only Head and King of his Church protects them and order all their affairs 2. Oeconomicè ut Puter in Dome As a Father in his House and so he takes care and makes provision for his people as a Father doth for his Family 3. Ethicè ut ratio in homine As reason in a man which is the light that directs man in all his actions so Jesus Christ directs and leads his people 4. Phisice us Anima in Corpore As the Soul in the Body which animates and acts the whole man without which the Body is a dead and liveless Trunck so Jesus Christ doth quicken our soules by whom we have spiritual life And that he is the Head of his Church and thus abides with them First consider He hath all grace and life in him John 5.26 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself therefore the Psalmist saies Psal 36.9 With thee is the Well of life and in thy light shall we see light Secondly From him is all grace and life conveyed out unto us John 1.16 of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace Yea whatsoever we receive from the Spirit of God we have from him originally as in John 16.15 For he shall take of mine and shew it unto you Thirdly How God and Christ are both said to make their abode with them that keep his word And this I shall shew to be three wayes First by their special Providence and Inspection with them and so we may see them in several Scriptures abiding with them as in Zach. 1.8,9,10 verses there 's Jesus Christ among the 〈…〉 which represent the Church and in Revel 1.13 He is there in the midst of his Golden Candlesticks and David tells us of his experience of Gods presence with him Psal 73.23 I am continually with thee thou upholdest me with thy right hand and the Apostle Paul 2 Tim. 4.17 The Lord stood by me indeed the eyes of the Lord are upon the Righteous and he hath said he will not leave them Secondly They make their abode with them in the Gospel and Gospel Ordinances where
in Isai 54.5,6 For thy Maker is thy Husband c. For the Lord hath called thee as a Woman forsaken c. Secondly Jesus Christ is the Husband of his People as we see in the whole Book of Canticles And so in Ephe. 5. from the 29. Verse to the end of the Chapter Now where shall God and Christ make their abode but with their espoused Ones Doth Jesus Christ delight to lodge any where more than with the Wife of his bosome Reas 3 Thirdly Because of Gods faithful Covenant he will make his abode with them that keep his word If we keep the word of his Patience he will keep the word of his Promise Revel 3.10 Because thou hast kept the word of my Patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come on all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth It is called a word of Patience because it teacheth patience and especially because it requires it in all them that will observe it And this is Gods's Covenant Now what is the Covenant Jerem. 32.40 And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me and such a sure and infallible promise of abode can never be violated by a God-keeping Covenant God may hide for a moment turn away in a little wrath from his people Isa 54.8.9.10.11 but with great mercy will he gather them and shew them everlasting kindness Yea his Promise shall be as the waters of Noah that as the waters of the great Deluge shall never cover the world any more so he will never forsake his people utterly It shall be more possible for the Mountains to depart and the Hills to be removed than that he should finally depart from His. The frame of the world may be disordered but the frame of Gods heart towards his People can never be changed When the men of the world think God hath forsaken them he is near to them and cannot cast off his people He may sometimes give them up for their sinnes into the enemies hands but cannot give them away this gave the Church that confidence in Micah 7.8 Rejoyce not against me O mine Enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me And this did bear the head of the New-Testament-Saints above water 2 Cor. 4.8.9 We are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in dispair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed And whence is it that Distress doth not follow Troubles Despair our Perplexities Desertion our Persecutions Destruction our sad Dejections sure it is because God is faithful alwayes with us and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able to bear c. 1 Cor. 10.13 Partic. 3 Thirdly What a special blessing it is to a person or people to have God and Christ to make their abode with them The excellency and desirableness of this abode of God and Christ with Believers may be seen in these three particulars First It is better than all outward mercies and earthly blessings Secondly This will more than supply the want or absence of all other comforts Thirdly All our happiness doth lye in this Gods presence with us Cons 1 First The abode of God and Christ with a soul is better than all outward mercies or earthly blessings whatsoever God was wont to tell his people heretofore as in Deut. 28. That if they would keep his Commandments they should be blessed in their basket and in their store that he would give them peace the fat heritage of Jacob and to ride upon the high places all goodly mercies But now he doth encourage them by a blessing of far greater worth I will love you I will make mine abode with you It is so high and transcendent a favour That Moses preferr'd it before that goodly Land of promise Canaan the Land flowing with Milk and Hony as appears by that passage in Exod. 33.15 If thy presence go not with me carry us not up hence Though Canaan be never so desirable a good Land Yet rather let me abide in this vast-howling Wildernesse with God then go without thy presence thither A Wildernesse Condition with God in the Tent is better then all Pleasures and Honours without God in the Palace Hence David in the midst of all his Royal Pompe and Greatnesse desired this as the Complement and Perfection of all Psal 101.1.2 O when wilt thou come unto me Consider these two particulars First That there is not beauty nor desirablenesse in the fairest outward prosperity if God and Christ do not make their abode with us If we have all the world and cannot see the abode of God and Christ on our Tabernacle in their special Providence in Soul refreshing Ordinances or by the Comforting Spirit We may look on all and say as Hiram did of the Cities Solomon gave him they be Cabul Dirty things 1 Kings 9.13 If we cannot find God and Christ thus with us in the midst of our Glory The Glory is departed Secondly Consider There is no misery nor unhappinesse in the worst afflictions if God and Christ be there in the Furnace there is no Death in Captivity no Darknesse in Prison no Sadnesse in Death no Hell Jesus Christ tells us he will not leave us Comfortlesse he never told us we should not meet with Tribulations but sayes In the world we shall have Tribulation and as surely that in him we shall have Consolation His people may be in the world Friendlesse Harbourlesse Pennylesse but he assures them they shall never be Comfortlesse Partic. 2 Secondly This abode of God and Christ with his people will more then supply the want or absence of all other things Jesus Christ when he would throughly encourage his Disciples against all the hardships and discouraging fears they might meet withall after his departure gives them this one precious Cordial or Catholicon in Mat. 28.20 Loe I am with you alway even unto the end of the World when you are cast out of the Synagogues had before Magistrates and Rulers for my name sake Scourged Hated Imprisoned for all these things shall they do unto you Let this comfort you Loe I am with you alway to the end of the World Indeed This abode of God and Christ with his people is every thing to the Soul which we may see in these three particulars First Their presence is a Sanctuary and sure Hide-ing place Secondly It is a sure Light and Guide to them Thirdly It is a Store-house and Treasury of all Provisions First The abode or presence of God and Christ is instead of a Sanctuary or sure hideing place as Psal 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield c. and in Isai 8.13 sayes the Prophet Sanctifie the Lord God of