wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God whereby he being convinced of his sin and misery and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition not only assents to the truth of the promise of the Gospel but receives and rests upon Christ and his Righteousness therein held forth for pardon of sin and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation I 'm sure the Scripture makes this to be our accepting of Christ 1 Ioh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believed on him might not perish c. 1 Joh. 1.12 But as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name We come to him and feed on him by faith Ioh. 6.35 And he dwells in our hearts by faith Ephes. 3.17 The Woman consenting to take the man for her Husband upon that the Matrimonial union follows he is hers and she his so the sinner consenting to the receiving and obeying of Christ which is one main act of faith upon which he is made his This is one of faiths royal excellencies nothing puts a greater worth and glory upon it than this great effect Well then see that you make sure of it put forth this hand of faith and take Christ are ye without it in the sad state of unbelief you have no share in nor can make no claim to this gift so long as it is thus with you you must be put into another state and become true believers then 't will be well But do not content your selves with a Dogmatical Historical faith an easie common presumptuous false faith which is in the generality of men Be sincere and sound believers flatter not your selves with an idle inoperative faith have such a faith as purifies the heart works by love overcomes the world you must heartily close with whole Christ according to the Gospel-offer let your trust relyance confidence for pardon life and salvation be grounded upon him and him only You must cast your selves upon his alone merits renouncing every thing in your selves holding forth the two hands of faith with the one to lay hold on Christ and with the other to resign up your selves to Christ. You must be throughly convinced of sin and misery that you have undone and destroyed your selves and in the sense of nakedness wretchedness and perishing see an absolute necessity of Christ that unless he justifie you you must â—e condemned unless he save you you must burn in hell for ever and so cry give me Christ or else I die and have restless importunate desires of the soul towards him as a condemned man for pardon a hungry man for meat O that Christ were mine Oh that I might enjoy him I cannot live without him I know not whether Christ will own me and smile on me or no I know not whether Christ will come to me and bestow himself on so mean and vile a creature But I 'le go out to him I 'le venture all if I perish I perish my desire is towards him and I 'le cast my self and all upon him and with tears and crys say Lord I believe help my unbelief 2. Pray go unto God for this gift for it is his you can never deserve therefore beg it and ask grace to receive and apply it No man cometh unto the Son except the Father which hath sent him draw him Iohn 6.44 All things are of God 2 Cor. 5 18. Creating is his work Eph. 2 10. Go then and lye and wait at the throne of Grace and earnestly intreat God to give Châ—â—st to thee and make him thine though thou have no promise to urge God with yet put him in remembrance how he hath said in â—cripture that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rather that he should turn aâ—â— live Tell him that thou art a sinner yet God commends his love in that Christ dyed for men while they were yet sinners He came to reconcile even ememies to give giâ—ts even to the rebellious His business was to seek and save lost Sheep of whom thou art one tell him you have no whither to go but unto him be earnest and importunate and then wait though he hide his face and answer not yet continue praying and knocking at the gate of mercy cry aloud Lord give me Christ O give me Christ or else I dye and perish Good Lord what ever thou deniest me deny me not Christ. Lord upon my bended knees I ask him of thee O shut not out my Prayer if I have not Christ I am undone Remember his carriage towards the woman of Canaan Matt. 15.26 he puts her off either no answer or that which was worse than none yet her importunity in crying still Lord help me at last prevailed and she got a gracious and comfortable answer obtained what she asked and more remember for your incouragement you are calling on him that 's calling on you and seeking him that first loves and seeks you Pray for faith even that also is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 Christ is the author and finisher of faith Heb. 12.2 Fall down before the throne of Grace before and after the hearing of the word and beg earnestly of God that as he hath given you hands to take your meat so he would also give you the hand of Faith wherewith to apprehend Jesus Christ pray and wait 3 That you may the better do thus and be inabled to believe and pray attend diligently the Word and Ordinances which are the ordinary means to convey this gift to the Children of men 'T is by these golden pipes that golden oyl is carryed to men Zech. 4.12 The Word must be read heard and meditated on Ioh. 6.44 45. 'T is by hearing the Father and learning of him that we come to Christ 't is not without his drawing but he draws by these means The Scriptures do testifie of him and by them we may come to the knowledg of him and if we know him we shall desire him and if so we shall have him as in the Text. The Word I say Read or Preached but especially the latter for he hath said Matt. 18.20 Where two or three are come together in my name there am I in the midst of them q. d. If you want me and would know where to find me study both the Law and Gospel that is the School-master to shew you the need of him to shake the Soul out of security and to humble you through convictions And this is that whereby he offers himself to you expresly calls and invites you to him Come to me poor weary sinners c. He is vailed in the Law revealed in the Gospel there held forth in Types here in Truth in all Christ is the substance to be found in every page frequent
accounted him Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul not only her tongue but her very heart takes him and speaks him her heritage and David The Lord is my portion and my inheritance The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage Psal. 16.5 6 Say with Naboth God forbid that I should give away the inheritance of my Fathers That was only for life this is everlasting a never fading ever-flourishing inheritance that subject to many hazards fire inundation robbery blasting and many casualties yea to utter loss as the end declared but this is above all such danger and detriment O be not so foolish and sottish as to part with this for all the world 10. He is thy happiness keep him for thy chief good that that can alone give contentment to thy immortal Soul is bound up in him Happy is every one that retaineth him Prov. 3.18 O terque quaterque beati c. Infinitely and for ever blessed that receive and retain Jesus Christ Prov. 8. ult Prov. 3.3 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom he is thy all and wilt thou part with all at once Thou art like to have a sad time of it when Christ goes farewell joy and peace and comfort and all that 's good 2. For direction 1 st In what manner 2 d. By what means may the Soul keep Christ. First For the manner of holding and keeping this gift 1. He must be kept in our Heads though that is not enough a full and distinct understanding of him is well but a knowledg a meer notion in the brain of Christ is but a sorry keeping you must provide Christ a better place to lodg in or he will not tarry with you Must Christ be in the head when Sin and Satan is in the heart If Christ have no room in thee but the head he is indeed no where 2. In our Mouths we must confess with the mouth yet that neither is sufficient 't is too open a room and leaking a vessel to hold this gift in to speak and talk of Christ and take his blessed name into our lips when our hearts are far from him and lives deny him is but a poor keeping of Christ if there be nothing left of Christ but what hangs on the lips he is indeed departed already 3. Keep him we must in our Houses and Societies woe unto that place when Christ departs from them when he removes his Candlesticks out of their place and takes away his holy Ordinances but alas to have Christ in publick ordinances and not in our hearts will not serve the turn 4. We must keep him in our Hearts not in the hall of the senses but in the closet of the heart let him dwell and reign in our understanding will affections and memory think on him continually love him dearly delight in him at all times As Artemesia did ever carry in her mind her dear deceased Husband Mauseolus mingling her very drink with his ashes so let us bear Christ about with us in the vessels of our hearts mingling our meat drink words and works with his sweetest remembrance So the Spouse did Cant. 3.4 I would not let him go until I had brought him into my mothers house and the chamber of her that conceived me Which place according to the consent of best Expositors is to be understood either of the Church of God in her publick Congregations which is the Mother of us all or else of the sanctified Heart and Conscience which is the dwelling-place of Christ of which he hath said Here will I rest and I will dwell in the heart of the contrite Isa. 57.15 and there we should lay him up by Faith If the head be for the world yet let Christ have the heart 5. Keep him not only by way of a holy and perpetual recordation of him in our minds and hearts but also by a constant and continued care and unwearied diligence to preserve and injoy the comfortableness and feeling of his gracious presence in your own Souls imitating herein the fair Spouse who when she had found him would by no means let him go but compelled him by a grateful violence to stay with her this was one end why he hid himself for some time from her Prius non inveniendus quaeritur ut post inventus strictius teneatur Thus Iacob held him by force and wrestled hard for his blessing and would not let him go till he had blessed him but when he had obtained that he suffered him to depart but we should never leave him no not when he hath blessed us as prizing him more than any thing he can bestow Nolo benedictionem tuam sed te so must we prize more his person than his blessings 2. The way and means to keep him 1. Leave all for him retire from the world to injoy him say of all other things when thou hast found Jesus of Nazareth let these go their way Make him a bed in thy Soul whereon he may rest that is sweet-thoughts and meditations on him and complâ—cency in him Cant. 3.7 Behold his bed which is Solomons Solomoni ergo vel Christo lectulum facimus saith Gregory cum a mundi solicitudinibus omnino cessamus dum in solo deciderio Christi libenter pausamus eique ut nobiscum pauset cor ab omni terrena cupiditate mundamus The beauty and riches of every member of the Church is resembled to the wealth and splendor of Solomons Bed wherein Christ rests in his love Be careful to keep your thoughts amongst all worldly affairs free for Christ. Religion and so Christ loves to lye in clean Sheets Go to them that want Christs gracious presence consult their experiences and they will tell you that their worldly affairs have so distracted their thoughts that Christ is not there and as their worldly cares and riches increased upon them the further distance hath Christ been from them Some while poor and low in the world have felt much more of the sweetness of communion with Christ than when they grew richer and full of cares O! who would not be content to take less of the world that they might have more of Christ. 2. Never leave him take heed of withdrawing from Christ stick close to him keep him company and he will stay with you As you do with a friend whose stay you desire so deal with Christ be much in his company in prayer reading hearing meditating and all holy duties be ambitious of more intimate communion with him dayly increase sweet acquaintance and humble familiarity with Christ. 1. Be willing to be much with Christ in Prayer talking and conferring with him as freely frequently and familiarly as the Bride with her Bridegroom Cant. 5.1 I am come into my garden my sister my spouse saith Christ q. d. It was thy hearty desire O my dear Spouse that I should come into this pleasant Garden for thou saidst Let my beloved come into his
enemies Col. 1.21 Those that are afar of are made nigh by the blood of Christ he hath broken down the partition-wall and slain the enmity Ephes. 2 16 17 18. If thou hast some dear friend who bestows a gift on thee in token of his dear love and respect to thee and there should be afterwards some disagreeing and falling out betwixt you wouldst thou shew this gift a pledg of league and amity c. thus hold up Christ to God 3. Or though it be not thus yet thou wantest the sense and feeling of his love and art comfortless in the want of it O then make use of Christ in this case who is able to make all Consolations abound and fill thy soul with joy and peace in believing He hath said Ioh. 14.18 I will not leave you comfortless Tristatur aliquis nostrum veniat in cor Iesus Is any man sad saith Bernard let that sweetest name Jesus come into his heart and so he shall have that peace and comfort that the world cannot give neither can the world take it away from him Christ is a most soveraign Cordial apply and use him and your joy will be full 4. Or art thou terrified in Conscience and groaning under the insupportable burden of a wounded spirit art thou affrighted with accusing and condemning thoughts O go to Christ who as he can make peace in the Court of Heaven so he can create peace in thy heart and still the crys of Conscience and make a calm there also though the waves roar and the winds blow c. thy soul shall have peace in him which passeth all understanding Col. 1.20 And will say in me ye shall have peace be of good cheer let not your hearts be troubled though your hearts ake and tremble yet he is greater thaâ— your hearts who is nigh to justifie you Isa. â—â— 8 so that you may triumph with the Apostle Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died Rom. 8.34 Expect no peace in laying aside Christ. 5. Are you afraid of death and judgment to come in this case also make use of Christ. It 's reported by Cassander that in ancient times sick and weak dying persons were directed and accustomed to make use of Christ at that time especially interposing him betwixt them and Gods Judgment saying these words Lord we put thee the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betwixt us and thy judgment But what need we look into Historians the Scriptures shew what languishing souls and drooping spirits must do Psal. 23.4 5. Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death yet I will fear no evil c. Christ hath destroyed him that had the power of death Heb. 2.4 taken out the venome and malignity of it Death lost its sting in Christs side And now O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory 1 Cor. 15.55 57. Or fearest thou judgment look to Christ and thou shalt not die the second death but he will raise thee up at the last day Ioh 6.49 50. Having Christ thou maist stand in judgment and lift up thy head with joy for 't is the day of thy Redemption then the redeemed of the Lord shall return with joy everlasting and you shall appear with him in glory 4. Fourth Branch of Exhortation Be â—ery thankful for him yea let your whole soul go out in thankfulness be ever praising and magnifying God for his unspeakable mercy in Christ your Sacrifice your Redeemer your Saviour often call upon your sluggish hearts and say Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Psal. 103.1 and 116.12 What shall I render to the Lord for this the greatest of all his benefits O be thankful not in a common ordinary formal manner but in the most lively enlarged and raised manner that is possible where the mercy is high and great the thankfulness must bear some proportion to it O let your apprehensions be widened to conceive the vastness of this mercy that your affections may be more enlarged to praise God for it O how shall we get our hearts affected with it what thankfulness can be enough for such a gift should not the whole soul be summon'd in to give its most united acknowledgment of so signal a mercy for God to give his only begotten Son to be a Saviour for sinners Here 's the wonder of wonders God never did the like before and he 'l never do the like again and blessed be his name there is no need he should It would have been admirable mercy if God would have sent some other person upon this Errand to redeem and save undone sinners If send he will why did he not send an Angel or body of Angels to try their skill and see what they could do Nay why did he not send an Angel as once he did with a flaming sword in his hand to keep off sinners from the Tree of Life O this did not comport with his gracious designs though it did too well with the creatures merit therefore he would not do it no his own Son shall be pitcht upon he is the person whom God will send Surely here was love great love great to the degree of infiniteness Millions of Angels were nothing to one Son to one such Son his first-born his only begotten Son the Son of his love who lay in his bosom had been his delight from everlasting O astonishing mercy O admirable goodness and condescention how may we cry out here Lord what is man that thou art thus mindful of him and the Son of man that thou makest this account of him Psal. 8.4 and 144.3 or as Iob 7.17 What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him Here was God so loving so as can never be expressed never be comprehended Ioh 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believed on him might not perish but have everlasting life The Heavens and the Earth were once called upon to be filled with astonishment because of the ingratitude of a sinful people Isa. 1.2 May not now Heaven and Earth Angels and men all creatures whatsoever be called upon to be filled with astonishment because of the stupendious love of God! O Christians what influence hath this upon your dull and sluggish hearts what are you made of that you are no more in the sense of it drawn out in blessing loving admiring and adoring of God Pray if there be any holy ingenuity in you take some pains with your selves that you may be much more affected with it and give not over till you have such thoughts and affections upon Gods giving his Son raised in you as may in some measure answer to those thoughts and affections which you shall have about it when you shall be in Heaven The Angels never reaped that advantage that we do yet they were at praising-work as soon as ever Christ was born
Queen Elizabeth's days to such as urged him to repent that Christ might pardon him desperately replied And is that God of yours so merciful indeed as to pardon so readily those that blaspheme him then I renounce and defie him horresa referens Oh that ever such an hellish word should ever be belched out of the black mouth of a living man but is not this the language of some mens hearts and lives do not some say it 's to no purpose to turn God hath given me up and it cannot be helpt I am like to go to hell and I will be damned for somewhat Oh horrible that sinners should so desperately throw away their precious immortal souls and seek to murder Christ as man by sinning as God by despairing Alas that ever sinners should so kick and spurn at the warm bowels of love or despise the riches of his goodness or sin though grace abound but men abuse grace on both hands turning grace into lasciviousness by presumption and despair but the Sun hardens clay and brings forth a stinking smell from a dirty dunghill Iustice will be glorified upon those that would not honour Christ and grace by believing But God forbid my Brethren that you should split on either of these dangerous rocks or run your souls upon the sands of sloth or sensuality Oh shall not the calls of God the death of Christ the intreaties of your Minister checks of your own conscience nothing avail for Gods sake for Christs sake for your own souls sakes look after a title to blessed Iesus here so lively described you cannot be damned at so cheap a rate as others a Gospel-hell is hotter than a Law-hell a seeming Christian shall sink lower than an ignorant heathen a lifting up to heaven in priviledges makes the fall lower in torments But you 'l say God forbid we would gladly have Christ and hope we have him and pardon by him I say Amen would to God it were so but be not deceived many that pretend to take him mistake him and so miss of him it 's not a conceit but receit of Christ that will advantage you the shadow doth not shelter except you be under it the plaister cures not unless applied the physick works not unless taken Christ is of none effect to you without faith faith will do you no good except it be unfeigned faith is not right if it divide Christ Christ is divided if not taken as Lord as well as Saviour God is resolved not to parcel out his Son by piece-meal as men sell wares in their shops cut off what every one likes and no more so he would have customers more than a good many one would have Christ as Priest to pardon not as King to govern they judg him a troublesome guest cumbersome wares if indeed he will be master and rob them of their lusts and rule them by his laws saying We will not have this man to rule over us the great controversie hath been in Nations Churches hearts whether or no Iesus must be sole Lord and Master God and Grace are for Christs preheminence God hath set his Son upon his holy hill Grace sets the Crown upon his head Satan and lust contradict it The Devil saith Luther hates that word more than any in the Bible Psal. 110.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i e. Sit thou on my right hand and a corrupt heart takes his part but his arrows shall be sharp in the hearts of the Kings enemies he will rule in the midst of them to conversion or confusion of them Oh be you Virgin-followers of the Lamb accept of him give up your selves to him and you shall find him what is here reported of him the choicest gift and best Master As for you into whose sanctified souls God hath dropt this rich and rare gift had I time and room I might say much for counsel and comfort to these consecrated ones You you above others have reason to adore free grace that gave you such a Minister who laid open the riches of Grace before you who threapt kindness upon you and was loth to leave you with a denial free-grace came with the key of Spirit and Word and opened your hearts as he did the heart of Lidia and took possession of you for the King of Glory Oh who or what were you that the highest Majesty would stand so long knocking and saying Open to me my sister my love Cant. 5.3 4 5. And when you snorted in your beds or gave him a churlish answer he put his hand by the hole of the door and caused your bowels to moâ—â— after him yea he left behind sweet-smelling myrrh upon the handles of the lock which caused you to run after him with love-sick motions till you found and enjoyed him And Oh how sweet was the enjoyment of so dear a friend Let their money perish with them said that noble Marquess Galeasius that esteem all the riches in the world worth more than one hours communion with Jesus Christ. I shall not anticipate the work of this ensuing Discourse yet give me leave to propound these few branches of counsel as a supplement to it 1. Be not mistaken in your title to this gift many are mistakes are easie and dangerous thousands of souls are like the man at Athens that laid ciaim to every Merchants Ship that came to shore the main lyes in making good your title he that boasteth of a false gift is like clouds and winds without rain Ptov. 25.14 a groundless vapour what are you better for others imagining or your own conceiting that Christ is yours if it be not found so at the day of trial your disappointment will but aggravate your torment God prevent it do you seek to prevent it by a speedy impartial search and calling in aid from heaven to discover your state and know the worst in time And as you may think you have a title to Christ when you have not so on the contrary you may at least in a temptation think you have no title to Christ and yet he may be yours your friend whom you seek may be in the house coming in at the back door when you expect him at the fore door you have him by faith though you feel him not in sense 2. Be most jealous of your selves when you have found most sensible incomes of his grace Satan like a Pirate envies and makes most at a richly laden Ship Cheats strike in with a young heir when he hath newly received his rents you are never in more danger than after your sweetest enlargements watch and pray believe and watch let your hand be on your purse and your eye on the thief he will look you in the face like an angel of light and rob you when a white devil allures you he is worse than a black devil that affrights you as one saith I love a rumbling raging devil comparatively he can do us least hurt when we suspect him most a calm at Sea doth
the inexhausted fountain of all those streams of blessedness that flow forth all the Creation over the eternal Spring and Well-head of all those fresh Seas and Oceans of all the swelling-tides and bottomless depths of unutterable riches of grace and love to all his elect He must needs be rich who sets up and enriches so many thousand Bankrupts that had not only wasted their goods but sold themselves into slavery and bondage he pays their ransoms buys out their liberty and purchases Crowns and Kingdoms for them It would beggar all the Angels in Heaven to pay down the ransom of one soul yea to purchase the pardon of one sin The redemption of the soul is precious the soul of the meanest man alive is of more worth than a world as he himself tells us who went to the price of souls What then shall we think of Christ who saves so many millions of souls Hence in Scripture the richest things on earth are made use of to shadow out the riches of Christ. Under the title of wisdom he saith Prov. 8.18 19 Riches and honour are with me yea durable riches and righteousness My fruit is better than gold and my revenue than choice silver And Prov. 3.16 Length of days are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Eternity hath the honour of her right hand riches are the left-hand blessings of wisdom The riches of Christ are not ordinary things not perishing riches but unsearchable and inexhaustible Eph. 3.8 There are unsearchable riches of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be traced out never to be drawn dry Though all true believers have all their debts paid and are all maintained and advanced by his riches and at his cost and charges yet there is no lessening of this treasure that 's never the emptier Sumit unus sumunt mille quantum isti tantum illi neque sumptus absumitur One believer draws water of life and a supply of all needful blessings out of this Well of Salvation and a Thousand gracious souls do the like and the One draws as much as the Thousand yet the Well is never drawn dry As the Apostle Paul speaks of his over-abundant grace confesses he was dipt in a sea of mercy One Paul obtained as much grace even so whole and compleat a ransom without diminishing as would have saved a world Grace reigns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is rich and Lord of all 5. Christ is a most precious gift He is more precious than rubies and all the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared unto him Imagine what you will name what you can and 't is unworthy to stand in comparison with Christ who is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon him and happy is every one that retaineth him Prov. 3.15 18. It 's too true there are not a few that set light by Christ and can see no beauty or comliness in him that they should desire him but to them that believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 The wise Merchant understood his worth which made him sell all that he had with joy with a very good will so far from sticking and wavering so far from changing his mind that he persists in his resolution with a chearful heart that he might purchase this Pearl of great price Mat. 13.44 The Apostle Paul was at one with himself Yea doubtless I count all things but loss and dung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dogs-meat that I may win Christ Phil. 3.8 Let burning hanging all torments befall me tantumodo ut Christum nansciscar so I may get Christ saith Ignatius Could we give you a particular view and account but that 's impossible of every excellency and all the high perfections that are in Christ you would find him precious in all the parts of his Mediatorship in his person in his natures in his offices in all his gifts and graces Look on him as Mediator and there he shines forth most gloriously and appears to be the most peerless and precious thing in the world as Prophet he is most precious Enoch Noah Moses Elisha David c. were excellent and precious men in their times but were types of Christ he as far excels them as the substance doth the shadow He is Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of eminency and exellency above all other Prophets they spake to the ear he to the heart they searched out the mind of God he came out of his bosome and saith Counsel is mine and sound wisdom I am understanding Prov. 8.14 So as Priest he is most precious this office is the most excellent part of his mediation he could never have opened our eyes as Prophet nor ruled our hearts as King had he not died for us O the death and blood of Christ this Lamb of God! how precious of what infinite value The death of a Man is more precious than of a Beast of a King than of many Men of Christ more than a thousand Kings Thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl had been nothing to the price Christ paid See in the Hebrews how far Christs Priesthood excels all that went before him He alone is an everlasting Priest offering but once sufficient for all gone to Heaven c. and he is Sacrifice Priest Temple Altar and all in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Never was there on earth a King so precious as Christ though all good Kings are precious he is over all King of kings and Lord of lords his kingdom spiritual over all hearts consciences over all nations ages all sorts and ranks of men from generation to generation he is head and King alone without either Collegue in the largeness of his dominions or Regent in his minority or Vice-roy in his absence How precious is grace one dram of it better than all the treasures in the world Now he is the fountain of it full of grace and truth so Truths Ordinances so Comforts Promises all that belongs unto him very precious 6. Christ is a most pleasant gift Nothing more desirable and amiable than Christ to sinners Excellency is the attractive of desire beauty draws the eye that affects the heart and delight following love makes very delightful Now Christ is altogether lovely Totus ipse in universum delectabilis desiderabilis all throughout from top to toe desirable and delightful the cheif among Ten thousand matchless and incomparable To say nothing of his bodily features though Historians report Christ to be very beautiful as man As God he is the perfection of beauty 't is true beauty is not formally in God yet it is in him eminently and by way of Analogy for if beauty be good and a desirable perfection in the creature it must needs be in the infinite God as the perfection of the effect is in the cause If Roses and Lillies be fair he must be fair that created them but in another kind if the Sun Moon
and Master to guide and govern your hearts and thoughts and lives by his Laws and Statutes and is it your ordinary purpose desire and endeavour to obey him even when he commands the hardest duties and those which most cross the desire and interest of the flesh and 't is your sorrow when you break your resolutions herein then Christ is yours But if you are only content to be saved by him from Hell when you dye in the mean time he shall command you no further than will stand with your credit or pleasure or worldly estate and ends and did never heartily consent that he should rule over you nor resign up your souls and bodies to be governed and disposed by him nor took his Word for a Law and Rule of your thoughts and actions but if he would give you leave you had rather live after the world and flesh than after the Word and Spirit he is not yet yours though you may in words call him Lord and Master yet in your works you deny him He is his Friend and Disciple that keeps his commandments Iohn 15.7 14 but they that would not hearken to his voice would none of him he gave them up to their own hearts lusts Psal. 8.11 3. Have you received the Spirit of Christ The Apostle makes the former and this characters of such as have received Christ. 1 Joh. 3.24 He that keepeth his commandments dwells in him and Christ in him hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us Well then do ye obey the Laws of Christ and walk in his ways conform to his example and live the life of Jesus He that doth not thus may say he abides in Christ but he doth but say so 't is not so in truth and reallity 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abides in Christ ought to walk as he walked Further Let me ask you the question the Apostle asked the Disciples at Ephesus Acts. 19.2 Whether have you received the Holy Ghost If God have given Christ to you Christ hath given you his holy Spirit For if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 1 John 4.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit The Spirit not as residing in Christ but as given to us is an evidence that we have received Christ. Well then let every one of you be now inquisitive and put such interrogatories as these to himself Have I the Spirit is he given to me doth he dwell in my soul have I the spirit of illumination and revelation Eph. 1.17 Do I see such things as I never saw before as the inexpressible vileness and loathsomness of sin the greatest beauty in holiness c. Have I the spirit of life in Christ Jesus to quicken me and raise me up from the dead Rom. 8.2 2 Cor. 3.6 Have I felt the spirit of conviction to convince me of sin righteousness and judgment Iohn 16.8 The spirit of grace and supplication stirring up to and assisting in that heavenly duty of Prayer Zech. 12.10 The spirit of holyness to sanctifie me 1 Pet. 1.2 to mortifie my sins and corruptions Rom. 8.13 and work up my heart to all holy obedience Ezek. 36.27 Am I renewed in the spirit of my mind is Gods Image repaired in me am I transformed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord Am I growing in grace perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord Do I walk in all Gods Ways and Statutes freely regularly constantly Am I willing to sacrifice an Isaac a Benjamin an Absolom a Delilah Herodias and hew with Samuel delicate Agag in pieces or with David keep my self from mine own iniquity Is the old man dead the flesh with all its cursed retinue mortified do I detest and loath every sin in thought word and deed and that not so much for its effects as for its nature and hate it rather as Hell than for Hell Enquire what do you find of these high and gracious operations oâ— the spirit in your selves he is always an active working Spirit is he so in you Doth he raise your hearts to heavenly things and draw forth your souls to Christ O deal faithfully with your own souls let the search be deep and thorow go to the bottom of your deceitful hâ—arts bring things to an issue be sure that you be not mistaken 4. If Christ be received there will be a more earnest intent desire and breathing of soul after him he that hath once tasted the sweetness of his grace and seen the splendor of his beauty will be so far from being satisfied that he will still more and more thirst after him the more excellency the soul apprehends in him the more vehement and restless are his desires towards him Thus it was with the Spouse Cant. 2.3 4 5 â—he had a glance of him and cries out As the Apple-tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the sons Here the Spouse seems to be strongly moved with affection and before her beloved had well ended his speech breaks out into an affectionate Elogy of him which she is not able to express but conquered with her own passion she sits down and breathes for comfort I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste Here the soul receives and applys Christ with sweet rellish to her palate comfort to her heart He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me was love she still tasts more of the riches of his Grace and what was the effect of this did she surfeit with eating his fruit and banquetting no she is more ravisht with desire Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love I am wounded nay slain as some Interpreters with love which by the sweet vehemency and insatiability of it makes the heart to burn and weep groan and sigh to forget all and drive away all but him on whom alone she fixeth and would rest but cannot center till she enjoy him in glory till then she is sick and weary and lives not in her self but in him in whom her life is hid As Plato defines love an ardour or flame of a soul dead in its own body and living in another One thus writes to his friend I have for the present a sick life much pain and love-sickness for Christ. O what would I give to have a bed made to my wearied soul in his bosom O when shall we meet O how long is it to the dawning of the marriage-day O sweet Lord Iesus take wide steps O my beloved come leaping over the mountains of separation O that he would fold the heavens together like an old cloak and shovel time and days out of the way and come away Well have you pain and sick-nights for Christ do your thoughts continually run on