wayes of God as Pharoah when his chariot-wheels were taken off Love to Christ is like wheels in your motion for Christ and like Oil to the wheels which makes you ready unto any good work which he doth call you unto but when you have but little Love unto Christ you must needs be more slow in your motions more sluggish in Christ's service you will not you cannot take that pains in the work of the Lord and be so Zealous as you might and should be for your Master's Glory To Conclude if you have but little love to Christ you will be apt to faint in the day of Adversity to shrink when you are called to take up his Cross and suffer for his sake lesser sufferings will discompose you greater sufferings will affrighten and amaze you and you will be in danger of turning fearful Apostates in time of great Tryals there is need of great Love to christ as well as great Faith to carry you thorow sufferings with courage that you may persevere unto the end SECT XI Vse 4. FOR Exhortation unto the love of Jesus Christ whom you have never seen this is the Use chiefly designed in the choice of this subject and which I shall most largely insist upon In the Prosecution of it I shall give some Motives and then some Directions The Motives to Induce and Excite you unto the Love of this unseen Christ may be drawn 1. From the consideration of what Christ is 2. From the consideration of Christ's Love 3. From the consideration of Christ's Benefits 4. From the consideration of that Love which Christians have and should have unto Christ. The first sort of Motives may be drawn from the consideration of what Christ is and that 1 What he is in Himself 2 What he is to the Father 3 What he is unto true Christians First Consider What Christ is in Himself In generall He is the most amiable person and the most sutable Object for your Love If you ask of the dayes which are past which were before you since the day that God created Man upon the Earth if you seek from one side of Heaven unto the other if you make enquiry into all the parts of the Earth you will never find that either there ever was or is to be found any person so lovely so beautifull and so every way deserving your Love as the Lord Jesus Christ there is a Matchless Transcendent and Incomparable Beauty and Excellency in him How passionately are some Foolish Men in Love with the externall beauty which they see in some Women the exact Symetry of parts and comely Proportion of the body the Amiable Features and Lovely Mixtures of colours in the Face the Beauty of the Eyes in their Spirit their Quick and Graceful motions and Amorous Glances How doth this Ravish the Hearts of some fond Lovers although the most Beautiful body in the World is no better than painted clay dirt and corruption enclosed in a Fair Skin which sickness will cause to look pale and Wan Death will quite Marr and Spoil But the Amiableness and Beauty of Christ is more Transcendent and Permanent and therefore a more fit Object for your Love Christ is Fairer than the Children of Men he is all Fair without any Spot altogether Lovely without any Blemish or Deformity I have already spoken of the Glorious Beauty which is in Christ's Glorified Body the most Lovely of any Visible creature which God hath made and also of the Shining Excellencies which are in Christ's Glorified Soul so nearly joyned to the Divinity could we suppose all the Loveliness that ever was seen or found in the most lovely persons that ever lived to meet in one person how Lovely would that person be yet such though never so resplendent Beauty would be but a dark Shaddow compared with the Brightness of Christ's most Beautifull Person Can you Love the imperfect Beauty which you see in Creatures and will you not Love the perfect Beauty which there is in Christ can you Love a Fading Beauty which soon Withereth like the Flower and will you not Love Christ whose Beauty never Decays but alwayes doth abide more Fresh than Beauty in the Flower of Youth can you be soon Affected with Beautiful Objects which are before the Eye of your Sense and will you not be Affected with this far more Beautiful Object the Lord Jesus Christ who is so clearly discernable by the Eye of Faith If the Eye of your Faith were open and clear to look upon the Transcendent Amiableness which is in Christ you could not chuse but Love him could you see the Glances of his Eye and the Sweet Smiles of his Lovely Face as some have seen your Hearts would be Overcome and Ravished with Love and filled with Extacies of Joy and Ineffable Delight More Particularly There are the most Amiable Qualifications in Christs Person to attract and draw forth your Love I shall instance in these six 1. His Greatness and Authority 2. His Holiness and Purity 3. His Wisdom and Omnisciency 4. His Truth and Fidelity 5. His Fulness and All-sufficiency 6. His Kindness and Mercy 1. Consider Christ's Greatness and Authority Aquila non capit muscas The Eagle doth not pursue after Flies Great Souls are not Affected except it be with Great Things there is none so Great as Jesus Christ He is most Great in Honour and Dignity He is most Great in Power and Authority Excellency of Majesty doth greatly engage the Love and command the Hearts as well as the Obedience of Subjects and those Princes that have the greatest Power and Authority are the Darlings of the people when they dont abuse their place by Unrighteousness and Cruelty by Usurpation and Tyranny If Power be managed with Clemency and Authority with Kindness towards those that are under command so highly do Princes advance themselves hereby in the Esteem and Love of their people that they will be ready to spend their Estates and venture their Lives in their Service Christ is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth he is clothed with the Highest Honour Arrayed with the most Excellent Majesty Decked with the largest Power and invested with the Greatest Authority He is the King and Lord of Glory He is Exalted to Higher Dignity than the greatest Potentate that ever lived upon the Earth yea he is advanced above all Thrones and Dominions and Principalities and Powers of the Glorious Angels which are in Heaven All Power is given to him in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28. 18. He doth what he will in Heaven the Angels are at his Beck and Execute his Will go and come at his Command and he hath Power on Earth He is the Head of the Church and Head over all unto the Church he can Restrain his Enemies and conquer them and bring them under his Feet at his Pleasure And whatever severity he doth shew sometimes in Executing his Judgments and taking Vengeance on the Wicked he doth never abuse his Power
separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or disiress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword Nay in all these things we are more than conquerours through him that loved us And you may be perswaded as Paul was and greatly rejoyce therein that as v. 38 39. Neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus your Lord. If you know that Christ doth love you you may know assuredly that your Prayers have audience with God that whatever imperfections and sinfull mixtures they have yet that they are mingled with the sweet Incense of Christ's Merits through which they are persumed and accepted and what comfort is this that whatever you ask of the Father in the Name of your dear Lord Jesus if it be for his Glory and your good he will certainly procure it for you To conclude If you know that Christ doth love you you may know assuredly that you are Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven and that as certainly as you are alive you shall attain eternal Felicity in the Beatifical Vision and Fruition of your Lord as certainly as you have the first Fruits so certainly shall you have the Harvest as certainly as you have the Earnest so certainly shall you have the Inheritance as certainly as you see Christ by Faith here so certainly shall you have the Beatifical Vision of his Person and Glory in Heaven and be made perfectly happy in the eternal and full Enjoyment of him O how should you then rejoyce in the Lord rejoyce in his Person rejoyce in his Love rejoyce in his Benefits rejoyce in what you have and rejoyce in what you hope to have by him rejoyce in what you see now and feel now and taste now and rejoyce in the foresights and foretastes of your Happiness to come Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say Rejoyce 2. If you have Manifestations of Christs Love unto you Admire his Free Grace in these Manifestations as Ioh. 14. 22. when Christ had promised to manifest himself unto such as love him Iudas not Iscariot he was the Traytor and had no true love to his Master but Iudas the Brother of Iames saith to him Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the World This Question is not a Question of Enquiry concerning the Way and Manner how Christ would manifest himself unto them but it is a Question of Admiration concerning the Thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is done or What is come to pass How is it or Whence is it His Question did not expect an Answer neither do we find any to it but onely expressed his Wonder that Christ should manifest himself unto them And how should you wonder then that the Lord Jesus should manifest himself unto you That the Lord Jesus whose Name is Wonderfull and hath so many Wonders in him a Person of so great Eminency and Excellency who hath such a Crown of Glory upon his Head such Robes of Glory upon his Back and on the Vesture of his Garment and his Thigh a Name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords that this most excellent Person should manifest himself unto You such as You when he conceals himself from the greatest Princes of the Earth who by their Interest Authority and Influence might that highly promote his Glory he should manifest himself unto You who for the most part are low and mean poor and despised in the World that when he hideth himself from most of the Wise and Prudent and great Scholars in the world who by their Parts and Learning might magnifie his Name and spread his Fame he should manifest himself unto you who for the most part are persons of mean parts and Education that when Christ hideth himself from many Moralists who have escaped the grosser Pollutions which are in the World he should reveal and manifest himself unto you some of whom before Conversion were notoriously guilty of most foul sins that when Christ manifesteth himself unto so Few that you should be in the Number of those Few how many wonders are here That this Glorious Person should send down another Glorious Person I mean the Holy Ghost from Heaven which is more than if he had sent down all the Glorious Angels which are in Heaven to make this Discovery of himself unto you That he should make use of the Foolishnesse of Preaching as a Means to effect this great thing that while a man of like passions and infirmities with your selves is opening and applying the Scriptures the Lord by this means should unveil himself and open the treasures of his Love unto you that your humble fervent and believing prayers here on Earth should ascend up to the throne of God that is in Heaven and move the Lord Jesus that is there to come down thence though not in person yet by his Spirit that prayer should open heavens gate and have such a prevalency for this manifestation and discovery of Christ though the best prayers of the best men are not without mixture of sin that whilst you are sitting at the Lords table the Lord himself should give you a visit and whilst you are eating bread and wine at the Sacrament he should give you to see and feel and taste himself and his Love by your spiritual senses It was wonderful humiliation in Christ that when he could have commanded the most stately Horses yea Lions Elephants or Unicorns he should ride to Ierusalem upon an Ass and when Christ hath the Chariots of so many thousand glorious Angels which he could command and ride triumphantly in when he makes discovery of himself unto his people that he should make use of the Chariots of so mean Ordinances in the discovery of himself unto you how many wonders are here how should you admire his wonderful Grace and Love and say what is man that thou art thus mindful of him or any of the sons of men that thou shouldst thus visit them what are we unworthy wretches and why shouldst thou manifest thy self unto us even so dear Jesus because it seemed good in thy sight especially you have reason to wonder and admire at the manifestations which Christ hath given of himself and love to you when you consider the excellency of these manifestations and discoveries beyond all other discoveries If you have seen the most rare works of Art and Human Invention the most curious Pictures the most stately Edifices or any other works of the most ingenious contrivement If you have viewed the works of nature which do far exceed those of Art the beautiful frame of the Heavens over your heads and the glorious Luminaries of Sun Moon and Stars in their wonderful light and motion the Earth under your feet when it hath got on its best attire when the
be not sanctified thorowly they are sanctified in every part though they are not sanctified in the highest degree Their whole Spirit is sanctified that is the higher faculties of the soul namely the understanding and the will their understandings are enlightned by the Spirit unto a Spiritual discerning both of good and evil beyond what any natural man doth oâ— can attaâ—n unto their wills are bowed or rather rectified and made straight being enclined unto God and his Law Their Souls are sanctified in the inferior faculties in all the affections belonging both to the concupiscible and the irrascible appetite their liking affections of love desire delight and hope are towards God and Christ and things above their disliking affections of hatred fear grief and anger are towards sin Their bodies also are sanctifyed being made members of Christ and instruments of Righteousness their eyes ears tongues hands feet and every part being devoted to God and made use of for his glory Thus true Christians are sanctified by the spirit And they are sanctified unto obedience the graces which are wrought by the spirit in their hearts do appear in the obedience of their lives the course of their lives in a course of obedience unto the laws of Christ they are sanctified unto obedience and they are sanctified unto sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ God hath set them apart to be sprinkled with the blood of the immacâ—late Lamb who takes away sin that they might be pardoned and saved such are true Christians who love Christ whom they have not seen Section II. Secondly COncerning the object of true Christians Love and that is Jesus Christ whom they have never seen This Jesus Christ whom they love is the Eternal Son of God the second Person in the glorious Trinity who in time assumed our Humane Nature clothed himself with our mortal Flesh lived like a servant in a mean condition died like a malefactor the cursed Death of the Cross and all for our sakes for our sins rose again the third day for our Justification ascended up into heaven after forty days and there is set down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high to make intercession for us and to make preparation there for our reception into the glorious Mansions and Eternal Habitations which are in the Fathers house He is called Jesus from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to save because he saveth his people from their sins Matth. 1. 21. He is called Christ from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to anoint he being anointed by the Father with the Spirit and with Power to be Mediator between God and Man to be the great Prophet and Priest and King of the Church This Jesus Christ Christians have not seen with the eye of sense indeed some Christians in the primitive times as the Apostles who were of his family and other disciples who conversed with him frequently did see Christ with the eye of sense but it was in his state of Humiliation when he was here upon the Earth not in his state of Exaltation now he is in Heaven yet some have seen Christ after his Ascention namely Paul at his conversion and Stephen the Proto Martyr before he dyed but none have had a perfect sight with bodily eyes of the Glory which is upon Christ's body the lustre of which is so great that none can behold it in this state of weakness and imperfection and live But whatever sight some Christians have had formerly no Christians now have a sight of Christ's Person they have heard of him with the hearing of the Ear but they have not seen him with the seeing of the Eye they have seen Representations of Christ in the Sacrament but they have never seen his Person that is represented they have seen his Image upon their Fellow-Christians but they have not seen the original from whom this Image hath been drawn Some Christians have been in Iudea and seen the place where the Lord lived and at Ierusalem and seen the place where the Lord dyed and Visited the place of his Sepulchre where the Lord for a time did lye and they have seen the Mount whence the Lord Ascended but no Christians now alive have been in Ierusalem and on Mount Sion which is above to see where the Lord now is in his Glory It is this Jesus Christ whom Christians have not seen that is the Object of their Love Section III. Thirdly Concerning the Love which True Christians do bear unto this unseen Christ. Love is the going forth of the Heart unto the Object Beloved and the Love which True Christians do bear unto Jesus Christ is a Grace wrought by the Spirit in their hearts whereby upon discovery and believing Apprehensions of Christs infinite Loveliness and Excellency his Matchless Love Grace and Mercy their Hearts do go forth towards him in Earnest desires after Union to him and Communion with him wherein they take chief Complacency and this accompanied with a yeilding and dedication of themselves unto his will and service 1. The Love of Christians unto Christ is a Grace wrought in their Hearts by the Spirit It is a Flower most Sweet and Fragrant but there is no Seed of it in the Nature of any Man since the Fall it is planted in the Soul by the Spirit of God Love to Christ is a Divine Spark that comes down from above a fire which is kindled by the breath of the Lord whose Essâ—nce is Love 2. The Ground of this Love to Christ is the discovery and believing Apprehensions of Christs Lovelinesse and Love There must be first a discovery of Christ as a sutable Object for Love and not a bare Notion of this but believing apprehensions of it that Christ is Infinitely lovely Superlatively Excellent and that his love is Matchless and Transcendent towards the Children of Men that there is a Treasury in him and a Storehouse of all Graces and the most Needfull and Rich Supplies otherwise there will be no going forth of the Heart in love unto him 3. The Actings of Christians love to Christ is in their desires after Vnion unto and Communion with Christ. It is the Nature of love to desire Union to the Object beloved especially of this love to Christ and this Union being attained the desires are after Communion with Christ Converse and Fellowship with him no Converse is so desirable as with the Persons whom we most dearly love and this Communion being attained there is chief Complacency therein the Soul doth sweetly rest and repose it self in Christ and rejoyceth in his presence and love 4. The Concomitant of this Love which True Christians have unto Christ is a yielding and dedication of themselves unto his will and Service Lovers do give themselves unto those whom they love this accompanieth the Marriage Union and such as love Christ they are Espoused and joyned unto Christ and they give themselves unto Christ to
which they have seen but can you say that you sincerely and chiefly do love Jesus Christ whom you have not seen the love of the most doth arise from the notice which the Eye doth give of the Objects beloved but doth your love arise from the notice which the Ear hath given by the word of the Amiableness which here is in Christ Qu. How may we know whether we have true love to Iesus Christ Ans. You may know the truth of your love to Jesus Christ 1 By your desires after Christs presence 2 By your prizing and frequenting those wayes wherein Christ is to be found and seeking him therein 3 By your love of Christs image 4 By your Obedience to Christs Commandements First By your desires after Christs Presence wherever there is a great love to any person there is a desire after the presence of that person do you sincerely and earnestly desire Christs presence there is a twofold presence of Christ His gracious presence here and his Glorious presence at the last day 1. There is Christs Gracious presence here Joh. 14. 18. I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you You desire that such Friends and Relations would come unto you but do you desire chiefly that Christ would come unto you Christ cometh to his Disciples in a way of gracious communication in a way of Gracious Manifestation and in a way of sweet Consolation which doth result from both 1 Do you desire that Christ would come unto you in a way of Gracious communication are your desires after communication of Spiritual Light from Christ to teach and guide you of Spiritual Life from Christ to quicken and encourage you of Spiritual Strength from Christ to support you under Burdens and Enable you unto Duties do you earnestly desire communications of all kinds and further degrees of grace out of that fullness of Grace which is in Christ do you Hunger and Thirst after Christs Righteousness not only that it may be imputed to you for your Justification but also that it may be more and more imparted unto you for your further Sanctification that you might be brought and hereby wrought into a more perfect conformity and likeness unto Jesus Christ this is an Evidence of true love 2 Do you desire that Christ would come unto you in a way of Gracious Manifestation Joh. 14. 21. He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self unto him Do you Earnestly desire the fulfilling of this promise that Christ would discover to you more of the loveliness of his person and of the love of his Heart are you grieved when your beloved doth withdraw himself when the curtain is drawn and a cloud doth interpose between you and this Sun of Righteousness when he Hideth and Veileth his Face from you and do you long after Christs returns and the Discoveries of himself unto you Come Lord Iesus Come quickly Be as a Roe or young Hart upon the Mountains of Spices Leap over the Mountains and Skip over the Hills and make haste unto my Soul which is sick of Love for thee in thy Absence from me O that I might see thy Face which is so Fair that I might hear thy Voice which is so Sweet that I might feel thy Presence which is so Refreshing O that I might behold thy Heart-ravishing Smiles Say Lord that I am thine and thou art mine that thou hast loved me and given thy self for me that thy love to me was from Everlasting and that it is Vnchangeable Are these or such like the breathings of your Souls Such are the breathings of love to Christ. 3 Do you desire that Christ would come unto you in a way of sweet consolation which doth result from this communication and Manifestation are you desirous after the Oil of Gladness which Christ is Anointed withal that he would give you of the Unction of the Spirit not only to Sanctifie you but also to comfort you do you desire that your Hearts might be filled with Spiritual joyes the joyes of the Holy Ghost which are unspeakable and full of Glory do you desire the comforts which Christ doth give beyond all the comforts which the World and the Flesh can give the comforts which come in at the door of Faith beyond all the comforts that come in at the door of Sense those joyes which are in Christ beyond all joyes that can be found in the most sweet and desireable creature-enjoyment this evidenceth true love to Christ. Thus do you desire Christs Gracious presence 2. And do you desire also Christs glorious presence at the Last day When he promiseth Surely I come quickly can your hearts make answer as Rev. 22. 20. Amen even so come Lord Iesus are you glad you live so near the End of the World that the Lord is at hand that the coming of the Lord draweth nearer and nearer every day can you lift up your heads with joy when you look towards the place where the Lord Jesus Christ is at the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty on High and think with comfort that yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not now tarry much longer that within a while Christ will descend from Heaven with a shout the Lord with the Sound of the Trumpet and that your Eyes shall see him in the brightness of his Glory and Majesty Do you look and long for the day of Christ's glorious appearance from heaven when you shall be awakened out of your Graves where you may take a short sleep before and be gathered together by the Angels and be caught up in the clouds and there in shining Garments of Immortality on your Bodies and of Christs unspotted Righteousness in your Souls be brought with Shoutings and Acclamations of Joy and Triumph into his Presence who will then acquit you Graciously from all Sin and Punishment own you openly for his Faithful Servants crown you Gloriously before the whole World and receive you to Live and Reign with him to all Eternity Have you such desires as these If some of you say you are afraid of Christs Glorious appearance lest then you should be rejected because you fear you are not ready and prepared yet can you say also from your Hearts that you Desire above all things that you may be ready that you Endeavour to make ready that it is your Grief you are no more ready and that if you were ready and were assured of your Interest in Christ you could desire that Christ would come immediately and that you desire no greater Happiness and Felicity than to live with Christ in Glory and that you account the Presence of Christ in Heaven to be the Happiness of Heaven These are Evidences of true desires after Christ's Glorious presence and of sincere love to Christ. Secondly You may know your love to Christ by your Prizing and Frequenting those wayes wherein Christ is to be found
by Unrighteousness He is most Just towards the worst and punisheth them here lesse than their iniquities do deserve But what kindness and clemency doth he shew to his own subjects and people and will not you have a great love to so great a Person should not the consideration of the high dignity of your Lord raise your love of him unto a great heighth when Christ hath such Authority shall he not command your hearts when Christ is invested with such power that he can defend you against the rage and cruelty of your most powerful and malicious adversaries will you not love greatly such a Person as well as trust confidently under the shadow of his Government 2. Consider Christs Holiness and Purity some great Persons who abound in Wealth and Honour who have some kind of amiable natural qualities and acquired accomplishments which might render them very useful in their Countries yet through their wickedness and debauchery their filthiness and impurity their impious and vicious lives they stain all their other excellencies and render themselves the objects of contempt and scorn unto those who otherwise would bear great respect and love to them But Christ is most amiable for his Holiness and Purity he was holy in his birth although born of a sinful woman yet he was born without sin when he lived amongst impure sinners he kept his garments from all stains and spots his heart and life were free from all pollutions and never was he guilty of the least transgression either in action or the least inclination O what an excellent Person was Christ when here upon the Earth how glorious in holiness what bright beams of perfect purity and exact innocency did Christ scatter in those dark places of the Earth where he lived and amongst those dark sullied sinners with whom he did converse how then doth Christ shine in holiness now he is entred into the Holy of Holies which is above and there doth coverse with none but such as are Holy I know because of Christs Holiness and Purity he is the object of the hatred and enmity of the wicked and ungodly because Christ is an enemy unto their darling and beloved lusts they have an enmity against Christs Person when he was here below he telleth his brethren John 7. 7. The World hateth me because I testifie of it that the works thereof are evil and the hatred of the world doth still abide upon the same account Christ doth reprove the world of sin and this the world cannot endure and away with the beams of Christs Holiness doe offend their Sore Eyes his holy precepts do offend their carnal hearts yet notwithstanding this he is a most sutable object for the love of Saints upon the account of his Holiness such as are truely judicious will love them most who are best and such are really the best Men and Women in the world as are most holy if you are Christ's disciples indeed you love holiness where ever you see it and can you love the imperfect holiness which is in Gods people and will you not love Christ who is perfectly Infinitely holy himself and the spring of all that holiness which is to be found in any of the Children of Men if there be such a wonderful lustre in the derived holiness of some that it makes them to shine as lights in a dark World what a wonderful transcendent lustre is there in the origiginal holiness which is in Christ which as it is matter of great admiration so it calls for great affection Psal. 119. 140. Thy word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it Christ is the Word not the written Word but the Essential Word and he is very pure therefore you should love him 3. Consider Christ's Wisdome and Omnisciency Wisdom doth make the face to shine Learning doth advance some very highly in esteem such as know most if their morals be sutable to their intellectuals are most admired by those that understand what true worth is especially if there be spiritual Wisdome in conjunction with natural and acquired if there be much Grace in the heart as well as much Knowledge in the head how worthy are such to be beloved Daniel was a man of great learning and wisdome skill'd in all the learning of the Chaldeans which was not sinful and diâ—bolical and besides this he was endued with divine wisdome by the teachings of the Holy Spirit the Angel told this Daniel more than once or twice that he was a Man greatly beloved he was greatly beloved by the Lord of Heaven greatly beloved by his Prince on Earth and greatly beloved by his people and by all except some few that envied his prosperity and favor Daniels Wisdom did render him so universally amiable How then should Christ be beloved because of his Wisdom and Knowledge the wisdom of Christ is far beyond the Wisdome of Daniel or the Wisdom of Solomon who was wiser than Daniel these men had Wisdome which made them famous and esteemed in their day but Christ is Wisdome the Wisdome of the Father they were children of wisdome but Christ is the Father and Fountain of wisdome they had some jewels of wisdome but the treasures of wisdome are hid and laid up in Christ Col. 2. 3. they had learning and knowledge but their knowledge was Ignorance compared with the knowledge of Christ the greatest part of the things which they knew being but the least part of the things which they knew not they knew some things but Christ is omniscient and knoweth all things they knew many secrets of nature but Christ knoweth the secrets of Heaven the mind of God and nothing is hid from him How greatly beloved then should Christ belif you are wise you will if you would be wise you must love Christ who is so Infinitely wise himself and who alone can make you truly wise 4. Consider Christs Truth and Fidelity Truth and Faithfulness are very rare in our dayes when Falshood and Deceit do so much abound what was said of old Isa. 59. 14. 15. Truth faileth and falleth in the Street the same may be said now and therefore such as are True without Guile Faithful without Deceit are worthy of great esteem and Love But what Love should you give unto Christ who is not only True but Truth it self who is most Faithful in all his undertakings and promises and never deceived any that put their trust in him who is often better than his word never worse you will love a true and faithful Friend and will you not love a true and faithful Christ the best Friend of the children of Men as Christs faithfulness should encourage your confidence in him so it should endear your love unto him 5. Consider Christs fulness and All sufficiency Such as have large and plentiful Estates are greatly beloved by the poor and indigent if they find them also to have large Hearts and open Hands ready to distribute unto their wants and necessities none
for such as you although now his friends yet whilst in a state of Nature strangers and enemies here was Love stronger than death Oh the height Oh the depth of this Love There are such dimensions in this love of Christ as the longest line of your most extended thoughts and imaginations can never be able to reach and measure 6. It was the Love of Christ which raised him again from the dead for you Rom. 4. 25. Who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification 7. It was the Love of Christ which carryed him up from earth to heaven where he was before for you Ioh. 16. 7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you 2. The strength and activity of Christs Love to you doth shew it self in what he is Doing for you 1. He is interceding for you at the right hand of God Rom. 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us It is through Love that Christ doth plead for you in Heaven that your persons may be accepted your sins pardoned your prayers answered and that the Holy Ghost may be sent down to you to teach sanctifie and comfort you 2. He is preparing a place for you Ioh. 14. 2. In my fathers house there are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you It is through love that Christ as your forerunner is for you entred into the glorious Palace that is above to take possession of it for you and to prepare places there for your reception 3. The strength and activity of Christ's love to you doth shew it self in what he will do for you 1. He will keep you in his hand that none shall pluck you thence Ioh. 10. 28. They shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Because you are received into the arms of his love therefore you shall be kept by the hand of his power and therefore you shall never either finally or totally fall away 2. Christ will make all things work together for your good Rom. 8. 28. And we know that All things work together for good to them that love God Christ hath an endeared love to all you that love God your love being the fruit of his and when Men and Devils conspire together to do you mischief Christs love will turn it unto your spiritual advantage 3. Christ will stand by you in trouble and at death Iohn 14. 18. I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you When affliction doth arise especially if it be for his sake you are bereaved of all outward Comforts Christ will not leave you comfortless when friends fail and flesh fails and Heart fail yea and life fails Christ will not fail but will stand by and strengthen you and be a light to you in your darkest hours a stay to your Spirits when they are ready to sink within you 4. After death Christ will take care of your Souls he will not sufâ—er them to wander they know not whither he will not suffer the Devil to seize on them as his prey but he will send his Angels to conduct and convey them into the heavenly paradise that where he is there they may be also Luk. 16. 22. And it came to passe that the Beggar died and was carryed by the Angels into Abrahams bosom 2 Cor. 5. 8. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. 5. Christ will raise up your Bodies at the last day if your Bodies should be consumed by Fire or drowned in the Water or rot in the Earth whatever becometh of them the Lord Jesus at his second glorious appearance will find them and raise them and transform them into the likeness of his most glorious body Iohn 6. 40. And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that every one which seeth the Son and Believeth on him may have Everlasting Life and I will raise him up at the last day Phillip 3. 20. 21. For our Conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body 6. Christ will send forth his Angels to gather you into the society of the Elect that have lived in all Ages and all Parts of the World and to convey you into his presence to meet him in the Air when he cometh to Judge the World Math. 24. 31. And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four Winds from one end of Heaven unto the other 1 Thess. 4. 16. 17. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air. 7. Christ will own you and crown you and admit you into the Kingdom of Heaven which he hath prepared for you Math. 25. 34. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the Foundation of the World Here is strong and active love indeed and shall not the consideration of this love of Christ raise and highten your love unto him shall it not provoke and excite you unto activity of love unto the lively and most vigorous exercise thereof hath Christ united himself to your nature and shall not your Hearts be united to his Person hath he fulfilled all Righteousness for you and will not you fulfill his command of Love hath he endured such temptations contradictions and sufferings upon your account and given himself to dye for you and will not you give your Hearts unto him hath he risen from the dead and Ascended into Heaven for you and will not your Affections arise from the Earth and Ascend into Heaven where Jesus Christ is Doth he plead in Heaven with the Father for you and will not you hearken to his pleadings by his Word and Spirit with you for your love is he preparing a glorious Mansion for you in his Fathers house and will not you prepare a place for him and entertain him in the inner room of your chiefest Affections doth and will he keep you in his hand and will not you embrace him in your bosoms will he make all things work together for your good and will not your Affections work towards him will he stand by you in trouble and at Death and will not this
with infinite Might and Power the beauty of thy face is most wonderfull the smiles of thy countenance are most sweet and delightful and doth this lovely fair One this fairest of ten thousand this most excellent and alltogether lovely Person bear a particular love to me to such a vile worm as me to such a dead Dog as me to such an undeserving ill-deserving hell-deserving sinner as me O what marvellous kindness is this what infiâ—iâ—e Riches of Free Grace doth he know me by name hath he given himself for me and given himself to me and shall not I give him my heart am I written in his bookâ— Redeemed with his blood clothed with his Righteousness beautified with his Image hath he put the dignity of a Child of God upon me and prepared a place in the Fathers house for me O wonderful O admirable what shall I render what returns shall I make had I a thousand tongues should I not employ them all in speaking his praise had I a thousand Hearts should I not present them all as too mean to thank-offering unto him And yet am I slow slow of Heart to love this dear and sweet Iesus awake O my Soul awake from thy dulness and stupidity shake off thy sleep which glues thine eye-lids so close together shake out the dust of the Earth which hath got into thine eyes and keeps thee from the view of thy beloved Arise O my Soul and lift up thy self unfetter thy feet unâ—log thy self take the wing and mount up above the sky and visible Heavens even to the place where the lovely and dear Iesus is Take thy leave of the world and all things therein Bid farewel to the flattering honours the deceitful Riches the glozing Pleasures that are here below bid adieu to them and leave them to those that place their chiefest happiness in them if Earth hath thy body for a while yet let it have thy heart and chiefest affections no more come O my Soul ascend and soar aloâ—t unto the Heaven of Heavens the way unto the Holy of Holies is accessible the vail is rent the fore-runner is entred and thou mayest have entrance too with thy Thoughts and Desires and Loves and Hopes and Ioyes there thou mayst see and veiw and admire and embrace thy dearest Lord there thy Heaâ—t may find a fit object for it's Love even thy dearest Lord Iesus who wil not reject despise thee but give kind entertainment unto thy love and withall give the fullest sweetest returns there thy Heart may find a room to dispose of it self and not only a lodging like that of a wayfaring man for a night but an habitation wherein to dwell and to take up it's Eternal abode let thy Heart be thy fore-runner that when thy body drops off from thee thou mayst know where to betake thy seâ—f and find ready entertainment there where thy Heart hath been long before Why dost thou hang downwards O my Soul why dost thou bend so much to the Earth and Earthly things what is there here below that is not beneath thee and altogether unworthy of thy Love how empty and vain and thorny are these things don 't wast thy time weary thy self for very vanity don't prick and wound thy self with these things any more What aileth thee O my Soul that thou art so backward to the Love of Christ is it because thou canst not see Christ with the Eyes of thy Body thou shalt see him with those Eyes hereafter when he comes in his Glory thy body is raised and repaired and sitted to bear such a sight thou can'st not see the Wind but thou hearest it's noise and feelest it's blasts and dost thou not hear Christ's voice in his Word dost thou not feel the breathings of his Spirit in his Ordinances Thou art invisible thy self O my Soul and art thou so drenched in flesh that visible objects shall have more Power to draw down thy heart than this most glorious object though now invisible shall have power to draw up thy Heart dost thou question and doubt of his love to thee and doth this damp and discourage thy Affection whose Image is this which is engraven upon thee is it not the Image of Christ what writing is that upon thy Heart is it not Gods Law written by Christs Spirit whose deckings and adornings hast thou got about thee what Beauty is this which is put upon thee is it not Christs comeliness where hadst thou those Bracelets that Ring those Iewels that chain of Graces are they not Christ's love-tokens which he hath given thee and yet wilt thou doubt of his love if thou feelest corruption strong yet dost thou not perceive some Grace although it be weak hast thou not some love to Christ although it be low are not thy desires chiefly after him which evidence that thy chief love is to him and is it so with any but such whom Christ doth love doth not Christ love first and yet wilt thou question his love banish then thy fears silence thy doubts O my Soul rouze up thy self and climb â—p by the Iacobs ladder which is let down to thee from Heaven and settle thy love upon Iesus Christ and those things which are above where Christ sits at the Right hand of God Such retired Contemplations of Christ and Soliloquies and pleadings with your own Souls when alone by your selves will tend exceedingly to the promotion of your love unto Christ. 2. Would you have much love to Christ Be much in Reading and Studying the Scriptures The Scriptures are a Glasse in which Christ may be seen he cannot be seen Face to Face in this World this is the happiness of the Triumphant Church in Heaven not of the Militant Church upon the Earth what may here be discerned of Christ it is in the glass of the Scriptures and Gospel-Ordinances this is that glass spoken of 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as â—n a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory Christ is the Glory of the Lord the brightness of his Fathers Glory would you have much love to him be often looking veiwing and beholding of him in the glass of the Scriptures by much beholding of him you may be transformed more and more into the likeness of his Holiness and into the likeness of his Love which is Glory begun The Scriptures have the Image of Christ engraven upon them the Image of the Father is upon the Son and the Image of the Son is upon the Scriptures there you may see the Picture of Christ the Beauty of Christ at least some lineaments are there drawn by the hand of God although not fully and to the life I mean such you will see in him when you come to behold him face to face in Heaven yet his Beauty is drawn in such proportions and with such shadows as you are now capable of beholding Would you have much love unto Christ whom
you have nothing to do with it Procul ite Profani Avant all ye profane ones all ye unclean ones all ye ungodly ones all Unbelievers whatsoever who being without Faith are also without Love to Christ see that you come not neer to lay your unclean hands upon this most excellent Promise never look for any discovery of Christs love unto you whilest you go on in wayes of Sin whilest you are in your Natural Estate I believe some of you may be ready to say What if Christ doth not manifest himself unto us let us have our Honours and Dignity let us have our Wealth and Plenty let us have our Friends and Delights and let who will look after those aiery and fancifull Satisfactions in Christs Manifestations Sinners is this your language either of tongue or heart Let me tell you one day you will sing another tune you will be of another mind one day you will acknowledge that all the Happiness which you so eagerly pursued in the sweetest creature-enjoyments was but a Fancy that it was thin light and aiery that it was vain and empty when all is fled away and left nothing behind but Stings and bitter Grief but inward wounds gripes and dreads upon the sight of approaching Death and under apprehensions of approaching Wrath and eternal Torments in Hell Then what would you give for an Interest in Jesus Christ and a well-grounded Perswasion of his special Love unto your Souls Then the Manifestations of Christ will appear to be no aiery thing and that nothing besides this can rationally support your Souls when you come to the Borders of the Grave and to the Confines of Eternity And let me further tell you that have no love to Christ that although Christ whilest you are such will never manifest himself unto you in a way of Love yet there is a Day coming when he will Manifest himself unto you but this Manifestation will be with a Vengeance it will be in a way of most Furious anger I mean at the last day of Judgement when Christ will be revealed from Heaven not onely to those that Love him but also to those that Hate him for every eye shall then see him and he will come in flaming Fire to take Vengeance upon you that have not obeyed this Gospel-Precept to Love him The Consideration of this should awaken you to fear and fly from Sin which otherwise will be your ruine and eternal Perdition and O that withall you would be perswaded to apply your selves unto the Lord Jesus Christ by Faith that you may hereby have Interest in him and in that great Salvation which he hath purchased for you and which in the Gospel in freely tendred unto you and this Faith in Christ would work Love to Christ and put you in a capacity of these Manifestations of Christ's Love unto your Souls Sect. VII Vse 2. THe second Use concerneth such of you as have some Love unto Christ but are without these Manifestations and there are two sorts of such 1. Some of you never had these Manifestations 2. Some of you have had these Manifestations but have lost them 1. Some of you never had these Manifestations of Christ's Love It may be you are young and raw Christians a little while ago you were forward Scholars in the School of the Devil and served divers luâ—ts with all your might and strength the Lord hath lately hedg'd up your way with thorns hath opened your eyes to see your sins and made you sensible of your danger but as yet your eyes are not open as to any comfortable sight of your Saviour Indeed Christ hath been revealed unto you as able and willing to save you and you have been drawn by the Word and Spirit to take hold on him and to give up your selves unto him but as yet you are in the daâ—k as to your Spiritual Estate you are under doubts and fears of unsoundness and rottenness at heart that you are Hypocrites and shall fall away as other Professors like your selves have done you fear you shall one day perish by the hand of Saul that the Devil and your own Lusts will be too hard for you and prevail so far with you as to pull you back into wayes of Sâ—n and thereby to pull yoâ— down into the botâ—omless Pit of Hell This causeth a dread upon your spirits and fearfâ—ll apprehensions of Gods wrath and future Vengeance this fâ—tcheth many a sad and heavy sigh from your breasts many a brinish tear from your eyes you are troubled bowed down greatly and go mourning all the day Yet you are resolved to give your attendance still unto Ordinances and there to wait upon the Lord and for the Lord you are resolved notwithstanding all discouragements that you will be the Lords though you know not whether he be yours you are resolved that Christ shall have your hearts and you will venture your Souls upon him though you know not whether you are accepted by him This may be a Use of Encouragement unto you certainly you are such as love Christ and are beloved by Christ and Christ will manifest himself unto such as have such Love let me tell you that Christ is not far from you whatever you may apprehend though he be out of your sight yet you are not out of his his eye is upon you and his heart is towards you he hears all your sighs he sees all your tears he pities you and sympathizeth with you in all your Griefs he loves you and ere long will let you know it he is now preparing you for sweet discoveries of himself and ere long he will give you those discoveries If you follow on to seek him he will certainly and may suddenly be found of you And who knows but this may be the time of Christ's manifesting his Love It may be whilest you are Reading this Discourse you may have a glimpse of his face and hear his Voâ—ce saying unto you Be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you Lift up the Hands that hang down lift up the Heart that is cast down Look up then dejected Soul thy Saviour is before thee open thine Eyes and look look with the Eye of Faith canst thou not see a marvellous Beauty in his countenance dost thou not perceive some smiles in his Face some Smiles upon thy Soul Dost thou not feel his Spirit sweetly breathing upon thine heart perswading thee and giving thee a sweet sense of Christ's peculiar Love unto thee Dost thou not perceive some inward knocking 's at the door of thine heart and hear some inward callings Open to me and I will come in and sup with thee This is the Voice of thy Beloved make haste and open to him open all the Faculties of thy Soul lift up the Everlasting Gates to this King of Glory send forth the Handmaids of thy Desires to invite the Lord in let thy Faith take hold on him and usher him into thy Soul and then embrace him in
you have never seen look much upon his Picture and Image in the Scriptures The Scriptures are Christs Love letters In the second and third Chapters of Revelations Christ doth send Seven Epistles to the Seven Asian Churches there are many Epistles and Love-letters as it were in the Scriptures especially in the New Testament wherein Christ doth give most kind expressions of most endeared Love unto his People Read much and study Christ's Love letters especially those parts of the Scriptures wherein Christ doth express most of his kindness and love See how kindly Christ doth express himself Ioh. 14. v. 1 2 3 13 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 27. Chap. 1â— v. 9. 13 14 15 16. Chap. 16. v. 7. 22 24 26 27. 33. Chap. 17. v. 9 10 11 15 20 21 22 23 24. Chap. 20. v. 17. Read often and consider such places Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in you and his will feed and maintain your love to Christ this is a means to have Christ dwell in your hearts not onely by Faith but also by most endeared Love 3. Would you have much Love to Christ be much in Prayer unto God for this Love Eph. 6. 23. Peace be unto the Brethren and love with Faith from God the Father Not onely Peace is from God who is called the God of Peace and Faith from God who works it by his Almighty power but alos Love is from God who is the God of Love he circumciseth the heart to love himself and to love his Son This love of Christ is a Grace of the Spirit which God doth freely give and powerfully work the Beginnings of it the Increase of it all the Measures and Degrees of it are from him If you would attain high measures of love to Christ you must apply your selves unto God in Prayter and therein diligently seek to him for it If you would have much love to Christ in your hearts you must be often at the Throne of Grace upon your Knees and there humbly acknowledge if not the want yet the weakness of your love to Christ bewail your Sins which do damp your Affections and earnestly request that he would work your hearts unto a strong love be importunate in Prayer for this follow God day by day with the same requests plead with him for it fill your mouths with Arguments and fill your Arguments with Faith and â—ervent Desires Tell him whatever lovelinesse and love there be in Christ whatever attractives to draw forth your love yet of your selves you are utterly unable to put forth the least motion of true affection unto Christ. Tell him that this love to Christ though it be your Duty yet it is his Gift that you ought to act it but this you cannot do unless he works it Tell him how easily he can enkindle this Fire of Love to Christ in your bosoms and blow it up into a flame Tell him he hath bid you to ask and you shall have and whatever you ask according to his will he heareth and that it is his will you should love Christ not onely truely but also strongly Tell him you desire much love to Christ and that these desires do come from himself and therefore earnestly desire the fulfilling of them Tell him if you do not love Christ much you shall be apt to over-love the Creature which will be displeasing to him therefore request that you may have such a love to Christ as may overpower all other love and keep your hearts from all Inordinacy of affections to any thing beneath and besides the Lord Jesus Christ. Plead how much it will be for his Glory that you should have much love unto Christ that hereby you shall be enabled to honour him the more in the world Plead how much it will be for your good tell him if you asked Corn and Wine and Oyl if you asked Wealth and Honours and Creature-delights in abundance they might be a snare to you and for your hurt but a strong love to Christ is needfull and usefull and be sure will be for your good urge his Promise of Circumcising the heart to love him and plead his Faithfulness and if you be thus importunate in Prayer for much love to Christ and will not be denyed you shall not be denyed 4. Would you have much Love to Christ get much Faith Faith worketh Love both to the Father and to the Son According to the measure of your Faith so will the measure of your Love be Such as are without any Faith are without any Love such as have but a â—eeble faith have but a weak love and such as have the strongest faith have the strongest love The strongest faith giveth the clearest discovery of Christs infinite Excellencies and Perfections It is not the eye of Sense which doth discern Christ neither is it the eye of Reason which doth discern him whatever discoveries we have of Christ it is by Revelation and this is discernable onely by Faith Faith is the Evidence of things not seen and the unseen Christ is evident by Faith to be the most excellent Person and the most sutable Object of love and the more evident the Object of love is the stronger will the love be Moreover Faith is not onely the Eye of the Soul to discern Christ but also the Hand of the Soul not onely to take hold on him but also to receive from him of his Fulness Grace for Grace and by consequence more of this Grace of love to him Our Communion with Christ is by Faith the more intimate acquaintance and fellowship we have with those whom we love the more endeared will be our love the strongest Faith brings us unto the greatest intimacy fellowship and familiarity with Christ and therefore it is a means of the strongest Love Endeavour then to get a strong Faith and to live daily in the powerfull exercise thereof the more you live by Faith the more you will dwell in the Love of Christ. 5. Would you have much Love unto Christ labour for much of the Spirit labour for much of the Light of the Spirit There must be not onely the Glass of the Scriptures and the Eye of Faith but also the Light of the Spirit that you may have a clear discerning of this lovely Lord Jesus Labour for much of the Operation of the Spirit the Spirit is like Wind to blow up the Sparks of Love in your hearts into a flame Labour for the inhabitation of the Spirit and that the Promise may be made good to you which Christ giveth to his Disciples Ioh. 14. 16 17. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you 6. Would you have much Love unto Christ labour for clear Evidences of his Love unto you the
fields are clothed with grass in the Spring or enriched with corn in the summer If you have seen the most pleasant Brooks and Streams and Fountains of water the most stately Groves with losty and broad shadowing Trees the most flourishing Orchards most richly laden with variety of the most delicious fruit the most delightfull Gardens with variety of the choisest Flowers casting forth the most fragrant smell If you have seen all sorts of Birds and fowls in the Air All sorts of Beasts on the Earth All sorts of fish in the Sea If you have seen the most goodly men that ever were born the fairest women with the most sparkling beauty What is the sight of all these things and the most lovely objects that ever were visible to the eye of the body the sight of all is but mean and contemptible and not worthy to be named in comparison with the sight of the Lord Jesus by the eye of the Soul Whatever beauty and loveliness there is to be found in any or in all visible Creatures there is infinitely more beauty and loveliness in Jesus Christ all visible beauty is but a shadow in Christ there is substantial beauty all visible beauty is fading like the flower that soon withereth like the leaf that soon fadeth but in Christ there is permanent beauty all visible beauty is inferiour and mean yea deformity compared with Christ's transcendent loveliness There is no discovery to the eye of the mind comparable to the discovery of Christ unto the eye of Faith the light of Nature in the greatest improvement of it is but a weak and dim light in comparison with the spiritual light of the knowledge of Christ no light so clear and bright no light so pure and sweet as that which makes discovery of the Lord Jesus unto the Soul This discovery of Christ doth dispel clouds from the Mind and exhale lusts from the Heart it doth brighten the understanding and cleanse the Affections it doth warm the Heart with love and fill the Heart with comfort it quiets the Conscience and purifies it it gives a most sweet peace and tranquillity to the spirit and withall brings in such spiritual joy as is unspeakable and full of Glory O how then should you admire the Riches of the Grace and Kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ unto you that he should give unto you this discovery of himself when the discovery is so admirable so excellent so desirable so useful and which doth list you up into a far higher degree of excellency than the otherwise most accomplisht persons in the world that are without this discovery 3dly To conclude If you have these manifestations of Christ and his love unto you labor to retain these manifestations In a word take heed of indulging your selves in any sins which may provoke him to depart from you and withdraw the sweet and comfortable influences of his Spirit and be diligent in the use of all means and ordinances publick private and secret whereby you may maintain daily Communion and Fellowship with him FINIS Books Printed for and sold by Samuel Sâ—int at the Bell in Little Brittain THe vanity of Mans Present state proved and applyed in a Sermon on Psal. 39. 5. with divers Sermons of the Saints Communion with God and safety under his protection in order to their future Glory on Psal. 73. 23 24 25 26 By the late painful Minister of the Word Mr. Iohn Wilson A Treatise concerning the Lords Supper with Three Dialogues for the more full information of the weak in the Nature and Use of this Sacrament by Thomas Dolittle from 1 Cor. 11. 24. This do in Remembrance of me the ninth Edition Time and the end of Time in two Discourses The first about the Redemption of Time the second about consideration of our latâ—r end by Iohn Fox Godly Fear or the Nature and Necessity of Fear and its usefullneâ—â—â— both to the driving Sinners to Christ and to the provoking Christians on in a Godly Life through the several parts and Duties of it till they come to Blessedness Heb. 12. 20. Let us have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly Fear The Door of Heaven opened and shut opened to the Ready and Prepared shut against the unready and unprepared or Discourse concerning the absolute necessity of a timely Preparation for a happy Eternity by Iohn Fox Minister of the Gospel and Author of the Discourse concerning Time and the end of Time