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
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
much forgiven have not your sins been very numerous and very heinous and hath Christ obtained the pardon of them all and will not you love Christ much 4. You have the Robes of Righteousness from Christ you are born naked of Original Righteousness and you could not work out any actual Righteousness for your selves that might cover your nakedness whatever you wrought your selves it was rags that could not cover you and it was filthy rags which did pollute and defile you Christ hath given you the Robes of his perfect Righteousness to cover and adorn you withall and therein you are accepted as perfectly Righteous in the sight of God O how should we love the Lord Jesus for this Garment if your Bodies were naked and one should give you clothes to cover you especially if they were rich clothes you would love such a person and will you not love the Lord Jesus Christ who hath given you a garment to cover your Souls and that a very rich one even the Robes of his most pure and unspotted Righteousness which by Faith is put upon you 5. You have peace of Conscience from Christ. This is that peace which the Scripture telleth us passeth all understanding Phil. 4. 7. It passeth all understanding to know the worth of it such as have this peace would not leave it upon any account they would part with Estate or Liberty or Life rather than part with their peace and those which have it noâ— but now do slight and neglect it yet if they be awakened by the sides of the Grave and when they are come to the confines of Eternity then they would value this peace and would give all the world were it at their dispose for it Thâ—â— Jewel of peace you have from Jesus Christ he hath purchased it for you the chastisement of your peace was upon him and he hath promised and bequeathed it in his last will and Testament unto you Iohn 14. 27. My Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you In his reconciling you unto God he hath laid a Foundation for this peace in all you that are true believers and if he have moreover spoken peace to you in giving you well grounded evidences of your Reconciliation if after raising a Storm he hath sent a calm into your Spirits and given a sweet fâ—renity unto you in the testimony of his Spirit to and with your Spirits that your peace is made with God O how should this draw sorth your love to Christ 6. You haâ—e the Joyes of the Holy Ghost from Christ. We read of the Thessalonians that they received the Word in much Affliction with Ioy of the Hâ—ly Ghost 1 Thess. 1. 6. Such are â—hose Joys spoken of in the Text which are unspeakable and full of Glory These are not Carnal joys but Spirâ—tual which are of a higher nature and sweeter relish that have a higher object and are the beginnings of Eternal Joys if you have these joys in any measure you have them from Chriâ—â— he sends the Holy Ghost from heaven to be your Comforter to fill your Hearts with Spiritual joys and shall not your hearts then be filâ—ed with love to the Lord Jesus who is the Author of them 7. You have the richeâ— of Grace from Christ if any of you were poor and ready to starve with hunger and cold and a rich man should give or send to you a chest full of Gold and Sâ—lver or a Câ—binet full of Jewels worth many thousand pounds would you not love such a Bâ—nefactor the Lord Jesus hath given you the riches of Grace the least measure of which is really of more worth than the vastest treasures of Gold Silver and precious Stones that ever was gathered together â—nd heaped up by the most wealthy man that ever lived upon the face of the Earth and will you not love Jesus Christ who hath given you these ineâ—timable riches 8. You have the Dignity of Children from Christ 1 Iohn 3. 1. Behold 〈◊〉 manner of Love the Father hath bestowâ—â— upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! this priviledge of Adoption is bestowed upon you not only by the Father but also by the Son Iohn 1. 12. But as many as received him to them gave he Power to be come the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name We read of some raised from the dust and lifted up from the dunghill to sit with Princes Psal. 113. 7 8. It is a far higher advancement to be lifted up from the dâ—ngâ—ill of sin and of slaves to luâ—ts and Children of the Devil to be made the Soâ—s and Daughters of the Lord Almighty This honour have all the Saints and it is Jesus Christ who hath conferred this honour upon you and will not this endear your love to Chriâ—t 8. You have the Spirit of Prayer from Christ being Sons the Spirit of the Son is sent down into your Hearts whereby you are enabled to say Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. through Christ you have access unto God by the Spirit Eph. 2. 18. It is the Spirit of Christ which helpeth your infirmities in Prayer that formeth your Petitions that enableth you to Pray with Faith and Life and Fervour Through Christ you have free Admittance to the Throne of Grace through Christ you have Assiâ—â—ance by his Spirit to Pray in Prayer through Christ you have Audience and Gracious Returns O how are you beholden unto Christ and how should you love him 10. You have a Title to the Kingdome of Heaven from Christ. Through Christ you are Children and through Christ you are Heirs It is Christ that gives the first Fruits of the Heavenly Canaan the earnest of the future Treasure and Inheritance which he hath promised and the foretastes sometimes of those Soul ravishing Pleasures which the Saints shall have in Fulness and to Eternity when they are received up into Glory And it is Christ that hereafter will give Possession unto you of the Kingdome of Heaven At the Day of His Glorious Appearance after he hath owned you before the whole World of Angels and Men and Honoured you to be His Assessors in His Judging and Condemning the Wicked he will receive you with Acclamations of Joy and Triumph into the Glorious Pallace of the New Ierusalâ—m where you shall have the Beatifical Vision and Fruition of the Glorious Iehovah and be made partakers of such Glorious Felicity as hath not now entred into your Hearts to conceive And will not the Consideration of all this set your hearts on fire with love to Christ Christiâ—â—s is there any Person like to Christ's Person is there any love like to Chriâ—â—'s love are there any benefits like to Christs benefitâ— No no he is imcomparable in all methinks then you should by this tâ—me â—eel your love to Christ like Fire to burn within with 〈◊〉 flame or methinks your love to Christ should be like water I mean the waters of the Sanctuary spoken of Ezeâ—
filled with perplexing fears he could conceal himself no longer from them as in Gen. 45. 1. Then Ioseph could not refrain himself before all that stood by him he wept alou◠and said unto his brethren I am Ioseph and ver 4. Ioseph said unto his brethren come near me I am Ioseph your brother whom ye sold into Egypt So Christ may conceal himself for a while from his people whatever love he hath to them and whatever they have to him some unkindnesses they have shewn may be the cause of this hiding but when they are sensible of their fault full of grief and perplexity for their offences his Love will not permit him to hid himself much longer His Love will engage Him to manifest and discover himself and say I am Jesus your Saviour come near me my brethren come near me that you may have a clearer view of me that ye may know me and know that I do love you The Word also of Christ doth engage him manifest Himself unto them that Love Him It is Christs promise here in the Text He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will Love him and will manifest my self unto him Christs word is sure True and faithfull is Christs name the ordinances of the heaven may sooner fail than Christ fail of His Word and Promise Section III. 3. HOw Christ doth manifest Himself unto them that Love him 1. Christ doth here in this world manifest himself but in part and darkly The soul is not now capable of the fullest and clearest Manifestation of Christs This is a happiness reserved for the other world 1. Ioh. 3. 2. Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Ioh. 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me It is Hereafter that Christs Disciples shall be perfectly like unto Christ and shall have a perfect manifestation of Christ that they shall see him as he is It is Hereafter that they shall behold his glory The lustre and brightness of Christs glory is so great that should he now let forth the beams thereof upon them it would dazle and amaze them it would strike them blinde yea it would strike them dead there is need because of their weakness that Christ should keep a veil on his face when he makes discovery of himself they cannot now bear the full patefaction and manifestation of Christ therefore Christ doth discover himself but in part As the Queen of Sheba saith concerning Solomons wisdom and prosperity 1. King 10. 6 7. It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and thy wisdom howbeit I believed not the words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half was not told me thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame thereof It is not the one half which Christs Disciples do now hear or can discern of their masters excellencies It hath not now entred into their hearts to conceive what Beauties and Glories and most admirable perfections there are hid in their Beloved not only Christ's Love but also Christ's Loveliness doth pass their knowledge there are such dimensions of most wonderful Glory in Christ's person as do infinitely transcend the capacity of the most elevated minds fully to comprehend Christ doth manifest himself truly to them that Love him yet it is but partly and that but a little part it is but darkly by the beams of a more obscure light 1 Cor. 13. 9 10 11 12. For we know in part and prophesie in part But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things For now we see thorow a glass darkly but then Face to Face Now I know in part then I shall know as I am known We Ministers 〈…〉 part we can tell you but a little of what there really is in Christ and both we and you know but in part our conceptions of Christs excellencies and our expressions now are childish hereafter there will be a perfect manifestation of Christ and then all imperfections of knowledge will be removed Now you may see Christ but it is through a glass darkly hereafter face to face Indeed it is said 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed c. There is a comparative open discovery of Christ now in Gospel-times over what there was under the Law the veil of Types and Figures which covered and in a great measure hid Christ from the view is now removed our face is now open from that veil but Christs face is not fully open there is glass still between our eye and Christ's face the glass of Ordinances which though it doth help us to see him yet it keeps us from the clearest discovery of him we see but thorow a glass darkly our eyes now need this glass to help our weakness and that we may see what we do see there is a time coming when we shall be above the need and use of the Ordinance-glasses I mean when we shall see Christ face to face and know him in heaven as we are known by him 2. Christ doth now manifest himself gradually unto them that Love him Christ doth not shew at once altogether what he means to discover of himself and of his Love but he doth it by degrees a little at one time and a little at another time a little in this Ordinance and a little in that now he lets down some comfortable beams of the light of his countenance into the soul by and by clouds do arise and obscure this light and darkness is upon the spirit Sometimes Christ opens the curtain and looks upon the soul gives gracious smiles by and by the curtain is drawn and his face is hid now he appears and then he disappears he manifesteth himself at one time withdraws himself at another time and so leads his people on from one discovery of himself unto another until he bringeth them at last unto the full discovery of himself in Glory 3. Christ doth manifest himself most sweetly unto them that Love him especially after long absence When the soul hath been seeking and cannot finde him wandring in the wilderness under amazing fears perplexing doubts doleful despondencies sinking and heart-overwhelming grief after a black night of deep desertion Oh how sweet is the day-spring from on high Oh how comfortable are the bright beams of the morning light when he shineth upon their dark and despised and sorrowful spirits giving them to know assuredly that they are