qui nos ipsos non perfectè cognoscimus non possimus ad plenum scire quid nobis expediat ideò necesse est ut à Deoditigamur protegamur qui omnia novit omnia potest Aqu. sum 2 â— q 109. a. 9. crying Christians when you crie unto God Christ by his Spirit is crying in you and calling out Abba Abba Father Father can you then doubt of being heard when Christ prayes in you whom the Father heares alwayes Secondly Christ in them poures forth their requests to the Father and that by words sutable to his Majesty and their necessity this is called the help of the Spirit by reason of mans infirmity and this help is afforded because we know not what to pray for as we ought 'T is good to have a helper when wee goe into the presence of a great God especially when wee are helplesse for did not the Spirit help who else can give supplie in such a case Or what can be pleasing to God save that which comes from God can any thing lead to God ascend unto him besides that which descended from him surely nothing onely he that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit because that makes intercession according to the will of God Rom. 8.27 God and Christ puts words in his peoples mouthes as is clear from Hos 14.2 Turning to the Lord say these words take away our iniquities remove our sinnes from us receive us graciously be favourable to us so shall wee render to thee the calves of our lips that is we will bee thankfull so Luke 11. from the first to the fift When the Disciples desired Christ to teach them to pray hee puts words into their mouthes saying when yee goe to my God and your God speake thus call him Father the very name prayes for us k Ipsum nomen â—rat pro noâ—is pray him to sanctifie his owne name to let his Kingdome come his Kingdome of grace into the hearts of the gracelesse to let his will be done upon you in you and by you and for manner so an earth as 't is done in heaven viz. willingly chearefully readily with much willingnesse without any the least wearinesse aske for bread for the day all necessaries for the comfortable being of the outward man aske forgivenesse of sinnes for he is blessed to whom the Lord imputes not sinne though hee hath little of the things and necessaries of this life Beg you be not lead into temptation viz. not suffer'd to be tempted or else be kept from falling under the temptation l Jubet orare ne in tentationem dueantur i. e. ne ab câ vincantur Aug. l. de Cor. grat c. 6. and from being overcome of it and that you may bee delivered from all evill of sinne and suffering Yee shall aske what yee will and it shall be done unto you if yee continue in mee and my words abide in you Joh. 15.7 aske and ye shall have Christ names not what shall be given to let us know that gift is above all that can be named m Non dicitur quid dabitur quia donum supra omne nomen Aug. Secondly or without words for prayer is mentall as well as vocall and although a Spirit of son-ship is a Spirit of Prayer and every son of God is a man of prayer yet some sweet soules as deare to Christ as others cannot sometimes by reason of some distempers and distractions of body and mind I say they cannot utter their minds by words at the Throne of grace Rom. 8.26 Now Christ by his Spirit helps n Est metaphora ab onerious sumpâ—a quae utrinque admotis manibus sublevantur Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Luk. 10.40 The Greek worâ—â—'s a decompound and there 's great force in it these sometimes even to sigh out their wants and sorrowes before him and obtaine o sometimes to groane out their desires unto him sometimes by weeping shedding teares which have a secret language and voyce in the eares of the Lord of rests Psal 6.8 Thou hast heard the voyce of my weeping and Christ himselfe hath wept for some * ChristuÌ„ flevisse legimus rifisse nunquam Salvian l. 6. Cum Spiritus hominis suspiâ—or Spiritus Dei aspirat Cyprian Matth. 6. sometimes the heart 's so full of sorrow so sad and heavie that nothing can bee said or done then even then the Spirit helps and all through love Christ ha's promised his beloved friends corporall succours every morsell a Saint receives hee hath it in way of a promise The Lord feedes others too but 't is onely so as he doth the beasts of the field in an ordinary way of providence wicked men may have much and yet inherit nothing because they possese not God in their injoyments injoy not him in conjunction and connection with the Creatures Take no thought saith Christ what ye shall eate or what yee shall drinke or wherewithall yee shall be cloathed It 's enough for a Gentile a Heathen a stranger to God and Christ to bee cuttingly carefull for these things that hath ne'r a heavenly Father to provide for him Doth your heavenly Father feed the fowles of the Heavens and shall hee not much more feed you Doth he cloath the Lillies of the field better than Solomon in all his glory and cloath the grasse of the field * Wicked men are like the grasse of the field with their gloria brevis whose end 's to be burn'd which remaines but for a time and shall hee not cloath thee who shalt live for ever abide for ever these are some of Christ's comfortable love discovering words And many other such like there be which for number are as the Starres of the Firmament that cannot be told 'T is said that one Crane a precious Christian though of meane estate in outward things being about to die and it being demanded by his friends what should become of his children hee answered thus God that provided for the Ravens will also certainly provide for the young Cranes and according to the good mans faith so it was that all his children were well provided for in this evill world Psal 34.9 There is no want to them that feare him that is of what is good for them and to misse an evill thing is no injurie to them If the Lord of his goodnesse doth foresee that riches will be a snare to one or other his sonnes of love and therefore withholds them from them what doth that child want save something which if hee had 't would make him more wanting in better things Some have much of the world and this hath been the fruit of it the cares of getting and keeping together with the feares of loosing the things of this life 'tas almost drunke up all that delight Joy and content they should and might have had in a spirituall God Christ and spirituall things If any man loves this world the love of the Father
soules to cleanse and sanctifie them to his own and his Fathers use p. 115. 4. Christ loves to save the soule harmlesse preserve and keepe it alive Satan loves to destroy but Christ loves to save page 116 117 Christs affection to his calling for action from them for him Ibid. 1. He 's active for you prayes for you pleads for you at the Throne of grace night and day against the accuser of the Brethren page 118. 2. Satans vassalls are active for him and 't is a most abhominable thing and not to be paralell'd that children of darknesse should doe more for their Father then do children of light for theirs Ibid. PART 2. CHAP. 1. CHrist-like affections working toward Christ page 1. The rise of this 1. Divine love is active and it acts towards Christ for fulnesse p. 2. 2. Christ is the Center to divine Love and arising aloft in him it ha's rest and the soule it selfe is then a serene Spirit page 3. 3. Every thing hath its end and moves towards that love has its end too thitherward it moves Grace has no other end but God glory Love is a grace and a great one full of heavenly motion page 4. 4. Divine Love is the Divine nature and cannot be confin'd in man who is but an heape of earth 't will break forth upward till it become Glory page 5. 5. Best intelects covet best objects Christians have the best intelects therefore they love Christ page 6. Christ how the best object of Love Divine made plaine in three particulars 6. Divine Love goes out workes towards Christ by a Divine instinct it ascends upward for it can doe no other page 8. 7. A spirituall soule is righteous seeth 't is a righteous thing to love Christ see 's some must love Christ shee knowes none has more cause then shee Ibid. 8 A divine soule is reasonable seeth 't is but reasonable to love him who loved her when shee had nothing in her worthy of love page 9. CHAP. 2. CHristians shewing love to Christ and how in twelve remarkable things page 9 c. CHAP. 3. LOvers of Christ how known 1. Such as love Christ see a motive in Christ to stir up love it being the emminencie of an object that ottracts love page 29. 2. A soul that loves Christ thirsts after his presence has never enough of his communion with her p. 30 31. 3. One that loves Christ feares to disprease him true Lovers are loth to offend those they prize and love page 33. 4 True love is of the person of Christ were he without portion or priviledges A Christ under shame as well as Glory a Christ abas'd as well as exalted page 33 34. 5. One that loves Christ would fain he doe like Christ p. 35 36. 6. They love Christs friends as the object of his delight p. 37 38. CHAP 4. THe passage of Divine Love as it works towards Christ may be obstructed and how cleared in six particulars page 39 c. CHAP. 5. CHrist keeping love alive in cbristians and how shewed in many particulars page 50 c. Incentives to love Christ what in ten particulars handled at large page 59 c. PART 3. CHAP. 1. VVHat things agree to make up a right sigt naturall p. 3. Visions of Heaven glorious and why Ibid. They have in them God a glorious object Christ a glorious medium and a light super-sensuall supernaturall and glorious too page 4 c. Right sight of Christ what 1. To see him as he is p. 11 12 13. 2. Right sight of Christ is experimentall page 14. The good arising from such a sight of Christ what express'd in four particulars page 4 c. The evill of the contrary not to see Christ ezperimentally clear'd by four things also page 18 c. 3. Right sight of Christ is to see Christ as a man is seene of Christ p. 21. How a Christian is seene of Christ in two particulars Ib. A perswasion to looke up to Jesus and why p. 23. Incentives to that glorious work what 1. All heires of everlasting life long'd to see Christ before their death and had their desires page 24. The language of a Christ-less man or woman at the Judgement-day what page 25. 2. Mans necessity calls for this hee must minde a Jesus see him by faith for he wants him and there is not another page 26. 3. A right sight of Christ gives a right sight of selfe and selfes estate it being most certain that men never see themselves so well as when they most see Jesus Christ page 28. Sight of Christ what sight of selfe it gives In him we may see what we have been are shall be page 29 c. 4. All right sight of Christ has in 't a sustaining nature a heart-relieving vertue a soule-reviving ability things of Heaven being all supporting much more Christ himselfe page 34. 5. 'T will encrease inward joy a joy of heart which excells the joy of harvest page 37 c. 6. 'T will strengthen patience under the crosse and chstaizement for Christ page 40 41 42. CHAP. 2. THe likenesse betwixt the 1. and 2d. or the naturall and spiritual birth what in eight particulars page 43 c. Four reasons why men should esteem it a greater priviledge to bee borne twice then to be borne but once page 56 57 58 59. How God brings in and brings up returning sinners 1. He principles them 2. Acts them 3. builds them 4. Constrmes them page 60. How God principles those bee will save Ibid. Christ's act by which he drawes out those principles what 1. Illumination page 61. What work light makes in a darke Soule Ibid c. 2. Humiliation page 63. How Christ humbles men kindly page 64 65. To what end Christ humbles layes low chosen vessels page 66. How Christ builds Christians 1. by keeping them and all their graces in continuall action p. 74. 2. By infusing strength suitable to opposition page 75. What Christ in building helps his people to live above whilst they live in the body 1. Above corruption 2. Above temptations 3. Above gracious evidences 4. Above glorious manifestations of his Fathers love how page 79. c. Christ confirms his how p. 87. The effects of such stability of heart in that respect what page 88. The faith of Saints concerning this what page 90. CHAP. 3. CItizens of heaven are strangers here What it is to be a stranger here 4. particulars of that page 92 c. Whence it is that Christ lets his live so far from home that God so kind a Father puts his children into such an unkind world page 105. 1. To put a difference betwixt Earth and Heaven 2. To glimpse out Glory to a faithlesse people page 107. 3. To save others alive page 108 109. 4. To dispose them for higher things and how page 110 111. 5. That grace might have a being as well as glory page 112. Strangers on Earth how knowne
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR The Yernings of CHRISTS bowels towards his languishing FRIENDS Wherein the sincerity ardency constancy and super-eminent excellency of the love of Jesus Christ as it workes from him towards his Friends is delineated discussed and fitly applyed BY S. M. Minister of the Gospel of God I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live Yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live Behold thy time was the time of Love yea I entered into a Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Ezek. 16.6.8 This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the Church Ephes 5.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isocr Orat. ad Demon. Non requiescit amor in quacunque superficiali adeptione amati sed quaerlt amatum perfectè habere quasi ad intima illius perveniens c. Aqu. 1. 2ae 28. a. 2. LONDON Printed by Matthew Symmons in the yeare 1647. To the Right Honourable Philip Lord Wharton Baron of Wharton Right Honourable VNexpressible unconceivable are those cordiall joyes which proceed from the in-commings of Jesus Christ upon the Soul and her out-goings towards the Messiah againe For is' t not an heaven on earth so to commerce with Christ what but this may bee compar'd to that Heaven above where God gives out himselfe in fullest measures begetting like motions and operations in the glorified Saints What gives the Saints mercies and morsels a right relish save this a Mea non prosunt sine me nec tua prosunâ— sine te Bern. Christs comming in upon as hand in hand with them and making them good to us and can any thing but his absence mar the tast of mercies what shall I say he that hath Christ wants not * Is habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia he that wants Christ inherits not what he seemeth to have What 's good to us without God b Tolle meum et telle Dâ—â— and what can be bad to us when we enjoy him c Quid si sine domo et non sine domino sine veste si non sine fide sine sibo sine lecto et non sine Christo what the Father said of Joy that may I say of the Joy-maker and much more There is so great a sweetness in heavenly joy that if one small drop thereof should fall into Hell it would swallow up all the bitterness of that Tophet d Tanta est dulcedo caelestis gaudij ut si una guttula difflueret in infernum totam a maritudinem inferni absorberet Aug. Christ being had makes bitter things sweet rough things smooth and massie things light Oh! what a Jesus have we do's not the Saints lothnesse to bee rent from him speake out sweetly what an one he is to such as sit under his shade with delight e Qui semel Christi dulce dinem gustaverit deficile ab illo seperari sustinet Bern. Oh the power purity immensity and perenity of his love mercie and goodness how precious a thing is' t to have and to bee had of such a precious Christ Certainely time will discover it 't will be known at the time of his glorious appearance to judg the secrets of closest hearts to be honoured of all that believe Of which number I take the boldnesse to repute your Honour to be in the front among persons of Honour And what do I more then revive the ancient report which hath gone forth concerning your Honour many yeares since f Simulata non diu durant what bad men say it skils not sure I am good men speak you a man of a moderate spirit one who loves truth for the truths sake how you have done do still countenance the godly part of any party I need not tel the World but that which do's most ennoble your Honor and make you most famous is God's speaking out his approbation of you to your own soul for that only is Circumcision which is of the heart he is a right ChristiaÌ„ whose praise is not of men only but of God Sir I humbly present you with this small Treatise why should I doubt of your favourable acceptance in whose noble breast such wisedom ingenuity is found Let him doubt that lists for I will not the book is your honors such as it is if men mestake not it discovers hidden secret passages and proceedings betwixt Christ the Soul what 's more reviving to a spirituall person In a word this is but a small acknowledgement of your Honours worth yet future opportunities may cause to abound goe on in wel-doing noble Patriot and prosper reconcile the differences of Saints doe justice love mercy walk humbly with God you may doe much good by your good example For as the Father spake an Excellent Lord is better then an excellent Law Thus shal you live so as that you need not feare to die and propagate Gods glory with your own name fame to future generations Now that it may be the lot of your honorable self with your noble Consort and all your Posterity to prize Christ live in him be saved by him stated in everlasting glory with him shall be the desire prayer of him who is Your Honours humbly devoted to serve you in the things of Christ SAM MOORE TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THE great and glorious GOD whom we adore Thom 1â— parte q. 20. Artic 4. is love and what is best he loves most His love is great to his worke his people his truth but unto CHRIST it 's above all yea above the whole universe Raynerij Pantheolog Tom 1º p. 129. The greater any Good is the greater 't is belove'd The more neare acceptable like excellent lasting perfect any good is by so much it 's the greater The LORD CHRIST in all these he 's the nearest to God his humane nature is united to the divine Iohn 1.14 Mar. 16.19 Ephes 1.20 21 hee sits at the right hand of Majestie in glory his acceptablenesse was emphatically twice witnessed from Heaven Matth. 3.17.17 ch 5. Iohn 16.23 Ephes 1.6 This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased and it s for his sake that wee are accepted As for likeness the foundation strength of love for wheresoever's the greatest likenesse Hebr. 1.3 there 's the greatest love Hee is the expresse Image of the Father and his glory doth fully resemble the Fathers glory for excellencie Iohn 1.14 it 's his transcendently hee 's the chiefest among tenne thousand Câ—â— 10. Iohn 1.14 the only begotten Hebr. 1.6 Angels must adore him and all men must give him equall honour with the Father Iohn 5.23 Hee 's the most excellent and lasting good without any seede of corruption Acts 2.31 Esa 9.6 the everlasting Father Hebr. 13.8 The same for ever full of all perfections all the treasures of wisdome and knowledg were in him hee had all
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nocumenta Documenta Schola cruis Schola lucis Detrimenta corpotum incrementa virtutum Greg. Iam. 1.17 and hee will not suffer his faithfulnesse to faile towards them Psal 99.32 23. Christ can scourge his friends for and from their sinnes as well as for the exercise of their graces and yet love them dearly constantly and ardently In him is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning Not so much as a shadow colour of alteration or mutation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will in no wise cast you out Joh. 6.37 and he that escapes the Lords affliction may suspect his owne adoption 1 Qui excipiturd munero flagellatorum excipitur à numero filiorum Trees are rooted the more firmely by shaking m Deus unicum habet filium sine peccato nullum sine flagello The Persian Kings shunned familiarity with their Subjects and were seldome seene that they might be the more honoured n Persona Regis sub specie Majestatis occulitur Iust l. 1. so Christ serv's Christiās 1. 'T is not length of time that can worke or occasion an alteration in his love It 's everlasting I have loved thee with an everlasting love Hos 2.19 Jer. 31.3 Behold I will betroth thee unto me for ever Wee may through tract and length of time forget and be forgotten As Joseph forgot his Brethren and was forgotten of them Length of time may either wholly weare out out affections or else coole and lessen their heat and strength towards our familiars But Christ's love tak's not cold is not cooled towards his 't is alwayes firme free full fervent Heb. 13.5 Hee hath said I will ne'r leave thee nor forsake thee The words are emphaticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a duplication of the subject of the Promise I will not leave I will not forsake and a multiplication of Negatives o Est negationis conduplicatio ut fit vehementior pollicitatio Estius in locum there are five negatives in the promise by which he intimates he will not yea he will not surely he will not forsake his servants he will never totally reject them he will not utterly forsake them I will not leave you comfortlesse or as Orphanes as children without parents p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non descrit etiamsi dese rere videatur non deserit etiamsi deserat Austin Nam non dicessit Deus quando recessit Secondly no distance of place were it never so great yea although 't were as great as that which is betwixt the lowest earth and highest heaven yet cannot this part Christ and Christians or impare the strength of his affections towards them worke the least alteration in his love yea even now although his glorious Majesty possesseth the heavens yet his heart is where 't was 't is towards his Saints on earth You blessed babes and friends of Christ your head in the heavens prayes for you pleads for you takes notice of you and all your sufferings he 's in Heaven enter'd before you but 't is to make way for you fit a place for you and preserve your roomes till you come assure your selves he cannot forget you doe not you forget him Thirdly nor can strength of deformity worke a change in his love he can love Job on the dunghill with his filthy carcase Jerymiah in the d'ungeon with his rotten ragges q Anima quae nunc pannoso vestitu servili habitu tegi putatur in regno Coelorum Regina nobilis Regi astans reperitur Basil l. de vera Virg. Lazarus whil'st begging with his running sores Jonah in the Whale's belly though his head 's bound up with weeds Abel tumbling in his own bloud Paul and Silas in the stocks with contemptible chaines as he is no respecter of persons so neither is hee a respecter of conditions hee ne'r withholds his affection from his people in affliction CHAP. III. Of the degrees or rather the immensities of of Christ's unsearchable love INfinitnesse ha's no demensities by finite considerations Christ's love is of an infinite nature There 's a measure in every thing sait's our Proverb but Christ's love out-vies the worlds Proverb 't is without me asure ha's no measure in it It 's nothing above Geometrie that 's an Art that may teach to measure the earth but the Heavens are not so farre from the Earth as the degrees of Christ's love are above all Arts and parts of men Can you measure him who ha's measur'd the waters in the hollow of his hand Isaiah 40.12 and meeted out Heaven with a span Christ's love's immense knowing Christians can tell you so and that no mortall can describe its measure we 'l illustrate its greatnesse a little as the earthlinesse of the instrument will permit and leave the rest to be revealed in Heaven to all heavenly minds THe degrees of love as well as the truth strength force and ardencie thereof are as the relation is in which it acts which may be shadowed out thus First Christ loves more then friends there may be a knitting of soules among friends as in Jonathan and David but did you ever heare of a knitting of natures 1 Sam. 18.1 vide 2 Sam 1.26 friends of Christ Christ hath knit your natures to his you are one nature as well as one flesh are you glad on 't can the two natures of two friends be united in one person Christ hath don 't this is the mystery of perfect love The Law commands love thy neighbour as thy selfe but extends no farther but Christ hath done a great deale more marke beleeving soule Christ's love to thee hath excell'd the love of friends For Christ lov'd thee not onely as himselfe as his Father commanded but also more then himselfe as his love constrain'd Hath hee not given his owne life to save thine was not his soule wearie to the death to refresh thine under the powers of that death which is death indeed 't is the second death I meane to which the first is but a shadow Hee was as a sheep led to the slaughter to free his sheep from such shambles I lay downe my life for my sheep that 's the heavenly voice doe you heare it you sheep of Christ Joh. 10.15 Can Paul crie up some that would for his good have pull'd out their right eyes so well they lov'd him oh sanctified soules you have greater cause to crie up Christ for hee would and did draw out both his eyes yea his precious soule to doe you good both now and in your latter end also so well be lov'd you and he is the same hee was you blessed babes of Christ Secondly Friends may peradventure die for friends and that 's the greatest love that man can shew Joh. 15.13 but Christ's love is more he died for foes r Non existentes immo resistentes Ber. sup Cant. ser 20. Rom. 5.8 Christ can bleed freely to make a resisting rebell live sweetly the life
seeme to shew some love to themselves but doe no more then grope after true blisse Some seeke to be and doe well in their latter end but 't is but as the Sodomites grop'd for Lots doore in the darke Reach after it they doe but 't is onely ignorantly as some worship they know not what so some seeke they know not what others seeke they know not where vitam beatam quaerunt in regione mortis They seeke Heaven in Hell Is est homo calamitatis fabula insoe-Ncitatis tabula the living among the dead a living Christ in wayes of death Is this to love thy selfe The Lord bee good to such a soule Christ loves thee more then thou lovest thy selfe for his care is more for thy soule then is thine owne Thou canst let slip away precious opportunities of soule refreshing rarities and ne're observe the emptinesse of all seene things but Christ watcheth alwayes ne'r slumbreth ne'r sleepeth waites that hee may be gracious to thy gracelesse selfe Oh sinner what 's the frame of thy heart when thou ponder'st these things Did'st thou ever heare of such a friend that could over-love thy selfe in thee seeke things for thy owne peace like to Christ Is not this love of the highest degree do's not this speake him an inlarging good when thou art straitning thine owne bowells against and towards thy selfe in the things of thine owne welfare Fifthly Christ loves more then a soule For first a soule may leave her bodie in the dust but cannot raise 't up againe but Christ will raise his body though buried in bottomes of greatest depth Secondly the soule quickens with a borrowed life but Christ quickens with his own life Christ loves his owne bodie more then the soule can love her owne body Two things shew the soule 's strength of love to her owne body 1. Feare of death 2. Loathnesse to die For the first men tremble to thinke of that separation which is then made betwixt soule and body it 's as he calls it a terrible separation f Horrendum divortium Bern. sup Cant. ser 26. not onely of the dead from the living but also of the dead from it selfe a separation of the dead body from its owne soule which is it selfe Timore casto autem timeat homo separationem à Deo Bern. Secondly loathnesse to dye the soule shrink's at the bodies dissolution and they each of them grieve to part with each other Is there not in them who shall live for ever a loathnesse to die which loathnesse arising neither from a desire of possessing present pleasures nor from a feare of suffering future torments in hell fire must needs spring from this root the love that is betwixt soule and body Hylarion when he was about to die spake to his soule thus Goe out my soule goe out what fearest thou what doubtest thou g Egredere anima mea Egredere quid times quid dubitas Hierom. in vita Hillarion discovering that his soule was loath to leave her earthly home loath to goe to her heavenly Father the onely Father of Spirits oh the love it selfe of none but of such an one who is love its selfe * D. Wals ser lise death of Christ 1 Joh. 4.8 God is love Christ's and Christians union is greater then that of soule and body thus 1. The soule is truly and properly said to be in the body but the body cannot truly and properly be said to be in the soule for 't is impossible h Ultra posse non est esse But Christ is said to be in his and they are said to be in him 2. There is a greater union between the one then is between the other i Caput corpus unus est Christus Aust and therefore the greater love for the more the unitie is the more is the amity Sixthly Christ loves man more then man loves God though you take in the best of men within the limits of this conclusion Abraham may give a Sonne an onely sonne k Sint in hoc parenti triplicata supplicia silius charissimus quem diligis Orig. in locum Fulmen non minus terribile Abrahamo quam si jubetur cor sibi cruere immo secum universo mundo in Infernum praecipitare Paraeus in Gen. 22. a sonne he lou'd to the Lord his God in love through many straits and yet not be so much in love with God as he 's in love with him a man may give his owne life selfe and soule to Jesus Christ and yet not love as he 's belov'd For first love in this life is little and can you think its acts are so great Nothing acts beyond the compasse of its owne abilities Secondly wee are the Lords debtors our lives are his by right but Christ is debtor to none he paid many debts of many thousands but ow'd not a mite to any l Promittendo se fecit debitorem Aug. 3. Christ's love to us is greater then ours to him for 'tas a greater fruit his love makes lovely but ours addes nothing to his beauty wee may get by him but what gaines he by us can we augment his glory that were to help the Sunne to shine whose glory needs no increase Deare friends tell mee what thoughts have you of Christ's love and what worke doth it make on your spirits can you at last admire the height depth length and breadth of such a grace in such a person as Christ is you see friends of Christ all these lovers have done worthily Prov. 31.29 and yet as Solomon saith of the vertuous woman many daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all so may I say of Christ and much more many lovers have done worthily but thou excellest them all CHAP. IV. Of the Discoveries and manifestations of Christs love SOme things have a greater shew than substance but the things of Christ are no such things Some men have got an Art to seeme what they are not these doe like themselves not like Christ for Christ cannot doe so He 's as good as he seemes but cannot seeme the halfe of that he is in himselfe and unto his while they live in this inferiour world Some want Bowells or else shut up those they have in time of others need but Christ abounds with Bowells and they are alwayes open never shut against his chosen Hence is that multiplication of that mercifull word Hosea 11.8 How shall I give thee up how shall I deliver thee how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim and the Lord gives you the reason of this his arguing within himselfe his heart was turned his repentings were kindled set on fire within his bless'ed brest Christ's love and the discoverie on 't doe passe th' apprehension of mortall weights but unto you who must put on immortality bee it shadowed out thus DIscoveries of love are either verball or actuall and practicall Christ discovers
is not in him Some like the bird that is fastned to a stone would be on the wing on high towards Heaven but when they attempt to ascend they are drawne back and held downe with a stone in the heart and another in the hand God hath given some their hearts desire but hath sent leanenesse into their soules and what profit was there in that had it no been better to have wanted those things which fat the carcasse and starve the soule which is the most precious Jewell we have in this world It is one mystery in Godlinesse to have nothing and yet lack nothing A Christian may have nothing and yet lack nothing Luke 22.35 When I sent you without purse scrip and shooes lacked you any thing and they said nothing Divine Providence makes up outward wants another way The Martyr had noe food and yet he lacked none for as hee had no meat so he had no stomack and all the Apostles wants and sorrowes were but an as it were so 2 Cor. 6.9.10 but as it were dying and yet living as sorrowfull yet alwayes rejoycing as poore yet rich and making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things Christ was their all as it were what it was not for when a Christian possesseth God he injoyes all and what wants hee surely there is none who live in God and his Christ but shall be kept alive in this world and if they be not 't is no great matter for this is not their Countrie they will never be well and at hearts ease till they be at their heavenly home Christ promiseth health also and protection to his in mercy Prov. 7 8. c. 4.22 Luke 21.18 all the haires of your head are numbr'd p Si sic custodiuntur superflua tua in quanta securitate est anima tua Aug. Sed sicut Capillus de capite sic nec momentum pâ—ribit de tempore Bâ—â—â— If that sicknesse and infringement doe surprize thee yet is it any more but an exchange of mercies God shuts out Moses from an earthly Canaan which was an affliction to him but then gives him a heavenly one for it q â—n Câ—â—is repâ—sita est major compâ—nsatio Calvin one mercy for another did we not sometimes meet with changes wee should like Jeshurom wax fat and forget the Lord. Afflictions sicknesses and weaknesses with wants and exigencies are as needfull and as good for some as their ordinary food Yea if they were not good in themselves as there is an evill of punishment as well as sinne yet God makes them good to some they were good to David Psal 119.1 They give us a true taste of the bitternesse that is in the tree of evill for we in nothing doe more taste and sensibly perceive the sinfulnesse of sinne than in suffering Hence that Oh the wormwood and the gall my soule hath them still in remembrance and is humbled within me Lam. 3.19.20 Here was the taste of sinne in the suffering r Civitatis evertio est morum non murotum casus Aug. It brings to mind our sin as in the case of Pharaohs Butler Secondly it is a mercy in that it drives us to the God of mercie And meanes of escape from sinne and miscrie In their afflictions the 'l seeke me early Å¿ Num tibi cum fauces urit sitis aurea quaeris pocula Hor. ser l. 1. Sat. 2. saith the Lord. Many persons are carelesly remisse in walking with God and calling on God can keep from him for dayes together succession of dayes one after another sometimes moneths and scarce speake a word to God Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Doe we not take it ill if wee meet a friend as wee walke the streets morning and evening if our friend gives not the salutation of a good morrow or a good even Doe we not say he is proud and stiffe or carelesse and regards not his neighbour what suppose yee will God thinke then of some that serve him worse Is it not pride that makes thee passe by him not give him a word and but seldome a thought Is it not pride that estrangeth thee from God yea it is and it will estrange God from thee he knowes the proud afarre off Is not the whole fabrick of mans body made upright set upward when other creatures are made to looke downeward and all to signifie that hee should mind God Heaven and highest things t Os homini sublimi dedit Coelumquè videre jussit erectos ad fidera tollere vultus Ovid. Metamor l. 1. sab 1. Ah Lord What will the end of these things be will not the end be bitter Secondly Christ's love is practicall and is discovered 1. In his doing for them 2. In his suffering for them 3. In his suffering with them First he serv's them wonder therefore yee Celestiall soules he that is Lord of all is a servant to all who are of the election of grace Matth. 20.28 The sonne of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister Now what thinke you did subdue this conquering King of Saints make him serve was it not love great love free love he tooke on him the forme of a servant not onely of a good servant to obey but also of a bad servant to be beaten u Non solum servi ut subesset sed quasi mali servi ut vapularet Bern. ter quart Heb. poenos He was as if he had been the worst of servants buffeted stripped scourged chastized and pierced led to prison to Judgement and to death and for your sakes hee was beaten and abused w Cibus hominis muravit se inpabulum pecoris homine mutato in pecus Ber. sup Cant. ser Now Christians did he not love you what discoveries of love doe you desire more reall than these The Lord make you such to him as he is to you Secondly in making exchanges with them even best things for worst x In primis de suis meliora contulit in secundis de nostris inferiora suscepit Aug. de tompor ser 9. living quickning grace for dead and sottish nature Spirit for flesh Mercy for miserie Riches for poverty Glory for shame a Crowne for a Crosse Life for death Christians can you tell when you are well all Christ and all Christ's things are yours Are you pleased If not the Lord of hosts is displeas'd you have his help you have his heart he is eternally yours this is love indeed Thirdly in making his services easie to them and that hee do's First by suting and fitting his imployments agreeable to the abilities of his servants his Commandements are not grievous the more grievous then is the breach of them y Quo leviâ—s mandatum eò geaviù peccatum men of this world doe put their servants on doing more then they are able oppressing them which thing must needs make their service irkesome and very unpleasant But
2.14 15. Before this God and his people by election were twaite did disagree and can two walke together except they agree if they could what comfort should a soule have to walk and worke with an Enemie trust himselfe in the hand of an Enemie Now this blessed act of Christ's love hath made God and his people friends hath taken away the wall of partition so that now we may goe boldly and freely to the Throne of grace * Heb. 4.16 through Christ who before durst not see his face Now that there was but one and had not he undertooke it there had been no other 't was greatest love that he in mans distresse would doe it There are two reasons of his fitnesse in this particular respect First he onely could discover how great the breach was that sinne had made Secondly he only could make the atonement being in favour with God the Lords equall Secondly that hee be able to beare the deserts of the offendor onely Christ was able to beare the just demerits of sinne that wrath of a Divine Majesty that was due to sinne Alas humanity cannot stand under the wrath of such Diety a little displeasure of God you see can breake us in pieces beat us to powder Wee cannot tell how to behave our selves under small afflictions a little paine in the head tooth heart bellie back or sides casts us downe when as all the paines and evills of this life are lesse then the least of all our sinnes how much lesse then could humanity stand under the wrath due to every sinne of one person nay to every sin of every person It must be a God as well as a man that was able to doe this This Christ did hee stood under the sinnes of all the elect that ever did or ever shall survive in this inferiour world Thinke of it then was there ever any sorrowes like to his sorrowes * Lam. 1.12 what a burthen bare hee The Church useth the speech to Christ when she was under but small suffering but might not Christ to dampe the Spirit of murmuring under a light Crosse have said so to her and all her children You just ones you see his fitnesse to die for you Thirdly that he be able to satisfie for the offence none else could satisfie Divine Justice and a just Law for sinne ô who then would sinne sith such suffering was required for satisfaction Some men will feare to offend against the civill Law if they perceive that any great satisfaction is required any great mulct inflicted for the breach of the Law Hence murthers rapines buggeries are not so many as they would be because the Law exacts no lesse then life in such a case and pray tell me what 's the life of man to the life of God of Christ it's nothing yet some out of naturall tendernesse will weep for the death of a man and that in great measure but have not one teare for Christ thinke not of him are every day striving as much as in them lies to crucifie the Lord of Glory afresh and put him to open shame by their sinnes If it be not so what meaneth the breaking out of your piercing sinnes flinty hearts ô foolish and unkind will yee thus requite the Lord and the love of Christ Fourthly that hee be without sinne he that is a sinner can but die for his owne sinne as in the case of two malefactors the suffering of the one cannot acquit the other because they are both under one and the same condemnation Christ was thus afflicted for your sakes Silver and gold was not the price of our soules corruptible thing 's were invalid to this purpose 't was precious bloud * 1 Pet. 1.18 not of a sinner but of one that saves from sinne a Lamh of God without blemish spotlesse * ver 19. Fifthly that he personate the party offending so as that the same perfection of nature may fall for sinne which fell in and by sinne Christ was the common person personating as a second Adam the first Adam and all his posterity offering the same nature for sinne which fell by sinne from the patterne of perfection God himselfe By man came death and by man came the resurrection from the dead * 1 Cor. 15.21 man for man person for person nature for nature name for name * ver 45. Sixthly that the satisfaction be eqivolent to the indemnitie suffered and sustain'd God suffered by the losse of his Image in man so as that nothing except the like in value to what was lost is of equall value in the Lords esteeme Thus did Christ and much more for the Elect he gave to his Father a more refined and better accomplished nature then Adam lost for Adam was left mutable and so he might either stand or fall But Christ hath so ordered the matter for Christians as that that part of the Divine nature which they have is uncapable of any such mutation g Qui operatur ut accedamus operatur ne discedamus Aug. de bon persev c. 7. Phil. 1.6 sooner may the Heavens bow downe to the earth and the earth it selfe ascend to the Heavens darknesse it selfe be made as the Light then that grace can cease to be grace till it becomes glory Satisfaction must be plenary First to put a glory upon Justice the Justice of him who exacts the reparation and that for the setting forth 1. The austerity of Justice 2. The impartiality of it First thus it pleased the Father to bruise Christ for sinners to set forth the austerity of his Justice in this particular whereas he would not be content with a slight satisfaction or payment God will have one worthy for another yea a person ten thousand times more worthy to satisfie for the wrong than was he that did the wrong for the first man was of the earth earthie who did the wrong the second man was the Lord from Heaven * 1 Cor. 15.47 who made the satisfaction Secondly the impartiality of Justice in discovering that the most high will not connive at sinne no not in his owne and onely begotten Sonne the Sonne of his dearest love Rom. 8.32 he spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him up for us all so that if the dearest Sonne of his dearest love will take upon him the sins of the elect he must beare their chastizement Hee was wounded for their transgressions and bruised for their iniquities the chastizement of their peace was laid on him and by his striyes they are healed * Isa 53.5 Could not Christ escape for sinne that he tooke upon him did not God spare a Sonne of love where then you sonnes of wrath can you bee safe from the hand of Justice Every man by nature is a sonne of wrath Eph. 2.3 and without this grace Christ had not been a Sonne of love oh yee sinners in Syon stand amazed at this strictnesse of God against sinne and turne not your
1. By the price they put on glory the thoughts they have of Heaven page 113. 2. By the language they speak page 114. 3. A strangers mind motion is home-ward though he lacks nothing page 116 c. The practice of S t s making good this principle and how Ibid. 4. Strangers in a strange Land content themselves only with things needful page 119. 5 Strangers ingage not themselves too much in the affairs of the natives of strange Lands page 123. How little cause Saints have to love this strange Land or be loth to leave it 1. Till then they 're far from their best friends chiefest favours they are in a farre Countrey whilst from their Fathers house page 124. Other considerations to loosen the Saints from the world p. 125 126. 2. They should not love it be loth to leave it for till then they 'l be foiled vex'd soil'd with filthy sins page 127. Saints being strangers what they should be and doe whilst ranging through this earthly region p. 128. CHAP. 4. SAints have their appointed time of change To be changed what 'T is to have a different manner of being 't is the cessation of a person or thing from being what it once was page 130. The sundry sorts of changes what in 3 particulars p. 131 132 133. 134 To be gloriously chang'd what page 135. A three-fold imployment for Saints in order to a disposing of them for their last greatest and best of changes page 136 c. Saints have need to be chang'd two reasons of that p. 140 c. CHAP. 5. GLory what page 182. What things concur to make up everlasting glory page 183 c. To be glorified compleatly what page 196 c. The glory of the soule in heaven what page 197 c. What the glory of the body shall bee in the Kingdome of heaven page 199 c. What the glory is that soule body shall possesse joyntly p. 206 c. The adjuncts of glory what page 224 c. The Errata Part 1. PAge 1. l. 3. r. acts are p. 6. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 8. l. 12. r. p. 8. l. 2. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 3. l. 10. r. usuall p. 30. r. crucis p. 34. l. 11. r. meted p. 55. l. r. his p. 65. l. 25. r. on p 67. r. risisse p. 80. r. rebellis p. 93. r. nisi p. 114. l. 10. r. shee p. 65. r. nobis p. 73. murorum p. 30. r. numero p. 42. r. Aethyopissam quandam p. 56. l. 12 r. promisory p. 80. r. protegentis dele via Part 2. Page 33. r. in cum p. 62. r. perfecte p. 56. r. absentia p. 68. r. judicant p. 3. l. 19. r. Center p. 56. l. 21. r. Ieopardy p. 59. l. 26. r. Ishmael Part 3. Page 8. l. 7. r p. 12. l. t. r he p. 14. l. 2. r. thy p. 34. l. 23. r. afflictions p. 47. l. 8. r. loth p. 46. l. 2. dele to p. 54. l. 21. r. it s so l. 22. p. 61. l. 24. â— this p. 80. l. 20. r. doubtfull p. 106. l. 8. r. wearie p. 116. l. r. r. those p. 52 l. 14. r. soule p. 158. l. 3. r hearing p. 182. l. 10. dele to p. 183. l. 1 dele where p. 206. l. 4. r. eternally p. 167. r. exosumer esse Christo p. 212. r. Coacreatae Some other lesser faults there bee which the Printer Corrector desire the Reader to relieve with his penne THE YERNINGS OF Christs bowells towards his languishing FRIENDS Joh. 13.1 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end * Quum dilex isset suos qui erant c. Montanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligo simpliciter amo CHAP. I. Of the sence of the words and their usefulnesse unto all Christ-obeying Christians WHere affection is the spring of action and operation love is perfect to perpetuitie Christ act's as he is he 's with out end so is his love Things of Heaven are all lasting everlasting you may guesse at their beginnings but never at their endings The word in the originall * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies to love something by adhering to it with the mind and heart a Suidas seu aliquem amore complector cum aliquo amicitiam colo as 1 Joh. 2 10. Mat. 6.24 cha 22.37 Mark 10.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to be content and satisfied with it as that a man desires nothing else b Me aut amabis aut quo contentus sum diliges Cic. Others say 't is more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as comâ—ounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valdè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acquiesco quae enim diligimus in iis acquiescimus Alsied in Lexic signisicat contentum esse acquiescere Casaub in Mar. 10.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud LXX Interpretes non semper pro diligere sed pro amicis blandisque verbis compellare laudare sumitur ut Cant. 1.14.2 Paral. 18.2 'T is hearty love Christ is said* to love the young man viz. hee spake friendly to him and dealt gently with him as the word there imports Blessed Messiah the Saints Saviour at his last departure from them adhered to them with all his might soule mind and strength and was so fully satisfied with them tooke such great content in them as that he desir'd no other portion besides them And thus speaking sweetly and kindly to them call's them his owne c Peculiaritèr destinatus Thess 1. v. 5. peculiaris ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cujus est certa quaedam minime cum caeteris communis idea Cajet 1 Cor 11.6 vide Bezam in loc The Lord Christ is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God's owne Sonne quod sit filius Dei per aeternam generationem as being his peculiar portion His owne every word of Christ hath its weight every word drop's sweetnesse as the hony combe Christians you see your blessed lot you are Christ's owne and Christ is your owne This comfortable kind of speaking to Christians is very usefull in Scripture as Jesus Christ is the faithfull's owne so the faithfull are Jesus Christ's own Rom. 14.4 God is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beleeving Christians owne master he shall be holden up by his owne Master for God is able to make him stand Christians have you had experience of the powerfull workings of Gods love towards you and on your Spirits and doe you feare a finall falling a partiall or totall declining from Jesus Christ and his sweetest wayes of soule-ravishing contentments Remember God's your owne he both can and will make you stand Those that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion that shall never be removed In generall consider Christ hath and may claime title to all by a right of dominion and so all then are Christs owne as he 's Lord of all creatures