a burial with Christ dying to alâ— things besides him Every time thou thinkest on Christ be astonished and wonder and wheâ—â— thou seest sin look at Christ's Grace that dâ—â— pardon it and when thou art Proud look 〈◊〉 Christ's Grace that shall humble and strike the down in the dust Remember Christ's time of love when thou wast naked Ezek. 16.8.9 and then he chosethee Canst thou ever have aproud thought remember whose arms supported thee from sinking and delivered thee from the lowest hell Psal 86.13 and shout in the ears of Angels and Men Psal 148. sing for ever praise Grace Daily Repent and Believe and Pray and walk in the sight of grace as one that hath the anointings of grace upon thee Remember thy Sins Christ's pardonings thy deserts his Merits thy weakness Christ's strength thy pride Christ's humility thy many infirmities Christ's restorings thy guilt Christ's newapplications of his Blood thy failings Christ's raisings up thy slightiness Christ's sufferings thy want Christ's fulness thy Temptations Christ's Tenderness thy vileness Christ's righteousness Blessed Soul whom God shall find not having on his own righteousness Phil. 3.6 but having his robes washt and made white in the blood of the Lamb Rev. 7.14 Woful miserable Professor that hath not the gospel within rest not in Church-tryal thou may'st pass that and be a cast away in Christ's day of tryal Thou mayst come to Baptism and never come to Jesus and the Blood of sprinkling Heb. 12.24 Whatever workings or attainments come not up to clear distinct apprehensions of Christ's blood merits righteousness the main object of the Gospel falls short of the Gospel and leaves the Soul in a condition of Doubtings and Questionings and Doubtings if not lookt unto betimes will turn to rightiness of Spirit one of the most dangerous Frames Trifle not with ordinances Be much in Meditation and Prayer Wait diligently on all hearing opportunities We had need of Doctrin Reproof Exhortation Consolation as the tender Herbs and the Grass hath of the Rain the Dew the small Rain and the Showers Deut. 32.3 Do all thou dost as Soul work as unto Christ Zach. 7.5 6. As immediately dealing with Christ Jesus as if he were looking on thee and thou on him and setch all thy Strength from him Observe what holy Motions you find in your Soul to Duties Prize the least motion that is from a sight of Christ the least good thought thou hast of Christ the least good word thou speakest of them sincerely from the Heart is rich Mercy O bless God from it Observe of every day you have the Day spring from on high with his Morning Dews of mourning for Sin constantly visiting Luk. 1.17 the bright Morning-Star with fresh influences of Grace and Peace constantly arising Rev. 22.16 And Christ sweetly greeting the Soul in all Duties What Duty makes not more spiritual will make more carnal what doth not quicken and humble will deaden and harden Judas may have the Sop the outward priviledge of Baptism Supper Church-Fellowship c. But John leaned on Christ's Bosome John 15.23 That 's the Gospel-ordinance posture in which we should pray and hear and perform all Duties Nothing but lying in that Bosome will dissolve hardness of heart and make thee to mourn kindly for sin and cure Slightiness and Ordinariness of Spirit that Gangrene in Profession that will humble indeed and make the Soul Cordial to Christ and Sin Vile to the Soul yea transform the ugliest piece of Hell into the Glory â—f Christ Never think thou art right as thou shouldst be a Christian of any glorious attainment until thou come to this always to see â—nd feel thy self lying in the Bosome of Christ who is in the Bosome of the Father Job 1. â—8 Come and move the Father for Sights of Christ and you shall be sure to speed You â—an come with no Request that pleaseth him â—etter He gave him out of his own Bosome â—or that very end to be held up before the â—yes of all Sinners as the Everlasting Monument of his Father's Love Looking at the natural Sun weakeneth the Eye The more you look at Christ the Sun of Righteousness the Stronger and clearer will the Eye of Faith be Look but at Christ you will Love him and Live on him Think on him continually keep the Eye constantly upon Christ's Blood or every Blast of Temptation will shake you If you will see Sin 's Sinfulness to hate it and Mourn do not stand looking upon Sin but look upon Christ first as Suffering and Satisfying If you would see your Graces your Sanctifications do not stand gazing upon them but look at Christs Righteousness in the first place see the Sun and you see all then look at your Graces in the second When you act Faith what you first look at that you expect Settlement from and make it the bottom of your Hope Go to Christ in sights of thy sin and misery not of thy grace and holiness Have nothing to do with thy graces and Sanctification they will but vail Christ till thou hast seen Christ first He that looks upon Christ thro his Graces is like one that see the Sun in Water which wavereth and moves as the Water doth Look upon Christ only as shining in the Firmament of the Fathers Love and Grace you will not see him but in his own glory which is unspeakable Pride and unbelief will put you upon seeing somewhat in your self first but Faith will have to do with none but Christ who is unexpressibly glorious and must swallow up thy Sanctification as well as thy sin for God made him both for us and we must make him both 1 Cor. 1.30 2 Cor. 5.21 He that sets up his Sanctification to look at to comfort him he sets up the greatest Idol which will strengthen his doubts and sears Do but look off Christ and presently like Peter you sin A Christian never wants comfort but by breaking the order and method of the Gospel looking his own and looking off Christ's perfect righteousness which is to chuse to live rather by candle-light than by the light of the sun The honey that you suck from your own righteousness will turn into perfect gall and the light that you take from that to walk in will turn into black night upon the Soul Satan is tempting thee by putting thee to plod about thy own graces to get comfort from them then the Father comes and points thee to Christ's Grace as rich and glorious infinitely pleasing him and bid thou Study Christ's Righteousness and his biddings are enablings that 's a blessed Motion a sweet whispering checking thy unbelief follow the least hint close with much Prayer prize it as an unvaluable Jewel It s an earnest of more 〈◊〉 come Again if you would Pray and cannot and so are discouraged See Christ Praying for you using his interest with the Father for you What can you Want John 14. and chap. 17. If you be troubled see Christ your Peace Eph 2.14 leaving you Peace when he went up to Heaven again and again charging you not to be troubled no not in the least sinfully troubled so as to obstruct thy comfort or thy believing John 14.1.27 He is now upon the throne having spoiled upon his cross in the lowest state of his Humiliation all whatsoever can hurt or annoy thee He hath born all thy Sins sorrows sears disgraces sicknesses troubles temptations and is gone to prepare mansions for thee Thou who hast seen Christ all and thy self nothing who makes Christ thy life and art dead to all righteousness besides thou art the Christian who hath sound savour with God Favorite of Heaven do Christ this Favour for all his Love love his saints and churches the meanest the weakest notwithstanding difference in Judgment they are engraven on his Heart as the Names of the children of Israe on Aaron's Brest-plate Exod. 24.21 Let them be so on thine Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love Her Psam 122.6 FINIS
Phil. 3.7.8 thy priviledges thy obedience thy Baptism thy Sanctification thy Duties thy Graces thy Tears Meltings thy Humblings and nothing but Christ must be held â—p Every day thy workings thy self sufficiency must be destroyed Thou must take all out of God's hand Christ he is the gift of God Joh. â— 10 Faith the gift of God Ephes 3.8 Pardon 〈◊〉 free gift Rom. 5.16 Ah how Nature storms â—ret's rageth at this that all is of gift and it can â—urchase nothing with its actings and Tears and â—ears and duties that all its workings are excluded and of no value in Heaven If nature had been to contrive the way of Salvation it would rather have put it into the â—ands of saints or Angels to sell it than of Christ who gives freely whom therefore it suspects â—t would have set up a way to purchase by doing therefore it obminates the merits of Christ as the most destructive thing to it would do any thing to be saved rather than go to Christ or close with Christ Christ will have nothing the soul will force some what of his own upon Christ here is the great controverse Consider didst thou ever see the merrits of Christ and the infinite satisfaction made by his death did thou see this in a time when the burthen of sin and the wrath of God lay heavy upon thy Conscience That is grace The greatness of Christ's Merits is not known but to a poor soul at the greatest loss Slight convictions will but have slight low prizings of Christ's Blood and merits Despairing sinner Thou art looking â—n thy right hand and thy left saying Who will shew us any good Thou art tumbling over all thy duties and professions to patch up a righteousness to save thee Miserable comforters are all those to thee Look at Christ now Look to him and be saved all the ends of the earth Isa 45.22 There is none else He is a Saviour and their is none besides him ver 21. look any where else and thou art undone God will look at nothing but Christ and thou must look at nothing else Christ is lifted up on high as the brasen serpent in the wilderness that the ends of the earth sinners at the greatest distance may see him and look to wards him The least sight of him will be saving the least touch healing to thee and God intends thou shouldst look on him for he hath set him upon a high throne of Glory in the open view of all poor Sinners Thou hast infinite reason to look on him no reason at all to look off him For he is meek and lowly of heart Mat. 11.29 He will do that himself Which he requires of his creature bear with infirmities Rom. 15.1 not pleasing himself not standing upon points of Law ver 2. He will restore with the spirit of meekness Gal. 6.1 And bare thy burdens ver 22. He Will forgive not only until seven times but seventy times seven Mat. 18.21.22 It put the Faith of the apostles to it to believe this Luz 17.4.5 Because we are hard to forgive we think Christ is hard We see sin great we think Christ doth so too and measure infinite love with our line infinite merits with our sins which is the greatest Pride and Blasphemy Psa 103.11.12 Isa 40.15 Hear what he saith I have found a ransom Job 33 24. In him I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 God will have nothing else nothing else will do thee good or satisfy conscience but Christ who satisfied the Father God doth all upon the account of Christ thy deserts are hell Wrath rejections Christs deserts are life pardon and acception â—e will only shew thee the one but he will give â—ee the other It s Christ's own glory and happness to pardon Consider whilest Christ was â—pon the earth he was more among Publicans â—â—d sinners than Scribes and pharisees his professed adversaries for they were righteous â—â—es It is not so as thou imaginest that his â—ate in glory makes him neglectful scornful 〈◊〉 poor sinners no he hath the same heart now 〈◊〉 Heaven he is God and changeth not He is â—â—e Lamb of God that taketh a way the sins of the â—orld John 1.29 He hath gon through all thy â—emptations dejections sorrows desertions â—â—jections Mat. 4.3 to 12. Mark 15.14 â—uke 22.44 Mat. 26.38 And hath drunk â—â—e bitterest of the cup and left thee the sweet â—â—e condemnation is out Christ drunk up all the â—â—thers wrath at one draught and nothing but â—â—lvation is left for the thou say'st thou canst â—ot believe thou canst not repent fitter to reâ—ent fitter for Christ if thou hast nothing but â—n and misery go to Christ with all thy impeâ—itency and unbelief to get faith and repentance with from him that is glorious Tell Christ Lord I have brought no righteousness no â—race to be accepted in justified by I am come 〈◊〉 thine and must have it We would be bringâ—â—g to Christ and that must not be not a penny 〈◊〉 nature's highest improvement will pass in heaven Grace will not stand with works Tit 3. Rom. 11.6 That is a terrible point to naâ—â—re which cannot think of being stript of all 〈◊〉 having a rag of duty or righteousness lest 〈◊〉 look at Self-righteousness self-sufficiency â—â—e the darlings of nature which she preserves as her life That makes Christ such an ugly thing to nature nature cannot desire him he is just directly opposite to all nature's glorious interests Let nature but make a gospel and it would make it contrary to Christ It would be to the just the innocent the holy the righteous c. Christ hath made the gospel for thee that is to needy sinners the ungodly the unrighteous the unjust the accursed Nature cannot endure to think the gospel is only for sinners it will rather chuse to despair than to go to Christ upon such terrible terms When nature is but put to it by guilt or wrath it will to its old haunts of self-righteousness self-goodness c. And infinite power must cast down those strong holds None but the self Justiciary stands excluded out of the gospel Christ will look at the most abominable sinner before him because to such an one Christ cannot be made justification He is no sinner To say in complement I am a sinner is easy bâ—t to pray with the Publican indeed Lord be merciful to me a sinner is the hardest prayer in the world It is easy to say I believe in Christ but to see Christ full of grace and truth Of whose fulness thou may'st receive grace for grace That is saving It s easy to profess Christ with the mouth but to confess him with the heart as Peter to be the Christ the Son of the living God the alone Mediator that 's above flesh and blood Many call Christ Saviour few know him so To see grace and salvation in Christ is the greatest sight in the world none can do that but at the same time they shall see
that grace to be theirs Sights will cause applications I may be ashamed to think that in the midst of so much profession yet I have known little of the blood of Christ which is the main thing of the Gospel A Christless formal profession will be the blackest sight next to hell that can be Thou mayst have many good things and yet one thing be wanting that may make thee go away sorrowful from Christ Thou hast never sold all thou hast never parted with all thine own righteousness c. Thou mayst be high in duty yet a perfect enemy and adversary to Christ in every prayer in every ordinance Labour after sanctification to thy utmost but make not a Christ of it to save thee if so it must come down one way or other Christ's infinite satisfaction not thy sanctification must be thy justification before God When the Lord shall appear terrible out of his holy places Fire shall consume all that as Hay and Stubble This will be found Religion only To bottom all upon the everlasting mountains of Gods love and grace in Christ to live continually in the fight of Christs infinite righteousness and merits they are sanctifying without them the heart is carnal and in those sights to see the full vileness yet littleness of Sin and to see all pardoned In those sights to pray hear be baptized c. Seeing thy polluted self and all thy weak performances continually in those sights to trample upon allthy self-glories righteousnesses priviledges as abominable and be sound continually in the righteousness of Christ only rejoycing in the ruins of all thy own righteousness the spoiling of all thy own excellencies that Christ alone as Mediator may be exalted in his throne mourning over all thy duties how glorious soever that thou hast not performed in the sight and fense of Christ's love Without the blood of Christ on the Consciences all are â—â—â—d services Heb. 9.14 opinion of Free will so cry'd up will be easily confuted as it is by the Scripture in thy heart who hath had any spiritual dealings with Christ as to the application of his merits and subjection to his righteousness Christ is every way too magnificent a Person for poor nature to close withal or apprehend Christ is so infinite holy nature durst never look at him so infinitely good nature can never believe him to be such when it lies under full sights of Sin Christ is too high and glorious for nature so much as to touch There must be a divine love first put into the soul to make it lay hold on him he lays so infinitely beyond the sight or reach of nature That Christ that natural Free-will can apprehend is but a natural Christ of man's own making not the fathers Christ not Jesus the Son of the living God to whom none can come without the Father's drawing John 6.44.46 Finally Search the Scriptures daily as mines of Gold wherein the heart of Christ is laid Watch against constitution sins see them in their vileness and they will never break out into act Keep always an humble empty broken frame of heart sensible of any spiritual miscarriage observant of all inward workings fit for the highest communications Keep not guilt in the conscience but apply the blood of Christ immediately God chargeth sin and guilt upon thee to make thee look to Christ the brasen Serpent Judge not Christ's love by evidences but by promises Bless God for shaking off false foundations for any way whereby he keeps the soul awakened and looking after Christ better sickness temptations than security and slightness A slighty spirit will turn a prophane spirit and will sin and pray too Slightiness is the bane of Profession if it be not Rooted out of 〈◊〉 Heart by constant and serious dealings with and beholding of Christ in Duties it will grow more strong and more deadly by being under Church Ordinances Measure not thy Graces by others attainments but by Scripture-trials Be serious exact in Duty having the weight of it upon the Heart but be as much afraid of taking comfort from duties as from Sins-Comfort from any hand but Christ is deadly Bemuch in Prayer or you will never keep up much Communion with God As you are in Closet-Prayer so you will be in all other Ordinances Reckon not duties by high Expression but by low frames and the beholdings of Christ Tremble at duties and gifts It was the saying of a Saint He was more afraid of his duties than his sins the one often made him proud the other always made him humble Treasure up manifestations they make the heart low for Christ too high for sâ—n Slight not the lowest meanest evidences of Grace God may put thee to make use of the lowest as thou think'st even that 1 Job 3.14 That may be wrath a thousand worlds to thee Be true to truth but not turbulent and scornful Restore such as are sallen Help them up a gain with all the bowels of Christ Set the broken dis-jointed bones with the grace of the Gospel High professors despise not weak Saints Thou mayst come to wish to be in the condition of the meanest of them Be faithful to others infirmities but sensible of thy one Visit sick beds and deserted Souls much they 're excellent schools of experiences Abide in your calling be dutiful to all relations as to the Lord Be content with little of the world little willserve Think every little of earth much because unworthy of the least Think much of Heaven too little because Christ is so rich and free Think every one better than thy self and carry ever self-loathing about thee as one fit to be trampled upon by all the saints See the vanity of the world and the consumption that is upon all things and love nothing but Christ Mourn to see so little of Christ in the world so sew needing him Trifles pleaseth them better To a secure soul Christ is but a Fable the scriptures but a story Mourn to think how many under baptism church-order that are not under Grace looking much after duty obedience little after Christ little versed in Grace Prepare for the Cross welcome it bear it triumphantly like Christ's cross whether scoffs mockings jeers contempts imprisonments c But see it be Christ's cross not thine own Sin will hinder from glorying in the cross of Christ Omiting little truths against light may breed hell in the conscience as well as omitting the greatest Sin against light If thou hast been taken out of the belly of hell into Christ's bosome and made to sit among Princes in the houshold of God O how shouldst thou live as a pattern of Mercy redeemed restored soul what infinite sums dost thou owe Christ With what singular frames must thou walk in and do every duty Sabbaths what praising days singing of halelujahs should they be to thee church-fellow-ship what a heaven a being with Christ and Angels and Saints Baptism what a drowning the soul in eternal love as