fear and horror do so prevail in my Soul I am not able to bear up under the same my Heart fails me and my Spirit is gone Why now one glimps of Christ one taste of his Goodness a sense of his Love will revive and exhilerate the Soul and disperse all these Clouds these Darknesses and Storms There is no condition a Person can be in but if Christ will dart into him a Ray of his special Love he will thence receive mighty even inexpressible support and comfort The continued Love of Christ is the most sovereign Cordial in every Estate and Condition We may go through Fire and Water we may adventure upon any suffering for the Name of Christ being assured of his Love O! what an excellent chearing Scripture is that of the Epistle to the Romans Chap. 8. v. 35 to the end What would the Scripture be to us how should we be effectually excited and encouraged to a course of Piety Or what could support us under Burthens and Troubles if Christ did not continue his Love to Sinners 2ly In the second place we are to consider the extraordinary strangeness of the thing it self We commonly take as particular notice as we can of strange and unwonted Occurrences How do People view and observe Comets and Blazing Stars How do they flock to see any strange sort of Beast when exhibited to be seen We admire and wonder at things which are considerable only by reason of their strangeness and rarity Things which are not of any great worth nor cannot produce us any profit and real advantage O! therefore let us be so wise as to turn all our admiration unto that which is truly strange and equally advantagious and comfortable The Love of Christ to Sinners is the strangest thing that ever was Without controversy great is the Mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World and received up into Glory 1 Tim. 3.16 This is a thing so strange even in the first Instances of it the blessed Angels stand amazed at it and desire to look into it 1 Pet. 1.12 If a Prince the only Son of a King or Emperor should condescend to take notice of a mean traiterous Wretch ready to have all the Torments and Punishments his Treason deserved inflicted on him and plead for this Person yea deny himself all the Pleasures Honours and Satisfactions in his Father's Court yea submit himself to all manner of Indignities for many Years together to procure the other's Pardon And being at last received to Court again and living in the greatest pomp and splendour should come to this Person whose Life he had saved at the forementioned rate and entreat and beseech and court him to be reconciled to him and that an intimate familiarity and correspondence may be setled betwixt them promising him all the Entertainments and Satisfactions he doth participate of himself Would not this be looked on by all as a most prodigious Instance of Affection and Love But alas what is this to that we are now discoursing of Here is the Son of God who is equal with God God blessed for ever who is the Brightness of his Father's Glory and the express Image of his Person whose Name is Wonderful Counsellor The mighty God The Everlasting Father The Prince of Peace This is the Person who condescended to take on him our Nature who lived for many Years together a Life that was very mean and to outward appearance very contemptible What Indignities did he suffer from Men how deep did he drink of the Cup of God's Wrath when groaning and praying and sweating Blood in the Garden when expostulating so earnestly with his Father on the Cross He submitted to Death yea he became obedient to Death even the Death of the Cross The most painful the most lingering the most ignominious and cursed sort of Death then known in the World And all this was to reconcile Sinners and Enemies unto God and to save them from that eternal Misery and Damnation they could no other way be saved from And after all this having raised himself to Life and being received into Glory he continues his Love to these Sinners and many ways importunes and sollicites them to accept of the Mercy and Blessings which cost him so dear and to yield themselves up into the Bonds of Friendship that a constant mutual correspondence may be maintained betwixt them Is not this an incomprehensible astonishing Prodigy of Love what can be compared unto it What Heart so hard such Condescention such Love such passionate courting will not soften and overcome What so strange what so obliging as this that the Son of God should entreat and beseech Rebels to accept of Pardon should court and make so much ado be so importunate and keep such a stir with us who are only held by his Hand from falling into Hell to accept of Heaven There is nothing so strange as this unless it be that cursed Heart which is too obdurate and stubborn to be overcome and won by so kind so winning and so mighty a Force as this is Applic. What care now should we take to be throughly instructed and setled in this great Truth Do not labour only to be acquainted with it in the Theory but endeavour and pray that a saving Knowledg and Belief of it may be wrought in you by the Spirit of God This is a Matter concerns thee much thy Salvation depends upon it If thou lose thy Soul thou losest all If thou art ignorant of the Love of Christ if this Love have no influence on thee thou art miserable indeed All true Comfort is wrap'd up in this Acts 4.12 O study this great Truth and do not desist or leave off till it have its proper influence on thy Affections Heart and Life Let the Love of Christ constrain thee Resolve to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified Admire and adore the Love of Christ Improve the knowledg and consideration of it to fix and promote thy Faith thy Love thy Hope thy Patience and every other Grace But I will not insist any longer on this first word which is introductory and should lead us attentively unto that which followeth The rest of the Verse acquaints us with our blessed Saviour's seeking for and endeavouring to get admittance with us and the Priviledges which shall accrue to those who hearken to him and receive him I shall confine my self now unto the first of these which is represented to us in these words I stand at the Door and knock Though in discoursing of this I shall have occasion to acquaint you with the main Importance of some of the following words viz. If any Man hear my Voice and open the Door Our Saviour's seeking and endeavouring to get admittance with us is here exprest by three words 1. Standing 2. Knocking 3. The word Door The Person or rather the Heart of the Person
destitute of true and sound Notions of God and without an interest in him as our reconciled God Ephes 2.12 Now what have such Persons to be proud of we who are dead in Trespasses and Sins Ephes 2.1 What have we to be conceited of that we should refuse to accept of Christ's Offers that we should think scorn to entertain him The discovery of our natural Estate should make us hasten to the Lord Jesus with all the speed we can But alas it is our not being sensible of our Condition our Infidelity our not believing that we are so worthless unclean and miserable as indeed we are that makes us slight Christ and refuse his gracious Offers 3. He makes known how real and extraordinary his Love is to us He does not complement us with words but hath a Heart for us O what demonstrations of Love hath he given us He hath done as much to approve the sincerity of his Love to us as can be desired or imagined Sinner there is no ground for thee to question the truth of his Love He hath vindicated and cleared his sincerity beyond all possibility of suspicion and doubt He pleads with the Sinner protests his Love to him and argues the matter with him Behold I have loved thee so long already with a transcendent Love And what is it thou wouldst or canst desire to make it appear my Love is hearty and real Do'st thou expect I should approve my Love by suffering some great hardships for thy sake Behold I have done that and more I have been scorned and contemned I have been abused and laugh'd at I have been derided and mock'd and spit upon nay I have sweat Blood for thee I have undergone inexpressible Agonies in my Mind such troubles and griefs in my Soul as no Tongue can explain for thy sake I have endured the frowns and born the displeasure of an angry God and incensed Father to preserve and save thee Here behold with thine own Eyes the Marks in my Hands and in my Feet those Nails have made which fastned me to the Cross see the Scars on my Forehead which were torn there by that Crown which was violently and reproachfully thrust on my Head Nay I did lay down my Life for thee I waxed not weary in compassing thy Salvation though the Pains and Sufferings I endured were very many very grievous and afflicting Death it self hath not quench'd nor conquered the Love I did bear unto thee Now who can resist the Arguings of a Saviour Do's Christ plead his Love and his Sufferings with thee do's he conjure thee by them to accept of him and wilt thou still stand out and reject him O how stubborn how invincible an Infidel how vile and unpitiable a Wretch wilt thou prove thy self to be if thou wilt not be moved by the entreaties and courtings of a bleeding Saviour 4. He doth urge his Authority over us and the right he hath unto us I do not mean only that which doth accrue to him by Creation or from our own particular promise and resignation of our selves unto him But that right he hath to us by purchase We are not our own to dispose of The Lord Jesus hath bought us out of the hands of our Enemies and is become on that account our rightful Lord and Master And how can we refuse him when he comes unto us but we must contract on our selves the dreadful guilt of the most detestable Rebellion rebellion against Heaven against the Lord of Love of Mercy of Life Our Hearts our Souls our Bodies our whole Man are purchased by him He has redeemed us unto himself he hath paid a sufficient price for us and shall we shut the Doors against him when he comes to dwell in his own House the Habitation he himself hath purchased Should a Servant keep any of us out of a House we have dearly bought with what indignation should we resent such usage And what may we expect from Christ if we will detain his own purchase from him and not admit him to have an abode with us 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Luke 19.27 It was a great Sin in the Jews that they slighted and disowned Christ when he came amongst them And their Sin was very much aggrevated on this account that they rejected him notwithstanding he had a peculiar and special right unto them John 1.11 O what will our Sin appear to be if after that Christ hath bought us with his most precious Blood we will not accept of and receive him when he knocks and pleads with us 5. He acquaints us with the necessity of our admitting him into our Hearts in order to our own happiness What shall we sin against our Lives and our Blessedness Shall we cast away our Souls and all that is justly dear to us and have nothing to say for our selves in our own vindication and excuse Is there any thing of prudence or of reason in doing thus Doth not our Nature doth not that Principle which differences us from Brutes detest such a thing Why if we would not be such Prodigals it highly concerns us to accept of Christ He comes to us and intreats us to accept of him for our own benefit He cannot receive any advantage or profit by it he doth not need us It is for our good he comes to us he importunes us thus because without accepting of him we must be eternally ruined We are in the way to Hell Satan and Lust are hurrying us apace to everlasting Misery and we cannot be delivered and saved any other way than by accepting of him Acts 4.12 6. He sets before us the Glory and Inheritance he hath provided for us and will certainly bestow on us if we do receive him The Things Christ hath treasured up for Believers are not the little transitory Things of this World These Things he casts abroad with a seemingly indifferent hand he never designed to make up a Portion for his own People of these perishing Things He hath greater and better Things to reward us with even an Inheritance incorruptible undefiled and which fadeth not away but is reserved for us in Heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 He hath taken possession of glorious Mansions and will come again and receive us unto himself to be for ever where he is John 14.2 3. We have no ground to question our Saviour's Faithfulness or Bounty It is alledged as a strong and convincing Argument that God will not deny any useful thing unto his People because he hath given up his Son for them Rom. 8.32 And can we imagine that he who hath suffered for us and triumphed over all our Enemies and hath made such glorious Promises as are recorded in his Word and doth still testify such strong Affection and Love towards us will if we accept of him refuse to confer on us the great and the glorious Things he hath purchased for us by his bloody Sufferings Our Blessed Saviour when he was on Earth prayed that his Servants might be
the same sense experience and knowledge of his Excellencies they have who do indeed admit him into their Hearts we should have the like Love Zeal and Affection for him which they have Those who have received him do rejoice in and love him They account him the only Joy of their Hearts they esteem him their Portion their All and their only Good Have not those who for the sake of Christ have been exposed to all kind of Sufferings Hardships and ill Usages in the World rejoiced in the same Have not they found the satisfactions accruing to them from the Faithfulness and Love of Christ so exceeding great and full of inexpressible sweetness and comfort they have almost overlook'd they have really thought all the Sufferings of this Life very little and inconsiderable especially when Faith in Christ hath mounted and carried their Souls to take a view and prospect of what Christ will hereafter advance them unto Rom. 8.18 Gold and Silver Crowns and Earthly Kingdoms are of no value more vile and contemptible than the Dung and Mire of the Streets when made use of to bribe and hire one that has received Christ into his Heart to fall off from him and reject him I have served Christ said Polycarp fourscore and six Years and he never did me any harm and do you think said he to those who would have bribed and perswaded him to renounce Christ that now I will renounce and blaspheme and dishonour my King and Saviour Do you think the glorified Saints are sorry they chose and received Christ Why they can every jot as easily be weary of Heaven as repent of their entertaining such a Guest Now do thou exercise thy Thoughts about these things with the greatest seriousness and answer these Questions distinctly and impartially unto thy Conscience and press on thy Soul such Considerations as thou findest have the greatest tendency to startle to awaken and move thee that thou mayst not continue under the dreadful guilt of slighting Christ and rejecting the gracious Motions he doth make thee of his Love And O that I knew what Words would excite thy drowsy Soul and what Arguments would influence and make some kind of impressions on thy Mind Affections and Heart I would urge them for thy good with all the life and fervency that is possible Consider Sinner doth the Son of God condescend to plead and argue with thee for thy Benefit and Comfort This is a very wonderful thing indeed the Heavens may well be called to attend and the Earth to give ear such a prodigy of Love may make impressions on the very Mountains and Rocks And what wilt thou still resist his Courtings and be the more contemptuous by how much the more importunate he is with thee O how justly may we call to the Heavens to be astonished and the Earth to be horribly afraid at the manifestation of such stupidity and ingratitude How will all the Creatures inanimate and sensless things upbraid such sottish sturdiness and finally bear witness and give in evidence against it But alas after all what signifies the Discourse of a poor Mortal Melancthon found by experience that he had reason to say The old Man in the Hearts of Sinners was too strong for young Melancthon It is not in the Minister's Power to reach the Heart But Glorious Almighty and most Gracious God thou art above all and thou canst speak to the Conscience and overcome the most perverse and stubborn Heart thou canst and dost ordinarily make thy Strength and power to appear in the weakness of thy meanest Servants Lord to thee we turn and of thee we beg that that Power and Plenty of thy good Spirit may be sent forth that poor Sinners may not walk in darkness and be held any longer in bondage by Satan and their Lusts but that they now may cast away from them their Idols may yield up themselves to Christ in the sincerity of their Hearts and not oppose and resist him any longer Lord do thou look down in thy Power and Strength and do thou mightily perswade and prevail on the Hearts of those who have hitherto stood out against the Calls and Entreaties of their Saviour exert thy Power stretch forth thy mighty Arm descend in the abundance of thy Grace and bring thy Word and Exhortations to Peoples Souls and Consciences with thy special Efficacy and then shall People hear thy Son's Voice and knock and open unto him Now Sinner if thou art at all affected with any of these Considerations and dost truly desire to receive Christ into thy Heart I will conclude all I have at this time to say unto thee by proposing a few Directions for thy help and assistance I. Labour to get a deep affectionate sense of thy own insufficiency emptiness and misery without Christ Study the Law of God how strict and punctual it is How many Duties are commanded how many Sins forbid what Curses and Judgments threatned how weak and impotent thou art how far the Law is from either communicating Strength or providing thee a Pardon How powerful and severe infinite Justice is how liable thou art and this upon innumerable accounts to all the Vengeance and Horror infinite Justice can inflict How dreadful how miserable how helpless thy state is without a Mediator Think on these things till thou art throughly sensible of thy need of Christ and how impossible it is for thee to escape any other way than by Christ We need Christ to present our best Services to God and obtain them acceptance with the Father O what need have we then of Christ to save us from our manifold Sins and from the direful Punishments they deserve Rev. 3.18 Luke 15.21 Christ will be welcome indeed when we truly see our need of him II. Strive to get thy Heart cleansed from every thing which is contrary to Christ and hath a tendency to keep him out of thy Heart Get every Sin imbittered to thy Soul that thou mayst hate every thing which is an Enemy to Christ Oppose Christ to every Lust and sinful stirring of Heart harbour no Lust nor Sin in thy Heart fight against Temptations learn to overcome Temptations and Sins by reviving in thy Mind the opposition and enmity there is betwixt Christ and Sin curb and check mortify and subdue every sinful Inclination by alleadging against it Thou art an Enemy to my Saviour to allow and entertain thee would be to fight against Christ O I will not for a World do any thing that may offend and displease the Son of God III. Pray earnestly that the Spirit of God may mould and form thy Heart into a right frame and temper for Christ When a Prince comes to take up his residence at any Place or House it is not only necessary that the Luggage and Lumber and Filth be removed and cast out of Doors but that all places be righted up and have their proper Furniture So when Christ comes to take up his abode with
small weather-beaten crazy Cottage nay to visit some infamous Rebel justly confined to a Dungeon covered with nastiness and filth and there importune and entreat this miserable Wretch to be reconciled unto him that they may both dwell together and mutually rejoice in each others society What ought we then to think of our Blessed Saviour's soliciting and entreating with the greatest earnestness for admittance into our Hearts We may take notice of two general Parts in the words I. The main substance of the Verse which consists of two parts 1. Our Saviour's earnestness to be admitted into Sinner's Hearts I stand at the Door and knock c. 2. The Priviledges and Satisfaction consequent upon our receiving of him I will come in to him c. II. The way and manner how all this is commended to our consideration Behold I intend to say but little of this latter and therefore as it stands first in the Text so it shall immediately come under our consideration This word Behold noteth that something follows which is of weight and deserves to be observed Indeed it would greatly become and profit us to take a particular and distinct notice of those places of the Holy Scripture which are thus solemnly recommended to our consideration For God certainly best knows what is of greatest use for us And to suffer such Passages to slip our observation without a diligent heedful attendance to them which he hath set such a Mark upon and points out so carefully to our study argues much disregard to his Wisdom and Goodness and that our Religion is very weak and unoperative You may more particularly take notice that this word Behold hath three special significations in the Holy Scriptures or there are three several ends and purposes why it is used in the Scriptures 1. There is a Behold of Caution To warn us to take heed of what will be extreamly hurtful and injurious to our Souls John 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee God has done very much for thee and signally holpen thee and delivered thee take care thou do not wilfully provoke him again lest he afflict thee worse lest thou be hardened in thy Sins and Divine Wrath come upon thee to the uttermost 2. A Behold of Admiration Which calls us to wonder and admire with all the Powers of our Soul at the exceeding Riches of Divine Goodness and Grace 1 John 3.1 Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! 3. A Behold designed to excite and stir us up to take notice of some important Matter speedily and to improve it without delay 2 Cor. 6.2 Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation This word here in the Text may have all these Significations attributed to it 1. As designed to admonish us against resisting Christ any longer seeing he hath stood so long and urged us to give him admittance lest if we continue to keep our Hearts lock'd and barr'd against him he should depart from us in displeasure and never make us another offer of his Love and Grace O how fearful a thing is it to send Christ away grieved and enraged because of our final perversness and stubborness after he hath been long woing and perswading us to accept of him and his Benefits 2. As representing to us how great how wonderful how unexpected an Instance of Love Christ is pleased to vouchsafe us What greater Love can Christ express and shew to you than this He experienced and met with very hard and injurious usage here on Earth He underwent many afflicting grievous pains He suffered a very infamous tormenting kind of Death He endured for Sinners infinitely more than we can conceive yet did not all this allay and cool his Affection he loves us still with a Love as strong as ever What Love is this Love stronger than Death Love that the Floods cannot drown Love which neither Sufferings nor Death nor Life nor Glory can overcome Here is room indeed for our admiration and wonder cease then your wondering at other things which seem strange and unusual they are all nothing if compared with this Love of Christ Let all your admiration center here on this fathomless this infinite incomprehensible and unsearchable Object of it What can we justly wonder at besides the infinite Riches of our Saviour's Love and Condescention unless at that horrible and astonishing Prodigy that People should be so insensible sottish and sturdy as to slight neglect and despise all the exceeding abundance of the Riches of Divine Grace and Kindness 3. As exciting and stirring us up to take notice of our dear Saviour and with what tenderness and condescention he carries himself towards us Behold thy Saviour doth stand without and has been long waiting on thee and doth still entreat thee earnestly to give him admittance O take notice how the King of Glory is come to visit thee and is desirous to have communion with thee Behold Salvation is now come to thy House and what wilt thou deny reception to and shut thy Doors against such a Guest We may fairly enough furnish our selves with this Instruction from this word Behold as used in this place viz. That the Lord Jesus Christ hath wonderful Love to poor Sinners is a Truth of extraordinary importance and should be carefully observed and attended to But I design not to insist upon this any further than by acquainting you briefly with two things which clear and confirm the Proposition 1. The extraordinary usefulness of this Truth to us 2. The extraordinary strangeness of the Thing it self 1. The extraordinary usefulness of this Truth to us What is neither excellent in it self nor useful to us we justly overlook and take no notice of or if we do we therein betray our weakness and imprudence Now we have ordinarily many Interests and Designs on foot but we readily acknowledg that we are bound on all accounts to pursue with most care earnestness and diligence those things we are assured will most of all farther our highest Interests those Concernments we are most affected with and prefer and value above all the rest If a Man have a Trial depending for his whole Estate or for his Life and can hear of a certain Course he may take which will infallibly secure his Cause he will attend unto this Business before all his other Affairs and though there be other Matters he would be diligent and industrious about were this his principal Business well setled yet he omits and neglects them he lays them aside at present that he may follow his greater and more important Affair with greater freedom and less disturbance Now there is nothing so much concerns us as to be truly and savingly acquainted with the Riches of Divine Grace to be sensible of the gracious Visits Christ doth make and to embrace and close with his blessed Motions You may
lose your Lands be rob'd of your Mony have your Houses and Goods all burnt about your Ears and yet not be undone nor irreparably miserable But if you are ignorant of Christ and regardless of his Visits and destitute of an Interest in his Love you are poor deluded miserable unhappy Wretches whatever Portion you have of the Wealth and Honour and Applause of this World Indeed too many slight Christ and make no account of his Love People who are sunk in their Lusts whose Understandings Satan hath blinded in whom Satan rules and by whom they are hurried away headlong towards Hell as the Gadarens Swine were into the Deep But O! let us take heed we do not tread in their Steps lest we drink of their Cup and partake of their Portion The Apostle tells you It is a faithful Saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 What is it then that after all his Sufferings and being ascended into Glory he doth still continue to express and testify as great Love as ever to us Shall we despise the choicest offers of his Love Shall we despise or take no notice of such a Truth as this that Christ doth stoop to visit us and importunes our acceptance of him O what vile what unworthy what ungrateful Persons shall we then approve our selves In how forlorn and deplorable a State are all the stubborn and obstinate despisers and contemners of Christ Heb. 2.3 O Sirs did you understand the worth of those precious Souls you are intrusted with were you truly sensible of the sad and miserable Estate you are in by Nature this Love express'd but by Piety and Obedience If ye love me keep my Commandments John 14.15 Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you John 15.14 What an incouragement is it to a Holy Life when we can truly say we are hereby testifying our Love to our dear Saviour in such a way as he doth most approve Whom should we serve whom should we obey if not him who hath and doth love us still in so extraordinary a manner We are 't is true too prone to serve Satan and our Lusts but what reason have we to do so Is Damnation and Hell so sweet and so obliging we should drudg and toil all our time for such a Purchase Can you seriously think Satan who tempts and sollicites you to Sin hath any love for you And will you serve him who seeks your eternal ruin so industriously before the Lord Jesus Christ who hath given you so many convincing Testimonies of his Love It is an amazing and very sad thing to observe how People do prefer the drudgery and vassalage of Satan before the liberty and freedom their Saviour hath purchased for them That notwithstanding Christ doth love them so affectionately yet Satan should have so many to run violently after him to Hell and Christ should have so few to follow him to the Mansions of Bliss and Glory It is a sad but yet too just a representation of Man's Folly Ingratitude and Wickedness which St. Cyprian makes when he brings in the Devil boasting against Christ and insulting over People in this manner Ego pro istis nec sanguinem fudi c. Serm. de Elymos I have not shed one drop of Blood for any of all these my Followers I never took any pains to do them any good my study and care and diligence hath ever been and ever shall be to bring them to Death and Damnation and yet notwithstanding all this Tuos tales demonstra mihi Christe Shew me O Christ so many such busy such painful and such dutiful Servants of thine any where as I can shew thee every where of mine Shall the Envy and Malice of Satan be more powerful with you to draw you into Damnation than the prodigious Love of the Son of God to win you unto Holiness and Glory O! were we but duly affected with the Love Christ bears to us we should not be able to resist its Charms O what pious exemplary praising Christians would this make us Who ever hath a true and real sense of this Love in his Heart will be transformed by it into the likeness of him who doth thus love him The reason why we are no better that we resemble Christ so little is because we are ignorant of his Love tho we may know somewhat of it notionally so as to tincture and adorn our Discourse yet our Hearts are not touched with it and brought under its Efficacy and Power Were our Hearts but melted with the consideration and sense of this Love O how powerfully would it engage us in the Ways and Work of our Saviour With what vigour and delight should we be carried through the whole course of Christian Duty and new Obedience 3. It is of exceding great use for our support and comfort under Trials Temptations Sufferings and Troubles in the World and when we are exercised with deep apprehensions of our own sinfulness and vileness Affliction doth try Friends A Man whilst he doth prosper and flourish in the World shall have many pretended Friends who will fall from and disown him in Adversity We are subject to Trials and Temptations under which all those things that flatter our Senses and which People court and labour for with all their might will either take their flight from us or at best lie by us as insipid useless things Nothing but a sense of Christ's Love will then befriend us And I know not any sort of People more exposed to Trials and Assaults in the World than the People of God nor are there any whom Satan doth ordinarily set upon with fiercer violence than poor Sinners when first beginning to look out after and listen unto Christ And as these are liable to such Calamities so God provides for their support and comfort under them If it be a great relief to a Person under outward trouble that he hath a Friend to stand by him and counsel him and appear for him what is it to a true Believer to be assured of the Love of Christ That he hath one on his side who is alsufficient for him be his Circumstances what they will and who will never fail him nor forsake him What tho I be poor and miserable and destitute and afflicted in the World What tho I be made as the filth and the off-scouring of all things Christ loves me never the less for that Nay suppose I have great Doubts in my Mind and my Soul is full of heaviness for my Sins and I am ready to cry out O! my Sins are not ordinary and usual Sins they have been aggravated above measure I cannot see any thing in my self but impurity filth and guilt I do not perceive how any thing but Damnation can belong to me O my Misery O my Unhappiness O my Guilt I am so laden with Sin my Guilt lies so heavy upon my Spirit Terror and amazement
Lord I throw my self into the Arms of thy Grace O reject me not but grant I may be found in thee and may have thy Righteousness to commend me 4. Our receiving Christ doth note our complying with his Terms Most would be willing to be saved at last provided they might have liberty to live as they list at present But Christ must be accepted on his own Terms He calls us to Repentance Faith and new Obedience If we will conclude on good ground that we have received Christ we must see to it that we sincerely forsake our former Lusts and Sins which so long separated betwixt us and our God and for which Christ did undergo and suffer such pressing and astonishing Sorrows and Punishments Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts c. Isa 55.7 We must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that he is the Son of God that out of pure Love he did assume our Nature that he hath performed all that is necessary to put us into a capacity of Salvation and to reconcile us unto God that he is the only Author of Eternal Life and Salvation And we must rely and depend upon him only for Mercy and Salvation We must devote our selves to live godly righteously and soberly and make Conscience of attending to and walking in all Christ's Commandments And we must take care to get all this cleared and evidenced to our selves from Scripture-Grounds Art thou truly willing to part with all thy Lust to mortify thy corrupt Affections and to die every day more and more to sin to be crucified to the World and to oppose and resist all that fights against thy Soul Do'st thou labour to exercise Faith vigorously is it thy Business to eye Christ continually do'st thou fetch all thy Strength and Supplies from Him are all thy Hopes and Expectations laid up in him do'st thou without any reservation give up thy self to Christ is it thy heartiest desire study care and endeavour continually to imitate and please Christ 5. Our receiving Christ doth import our submitting to him in all his Relations It was a great Reflection on some who followed Christ when he was here upon Earth that they followed him for the Loaves with which he fed them and not for the Miracles which they saw him work whereby his Divinity was attested and the Truth of the Doctrines he taught undeniably evidenced and confirmed And it would be as severe a Reflection upon us should Christ lay it to our Charge that though we pretend to submit to Him in one Relation yet we refuse to own and acknowledg Him in his other Relations That we are willing to admit him to be our Priest to suffer for us but will not have any thing to do with his Yoke but do resolutely cast his Laws behind our back and determine that we will not have him to reign over us But it is our Duty to be ready and willing for his sake to take up the Cross as well as to wear the Crown to submit to do his Work as well as to expect and receive the Recompences and Wages he doth bestow We must take him as our King as our Husband as our Lord and as our Owner and perform to him all those Duties which concern us as we are his Subjects his Spouse his Servants and People in whom he hath an undeniable property We should complain to Christ of our hard and inflexible Hearts our unruly and tumultuous Affections of those Lusts and Wickednesses which we find strongest in us we should be earnest with him in desiring his powerful governing Presence in and with us that our Lusts may be conquered our Affections tamed made moderate and sanctified and that our stubborn Hearts may be made soft and pliable We must take him for our Priest expecting nothing but Wrath as what is due to what we can do of our selves and therefore relying wholly on Christ We must not look for any Pardon but what Christ's Blood hath purchased nor any fellowship and communion with God but what Christ doth by his intercession obtain for us We must take him for our Prophet to teach direct and guide us and to advise and counsel us We are naturally ignorant of God and our selves and the things which most of all concern us and we cannot get a sound and perfect knowledg of them but by his instruction who is the great Revealer of them even Jesus Christ as Prophet Those who will receive Christ aright must learn to know and understand his Voice and Dialect that whensoever they hear it they may follow him John 10.4 Christ is the Truth the Way and the Life and there is no coming to or knowing of the Father but by him John 14.6 We must take him for our great Teacher we must be willing to learn whatever he shall instruct us in and embrace and receive every direction he shall give us Consider therefore with your selves whether it be thus with you Whether you have sincerely given up your selves to his Government do willingly submit to his Laws do chearfully consent that he should rule over you Do you depend only on his Sacrifice and Merits and do you rejoice in his Light Do you receive him as a Master a Father a Brother a Friend c. And do you demean your selves to him in all the Duties and Offices of your Relations as by the Obligations arising from such Relations you are bound unto Mal. 1.6 6. Our receiving Christ into our Hearts doth import our having a transcendent and extraordinary love for Christ No Man is worthy to follow Christ or be owned by him that cannot deny himself and take up his Cross for his sake Christ will not take up his abode in that Heart which is not entirely given up and resigned to him Our loving other things either with an equal or a greater Love than what we have for Christ renders us wholly unfit to enjoy him and deprives us of those special Communications he would otherwise vouchsafe unto us When Christ comes to us and calls for admittance he comes not like a Stranger to stay for a little while but as a Friend nay an Owner to take up his fixed residence and make his constant abode with us A little outward Ceremony and common Courtesy doth suffice for the entertainment of such as make Visits accidentally or for whom there is no very great respect But Love is necessary that there may be a personal constant abode and a mutual friendly converse together Christ must have our whole Hearts he cannot endure a Rival If we love other things it must be for his sake and in subordination to him or else this will exclude him and evidence that we refuse to receive him Call your selves now to an account and see whether your Hearts are free and disengaged from all other things or whether you are willing to receive Christ according to this sense of the Phrase Can you say in sincerity
Impediment to his admission than if he had a multitude of Rivals If we cherish any one Lust in our Bosom and suffer it to rule there it will as certainly keep Christ out of our Hearts as if we did allow our selves in a greater number of Sins If we were only haunted by Sin beleaguer'd and set upon courted and sollicited though by hundreds of Lusts the case would not be desperate we might it may be sooner listen to Christ than to any of them but when we close with any Lust submit our selves to its Power take it into our Heart and enthrone and crown it there chusing and preferring it before Christ then is our case dangerous indeed though we seem to reject and offer some indignity to those other Lusts and Vices that were suing for entertainment but did not suit so well with our Humor and Fancy as that did which we have surrendred our selves unto Too many do pretend to receive Christ and yet exclude him this way They are described Zeph. 1.5 That swear by the Lord and that swear by Malcham that is they profess friendship and subjection and obedience unto God and bind themselves hereunto by the strongest ties that can be devised swearing to be true and faithful to him alone and yet under-hand they swear to Malcham i.e. they swear in the same manner and devote themselves by Oath to be true to Moloch Take heed you do not entertain indulge or set up any Lust in your Hearts though never so privately for if you do this will keep Christ out and you will be as guilty before him as those who did swear by Malcham IV. We are now in the fourth place to enquire why Jesus Christ doth use so much importunity with Sinners to accept of him 1. Christ doth not use this earnestness with us as though he stood in any need of us It is not to acquire any advantage or benefit to himself from us but for our sakes and for our good that we may reap those Satisfactions which spring from Peoples enjoying of him He is absolutely perfect and doth not need any thing from us As he is God he was eternally blessed before we were in being And if we consider him as Man the humane Nature is unconceivably blessed in that personal Union it is admitted unto with the Divine Those glorious Discoveries which are made to him those blessed Communications which are imparted to the humane Nature and that unintelligible intimacy there is betwixt the two Natures do enrich him as Man with incomprehensible satisfactions and felicities Indeed if we consider Christ with reference to the Relation he bears to Believers and the number of God's Elect and how his Mystical Body is not compleat till the whole number be effectually called and brought together unto him we may perceive something there which may somewhat illustrate his earnestness in importuning Sinners to comply with his gracious Offers for herein we take notice of him in the execution of his Office And for this very end it is amongst others that he hath appointed several Offices in his Church Ephes 4.11 12 13. But what we are chiefly to refer his earnestness and importunity unto what we may impute it to with greatest safety and assurance is divine free and undeserved Love 2. He doth not use this earnestness with Sinners as though he could not procure himself admittance without their concurrence God ordinarily requireth our concurrence even as to those Instances wherein he doth most wonderfully display and magnify the Riches of his Grace towards us not as if we our selves were to have the greatest hand in the Work or that it could not be effected unless we did exert our strength for that purpose But because he will deal with us as with rational Creatures He will not force and drive Men into Heaven and Happiness aginst their wills He proceeds in such a way as is most proper to work upon our reasonable Faculties and he makes use of them for the perfecting of what he designs He doth ordinarily make use of rational Expedients with Men and if these prove unsuccesful those Persons are for their inexcusable obstinacy and stubbornness justly rejected 2 Thess 2.11 12. The Lord Jesus Christ hath the Koy of David he openeth and no Man shutteth Rev. 3.7 He hath power over all Hearts and can command admittance when he pleaseth but he thinks fit to use importunity and to proceed in such a way as is most suitable unto our Natures And he doth thus 1. To testify with the greater force and evidence his wonderful great Love to Sinners how ready and willing he is to save them He might say to Sinners at the first repulse they give him Let the filthy be filthy still and let the unclean be unclean still But when he puts up many denials and affronts and still renews his earnest Sollicitations and still condescends to argue and plead with Sinners his Love must be acknowledged on all hands by all sorts of Persons to be extraordinary great and fit to win and constrain our Hearts to submit to and close with his Tenders O what refractory helpless and even unpitiable Wretches are they who will hurry themselves to Hell in despite of all his Love Miserable and wilful Wretch what canst thou propose to thy self in rejecting and flying from the tenders of thy Saviour's Love Canst thou think to sweeten and indear Damnation to thee by preferring it before Life The whole Work of Redemption and Salvation is founded on and springs from Love every Passage belonging to it is a most great and pregnant demonstration of Love And in a very particular even sensible manner doth our Blessed Saviour discover manifest and approve the exceeding Riches and Greatness of his Love in being so earnest and importunate with Sinners for admittance 2. That all obstinate and impenitent rejecters of Christ and Grace may be at last without any excuse He that stubbornly stands out against all the Divine Courtings and loves his Lusts so immoderately that he will not be prevailed with by Christ nor all his intreaties to renounce and forsake them must needs be in a very forlorn and dreadful state When the Lord Jesus shall come to Judgment what will that miserable Wretch do Sinner thou wilt not have one word to say in thy own defence Thou must stand astonished full of shame and confusion silent and dumb without any Apology and Excuse Nay how loudly wilt thou then complain against and upbraid and reproach thy self for thy past contempt and mad refusing of offered Grace and Mercy How unmercifully and cruelly to thy own unspeakable vexation wilt thou then roar forth thy sense of thy approaching just Damnation Some may think to make Apologies for themselves and pretend they were ignorant they had not the Means the Helps the Opportunities others had otherwise they would not have done as they did But thou stubborn refuser of Christ whosoever thou art know thou for a certainty
us we are not only to cast away our Lusts and Sins but our Hearts must be fitted and disposed to receive him by the powerful Operation of his Holy Spirit beautifying and enriching them with Divine and Heavenly Qualifications And therefore it will concern us to be earnest in our Prayers that the good Spirit of God may come down upon us and make our Hearts and Souls meet Temples for the Son of God to dwell in IV. Go forth unto Christ by the actings of Faith upon all occasions Let Christ dwell in your Hearts by Faith Ephes 3.17 according to every alteration in your condition and according to all the diversities of Providence do you look unto Christ exercise Faith on him and by Faith fetch supplies of Grace from him V. Meditate much and often on the Love of Christ to Sinners Read over the Gospel the several Apostolical Epistles and the many Prophecies concerning Christ especially Isa 63. take notice of the many remarkable Passages there relating to Christ declaring his Condescention and Love weigh them seriously and press them upon thy own Soul and Conscience dwell on these Matters in thy Thoughts and expostulate with thy self about them What hath the Son of God taken my Nature has the King of Glory condescended to live here in the form of a Servant did he patiently undergo all the unjust Affronts and Contempts of lewd and prophane People did he bear the weight of God's Wrath and actually lay down his Life in the most open scandalous cursed linguering and painful kind of Death then known in the World and was all this for my sake O incomprehensible Love What shall I return unto my Saviour for all this I can never love Christ enough may I never cease admiring the many Instances wherein his Love hath broke forth unto me may I so wonder at and be affected with all these things that love to Christ may shine through all the passages of my Life May I never be at rest till I do arrive at the full enjoyment of my Saviour in his own Kingdom What has the Lord Jesus Christ done so much for me has he revealed such Truths made such Promises suffered such Sorrows submitted to such a Death as are recorded in the Holy Scriptures are so many glorious and wonderful Things related concerning him Doth he now reign in Heaven and hath he purchased such blessed Inheritance and satisfying Treasures for poor Sinners Nay doth he still importune and entreat me to accept of Him and his Benefits God forbid that I should oppose his Motions and resist his Love any longer Shall the King of Glory be slighted and excluded still by me Shall I wilfully cast away my own Soul and stubbornly neglect this great Salvation God forbid Shall it be writ on my Grave Here lies the sturdy ungrateful Wretch that did wilfully resist Jesus Christ the Wretch that resolved to force his way to Hell through all the Impediments and Discouragements infinite Justice and infinite Mercy had laid in his way that vile unpitiable Miscreant that would damn himself in spite of Love it self VI. Converse much with those who are experienced Christians and have much acquaintance with Christ He that walketh with wise Men shall be wise but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed Prov. 13.20 Such People will very much assist thee in thy closing with Christ by their Discourses Exhortations and Practice They can tell thee such things concerning Christ from their own experience as will warm and melt thy Heart and inflame thy Affections They will contribute much to thy help by their advice and counsel by the accounts they can give thee off their own experiences by their watchfulness over thee and by their fervent effectual Prayers for thee VII Labour to be acquainted with and to observe all the Motions and Workings of Christ towards Sinners and close with and improve every one of them when he is pleased to exert any of them towards thy self Take notice of the Calls he doth give thee in his Word and the awakening visits he doth make thee by his providential Occurrences and improve these to put thee on a more diligent search and close walking after him and to excite and quicken in thee more fervent desires after Communion with him VIII Conscientiously frequent those Ordinances wherein Christ hath promised his more especial Presence Prepare thy self carefully to meet thy Lord and come with passionate Desires and confident Expectations grounded on his Faithfulness Word and Promise that he will exhibit himself unto those Souls that sincerely long and wait for him IX Lastly Faithfully resign and give up thy self to Christ When thy Heart is affected truly with a sense of Christ's Love then desire him by fervent Prayer that he will be pleased to take thee into Covenant with himself and make a hearty faithful entire resignation of thy self unto him O Blessed Jesus most Holy Saviour I am unworthy I acknowledg to make use of thy Name I have often resisted and sinned against thy constraining Love but I am heartily sorry now that ever I did so O compassionate and tender-hearted Saviour reject not an humble returning mourning Penitent embrace me the unworthiest of all others in the Arms of thy Mercy and admit me into thy favour the more stubborn and head-strong and wilful I have been the more abundantly let thy Grace be manifested toward me and bring me under the more powerful influences of thy Love Lord seize by the Power of thy Grace and take possession of this Soul Gracious Saviour whose Bowels have ever yearned over the miserable and who hast been always compassionate and gracious to the unworthy favourably accept of this poor Oblation Lord it is the purchase of thy own Blood O reject not despise not cast not away what thou hast bought at so dear a rate Lord here is my Soul my Body my Heart my Affections my Mind my Judgment my Will Lord here is all that I have Lord I resign up all unto thee without any reservation do with all as pleaseth thee best only accept of them O Lord I love thee above all I desire with my whole Soul to love thee every Day more and more Lord dwell in my Heart rule over my whole Man bring all my Powers unto a true and sound subjection unto and compliance with thee in every thing May my Soul always admire thee my Heart love thee my Tongue praise thee my Lips speak of thy Glory and Goodness May my Life glorify thee may I in every part of my practice serve and honour thee may all my Faculties and Members be ready and faithful Servants for and unto thee Lord I long to be with thee my Soul panteth after thee For me to live is Christ and to die is gain Phil. 1.21 FINIS