the Feet of Christ and look up to him in all above all for all casting our selves and Burthens upon him that we may be supported under all our cares and fears and temptations and be relieved in all wants and exigencies Do all through the influence of that Spirit that comes down from the Head that with St. Paul you may live yet not you but Christ Paul owned his Life was bound up in Christ Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Sixthly The Sixth Request is That your Conversations be only as becomes the Gospel let not the Doctrin of Free-Grace be abused by your unholy Conversation see that ye be not of the number of those Atheists that say Let us Sin that Grace may abound Let the Enemies of the Doctrin of Free-Grace reproach the Doctrin and the Christians that own it a their pleasure I am sure there are none that are acquainted with the Free-Grace of God can live a loose Life neither was any known that taught that Doctrin feelingly or learn'd it truly that were ever known to be wicked persons The Grace of God teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts Indeed the Notions of Free-Grace may leave persons with unsanctified Hearts and Lives but the true Knowledg of it leaves so sweet a Savour upon the Heart that the Soul cannot willingly embrace Dunghil Lusts When the Soul knows the whole of his Salvation is of Free Grace that Soul is drawn forth to love admire glorifie and praise God who hath done such great things for him Let me beseech you let not the glorious Gospel suffer Reproach by your uneven Conversation You know you that profess the Truth Truths of Christ have many Enemies You had need pray earnestly to be led in a plain Path because of all your Enemies You have given up your selves to the Lord in your external Dedication see that it appear in your Conversation The Life of an Holy Man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to God 1 Pet. 4.6 That God you have given your selves up to is an holy God the Lord Jesus that redeemed you is the Holy one of God The Spirit that leads the Children of God is an holy Spirit the Covenant that you are in is an holy Covenant without Holiness none of you shall see the Lord. Then let me prevail in my Request Pray live holy Lives let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel only then no matter what Men say of you you will have great peace in your own Souls Psal 119.165 Great peace have they which love thy Law and nothing shall offend them It is better to be holy than to be thought holy no matter if you are outwardly black so you are inwardly beautiful Seventhly Walk in love imitate the Lord Jesus whose love overcame all our infirmities love brought him out of his Fathers Bosom love caused him to be born in a low condition to bear our sorrows and grief he taught love he practised love he died for love he left pledges of his love to comfort his Spouse in his absence and will shortly come and fetch all his Redeemed home to Glory to have their fill of love Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and given himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour Eph. 5.1 2. These will demonstrate that you are Christs Disciples John 13.35 The Lord Jesus Christ spake these words a little before his Death that they might be of the more force and make the more Impression upon the Souls of his Disciples as if he should say Remember my dying Love and let it live in your Bosoms as a precept and example to love one another And this is a certain Character of Love to Jesus Christ when we love Christ's Disciples for Christ's sake not because we are of the same mind in our Judgment but because we are Christ's Disciples and bear his Image and then you may assure your selves if you love upon such grounds your Love will not be restrained only to each other that walk in Church-fellowship but to all Saints as Saints of what denomination soever they go under which is much wanted in this day we live in It is much to be lamented that persons Saint themselves more by their own Opinion than by their Interest in Jesus Christ Saints should love as they are Children of one Father and in their way to Heaven and all that are in that way have Vnion with Christ and are Members of one glorious Head therefore we ought to love one another why should Brethren fall out by the way Nothing doth more manifest that the power of Godliness is in a People than when they love for Saintship rather than for Judgment If you read the 13th Chapter of the Corinthians the Apostle gives the true Characters of Love The first description of it is That it suffereth long that is Not hasty to take Revenge on them that offend them nor rash in Expressions to threaten Revenge Secondly It is kind ready to do any good Office Thirdly Envieth not is not troubled at the Prosperity of others however it go with himself Fourthly Vaunteth not it self doth not ambitiously glory in himself doth labour to exalt himself Fifthly Not puffed up not swelling with Conceits of himself Sixthly Doth not behave himself unseemly would not do any unseemly Action nor behave himself in an unbeseeming manner Seventhly Seeketh not his own hath not an Eye to his own profit as to make it his end but eyes God's Glory chiefly and the good of Zion more than carnal Interest Eightly Is not easily provoked though there may be Passions yet is not governed by them it is an Evil much to be lamented Passion so governs some as if their Tongues were set on fire from Hell Ninthly Thinketh no Evil he would do Evil to none nor readily take up Evil of another to have uncharitable Thoughts of him he will not be ready to charge his Brother rashly upon every Report Tenthly Rejoyceth not in Iniquity he doth not rejoyce in the Faults of others Elevently He rejoyceth in the Truth he rejoyceth that Truth prospereth and that an innocent persons Righteousness is cleared up The Apostle in winding up the marks of it shews it is every way excellent it beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things he beareth all things all Evils he meets withal he believeth all things good of his Brother so far as Charity may not injure Truth There be many that account themselves to have passed from Death to Life which fall short of those Characters of Love We may all lament we find it so cold in our selves to them that bear Christs Name and Image I beseech you dearly Beloved in the Lord be much in Love and you will be much in God for God is Love To be a loving Saint is a sign of a lively Saint many Waters cannot quench the fire
and loving cannot but mourn O now I wonder how I could shut him out of my Admiration of my Adoration out of my Praises and Delights one Moment Thus the loving-kindness of Christ melts the Heart when Christ is made our Life and Christ sends forth new glorious Beams of his Grace into the Soul the Saint would not walk with a slighting Thought of Christ but would be always admiring and glorifying Divine Love When a Soul comes to have a look from Christ then there is the weeping Eye Whâ—t dost weep for Soul O I weep for joy yet mourn for sorrow O that I should be so unkind so ungrateful as to slight and disregard him O that ever Christ should knock and knock again love and love again O Christ is my Life had he not been my Life I had been dead and undone unto all Eternity The Soul that before thought it self something now sends forth sad Complaints complaints of an unbelieving Heart that Christ hath been entertained no more believed no more relied on no more now the Soul complains and cries out O wretched Creature that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death and sin This is not a pining Unbelief but Faith being raised up in an higher pitch the Soul grows in Humility that it hath been so misbelieving If ever a Soul comes to have the blessed revelation of the excellency of Christ the thing which they lay to Heart is unbelief Many think if they can but keep touch with Duty it is well enough but when Christ comes the Soul mourns that it has not believed the Soul comes to see how worthless its self is and how precious Christ is O saith the Soul methinks all of Christ is precious His Offers are precious his Promises are precious his Precepts are precious O how unworthy am I of such Grace Thirdly When this Glorious Sun of Righteousness shines into the Heart of a poor sinner the Will is subdued they shall be a willing People in the day of my Power Man hath a Will to set up something of his own but now the Will is conquered When the Soul is brought to this Mr. Perkins in his Grain of Mustard-seed to have a constant and earnest desire to be reconciled to God to believe and to repent if it be in a touched heart is in acceptation with God as Reconciliation Faith and Repentance it self Saith the Soul Let me have nothing but Christ whatever I have without Christ it will do me no good let me live to Christ let me glorifie Christ blessed and glorious is such a Life I would be swallowed up in that Life and so then the Will is brought down Lord let me be any thing so that I may glorifie Christ then the Soul will trifle no longer Saith the Soul I am resolved to have a Christ he is offered why may I not have him God hath given him freely Why not to me that am a sinner the poor Soul presently laies hold on him presently stretches out his hand of Faith to lay hold on him Thus the Soul is growing though not with those Affections as it would yet the Affections are healed in growing in Contrition by the Sun of Righteousness shining on it Secondly A Soul is healed of the Wounds and Guilt that is on him When a Sinner comes to have the Sun of Righteousness shine on his Soul his Guilt is healed Isa 53. The Prophet saith by his Stripes we are healed The Stripes of Christ are our healing Verse 4 5. Surely he hath born our Griefs and carried our Sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted But he was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed There is no thriving in Grace till the Wounds of the Soul are healed all our Wounds are inward Wounds it is not an outward Prayer will heal your Wounds nor outward Fasting nor outward Confession no it must be the streams of the Blood of Christ running through the Veins of the Heart by Faith The Soul never comes to have his Wounds healed till Christ rises with healing under his Wings There is an inward Wound within the Soul there is Guilt within that will sit as a Judge condemning the Soul Now by his stripes we are healed there must be an Union with Christ the Sufferings of Christ to be made over to the Soul Christ's Righteousness to be made as surely the Soul 's own as if it had a perfect Righteousness of its own Take away all iniquity saith the Prophet so will we render the Calves of our Lips Take away all iniquity while there is any Guilt on you you are altogether guilty Psal 143 2. Enter not into Judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man be justified If you are called to answer for one Transgression you are undone if you are called to account for one you lie under the condemnation of all but when Christ is become your Life then all your Guilt is removed no Justification but by Christ alone The Diseases and Distempers of our Souls are our sins the guilt of sin is a wound that is cut deep in the Soul Now when a Soul is brought under the healing Wings of the Sun of Righteousness he heals this Wound Psal 103.3 Who forgiveth all thy iniquities and healeth all thy diseases Sin cut off a Creature from God and so maketh a Wound which now is healed and made up When they are pardoned forgiveness and healing is all one with them in the Prophet Hosea 14.4 I will heal their backslidings I will love them freely the Justification freely by his Grace as the Apostle calls it Poor sinner thou that ever knewest what sin was what a Wound it was to thy Soul knewest that thy pardon was a healing in thee so then this arising is by his Spirit in his Word he conveyeth the Blood of Jesus Christ the merit there of maketh it over to the poor Soul that believeth to the doing away of all the Guilt that lay on the Soul it also taketh away that Anguish and Trouble that did lie upon the Soul When a Wound is healed the Anguish and smart is taken away tho it may be while searched and tented there will be smart and sore yet afterwards it is taken away Broken Bones are nothing to a broken Heart nor the broken Flesh any thing to a broken Bone The Lord heals the broken Heart he bindeth up their Wounds Psal 141.3 I have seen his ways and I will heal him saith the Lord. He speaks to the conditions of a poor disconsolate Soul under the sense of God's Wrath Isa 57.8 9. He was wrath and smote him yea he did hide and was wrath Oh how this troubles a poor Soul he cannot but have his Heart full of Darkness Terror and Trouble that hath the face of God hidden from him Well saith the Lord tho
Grace we enjoy You that live Christ though you go mourning from a Sermon this may encourage you to wait for the Blessing of the means of Grace It may be a Soul may object and say I am a poor sorrowful Soul am I blessed Soul thou art blessed Blessed are they that mourn The contrite Heart is an acceptable Sacrifice to God Blessed are they that mourn This is your case sometimes you mourn at other times you rejoyce in God and joy in the God of your Salvation You are rich in Blessings all Sermons that you hear do your Souls good and all Ordinances do your Souls good you are blessed when you are humbled when you mourn when you thirst as well as when you rejoyce These are Spiritual Blessings in Christ O Christless Soul till you know Christ there is not one of these belongs to you O Sinners you have innumerable Curses hang over your Heads that are out of Christ you have a Book 〈◊〉 of Wo and Lamentation written without and within Ezek. 9.10 Many sorrows are to the wicked but he that trusteth to the Lord mercy compasseth him about Psal 32 10. Innumerable are the Blessings that Believers are compassed about with When you come to an Ordinance and think you do not meet with God you complain and go away mourning you are blessed if you go away in the dark you are blessed How so I blessed that cannot see Christ Yes blessed are they that trust in him and stay themselves upon him though they walk in Darkness and see no Light O what a rich Soul art thou that livest this Life of Faith You are blessed in all Ordinances all Opportunities I tell you whatever comes God will bless his people God's Providence is to all the World he takes care of the whole Creation he is wonderful in Goodness and Mercy yet as a rich Man that gives to many yet in an especial manner saith he I must remember my Children at home my dying Child my weak Child this Child that Child every Child So God gives liberally to all but gives his special Blessings to his Children his choice Blessings are reserved for his redeemed ones O what a rich Life it is to live Christ The Saint is rich in Faith rich in Love rich in Peace rich in all Blessings Then the Soul admires What am I blessed in every condition What with all spiritual Blessings O Lord not long ago I was crying out Sure God hath forsaken me But this was your infirmity and sin But is not Christ more precious to you than ever Do not you long for Christ thirst for Christ Then you are blessed Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Under Darkness under Temptation under every Affliction you are blessed and every Sermon and every Sacrament and every Ordinance you have you are blessed though you cannot rejoyce in God in all yet you are blessed in all though you go away hanging down your Head O I have not met with God! I tell you you are blessed For it is said Blessed are they that mourn and Blessed are the poor in Spirit Fourthly You are enriched with the Love of God I do not know what you can have more to enrich you If the love of God doth not make you rich I am sure nothing can and you can never be rich if you have not the love of God and be sure God loves you if you know Christ he looks on you in Christ loves you in Christ delights in you in Christ John 16.27 For the Father himself loveth you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God God's favour maketh rich those whom God favours he hath grace that heals his Soul which is that that makes his Happiness and is that which is the inward fashioning of every Man's apprehension that makes him happy that brings comfort to him Pray mind the Lord Jesus speaks with an Emphasis for the Father himself loveth you You have my Father's love a choice Love indeed And how comes this Love about because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God because you have believed in me and made me your life God loves you What God love me I confess it would make a Christian go comfortably through all the Tryals in the World the very ardency and application of that the Heart of God is the Ocean the first rise of all Love to the Creature Christ is the Spring that first receives from him Dr. Crisp and then through him all Love is diffused to the Creature God loves me for the Father himself loveth you What God love me I pray how comes it about because you have loved me and believed that I came out from God You have made me your Life you have Faith in me and now God loves you God never loved you whatever you did without Christ God abhors all out of Christ God elected you all in Christ chuses you all in Christ pardons you all in Christ and then Oh what Immense Love is this God loves you in Christ O unspeakable Love O infinite Love this Love is Love that passes Knowledge Love that passes Bounds O highth and depth of Love you that live in Christ and believe in Christ are rich Souls We use to say when we see Men thrive and prosper in the World This will be a rich Man And what may you say of the Saints O they will be rich indeed they will have a rich portion because they believe that Christ came out from God O Soul hast thou with thy Heart chose Christ with thy Heart lived to Christ with thy Heart wrapt up thy self in Christ is it the out-cry of thy Soul none but Christ none but Christ thou art a rich Soul for thou art already possest of the presence of God it will be thy portion to live in the House of God for ever For Brethren to dwell together in love and unity how sweet is it O the harmony of it but what a divine Harmony is there in that Soul where the Love of God dwells Turn about your Thoughts turn about your Ears Hear I beseech you for Christ's sake accept of Christ that you may have God's love God indeed loved the Elect with Everlasting Love in Christ but God's Love is not manifested to you until you believe in Christ then all the things of this life are yours there are many things which we cannot reach here the price is too great Is not that rare which costs dear there is not a bit of Bread you have you that are Saints but it cost the Bloud of Christ all your Mercies are in a way of redemption all is yours Paul and Apollos and Cephas and life and death and things present and things to come for ye are Christs and Christ is Gods May it not be said of them that know not Christ Nothing is theirs Is not the Minister yours as well as others Is
of Peace to you though he is the King of Terrors to most of the World he comes with an Angels Face to the Believer tells you sweet news tells you you must go to your Beds of Dust where you shall rest in Peace for a time and then be raised up to Glory as we do our Children wrap them up in their swadling Cloathes for the Night and dress them fine in the Morning Death might say come you are only to go to your bed of Dust and in the Morning when you awake the Bridegroom will come and attire you here you are desiring and longing after Christ you would have more of God more enjoyment of Christ more comfort in your Spirit well you shall have it in the other World It is true Christ will raise up the wicked to judge and condemn them Union with Christ causes the Soul to cry out O for me to live is Christ O let me live to thy Glory Lord O let not a moment of my Life be without the enjoyment of thee What is the Preaching of the Word why are the Embassadors sent forth what are a multitude of mercies if I do not enjoy Christ O that I may magnifie Christ glorifie Christ saith a Believer that is it I press after more than any thing I here enjoy Secondly A Believers desire is that he may live to enjoy Christ because of the blessed Supplies he hath from Christ saith the Prodigal In my Father's house there is Bread enough O saith the Soul my Grace and Peace and Comfort and Righteousness and Joy is all from Christ Saith the Psalmist He led me in the Paths of Righteousness and caused me to lye down in green Pastures O saith the Believer It is from Christ alone that I have supplies of Grace of Peace of Strength Saith Austin I wish I had seen three things That I had seen Rome in its Glory That I had seen Christ conversing with Men and that I had seen Paul and heard him Preach But saith another Father I desire to see the King in his Beauty the Lord Jesus Christ in his Kingdom of Glory Many have spoke of him yet never received Grace from him but to have Supplies from Christ to be watered from him that a Believer desires Thirdly A Believers desire is to live to Christ because all means and mercies are all too low for a Believer without Christ Ah saith the poor Soul What is this Ordinance but a dry Well if I have not Christ what is my Life my Friends my Comforts without Christ It was asked one where lay his Jewels my Jewels are in my Husband and his Conquests Another where lie your Ornaments my Ornaments in my two Sons But ask a Believer Where are your Jewels my Jewels are in Jesus Christ the Pearl of Price ask another Believer where are your Ornaments O it is in Christ I put on Christ I wear Christ I enjoy Christ Christ is my Ornament ask another where is your Treasure in the unsearchable Riches of Christ Ephes 3.8 Vnto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should Preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable Riches of Christ there is a Believers Riches Now the World is too low a Region for a Believer to live in were it not that he enjoys Christ in it Meat and Drink and Honours are too low for a Believer to live on but to enjoy Christ in all is that which he aims at I hope that I may say that it is your earnest desire to enjoy Christ and that any thing below this would have been too low an end for you in your earnest desires for me to be restored to you and to have me among you once more to see me in the Flesh only was too low an end but your end I hope was that you might enjoy Christ That I might be spared to Preach Salvation in Christ to you what your Souls had formerly tasted of The Lord wip'd away your Tears and took away your sorrowful Spirits O that you may meet with Jesus Christ whom your Souls long for and long to hear from O that he that is the Life of Saints may come with quickening Life to your Souls that you may know your aim and end was that you might enjoy Christ The Lord hath heard your Cries and the Lord grant your Weeping and Sorrow may be turned into Joy while you live and that we may meet together before the Throne where you shall have your Tears wiped away Fourthly The fourth Reason is The endeared Love of Jesus Christ constrains a Believer to desire nothing in this Life but what they may enjoy Christ in O saith a Believer Lord let me dye in thy Embraces rather than to live with the hiding of thy Face I had rather dye in thy Arms than to live with thy Arms clasped against me The love of Christ constrains me as 2 Cor. 5.14 Friends have you tasted of the Love of Christ and can you desire any thing that you do not enjoy Christ in What a poor heap of nothing is all in the World without Christ A Saint will tell you if you ask him that he never lived a good day while he lived without Christ why the Love of Christ is shed abroad in his heart for the Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all than were all dead Saith the Apostle The love of Christ constrains me why if one died for all then were all dead in sin what shall we do then that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again When a Soul by Faith sees a dying Christ methinks he should say The love of Christ constrains me He lived Love and taught Love he died in Love and sits at Gods Right Hand in the infiniteness of his Love to intercede for his redeemed ones Saith the Apostle The love of Christ constrains me If we ask some Why do you so long after the enjoyments of Christ O says the Soul the Love of Christ The Love of a bleeding dying Christ constrains me How lovely are his embraces He hath called me loved me washed me a dead sinner a wretched sinner O the love of Christ constrains me I am in a strait I would not ask for Life if I might not enjoy Christ Not Christ only as he was King of the Jews as he conversed here on Earth but a crucified bleeding Christ Paul goes through the World as a Man minding nothing I don't know any man after the Flesh nor I do not regard what man saith No nor I do not know Christ as he came of the Stock of the Jews but I know Christ as my Redeemer and that he died for me He goes through the World as a man that hath lost a rich Pearl he goes looking for that Pearl so that he minds nothing else But if I could find this Pearl It is the love of
profitable How warmly do they discourse of the Kingdom of God How longing after it Luke 24.32 And they said one to another Did not our Hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures He might have talked of the Scriptures long enough and opened the meaning of them and no warmth come to their Heart till he shined into their Souls You that are united to this Sun of Righteousness you that live on him by Faith you are under these thriving Beams though you have not always the same manifestation But when these glorious Beams dart into your Souls how lively are you in your walking and in your talking Though you may have some frosty Nights some cold Fits yet while you are united to this Sun of Righteousness you shall have some warm Beams that shall make you thrive and grow All means of Grace are like the Prophet's Staff which will not bring the dead Child to Life until the Prophet comes When the Prophet came and lay on the Child the Child was warm and it breathed and stirred and rose up and walked Poor doubting Soul is there Breath in thee Dost thou breath after Christ Dost thou desire no means mercies nor blessings but what thou mayest enjoy Christ in them I say Christ hath already breathed on you and his Divine Beams of Grace will cause you to rise up and walk I mean to grow stronger and stronger so that the Sun of Righteousness heals the Affections of many A poor Soul cries I cannot love Christ it is impossible I should ever love him But if you desire to love Christ with your whole Heart you love him already The Soul that hath a spark of Faith that works by Love shall be sure to increase in Love When Christ comes down when he puts in his Finger by the hole of the Door saith the Soul Draw me I will run after thee his Love is better than Wine Christ sometimes gives you drops of Wine sometimes Flagons of Wine sometimes but a Sip and sometimes full Draughts Draw me and I will run after thee as if she had said Draw me and I will commend thee to others As Melancthon said when he was converted He thought that he could have converted all that he conversed with but he found the old Serpent was too hard for young Melancthon When the Soul comes to know this glorious Christ by Faith and to live upon him the Soul thinks he could so commend him that he could make all about him to love Christ Draw me I will run after thee Why what is the matter Thy Love is better than Wine vers 3. Because of the savour of thy good Oyntments thy Name is as Oyntments poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee vers 4. Draw me we will run after thee When the Lord Jesus Christ witnesses to the Believer by the Spirit that he is united to him when he sends forth Divine Beams from this Glorious Light and Life and Warmth the Soul hath his Love drawn out abundantly When Peter was freezing by the Fire in the High Priest's Hall one look from Christ melts his Heart Ah my Friends you may have the Fire of Ordinances kindled yet have an Heart as cold as a stone but when Christ looks on you then does he melt your Souls into the very Image of Love then he draws the Heart after him in Divine Acts of Love that what the Soul hath often thought of now it comes more and more to the Soul that Love is stronger than Death When the Divine Beams of Divine Love are darted into the Soul and the Soul comes to consider First What unconceivable Love the Love of Christ is O saith the Soul Christ hath loved me with an unconceivable unspeakable Love So Paul saith who loved me and gave himself for me Not I live but Christ lives in me the Soul is acquainted this is an unspeakable Love John 1.3 Behold what manner of Love is this that we should be called the Children of God! O what unspeakable Love is this saith the Soul that I should be called a Child of God! How comes it about O the Wonders of this Love O that I should be called a Child of God What me to be made like Christ For God to be my Father in Christ What manner of Love is this How unspeakable how wonderful is this love Secondly When Christ comes to shine on the Soul it comes to see what distinguishing Love this is Why me O Lord Who gave himself for me Saith the Apostle There is an application of this Love Why me Lord Why not many thousands chosen and I left out Why I chosen and many thousands left O that Christ should love me redeem me die for me O my Soul love thou the Lord live to this Lord let him be all in all who loved me before the World was That I am not among the Damned in Hell is a wonderful mercy But that I should be one of the Lords redeemed ones that I should be chosen out of the Kindred and Tongues and Nations of the Earth O what Love is this The Expressions and Impressions of Divine Love A Believer would live with it all his days and die with it and go to Glory with it Why me Lord Why hast thou pardoned me sanctified me O that God should give Christ for me That Christ should go through his Sorrows for me Through his bloody Sweat for me That I should have a part in Christ's precious Merits What though Christ loved sinners if I am not the sinner that Christ loves But when the Beams of Divine Love are darted into the Soul it cries O that Christ hath loved me more than his own Life more than his own Glory and love me above others in the World O what distinguishing Love is this Then the Soul must needs have an endeared Love to Christ O that for me to live may be Christ O that I may enjoy him in all my enjoyments Thirdly The Soul sees the Love of Christ is undeserved Love O wretch that I am that ever Christ should love me It is an heightning our Love when the Divine Beams of his Love shines on our Souls to reveal how unworthy we are of Christ's Love This is that the Apostle speaks of and nothing more heightens our Love than that Christ loved us when we were unworthy of his Love 1 Tim. 1.12 13. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the Ministry who was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy It is a glorious Beam of Divinity shines on the Soul when the Soul comes to see its own Unworthiness Why me Lord so wretched and miserable a sinner What Christ come from his Glorious Throne from Heaven to Earth to heal my Heart To come here to die for me a wretched Soul O when the Sun of Righteousness rises on the
Christ always when the Soul wants Fruit comes with a Divine Beam darting into the Soul Christ doth cast many sweet Looks on a sinner when he breaks his Heart for sin First A Look of Love Hast thou dealt so with the Lord that loved thee Ah Peter tho thou hast denied me I will not forsake thee Oh Peter though thou hast swore and curst I know not the Man yet I know thee and will take notice of thee and will make known my self to thee O consider what Love this was Christ looked with a first Love on Peter we love him because he first loved us Ah Peter thou hast made the Breach but I will come to make it up thou hast turned from me but I will follow thee with my Love I will begin with thee As Christ began our Life of Grace so he begins all our Revivings Take a Saint under an hard Heart under Guilt he may sit under means and it is his Duty so to do but no stirring till Christ comes When Peter was in his sin and rebellion Christ looked on him with a first Love Secondly Christ looks with a free Love Peter I will not wait till thou comest to me with Legal Repentance I will look on thee before thou confessest me Christ begins first he comes freely with his Love Peter had smote on his Heart he had no preparation to come to Christ Christ loves freely Hosea 14. when he heals Backsliders he loves freely Verse 4. I will heal their back sliding I will love them freely for my anger is turned away from them Every Act of Christ's Love to us is free Love there is not any moment of our time that we can bring any thing that is our own to Christ to love us Thirdly Christ's Love was a very strong Love sinners shall never break the Cords of it Therefore have I drawn them with the cords of a man with the bands of Love Hos 11.4 O how strong was Christ's Love to Peter When a Soul laments that it cannot love Christ then the â—oul is growing in the Grace of Love Love then is stronger than Death and so is Christ's Love to every one that he redeems and so it was to Peter The strong love of Christ broke in upon him and now he falls a weeping Ah Peter have I loved thee and yet thou hast forsaken me yet here I am with a new look of Love Love stronger than Death that overcomes all our deadness and coldness then the Heart breaks and melts when Christ comes with his look of Grace he will break the hardest Heart there Fourthly Christ's Love was a very seasonable Love Then was the time of love when thou wert weltering in thy Blood Ezek. 16. How seasonably does the Sun shine on the Flowers and Plants to revive and comfort them When the Soul complains Corruption is strong Grace is weak my Heart is cold Love dies I find my Soul fainting I fear I decay Christ comes in seasonably with a new Manifestation of his love to the Soul and this breaks the very Heart That which is spoke of the Sun in the Firmament may be spoken of this glorious Sun of Righteousness the Sun comes like a Bridegroom out of his Chamber so does the Lord Jesus Christ appear to his Bride The Sun rejoyceth to run its Race as a strong Man and as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber does it appear So does Christ comes as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber and as a strong Man delights to run his Race so does the Lord Jesus Christ break forth into the Soul with his glorious Beams of Divine Grace Fifthly Christ's love is a great love How great is that love that can pardon such sins pardon such sinners visit the Saints under such Frames of Heart This was the love of Christ to Peter he lookt on Peter to break his Heart with a look of love Secondly He looked with a look of Mercy O Peter I will pardon thee Return to me saith the Lord I am married unto thee Jer. 3. Ah Peter I am thine he looked upon Peter it was Mercy broke Peter's Heart The Terrors of the Law may make Men run distracted but their Hearts are hardned against God But when pardoning Grace comes that breaks the Heart melts the Heart Peter went out and wept bitterly what shall I find mercy shall I find favour shall such rich mercy be shewed in pardoning me O give thanks unto the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 107. Psal 136. Thirdly The Lord Jesus Christ breaks in with a Divine Shine of Sanctification If Christ is your Life you shall never want Grace it is our Duty to be waiting for Grace praying for Grace but a Believer shall never want Grace he gives Grace to him in a time of need if ever it was a time of need this was a time of need with Peter It is good you should see your want it is good you should seek the Lord he gives the Grace of Repentance the Grace of Humility he gives the Grace of Godly Sorrow How seasonably is Grace given to a Soul that longs for it When there is no Water in their own Cisterns the Lord Jesus comes with new Springs of Grace to such a Soul A Believer never walks more comfortably than when he walks humbly then the Soul mourns before the Lord. Such Divine Beams of Love from Christ work in the Soul true Contrition and Humiliation Ah saith the Soul have I had so many wooings so many offers of Grace yet have kept Grace out of my Heart Could I shut out the remembrance of him one moment Hath his love been so soon forgotten He that wept for me and bled for me and died for me have I kept him out of my Heart The Spouse tasted of this but it was a growing time but her Soul was in great bitterness Oh saith she it was the voice of my Beloved I knew him yet I did not open to him Cant. 5.2 I sleep but my heart waketh saying open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my Vndefiled for my Hand is filled with Dew and my Locks with the drops of the night Verse 3. I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Verse 4. My Beloved put in his Hand by the hole of the door and my Bowels were moved for him When I opened my Bowels my Bowels were moved to think that I knew it was my Beloved yet would not open to him When a Soul comes to know Christ it cries O the many Offers I have had O the many sweet Wooings I have had O that ever I should slight and neglect and resist as I have done O that I should love so little when he loves so much O how slight have I thought of him How unkindly have I carried it and how untenderly O now let Christ be all in all Now the Soul hath a weeping Eye I looking cannot but love
Alms lived in offensively to all done hurt to none as sure as you live now the next word would be I know you not depart from me We must be sanctified by the Righteousness of Faith which is of God in Christ O what a blessed thing is it to be found in him That was Paul's care and desire Phil. 3.9 And be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by Faith and be found in him These words have an Emphasis in them And be found in him O take heed every one of you that hear me this day that you be found in Christ not having mine own righteousness saith the Apostle What Paul none of your Sufferings none of your Prayers none of your Duties no none of them these are good in their places but I would have none of them in point of Justification but be found in Christ I desire the Righteousness which is of God by Faith I tell you Friends you can never grow till you come to live this Life till the Sun of Righteousness rises on your Souls and you go forth of your selves and live on Christ and then you grow why Because then you are grafted into another Stock John 1.1 2. I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit he taketh away and every Branch that beareth Fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more Fruit. You must be united and grafted into another Stock before you can bring forth Fruit. It may be some will say What have I lived so long and have not taken one step to Heaven I tell you until you know Christ you have not taken one step Heaven-wards many Duties performed and yet the Man be where he was Can a blind Man see his way until his Eyes be opened Can a dead Man walk till he is raised from the Grave Can a Man serve God and please God that is dead in sin under sin Dead God-wards Heavenwards Dead to the Life of Grace Blessed be God for every moral Man and I wish we had more of them in the World But this is Salvation-work we are about there is nothing below the saving Knowledg of Christ will give you entrance into Glory Be under Ordinances as long as you will not one step do you take Heavenward till Christ comes to be your Life then the Soul prospers then it hath liberty Take a Soul that doth not know this Life of Christ the Soul is under burdens I will appeal to your Consciences until you came to know Christ was there not a burden on your Soul If you should have prayed all your Life you could not get the Burden removed And can a Man thrive under a Burden under Weights under Pressures There is a Burden on the Conscience the poor Papist the poor Legalist the poor Formalist when they have done all they can come to speak with them the weight is still left behind What if a Man lives twenty or thirty years in Turky he is still in Captivity notwithstanding all his toil and pains if he be not redeemed by paying a Ransom for him There is great plenty of Means among Professors but still there is a complaining I pray and I hear and I have no comfort but when Christ comes to rise with healing under his Wings when a Soul beholds his Iniquities laid on Christ never to be charged on him more then he serves the Lord chearfully walks chearfully with God in all the Duties of his Heavenly Calling While a Man bears his own Iniquity he can never walk chearfully never serve God comfortably Whatever a person does while he lives on any thing below Christ he lives but discontentedly What gives the Soul rest and satisfaction must be as durable as the Soul is Mr. Flavel's Treatise of the Soul p. 121. for if we can possibly find in this World a condition and state of things most agreeable in all other respects to our desires and wishes yet if the Soul be conscious to it self that it shall and must over-live and leave them all behind it it can never reach true contentment in the greatest afflulence and confluence of them Man being an immortal is therefore a prospecting Creature and can never be satisfied with this that it s well with him at present except he can be satisfied that it shall be so for ever Do what you will there is a discontentedness if you have not Christ to take away the sin of your Duties When the Messengers of Job came one after another what will you never have done He might have said No not while all is gon neither will the Law have done cursing you nor Conscience accusing you while you are under the Guilt of sin there comes one Messenger after another bringing the bad News Whatever you do while you are Straâ—gers to Christ you have nothing but ill News The Justice of God meets you the Law condemns you the Devil takes all advantages against you because you have not Christ to be your Righteousness But whatever a Christian meets with of Crosses Afflictions Reproaches if he say Comest thou peaceably the Answer will be I come peaceably When Christ is become your Salvation and hath taken away your Iniquity there is nothing comes to you but what comes peaceably Where is Daniel In the Lion's Den What among those devouring Creatures But there is the Angel of the Lord with him to stop their Mouths The three Children in the Fiery Furnace but there is the Lord Jesus Christ with them Where is Moses on Mount Horeb but there is the Angel in the burning Bush with him Where are the Children of Israel in the Wilderness In Affliction but the Angel of his Presence is with them Isa 63.9 In all their Afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his Presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed him and he bare them and carried them all the days of old And where art thou Soul that Christ is thy Life in Afflictions All is for good all is in love There is not one Providence comes but it is for thy good How can you love God when you live discontentedly How can you delight in God while you fear God is angry with you While you think tho I have been at Duty I have not done enough Here will be an Opposition against Duty a carnal Heart cannot hold out long and what you do will be but with discontent What Profit have we that we have fasted and prayed and thou regardest it not Many Persons look after large Expressions and great Enlargements when they miss of them they are discontented as Jonah was because his Goord withered Here is a discontented Professor as well as an humble Christian The humble Christian complains why Because he cannot believe more nor love God more nor serve God better But the discontented
safe for him then a Saint while he lives he need not fear Death he lives a certain Life Secondly He may live comfortably First He may live certainly on comforts I am Christ's and I know nothing shall pluck me from Christ I am perswaded What are you perswaded of Paul I am perswaded that neither Life nor Death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. May not some Temptation some Corruption over-set you No saith he they shall not I shall be a Conqueror through Christ nothing shall separate me from him I am perswaded Death shall not if I live I live Christ if I die I shall live with Christ Nor Angels Good Angels will not if they would they should not nor bad Angels shall not nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present Buffitings Reproaches Scornings Imprisonment Sufferings what if you go through all this and are not separate from Christ Yet is there not something to come Do you not fear Death and Judgment that will be a Terror to most of the Sons and Daughters of Men. Whatever comes I still am Christs neither height nor depth shall separate me from Christ Let mine Iniquities reach up as high as Heaven the righteousness of Christ is still higher Nor Depths It shall not swallow a Believer up he is held safe in the everlasting Arms of infallible Grace and Mercy What a certain Life does a Saint live that is sure never to be separated from Christ things present cannot do it nor things to come shall not What a blessed Life an happy Life a safe Life is this O poor Christless Soul how uncertain dost thou live You are not sure of abiding here one moment The World is like an handful of Sand running through your Fingers like the Air that you breath in that you cannot hold a moment in your Fist But the Believer hath a certainty he can assure himself he shall never be poor and miserable nor deprived of true Happiness but shall be safe for ever in the Hands of Christ As for this World it is uncertain how long we shall enjoy Life Liberty or any Mercy we know not But the best Counsel I can give you is to get Christ and then you will be safe Things may have a good Aspect one day and another day as bad but yet in Christ you are safe for ever in Life in Death and to all Eternity Here you are certain of nothing Favour of Men or high or low rich or poor is unconstant the Wheel turns in a moment But if you have Christ you have a certain Life O how comfortably may a Saint live in all troubles and changes whatsoever that hath Christ for his Life We use to say It is an ill Wind blows no body good But I say let the Wind blow as ill as it will it blows the Saint always good that the Soul may say Let what will come I live well We may compare a Saint that is troubled for outward things to a Man that hath an Orchard full of Trees laden with Fruit but because the Wind has blown off the Leaves sits down and weeps If one should ask What do you weep for Why my Apple-tree Leaves are gone Why you have your Apples have you not Yes then what a foolish Man are you to weep for a few Leaves that might hinder both sight and ripening of your Fruit The comforts of this World are but Leaves Why do you weep for the Leaves while you have the Fruit Glorious Promises Glorious Peace Glorious Pardon Riches of Grace Hope of Glory and set down to weep or be cast down for the Loss of a few worldly comforts And the truth of it is so narrow are our Spirits so unbelieving are our Hearts that we many times weep for Losses here as if we had no better Portion What weeping while the Boughs hang full of Fruit What weep while your Souls have the glorious Promises and glorious Peace and glorious Pardon and a glorious Christ and hopes of Life Eternal through him Will you weep for a few outward Losses and Crosses while your Souls are filled with Fruit While your Souls are as Trees bringing forth Twins This is much to be lamented that the Saints do thus mourn for outward comforts let the Wind blow which way it will it cannot take away your Life You may eat of the Fruit of the Tree of Life in the midst of Paradice that you may leave your Drops below and come to the full Fountains above If a Man hath enough he may afford to lose a little Saith the Psalmist I have a goodly Heritage the Lord is my Portion Psal 16.5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine Inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot the lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly Heritage While Christ is my Life my Glory my Portion I have a goodly Portion May be the Winds may arise Storms of Affliction Storms of Trouble the Lord knows what may be but make sure of Christ let the Wind blow what way it will it can but blow off the Leaves it cannot take away the Fruit. The Church saith in Lam. 3.24 The Lord was her portion she would hope in him Is it so that a Believers Life is bound up in Christ There is a great deal of difference between a Believer and another Man at Death What are the thoughts of a carnal Man at Death What if they were known to the Standers-by My Life is done and my Misery is come O that I were to live in the World and never die But what is a Believers thought O saith he that my Heart may be setled on Christ that I may know Christ to be my Life and God mine I would bless his Name for ever There is a difference between a moral Man and a Believer How is it I have lived honestly I have done no body any harm God deal with me as I have done with others Now a Believer will discourse of things in another manner I have nothing in my self I am sin and sinful but Christ is my Life therefore I desire not to stand in one of my good Works in Judgment but wrap up my self wholly in Christs Righteousness Come to a Legal Man one under the Law O I would pray more fast more if I were to live longer Thus he would do a great deal of Work in a little time not considering if he lives longer he carries the same Heart about him But a Believer saith If I am to live it shall be by Faith I would believe more know Christ more I would live upon Christ more and when I die I would die in him and be found in him at the great day 3 Infer Is it so that a Believer's Life is bound up in Christ What boundless Love was
this in God to poor Sinners that he unbosoms himself to them that he should give Christ to be their Life When they were carnal wicked and sinful that then Jesus Christ should be revealed unto them that the Lord should bestow on dead Sinners such a precious Life who were by Nature poor dead heavy Lumps of Hell What infinite surpassing Love is this that should give such a Life to raise up Lumps of Hell to Heavenly Glory Christ cloathed himself with Human Flesh and Blood that so he might become an Infinit Mass and boundless Sea of visible speaking breathing weeping bleeding living dying Grace All the glorified Saints and Angels are but living Monuments and ever-living Tenants of this Free Grace this Grace of Christ perfumeth Heaven and Earth All the Grace which God doth or can put forth for the Salvation of Sinners is laid up and exhibited by Christ he has broad and strong Shoulders which can bear to Heaven the most heavy Lumps of Hell There is more Force and Omnipotence in Christ's Infirmity and Sufferings than in all the strength and efficacy of Men and Angels There is more Life in Christs Death more Riches in his Poverty more Victory in his hanging on the Cross than in all the World besides yea Christ's very Sighs Tears Sweat Stripes Reproaches and Faintings have a Sovereign Efficacy in them for the procuring and conferring Grace on his redeemed ones Thence we receive of Christs Fulness Grace for Grace Look as the Child receiveth from his Parent Limb for Limb Member for Member as the Sons of Adam receive all of his Fulness Sin for Sin Lust for Lust so Christs regenerated ones receive of his Fulness Grace for Grace there is not any Grace in the Heart of Christ but his Members have an Impartment and Resemblance thereof Now this infinite Plenitude of Grace in Christ which renders him so glorious proceeds originally from the Election of God the Father for all the Treasures of Grace are originally lodged in the Sovereign good pleasure or Heart of God the Father who has ordained Christ as Mediator through whom all are to be conveighed to the Elect. This ought greatly to be remarked or heeded by the Friends of Christ that albeit the Divine Essence and Sovereign Will of God be the Original Fountain of all Grace yet he has determin'd that not one drop of this Grace shall be derived unto Sinners but through Christ a Mediator This is the gret Mystery of the Gospel the great Wonder of Heaven and Earth that the blessed God who is the Fountain of all Grace Mr. Gale of the Saints Amity with God in Christ should so far condescend to Sinners as to assume Human Nature and to make it a Receptacle and Vehicle to convey all Grace unto them 4 Infer Is Christ a Believers Life and such a Life as hath been discoursed How should Believers be endeared to Jesus Christ What a thriving happy blessed glorious surpassing Life do Believers live It is natural to Persons to love their Lives more than all Enjoyments What Cost and Pains will Persons be at to preserve their natural Lives but what are all the Lives that have been since Adam to the end of the World if compared with Christ who is a Believers Life all their present and future Blessings are bound up in this Life What cause hath every every Believer to mourn that they love Christ so little that hath loved them so much His Love to them passeth Knowledge the Depths of it can never be fathomed With what purpose of Heart should every Believer cleave to Christ Christ loved with his whole Heart as it doth appear by what he hath suffered for his redeemed ones Methinks I should hear a Believer say with Peter Lord thou knowest I love thee It is much to be lamented Christ hath many professed Friends but few real Lovers as a Learned Author saith Multi osculantur Christum pauci vero amant Many kiss Christ but few love him Many do as Orpha did to her Mother Naomi Kiss and take their leave And many with Judas Kiss and betray But Oh with what an hearty and fervent Love should every Believer love Christ 5 Infer Is Christ a Believers Life Then what Life should there be in a Believers Love towards each other They that are bound up in the same bundle of Life should be bound up in a bundle of Love How can our Love be hid from them in whom we see the Love of Christ appear How can those pretend to be made partakers of the Life of Christ that are Strangers to the Love of Christ Rivers of Waters ran down David's Eyes because Men kept not God's Law Have we not cause in our days to shed a Flood of Tears that Christians break Christ's new Commandment who hath commanded his Disciples to love one another There are many that pretend to be passed from Death to Life but few there are that love the Brethren Are not many so bound up in their own Opinion as if their whole Salvation lay therein laying such weight and stress thereon as if none could be saved but them that jump in with them in their Opinion while it may be all the while they are grosly mistaken But if their Form and way of Worship be right they mistake the Mark that rest there for Salvation How do such despise Persons holier and sounder in the Principles of Religion than themselves and while they profess themselves to be Christians of the highest Rank they deny an Article of our Christian Faith that all that own themselves Christians profess to believe viz. the Communion of Saints denying Fellowship with them that have Fellowship with the Father and his Son Christ Jesus such as are bound up in 〈◊〉 things as Tith of Mint Annis and Cummin neglect the weightier matters Judgment Mercy and Faith not but that it is good to be zealous for every Truth of Christ but not to let our Zeal run out more in the Form than the Power of Godliness as the Pharisees of old did Where Love is wanting the life and power of Godliness is absent from such Persons If Love to the Brethren is a mark of Grace I believe many that account themselves very good Christians fail of that mark except none are their Brethren but those of their own Opinion then Papists and Quakers and all such Persons that hold together in a cursed Unity to uphold damnable Heresies may be said to love the Brethren as well as such for they love not for Christ's sake nor as they bare the Image of God but for Opinions sake They that love the Brethren that love such as have the Lord Jesus formed upon their Hearts will love every person that is sound in the Faith and holy in Life though he differ in Judgment in some outward Forms Persons being great in their own Eyes makes them look so loftily upon their Brethren as Luther saith of himself Tantus eram sanctus ut purissimus
But the Glory and Homage which is peculiarly due unto God he will not give unto another Isa 42.8 48.11 For what else do we by performing Divine Honour to any but own and acknowledge such to be God unto whom we thereby ascribe Divine Excellencies with respect whereunto we yield that peculiar Reverence which is due to God alone as such And seeing he dwelleth in the Light which none can approach unto 1 Tim. 6.16 is infinite invisible and incomprehensible in his Being it hath pleased God to condescend to give forth such a Representation of himself and such evident discoveries of his Divine Excellencies as might be a meet Object of Divine Honour and worthy to receive the Homage due from Creatures unto their Creator This was the Shekinahâ— or Divine Presence of old evidencing it self by Divine Operations Hence Jacob saith of it Gen. 28.16 17. Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not and he was afraid and he said How dreadful is this place this is none other but the House of God and this is the Gate of Heaven The Egyptians said of the Plague of Lice Exod. 8.19 that it was the Finger of God This Divine Presence in the burning Bush obliged Moses to pull off his Shoes Exod. 3.5 and Joshua to the like act of Reverence Josh 5.14 15. unto the Lord as Prince of the Lords Host unto this Glory of God as discovering it self at the door of the Tabernacle in a Cloud Exod. 33.10 The people bowed their Heads and worshiped This Divine Presence of God dwelling between the Cherubims and filling the Temple 1 King 8.10 11 12 13 27 28 29 30. obliged Israel to Worship towards that Holy Place there being discovered the Tekmeria or evident Marks of the Divine Glory and to pay the same Respect to any other place or to that place now God is not there is Idolatry Deut. 16.5 6. 12.13 14. 1 King 12.28 29 30. Now proportionably unto that degree and measure of the Discovery which God is pleased to make of himself to his Church As to the Obscurity or Clearness of it such is the Glory or Defect of these Dispensations 2 Cor. 3.9 10 11 14 18. Heb. 1.1 In this respect therefore it is that the Dispensation of the Gospel is so far excelling the Glory of all former times in that by the Incarnation and Exhibition of Jesus Christ God is manifest in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 is most clearly fully and gloriously revealed in the person of Christ No Man hath seen God at any time but the only begotten Son that dwelleth in the Bosom of the Father he hath declared him John 1.18 He was declared to be the Son of God with Power by the Resurrection from the Dead Rom. 1.4 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake unto our Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds who being the Brightness of his Glory and the Character or express Image of his Person and upholding all things by the Word of his Power when he had by himself purged our sins sat down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on high Heb. 1.1 2 3. Who thought it not robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2.6 Seeing it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1.19 All the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge being hid in him Col. 2.3 And the infinite eternal unchangeable Excellencies of God in his Counsel of Peace his Love Grace and Mercy to lost Sinners being revealed by him and represented in him 1 John 3.16 1 John 4.8 9 10. By him is Glory brought to God in the highest on Earth Peace and good will towards Men Luke 2.14 Hence it is that all Idolatry is now more inexcusable than ever Men being not now left to grope in the dark since Christ is come a Light into the World John 3.19 John 15.22.24 Acts 17.30 31. So that we may conclude as this living to him is an Act of Divine Honour That he is worthy of it and we may say Rev. 1.5 Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen And Rev. 5.12 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Wisdom and Riches and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing John 5.23 That all Men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father Secondly Another Respect on the Account whereof this Living to Christ here pressed appeareth reasonable is as it is an expression of the greatest Love and highest Esteem of him to whom we live and this he is most worthy of being incomparably lovely in himself and having loved us with an infinite and everlasting Love who hath died for us while we were Enemies and Sinners and washed us from our sins in his Blood And Thirdly As this living to Christ is a Resignation of our selves unto the disposal of another He is most worthy of it who hath redeemed us with the price of his precious Blood therefore ought we to honour him with our Lives seeing we are not our own but his purchased People So that to live to Christ in the constant performance of Divine Honour to him in the highest Expressions of the greatest Love unto him and in the fullest resignation of our selves unto this Jesus our dear Redeemer is entirely his due and no more than our reasonable Service Secondly As it is in reason due to Christ so it is most necessary for us This being the Fruit God expects at our hands for this great Cost he hath been put unto for our Redemption from Wrath to come 2 Tit. 14. Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of Good Works Rom. 14.8 9. To this end Christ both died and arose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Therefore saith the Apostle None of us liveth to himself but whether we live we live to the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords The like we have in the Text whereon the following Discourse is raised Phil. 1.20 21. His earnest expectation and hope was that Christ should be magnified in his Body whether it be by Life or by Death for saith he to me to live is Christ and to die is gain that is saith Piscator in Loc. Vita mea est occupaâ—a in promovenda Gloria Christi my Life is employed in promoting the Glory of Christ Indeed the Syriack Erasmus Beza and others render this 21st Verse otherwise yet all allow this matter to be thus stated in the Verse before it nay the whole current of Scripture manifesteth this to be the great Testimony
glorious Crown Glorious Robes a glorious Throne I expect everlasting Joy and I expect Rivers of Pleasure Is not this an Inducement to a Believer to make Christ his Life When we expect great things how does it cause us to be intent about them Where a Soul expects high things and great things from Christ they will live upon Christ and to Christ make Christ their All In all Mercies and Comforts and Enjoyments what is the reason many are poor carnal dead Professors and have low Thoughts of those things that are Preached in the Gospel but because they never relished Christ And it is as much as ever they can do to creep along in the ways of God and may be something of Conscience causes them to perform Duty But where the Soul hath glorious and high Expectations it is otherwise great things he hath done for them and great things he is doing he is advocating and interceding with the Father answering all Accusations and pleading for poor Sinners I go to prepare a place for you saith Christ and will come again and fetch you that where I am you may be also I am going to prepare for you Mansions of Glory Robes of Glory Crowns of Glory immortal Glory Is not this Lord to be lived upon and to be desired more than all things that can be desired Therefore had you ever experienced what it is to enjoy Christ and live on Christ you could not but have high and glorious Thoughts of this blessed Jesus you could not but have your Hearts raised up with high expectation what he will do for you But poor trifling formal Professor whatever thou professest I fear thou knowest not Jesus Christ Ask your Heart Have I glorious hopes of Christ's appearing Have I glorious hopes of reigning with him in Heaven Doth he reign in my Heart now Do I prize him and make him my All desire him in all and glorisie him above all I believe should you put this Question to your Souls you would many of you know that you are great Strangers to Christ But a Believer that can experience the Love of Christ is lifted up in admiration of the Wonders of his Grace crying out Oh what Wonders of Grace What glorious Love What a precious Redeemer is this Did he die for me Did he cry out my God my God and was I on his Heart when he drank of the Brook by the way and lift up his Head and was it for me He went out of the World by a cursed shameful Death up to his Fathers Glory and said that he would come again to fetch me he will make Death to be a sweet Embassador for me the Angels will come and convey my Soul to Glory O what will be your Thoughts when you shall see your Lord coming in the Clouds when you shall hear him say Come you blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the Foundation of the World and sit down with Palms in your Hands and with Crowns on your Heads surely believing that he is your Lord and that his Glory is your Glory and that he will come again and fetch you then you shall be for ever with the Lord 1 Thes from 13. to 18. But I would not have you to be ignorant Brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the Voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so we shall ever be with the Lord. So much for the eleventh Reason This is a glorious Life the Believer hath experienced and that because he hath great expectation of what Christ will do for him as well as what he hath done for him therefore desires to make this blessed Christ his Life The Twelfth Reason is because a Believer can see no object so glorious as the Lord Jesus Christ is And saith the Soul all I can see I count it all empty in comparison of Christ for to see the Father in the Son choosing me in election before the World was to see this glorious Love out of the Bosom of the Father to be given for me to be my Ransom and Salvation O how glorious an Object is he to behold O how glorious is the Sun in the Firmament that lightens the whole World But then O how glorious is he that came out of the Bosom of the Father the Brightness of his Glory O my Soul let me behold him and live upon him I can see no way but he is glorious O love for Delight The Thirteenth Reason A Believer desires to live on Christ because the Lord Jesus Christ hath paid all and done all for him he hath bought all for him and saith the Believer all I have is from Christ have I Peace Hope Joy It is all bought by Christ I might have had a desparing Soul or a cursed Hope I might have been under the Curse and Wrath of God I might have been among the damned Souls that are roaring in Hell But have I Peace of Conscience Joy in the Holy Ghost Christ hath bought and brought me to the hope of an incorruptible Kingdom of Glory and as he hath bought all and paid for all I live upon him for all As the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope All the Joy I have and hope I have of Heaven is bought by Christ all the Enjoyment of God I have all the Glory my Soul is crowned with all the Joy my Heart is filled with is bought by Christ therefore saith the Apostle Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath begotten to us a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead It is Jesus Christ hath ransomed me from Death from Hell from Guilt of Sin he hath bought an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled therefore I desire to live upon him The Fourteenth Reason The Believer desires to live upon Jesus Christ because he works all his Works in him There is not a good Motion in him but Christ is the Worker of it not a good Thought or good Action but all is from Christ Isa 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordain Peace for us for thou hast wrought all our Works in us The Lord hath wrought for me Redemption Salvation Sanctification Consolation and Hope of Glory therefore I will live
had strength to hope and I had strength to live upon Christ for all Have you not experienced this that you have come weak to an Ordinance yet have found strength as one that hath drank new Wine Therefore the Lord is pleased to give you strength that you may go from Duty to Duty from Mercy to Mercy from Peace to Peace O you that wait on Christ in a way of dependence for new Revivings and new Manifestations to your Souls what Comfort will it be to you tho you have but little strength to go from strength to strength The Lord hath promised it Psal 84. They shall go from strength to strength till they appear before God in Sion This was spoken of the willing Israelites many tarried at home to worship Jeroboam's Gods they would not come to Jerusalem the Journey was too far and the cost and pains too much they would rather serve the Calves that Jeroboam had set up But the Godly Israelites went to Jerusalem and what did the Lord do for them See vers 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the ways of them whose Heart is found believing and waiting for Christ whose Heart is united to Christ and found waiting in his appointments What then They go from strength to strength every one of them in Sion appeareth before God not one shall faint by the way every one shall appear before God in Sion if they have never so far to go as sure as if they had but a Mile to go So it is in this day of our Gospel-worship in our waiting on Christ in the means the Soul saith I have many Duties on my Hand to perform and I do not know how to do them but if your Soul desires to believe in Christ to live in Christ to rowl upon Christ to wait on him in his Ordinances you shall go from strength to strength you shall every one come to Glory though you go through the Vally of Bacha tho you have dark places and barren places you shall have Wells of Salvation and they shall refresh your Souls Christ will be dropping his Comforts and Grace that you shall be filled with Comfort you shall go from strength to strength till you appear before God Again As for your Strength so for your Victory and Conquest over Corruption Have not you found in your waiting that the Life of Christ hath been manifest in the Death of your Corruptions in your Conquest that when you have cried out O wretched Man or Woman O how unfit to wait on Christ O how dark and dead am I Yet have not you through the Grace of Christ found the Life of Christ made manifest that you have gone away conquering and Victorious Though you do desire to live upon Christ yet you are not brim full of him at once but do receive your Joy and Comfort from him drop by drop that you may live on Christ in the way of his Appointments Thirdly The third Reason is that your Souls shall not be filled as you desire but drop by drop because we are not able to bear much of God's Glory at once we shall be over-set with the Feast if it be too much we are not able to drink much of this new Wine it is a Joy unspeakable and full of Glory therefore the Saints are called to enter into the Joy of their Lord because this Glory is unspeakable and cannot enter into them as good Mr. Whelch when he was in Prayer and Communion with God Hold Lord saith he it is enough So the Spouse complains of being sick of Love not for an absent Christ but for the great Enjoyment Cant. 2.4 He brought me into his banqueting House and his Banner over me was Love What then Stay me mith Flagons comfort me with Apples for I am sick of Love But in the 5th Chapter she was sick of Love for an absent Christ for a withdrawn Christ not absent in Union then she could not be sick of Love nor for Communion but over-set with manifestations not in that manner as she enjoyed when she sat under his Shadow in the third Chapter that she tasted his Fruit to be sweet for then she had it by degrees but here in more abundant manner vers 3. As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons I sat under his shadow with great delight and his Fruit was sweet to my taste While the Fruit drops from the Tree the Spouse could eat it taste it relish it and that with delight and was not over-set with it but she wants more Communion He brought me into his Banqueting-House to the Love-Feast there his Banner over me was Love First You see a Believer in a state of Grace cannot move one Foot till Christ move him how much less can a Soul that is in a state of Sin move after Christ Christ brings a Soul on from lesser to greater enjoyments from lesser to greater manifestations he brought me into his banqueting house where it was sweet to sit where I had an Apple a drop of his Love a taste of his Grace But he brought me I could not get thither of my self he brought me to his banqueting house what Sauce to the Feast His Banner over me was Love What would have been the Banquet without the Banner of Love His Banner over me was Love What then I was made so much of filled with such joy such comfort filled with such assurance filled with such delight that she was fain to cry out Stay me with Flagons comfort me with Apples my narrow Vessel will not hold it I must have new strength Stay me with Flagons new Wine that is the thing containing for the thing contained in it By Flagons is meant the Wine contained in the Flagons as we speak in the Lord's Supper We say this Cup is the New Testament in his Blood that is the Wine in the Cup. So here the Spouse Stay me with Flagons I have such a Love Feast I want Flagons of Wine to strengthen me yea and let me have some of the Apples too that before dropt from the Tree I am sick of Love Do you not wish sometimes O that I were filled with Christ O that I could praise him love him behold his Face and enjoy him as they do above Could our poor weak Vessels bear this No. When the Lord passed by Moses was to lie in the Clefts of the Rock and John fell down before him therefore he gives drop by drop that we might not have our Hearts over-set but with an Appetite long for more of him But for the full manifestation of him that is reserved for you in Glory where you will have strength for Vision and where you will have support for Fruition there you will have your fill of him when he brings you to the Throne of his Glory Fourthly The Lord Jesus Christ is pleased not to come down with those full Streams and pour
in the Glass of the Gospel this glorious Lord how glorious Christ is then the Soul cries out O let me live in Christ Let me glorifie Christ Surely now you are thriving Souls in the knowledge of Jesus Christ I mean saving knowledge sanctified knowledge such as the Sun of Righteousness reveals when he rises with healing under his Wings There are some places that have not the Sun for many Months and O how dark and uncomfortable are they then How dark are Souls till Christ comes into them Whatever knowledg you have though you could discourse whole Bodies of Divinity yet you are dark and ignorant till Christ comes to enlighten and teach you The weakest Believer is brought to this Frame to thirst after Jesus Christ and to desire him with his whole Soul most do not believe the Report Ministers give of him Isa 53.1 Who hath believed our report and to whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed for he shall grow up as a tender plant and as a root out of the dry ground he hath no form nor comliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him many see something in good Duties they would be doing something for their Salvation and think to patch up a Righteousness thereby but for to know Jesus Christ so as to live on him they see no desirableness in him How much did the Pharisees do Yet Jesus Christ was rejected by them We shall see his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth O what a Christ full of Grace and full of Truth and full of Love and full of Clory did these Jews reject The Sun of Righteousness though he was come he had not risen with his Glory upon them Ah glorious Lord that any should be so blind as not to see some Beauty in this glorious Christ And yet so blind is the most of the World and many Professors that though they have the glorious Light of his Word yet how dark are their Souls We may say as the Prophet When they see him there is no beauty that they see in him that they should desire him Tell a carnal Heart of Christ and Grace and Heaven they go away and have no desire to him but when Christ comes in his Word and shines into the Soul and rises with healing under his Wings O then saith the Soul let me have a Christ let me live to Christ Before they saw no Beauty in him that they should desire him no Beauty and yet altogether beautiful What is the most glorious Object when a Man is blind What is the glorious Sun to a Man that cannot see So what is this glorious Christ this lovely Christ this precious Christ to a poor blind Sinner But for the Believer that hath Christ his Life he cries out for more Knowledge more Grace more Communication with Christ Christ doth daily shine more and more in a Believers Understanding removing Ignorance and Darkness The poorest Believer in Knowledge cannot but give God praise for healing his Understanding though I know we are rather crying out for what we want than giving thanks for what we have receiv'd The Lord Jesus heals the gross Ignorance of your Understanding and heals it more and more Though God is pleased to give to every one according to their place and station yet every one shall have a saving Knowledg There is Milk for Babes and Meat for strong Men. Secondly You shall prosper and thrive because the Sun of Righteousness when he arises on your Souls heals your Affections Before the Heart was as dead and as cold as a stone no love for Christ whatever you loved no love for this Lord of Glory But now when this Sun of Righteousness is risen with healing under his Wings he heals the Affections of the Soul that now the Soul is let out in affection to Jesus Christ now the Soul cries out How lovely is thy dwelling-place as David did and why is it so lovely David Because there I enjoy God So saith a Believer How lovely are the Ordinances of Christ Why Christian what makes them so lovely Oh saith the Christian I meet with a lovely Christ there Saith the Spouse Tell thou me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy Flock to rest at noon Why would you be there I would be where the Flock is because Christ is there Cant. 1.7 When the Soul feels the warm Divine Beams of the Sun of Righteousness then the Soul comes to see a Loveliness in Christ Before you can love Christ you must see that Christ loved you first he first darts his Divine Love into your Souls When Elijah cast his Mantle over Elisha saith Elisha Let me I pray thee kiss my Father and Mother and then I will follow thee Why what have I done to thee What hast thou done Enough to draw me after thee It was not any vertue in the Mantle but a Divine Power from Heaven that did draw his Heart after the Prophet Away he runs after him and when he was taken from him he cries out My Father my Father the Chariots of Israel and the Horsemen thereof When the Divine Beams of the Love of Christ are cast into the Soul then the Soul cries out For me to live is Christ O that I may live to the Lord O that I may die in the Lord O that I may have upholdings that I may have strength in every Trial Then I care not what I go through that I may enjoy the Lord. Sometimes a Believer comes with an Heart very cold dead and narrow and doth not Jesus Christ send him away as a burning Lamp When he rises with healing under his Wings what Divine Love does he draw forth in your Souls after him The Spouse was so cold she could not so much as open to Christ but when Christ had left his Myrrh upon the handle of the Lock she runs after him crying out She was sick of Love So sometimes a Believer is in a very dead frame a very cold frame a very narrow frame but the Lord Christ comes in the Ordinance with his Divine Beams and the Soul is warmed and transformed into the very Image of the God of Love As for Example the Disciples were walking in a freezing condition Christ was among them but a little while and their Hearts were burning hot within them Was it Christ's bodily Presence only No no that many Thousands enjoyed but he came to them with the healing Beams of his Divine Love to their Souls he darted Divine Beams of his Grace into their Hearts O then they talk after another manner With what fervency and delight did they discourse of the Kingdom of Heaven to what they did before Sometimes when Believers meet together how dead and cold and narrow are they But when Christ arises with new healing Beams of Divine Grace in their Hearts how thriving is their Discourse How
Soul to draw out its Love to Christ then the Soul sees its own unworthiness then a Soul loves Christ really when he sees Christ loved him unworthy How unworthy is my Soul of his Love This was Paul's Cry and so it is every Believers and the more Christ shines on your Soul the more do you see your unworthiness of his Love and Grace and the Soul cries out Lord hast thou passed by all my unworthiness crown'd me with Love enriched me with Love and shall I have my fill of Love O what Love is this Fourthly The Soul finds it a Love that passes Eph. 3.14 And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Truly saith the Soul I cannot tell you wherefore Christ loved me nor I cannot tell you the Depths of his Love but this I can tell I shall ever shine in the Ocean of his Love to all Eternity The more they meditate the more they consider the more they think of it the more they wonder what was from Eternity in the Breast of God that was manifested in time in giving Christ If you ask me to tell you from whence it comes it was from Eternity Secondly The Sun of Righteousness with his glorious Beams heals the affection in giving the Soul an humble and contrite Heart Many think when they are not shooting up they are not growing but there may be a taking Root though not a shooting up the golden Mines are not seen above the Earth they lie low By the Influence of the Sun the Seed takes root in the Earth and springs up Thus it is with the Sun of Righteousness the Lord Jesus Christ in changing the Heart of a Believer when he is increasing in the inner Man not shooting forth not growing in the apppearance yet he takes Root is growing in Humility When once the Lord Jesus Christ comes with his Grace and shines into the Soul it humbles the Soul and makes it low in its own Eyes and then the Soul sees its self wanting in Grace wanting in Love wanting in Enlargements and Delights but it grows humble When Christ appears the Soul sees its own Deformity the Soul thinks it is decaying in Grace when it is not acting those Graces as we may say above ground The Fruit-Trees do not bear Fruit all the Year yet are alive all the Year So I say to the Believer it is the surest way of Growth when they grow in Humility When a Soul comes to see Christ the more he shines with the Divine Lustre of his Grace and Righteousness the more the Soul is contrite Saith Paul When the Law came sin revived and I died Paul was it the Law in the Letter that shewed you your sin then why does it not teach those poor Creatures that read it and have it read to them No but it was the Power of Christ in the Law the Spirit of the Law of Life in Christ that shined into his Heart and brought home the Law to him to be a condemning Judge on the Bench to give the Sentence of Death that Christ might be there to be the Object of Life and Salvation to his Soul Saith he Sin revived and I died Persons will strain what they can to keep an even reckoning with the Law by doing some outward Duties Such as the Lord Jesus hath not risen upon they are yet in Darkness Children of the Night they walk at uncertainty they know not whether they go Alas many a poor Soul thinketh he is as sure to go to Heaven as he is to die when he is in the very Road to Hell only some go in the broad trodden Path open profane impudent sinners some steal thither behind the Hedg they are going to Hell but in a closer walk hidden from others and from many that are said to be Children of the Kingdom Mr. Murcot on Mal. 4.2 that are Strangers in Heart to an inward Revelation of Jesus Christ But when Christ comes to the Soul he comes to the inward part then the Soul is unhorsed of it self and laid low before the Lord. It was the Saying of an Holy Divine We may sooner call twenty from Profaneness than one from his own Righteousness For saith he sin is a feverish Distemper to the Soul and when the Man hath sinned he knows he is out of order But for a Man 's own Righteousness it is so born and bred with him that he makes it his grand Idol till Christ appears to the Soul with Divine Beams of his Righteousness and Grace this lays a Soul low and humble before the Lord and makes a poor Soul behold its own Ignorance Saith the Soul I am foolish but Christ is my Wisdom I cannot manage my Salvation nor I cannot chuse aright but Christ is my Wisdom to chuse for me Thus a Soul is humbled under its own Ignorance he beholds Christ that glorious Sun that gives Light to see his Fathers Face and to have all the glorious Will of God revealed to the Soul in him The Sun is the Glory of the Heavens but one Star differs from another Star in Glory but there is none like the Glory of the Sun O the Lord hath put the Excellence of Glory on the Lord Jesus He is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shining forth of his Fathers Glory He speaks here of Christ as Incarnate As the Glory of God did shine in the Face of Moses so that the People could not behold so now the Glory of the Lord shineth in the Face of Jesus Christ as the Apostle hath it so that we cannot behold it it dazles our Eyes stedfastly to hold his Glory as it doth to behold the Sun in its Glory Here is the Glory of his Grace the Glory of his Wisdom of his Mercy of his Power and all in Christ he is the Glory as it were of Divine Attributes they all shine forth in him each with his peculiar Glory The Temple the Glory of the Lord filled it so that they could not stand to Minister before him sometimes So Brethren now the Lord hath placed us in Jesus Christ he hath filled him with his Glory Therefore saith the Prophet The Glory of the Lord is risen on thee Isa 60.3 Mr. Murcot that is Christ manifested to thee Secondly The Soul sees its self unrighteous therefore it is humbled under its sinfulness till Christ is made its Righteousneses Thirdly The Soul sees its self cloathed with Rags like a Man that works hard yet cannot cloath himself with any thing but Rags Saith a Soul notwithstanding all that I have done I have not a Righteousness to cloath me to stand with before God But Christ is my Robe of Righteousness therefore when the Soul is humbled when he does not grow in enlargements yet he grows numble under the sense of his own Unworthiness and of Christ's Excellency Many Trees are planted in shady places that grow up tall tho they bear no Fruit. When a Soul knows not Christ there may be some
Soul hast thou breathed after Christ in them Then Soul they are perfumed they will be accepted in Christ Therefore by Faith in Christ your Prayers are safe O blessed be God for Jesus Christ blessed be God for the Persume and blessed be God for this ascending for you never would have ascended if it were not for the Spirit of God nor have your Prayers perfumed were it not for the sweet Odour of Christ's Righteousness There are two things a carnal Heart is ready to do if they do a Duty to their mind then they are apt to be proud of it and rest on it and if they do not do it to their Mind then they are cast down and complain I cannot pray I cannot profit by hearing God hath forgotten me The humble Godly believing Soul that hath made Christ his Life he can truly say Though I am poor in my self yet I am rich in Christ I am indifferent and cold in Prayer but Christ is my Offering and Altar and therefore in him I put up all to God Therefore you see how safe a Soul is that is in Christ First Your Souls are safe none can rob you of them go where you will your Souls are safe in the hands of Christ you that live Christ know Christ believe in Christ lay hold on Christ your Souls are safe indeed he will keep you Saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.12 What I have committed to him he will keep my All I have left with him he that hath bought me that hath paid the price I have committed all to him As you know if a Man hath purchased a rich Jewel and leaves it in the hand of a trusty Friend saith he I have left it with one that is an able Man but is he faithful Yes he is a very honest Man O how much more may we speak of Christ Hast thou committed thy Soul to Christ Why Because he is able to pay whatever Justice can demand He hath paid it all Whatever Troubles or Trials I go through Christ can bare me up But is Christ faithful He is a faithful High Priest saith Paul I have committed my All to him You do not know what you lose by not committing your selves to Christ We commit our selves to our selves and that is our great loss If you believe Christ to be faithful commit your Souls to him it is safe to leave your All with Christ Sometimes a Man will not leave the worth of six pence in another Mans hand why Because he is in debt and so he thinks it is not safe Christ is not in debt he hath paid all that God hath demanded therefore do you commit your Souls to him the Apostle had committed his All to him and truly Paul had learn'd very much of the knowledg of Christ For the which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed Many times a person says I am ashamed I was such a Fool to believe such a Person Many times you trust to your own Heart ay the more Fool you Many times you say I trust to my own Duties ay the more Fool you But I have committed my All to Christ Why Because I know him I have left all with him and I am perswaded when I meet the great God I shall not be a Farthing in debt for Christ hath paid all I am perswaded my Comforts will be safe I am perswaded my Hopes my Faith my Soul my Body my Treasure are all safe when the poor Hypocrite will be ashamed when the carnal Professor will be ashamed Whatever Denomination Believers go under by a reproaching World let them do all they can you that have committed your Souls to Christ shall not be ashamed Nevertheless I am not ashamed saith the Apostle for I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Look to that day that great day of accounts is coming that day that you must meet God at the Judgment-seat If Christ doth not then present his satisfaction for you to God you must lie by it to all Eternity But if you are in Christ your Souls are safe Paul was as sure of Glory as if he were in Heaven he was as certain of a Crown of Righteousness as if possess'd of it 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforward there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto them also that love his appearing Friends look to your Crown look to your Souls look to your Glory ay and that you may secure them look that you lay hold on Christ Methinks to consider how many Millions of Souls will stand at the great Day strangers to Christ that have made a great Profession of Religion but have rested upon their own Duties for Salvation should awaken us to throw our selves upon Christ alone in all we do for acceptance before God Do as many Duties as can be performed if Christ be not yours at that day you will be confounded but if Christ is yours your Souls are safe But Christians are your Souls in the hands of Christ Bought with the Blood of Christ Have you committed your Souls to Christ Do you live on him Psal 37.5 Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall hring it to pass he will never fail them that commit themselves unto him Heb. 13.8 Yesterday and to day the same for ever If the World be turned upside down he is the same for ever Secondly The Soul that lives Christ his Soul is safe none can rob him of his Comforts First Afflictions shall not rob you of your Comforts Truly I tell you Friends there are many we hope they are Believers but for want of a real demonstration of Faith in Christ and living on Christ they are afraid in every Trouble that God is coming to destroy them But if Christ is your Life who can destroy you Mat. 10.28 And fear not them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both Body and Soul in Hell What hurt can all Affliction do when God is your God There is not one Affliction comes but it is in Love You may write Love upon all your bitter Portions they are all safe you have them from a kind and tender Physician that understands his Practice and loves his Patients If it is a bitter Portion yet Love and Care may be writ upon all Many are apt to cry God is against me he is destroying me he hath found me out but when Christ is become your Life it is all in Love from God If a Child be running in a pleasant way to the Rivers side where many Children have been drowned and one pulls this