us we are not only to cast away our Lusts and Sins but our Hearts must be fitted and disposed to receive him by the powerful Operation of his Holy Spirit beautifying and enriching them with Divine and Heavenly Qualifications And therefore it will concern us to be earnest in our Prayers that the good Spirit of God may come down upon us and make our Hearts and Souls meet Temples for the Son of God to dwell in IV. Go forth unto Christ by the actings of Faith upon all occasions Let Christ dwell in your Hearts by Faith Ephes 3.17 according to every alteration in your condition and according to all the diversities of Providence do you look unto Christ exercise Faith on him and by Faith fetch supplies of Grace from him V. Meditate much and often on the Love of Christ to Sinners Read over the Gospel the several Apostolical Epistles and the many Prophecies concerning Christ especially Isa 63. take notice of the many remarkable Passages there relating to Christ declaring his Condescention and Love weigh them seriously and press them upon thy own Soul and Conscience dwell on these Matters in thy Thoughts and expostulate with thy self about them What hath the Son of God taken my Nature has the King of Glory condescended to live here in the form of a Servant did he patiently undergo all the unjust Affronts and Contempts of lewd and prophane People did he bear the weight of God's Wrath and actually lay down his Life in the most open scandalous cursed linguering and painful kind of Death then known in the World and was all this for my sake O incomprehensible Love What shall I return unto my Saviour for all this I can never love Christ enough may I never cease admiring the many Instances wherein his Love hath broke forth unto me may I so wonder at and be affected with all these things that love to Christ may shine through all the passages of my Life May I never be at rest till I do arrive at the full enjoyment of my Saviour in his own Kingdom What has the Lord Jesus Christ done so much for me has he revealed such Truths made such Promises suffered such Sorrows submitted to such a Death as are recorded in the Holy Scriptures are so many glorious and wonderful Things related concerning him Doth he now reign in Heaven and hath he purchased such blessed Inheritance and satisfying Treasures for poor Sinners Nay doth he still importune and entreat me to accept of Him and his Benefits God forbid that I should oppose his Motions and resist his Love any longer Shall the King of Glory be slighted and excluded still by me Shall I wilfully cast away my own Soul and stubbornly neglect this great Salvation God forbid Shall it be writ on my Grave Here lies the sturdy ungrateful Wretch that did wilfully resist Jesus Christ the Wretch that resolved to force his way to Hell through all the Impediments and Discouragements infinite Justice and infinite Mercy had laid in his way that vile unpitiable Miscreant that would damn himself in spite of Love it self VI. Converse much with those who are experienced Christians and have much acquaintance with Christ He that walketh with wise Men shall be wise but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed Prov. 13.20 Such People will very much assist thee in thy closing with Christ by their Discourses Exhortations and Practice They can tell thee such things concerning Christ from their own experience as will warm and melt thy Heart and inflame thy Affections They will contribute much to thy help by their advice and counsel by the accounts they can give thee off their own experiences by their watchfulness over thee and by their fervent effectual Prayers for thee VII Labour to be acquainted with and to observe all the Motions and Workings of Christ towards Sinners and close with and improve every one of them when he is pleased to exert any of them towards thy self Take notice of the Calls he doth give thee in his Word and the awakening visits he doth make thee by his providential Occurrences and improve these to put thee on a more diligent search and close walking after him and to excite and quicken in thee more fervent desires after Communion with him VIII Conscientiously frequent those Ordinances wherein Christ hath promised his more especial Presence Prepare thy self carefully to meet thy Lord and come with passionate Desires and confident Expectations grounded on his Faithfulness Word and Promise that he will exhibit himself unto those Souls that sincerely long and wait for him IX Lastly Faithfully resign and give up thy self to Christ When thy Heart is affected truly with a sense of Christ's Love then desire him by fervent Prayer that he will be pleased to take thee into Covenant with himself and make a hearty faithful entire resignation of thy self unto him O Blessed Jesus most Holy Saviour I am unworthy I acknowledg to make use of thy Name I have often resisted and sinned against thy constraining Love but I am heartily sorry now that ever I did so O compassionate and tender-hearted Saviour reject not an humble returning mourning Penitent embrace me the unworthiest of all others in the Arms of thy Mercy and admit me into thy favour the more stubborn and head-strong and wilful I have been the more abundantly let thy Grace be manifested toward me and bring me under the more powerful influences of thy Love Lord seize by the Power of thy Grace and take possession of this Soul Gracious Saviour whose Bowels have ever yearned over the miserable and who hast been always compassionate and gracious to the unworthy favourably accept of this poor Oblation Lord it is the purchase of thy own Blood O reject not despise not cast not away what thou hast bought at so dear a rate Lord here is my Soul my Body my Heart my Affections my Mind my Judgment my Will Lord here is all that I have Lord I resign up all unto thee without any reservation do with all as pleaseth thee best only accept of them O Lord I love thee above all I desire with my whole Soul to love thee every Day more and more Lord dwell in my Heart rule over my whole Man bring all my Powers unto a true and sound subjection unto and compliance with thee in every thing May my Soul always admire thee my Heart love thee my Tongue praise thee my Lips speak of thy Glory and Goodness May my Life glorify thee may I in every part of my practice serve and honour thee may all my Faculties and Members be ready and faithful Servants for and unto thee Lord I long to be with thee my Soul panteth after thee For me to live is Christ and to die is gain Phil. 1.21 FINIS
small weather-beaten crazy Cottage nay to visit some infamous Rebel justly confined to a Dungeon covered with nastiness and filth and there importune and entreat this miserable Wretch to be reconciled unto him that they may both dwell together and mutually rejoice in each others society What ought we then to think of our Blessed Saviour's soliciting and entreating with the greatest earnestness for admittance into our Hearts We may take notice of two general Parts in the words I. The main substance of the Verse which consists of two parts 1. Our Saviour's earnestness to be admitted into Sinner's Hearts I stand at the Door and knock c. 2. The Priviledges and Satisfaction consequent upon our receiving of him I will come in to him c. II. The way and manner how all this is commended to our consideration Behold I intend to say but little of this latter and therefore as it stands first in the Text so it shall immediately come under our consideration This word Behold noteth that something follows which is of weight and deserves to be observed Indeed it would greatly become and profit us to take a particular and distinct notice of those places of the Holy Scripture which are thus solemnly recommended to our consideration For God certainly best knows what is of greatest use for us And to suffer such Passages to slip our observation without a diligent heedful attendance to them which he hath set such a Mark upon and points out so carefully to our study argues much disregard to his Wisdom and Goodness and that our Religion is very weak and unoperative You may more particularly take notice that this word Behold hath three special significations in the Holy Scriptures or there are three several ends and purposes why it is used in the Scriptures 1. There is a Behold of Caution To warn us to take heed of what will be extreamly hurtful and injurious to our Souls John 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee God has done very much for thee and signally holpen thee and delivered thee take care thou do not wilfully provoke him again lest he afflict thee worse lest thou be hardened in thy Sins and Divine Wrath come upon thee to the uttermost 2. A Behold of Admiration Which calls us to wonder and admire with all the Powers of our Soul at the exceeding Riches of Divine Goodness and Grace 1 John 3.1 Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! 3. A Behold designed to excite and stir us up to take notice of some important Matter speedily and to improve it without delay 2 Cor. 6.2 Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation This word here in the Text may have all these Significations attributed to it 1. As designed to admonish us against resisting Christ any longer seeing he hath stood so long and urged us to give him admittance lest if we continue to keep our Hearts lock'd and barr'd against him he should depart from us in displeasure and never make us another offer of his Love and Grace O how fearful a thing is it to send Christ away grieved and enraged because of our final perversness and stubborness after he hath been long woing and perswading us to accept of him and his Benefits 2. As representing to us how great how wonderful how unexpected an Instance of Love Christ is pleased to vouchsafe us What greater Love can Christ express and shew to you than this He experienced and met with very hard and injurious usage here on Earth He underwent many afflicting grievous pains He suffered a very infamous tormenting kind of Death He endured for Sinners infinitely more than we can conceive yet did not all this allay and cool his Affection he loves us still with a Love as strong as ever What Love is this Love stronger than Death Love that the Floods cannot drown Love which neither Sufferings nor Death nor Life nor Glory can overcome Here is room indeed for our admiration and wonder cease then your wondering at other things which seem strange and unusual they are all nothing if compared with this Love of Christ Let all your admiration center here on this fathomless this infinite incomprehensible and unsearchable Object of it What can we justly wonder at besides the infinite Riches of our Saviour's Love and Condescention unless at that horrible and astonishing Prodigy that People should be so insensible sottish and sturdy as to slight neglect and despise all the exceeding abundance of the Riches of Divine Grace and Kindness 3. As exciting and stirring us up to take notice of our dear Saviour and with what tenderness and condescention he carries himself towards us Behold thy Saviour doth stand without and has been long waiting on thee and doth still entreat thee earnestly to give him admittance O take notice how the King of Glory is come to visit thee and is desirous to have communion with thee Behold Salvation is now come to thy House and what wilt thou deny reception to and shut thy Doors against such a Guest We may fairly enough furnish our selves with this Instruction from this word Behold as used in this place viz. That the Lord Jesus Christ hath wonderful Love to poor Sinners is a Truth of extraordinary importance and should be carefully observed and attended to But I design not to insist upon this any further than by acquainting you briefly with two things which clear and confirm the Proposition 1. The extraordinary usefulness of this Truth to us 2. The extraordinary strangeness of the Thing it self 1. The extraordinary usefulness of this Truth to us What is neither excellent in it self nor useful to us we justly overlook and take no notice of or if we do we therein betray our weakness and imprudence Now we have ordinarily many Interests and Designs on foot but we readily acknowledg that we are bound on all accounts to pursue with most care earnestness and diligence those things we are assured will most of all farther our highest Interests those Concernments we are most affected with and prefer and value above all the rest If a Man have a Trial depending for his whole Estate or for his Life and can hear of a certain Course he may take which will infallibly secure his Cause he will attend unto this Business before all his other Affairs and though there be other Matters he would be diligent and industrious about were this his principal Business well setled yet he omits and neglects them he lays them aside at present that he may follow his greater and more important Affair with greater freedom and less disturbance Now there is nothing so much concerns us as to be truly and savingly acquainted with the Riches of Divine Grace to be sensible of the gracious Visits Christ doth make and to embrace and close with his blessed Motions You may
fear and horror do so prevail in my Soul I am not able to bear up under the same my Heart fails me and my Spirit is gone Why now one glimps of Christ one taste of his Goodness a sense of his Love will revive and exhilerate the Soul and disperse all these Clouds these Darknesses and Storms There is no condition a Person can be in but if Christ will dart into him a Ray of his special Love he will thence receive mighty even inexpressible support and comfort The continued Love of Christ is the most sovereign Cordial in every Estate and Condition We may go through Fire and Water we may adventure upon any suffering for the Name of Christ being assured of his Love O! what an excellent chearing Scripture is that of the Epistle to the Romans Chap. 8. v. 35 to the end What would the Scripture be to us how should we be effectually excited and encouraged to a course of Piety Or what could support us under Burthens and Troubles if Christ did not continue his Love to Sinners 2ly In the second place we are to consider the extraordinary strangeness of the thing it self We commonly take as particular notice as we can of strange and unwonted Occurrences How do People view and observe Comets and Blazing Stars How do they flock to see any strange sort of Beast when exhibited to be seen We admire and wonder at things which are considerable only by reason of their strangeness and rarity Things which are not of any great worth nor cannot produce us any profit and real advantage O! therefore let us be so wise as to turn all our admiration unto that which is truly strange and equally advantagious and comfortable The Love of Christ to Sinners is the strangest thing that ever was Without controversy great is the Mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World and received up into Glory 1 Tim. 3.16 This is a thing so strange even in the first Instances of it the blessed Angels stand amazed at it and desire to look into it 1 Pet. 1.12 If a Prince the only Son of a King or Emperor should condescend to take notice of a mean traiterous Wretch ready to have all the Torments and Punishments his Treason deserved inflicted on him and plead for this Person yea deny himself all the Pleasures Honours and Satisfactions in his Father's Court yea submit himself to all manner of Indignities for many Years together to procure the other's Pardon And being at last received to Court again and living in the greatest pomp and splendour should come to this Person whose Life he had saved at the forementioned rate and entreat and beseech and court him to be reconciled to him and that an intimate familiarity and correspondence may be setled betwixt them promising him all the Entertainments and Satisfactions he doth participate of himself Would not this be looked on by all as a most prodigious Instance of Affection and Love But alas what is this to that we are now discoursing of Here is the Son of God who is equal with God God blessed for ever who is the Brightness of his Father's Glory and the express Image of his Person whose Name is Wonderful Counsellor The mighty God The Everlasting Father The Prince of Peace This is the Person who condescended to take on him our Nature who lived for many Years together a Life that was very mean and to outward appearance very contemptible What Indignities did he suffer from Men how deep did he drink of the Cup of God's Wrath when groaning and praying and sweating Blood in the Garden when expostulating so earnestly with his Father on the Cross He submitted to Death yea he became obedient to Death even the Death of the Cross The most painful the most lingering the most ignominious and cursed sort of Death then known in the World And all this was to reconcile Sinners and Enemies unto God and to save them from that eternal Misery and Damnation they could no other way be saved from And after all this having raised himself to Life and being received into Glory he continues his Love to these Sinners and many ways importunes and sollicites them to accept of the Mercy and Blessings which cost him so dear and to yield themselves up into the Bonds of Friendship that a constant mutual correspondence may be maintained betwixt them Is not this an incomprehensible astonishing Prodigy of Love what can be compared unto it What Heart so hard such Condescention such Love such passionate courting will not soften and overcome What so strange what so obliging as this that the Son of God should entreat and beseech Rebels to accept of Pardon should court and make so much ado be so importunate and keep such a stir with us who are only held by his Hand from falling into Hell to accept of Heaven There is nothing so strange as this unless it be that cursed Heart which is too obdurate and stubborn to be overcome and won by so kind so winning and so mighty a Force as this is Applic. What care now should we take to be throughly instructed and setled in this great Truth Do not labour only to be acquainted with it in the Theory but endeavour and pray that a saving Knowledg and Belief of it may be wrought in you by the Spirit of God This is a Matter concerns thee much thy Salvation depends upon it If thou lose thy Soul thou losest all If thou art ignorant of the Love of Christ if this Love have no influence on thee thou art miserable indeed All true Comfort is wrap'd up in this Acts 4.12 O study this great Truth and do not desist or leave off till it have its proper influence on thy Affections Heart and Life Let the Love of Christ constrain thee Resolve to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified Admire and adore the Love of Christ Improve the knowledg and consideration of it to fix and promote thy Faith thy Love thy Hope thy Patience and every other Grace But I will not insist any longer on this first word which is introductory and should lead us attentively unto that which followeth The rest of the Verse acquaints us with our blessed Saviour's seeking for and endeavouring to get admittance with us and the Priviledges which shall accrue to those who hearken to him and receive him I shall confine my self now unto the first of these which is represented to us in these words I stand at the Door and knock Though in discoursing of this I shall have occasion to acquaint you with the main Importance of some of the following words viz. If any Man hear my Voice and open the Door Our Saviour's seeking and endeavouring to get admittance with us is here exprest by three words 1. Standing 2. Knocking 3. The word Door The Person or rather the Heart of the Person
destitute of true and sound Notions of God and without an interest in him as our reconciled God Ephes 2.12 Now what have such Persons to be proud of we who are dead in Trespasses and Sins Ephes 2.1 What have we to be conceited of that we should refuse to accept of Christ's Offers that we should think scorn to entertain him The discovery of our natural Estate should make us hasten to the Lord Jesus with all the speed we can But alas it is our not being sensible of our Condition our Infidelity our not believing that we are so worthless unclean and miserable as indeed we are that makes us slight Christ and refuse his gracious Offers 3. He makes known how real and extraordinary his Love is to us He does not complement us with words but hath a Heart for us O what demonstrations of Love hath he given us He hath done as much to approve the sincerity of his Love to us as can be desired or imagined Sinner there is no ground for thee to question the truth of his Love He hath vindicated and cleared his sincerity beyond all possibility of suspicion and doubt He pleads with the Sinner protests his Love to him and argues the matter with him Behold I have loved thee so long already with a transcendent Love And what is it thou wouldst or canst desire to make it appear my Love is hearty and real Do'st thou expect I should approve my Love by suffering some great hardships for thy sake Behold I have done that and more I have been scorned and contemned I have been abused and laugh'd at I have been derided and mock'd and spit upon nay I have sweat Blood for thee I have undergone inexpressible Agonies in my Mind such troubles and griefs in my Soul as no Tongue can explain for thy sake I have endured the frowns and born the displeasure of an angry God and incensed Father to preserve and save thee Here behold with thine own Eyes the Marks in my Hands and in my Feet those Nails have made which fastned me to the Cross see the Scars on my Forehead which were torn there by that Crown which was violently and reproachfully thrust on my Head Nay I did lay down my Life for thee I waxed not weary in compassing thy Salvation though the Pains and Sufferings I endured were very many very grievous and afflicting Death it self hath not quench'd nor conquered the Love I did bear unto thee Now who can resist the Arguings of a Saviour Do's Christ plead his Love and his Sufferings with thee do's he conjure thee by them to accept of him and wilt thou still stand out and reject him O how stubborn how invincible an Infidel how vile and unpitiable a Wretch wilt thou prove thy self to be if thou wilt not be moved by the entreaties and courtings of a bleeding Saviour 4. He doth urge his Authority over us and the right he hath unto us I do not mean only that which doth accrue to him by Creation or from our own particular promise and resignation of our selves unto him But that right he hath to us by purchase We are not our own to dispose of The Lord Jesus hath bought us out of the hands of our Enemies and is become on that account our rightful Lord and Master And how can we refuse him when he comes unto us but we must contract on our selves the dreadful guilt of the most detestable Rebellion rebellion against Heaven against the Lord of Love of Mercy of Life Our Hearts our Souls our Bodies our whole Man are purchased by him He has redeemed us unto himself he hath paid a sufficient price for us and shall we shut the Doors against him when he comes to dwell in his own House the Habitation he himself hath purchased Should a Servant keep any of us out of a House we have dearly bought with what indignation should we resent such usage And what may we expect from Christ if we will detain his own purchase from him and not admit him to have an abode with us 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Luke 19.27 It was a great Sin in the Jews that they slighted and disowned Christ when he came amongst them And their Sin was very much aggrevated on this account that they rejected him notwithstanding he had a peculiar and special right unto them John 1.11 O what will our Sin appear to be if after that Christ hath bought us with his most precious Blood we will not accept of and receive him when he knocks and pleads with us 5. He acquaints us with the necessity of our admitting him into our Hearts in order to our own happiness What shall we sin against our Lives and our Blessedness Shall we cast away our Souls and all that is justly dear to us and have nothing to say for our selves in our own vindication and excuse Is there any thing of prudence or of reason in doing thus Doth not our Nature doth not that Principle which differences us from Brutes detest such a thing Why if we would not be such Prodigals it highly concerns us to accept of Christ He comes to us and intreats us to accept of him for our own benefit He cannot receive any advantage or profit by it he doth not need us It is for our good he comes to us he importunes us thus because without accepting of him we must be eternally ruined We are in the way to Hell Satan and Lust are hurrying us apace to everlasting Misery and we cannot be delivered and saved any other way than by accepting of him Acts 4.12 6. He sets before us the Glory and Inheritance he hath provided for us and will certainly bestow on us if we do receive him The Things Christ hath treasured up for Believers are not the little transitory Things of this World These Things he casts abroad with a seemingly indifferent hand he never designed to make up a Portion for his own People of these perishing Things He hath greater and better Things to reward us with even an Inheritance incorruptible undefiled and which fadeth not away but is reserved for us in Heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 He hath taken possession of glorious Mansions and will come again and receive us unto himself to be for ever where he is John 14.2 3. We have no ground to question our Saviour's Faithfulness or Bounty It is alledged as a strong and convincing Argument that God will not deny any useful thing unto his People because he hath given up his Son for them Rom. 8.32 And can we imagine that he who hath suffered for us and triumphed over all our Enemies and hath made such glorious Promises as are recorded in his Word and doth still testify such strong Affection and Love towards us will if we accept of him refuse to confer on us the great and the glorious Things he hath purchased for us by his bloody Sufferings Our Blessed Saviour when he was on Earth prayed that his Servants might be
55.1 2 3. Hos 14.1 2. A returning Sinner is the welcomest Guest to Jesus Christ What joy doth such an one occasion in Heaven with what satisfaction did the Father receive and entertain the returning Prodigal how do the glorious and blessed Spirits above rejoice and sing for gladness when a Sinner forsakes his unrighteous Courses seeks after and returns unto his Saviour and sincerely closeth with and embraceth him Luke 15.7 And as Christ is importunate with us so he would have us to be importunate in our Applications unto him He is very much pleased with our importunity at the Throne of Grace When we insist on what he hath done and suffered when we plead his Office and his Promises and become so earnest and vigorous in our Prayers and Wrestlings that we resolve we will not let him go till he blesseth us He sometimes hides his Face and seems to withhold his Ears from our Cries but it is that hereby he may awaken us from our chilliness and deadness in the Duty try our Love to himself and quicken and engage us to a greater fervency in our Addresses Nay he seems to make this a necessary Requisite to our coming to him acceptably Mat. 11.12 5. Is the Lord Jesus Christ very importunate with Sinners to receive entertain him then let us all be hence perswaded and prevailed with to embrace and close with his Motions Do not resist and oppose him any longer do not delay to open unto him and give him that reception he calls for Are you in love with Death will you resolve to court Damnation as sollicitously and with as much fervency as you are entreated to accept of Christ and Salvation What hast thou Sinner to except against Christ Why wilt thou add this of sturdy inexcusable and most hideous frustrating the highest design of Love in refusing to accept of and comply with an earnest importunate Saviour to all thy other Provocations Art thou afraid thou shalt not sink low enough into the bottomless Pit nor find sorrow and torment enough in Hell unless thy contempt of Grace and despising of Christ may add weight to thy former Guilt and make the unquenchable infernal Flames more scorching and to prey on thee with greater vehemence and fury Sinner Hell will be direfully black and terrible the infernal Torments will insupportably afflict and macerate the loss of Heaven and the gracious presence of the Divine Majesty will be inexpressibly dreadful and confounding will fill with unsufferable remorse and horror when they shall appear to be the Fruits of Mens wilfulness and choice Exercise reason therefore once in thy Life and hearken to Advice Do not be ambitious to plunge thy self into the utmost depth of Divine Indignation and Fury by offering the most provoking contemptuous Affront to the Riches of God's Grace and Love for fancy thou thy Patience Strength and Courage to be never so great and invincible yet the least measure of Damnation will presently baffle and triumph over them It will soon weary thee out fill thee with such horrors and extort and force from thee such dreadful howlings and shreiks as will fully manifest thy Impatience is boundless and thy Misery remediless Sinner why wilt thou reject the gracious Offers which thy Saviour makes thee Why wilt thou deny him admittance when he tenders thee Himself and all his Benefits What better what more desirable Guest canst thou have Whether dost thou think it better thy Heart should be full of filthy diabolical Suggestions and noisom Lusts or that thy Soul should be the Temple of God and be beautified and enriched with all sorts of Graces and Divine Dispositions What is it then that keeps Christ out of thy Heart What is it that makes thee unwilling to yield to thy Saviour's Importunity produce thy shadowy vain pretences and see how thou deludest thy self Canst thou value the Wealth and Riches of the World more than the Son of God who priz'd thee at such a rate as to lay down his Life for thee certainly thou dost esteem them much above their worth and unless thou rectify this Mistake in a little time thou wilt make a very foolish bargain for thy self O stupid Sinner awake rouze up thy self shame thy self out of thy incogitancy folly falseness and ingratitude Are the transitory empty counterfeited pleasures of Sin of greater value and more precious to thee than those Rivers those Oceans of real transcendent satisfactions and delights which are in God's presence and at his right Hand Can a perishing uncertain World assure thee of better and more splendid entertainment than he can who is over all God blessed for ever of whose fulness we all receive and who filleth all in all Are not the transports and raptures of Saints and Angels to be preferred before all those gross and fulsome Diversions carnal and foolish Men do so madly doat on Canst thou think it better and more rationally desirable to be a Beast on Earth than to be like one of the shining glorious Seraphims in the Regions of Light and Peace and Joy Hast thou any thing to except against the Terms thy Saviour doth propound Doth he invite thee to any thing that is unreasonable doth he lay any burthen on thee which is insupportable or unto which he will not administer strength proportionable Thou canst not pretend any thing of all this what he requires is almost obviously reasonable just good and equal And do's the Lord Jesus call and importune thee to attend to the sweetest Voice and the most heavenly and ravishing News that was ever made known Do's he who dwelleth in the highest Heavens condescend to entreat for an abode with thee that he may communicate Himself and his Riches and Benefits to thee in the freest and most friendly manner and wilt thou yet reject him O how great must thy Guilt needs be what an aggravation will this be both of thy Sin and Folly and Damnation But to help thee a little more to quicken and to make some impression on thy Affections let me propose these few Questions and do thou perform thy Duty faithfully in answering them to thy own Conscience sincerely and urging them impartially on thy own Soul Quest 1. What art thou without Christ O Sinner whilst thou art in thy Sins thou art no better than an Enemy to the great God of Heaven and Earth a very Fire-brand of Hell Ephes 2.12 If thou hadst the Plague broke on thee or wert under any desperate Distemper how welcome would a Physician be to thee who could infallibly cure and heal thee Nay what speed wouldst thou make in enquiring and searching out for such an one if thou couldst hear of him And what shall thy Soul be under the worst of Plagues even the dominion of thy Lusts and Sins Is thy condition such that thou art every minute in danger of having all the Vials of God's Wrath poured out upon thee and wilt thou still reject thy Saviour and sturdily
lose your Lands be rob'd of your Mony have your Houses and Goods all burnt about your Ears and yet not be undone nor irreparably miserable But if you are ignorant of Christ and regardless of his Visits and destitute of an Interest in his Love you are poor deluded miserable unhappy Wretches whatever Portion you have of the Wealth and Honour and Applause of this World Indeed too many slight Christ and make no account of his Love People who are sunk in their Lusts whose Understandings Satan hath blinded in whom Satan rules and by whom they are hurried away headlong towards Hell as the Gadarens Swine were into the Deep But O! let us take heed we do not tread in their Steps lest we drink of their Cup and partake of their Portion The Apostle tells you It is a faithful Saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 What is it then that after all his Sufferings and being ascended into Glory he doth still continue to express and testify as great Love as ever to us Shall we despise the choicest offers of his Love Shall we despise or take no notice of such a Truth as this that Christ doth stoop to visit us and importunes our acceptance of him O what vile what unworthy what ungrateful Persons shall we then approve our selves In how forlorn and deplorable a State are all the stubborn and obstinate despisers and contemners of Christ Heb. 2.3 O Sirs did you understand the worth of those precious Souls you are intrusted with were you truly sensible of the sad and miserable Estate you are in by Nature this Love express'd but by Piety and Obedience If ye love me keep my Commandments John 14.15 Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you John 15.14 What an incouragement is it to a Holy Life when we can truly say we are hereby testifying our Love to our dear Saviour in such a way as he doth most approve Whom should we serve whom should we obey if not him who hath and doth love us still in so extraordinary a manner We are 't is true too prone to serve Satan and our Lusts but what reason have we to do so Is Damnation and Hell so sweet and so obliging we should drudg and toil all our time for such a Purchase Can you seriously think Satan who tempts and sollicites you to Sin hath any love for you And will you serve him who seeks your eternal ruin so industriously before the Lord Jesus Christ who hath given you so many convincing Testimonies of his Love It is an amazing and very sad thing to observe how People do prefer the drudgery and vassalage of Satan before the liberty and freedom their Saviour hath purchased for them That notwithstanding Christ doth love them so affectionately yet Satan should have so many to run violently after him to Hell and Christ should have so few to follow him to the Mansions of Bliss and Glory It is a sad but yet too just a representation of Man's Folly Ingratitude and Wickedness which St. Cyprian makes when he brings in the Devil boasting against Christ and insulting over People in this manner Ego pro istis nec sanguinem fudi c. Serm. de Elymos I have not shed one drop of Blood for any of all these my Followers I never took any pains to do them any good my study and care and diligence hath ever been and ever shall be to bring them to Death and Damnation and yet notwithstanding all this Tuos tales demonstra mihi Christe Shew me O Christ so many such busy such painful and such dutiful Servants of thine any where as I can shew thee every where of mine Shall the Envy and Malice of Satan be more powerful with you to draw you into Damnation than the prodigious Love of the Son of God to win you unto Holiness and Glory O! were we but duly affected with the Love Christ bears to us we should not be able to resist its Charms O what pious exemplary praising Christians would this make us Who ever hath a true and real sense of this Love in his Heart will be transformed by it into the likeness of him who doth thus love him The reason why we are no better that we resemble Christ so little is because we are ignorant of his Love tho we may know somewhat of it notionally so as to tincture and adorn our Discourse yet our Hearts are not touched with it and brought under its Efficacy and Power Were our Hearts but melted with the consideration and sense of this Love O how powerfully would it engage us in the Ways and Work of our Saviour With what vigour and delight should we be carried through the whole course of Christian Duty and new Obedience 3. It is of exceding great use for our support and comfort under Trials Temptations Sufferings and Troubles in the World and when we are exercised with deep apprehensions of our own sinfulness and vileness Affliction doth try Friends A Man whilst he doth prosper and flourish in the World shall have many pretended Friends who will fall from and disown him in Adversity We are subject to Trials and Temptations under which all those things that flatter our Senses and which People court and labour for with all their might will either take their flight from us or at best lie by us as insipid useless things Nothing but a sense of Christ's Love will then befriend us And I know not any sort of People more exposed to Trials and Assaults in the World than the People of God nor are there any whom Satan doth ordinarily set upon with fiercer violence than poor Sinners when first beginning to look out after and listen unto Christ And as these are liable to such Calamities so God provides for their support and comfort under them If it be a great relief to a Person under outward trouble that he hath a Friend to stand by him and counsel him and appear for him what is it to a true Believer to be assured of the Love of Christ That he hath one on his side who is alsufficient for him be his Circumstances what they will and who will never fail him nor forsake him What tho I be poor and miserable and destitute and afflicted in the World What tho I be made as the filth and the off-scouring of all things Christ loves me never the less for that Nay suppose I have great Doubts in my Mind and my Soul is full of heaviness for my Sins and I am ready to cry out O! my Sins are not ordinary and usual Sins they have been aggravated above measure I cannot see any thing in my self but impurity filth and guilt I do not perceive how any thing but Damnation can belong to me O my Misery O my Unhappiness O my Guilt I am so laden with Sin my Guilt lies so heavy upon my Spirit Terror and amazement
because of its being the principal Part of Man and the Seat of the Affection is often compared to and called a House a Temple a Habitation God hath a secret and real commerce with the Soul of every true Believer He communicates much of himself and imparts his Heavenly Graces unto every such Person He sets up his Government in that Soul and he expresseth his gracious Concernment with that Soul by dwelling in it by making that Person his House and Habitation Jesus answered and said If a Man love me he will keep my Words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him Joh. 14.23 see Isa 57.15 The Lord Jesus makes very gracious Proposals to us He offers us his Blessings his Graces his Spirit the Benefits of his Death and Passion Himself And entreats and beseeches us to accept of these and give them room in our Hearts His addressing of himself to us by way of instruction perswasion and tendering of these to us is called his knocking at the Door Our learning of him accepting of and closing with his Tenders is called our hearing his Voice and opening to him It may be proper here to take notice 1. Of our Saviour's Posture 2. Of his Gesture 1. His Posture Behold I stand Which notes both his Patience how long he doth wait to be gracious and what danger we are in if we do not make a good use and improvement of his Patience and long-suffering for he is in such a Posture as notes a readiness of departure if he be not admitted 2. His Gesture And knock Which notes his earnestness and importunity The Lord Jesus when he makes his visits unto the Soul is not willing to depart without bestowing some Blessing He seems resolved not to take a denial He will fasten some Good some Blessing on thee if there be any thing either of ingenuity or of modesty in thee The Phrase is taken from what is ordinarily observed in the Visits which People make to one another As the Person which goeth to see another doth commonly stand before the Door of that House where the other 's Abode is and desiring to have entrance knocks and makes a noise at the Door till if any one be in the House he be taken notice of which argues he hath a desire to have some discourse and converse with the Person he comes to visit Thus Christ sets forth his desire and his earnestness to have some commerce and familiarity with poor Sinners He waits he knocks he useth all kind of importunity with them The Doctrine I design to insist on a little from these words is this Doct. The Lord Jesus Christ doth wait long and useth much importunity with Sinners to prevail with them to accept of him and his Benefits He stands at the door long and knocks often before we will take notice of him and open unto him Indeed his own People and Servants are too apt to forget him and to suffer him to wait and stay long when he makes his after Addresses to them before they rise and let him in We are too prone to turn a deaf Ear to him and admit any thing as an excuse for our not giving him so speedy and grateful a reception as we owe him How often do even Believers forget themselves and grow so remiss and drowsy as to provoke him to withdraw himself and deny them the sence of his gracious Presence and Love So that they must seek long and undergo much trouble before he will be found of them again This you may see fully proved if you seriously read and weigh the fifth Chapter of the Song of Solomon from v. 1st to the 9th And if those who have in some measure understood their need of Christ and been affected with his Excellencies and tasted how good the Lord is may grow so negligent and careless it cannot be very much wondered at if Christ when he makes his Addresses to others who are still in their natural Estate be not presently hearkened unto but must use importunity before he find admittance But yet the Sinner's either refusing or neglecting to hear him and comply with him is a thing so ill nothing can excuse it Now this shews the weakness of Grace in many who are already regenerated And what need the Best have to be always on their watch And likewise how strangely stupid and stubborn People are till by the operation of the Holy Ghost their Hearts are effectually wrought on and awakened And O how wonderful is the Condescention of the Blessed Jesus in that he takes so much notice of and doth with such patience and earnestness court and strive to overcome such vile such sensless and such unworthy Creatures It is Christ that first takes notice of us not we of him We love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 If Christ did never love and importune us we should never love him Should not Christ come and knock at our Doors we should never think of nor look after him in good earnest How should we stand amazed at this It was when we were Enemies that Christ died for us and it is whilst we are in a state of Enmity that he comes and entreats us to be reconciled to him God might easily and fully have glorified his Justice in our eternal Damnation and yet how earnest is he with us to accept of the happy Fruits of his Kindness It is whilst we lie wallowing in our Blood without pitty that he sets his Love upon us and saith unto us Live It is Christ's Work to bring us to a compliance with himself He loves us first he manifests his Love first and he makes those discoveries of his Love powerful of force to work upon our stubborn Natures and hard Hearts before we will yield and acknowledg either our own emptiness and need of him or his wonderful Love and Condescention towards us It is Christ that saith I will have Mercy upon her that had not obtained Mercy and I will say to them which were not my People Thou art my People and then they shall say Thou art my God Hos 2.23 You see Christ speaks first before we acknowledg him Lord what is Man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of Man that thou hast such regard unto him What a Miracle of Condescention and Love is this that the Lord Jesus Christ that the Great and Eternal God should thus court and sollicit Dust and Ashes should represent himself so in love with sinful Worms In discoursing of this Truth I shall endeavour I. To explain and illustrate this of Christ's waiting to be gracious to Sinners and importuning them to accept of him II. To shew you what our receiving of Christ doth import III. To enquire what are the main Instances which hinder us from receiving of Christ into our Hearts IV. To offer a Reason or two why Christ is thus importunate with Sinners V. To make
Canst thou endure the eternal Displeasure of Almighty God Canst thou bear up under the direful and astonishing Punishments which contemned Grace and abused Patience and Goodness expose to Canst thou dwell with everlasting Burnings O let the Long-suffering the Patience and the Goodness of thy Saviour lead thee to Repentance and prevail with thee to accept of and close with him and his gracious Offers This shall serve at this time concerning Christ's waiting to be gracious unto Sinners I proceed to say something II. In the second place of his importuning Sinners for admittance This is noted by the word knock Jesus Christ doth not only wait long but useth much importunity and is very earnest to get admittance with Sinners He knocks and knocks again he repeats his Entreaties and often renews his earnest Sollicitations that we will not reject and despise him but admit him into our Hearts and bid him welcome Now what Condescention is this that the Son of God should court and perswade us with so much warmth and fervour That he who cannot receive any advantage from us should thus importune us for our own advantage Indeed this doth plainly manifest our baseness and stupidity in that we are so hard to be wrought on and affected with our most important Interests And it doth as certainly and fully display and upbraid our wilfulness and impiety when we stand out and finally resist Christ as it doth demonstrate the unparallel'd condescention and kindness of our Saviour O! what Demonstrations have we of the tenderness of Christ to Sinners How do his Bowels yearn over us when we are inconsiderately ruining our selves How often doth he knock and entreat us to yield to him and accept of him and his Benefits O how hard and stubborn are our Hearts what will not all the Divine Methods and Artifices win us and bring us into a compliance with him that loveth us above Life and Death I need mention but two Generals to evidence more distinctly unto you how earnest and importunate the Lord Jesus is to be received by us 1. The Arguments he doth use to perswade us to accept of him 2. The Instruments he doth imply about this Work viz. to win us to comply with his gracious Motions and offers 1. The Arguments he doth use to prevail with us to accept of Him He urgeth the strongest Arguments and presseth on us those Considerations which carry along with them the greatest force and weight imaginable And these are managed with all the heartiness and affectionateness that is possible Arguments many strong various and such as are most proper to have an influence on our Affections Judgments and Minds Were any Motions urged that had but the thousandth part of the reason the least of these hath to engage us to strike in and close with any thing for our secular Advantage how effectual would they prove No Difficulties no Straights no Discouragements would affright or dishearten us But when the greatest and most weighing Instances as the Divine Wisdom can pitch upon are urged by the Lord himself to engage us not to forsake our own Mercies to attend to and close with our only Happiness Alas how unapprehensive how unconcerned are we We are then as little moved as if the Arguments had no weight in them or we had no Souls to take care of and be saved If Satan hath a mind to draw us unto any Sin or engage us in some destructive and damning course how easily doth he prevail how soon doth he gain our Ear our Hand our Heart How suddenly doth he hurry us into what he pleaseth Yea Men like our selves can easily work upon our Affections and prevail with us to do those things which will hasten our Misery our Shame our Destruction But alas Christ may stand and call and warn and entreat us by ever so many Considerations and yet have no admittance amongst us We deal with our Saviour as the wanton and undutiful Child doth when he lets an Enemy into the House at the first word But when his Parent calls and knocks he sits unconcerned turns a deaf Ear and never takes any notice though that Relation knock never so loud and be very importunate to be let in We are ready to follow Satan and do what he would have us to do if he do but promise us a little Pleasure or Wealth c. But Christ is shut out and not hearkned unto though he is most importunate and doth urge the weightiest Arguments to prevail with us to attend unto him The Arguments he doth urge are very many It shall suffice at present to name a few of them with a brief intimation of their worth and excellency 1. He lays before us his own transcendent Excellencies and Perfections The Dignity of his Person and how wonderful his Condescention is in that he is pleased to make such Vouchsafements unto us He is the Brightness of the Father's Glory and the express Image of his Person and he upholdeth all things by the Word of his Power Heb. 1.3 He is God over all blessed for ever-more Rom. 9.5 And what shall the Eternal God be repulsed when he makes such importunate Addresses to most miserable Worms Shall we deny admittance to the high and lofty One who inhabiteth Eternity whose Name is Holy and dwelleth in the high and holy Place when he condescendeth to come to us and earnestly entreateth us to let him have his abode with us He is not a mean contemptible Person which maketh Love to us whose Favour we may lose and be never the worse whose Kindness and Love if withdrawn may be made up another way or by another Person He is God He is the Lord of Glory The Angels adore and reverence glorify and worship him He can and will make thee truly and unspeakably blessed and happy if thou hearken to his Voice and entertain him Thou must needs be unconceivably miserable without him he has Power to make thee happy or miserable If thou receive him he will conduct thee to Heaven and constitute thee perfect and unalterably blessed But if thou stubbornly and finally despisest him and tramplest under thy Feet the offers of his Love and Grace he is able to punish thee for thy contempt and he will cast thee into and burn thee in Hell to all Eternity 2. He represents unto us the miserable and undone condition we are naturally in That whilst without him we are Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel we do not belong to the Society of those the Lord hath chosen and set apart for himself we are Strangers from the Covenant of Promise we have nothing to do with those great and precious Priviledges which are made over to them who are interested in the Divine special Love We have no hope we are in a desperate condition as to hereafter without any true and solid ground to encourage our selves to hope it shall be well with us We are without God in the World we are
with him where he should be John 17.24 And he still intercedes now he is in Heaven for such that they may be with him and will certainly conduct them to and possess them for ever of that Glory and Happiness which infinitely exceeds all Imagination and which is fully understood by no Creatures but those who do enjoy it A Happiness which is absolutely free from all evil and unpleasant Mixture and which is every way compleat and full of every thing that is grateful pleasant and can administer any satisfaction A Happiness that is stable sure and certain which shall last to all Eternity and never cease decay nor cloy but always entertain with raptures of Joy ravishing Pleasures and Satisfactions which arise to uninterrupted and constant Extasies These are some of the Arguments which are strongly urged to prevail with Sinners to accept of Christ But his Importunity will yet further appear if we consider the Instruments he doth imploy and make use of about this Work The Instruments are many which are employ'd to entreat and perswade and move Sinners to close with the gracious Tenders made them by the Son of God I will name but four 1. The Holy Spirit is appointed to be Christ's Advocate and is employ'd to plead Christ's Cause with Sinners This Holy Spirit hath not only in a miraculous way convinc'd the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment but he doth plead often with particular Persons Sometimes he works pious Inclinations and desires in the Soul sometimes he affects with a penetrating apprehension of the wretchedness of a natural Estate Sometimes he convinces powerfully of a necessity of looking after Christ sometimes he moves and perswades the Soul to close with Christ and accept him upon his own terms The Spirit of God works variously secretly and powerfully on the Heart and doth often testify of Christ even to those who do a long time nay it may be finally stand out and refuse to close heartily with him But it is a great aggravation of a Person 's Sin to grieve the Spirit of God Ephes 4.30 and to quench the Spirit 1 Thess 5.19 To take no notice of Christ but stubbornly oppose and resist him when he comes to us and pleads with us and entreats us by his Spirit to accept of him O to what a height doth our Guilt ascend when Christ sends his Spirit to treat with us and we despise or take no notice of the workings and witnessings of this Holy Spirit What a heightned Crime and Wickedness is this to contemn and make light of Christ after that the Holy Spirit hath been treating with us and explaining to us the Dignity of Christ his unvaluable transcendent Excellencies and the necessity of a Saviour This is certainly a very great proof and demonstration of our Saviour's earnestness to be admitted by us that he pleads with us by such an one and employs his Holy Spirit to transact and manage this Business with us 2. He sends his Ministers on this Errand The Ministers of the Gospel are appointed to be the Preachers of Reconciliation unto the World They are intrusted by the Lord Jesus to plead with Sinners and endeavour to prevail with them to receive Christ and yield up themselves to him And therefore as you hear or refuse to hear them so Christ interprets your readiness or unwillingness to receive him Luke 10.16 The great Work and Business of the Ministry is to beseech you in the Name of Christ to lay down your Enmity which you have unjustly conceived against him and hearken unto his wholsom saving Advice and Counsel even to accept of him that he may dwell with you and you with him Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5.20 Now how often and with how much earnestness have you been entreated this way to embrace Christ and his Gracious Offers Were not Christ very importunate for admittance what need would there be that a particular sort of People should be appointed and set apart for this very Business to invite and perswade and intreat People to accept of Christ and his Benefits Ephes 4.11 c. 3. Jesus Christ doth importune you by his Word When you read or hear the Holy Scriptures what urgings and entreatings have you there from Christ to accept of him It is Peoples great Sin that they slight the Scriptures as they do Ministers and Ordinances and are not willing to observe Christ speaking in them But O what a zeal and earnestness doth Christ manifest there in beseeching and calling Sinners to embrace and accept of him Consider and weigh these few Particulars amongst the many you may meet with in reading the Word of God which plainly shew how much Christ is concerned for your closing with his gracious Tenders 1. His free and solemn Invitations What frank and liberal Promises doth he make to all who will but comply with his Call Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Matth. 11.28 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters and he that hath no Mony come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without Mony and without Price Wherefore do ye spend Mony for that which is not Bread and your Labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your Soul delight it self in Fatness Incline your Ear and come unto me hear and your Soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David Isa 55.1 2 3. You see here that he excepts none and that he assures of the best the most useful the choicest and most valuable Blessings 2. His vehement and affectionate Protestations He swears by Himself that his Love is cordial and sincere He importunes us often and condescends to argue and expostulate with us As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the Wicked but that the Wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O house of Israel Ezek. 33.11 Cast away from you all your Transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you a new Heart and a new Spirit for why will ye die O House of Israel For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God wherefore turn your selves and live ye Ezek. 18.31 32. 3. His passionate Lamentation over those who do stubbornly reject him and will not accept of him notwithstanding he pleads with them thus earnestly He wept over them of Jerusalem after he had long importuned them in vain How does he express by groans and sighs his mournful sorrowful Resentments on the account of the destruction they were wilfully drawing on themselves O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are
had long overspread it the Reformation began in rectifying Mens Judgments and Minds about this Matter of the insufficiency of our own Works and the absolute necessity of the Righteousness and Merits of Jesus Christ The high and lofty God will dwell with none but those who are of humble and contrite Spirits Isa 57.15 As long as we please our selves with fancying we have no need of Christ we have a sufficiency in our selves and can do well enough without him we shall never attend with due care to his Voice nor faithfully receive him into our Hearts We are apt to think our selves rich and increased with Goods and that we have no need of any thing without us and are very difficultly perswaded that we are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked and therefore we slight Christ and shut him out of our Hearts Rev. 3.17 There is no room for Christ in a proud self-conceited Heart 2. Infidelity or Unbelief doth keep the Heart shut against Christ Herein consists our non-acceptance of Christ Notwithstanding the Lord Jesus hath so many Witnesses and explains himself to us so fully yet do we slight and reject him And whence is all this but from our not diligently attending to his Instruction nor understanding and conceiving aright of what he doth propose to us not weighing and considering seriously the Evidence of things recommended to us not truly and really assenting to the Truths of Christ People content themselves with empty Notions and a fashionable Profession without any real firm perswasion of the Particulars they pretend to own Did we really and firmly assent to or believe the Doctrines concerning Christ his Person Natures Offices Promises Laws c. contained in the New Testament we should be thereby influenced to a holy faithful entire recumbency of Soul on Christ and to a vigorous active conformity to his Laws and following of his Example If there be no difference betwixt us and Turks or Heathens but only that we call our selves by another Name and in word pretend to another Religion we do not really believe For Faith if real will influence our Affections and Lives proportionably to the Degree of our Assent the Nature and Tendency of the Truths we do believe and the Sense we have of our concernment in them It is the great Fault of People pretending to Religion and enjoying means of Instruction that they do not take a becoming care to get their Minds possessed with right and sound Notions of the Truths and Doctrines they profess to own They do not consider what Grounds and Evidences they have for their yielding assent to the Doctrines they profess they do not labour and endeavour and strive to get the Characters of Divine Truths deeply imprinted with their full Light and Power on their Hearts And how can it otherwise be expected then but that multitudes should prove meer Hypocrites and Formalists It is Unbelief that blinds our Minds that we see no beauty or loveliness in Christ it is this that turns away our Hearts from Christ renders us uncapable of receiving any saving benefit from Christ which hardens and sears our Consciences makes them unsensible and locks and bolts our Hearts against Christ See Isa 53.2 3. Heb. 3.12 John 1.11 12. Mat. 13.58 Rom. 11.20 22 23. 3. Worldly-mindedness keeps the Heart shut against Christ When we expect too much from the World and these lower Enjoyments do set our Hearts excessively on them press after pursue and seek for earthly Things with too much vehemence and earnestness we of course grow unmindful of and unconcerned for Christ and our Souls Heaven and Spiritual Matters The Things of the World do devour our Strength and drink up all our Spirits yea they beget in us not only a regardlesness of Spiritual Things but a contempt of and opposition against them Know ye not that the Friendship of the World is Enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a Friend of the World is the Enemy of God Jam. 4.4 see 1 John 2.15 Alas when Mens Hearts are set upon the World what will they not venture for it They venture Christ and Heaven and Soul and all that is truly precious This worldly-mindedness makes the Word and Truths of Christ to be of no esteem and value with us this makes them of no use to us makes us that we reap no benefit from them Matth. 13.22 How many who have made a fair shew in the Flesh have seemed to make fair Offers for Christ have fallen off as soon as ever they have been tried as to this Point see Matth. 19.22 The love of this present World choak'd and destroy'd Demas 2 Tim. 4.10 What a cursed influence had the love of the World on Judas when he adventured on that villanous piece of Treachery to betray and sell his Lord and Master the Son of God for thirty pieces of Silver 4. Love of carnal sensual Pleasures We read of some who are lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God 2 Tim. 3.4 Of some who make their Belly their God Phil. 3.19 Now such as have devoted themselves to their Lusts and are wholly enslaved to their Pleasures and sensual Delights are wholly indispos'd and unfit to bid Christ welcome There must be a great change wrought in them before they can receive and entertain Christ It is not meet to bring a Person of Honour and Quality into a Room that is full of Vomit and loathsom filthiness and stench Such a Person will not be entertained and treated in a Swine-stye and the Heart of him that wallows in his sinful Pleasures is no better That Soul where Christ will dwell must be cleansed from all those fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul Rom. 13.14 And as such a Heart is very unfit for Christ so there is much malignity in it against Christ Who greater Enemies to Christ and who so bitter against his Ways his Laws his Word his Government than those who do wholly addict themselves to the sensual gratifying of all their carnal Appetites Desires and Inclinations If they may not enjoy their swinish Lusts without any molestation and reproof from Christ and his Word they will either with the Gadarens desire them to be gone or else more rudely attempt to thrust and force them out of their Quarters 5. Cherishing any particular Lust or Sin in our Hearts and suffering it to have a predominant reigning Power over us Though we seem to reject and cast from us many of our former Vices and to deny our selves in several Instances in which we did before allow our selves a greater liberty yet if we yield up our selves Subjects to any one Sin though we do it never so cunningly and secretly we do thereby bid Christ defiance and renounce his Rule and Government over us If a Man make his Addresses to one he desires to have a conjugal friendship and familiarity with if that Party have preingaged her self faithfully to another Person this is a more effectual