as are taught of God Who can take away the opposite disposition of mans nature to goodness but God by his spirit who can shine into the soul and quicken the soul but Christ by his spirit who is above the heart and conscience but Christ by his spirit therefore take heed of formality submit your hearts to the great Prophet of the Church that Moses speaketh of Deut. 18. who shall be the great teacher of the Church lift up our hearts to him that he would teach our hearts and remove the naturall disposition that is in us that he would take off the veil from our hearts and teach not only what to do but to teach the very doing of them Teach us to hate what is ill teach us to believe and to resist all Satans temptations who can teach this but the great Teacher whose Chair is in Heaven therefore take heed of depending on formall things Lift your hearts to God that he would joyn his teaching with all other teaching This cannot be too much stood upon I beseech you therefore take it to heart Give me leave to add a few things more If Christ speaketh in generall to Mary she answereth in generall And when he speaks aloof to her she answereth aloof to him a far off and never gave him a direct answer till he gave a direct word to her When he said Mary she gave him a direct answer Rabboni not before I beseech you therefore let us not rest in generall promises and the generall graces that be so much stood on by some That God hath a like respect to all Trust not to that we must not enter into his secrets but let us obey his precepts and Commandements And withall remember this When we hear of a generall mercy and Commandement for all Nations to believe and that Christ came to save a world of sinners alas what is that to me unless thou by thy holy spirit speakest to my soul and saist in particular I am thy salvation and speakest familiarly to my soul Generalls are in some degrees comfortable But if I find not particular interest by the witness of thy holy spirit to my soul if thou sayst not to my soul I am thine and thou art mine all is to little purpose Therefore in the desires of our souls in prayer let us desire the Lord to reveal himself in particular We trust too much in Generalls God is mercifull and Christ came to redeem the World They be truths and good foundations for to sound faith upon but they will not do the deed till by daily prayer vve seek to the Lord that he vvould in a particular manner reveal himself to us This doth Paul pray for Ephes 1. That God would vouch safe to them the spirit of Revelation And this is the office of the holy Spirit his speciall office is to reveal to every one in particular his estate and condition to God-ward The Holy Ghost knoweth the secrets in the brest of God and in our own hearts Now the Holy Ghost only can reveal the particular love that lyeth in Gods brest to our particular souls And therefore we should desire God that the holy spirit may be sent to seal to us our particular salvation and never be quiet till we be sealed in particular assurance that we be they whom Christ came to save This we ought to labour for if we labour for it we shall have it sometime or other for God loveth to be familiar with his Children He loveth not to be strange to them if they seek his love but to reveal himself first or last And few seek it but God revealeth himself by his spirit to them before they die if he doth not they are sure of it in Heaven And therefore they that be against particulars they are enemies to their own salvation Mary regarded not while Christ spake of generalls But when he came to particulars then Rabboni and not before Jesus saith unto her touch me not I am not yet ascended to my Father c. This verse containeth Christs Prohibition or Christs Commission or Charge His prohibition Touch me not and his reason for I am not yet ascended to my Father His Charge Go to my Brethren And then directeth what to say to them I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God The words be very naturall and need no breaking up to you But I shall handle them as they follow one another Jesus said to her touch me not Touch me not Why he would have Thomas not only touch but to put his finger into his side that is more then touching him But our Saviours intent is to meet with a disposition in Mary something carnall something low and mean in regard of this glorious occasion Christ being now risen and glorified for his resurrection was the first degree of his glorification And therefore touch me not She came with too much a carnall mind to touch him when we said Rabboni it was not satisfaction enough for her to answer Rabboni but she runneth to him and claspeth him and clingeth about him as the affection of love did dictate to her But saith he touch me not in such a manner this is not a fit manner for thee to touch me in now I am risen again In a word she had a thought to converse with Christ in as familiar a manner as before when she powred oyntment on his head He was the same person but the case is altered that was in the dayes of his humiliation now he was risen again and it was the first degree of his glorification There was another manner of converse due to him and therefore touch me not Thou thinkest to touch me as thou didst before but thou must not do it She was too much addicted to his bodily presence 1. It is that that men will labour after and have laboured for even from the beginning of the world to be too much addicted to present things and to sense They will worship Christ but they must have a picture before them They will adore Christ but they must bring his body down into a peece of bread they must have a presence And so instead of raising their hearts to God and Christ in a heavenly manner they pull down God and Christ to them this the pride and base earthliness of man will do And therefore saith Christ touch me not in that manner It is not with me now as it was before We must take heed of mean and base conceits of Christ What saith Paul 2 Cor. 5. I know uo man now according to the flesh no not Christ himself now he is risen Christ was of such a Tribe Stature had such gifts and qualities What is that to me Christ is now Lord of Lords and King of Kings He is glorious in Heaven and so I conceive of him I know no man after the flesh no not Christ himself I forget what
he was on earth and think of him what he is now in Heaven Therefore to bring him down to our base conceits to sense and the like this is the humour of men that labour to crosse the scope of the Gospel For why are men so addicted to outward things outward complements It is pride it is satanicall pride they think that God is delighted with whatsoever their folly is delighted withall Because amongst men there must be a deal a doing therefore they think God is well pleased with such things God is a spitit and though outward things be necessary yet all must not be turned outward as in Popery We must not bring God down to our foolish conceits as if he were delighted as we are 2. It is wonderfull easie too all outward things any naughty men have them with their sins Let a man perform a little outward complement he may be what he will be let him live as he will and be possest that outward things will serve the turn he is safe his Conscience is daubed up till God by sense of wrath awakeneth conscience and then they shall find it another matter to deal with God then by complement 3. There is also a great glory in outward things There is commendations and mens observance of them as in the Pharisees and in Popery But the spirituall worship of Christ hath no observance to the eye of the world it is between God and the soul men naturally love those things that be glorious It is said of Ephraim that he loved to tread out the Corn but not to plow that is Ephraim will take that which is easie but not that in Gods worship which is hard There be two things in Gods service An easie thing which is outward complement And an hard thing which is to trust him to deny our selves to relie upon him and live by faith And that Ephraim will not do Ephraim will tread the corn because the Heifer may eat corn But there be hard things in Religion which he will not practice He will not plough Touch me not saith Christ Thou hast not conceits spirituall enough to deal with me now I am risen But what is the reason Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father That seemeth to be a strong reason But it seemeth to be a contrary reason Touch me not now when my body is present but touch me when I am gone and removed out of sight of all flesh Touch me not now when thou mayst touch me and touch me when there is an impossibility of touching me This is seemingly strange But indeed there is no contrariety in it Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to the Father There is a double meaning of the words First of all touch me not for I am not yet ascended c. Thou needest not claspe and cling about me as if I would stay no more with you below I am not yet ascended to the Father there will be time enough afterwards For the word touch in the originall doth not signifie meerly to touch but claspe associate joyn and soder with a thing the Scripture speaking of the evill man you shall not touch him that is not make him one with him The Devill shall not take him from Christ and make him one with himself It is a strange word in the originall Thou claspest about me thou dost more then touch me thou clingest to me and wilt not leave me as if I would go presently to the Father but I am not yet ascended to the Father That is one part of the meaning But there is farther then that I am not yet ascended to the Father touch me not That is it is another manner of touch that I look for better for thee and in some regard for me to touch me by the hand of faith when I am ascended to the Father then touch me and take thy full of touching me But for the present I am not ascended I have not done all I have not manifested my self to my Disciples in full when I am ascended all is done and then there is place for touch And that I take is meant here I am not yet ascended to the Father thou thinkest I have done all is to be done but thou art deceived I must ascend to the Father and when I am there I expect to be touched after another manner after a gratious spiritual manner which is by faith as Augustine saith well send up thy faith to Heaven and then thou touchest Christ As he said in the Sacrament Quid paras dentem ventrem Crede manducasti what dost thou prepare thy teeth and stomack for believe and thou hast earen So the best communion with Christ is to believe till we come to Heaven to have eternall communion with him This touch will do thee little good and it pleaseth me as little When I am ascended to the Father then touch me at the full so you see what Christ meaneth The life of a Christian here and the manner of the dispensation of Christ here is by promise and by his spirit that we should live by faith and not by sense The life of sight is preserved for another world when we are fitted for it She was not fit for a life of sense but was to expect the Holy Ghost from Heaven to be filled with that and then to be filled with faith and love and then to have an holy Communion with him in Heaven But I am not yet ascended Thus you see the meaning touch me not There be two reasons of Christs prohibition 1. Her respects were too carnall and ordinary considering he was in the state of glory And then 2. for that there will be time enough do not stand imbracing of me There is a greater work for thee to do Christ preferred the great work of giving notice to his Disciples of his Resurrection before the Office of respect and service to himself Go about a duty that I more regard a great deal Go tell my Brethren I ascend c. So that every part of the Text yields satisfaction to that prohition Go saith he to my Brethren I have another work for thee to do Touch me not Thou claspes about me as if thou hadst nothing to do there is another work to do that pleaseth me better and more fit for thee to comfort them that are in distress my poor Brethren and Disciples And therefore go to my Brethren and say unto them so that Christ prefers a work of charity to his poor Disciples before a work of complement to his own person She clingeth about him but this is not it I would have Those poor souls are mourning and disconsolate for me as if I â—â—re clean taken away go to them and prevent their farther sorrow God hath a wonderfull respect to others It is strange that Christ should say Go and be reconciled to thy Brethren and then
Gods enemies Now there be two sorts of enemies that we are especially to have nothing to do withall if we side with God enemies within us and enemies without us Sin within us we must take part against our sins take Gods part and the spirits part against corrupt motions and affections Divinity must begin from within else it is faction without It is not Religion but faction if the Religion begin not in our hearts and if we hate not sin in our selves Where there is true antipathy the nearer any thing is that is opposite to our nature the more hateful it is He that hateth a Toad hateth it in his bosom most of all And he that hates sin as sin hates it in his own heart most of all And therefore they that will pretend Religion and be naught in their own particular it cometh not from a true principle for they that will side with God side with God in their own hearts and be good men in their own particulars therefore I beseech you try your selves by this Likewise 〈◊〉 men estâ—em sinne Gods enemy wâ—â—â—esoever they see it and so far as their authority and power reacheth they will take Gods part in themselves against themselves and in the world too I will not inlarge the point because it cometh in by way of tryal and I cannot but touch it as a tryal Thus you see how we may know whether we be Gods or no by owning his cause and siding with him you have some expressions in Scripture to this purpose Micah 4. 5. All people will walk every one in the name of his God and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever Every man will walk and converse in the name of his God they will own their God and take part with him and we will walk in the name of our God for ever and ever and own his cause at all times and constantly for ever and ever And likewise in Esay 44. speaking of gratious times there when men shall be bold for the Lord as in all times some men will One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord and tearm himself Israel God shall have his tongue his hand and all He shall say I am the Lords he shall call himself by the name of God he shall subscribe to it and own the cause 4. Again if we would know whether God be our God we must know whether we may lay just claim to our God as a peculiar God to us or no and that way in which God sheweth himself to be a God in peculiar respect to us Now how doth God shew himself a God in a peculiar respect to his Children He sheweth himself to have a peculiar respect to them 1. By peculiar gifts when he gives to them that which he giveth to none else shall we imagine God to be our God by common gifts and common graces no for thou comest to hear the word so Herod did Thou receivest the Sacrament so did Judas so did Simon Magus Thou hearest the truth with some joy so did the third ground Thou hast excellent partâ— so hath the Devil himself But thou art in such a place of the Church teachest others so did Judas Are these evidences to try whether we be Gods or no what then is the peculiar gift and love-token that God bestowes upon his favorites they be the graces of his spirit especially in regard of God an humble broken heart and a believing heart and a lowly heart that goeth out of it self that goeth unto God by faith and towards man full of love which argueth a great deal of self-denyal when a man can love others with denyal of his own profit and ease He that hath a humble believing lowly heart hath more then all the world besides for he hath Gods peculiar gift Many poor souls complain as if God had no regard to them and yet in the mean time they have humble broken hearts which is more then if they had all the wealth and worâ—h that the world hath which have proud hearts never broken The return of these favours will be comfort in death and glory in Heaven What will the fruit of a believing heart be he hath God and Christ if he hath a lowly large heart to do good he doth that which in the issue shall further his accompt at the day of judgement and there is the love of God shewed in his special favour 2. So the love of God especially shall be a special peculiar comfort that the world is ignorant of especially in times of extremity Inward peace of conscience inward joy and inward comforts these are signs of love that God bestoweth upon a man when he will own him in the worst times and speak peace to his soul when nothing in the world will speak peace When the Lyons roar the great Lyons of the world roar in extremity he hath inward peace and joy and comforts of the holy Ghost that inward intercourse of God with the soul is a sign of Gods peculiar love when God speaketh peace to the soul when he sheweth the light of his countenance which David in the 4th Psalm prefers before all outward comforts whatsoever Gods revealing of himself as the Scripture calleth it When God revealeth himself to his to be theirs with peace and joy and comfort accompanying it this is peculiar 3. Again a peculiar favour and love-token of God as to have seasonable and sanctifying correction To have corrections when they be seasonable when we be in a way of straying and God will bring us home by correction and when we have sanctifying correction we find by experience that all is turned to our good If I find any thing turn me to my God I know I am his if my Crosse be seasonable and sanctified he is my God for he takes that course with me which he takes with his own people These be singular signs of Gods love when he bestoweth the graces of his spirit his comforts peace and joy though not largely yet so much as shall sustain the soul And then when he seasonably meeteth us and will not suffer us to thrive in an evil couâ—se Oh it is a judgment of judgements to be hardned in sinful courses of life how can it but end in desperation at length and therefore it is a great favour to be chastized it sheweth we are Sons and not Bastardâ— Thus we see how we may lay just claim to this that God is our God in a peculiar manner 5. To name but one more to distinguish a spirit of presumption from a spirit of faith and truth that God is our God is this 1. If we have grace to answer his dealings towards us When we can eccho to Gods dealings God hath chosen us if we have grace to chuse him for our God We may know
into Christ by a spirit of adoption and have the stamp of the Father upon them The likeness of the Father and of Christ whom God begetsto his own likeness that are in a word like Christ Christ is the first Son and in him and for his sake we are Sons He is the natural Son and they may say our Father that labor to express the disposition of Christ who is the first Son See this disposition of Christ in the Gospel how marvellously patient he was under the hand of his Father obedienâ— to the death of his Crosse humbled full of love full of goodness He went about doing good Do we thâ—n walk as Christ did carry we the image of the second Adam have we the patient humble meek disposition of Christ in our measure do we love Christ in his members God in his Image do we love the Ordinances and the power of Reâ—igion this sheweth what we are and is our conversation sutable to our inward disposition do we walk in light do we shew by our conversation whose Children we are do our speeches give a Character of the inward man If this be in us though in never so small a measure with comfort we may say our Father But may not another man that is not in Christ come to God under the sweet name of our Father yea he may come to him as his Father by creation and providence or sacramentally a Father or as brought into the Church and having God to create him and to provide for him Lord thou hast shewed thy self a gracious Father thus far though I cannot from any inward perswasion say My Father Thus far as I can I say my Father strive against our spiritual infidelity believe God and cast our selves on his gracious promises in Christ God will meet us at the same time and he will send us his spirit to make us his Sons And therefore let no man that hath been a wicked liver be discouraged from going to God in the name of a Father in that wherein he is a Father Lord thou hast created me and preserved me and it is thy mercy I am not in Hell yet thou offer'st to be my Father in Christ thou hast made gracious promises and invited me and upon this when the heart yieldeth to the gracious apprehensions of God as a Father there is a spirit of faith wrought in the heart presently therefore think of the name of a Father and the very thoughts of it will bring the spirit of adoption Only it speaks no comfort to the bitter malicious satanical enemies of Christ and the power of Religion they be Children of the Devil But now poor souls that groan under the burden of sin let them think that God is a Father and of the mercies of God though they do not see they be interested in them By the very contemplation of the mercies of God in Christ and his inviting them to receive them the spirit of God will be wrought in the soul whereby they may have confidence to come to God as a Father I desire you therefore to remember this it is the first Sermon of our Saviour Christ after his Resurrection and therefore forget not to think of God as a Father and Christ as a Brother Indeed whatsoever comfort is in any relation God and Christ have taken it on them A Father is more comprehensive then any other Title Christ is Father and Husband and Spouse And God is our Rock and Shield and whatsoever is comfortable he hath taken on him and in Christ we may command him to be so And if we had ten thousand Worlds they could not be compared to the comforts that arise from hence that we can call God Father It is more to us if we could improve it in our spiritual Trade for Heaven then if we had a thousand worlds especially in dayes of affliction and in the hour of death For it improveth whatsoev er is in the bowels of God for poor distressed souls When nothing else will comfort this will comfort if we can say to God Father Though we cannot make a distinct prayer yet if we can say Father God can pick matter out of our broken Language Now Christ is ascended up to Heaven he doth us more good then he did when he was upon the earth The Sun in the Firmament yieldeth us heat and comfort but if it were nearer it would do us hurt or if further off it would not do us so much good God hath placed it being a common light of the world high to inlighten inferior bodies and to convey influence by means into them And so Christ the Son of righteousness being ascended and advanced to Heaven doth more good then on earth And therefore saith he it is for your good that I ascend It is for our good that we have Christ in Heaven to appear there for us I ascend to my Father and to your Father Father is here taken personally not essentially though it be true in that sense to my Father as the first person of the Trinity especially Christ might well say I ascend to my Father now for he was risen again and was mightily declared to be the Son of God by his Resurrection from the dead Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee that is this day have I declared thee It is said of things fiunt cum pate fiunt they are done when they be open and declared to be done Christ was the Son of God when he rose again because he was discovered by his glorious Resurrection to be so indeed And therefore Christ may well say after his Resurrection I go to my Father and your Father Observe from hence That God in Christ is our Father We say Relations are Minimae entitatis they are little entities founded on others but they are maximae consequentiae of great concernment I beseech you before I leave the point give me leave to go on a little further in this to shew that wonderful mercy that admirable goodness which the tongues and hearts of all the men in the world and Angels in Heaven are not able to express that love of God which is contained in the Relation he hath taken on him in Christ to be our Father 1. Consider who and whom Who the great God that hath the Son to solace himself in he did not adopt us because he wanted Sons he had Sons of his own and Sons of his love to sollace himself in what need he have took Traitors Rebels enemies to make them his Sons Oh it is a marvellous advancement of our nature that God should in Christ become our Father It is said Psalm 113. God abaseth himself to behold things below and indeed so he doth with reverence be it spoken to his great Majesty he abaseth himself in regard of things below In regard of us worms of the earth that be enemies yea Devils by nature For
many ye shall see the Devil in them in their lying and opposing of goodness And God will alwayes have some amongst men to shew others what they would be if God left them to themselves God abaseth himself to behold things below Not that it is a diminution of Majesty to do it but God in Christ hath stooped so low that he could go no lower and he is advanced as high in our nature as can be How could God become a man a curse God in the second person with us God in the first person to be so near to us as a Father and God in the second person to make him a Father to be so low as Christ was which is to be as low as hell it self 2. Consider to whom this message is sent He is your Father even a Father to you the Disciples now you are disconsolate God owneth us for his Children at the worst He took our condition notwithstanding all our infirmities When we be pronest by a work of the spirit to condemn our selves then God is nearest to justifie us When the poor prodigal said I am unworthy to be a Son make me an Houshold Servant you see how the Father entertaineth him So the poor Publican dareth not lift up his eyes and yet went away justified David when he could not pray but murmur and rebell and said in his heart all men are lyars yet thou heardst the voice of my prayer even then when he could not pray but groan and sigh to God I said I am cast out of thy sight yet thou regardest the voice of my prayers When he said out of a murmuring spirit and rebelliousness of nature I am cast out of thy sight A Speech that tended to desperation yet God heard the voice of his prayer When Job said I clothed my self in dust and ashes God said to him I have accepted thee When we by the spirit think our selves unworthy to be accepted or to look to Heaven or to tread upon the Earth then God looketh on us worthy in his Son and never more worthy then when we acknowledg our own unworthiness Go tell my Disciples at this time when they had dealt so unworthily I go to their Father It is from his own bowels and not any goodness in us that he loveth us He loveth the work of his own spirit his own nature that that is of his own Though the Child hath many infirmities yet the Father seeth the nature of the Child and therefore loveth it God seeth his Image of holiness in us in some poor measure and he loveth his own in us And he loveth our love to him which is in some measure Though the Disciples had got into corners after their unkind dealing with Christ yet he knew they loved him As where there is love there will be a reflection of his love back again And then God knoweth if he should not shew mercy to sinners he should have none to serve him on earth And therefore saith the Psalmist Psal 130. v. 4. There is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared that is worshipped If God were not merciful to sinners where should he have any to worship him And therefore God sheweth himself to be a Father even to sinful Creatures even in their wickedness he seeth his own nature in them He seeth some love some work of respect in them and if he should not love them he would have none to fear him Beloved live upon this I spake before of the love of Christ Here is the love of God the Father who is content to be a Father even in our sinful condition If God be a Father to us as to Christ then let not our hearts be discouraged in afflictions persecutions temptations God was a Father to Christ in his desertion God leaveth us to our selves sometimes and we fear his love Did not he leave his own Son upon the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yet he ceased not to be a Father For persecution of enemies was not Christs whole life fill'd up with persecution and yet a Son For temptations thou art tempted and thinkest thou art none of Gods Children Satan did tempt our blessed Saviour that he might be a merciful Saviour and know how to succour thee in times of temptation therefore be not discouraged say not when thou art deserted persecuted asflicted tempted God is not thy Father for by that reason thou maist argue God was none of Christs Father God was Christs Father notwithstanding his desertion for a time and notwithstanding his afflictions in the world his persecutions of all sorts of men and notwithstanding his temptations God was his Father still This we must observe Father is not a relation to day and none to morrow It is an eternal relation Dum percutis pater es Dum Castigas pater es saith Augustine while thou strikest us thou art our Father whilst thou correctest us thou art our Father Parents are tender to their weakest and sick Children and God is most tender of all to them that be weak Go tell Peter And therefore never be out of conceipt of God or Christ we cannot be in a condition wherein on any sound grounds we may run from God But if this be so let us learn of God to be indulgent If it were to speak to Ministers I should be large to advise them to preach the Law and the Gospel The very Law is preached in mercy The Lord taketh a severe course but it is to order us All Gods severity is reducible to mercy and Christ all his afflictions humiliations and abasements do they come from unfatherly affection no but to draw us home to him And therefore never be terrible to any but with a bowel of compassion but with a mind that they may see themselves and see the comforts they have in Christ We ought to be of his affection the great Pastor and Bishop of the Church And so for ordinary Christians they should be indulgent one to another Some are alwayes cutting in Ulcers always wounding and tearing themselves with ill usage and misconstruction keeping themselves from growing up in a better life by observing the infirmities of them that be better then themselves Oh but go tell my Brethren that my Father owneth them for his Children which may be a use of marvellous comfort to us Shall a Child be always prowling for it self we think there is neither Father nor Mother to take care for it your heavenly Father knoweth what you need We ought to labor for contentment in all conditions for God is our Father And for others if God be our Father let us look to others that be our brethren own them and carry our selves to them as brethren Let the strong carythēselves lowly to the weak it is a sign of greatest strength to be most indulgent Many account it great commendations on their part to be censorious and to
be severe I but that is the greatest part of their weakness if they have any goodness in them For who was more indulgent to the Disciples then Christ who saw their weakness He bore with all their infirmities Where we see any goodness let us bear with many weaknesses we ought to be peaceable men Beati sunt pacifici they that be appeased in their consciences in sense of their own pardon are ready to shew mercy to others Busie contentions quarrelsom dispositions argue they never found comfort from God himself If God be a Father and we are Brethren it is a levelling word it bringeth Mountains down and filleth up vallies All are Brethren take them in what condition you will if they be great in the world Brethren of an high degree yet brother levelleth thē If they be of low degree yet it filleth them up raiseth thē to the height in this brotherhood And therefore go tel my Brethren tell them all for they be all equally Brethren If I were to speak to persons of quality and great parts as I am to speak to mean let them be put in mind of their condition Nothing should raise us up so high as to forget the everlasting relation of Brother Infirmity should not so far prevail with us as to forget that which the Children of God have to eternity And for other persons more eminent if he be a King let him not so mind that as to forget all other For all relations determine in death and must be laid in the dust all must stand on equal ground before Gods Barre and they that have most to answer for have the highest accompt of all and therefore it is ground of humility to all Let them that are in greatest eminency consider this Paul after conversion could say henceforth know I no man after the flesh There is a great deal of humanity in the World complement is very ordinary which is the Picture and out-side of humanity but Christian love which is a degree above humanity the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brotherly love that is the scorn of the world They will own a Brother in office but owning them in the sweet bonds of Brotherhood as they are the Sons of God here is Heaven make much of them in that kind that is a strange thing in the world but we must know what it meaneth before we come to Heaven we must respect a Christian be he what he will be under all his infirmities if he hath a good spirit in him which God the Father seeth and Christ seeth We must bear love to all Saints Some will make much of an eminent man that hath excellent parts because there may be some countenance from such persons but here is sincerity that beareth love to all Saints He wraps them up all in the general tearm Go tell Peter amongst the rest that hath offended more then the rest If you will know whether you be true Brethren or no or Sons of God or no make a use of tryal by what is formerly delivered I shall inlarge my self in that point because all dependeth upon it God is the Father of all by creation he is the Father in a general Covenant of all that receive the Sacrament and are baptized But if they have no other relation to God but so they may go to Hell as Judas and others did therefore we must know whether we may claim this relation of Father on good grounds or no else it is an usurpation 1. Those that belong to God the spirit of God witnesseth to them that they are Sons They that are adopted have the spirit of adoption in some degree God sendeth his spirit into their hearts that assures them that they be Gods Children And howsoever this is the first yet God giveth some intimation by his spirit that they look to God in another familiar manner then before and he looks on them in a Fatherly manner so there be some intimations and insinuations and hints though the spirit of adoption witnesseth not fully and gloriously to the soul always because we are not fitted for it but sometimes in great afflictions and desertions Where the spirit of God is there is Communion with God in the spirit of adoption And when the voice of the spirit of adoption speaks not lowdly yet there is a work of the spirit there is something in us renewed by the spirit there is something of the new Creature When a Christian cannot hear God say to his soul I am thy salvation yet a man may see a work of grace there is a love to God to the Ordinances to the people of God a mourning because he cannot mourn a sighing because he hath not an heart plyable He is discordant with his condition when he is disconsolate so that there is a work of the spirit helpeth him in his worst condition Besides there is a spirit of supplication in some measure though he cannot make set discourses to God yet he can in a sweet manner lay open his sorrow and grief to God and leave them in his bosom They be broken words perhaps but God can pluck sense out of them God knoweth the meaning of the sighing of his own spirit though broken speeches So that where there is any tongue for God in a man there is a spirit of prayer there is not a strangeness of God to go altogether by but the spirit hath a kind of acquaintance with God and it goeth to God in a familiarity and layeth forth grief and putteth forth Petitions in another manner then the World doth Again a Christian in the worst condition God not only shineth on him through the Cloud but there is a spirit in him that sigheth to go through all thick Clouds to God There is a spirit of supplication and of love in some degree for that is promised The spirit shall help our infirmities when we know not how to pray the intercourse and Communion with God is never broken off where there is any spirit of adoption Therefore Jonas and David and the rest though they could not pray yet they sighed to God and would not leave him If they could not imbrace Christ they would touch the hem of his garment They will not yield to the stream altogether but strive against it And though they be carried away with the strength of the stream and see no goodness in themselves yet they that be with them shall see a spirit striving to another condition then they are in Something of Christs something of Gods spirit there will be in them And take them at the worst they will appear better then the civil man that thinks himself a glorious man though he hath nothing but for shew and fashion who would be in such a mans condition without some brokenness of heart some sighs 2. Likewise we may know it by our sympathy and Antipathy Our sympathy with them that be good and antipathy
to that which is naught There is a love of that which is good So things good things are connatural to a good man There is a relish in good Company and good things As there is sweetness in the best things so there is something in the Children of God that is answerable to the God whom they serve He is never so out of tast but he findeth his chief comfort in this thing and he is never himself so much as when he is conversant in these things though in different measure sometimes more and sometimes lesse There is an inward antipathy to God in a proud carnal man that hath not his heart subdued by grace there is a contrariety to the power of that grace which outwardly he professeth and a sympathy with the world and the spirit of the world Take a good Christian at the worst he is better then another at the best I beseech you therefore examine our dispositions how we stand affected to things of an higher nature then the things of the world to spiritual things how we can relish spiritual things Gods Ordinances any thing that is holy surely if there be the life of God and Christ in us there will be a kind of coÌ„naturalness suitableness of taste to the sweetnes that is in holy things To come to the next mark the order here Go to my Father and your Father We are the Sons of God at the second hand God is the Father of Christ first and then ours He is his God first then our God This is a weighty point for directing of our devotion that we may know in what order to look on God See God in Christ see all things in Christ first and then in us Look upon him as Father to Christ and then to us Look on him as a God to Christ first and in Christ a God to us Look on him as having elected us but elect in Christ first See our selves justified but see Christ justified first from our sins and his justification declared by his resurrection See our resurrection and ascension and glorification in Heaven not directly but in Christ our head who is in Heaven and taketh up place for us See God loving us but look on it in Christ who is Sedes amoris The next thing to God is his Son and he loveth none but in him When we consider of any spiritual blessing say with the Apostle Blessed be God who hath filled us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Otherwise we do not know our selves nor God Whatsoever is derived from God to us is through Christ all promises are his first they are made to him and to our nature in him and they are performed for his sake he taketh them from God the Father and they be performed for his sake He is the true Aaron we are but the skirts the Oyl that is powered upon his head runneth down to his skirts it runneth to the meanest Christian but the Oyntment of grace is first powred on his head Of his grace we receive grace for grace and of his fulness The first fulness is God himself the second receptacle of all is Christ God-man the third are we we have it at the third hand God emptieth himself into Christ as Mediator In him are the fulnesse of all riches the treasures of all wisdom and knowledg we are compleated in him and in him we are full His is not only a fulness of the Vessel as ours is but a fulness of the Fountain And it is for our comfort that it is so that Gods love is to Christ first There is a firm foundation when God loveth us in his Son and we are Children in his natural Son in whom we are adopted then our state is firm Oâ—r first state in the first Adam was not firm but now our nature is taken into the unity of the second person it is firm So that the love and care and Fatherly disposition of God towards us it is sweet to us because it is tender to his Son It is eternal to us because it is eternal to him He can as soon cease to love his Son as cease to love us For with the same love he loveth all Christ mystical head and members There is not the least finger of Christ the least despised member of Christ but God looketh on him with that sweet eternal tenderness with which he looketh upon his Son preserving the prerogative of the head Oh this is a sweet comfort that now all the excellent priviledges of a Christian are set on Christ and then on us and therefore we should not lose them for Christ will lose nothing When the favour of a Prince is founded on his Son whom he always loveth the affection is unalterable on the Son and therefore the case is good So Gods favour to us is foâ—nded on his love to his Son therefore unalterable and eternal we should therefore look up to God in his son put up all our PetitioÌ„s to him in his son expect all from him in his sonne He is in Heaven for us to do that that belongeth to us Expect all from God through Christ and do all to God through Christ love God in Christ and Christ in God our selves in Christ and our selves in the love of God Christ is in God and God is in Christ God and Christ are in us there is a marvellous sweet relation and communion between God and us and Christ and us It is a sweet communion and mysterious to us How sweet is the communion between the soul and the body the soule being so spiritual and the body a peece of earth But what is this to the mystery of mysteries when God takes clay and dust into unity of his person and all this is for this union The great and glorious union of Christ to our natures is that he may take us into his mystical body and so make us one with himself and one with the Father He took our natures that he might convey his Fatherly goodness and love and spirit to us The sweet union of the two natures of Christ is to confirm union between the Father and us and Christ and us And we are never happy till we be assured thaâ— we are one with Christ which is the issue of his excellent prayer John 17. Our blessed Saviour fetcheth the comfort of our Father from this that God is his Father first and so to joyn both together That God is our God because he is his God first It is a point very considerable That whatsoever comfort we look for from God and in God we must see it in Christ first before we see it in our selves because we be but Sons by adoption and we have all we have from God through Christ Whatsoever we see in Christ think this will belong to us And whatsoever we look should belong to us see it first in him As verily as he ascended we shall ascend As verily