1. By the price they put on glory the thoughts they have of Heaven page 113. 2. By the language they speak page 114. 3. A strangers mind motion is home-ward though he lacks nothing page 116 c. The practice of S t s making good this principle and how Ibid. 4. Strangers in a strange Land content themselves only with things needful page 119. 5 Strangers ingage not themselves too much in the affairs of the natives of strange Lands page 123. How little cause Saints have to love this strange Land or be loth to leave it 1. Till then they 're far from their best friends chiefest favours they are in a farre Countrey whilst from their Fathers house page 124. Other considerations to loosen the Saints from the world p. 125 126. 2. They should not love it be loth to leave it for till then they 'l be foiled vex'd soil'd with filthy sins page 127. Saints being strangers what they should be and doe whilst ranging through this earthly region p. 128. CHAP. 4. SAints have their appointed time of change To be changed what 'T is to have a different manner of being 't is the cessation of a person or thing from being what it once was page 130. The sundry sorts of changes what in 3 particulars p. 131 132 133. 134 To be gloriously chang'd what page 135. A three-fold imployment for Saints in order to a disposing of them for their last greatest and best of changes page 136 c. Saints have need to be chang'd two reasons of that p. 140 c. CHAP. 5. GLory what page 182. What things concur to make up everlasting glory page 183 c. To be glorified compleatly what page 196 c. The glory of the soule in heaven what page 197 c. What the glory of the body shall bee in the Kingdome of heaven page 199 c. What the glory is that soule body shall possesse joyntly p. 206 c. The adjuncts of glory what page 224 c. The Errata Part 1. PAge 1. l. 3. r. acts are p. 6. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 8. l. 12. r. p. 8. l. 2. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 3. l. 10. r. usuall p. 30. r. crucis p. 34. l. 11. r. meted p. 55. l. r. his p. 65. l. 25. r. on p 67. r. risisse p. 80. r. rebellis p. 93. r. nisi p. 114. l. 10. r. shee p. 65. r. nobis p. 73. murorum p. 30. r. numero p. 42. r. Aethyopissam quandam p. 56. l. 12 r. promisory p. 80. r. protegentis dele via Part 2. Page 33. r. in cum p. 62. r. perfecte p. 56. r. absentia p. 68. r. judicant p. 3. l. 19. r. Center p. 56. l. 21. r. Ieopardy p. 59. l. 26. r. Ishmael Part 3. Page 8. l. 7. r p. 12. l. t. r he p. 14. l. 2. r. thy p. 34. l. 23. r. afflictions p. 47. l. 8. r. loth p. 46. l. 2. dele to p. 54. l. 21. r. it s so l. 22. p. 61. l. 24. â— this p. 80. l. 20. r. doubtfull p. 106. l. 8. r. wearie p. 116. l. r. r. those p. 52 l. 14. r. soule p. 158. l. 3. r hearing p. 182. l. 10. dele to p. 183. l. 1 dele where p. 206. l. 4. r. eternally p. 167. r. exosumer esse Christo p. 212. r. Coacreatae Some other lesser faults there bee which the Printer Corrector desire the Reader to relieve with his penne THE YERNINGS OF Christs bowells towards his languishing FRIENDS Joh. 13.1 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end * Quum dilex isset suos qui erant c. Montanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligo simpliciter amo CHAP. I. Of the sence of the words and their usefulnesse unto all Christ-obeying Christians WHere affection is the spring of action and operation love is perfect to perpetuitie Christ act's as he is he 's with out end so is his love Things of Heaven are all lasting everlasting you may guesse at their beginnings but never at their endings The word in the originall * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies to love something by adhering to it with the mind and heart a Suidas seu aliquem amore complector cum aliquo amicitiam colo as 1 Joh. 2 10. Mat. 6.24 cha 22.37 Mark 10.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to be content and satisfied with it as that a man desires nothing else b Me aut amabis aut quo contentus sum diliges Cic. Others say 't is more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as comâ—ounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valdè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acquiesco quae enim diligimus in iis acquiescimus Alsied in Lexic signisicat contentum esse acquiescere Casaub in Mar. 10.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud LXX Interpretes non semper pro diligere sed pro amicis blandisque verbis compellare laudare sumitur ut Cant. 1.14.2 Paral. 18.2 'T is hearty love Christ is said* to love the young man viz. hee spake friendly to him and dealt gently with him as the word there imports Blessed Messiah the Saints Saviour at his last departure from them adhered to them with all his might soule mind and strength and was so fully satisfied with them tooke such great content in them as that he desir'd no other portion besides them And thus speaking sweetly and kindly to them call's them his owne c Peculiaritèr destinatus Thess 1. v. 5. peculiaris ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cujus est certa quaedam minime cum caeteris communis idea Cajet 1 Cor 11.6 vide Bezam in loc The Lord Christ is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God's owne Sonne quod sit filius Dei per aeternam generationem as being his peculiar portion His owne every word of Christ hath its weight every word drop's sweetnesse as the hony combe Christians you see your blessed lot you are Christ's owne and Christ is your owne This comfortable kind of speaking to Christians is very usefull in Scripture as Jesus Christ is the faithfull's owne so the faithfull are Jesus Christ's own Rom. 14.4 God is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beleeving Christians owne master he shall be holden up by his owne Master for God is able to make him stand Christians have you had experience of the powerfull workings of Gods love towards you and on your Spirits and doe you feare a finall falling a partiall or totall declining from Jesus Christ and his sweetest wayes of soule-ravishing contentments Remember God's your owne he both can and will make you stand Those that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion that shall never be removed In generall consider Christ hath and may claime title to all by a right of dominion and so all then are Christs owne as he 's Lord of all creatures
desires towards it and fixeth the eye of the intellect the understanding upon it Christ loves when not desired and therefore loves freely Fourthly it 's free for that it acts against repulses * Christ sometimes workes his workes on crosse and perverse natures some Christians have as crosse spirits by nature as can be in nature found yet he chooseth them when better and sweeter natures are refus'd Ah Lord what a great mystery of godlinesse is this love cannot be acquired by doing injuries deserved by repulses and therefore free Isaiah 65.23 I stretched out my hands all the day to a rebellious people a people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face Was this the way to be beloved of God much lesse to procure love was it not the direct way to be ruined stripped of God Christ and all goodnesse c Maium est agere quod prohibetur sed agere quia prohibetur pessimum Joh. 21.14 and yet you see he stretcheth out his arme he not onely put 's it forth but also stretcheth it forth as if he should straine himselfe to embrace those that will come out of darknesse into marvellous light and liberty Is not this grace free what so free as this Naturall men before Christ's Spirit comes into their hearts in powerfull workings they cry out Lord depart from us we will none of thy wayes and did not the Lord in love draw nigh to them where were they what would their end be Christ's love is free Sixtly it 's attractive it 's a drawing love I have drawne thee with loving kindnesse Jer. 31.3 Some lovers love dearely but cannot draw their objects nigh to them they love but are not loved againe their love is fruitlesse But Christ's love begets love love like it selfe Draw me saith the Spouse and I will runne after thee Christ could draw teares from Peters eyes with one looke of love and he wept bitterly d Petrus tunc flevit quando in cum Christus respexit Bern. de mod benè viv ser 10. Petrus flevit tacuit quia quod defleri solet non solet excusari quod defendi non potest ablui potest Ambr. 10.3 ser 46. Greg. Homil. 30. in Evang. saith the Text. Christ's love is magnes amoris the Loadstone of love it drawes Iron hearts to it and makes them melt before the Sun of Righteousnesse when it shines upon them sweetly Christ's love is a heart ravishing love he can snatch a Paul into the third heavens and fill him with joy peace and glory invisibly he can so wrap him up in the thoughts of his love and fruits of his goodnesse as that the man is lost in God is in an extasie cannot tell you what hee ha's seen felt or heard Gracious spirits you can say Amen to the truth of these things Ha's not his love served you as zeale did David ha's't not eaten you up 't will first or last serve you so yee favourites of Heaven Christ's effectuall love is not laid out in vaine for loving to the end hee holds his object close to himself till he hath it where it cannot get from him even in his owne mansion and dwelling place Christ drawes with bands of love Hosea 11.3 Christians if words will not fasten you to your Saviour deeds must he hath bands for you and if hee get you in bands he 'l hold you fast Seventhly it 's coercive both within himselfe and also in all his members What made him to veile his glory become flesh and save his people but love e Nihil enim est quod non toleret qui perfectè diligit he loved me and what followes he gave himselfe for me when once you have his love you have his heart whatsoever he is and hath heare the Father speake to dejected soules Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever f Quod omnibus promittitur singulis promittitur beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life So lov'd viz. so infinitely so transcendently so incomprehensibly there 's a sic without a sicut marke that wisely and well Doth thy unsutablenesse to Christ and unworthinesse of Christ afflict thee Remember his love will cause him to stoope to thee and make thee worthy in himselfe And that very apprehension if cordiall and reall if hearty and sincere even that I say is a fruit of Christ's love shed abroad in thy heart already this abasing of thy selfe is a lifting up of Christ in thine own soule who hath already made thy heart his home What force is that which moved him who of himselfe is so violent in all victory to be so vanquished with all violence g Quae est ista quaeso vis tam violentia ad victoriam tam victam ad violentiam Bern. super Cant. ser 64. Nulla vis major pietate verá est Triumphat de Deo amor Id. Ibid. Amor est nothing but the force of love Nazianzen calls love a sweet tyrant h Dulcis tyrannus Nazianzen orat 28. in Maxim In his members what gives life and motion to all the parts of his body mysticall but love all action of theirs are the product of his affection to them the more Christ's love ha's its perfect worke on a beleeving soule the more lively and lovely are the reachings out of that soule towards Christ the blessed light of the Lords favourable countenāce shining out unto a Spirituall soule makes labours many after Messiah's presence love's coercive Eightly 't is immutable cannot change varie or alter neither length of time distance of place nor strength of deformity can worke an alteration in his love The love of man is very variable we love by fits and so doth every foole he loves in his mood while the pang lasteth But as the torrent is up and downe so it is with many lovers they are either as high as the skies or else as low as hell either those they love are the best with them or the worst living because they are unsteady constant in nothing but in inconstancy But the love of Christ is alwayes the same the injuries we doe to Christ although they have their fruit in discomfort and occasion the hiding of his face with the suspension of the manifestations of his love for a season which indeed is a hell on earth to a sanctified soule i Substractio gratlae est maxima poena Alst in sent l. 2. tract 30. q. 2. Yet these injuries even these I say doe not alter or lessen his love to his k Nube solet pulsa candidus esse dies Ovid. Afflictio dat intellectum quos Deus diligit castigat Deus optimum quemque aut mala valetudine aut luctu afficit Seneca Unde datum est vulnus contigit inde salus for God can visit transgressions with arod and iniquities with stripes neverthelesse his loving-kindnesse shall continue with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nocumenta Documenta Schola cruis Schola lucis Detrimenta corpotum incrementa virtutum Greg. Iam. 1.17 and hee will not suffer his faithfulnesse to faile towards them Psal 99.32 23. Christ can scourge his friends for and from their sinnes as well as for the exercise of their graces and yet love them dearly constantly and ardently In him is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning Not so much as a shadow colour of alteration or mutation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will in no wise cast you out Joh. 6.37 and he that escapes the Lords affliction may suspect his owne adoption 1 Qui excipiturd munero flagellatorum excipitur à numero filiorum Trees are rooted the more firmely by shaking m Deus unicum habet filium sine peccato nullum sine flagello The Persian Kings shunned familiarity with their Subjects and were seldome seene that they might be the more honoured n Persona Regis sub specie Majestatis occulitur Iust l. 1. so Christ serv's Christiās 1. 'T is not length of time that can worke or occasion an alteration in his love It 's everlasting I have loved thee with an everlasting love Hos 2.19 Jer. 31.3 Behold I will betroth thee unto me for ever Wee may through tract and length of time forget and be forgotten As Joseph forgot his Brethren and was forgotten of them Length of time may either wholly weare out out affections or else coole and lessen their heat and strength towards our familiars But Christ's love tak's not cold is not cooled towards his 't is alwayes firme free full fervent Heb. 13.5 Hee hath said I will ne'r leave thee nor forsake thee The words are emphaticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a duplication of the subject of the Promise I will not leave I will not forsake and a multiplication of Negatives o Est negationis conduplicatio ut fit vehementior pollicitatio Estius in locum there are five negatives in the promise by which he intimates he will not yea he will not surely he will not forsake his servants he will never totally reject them he will not utterly forsake them I will not leave you comfortlesse or as Orphanes as children without parents p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non descrit etiamsi dese rere videatur non deserit etiamsi deserat Austin Nam non dicessit Deus quando recessit Secondly no distance of place were it never so great yea although 't were as great as that which is betwixt the lowest earth and highest heaven yet cannot this part Christ and Christians or impare the strength of his affections towards them worke the least alteration in his love yea even now although his glorious Majesty possesseth the heavens yet his heart is where 't was 't is towards his Saints on earth You blessed babes and friends of Christ your head in the heavens prayes for you pleads for you takes notice of you and all your sufferings he 's in Heaven enter'd before you but 't is to make way for you fit a place for you and preserve your roomes till you come assure your selves he cannot forget you doe not you forget him Thirdly nor can strength of deformity worke a change in his love he can love Job on the dunghill with his filthy carcase Jerymiah in the d'ungeon with his rotten ragges q Anima quae nunc pannoso vestitu servili habitu tegi putatur in regno Coelorum Regina nobilis Regi astans reperitur Basil l. de vera Virg. Lazarus whil'st begging with his running sores Jonah in the Whale's belly though his head 's bound up with weeds Abel tumbling in his own bloud Paul and Silas in the stocks with contemptible chaines as he is no respecter of persons so neither is hee a respecter of conditions hee ne'r withholds his affection from his people in affliction CHAP. III. Of the degrees or rather the immensities of of Christ's unsearchable love INfinitnesse ha's no demensities by finite considerations Christ's love is of an infinite nature There 's a measure in every thing sait's our Proverb but Christ's love out-vies the worlds Proverb 't is without me asure ha's no measure in it It 's nothing above Geometrie that 's an Art that may teach to measure the earth but the Heavens are not so farre from the Earth as the degrees of Christ's love are above all Arts and parts of men Can you measure him who ha's measur'd the waters in the hollow of his hand Isaiah 40.12 and meeted out Heaven with a span Christ's love's immense knowing Christians can tell you so and that no mortall can describe its measure we 'l illustrate its greatnesse a little as the earthlinesse of the instrument will permit and leave the rest to be revealed in Heaven to all heavenly minds THe degrees of love as well as the truth strength force and ardencie thereof are as the relation is in which it acts which may be shadowed out thus First Christ loves more then friends there may be a knitting of soules among friends as in Jonathan and David but did you ever heare of a knitting of natures 1 Sam. 18.1 vide 2 Sam 1.26 friends of Christ Christ hath knit your natures to his you are one nature as well as one flesh are you glad on 't can the two natures of two friends be united in one person Christ hath don 't this is the mystery of perfect love The Law commands love thy neighbour as thy selfe but extends no farther but Christ hath done a great deale more marke beleeving soule Christ's love to thee hath excell'd the love of friends For Christ lov'd thee not onely as himselfe as his Father commanded but also more then himselfe as his love constrain'd Hath hee not given his owne life to save thine was not his soule wearie to the death to refresh thine under the powers of that death which is death indeed 't is the second death I meane to which the first is but a shadow Hee was as a sheep led to the slaughter to free his sheep from such shambles I lay downe my life for my sheep that 's the heavenly voice doe you heare it you sheep of Christ Joh. 10.15 Can Paul crie up some that would for his good have pull'd out their right eyes so well they lov'd him oh sanctified soules you have greater cause to crie up Christ for hee would and did draw out both his eyes yea his precious soule to doe you good both now and in your latter end also so well be lov'd you and he is the same hee was you blessed babes of Christ Secondly Friends may peradventure die for friends and that 's the greatest love that man can shew Joh. 15.13 but Christ's love is more he died for foes r Non existentes immo resistentes Ber. sup Cant. ser 20. Rom. 5.8 Christ can bleed freely to make a resisting rebell live sweetly the life
power Col. 2.3 all things Colossi 1.19 all fulnesse Colossians 2.9 even the fulnesse of the Divinity Mat. 28.18 Iohn 3.35 so that hee was and is altogether lovely called the Fathers Well-beloved Now notwithstanding that CHRIST was the great and chiefe object of the FATHER'S love the delight of his eye and pleasure of his soule yet Him hath hee given unto the Sonnes of men for their life John 10.10 For their light and learning John 8.12 Matth. 11.29 For their livelihood John 6.51 For their redemption forgivenesse Gal. 3.13 Colossians 1.14 For their peace and reconciliation Eph. 2.14.16 For their righteousnesse Jerem. 23.6 Rom. 10.4 For their sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 For their Covenant Esa 42.6 For their Councellour Esay 9.6 For their Consolation Hebrews 2.25 For their Mediatour 1 Timothy 2.5 For their Advocate 1 John 2.1 For the Shepheard and Bishop of their Soules 1 Peter 2.25 For their Sanctuary Esay 8.14 For their supply John 1.16 For their hope Acts 28.20 For their Foundation Ephes 2.20 For their Father Esay 9.6 For their Physitian Luke 4.18.10.34 For their Salvation Luke 1.69 And for their Glory Luke 2.32 The Father therefore having given his dearely and deepely beloved Sonne unto us for such ends and purposes wee should not doubt but that hee will be all these unto us This Author in the first part of his Elaborate worke layeth open the yernings of Christs bowels towards all his languishing Friends Reader if thou be one of them here 's an Optick Glasse in which thou maist clearly see how the Heart and Bowels of CHRIST stand towards poore sinners and so towards wards thy selfe What wouldst thou have which from him is not haveable Dost thou want life light maintenance countenance is' t pardon peace purity thou wouldst have speake is' t Righteousnesse Councell Comfort friend-ship safety thou needest Art thou wounded and wantest healing Art thou pursued by the Enemie and wantest deliverance is' t grace or glory thou desirest wouldst thou have a word spoke for thee to the great KING of HEAVEN have thy Cause pleaded for thee there Is' t resolution assurance salvation thou sighest and seekest after In CHRIST who is All thou mayest finde all Looke into this Treatise it sweetely sets out the Samaritanesse or compassionatenesse of Christ it shews thee how readie he is to supply thy wants and satisfie thy longings Here thou shalt feele him drawing thy heart unto himselfe and shewing thee the sight of glorious Mysteries It 's our ignorance of Christs love and bowells that fills us with feares doubts and jealousies that keepes us under bondage and causeth us to rest in shadowes and low things The Author hath provided a good Remedie hee hath opened Christs heart to thee to draw thy heart to Him and where should Saints hearts be but where the heart of the Father is and that 's in Christ His transcendent worth affects him his transcendent worth and bowells should affect us Love to any thing changes the heart into the likenesse of the thing loved If a man love earthly things hee 's vir terrenus an earthly man and his love is earthly If a man love heavenly things he 's vir caelestis a heavenly man and his worke is heavenly Wouldst thou bee a heavenly man and love with heavenly love This Worke will teach thee to love Christ which will change thy heart into the nature of Christs heart and so thy selfe and love will both become heavenly the more heavenly thou art the more fit for heavenly visions and glorious Mysteries Reader this Treatise needs not my penne it speakes for it selfe thou mayest accovnt it amongst thy treasures It hath that in 't is better then the Red earth of the world The God of all truth teach thee by his spirit to know prize and practise all truth Thine if thou love the truth W. Greenhil A Table of some few Heads contained in this Book Part. 1. CHAP. 1. WHat 's ment by loving page 1. c. How men are said to be Christs owne all are Christ's owne by right of dominion for he 's Lord of all page 4. Christs flock bis own by a six-fold right page 4. 5. 6. End what it signifies p. 7. 8. 9. Chap. 2. THe love of Jesus Christ what for kind 1. Sincere without mixture 2. Not selvish he loves not for rewards 3. Chast undefiled 4. Full immense page 11. 5. Free and acts freely p. 17. Christs love in what respects free page 21. c. 6. A tractive drawing p. 25. 26. 7. Coersive constraining p. 27. 8. Immutable it cannot change and why in three particulars p. 28. CHAP. 3. CHrists love what for degree 1. Christs love 's more then a friend and how cleared by divers instances page 34 c. 2. Christ loves more then a Father page 39. 3. More then a Husband p. 40. 4. Christ loves man more then he loves himselfe made evident in many particular cases page 41 c. 5. The love betwixt Christ and christians greater then that love which is betwixt the Soule and the bodie page 44. 6. Christ loves man more then man loves Christ Three reasons of that Ibid c. CHAP. 4. CHrist's love how discovered to his in two particulars By words or works By words there are 3. sorts of Christs loue-discovering words page 50. c. Christ prayes to his Father for Saints and to what end 1. That their graces faile not page 56. 57. And therein Christ peswades the soule of two things to comfort confirme it 1. That hee ha's prayed for as bad as that soule can be 2. That he alwayes prevailed for what he prayed page 58 c. 2. Hee prayes that their natures soile not page 61. Christ prayes to the Father in Sts. how and in what sence page 62. Christ putting words in his Disciples mouths and how p. 65 c. Christ's love how discovered by workes 1. By doing for them 2. By suffering for them 3. By suffering with them p. 74 75. Doing for them and that 1. in serving of them Ibid. 2. In making his services easie to them six wayes p. 76 ctc. Christ discovering his love by suffering for his page 82. The glory of the grace and favour of Jesus Christ to his how discovered in suffering for them shewed in sixe things page 83 c. The glory of that great worke glimps'd out by five things more page 94 c. Christ discovering heartie love to his followers by suffering with them and how page 103 c. CHAP. 5. TO what end Jesus Christ sets his love on lovelesse sinners and sinfull soules Christ loves a poore polluted Soule to make it lovely in his owne blessed sight and unto his owne glorious selfe page 111 c. 2. To present his object blamelesse both to himselfe and also to his Father page 113. How Christ differs from other lovers in this respect page 114. 3ly To present his beloved ones spotlesse he sets his love on
But Christs flock are his owne thus 1. By right of donation God hath given some to Christ and what 's more a mans owne then that which is given him The great God gives great gifts like himselfe millions of soules had Christ given him 1 Tim. 2.6 2. By right of purchase and Redemption Jesus Christ hath bought some 1 Cor. 6.20 given precious d Fortasis epithetum pretiosa nonnullum habet respectum ad pretium sanguinis Christi meritorium ejus Lorinus in locum bloud for some precious soules 1 Pet. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he gave himselfe for us not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a counter-ransome for all our sinnes Oh thou man of God ponder these things well in thine owne minde Christ gave his owne selfe for thy selfe and art not thou then his owne canst thou then have the heart to act such a part of unkindnesse against him as to serve thy selfe God forbid 3. By right of conquest hee hath conquerd some with kindnesse and overcome some with unexpressible love he hath subdued them to himselfe and their sinnes with Satan downe to the dust and therefore they may well be his and shall not he have the greatest share in them May not Christ say to a subjected soule as Paul to Philemon thou owest mee even thine owne selfe Me think 's the soule should thus reply yea Lord and take me and all mine for thine owne use my soule Spirit strength what I am or may be for it 's thine owne 4. By right of stipulation Ezek. 16.8 or Covenant-making I entred into a Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I entred into a contract or bargain with thee and shall not the Lord have his bargaine 5. By right of a gracious communication some are sweetly sanctified to the use of Christ to the service of Christ and no other The Lord hath set apart him that 's godly for himselfe Some are vessells of honour fitted for their Masters use Jo. 17.19.22 Ps 4.3 6. A Beleever is Christs owne by a right of Regeneration as he 's begotten againe in and after Christ's owne Image God the Father through Christ by his Spirit hath begotten them againe into Christ's owne likenesse The first Adam begat a sonne in his own likenesse after his owne Image e Gen. 5.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel ut aliqui volunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 genuit secundum figuram suam the second Adam did so too And being begotten againe in his likenesse as children truly like their owne heavenly Father they are truly and properly call'd his own children End signifies diversly f Denique Erasmus tandem Beza ad finem usque i. e. indesinentur Piscator Omni tempore hoc est semper perpetuò First the continuation of a thing Psal 102.17 18. He shall regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise it this shall be written for the Generations to come i. e. inperpetuum for ever Isal 9.7 The Lord shall endure for ever * Assiduè Drusius this sence from the place Nazian perpetuò vulg lat in finem Where the Chaldie hath it in saeculum the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ loves his owne with an everlasting love Christians doe yee sometimes doubt through misapprehensions and mistakes 't is without cause given on Jesus his part Secondly end 's put sometimes for extremitie as misery sorrow and suffering is the end of sinning death is the end of life sorrow misery and death is mans extremity Messiah loves his owne in all their extremities 3. Sometimes it signifies perfection g The Graecians significantly call end and perfection by one and the same terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat tam perficio quam finem facio fineo obeo or consummo benevertit ergo Poeta Phyllirides pucrum citharâ perfecit Achillem also as growth is the end of youth i. e. the perfection of youth Glory is the end of grace viz. the perfection of grace for grace is initiall glory glory begun a christian that is sanctified seasoned and set apart to the Lords use begin's to live the life of glory even here in the Kingdome of grace Grace is glory inchoate Glory is grace consummate 4. Sometimes the scope or finall cause h Scopus seu causa finalis Rom. 10.4 1 Tim. 1.5 significat etiam exitus seu eventus Phil. 3.19 James 5.11 of things Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every man that beleeveth viz. that perfection of holinesse and that exquisite righteousnesse with greatest fulnes which the most holy God and his most holy Law aimed at and which is more he did compleatly answer and fully satisfie the exactest mandates and precepts of the same strictest Law for every beleeving soule Christ loves his to the same end the Law aimes at viz. to make them holy and present them blamelesse before his Father with exceeding great joy Ah Lord who is wise and see'th not strength of love shed abroad by the Spirit in the hearts of thine In this text it 's put for death onley he loved them to the end i. e. to the death not that death could put an end to Christ's love by which he adhered and doth adhere to his * Christ's love's immortall Mors igitur non finit omnia Death only ends mortall things Death was not able to breake the bands of friendship which were betwixt head and members Christ and christians that could not destroy the power of union betwixt him and his for how could death put an end to that which tooke away its sting from it Christ's love to his subdu'd him to incounter with Death Hell and the grave who is now triumphing over all principalities and Powers The sence then may be such as this that it put an end to his terrene and mortall life and conversation amongst them here i Mors vocatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non quòd omnia in morte cum morte siniantur quia etiam de Christi morte haec appellatio usurpatur sed quia terrenae mortali huic vitae ac mundanae conversationi finem imponit Gerh. in locum comin Joh. 13.1 and so hee loved them to the end of that course he steered with them here in the body For 't was come to this that bodily presence must now for a time be suspended corporall fellowship certainly ended though very sad newes to the hearts of his followers Disciples yet all in love Now he and his must be taken asunder for a time that they may be joyn'd together againe when time shall be no more Thus when Jesus knew the houre was come that he should depart out of this world to the Father loving his owne he loved them did cleave to them even unto the end The note from the words then may be such as this Christ loves
christians with a lasting yea an everlasting love Loving he loved and that to the end CHAP. II. Of the nature of Christs Love ALl motion is as the propension is in the primum mobile first moover God is good that 's his nature and he does good that 's the fruit of his peerelesse goodnesse some descriptions have their bounds but can you limit limitlesse love Christ's love is such as himself is full of all amiable glory Christ's goodnes is not hid we 'le shew you first what it is then the degrees on 't FIrst Christ's love unto beleeving soules is for kind sincere without mixture a love without hatred a liking without loathing The sonnes of men love with a mixed kind of love there love hath some ingredient of dislike in it which is soone discovered as occasion serves But the Sonne of God doth not so is not so easily incensed against those he loves Men hate the persons of men men when they are offended with the failings of others doe forthwith if they can avenge themselves upon the persons of those by whom they are injured But Christ takes vengeance onely on sinne thou wast a a God that forgavest them saith the Prophet though thou took'st vengeance on their inventions Ps 99.8 Christ seeth himselfe in christians whom sinne cannot destroy he loves them for his owne sake hee accepts what 's his forgives what 's theirs k Accipit suum remittit tuum Christ loves them because himselfe is in them and cannot loath them for as hee cannot deny himselfe so neither can he dislike himselfe 2. It is not self-ish he loves not for rewards if hee did where should he have them other lovers aime at themselves so much in loving others as that oft-times they loose themselves in selfe-love every man had rather be better to himselfe then to another l Omnes sibi melius esse malle quam alteri Teren. But Christ may truly say to his friends 2 Cor. 12.14 as Paul did to the Corinthians I seeke not yours but you he 's better to others then to himselfe suffer'd for many but brought not suffering on any Christ seeks not himselfe but thy selfe Oh soule hath hee any dowry with thee when hee makes thee his spouse thou hast nothing of thine owne to give him but thy sinne thou art nothing of thy selfe for him but a heape of earth senselesse a meere rudis indigestaque moles what is there in thee that so great a Majestie should set his love upon thee Or if there were something in thee for Christ as there is not is he a gainer by it can he receive that hee doth not possesse already m Talis est dilectio Dei erga nos quatenus nihil boni à nobis ipsi propriè accrescit Amesius de consc ejus cas l. 4. c. 10. 2 Cor. 4.15 Nay are not we receivers and he a giver Consider his love he is what hee is for your sakes you sonnes of love and chosen friends all things are for your sakes that the abundant grace might through the thanks-giving of many redound to the glory of God Speaking in the antecedent verse of Christs resurrection he died and was buried for you and is risen againe for your sakes Loe see an infallible character of a non-selfe lover hee sanctified himselfe Joh. 17.19 set apart himselfe for you herein is the praise of his grace that when hee was rich he became poore for your sakes 2 Cor. 8.9 that you through his poverty might be made rich And you know it saith Paul God hath made you to know it that this was his free Grace that he sought not yours but you Thirdly it is chaste undefiled whence those Epithites Love Dove undefiled sister Cant. 5.2 to take away the suspition of unchaste love n Ut tolleretur suspicio foedi amoris Hirom adver Iovinian lib. 1. Tam à me pudica est quam mea si soror sit Plautus for this name sister implies a detestation of all fleshly impurity Ignatius that holy Martyr call'd Christ by this name my love saith he was crucifi'd carnall eares eyes and hearts take in carnall conceits of Christs love sport themselves with the Letter but the series of the letter is nothing serious as Bernard notes o Nihil enim serium habet literae series Ber. sup Cant. serm 6. And therefore let the spirituall Spouse of Christ conceive spiritually of such heavenly and sweet expressions of love p ut spiritualis audi spiritualitèr amatoria verba cantai Orig. in Cant. hom 2. Non virum foeminam sed verbum animam sentias Ber. ibid. view not so much the outside of the phrase as the inside of the sence He loves you christians with a pure perfect and undefiled love Breake the bone of the letter and thou shalt find the marrow of the sence q frange os literae invenies medullam intelligentiae Petrus Bles Ser. 3. 'T is the property of beasts to live on chaffe of men to live on corne r Fumentorum est paleis hominum frumentis vesci Greg. proeam in Cant. goe forth therefore from the sence of the flesh to the understanding of the mind ſ Egredimini desensu carnis ad intelctum mentis Ber in Epipha ser 2. Fourthly It is full in him all fulnesse dwells t Omne imperfectum redigitur ad perfectum si nos ad Christum à quo omnis perfectio descendit Savanat Expos 4. orat Domini Col. 1.19 it hath height and depth length and breadth in it of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 Christ had not grace by measure in this he was anointed above his fellowes who had grace only by measure There is not onely in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sufficiency but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a redundancie of grace as the Philosopher distinguisheth for this the Apostle affirmeth he hath a sufficiency and Fulnesse of grace 2 Cor. 9.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every necessity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at every time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of every grace fulnesse is for emptinesse and 't is the joy and glory of Christians my friends that their fulnesse is in their head That 't is where 't is safe and from whence it flowes fully and sweetly into their soules Christ is the well thou beleeving soule let downe thy bucket and drinke and live Christ loues out of the abundance of goodnesse because hee expects no profit out of us for wee are unprofitable servants but our love to him is out of the want of goodnesse because wee stand in need of God u Sed ejus amor ex abundantia bonitatis quia nullum è nobis commodum expectat nos enim servi sumus inutiles Deo Luk. 17.10 nostra autem erga eum est ex indigentia quia Deo indigemus Amesius in medul l. 2. cap. 7. Christ hath in him the fulnesse of
of God Christ will crowne those with glory that had a heart to crowne him with thornes Å¿ Pudeat sub spinato Capite Membrum fieri delicatum Bern. in festo omn. Sanct. ser 5. if they 'l receive him he 's kind to the unthankfull that 's his goodnesse hee can blesse them that have curs'd him love them that hate him pray for them that persecute him oh flesh and bloud thou canst not doe these things This is the praise of Christ's love if you say he died for his friends we may answer as he did for his friends indeed as being heartily lov'd of Christ t Pro jam amicis nondum quidem amantibus sed tamen tam amatis Bern. in Psal qui habitat though like unkind friends they loved him not againe Or as Aquinas not his friends as loving him any thing onely his friends as lov'd by him alone v Non amici quasi amantes tantum amici ut amati Thom. Aquin in Johan uti Barrad to 4. l. 4. c. 15. And which is more Christ in suffering was no murmurer in the least measure he was led as a sheep to the slauohter and open'd not his mouth closed his blessed lips and was silent Oh Lamb of God! thou art exceeding good when wee suffer for friends there is some heart-risings in us some harsh and hard expressions fall from us discontented words are utter'd by us yea much more when wee suffer for our enemies But Christ was free from this did not charge his God with folly what ever he brought on him Some grudge to doe him service who never grudg'd to save them would they once accept of his love Sweet Christ's ill serv'd of some who have been well serv'd of him some thinke all too much they doe for Christ who thought all too little that he could doe for them would they come in But they 'l not come to him that they may have life sad soules I 'le sigh for you thus he refuseth his owne cure who acquaints not the Physitian with his griefe vv Ipse sibi denegat ceram qui medico non publicat causam Aug. Epist 118 hee dies deservedly who refuseth Christ bringing life eternally x Merito peritaegrotuâ— qui medicum non vocat sed ultrò venienentem respuit Musculus Prima pars sanitatis est velle sanati Seneca Secondly Christ loves more then a Father he loves children of Light more then Parents can doe theirs David may wish hee had dyed for his Absolom but the heart 's deceitfull and chiefly delusive in its affections That love may seeme strong which in great undertakings and workings may prove weake Christ did not onely wish a death once to preserve his from dying twice but did also embrace it will you heare his comfortable sayings in two or three words 't is this I lay downe my life no man takes it from me few words but full of worth They came from his heart had David died he could but have kept one alive and that not long but Christ's dying hath kept millions alive who shall never die the second death Christians what say you to your heavenly Father can you love as you are beloved how can you forget his goodnesse you cannot live much lesse die without the comforts of his love without him yee can doe nothing Joh. 15.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seorsim à me severed from me y Calv. Camer c. Thirdly Christ loves more than a husband where 's the husband that will marry with a black deform'd and adulterous wife and when he hath got her so love her as to lay downe his life for her z Quis enim potest sic ducere ut moriatur pro ea quam vult ducere Si enim mori pro ea quam vult ducere voluerit non eâ—it qui ducat Securus autem ille pro sponsa mortous est quam resurgens eâ—at ducturus Aug. in Psal 122. Christ hath done it and thou knowest it beleeving soule if thou know'st what thou wert when Christ betroth'd thee to him Christ matcheth like Moses Moses his spouse could not be more defective in nature and outward comelinesse than was Christ's Spouse in grace and inward comelinesse and yet thou Spouse of Christ consider Moses could not doe that for his Spouse which Christ hath done for thee Moses married a certaine Ethiopian but could not metamorphise or change her colour a Moses Eâ—â—iâ—yssâ—uâ— quandâ—m duxit uxorem sed ejus non potuit mutare colorem Bern dom 1. â—ost octa Epiph ser 2. she was as black when made his wife as ever she was before But Christ makes of black white findes foule but makes faire b In sola anima pulchritudo turpitudo apparent ideo is solus vir pulcher est qui est virtute preditus Alexan. poedog l. 2. c. 12. that 's his method Psal 45.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the glory of the Kings Daughter is within as the Septuagint read the words 'tas ever been Christ's lot to light of spiritually uncomely Spouses sweet Lord thou marriest meerely for love when Christ seekes a soule he ne're askes the question what is she or what hath she he 'le have her if she 'l have him so great 's his love 'T is not dowry or feature he have it all he aimes at is love for love c Quam quaeris alium inter sponsus necessitudinem vel connexionem praeter amari amare Bern. in Cant. ser 31. Fourthly Christ loves man more than man loves himselfe all men seeme to love themselves but really they doe it not thy soule 's thy selfe and that 's neglected whence are all those cares and paines about thy carcase why lay'st thou so much out on dust Is the bodies worth like the soule 's d Quid de te tu ipse tà m malè meiuisti ut inter bona tua nolis aliquod esse malum nisi tcipsum Aug. in serm de temp was not he found a foole that heaped up goods for many yeares and plac'd felicity in them and in one night lost them soule and all canst thou say thou lov'st thy selfe and yet workest not towards Heaven for thy soule thy better part what shall the body be sed warmely clad sweetly accommodated and shall onely the soule be brought to poverty Is this selfe-love to let self die for ever for lack of looking too wilt thou bury a living soule in a dead body who for many years hath given life to thy members at the close of dayes wilt thou lodge it in a hell of torment e Qui fecit te sine te non salvabit te sine te Aug. Quid miserius misero non miserante seipsum oh noble soule thou art a spirit whose nature 's to be active and act upward but thy prison the body hath been thy ruine Blessed God! what a bad case is such a soule in Others seem to seek out for their soules
seeme to shew some love to themselves but doe no more then grope after true blisse Some seeke to be and doe well in their latter end but 't is but as the Sodomites grop'd for Lots doore in the darke Reach after it they doe but 't is onely ignorantly as some worship they know not what so some seeke they know not what others seeke they know not where vitam beatam quaerunt in regione mortis They seeke Heaven in Hell Is est homo calamitatis fabula insoe-Ncitatis tabula the living among the dead a living Christ in wayes of death Is this to love thy selfe The Lord bee good to such a soule Christ loves thee more then thou lovest thy selfe for his care is more for thy soule then is thine owne Thou canst let slip away precious opportunities of soule refreshing rarities and ne're observe the emptinesse of all seene things but Christ watcheth alwayes ne'r slumbreth ne'r sleepeth waites that hee may be gracious to thy gracelesse selfe Oh sinner what 's the frame of thy heart when thou ponder'st these things Did'st thou ever heare of such a friend that could over-love thy selfe in thee seeke things for thy owne peace like to Christ Is not this love of the highest degree do's not this speake him an inlarging good when thou art straitning thine owne bowells against and towards thy selfe in the things of thine owne welfare Fifthly Christ loves more then a soule For first a soule may leave her bodie in the dust but cannot raise 't up againe but Christ will raise his body though buried in bottomes of greatest depth Secondly the soule quickens with a borrowed life but Christ quickens with his own life Christ loves his owne bodie more then the soule can love her owne body Two things shew the soule 's strength of love to her owne body 1. Feare of death 2. Loathnesse to die For the first men tremble to thinke of that separation which is then made betwixt soule and body it 's as he calls it a terrible separation f Horrendum divortium Bern. sup Cant. ser 26. not onely of the dead from the living but also of the dead from it selfe a separation of the dead body from its owne soule which is it selfe Timore casto autem timeat homo separationem à Deo Bern. Secondly loathnesse to dye the soule shrink's at the bodies dissolution and they each of them grieve to part with each other Is there not in them who shall live for ever a loathnesse to die which loathnesse arising neither from a desire of possessing present pleasures nor from a feare of suffering future torments in hell fire must needs spring from this root the love that is betwixt soule and body Hylarion when he was about to die spake to his soule thus Goe out my soule goe out what fearest thou what doubtest thou g Egredere anima mea Egredere quid times quid dubitas Hierom. in vita Hillarion discovering that his soule was loath to leave her earthly home loath to goe to her heavenly Father the onely Father of Spirits oh the love it selfe of none but of such an one who is love its selfe * D. Wals ser lise death of Christ 1 Joh. 4.8 God is love Christ's and Christians union is greater then that of soule and body thus 1. The soule is truly and properly said to be in the body but the body cannot truly and properly be said to be in the soule for 't is impossible h Ultra posse non est esse But Christ is said to be in his and they are said to be in him 2. There is a greater union between the one then is between the other i Caput corpus unus est Christus Aust and therefore the greater love for the more the unitie is the more is the amity Sixthly Christ loves man more then man loves God though you take in the best of men within the limits of this conclusion Abraham may give a Sonne an onely sonne k Sint in hoc parenti triplicata supplicia silius charissimus quem diligis Orig. in locum Fulmen non minus terribile Abrahamo quam si jubetur cor sibi cruere immo secum universo mundo in Infernum praecipitare Paraeus in Gen. 22. a sonne he lou'd to the Lord his God in love through many straits and yet not be so much in love with God as he 's in love with him a man may give his owne life selfe and soule to Jesus Christ and yet not love as he 's belov'd For first love in this life is little and can you think its acts are so great Nothing acts beyond the compasse of its owne abilities Secondly wee are the Lords debtors our lives are his by right but Christ is debtor to none he paid many debts of many thousands but ow'd not a mite to any l Promittendo se fecit debitorem Aug. 3. Christ's love to us is greater then ours to him for 'tas a greater fruit his love makes lovely but ours addes nothing to his beauty wee may get by him but what gaines he by us can we augment his glory that were to help the Sunne to shine whose glory needs no increase Deare friends tell mee what thoughts have you of Christ's love and what worke doth it make on your spirits can you at last admire the height depth length and breadth of such a grace in such a person as Christ is you see friends of Christ all these lovers have done worthily Prov. 31.29 and yet as Solomon saith of the vertuous woman many daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all so may I say of Christ and much more many lovers have done worthily but thou excellest them all CHAP. IV. Of the Discoveries and manifestations of Christs love SOme things have a greater shew than substance but the things of Christ are no such things Some men have got an Art to seeme what they are not these doe like themselves not like Christ for Christ cannot doe so He 's as good as he seemes but cannot seeme the halfe of that he is in himselfe and unto his while they live in this inferiour world Some want Bowells or else shut up those they have in time of others need but Christ abounds with Bowells and they are alwayes open never shut against his chosen Hence is that multiplication of that mercifull word Hosea 11.8 How shall I give thee up how shall I deliver thee how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim and the Lord gives you the reason of this his arguing within himselfe his heart was turned his repentings were kindled set on fire within his bless'ed brest Christ's love and the discoverie on 't doe passe th' apprehension of mortall weights but unto you who must put on immortality bee it shadowed out thus DIscoveries of love are either verball or actuall and practicall Christ discovers
his love to his by words or workes expressions or actions By words Christ lets his know hee loves them speaking good to them and of them to his Father First by words of nomination by the sweet Epithets hee gives them as is usuall among all lovers save that in this Christ outstrips them all when hee is verball he is alwayes reall so are not other lovers These sweet words demonstrate love 2 Chron. 20.7 Joh. 15.15 Mark 3.35 Cant. 4.12 Mal. 3.17 Zach. 2.8 Ioh. 21.5 Cant. 2.10 Dent. 32.9 Cant. 4.11 Cant. 5.2 Love Dove undefiled and those other words elsewhere my friend my brother my sister my Jewells the apple of mine eye my children my faire ones my portion my Spouse Are not these expressions full of love doe not these words of Christ speake you beloved We take it mighty kindly when the great ones of this world speake friendly to us and we thinke it a favour a friendship more worth then gold How will some plot contrive and lay their heads together for a few good words from an earthly Monarch Prince or Potentate Let such behold the King of Kings putting out himself freely in sweetest termes His Spouse lov'd to heare him speake let me heare thy voyce Cant. 2.14 for it 's sweet and thy countenance is comely Saints feele sweetnesse in their Saviours words he gives his beloved good names which are better then precious oyntments Christ also knowes his by those names Thou hast told me saith Moyses that thou knowest me by name Exod. 33.12 Though those hee hath elected may keep from him many yeares and not come at him untill their through conversion yet when they come to him hee can call them by their names he can call out Saul Saul goe to such a place thou art a chosen vessell Though afflictions both of body and mind may so change men as Job was changed by his noysome body poore estate meane dwelling which was on a dunghill Or as Lazarus was changed with running fores so as that a man that had seen them before would say that is not Job this is not Lazarus yet God hath not forgotteÌ„ them he knowes them yea he knowes them by name he can say this is my friend Abraham this is my servant Job this is my son Adam tho'other is my child David a man after my owne heart hee calls them together as you doe your children by name Fetch mysonnes from far saith the Lord he cannot forget his What the Heathen Oratour spake flatteringly of Julius Caesar namely that hee was wont to forget nothing but wrongs and injuries a Nihil oblivisci solet nisi injurias Jer. 31.34 Heb. 8.12 chap. 10.17 is most true of God and Christ He forgets nothing but the sinnes of his people I will forgive and remember their finnes no more The Lord blots out their sinnes that they condemne them not puts them away that they hurt theÌ„ not casts them behind his back as though he regarded them not casts them into the Sea that they drowne them not covers them that they appeare not in the Judgement doth not impute them as if they were not A second sort of love discovering words that fall from Christ's sweetest lips are words of consolation Comfort yee comfort yee my people saith your God speake you comfortably to Jerusalem I saiah 40.1.2 O yee rectified Christians consider the fruit of Christ's words what fruits words spoken of Christ have 'T is said of Elizabeth when she heard the salutations of Mary with the tidings of a Jesus that the babe leapt in her belly and she was filled with the Holy Ghost The good woman was transported above her selfe that not onely the babe but her self also leaped for Joy Luke 2.41 to 5. and she brake out into singing of God's great goodnesse to her Consider what soule-ravishing comfort there is in words spoken by Christ Christ's words warme well as farre as they goe Did not our hearts burne within us Luk 24.32 when he talked with us spake to us were wee not inflam'd with love ravish'd with joy yea ravish'd in spirit especially when he opened to us the Scriptures those precious sountaines of living waters when Christ speakes to the heart with power he speakes from his heart in love and such kind of speaking must needs be very taking in and upon the Spirits of Saints Tell me ô yee servants of the most High when you feed where he feedes his flock when you rest with him at noone in the scorching times of trouble from within and from without tell me I say Is not this fruit sweet to your taste did you ever taste the like Cant. 2.3 what have you not found your hearts raised your Spirits quickned your doubts resolved your soules filled with his marrow and fatnesse Psal 63.5.6 and that invisibly b Pulcherrimam insulam videmus etiam cum non videmus Lyps ep ad Cambdâ—â— my soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shall prayse thee with joyfull lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches saith the Prophet as if hee should say I cannot once think on thee and thy goodnesse but it fattens my soule and strengthens mee as a man is strengthned with marrow much more in the multitude of my thoughts within me doe thy comforts delight my soule Psal 94.19 and elsewhere the good man is so full of the comforts of his good God after hee had spoken peace and comfort to him that his mouth is too narrow for his heart and observation and breakes out thus 139. Psal 17 18. How precious are thy thoughts to me oh God How great is the summe of them If I should count them they are more then the sands when I awake I am still with thee viz. I cannot be from thee I cannot be without thee thou art so good to me Thou man of God admire his goodnesse deplore thine own vilenesse A third sort of Christ's love discovering words are words of Promise c Quaelibet divina promissio est dilectionis Dei erga nos testimonium Calv. l. 3. Jnst c. 2. Policitis dives in praestatione ditior promissary words he discovers his love by sweerest promises made to them he loves even as 't is usuall amoÌ„g all lovers Promises that doe assure d In Dei promissis nulla falsitas est quia infacienais nulla est omnipotenti difficultas Fulgent them of spirituall helps and sufficiencies First that he prayes to his Father for them Secondly that he prayes to his Father in them he prayes to his and their Father for them First that their graces faile not Secondly that their natures soile not That their graces faile not Peter saith Christ Satan hath desired to have you that he might winnow you and sift you as wheat he would have you in his sive to sift out your grace and preserve nothing but the chaffe of your
sinnes to witnesse against you Si homo Angelus Archangelus aliquid promiserit fortè quis dubitaverit suprema verò essentia Spiritus dei testimonium nobis intus perhibente quisnam dubitationis locus Chyrs apud par But I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not I will put you in my sive and sift out your chaffe but preserve your wheat for a witnesse against Satan and all his fellowes the evill Angels that kept not their standing as you shall doe but fell from it And this is the promise I 'le make unto mine that I will purely purge away all their drosse and take away all their tinne Isaiah 1.25 Doe you doubt that your faith may faint waxe weake pale and wanne that your affections may bee cooled and lessened that your zeale of God his glory may be quenched what of this your ebb of grace I will pray the Father for you that your graces faile not And you shall have your floud of grace as well as ebb But I am troubled with such temptations as I have not heard of I am sometimes tempted to beleeve Christ will not pray for me nor will God heare for such a wretch as I am well saith Christ he is a lyar and was so from the beginning Resist him e Debuit juxta vos dicere non quidem surgite orate sed surgite resistite Inquit Hier. contra pela l. 2. and so weake is his power that he hath and so strong is the power that thou hast of me that he will flee from thee f Idem hortatur ut pugnemus adjuvat ut vincamus deficientes sublevat vincentes coronat Christ perswadeth and possesseth the soule of two things to confirme and comfort it First that he hath prayed for as bad as that soule can be 2. That hee alwayes prevailed for what hee prayed for though 't is said that God heares not sinners and that their prayers are in his esteeme as abomination yet he heares his sonne for he is no sinner never was Father I thanke thee saith Christ g Tam refert quis quam quid that thou hast heard mee and I know that thou hearest mee alwayes Joh. 11.41.42 The Father loveth the Sonne and sheweth him whatsoever himselfe doth Joh. 5.20 and hee loves his Saints though they have sinned in his Sonne The Apostle gives a strong reason of this for God hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love So that you see Christians for your comfort when the Father did choose Christ hee also chose you in Christ Hence although you are full of blame blame-worthy in your selves yea although very unholy in your selves respecting the strictnesse that should be in you yet saith the Apostle you are chosen in him for this end that you might be and appeare blamelesse in this Christ before the Father All this is through love in love Now Christians looke about you remember and consider what a Jesus you have how good he is how dearly and greatly hee loves you what a friend he is to you with the Father and then tell me can you shew unkindnesse to this Christ can you deale discourteously with him in sinning against him I tell thee ô man I tell thee ô woman whosoever thou art h Etsi multi Gehennam omnium malorum supcemum atque ultimum putant Ego tamen sic sentio sic assidue praedicabo multo accerbius esse Christum offendere quam in gehenna malis vexari Chrysost Matth. Hom. 37. that hast come under the working power of the Lords goodnes thou canst not willingly prove unkind to this friend of friends And if thou doest forget the rocke whence thou art hewne and the brests that gave thee suck as some have done will it not grieve thy heart pierce thy soule and wound thy Conscience if it hath any tendernesse in it to heare thy sweet Saviour replie to thee as Absolom to Hushai 2 Sam. 16.17 Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend as he will doe if thou abuse his love will not such a saying of Christ as this be quick and powerfull sharper then a two edged sword to dagg and stab thy heart Consider thy selfe therefore and be to Christ as thou wouldest hee should be to thee Secondly Christ prayes that thy nature soyle not be not soyled by sinne the best of men have uncleane natures but Christ prayes they may be cleansed in love Joh. 17.15 I pray saith Christ that thou wouldest keep them from the evill of the world 2 Pet. 20. that they may never be stained with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the defilements of the world and v. 17. Father sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth Cleanse wash purge away their soiling sinnes even theirs and all that beleeve through their word v. 20. Christ prayes for all his And the meanest christian if he do's beleeve ha's a share in Christ's prayers for his Sanctification What though the Lord replies not to a poore Christian when he cries out to him about his soule as Moses about Miriam heale her now what if hee doth not heale now even now when thou desirest healing yet heale he will he heares his sonne and thy selfe in him and will heale when healing is best for thee Some languish under sinnes filth guilt and pressure with a Spirit of bondage many yeares cannot beleeve their sinne is pardoned their soules purged and yet at the last they find Christ who is the meanes of escape from the evill of sinne doth wash it away by his bloud so that they can sensiblie say as that Martyr at the stake who had long waited for the Lords Christ he is come he is come Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie Thirdly Christ prayeth to the Father in you by his Spirit which is another spirituall help and sufficiency the Spirit it selfe makes intercession for you that is the Spirit of God within you Rom. 8.26 Thus first by giving matter of prayer to them all the prayers of the Saints that are made aright are the dictates of the Spirit of God and Christ The Spirit dictates and works a sight and sense of sinne of a mans owne wants inward or outward emptinesse and unworthinesse A sight of Christ's fulnesse worth and freenesse for the good of all his people as also what he is of God to every beleeving soule viz. wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption Christ within you reveales himselfe and his Father to you Christ is said to pray in Christians for they have his matter use his matter Because you are sonnes Gal. 4.6 God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts i Remanet quaedam ignorantiae obseuritas in intellectu secundum quam ut etiam dicitur Rom. 8. Quid oremus sicut oporter nescimus propter varios enim retum eventus
Christians here 's your comfort that Christ's work doth never over-match the strength of the Operator 1 Cor 10.13 The faithfull God saith Paul will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to beare it is a worke of Christ and his service to endure temptation Christ's servants consider your Masters love what if Satan assaults you 't is not you he encounters withall but the power of Christ in you and so you shall bee able to reassault Satan His grace is sufficient * 2 Cor. 12.9 for thee z Sufficit mihi gratia tua cum deficiâ— virtus mea Bern. apud Cornel. à lapide in locum and which is more the Lord Christ gives thee a medicine with the maladie a cure with the disease Oh spirituall soule thy straits and reliefes come hand in hand unto thee a meanes of escape with the temptation this instance may suffice Thou mayst see by this how sweetly God season 's crosses with comforts Secondly by a continuation of intrinsecall supplies while 's they are ingaged by him that there be no impairing of the strength of his servants Services of men doe oft-times wast and consume the strength of servants some are even worne out by them have done so much for their Masters as that they can doe nothing for themselves But in Christ's services the Saints are as able at the last as first for Alpha and Omega is with them Such as waite on the Lord shall renew their strength Such mount up with wings like Eagles runne and shall not be weary walk not faint The services of Christ are all strengthning not at all weakning Thirdly by frequent forbearances when they offend hee shews love in that other Masters are prone to make the worst of every fault But Christ doth not tax thus discourage dishearten and discomfort so for every fault You righteous Enoch's that walke with God can speake better things of God than so if your indeavours be at the highest that you doe what you are able he makes no words of the sinnes of your services to discourage you Lam. 3.22 his compassions faile not a Compassio impassibilitate perdurat Bern. de grad humil his bowells cease not yerning towards his Psal 78.38 being full of compassion he forgave them their iniquity and destroy'd them not many a time turned he his anger away and did not stirre up all his wrath many a time often Christ is frequent in forbearances he can suffer much and suffer long Christians is he to you a patterne of like piety Fourthly by exacting no more from them than he hath promised to worke in them If God will have onenesse of heart newnesse of Spirit contrition faith patience love Ezek. 36.27 c. 11.19 20. he worke it in you b Is dat qui mandat qui jubet ille juvat Friends many complaine of want of power to serve Christ they cannot doe this or that or the other but is it not want of will Christ supplies thy former want c Da domine quod jubes jube quid vis Aug. He will put his Spirit within you and cause you to walke in his Statutes and yee shall know his Judgements and doe them you shall be his people and he will be your God and if want of will be the burthen he 'l supply that want also My people shall be willing in the day of my power d Juvat idem qui jubet Auson power and will goe hand in hand when Gods goodnesse workes kindly in us Fifthly by a continuation of his presence with them for their assistance when they faile in point of a right performance e Cum nullum agens secundum a gat nisi in vertute primi sitquè caro spiritur perpetuò rebillis uon potest homo licet jam gratiom consecutus per seipsum operare bonum vitare peccatum absquè novo auxilio Dei ipsum moventis â—irigentis protegentes quamvis alia habitualis gratia ad hoc ci necessaria non est via Aqui. sum 1. q. 2 â— q. 103. d. g. 'T is some ease to a servants mind when his Master will put to his hand to set forward the worke even so Christ do's speed the performances of his people by putting under his hand Will not this incourage what can be more inlivening to living Christians my soule followes hard after thee saith David hee was much in the thoughts of God God was with him and he with God but what 's the reason thy right hand upholds mee Psal 63.8 Christ's followers take hold on his Crosse and Christ will lay hands on 't too yea and beare the heavier end for them 'T is with a Christian as with plants which the heat and influence of the Sunne makes to thrive when Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse shines upon them is present with them they prosper all things grow in their hands and their comfort 's in the hands of Christ such as is his presence with them such is their life and no other Sixthly by setting before them the same Joy that his Father set before him in all his doings and sufferings the best way to encourage a servant in his worke is to set the reward before his eye thus God the Father served his Christ * Heb. 12.2 consider him therefore least you be weary of well doing and faint in your mindes * vers 3. Christians you are apt and prompt to wearinesse in spirituall services to faintnesse under the Crosse of Christ But saith the Lord * ver 2. looke unto Jesus consider his patience his suffering and remember for your comfort how hee now raignes the greatnesse and goodnesse of Christ's pay smoth's the the roughnesse of heavens way Secondly in suffering for them f Multo efficatior Christi mors in bonum quam peccata nostra in malum Christus potentior ad salvandam quam Daemon ad per dendum Bern. true lovers will suffer to their losse that they may gaine the thing they desire and having got that they love their hearts are at rest Christ suffered losse even of his glory for a season that the travaile of his soule might prosper in his hands and that he might inherit the sonnes of his love his peculiar portion Christ suffered both in life and death and for their sakes he lov'd not his life to the death Consider the greatnes of that work of dying for them by the worthinesse and fitnesse of the person which makes the salvation more glorious then else it could have beene which appeares to have in it a heavenly glory thus First that onely Christ and his death could be able to part that strife which was betwixt an offended God and offending man he is our peace saith the Scripture who hath made both one and broken downe the middle wall of partition between us he abolish'd the enmity in his flesh he made in himselfe of twaine one new man * Ephes
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR The Yernings of CHRISTS bowels towards his languishing FRIENDS Wherein the sincerity ardency constancy and super-eminent excellency of the love of Jesus Christ as it workes from him towards his Friends is delineated discussed and fitly applyed BY S. M. Minister of the Gospel of God I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live Yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live Behold thy time was the time of Love yea I entered into a Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Ezek. 16.6.8 This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the Church Ephes 5.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isocr Orat. ad Demon. Non requiescit amor in quacunque superficiali adeptione amati sed quaerlt amatum perfectè habere quasi ad intima illius perveniens c. Aqu. 1. 2ae 28. a. 2. LONDON Printed by Matthew Symmons in the yeare 1647. To the Right Honourable Philip Lord Wharton Baron of Wharton Right Honourable VNexpressible unconceivable are those cordiall joyes which proceed from the in-commings of Jesus Christ upon the Soul and her out-goings towards the Messiah againe For is' t not an heaven on earth so to commerce with Christ what but this may bee compar'd to that Heaven above where God gives out himselfe in fullest measures begetting like motions and operations in the glorified Saints What gives the Saints mercies and morsels a right relish save this a Mea non prosunt sine me nec tua prosunâ— sine te Bern. Christs comming in upon as hand in hand with them and making them good to us and can any thing but his absence mar the tast of mercies what shall I say he that hath Christ wants not * Is habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia he that wants Christ inherits not what he seemeth to have What 's good to us without God b Tolle meum et telle Dâ—â— and what can be bad to us when we enjoy him c Quid si sine domo et non sine domino sine veste si non sine fide sine sibo sine lecto et non sine Christo what the Father said of Joy that may I say of the Joy-maker and much more There is so great a sweetness in heavenly joy that if one small drop thereof should fall into Hell it would swallow up all the bitterness of that Tophet d Tanta est dulcedo caelestis gaudij ut si una guttula difflueret in infernum totam a maritudinem inferni absorberet Aug. Christ being had makes bitter things sweet rough things smooth and massie things light Oh! what a Jesus have we do's not the Saints lothnesse to bee rent from him speake out sweetly what an one he is to such as sit under his shade with delight e Qui semel Christi dulce dinem gustaverit deficile ab illo seperari sustinet Bern. Oh the power purity immensity and perenity of his love mercie and goodness how precious a thing is' t to have and to bee had of such a precious Christ Certainely time will discover it 't will be known at the time of his glorious appearance to judg the secrets of closest hearts to be honoured of all that believe Of which number I take the boldnesse to repute your Honour to be in the front among persons of Honour And what do I more then revive the ancient report which hath gone forth concerning your Honour many yeares since f Simulata non diu durant what bad men say it skils not sure I am good men speak you a man of a moderate spirit one who loves truth for the truths sake how you have done do still countenance the godly part of any party I need not tel the World but that which do's most ennoble your Honor and make you most famous is God's speaking out his approbation of you to your own soul for that only is Circumcision which is of the heart he is a right ChristiaÌ„ whose praise is not of men only but of God Sir I humbly present you with this small Treatise why should I doubt of your favourable acceptance in whose noble breast such wisedom ingenuity is found Let him doubt that lists for I will not the book is your honors such as it is if men mestake not it discovers hidden secret passages and proceedings betwixt Christ the Soul what 's more reviving to a spirituall person In a word this is but a small acknowledgement of your Honours worth yet future opportunities may cause to abound goe on in wel-doing noble Patriot and prosper reconcile the differences of Saints doe justice love mercy walk humbly with God you may doe much good by your good example For as the Father spake an Excellent Lord is better then an excellent Law Thus shal you live so as that you need not feare to die and propagate Gods glory with your own name fame to future generations Now that it may be the lot of your honorable self with your noble Consort and all your Posterity to prize Christ live in him be saved by him stated in everlasting glory with him shall be the desire prayer of him who is Your Honours humbly devoted to serve you in the things of Christ SAM MOORE TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THE great and glorious GOD whom we adore Thom 1â— parte q. 20. Artic 4. is love and what is best he loves most His love is great to his worke his people his truth but unto CHRIST it 's above all yea above the whole universe Raynerij Pantheolog Tom 1º p. 129. The greater any Good is the greater 't is belove'd The more neare acceptable like excellent lasting perfect any good is by so much it 's the greater The LORD CHRIST in all these he 's the nearest to God his humane nature is united to the divine Iohn 1.14 Mar. 16.19 Ephes 1.20 21 hee sits at the right hand of Majestie in glory his acceptablenesse was emphatically twice witnessed from Heaven Matth. 3.17.17 ch 5. Iohn 16.23 Ephes 1.6 This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased and it s for his sake that wee are accepted As for likeness the foundation strength of love for wheresoever's the greatest likenesse Hebr. 1.3 there 's the greatest love Hee is the expresse Image of the Father and his glory doth fully resemble the Fathers glory for excellencie Iohn 1.14 it 's his transcendently hee 's the chiefest among tenne thousand Câ—â— 10. Iohn 1.14 the only begotten Hebr. 1.6 Angels must adore him and all men must give him equall honour with the Father Iohn 5.23 Hee 's the most excellent and lasting good without any seede of corruption Acts 2.31 Esa 9.6 the everlasting Father Hebr. 13.8 The same for ever full of all perfections all the treasures of wisdome and knowledg were in him hee had all
soules to cleanse and sanctifie them to his own and his Fathers use p. 115. 4. Christ loves to save the soule harmlesse preserve and keepe it alive Satan loves to destroy but Christ loves to save page 116 117 Christs affection to his calling for action from them for him Ibid. 1. He 's active for you prayes for you pleads for you at the Throne of grace night and day against the accuser of the Brethren page 118. 2. Satans vassalls are active for him and 't is a most abhominable thing and not to be paralell'd that children of darknesse should doe more for their Father then do children of light for theirs Ibid. PART 2. CHAP. 1. CHrist-like affections working toward Christ page 1. The rise of this 1. Divine love is active and it acts towards Christ for fulnesse p. 2. 2. Christ is the Center to divine Love and arising aloft in him it ha's rest and the soule it selfe is then a serene Spirit page 3. 3. Every thing hath its end and moves towards that love has its end too thitherward it moves Grace has no other end but God glory Love is a grace and a great one full of heavenly motion page 4. 4. Divine Love is the Divine nature and cannot be confin'd in man who is but an heape of earth 't will break forth upward till it become Glory page 5. 5. Best intelects covet best objects Christians have the best intelects therefore they love Christ page 6. Christ how the best object of Love Divine made plaine in three particulars 6. Divine Love goes out workes towards Christ by a Divine instinct it ascends upward for it can doe no other page 8. 7. A spirituall soule is righteous seeth 't is a righteous thing to love Christ see 's some must love Christ shee knowes none has more cause then shee Ibid. 8 A divine soule is reasonable seeth 't is but reasonable to love him who loved her when shee had nothing in her worthy of love page 9. CHAP. 2. CHristians shewing love to Christ and how in twelve remarkable things page 9 c. CHAP. 3. LOvers of Christ how known 1. Such as love Christ see a motive in Christ to stir up love it being the emminencie of an object that ottracts love page 29. 2. A soul that loves Christ thirsts after his presence has never enough of his communion with her p. 30 31. 3. One that loves Christ feares to disprease him true Lovers are loth to offend those they prize and love page 33. 4 True love is of the person of Christ were he without portion or priviledges A Christ under shame as well as Glory a Christ abas'd as well as exalted page 33 34. 5. One that loves Christ would fain he doe like Christ p. 35 36. 6. They love Christs friends as the object of his delight p. 37 38. CHAP 4. THe passage of Divine Love as it works towards Christ may be obstructed and how cleared in six particulars page 39 c. CHAP. 5. CHrist keeping love alive in cbristians and how shewed in many particulars page 50 c. Incentives to love Christ what in ten particulars handled at large page 59 c. PART 3. CHAP. 1. VVHat things agree to make up a right sigt naturall p. 3. Visions of Heaven glorious and why Ibid. They have in them God a glorious object Christ a glorious medium and a light super-sensuall supernaturall and glorious too page 4 c. Right sight of Christ what 1. To see him as he is p. 11 12 13. 2. Right sight of Christ is experimentall page 14. The good arising from such a sight of Christ what express'd in four particulars page 4 c. The evill of the contrary not to see Christ ezperimentally clear'd by four things also page 18 c. 3. Right sight of Christ is to see Christ as a man is seene of Christ p. 21. How a Christian is seene of Christ in two particulars Ib. A perswasion to looke up to Jesus and why p. 23. Incentives to that glorious work what 1. All heires of everlasting life long'd to see Christ before their death and had their desires page 24. The language of a Christ-less man or woman at the Judgement-day what page 25. 2. Mans necessity calls for this hee must minde a Jesus see him by faith for he wants him and there is not another page 26. 3. A right sight of Christ gives a right sight of selfe and selfes estate it being most certain that men never see themselves so well as when they most see Jesus Christ page 28. Sight of Christ what sight of selfe it gives In him we may see what we have been are shall be page 29 c. 4. All right sight of Christ has in 't a sustaining nature a heart-relieving vertue a soule-reviving ability things of Heaven being all supporting much more Christ himselfe page 34. 5. 'T will encrease inward joy a joy of heart which excells the joy of harvest page 37 c. 6. 'T will strengthen patience under the crosse and chstaizement for Christ page 40 41 42. CHAP. 2. THe likenesse betwixt the 1. and 2d. or the naturall and spiritual birth what in eight particulars page 43 c. Four reasons why men should esteem it a greater priviledge to bee borne twice then to be borne but once page 56 57 58 59. How God brings in and brings up returning sinners 1. He principles them 2. Acts them 3. builds them 4. Constrmes them page 60. How God principles those bee will save Ibid. Christ's act by which he drawes out those principles what 1. Illumination page 61. What work light makes in a darke Soule Ibid c. 2. Humiliation page 63. How Christ humbles men kindly page 64 65. To what end Christ humbles layes low chosen vessels page 66. How Christ builds Christians 1. by keeping them and all their graces in continuall action p. 74. 2. By infusing strength suitable to opposition page 75. What Christ in building helps his people to live above whilst they live in the body 1. Above corruption 2. Above temptations 3. Above gracious evidences 4. Above glorious manifestations of his Fathers love how page 79. c. Christ confirms his how p. 87. The effects of such stability of heart in that respect what page 88. The faith of Saints concerning this what page 90. CHAP. 3. CItizens of heaven are strangers here What it is to be a stranger here 4. particulars of that page 92 c. Whence it is that Christ lets his live so far from home that God so kind a Father puts his children into such an unkind world page 105. 1. To put a difference betwixt Earth and Heaven 2. To glimpse out Glory to a faithlesse people page 107. 3. To save others alive page 108 109. 4. To dispose them for higher things and how page 110 111. 5. That grace might have a being as well as glory page 112. Strangers on Earth how knowne
a fountaine give he ne're so much out to us he hath ne'r the lesse in himselfe hee is an inexhaustible well-spring of life he is not only full in himselfe and for himselfe but also communicatively unto others Fifthly Christ's love is free vv Non habet quo intret gratia ubi meritum occupavit Bern. in cant serm 67. acts freely in dispensation to every spirituall soule I will love them freely Hos 14.4.2 Cor. 5.4 men oft-times doe not the good they might when they have opportunity but Christ seeks for an opportunity waites for it goes about doing good You have some lovers that will love but then there is this defect in their love it is onely extorted from them by kindnesses and curtesies done to them and received by them from them whom they affect but can you force love from Christ x Omnia quae de Christo legeris non necessitate sed sponte facta reperies Orig. in gen hom 8. Matth. 10.8 if you could you need not for he love's freely he 's free enough freely you have received Christ's bowells yerne fully all his gifts are given freely come from him freely Rom. 8.32 Rom. 3.24 Justification comes freely Sanctification Glorification freely The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you because you were more in number then any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because he loved you Deut 7.7 8. he did it not from any motive arising from you for there was nothing in you to draw and kindle his love but he did it because he did it y Amat quia amat Bern. He chooseth none worthy of himselfe but by choosing them makes them worthy z Nullū eligit dignum sed eligendo efficit dignum Aug. cont Iuli Pelag. l. 5. c. 3. These things demonstrate freenes of grace to be in Christ to flow from him into beleevers First in that when hee sets his love upon a soule hee finds nothing in that soule worthy of love he findes much matter of loathing but nothing that's matter of love as an object fit and sutable for Divine love to fasten upon When a poore sinner lieth buried in pollutions and fleshly defilements and hath no cause in him moving Christ to love hee makes lovely and then loves though he findes that soule loathsome Ezek. 16. from the third to the eight Christ himselfe became uncomely Isa 53.2 that hee might the better cover their uncomely parts with his comelinesse he was without forms and comelinesse and when men saw him there was no beauty that they should desire him this he was for your sakes Christ doth as wee our selves doe upon those members that we thinke to be lesse honourable 1 Cor. 12.23 even on them we bestow more abundant honour and on our uncomely parts more abundant comelinesse Christ bestoweth on the more uncomely sinner receiving him the more abundant comelinesse so that the greatest sinners make the most gracious Saints Paul was once one of the chiefe of sinners the worst of men but after the Lord Christ in mercy look'd on him and wrought kindly upon his Spirit he became then one of the best of men in labours more abundant for Christ then all others Oft-times it falls out that such as are most rejected of men are most respected of God A lame Mephibosheth a halting creeple a blind Pharisee a leprous Samaritan Luk. 12 16. an ulcerous Lazarus a woman with a bloudy issue Mark 5.34 Persons uncleane and contemptible objects of disdaine in the eyes of men a Non desormitate corporis animus foedatur sed pulchritudine animi corpus ornatur Senec. he hath chosen also persons of meane employments as Amos a heards-man Gideon a thrasher Abel a shepheard Noah a husbandman Joseph a Carpenter Peter and Andrew fishers James and John fishers mending their nets were called and a Jaylor with many others of this world 's poore who were rich in Faith when chosen Mary a harlot Rachel a harlot Paul a blasphemer some of all sorts of sinners have been and shall bee saved through the riches of his grace yet God forbid you should sinne that Grace may abound doe not so sinne against Christ for if yee are Christ's yee dare not Secondly in that he comes upon a lovelesse sinner and sinfull soule unseene unsought and not desired 1. Unseen a man by nature is borne spiritually blind hee see 's not his owne wants nor Christ's worth the sinfulnesse of sinne nor the goodnesse and sweetnesse of a Saviour he see 's not his owne misery perceives not the nature of the Lords mercy he considers not his spirituall penury Christ comes upon the spirits of men invisibly unseen which shewes 't is from free love and that no provision can be made in any soule for the Lord Christ but what hee brings along with him Secondly unsought I am found of them that sought me not I said behold me behold me to a people that was not called by my name I saiah 65.1 viz. the heathen Gentiles that could not seek nor grope for and after Jesus Christ a people that had not so much as a good name to commend them if it were possible to Christ much lesse good natures What then moved this blessed lover to set his love upon them was it any thing they had for Christ or to bring unto Christ surely no. What then 't was the freenesse of Christ's will to doe good that moved him to love freely I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy that 's his determination He 's unsought not sought of them but they are sought of him He 's the seeker before conversion if there be any which must needs be if there be any reconcilement betwixt God and the soule Luke 9.10 I am come to seek and to save that which is lost Christ seekes us before we doe or can seek him we are lost till then Christ elects us also before we can elect him Joh. 15.6 you have not chosen mee saith Christ but I have chosen you you see then Christ's love is free and acts freely towards such as he will save Thirdly Christ workes on the soules of men when not desired naturall men doe not know him are not acquainted with him Iob. 21.14 his outgoings and incommings before them b Scientia non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem Tolerabilior est paena vivere non posse quam nescite Senec. they are enemies to the knowledge of a crucified Christ and it is certaine there can be no desire of unknowne objects When we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Isaiah 53.2 The Prophet predicts what carnall and naturall men would thinke and conceive of Christ in their naturall conditions If men see no beauty in Christ no lovelinesse and sweetnesse in him it is impossible they should desire him for 't is the excellencie luster and beauty of an object that strengthneth
qui nos ipsos non perfectè cognoscimus non possimus ad plenum scire quid nobis expediat ideò necesse est ut à Deoditigamur protegamur qui omnia novit omnia potest Aqu. sum 2 â— q 109. a. 9. crying Christians when you crie unto God Christ by his Spirit is crying in you and calling out Abba Abba Father Father can you then doubt of being heard when Christ prayes in you whom the Father heares alwayes Secondly Christ in them poures forth their requests to the Father and that by words sutable to his Majesty and their necessity this is called the help of the Spirit by reason of mans infirmity and this help is afforded because we know not what to pray for as we ought 'T is good to have a helper when wee goe into the presence of a great God especially when wee are helplesse for did not the Spirit help who else can give supplie in such a case Or what can be pleasing to God save that which comes from God can any thing lead to God ascend unto him besides that which descended from him surely nothing onely he that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit because that makes intercession according to the will of God Rom. 8.27 God and Christ puts words in his peoples mouthes as is clear from Hos 14.2 Turning to the Lord say these words take away our iniquities remove our sinnes from us receive us graciously be favourable to us so shall wee render to thee the calves of our lips that is we will bee thankfull so Luke 11. from the first to the fift When the Disciples desired Christ to teach them to pray hee puts words into their mouthes saying when yee goe to my God and your God speake thus call him Father the very name prayes for us k Ipsum nomen â—rat pro noâ—is pray him to sanctifie his owne name to let his Kingdome come his Kingdome of grace into the hearts of the gracelesse to let his will be done upon you in you and by you and for manner so an earth as 't is done in heaven viz. willingly chearefully readily with much willingnesse without any the least wearinesse aske for bread for the day all necessaries for the comfortable being of the outward man aske forgivenesse of sinnes for he is blessed to whom the Lord imputes not sinne though hee hath little of the things and necessaries of this life Beg you be not lead into temptation viz. not suffer'd to be tempted or else be kept from falling under the temptation l Jubet orare ne in tentationem dueantur i. e. ne ab câ vincantur Aug. l. de Cor. grat c. 6. and from being overcome of it and that you may bee delivered from all evill of sinne and suffering Yee shall aske what yee will and it shall be done unto you if yee continue in mee and my words abide in you Joh. 15.7 aske and ye shall have Christ names not what shall be given to let us know that gift is above all that can be named m Non dicitur quid dabitur quia donum supra omne nomen Aug. Secondly or without words for prayer is mentall as well as vocall and although a Spirit of son-ship is a Spirit of Prayer and every son of God is a man of prayer yet some sweet soules as deare to Christ as others cannot sometimes by reason of some distempers and distractions of body and mind I say they cannot utter their minds by words at the Throne of grace Rom. 8.26 Now Christ by his Spirit helps n Est metaphora ab onerious sumpâ—a quae utrinque admotis manibus sublevantur Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Luk. 10.40 The Greek worâ—â—'s a decompound and there 's great force in it these sometimes even to sigh out their wants and sorrowes before him and obtaine o sometimes to groane out their desires unto him sometimes by weeping shedding teares which have a secret language and voyce in the eares of the Lord of rests Psal 6.8 Thou hast heard the voyce of my weeping and Christ himselfe hath wept for some * ChristuÌ„ flevisse legimus rifisse nunquam Salvian l. 6. Cum Spiritus hominis suspiâ—or Spiritus Dei aspirat Cyprian Matth. 6. sometimes the heart 's so full of sorrow so sad and heavie that nothing can bee said or done then even then the Spirit helps and all through love Christ ha's promised his beloved friends corporall succours every morsell a Saint receives hee hath it in way of a promise The Lord feedes others too but 't is onely so as he doth the beasts of the field in an ordinary way of providence wicked men may have much and yet inherit nothing because they possese not God in their injoyments injoy not him in conjunction and connection with the Creatures Take no thought saith Christ what ye shall eate or what yee shall drinke or wherewithall yee shall be cloathed It 's enough for a Gentile a Heathen a stranger to God and Christ to bee cuttingly carefull for these things that hath ne'r a heavenly Father to provide for him Doth your heavenly Father feed the fowles of the Heavens and shall hee not much more feed you Doth he cloath the Lillies of the field better than Solomon in all his glory and cloath the grasse of the field * Wicked men are like the grasse of the field with their gloria brevis whose end 's to be burn'd which remaines but for a time and shall hee not cloath thee who shalt live for ever abide for ever these are some of Christ's comfortable love discovering words And many other such like there be which for number are as the Starres of the Firmament that cannot be told 'T is said that one Crane a precious Christian though of meane estate in outward things being about to die and it being demanded by his friends what should become of his children hee answered thus God that provided for the Ravens will also certainly provide for the young Cranes and according to the good mans faith so it was that all his children were well provided for in this evill world Psal 34.9 There is no want to them that feare him that is of what is good for them and to misse an evill thing is no injurie to them If the Lord of his goodnesse doth foresee that riches will be a snare to one or other his sonnes of love and therefore withholds them from them what doth that child want save something which if hee had 't would make him more wanting in better things Some have much of the world and this hath been the fruit of it the cares of getting and keeping together with the feares of loosing the things of this life 'tas almost drunke up all that delight Joy and content they should and might have had in a spirituall God Christ and spirituall things If any man loves this world the love of the Father
is not in him Some like the bird that is fastned to a stone would be on the wing on high towards Heaven but when they attempt to ascend they are drawne back and held downe with a stone in the heart and another in the hand God hath given some their hearts desire but hath sent leanenesse into their soules and what profit was there in that had it no been better to have wanted those things which fat the carcasse and starve the soule which is the most precious Jewell we have in this world It is one mystery in Godlinesse to have nothing and yet lack nothing A Christian may have nothing and yet lack nothing Luke 22.35 When I sent you without purse scrip and shooes lacked you any thing and they said nothing Divine Providence makes up outward wants another way The Martyr had noe food and yet he lacked none for as hee had no meat so he had no stomack and all the Apostles wants and sorrowes were but an as it were so 2 Cor. 6.9.10 but as it were dying and yet living as sorrowfull yet alwayes rejoycing as poore yet rich and making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things Christ was their all as it were what it was not for when a Christian possesseth God he injoyes all and what wants hee surely there is none who live in God and his Christ but shall be kept alive in this world and if they be not 't is no great matter for this is not their Countrie they will never be well and at hearts ease till they be at their heavenly home Christ promiseth health also and protection to his in mercy Prov. 7 8. c. 4.22 Luke 21.18 all the haires of your head are numbr'd p Si sic custodiuntur superflua tua in quanta securitate est anima tua Aug. Sed sicut Capillus de capite sic nec momentum pâ—ribit de tempore Bâ—â—â— If that sicknesse and infringement doe surprize thee yet is it any more but an exchange of mercies God shuts out Moses from an earthly Canaan which was an affliction to him but then gives him a heavenly one for it q â—n Câ—â—is repâ—sita est major compâ—nsatio Calvin one mercy for another did we not sometimes meet with changes wee should like Jeshurom wax fat and forget the Lord. Afflictions sicknesses and weaknesses with wants and exigencies are as needfull and as good for some as their ordinary food Yea if they were not good in themselves as there is an evill of punishment as well as sinne yet God makes them good to some they were good to David Psal 119.1 They give us a true taste of the bitternesse that is in the tree of evill for we in nothing doe more taste and sensibly perceive the sinfulnesse of sinne than in suffering Hence that Oh the wormwood and the gall my soule hath them still in remembrance and is humbled within me Lam. 3.19.20 Here was the taste of sinne in the suffering r Civitatis evertio est morum non murotum casus Aug. It brings to mind our sin as in the case of Pharaohs Butler Secondly it is a mercy in that it drives us to the God of mercie And meanes of escape from sinne and miscrie In their afflictions the 'l seeke me early Å¿ Num tibi cum fauces urit sitis aurea quaeris pocula Hor. ser l. 1. Sat. 2. saith the Lord. Many persons are carelesly remisse in walking with God and calling on God can keep from him for dayes together succession of dayes one after another sometimes moneths and scarce speake a word to God Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Doe we not take it ill if wee meet a friend as wee walke the streets morning and evening if our friend gives not the salutation of a good morrow or a good even Doe we not say he is proud and stiffe or carelesse and regards not his neighbour what suppose yee will God thinke then of some that serve him worse Is it not pride that makes thee passe by him not give him a word and but seldome a thought Is it not pride that estrangeth thee from God yea it is and it will estrange God from thee he knowes the proud afarre off Is not the whole fabrick of mans body made upright set upward when other creatures are made to looke downeward and all to signifie that hee should mind God Heaven and highest things t Os homini sublimi dedit Coelumquè videre jussit erectos ad fidera tollere vultus Ovid. Metamor l. 1. sab 1. Ah Lord What will the end of these things be will not the end be bitter Secondly Christ's love is practicall and is discovered 1. In his doing for them 2. In his suffering for them 3. In his suffering with them First he serv's them wonder therefore yee Celestiall soules he that is Lord of all is a servant to all who are of the election of grace Matth. 20.28 The sonne of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister Now what thinke you did subdue this conquering King of Saints make him serve was it not love great love free love he tooke on him the forme of a servant not onely of a good servant to obey but also of a bad servant to be beaten u Non solum servi ut subesset sed quasi mali servi ut vapularet Bern. ter quart Heb. poenos He was as if he had been the worst of servants buffeted stripped scourged chastized and pierced led to prison to Judgement and to death and for your sakes hee was beaten and abused w Cibus hominis muravit se inpabulum pecoris homine mutato in pecus Ber. sup Cant. ser Now Christians did he not love you what discoveries of love doe you desire more reall than these The Lord make you such to him as he is to you Secondly in making exchanges with them even best things for worst x In primis de suis meliora contulit in secundis de nostris inferiora suscepit Aug. de tompor ser 9. living quickning grace for dead and sottish nature Spirit for flesh Mercy for miserie Riches for poverty Glory for shame a Crowne for a Crosse Life for death Christians can you tell when you are well all Christ and all Christ's things are yours Are you pleased If not the Lord of hosts is displeas'd you have his help you have his heart he is eternally yours this is love indeed Thirdly in making his services easie to them and that hee do's First by suting and fitting his imployments agreeable to the abilities of his servants his Commandements are not grievous the more grievous then is the breach of them y Quo leviâ—s mandatum eò geaviù peccatum men of this world doe put their servants on doing more then they are able oppressing them which thing must needs make their service irkesome and very unpleasant But
2.14 15. Before this God and his people by election were twaite did disagree and can two walke together except they agree if they could what comfort should a soule have to walk and worke with an Enemie trust himselfe in the hand of an Enemie Now this blessed act of Christ's love hath made God and his people friends hath taken away the wall of partition so that now we may goe boldly and freely to the Throne of grace * Heb. 4.16 through Christ who before durst not see his face Now that there was but one and had not he undertooke it there had been no other 't was greatest love that he in mans distresse would doe it There are two reasons of his fitnesse in this particular respect First he onely could discover how great the breach was that sinne had made Secondly he only could make the atonement being in favour with God the Lords equall Secondly that hee be able to beare the deserts of the offendor onely Christ was able to beare the just demerits of sinne that wrath of a Divine Majesty that was due to sinne Alas humanity cannot stand under the wrath of such Diety a little displeasure of God you see can breake us in pieces beat us to powder Wee cannot tell how to behave our selves under small afflictions a little paine in the head tooth heart bellie back or sides casts us downe when as all the paines and evills of this life are lesse then the least of all our sinnes how much lesse then could humanity stand under the wrath due to every sinne of one person nay to every sin of every person It must be a God as well as a man that was able to doe this This Christ did hee stood under the sinnes of all the elect that ever did or ever shall survive in this inferiour world Thinke of it then was there ever any sorrowes like to his sorrowes * Lam. 1.12 what a burthen bare hee The Church useth the speech to Christ when she was under but small suffering but might not Christ to dampe the Spirit of murmuring under a light Crosse have said so to her and all her children You just ones you see his fitnesse to die for you Thirdly that he be able to satisfie for the offence none else could satisfie Divine Justice and a just Law for sinne ô who then would sinne sith such suffering was required for satisfaction Some men will feare to offend against the civill Law if they perceive that any great satisfaction is required any great mulct inflicted for the breach of the Law Hence murthers rapines buggeries are not so many as they would be because the Law exacts no lesse then life in such a case and pray tell me what 's the life of man to the life of God of Christ it's nothing yet some out of naturall tendernesse will weep for the death of a man and that in great measure but have not one teare for Christ thinke not of him are every day striving as much as in them lies to crucifie the Lord of Glory afresh and put him to open shame by their sinnes If it be not so what meaneth the breaking out of your piercing sinnes flinty hearts ô foolish and unkind will yee thus requite the Lord and the love of Christ Fourthly that hee be without sinne he that is a sinner can but die for his owne sinne as in the case of two malefactors the suffering of the one cannot acquit the other because they are both under one and the same condemnation Christ was thus afflicted for your sakes Silver and gold was not the price of our soules corruptible thing 's were invalid to this purpose 't was precious bloud * 1 Pet. 1.18 not of a sinner but of one that saves from sinne a Lamh of God without blemish spotlesse * ver 19. Fifthly that he personate the party offending so as that the same perfection of nature may fall for sinne which fell in and by sinne Christ was the common person personating as a second Adam the first Adam and all his posterity offering the same nature for sinne which fell by sinne from the patterne of perfection God himselfe By man came death and by man came the resurrection from the dead * 1 Cor. 15.21 man for man person for person nature for nature name for name * ver 45. Sixthly that the satisfaction be eqivolent to the indemnitie suffered and sustain'd God suffered by the losse of his Image in man so as that nothing except the like in value to what was lost is of equall value in the Lords esteeme Thus did Christ and much more for the Elect he gave to his Father a more refined and better accomplished nature then Adam lost for Adam was left mutable and so he might either stand or fall But Christ hath so ordered the matter for Christians as that that part of the Divine nature which they have is uncapable of any such mutation g Qui operatur ut accedamus operatur ne discedamus Aug. de bon persev c. 7. Phil. 1.6 sooner may the Heavens bow downe to the earth and the earth it selfe ascend to the Heavens darknesse it selfe be made as the Light then that grace can cease to be grace till it becomes glory Satisfaction must be plenary First to put a glory upon Justice the Justice of him who exacts the reparation and that for the setting forth 1. The austerity of Justice 2. The impartiality of it First thus it pleased the Father to bruise Christ for sinners to set forth the austerity of his Justice in this particular whereas he would not be content with a slight satisfaction or payment God will have one worthy for another yea a person ten thousand times more worthy to satisfie for the wrong than was he that did the wrong for the first man was of the earth earthie who did the wrong the second man was the Lord from Heaven * 1 Cor. 15.47 who made the satisfaction Secondly the impartiality of Justice in discovering that the most high will not connive at sinne no not in his owne and onely begotten Sonne the Sonne of his dearest love Rom. 8.32 he spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him up for us all so that if the dearest Sonne of his dearest love will take upon him the sins of the elect he must beare their chastizement Hee was wounded for their transgressions and bruised for their iniquities the chastizement of their peace was laid on him and by his striyes they are healed * Isa 53.5 Could not Christ escape for sinne that he tooke upon him did not God spare a Sonne of love where then you sonnes of wrath can you bee safe from the hand of Justice Every man by nature is a sonne of wrath Eph. 2.3 and without this grace Christ had not been a Sonne of love oh yee sinners in Syon stand amazed at this strictnesse of God against sinne and turne not your
too You are now no more a farre off but are made nigh by my bloud 't is now I in you and you in me and both of us one with the Father hee is my God and your God my Father and your Father Is not here matter for a sweet song yee Singers of Israel and sonnes of God cannot you make melodie in your hearts with the heroick acts of your Master Should you not sing praises for the Victorie of your King the King of Saints you could not shew your selves Roylists of the Court of Heaven Fifthly in that there should be such a sutablenesse and usefulnesse of the worke unto the desires and exigencies of Saints Things may be good in thēselves and yet notwithstanding not being found to sute with the wants of the needie they are not good unto them As the body is not satisfied with things Spirituall so the soule is not content with things Corporall Externall things may satisfie the body help it relieve it in distresse but when the soule is in distresse all the world is to it but like a great Cypher it amounts to nothing There must be a fitnesse in the object the eare is not pleased with light and colours nor is the eye with soundes ſ Eis solum fruimur in quibus voluntas delectata quiescit Aquin. S. P. 1.2 q. 11. a. 3. The spirituall man is carried to spirituall things as the naturall man to naturall things and as in motion there is no rest till in a fit place so in this case you cannot quiet a spirituall soule with a thousand worlds Interest in God must doe her good or nothing Every thing is fitted for its object What comfort doth a piece of flesh yeild to a sheep and of what use is a rich pasture to a man that onely is comfortable to us that is good to us and that onely is good to us that agrees to us The best dish agrees not with him who hath an antipathy against it Silver and Gold Pearles and things precious yea and many more seen things as honour preferment and the like may bee good in themselves and for their usefulnesse as they serve mens turnes But applie seen things to an unseen soule and you 'l find she cannot relish them she feeles no savour in them no more then in a drie chip as our Proverb runs and why because they doe not agree to her as shee is a Spirituall substance therefore not good to her Now of all other good God is the summum bonum t Omne bonum in summo bono and his workings towards his children are about the application of things necessarie for them and sutable to them This great worke of Christ's dying for you hath such a fruit as will fulfill all your desires supplie all your wants redresse all your grievances for in all your comfortlesse conditions ye may fetch comfort from Christ's sufferings and death for you you may fetch sweetnesse thence as thus when you want you may argue did Christ die for a time that I may live for ever and shall I thinke he will not keep me alive here u Dic nobis qui praeparas quid praeparas replebimur bonis dcmus sed qui bus c. quaerimus qued oculus non videt c. Bern. ser 11. in Cant. explicans illud Isayae c. 64.4 for a time also did the Lord give Christ to me and will he not with him give me a conveniency of other things at least as much as is good for me Thus little children you may possesse your soules in peace that passeth understanding Thus the Apostle did my God shall supply all wants yours and mine and Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall hee not with him freely give us all things even all that he hath The distinction of goods in Augustine is exceeding memotable remarkable and sweet There is saith hee Bona Throni and there is bona scahelli goods of the Throne of blisse and grace as God Christ and whatsoever spirituall good hee conferres Secondly goods of the footstoole as the Creatures and comforts of this life the accommodations of this world whence wee may inferre That God and the godly Christ and Christians as they have but one Throne which is heavenly and that to them all so also they have but one footstoole Now God makes the earth his footstoole so should the godly doe also vv Si terram amas terra es si Deum amas quid vis ut dicam Deus es Aug. Christians ought in a good sense to lay the world and the things of the world under the soles of their feet x Quam sordet mihi terra cum Coelum intueor Adrian Pedibus duntaxat terram tangentibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chryst hom 2. de incomp Dēi nat and not make them and prize them as the Crowne of their head And especially when they hinder you from being crowned with Christ's Crowne which is a Crowne of glory and your greatest dignitie Now Christians consider by this and what hath been said what Christ and this blessed act of Christ is to you how that you have the goods of the Throne and now God having given you Christ having procured for you ablessed Throne to set your selves upon what cause have you to be troubled if he denies you or takes from you a footstoole whereon to set your feet Let not your hearts be troubled you beleeve in God beleeve also in Christ and be established for ever yea beleive his Prophets and you shall prosper The second discoverie of love by suffering on the behalfe of his is his suffering with them In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence sav'd them In his love and his pitie hee redeemed them and he hare them and carried them all the dayes of old 'T is some comfort to have a companion in suffering y Comes in via pro vehiculo est 't is much more comfortable to have a helping companion that will take off some of a mans burthen Hee hath laid help on one that 's mighty First Christ is with his in losses he beares a share of those losses they shall not be all losse to them that feare him he will give them something againe yea some better thing then what they have lost for him and in following or going along with him and though the world bee but as losse to a soule yet Godlinesse is great gaine with contentment He that loseth his life for Christ and the Gospels sake shall save it Mark 8.35 Christ will make up and repair the losse againe and do's not hee give a better thing than this life in the roome on 't What 's this life and all the accommodations thereof to that life which is above the life of the world 's ignoble most mean and passing poore to the life of God and the glorified in Heaven Then friends what
loose you can you tell I tell you that to die here is to begin to live for ever hereafter Secondly in Infringements and imprisonments of the body hee suffers with them gives rest unto them z Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia qaictum aspiceâ—e quiescere est Bern. in Cant. 23. is it not better you sensible soules to be in prison with Christ than to bee at Liberty without him nay is it not better to be in Hell with him than in heaven without him if such a thing could be doth not his presence prove a Heaven a Christus nobiscum 1. Politicè ut Rex in Regno Dux in exercitu 2. Occonomicè ut Pater in domo 3. Ethicè ut ratio in homine 4. Physicè ut anima in corpore Cornel. à lapide what 's the Heaven above but the fruition of God and Christ and Christians tell me when you injoy much of Christ in the closet or Congregation when you feele the warmth heat and vigour of all his love and spirituall graces working upon your drooping Spirits doe they not revive you put much life in you his words are Spirit and life much more then are his works Is it not your Heaven to enjoy and for your soules to possesse their beloved's presence b Heu Domine Deus rara hora brevis mora Bern. in Cant. ser 13. Res delicata est Spiritus Dei Tertu Memor sum quanta pace fruebar cum in Domino gaudebam ideò nunc magis doleo quia scio quid perdidi scio quà m maxima bona amisi redde quod per peccatum mihi abstuli redde quod meâ culpâ perdidi Savanarol medit in Psal Miserere c. Thirdly in wounds or hurts of the body or mind if Saul goes to Damascus and treads but on the feet of Christ the meanest and lowest of his servants Doth not Christ bow his head yea all his body to save them will it not make him crye out Saul Saul why doest thou tread on my feet persecute me in the least of my members yea certainly had he ne'r opened his mouth before yet then as the dumbe sonne of Craesus by straining his voice had the strings of his tongue unloosed when he saw his Father like to be butchered crying Oh! kill not King Craesus so Christ could the former be which cannot be in him yet then when they suffer he suffers with them and cries as to Saul Kill not my children pierce me not cut mee not in pieces rob not imprison me not he now plainely speakes this in our eares by his word could wee but mind it Christians when you are touch'd with a hurtfull touch so sensible is hee that he is touch'd in the apple of his eye too his eye smarts whose you are and hee that made eyes assure your selves will soone heale that eye sore when 't is seasonable to doe it Lastly in hurts of the mind Are you wounded in Spirit troubled in mind tempted he is tempted with you wounded with you troubled with you is not this love discover'd Now hee is in Heaven he is touch'd with a feeling of your infirmities on earth c Inchoata in incarnatione completa in ascensione Cornel. à Lapide Are you tempted so was he and that in all points like to you sinne being excepted viz. sinne did not tempt him as it doth you but then he was tempted by Satan to sinne as well as Satan tempts you to sinne d This I take to be the sense of the place instance that sore temptation to cast himselfe downe from the pinacle of the Temple to murther himself and that temptation hee tempted him withall to commit Idolatrie to fall downe and worship a Devill like a Heathen hee also tempted him to distrust infidelity when he would have had him make bread of stones as though God could not live without bread or as though there were not enough of God in the blessed man to sustaine him a little longer yea for ever if he pleased without food CHAP. V. Of the ends of Chrisi's love EVery thing hath its end * Prov. 23.18 and every thing is such as its end is as the thing is towhich it tends all 's well that ends well that 's the Proverb not more ancient then true 't is the end that crowns the action when God would prove a person action or thing to be good or evill he takes this course observes and bids us observe also what the end of the person or thing is at which it aimes or tends marke the perfect man and behold the upright man saith the Lord for the end of that man is * Psal 37.37 peace though hee ha's trouble in his beginning and progresse yet ha's he peace in his end viz. his way tends to peace though hee sowes in teares yet hee reapes in joy for Light is sowne for the Righteous and gladnesse for the upright in heart men sow to the end they may reape Thus he proves an upright man to be a good man by his good end So saith he the end of the wicked shall be cut off Viz. He shall misse of all that hee aimes at hee thinkes whatsoever his life be his death shall be good he aimes at happines after a sort but takes asunder the meanes from the end when such an one dies all his thoughts perish where is his hope when God takes away his soule saith Job either his sinne with himselfe shall have no end for sinne in its fruits goe to hell with him lives for ever with him sinnes are his workes and they follow him or secondly his end shall be and that most certainly the beginning of his never ending torment by paine of losse and sense together viz. his sinne tends that way leads thither Some desire Heaven but 't is not so much for the societie of God and Christ as from a carnall conceit that there 's no want there they shall have fulnesse Doe not carnall men dreame of carnall eating in Christ's Kingdome happie said the Jewes are they who shall eat bread with thee in thy Kingdome but this end shew'd their desire was carnall for Christ reproves them when he tells them the Kingdome of Heaven consists not in meats or drinkes but in Righteousnesse and true holinesse Every true lover propounds to himselfe his end ha's his end and that 's true of Christ hee hath ends for which he loves and to which his love tends His ends are such as these 1. To make his object lovely 2. To present his Spouse blamelesse 3. To keep the soule stainlesse 4. To save the soule harmelesse FIrst he loves to make his lovely in his owne blessed sight and unto his owne glorious selfe Christ loves comely Christians Christ's frame on a Christians spirit is a Christ-aluring beautie a choice Spouse's distance from her loyall husband is a cord of love to draw his presence to her long suspension of personall fellowship makes communion sweeter
when injoy'd Christ's presence is good to Christians and communion with them is good to him a soules distance from her husband Christ is verie great yet many pledges of dearest love passe betwixt them something of Christ being in the soule brings all Christ to dwell there he loves himselfe and delights to dilate where himselfe is Some love to fulfill lust and natures fancie but Christ loves that his object may be lovely to himselfe and all his off-spring The bridegroome loves to see his Bride adorn'd on a bridall day would have her as neat as hand can make her that her aspect may bee pleasing to him Christ loves to cloath his people with a heavenly glory hee loves a soule that he may present it to himselfe a glorious Creature 't is inward Glory I now speake of Christ hath no lust to feed sinnes not found in him he seekes nelther bodies pelfe nor the minds riches sweet Messiah thy ends are good Christ sets his love on naked soules In some parts of the world some buy their wives and cloath them so doth Christ in every corner of the earth gives himselfe for them and then puts a glory upon them Christ's glory is transforming some have seene it as in a glasse and have been changed by it into the same Image from glory to glory even by the Spirit of the Lord * 2 Cor. 3.18 Christ himselfe assum'd our nature that he might cloath and adorne us with his like to like saith the Proverb Christ loves his object to make it like him and then clos'es with it cannot stick loose to it so pure's his love Other lovers may alter in their love because they cannot augment their objects lustre amiable aspect but Christ can make his object as comely as hee will then where is the ground of change not in the object not in the Subject therefore not at all I the Lord change not that 's his saying who is immutable Secondly Christ loves to present his object blamelesse both to himselfe and also before his Father Some lovers will find no fault in the objects they list to embrace but having receiv'd them find nothing else in them but faults is this to love in truth you earthlie sensuall lovers Christ findes out faults before he espouses a soule to himselfe but then through love covers them buries them forgets them Christ never upbraids a soule with what he hath formerly been and done God upbraids no man Some speak well of that they like untill they have got it and then the worst word they have's too good for 't but Christ speakes worst of soules before hee 's wedded to them but when of twaine they are one flesh he speaks and makes the best he can of them and the least good that 's in them hee cannot breake a bruised reed nor can hee quench the smoaking flax hee cannot rip up old breaches betwixt his Spouse and him but he 's good at kindling smallest sparkes of saving grace though buried in a heap of ashes he is wont to make much weaknesse little and little strength much Some Lovers will hide nothing they know by those they have seem'd to love will you call this love 't is perfect hatred but heavenly favourites your heavenly husband 's not so unkind he covers all evills and uncovers all good in them hee loves Prov. 16.12 'T is said he 's able to present blamelesse before his Father with exceeding great joy * Iude 24. and he 's as active as able in such a kind of presentation Thirdly he loves to present his object spotlesse Christ sets his love on soules to cleanse them * Eph. 5.27 and sanctifie them to his owne and his Fathers use Satan loves to have soules that he may staine them pollute them bereave them of their glorie and Christ's Image that 's in them he 's all for soiling of soules that he may foile them insnare them but Christ takes out the spots of his owne flesh he sets his love on a soule to wash it from all filthinesse of flesh and Spirit Ezek. 16.6.7 the soules time of miserie is Christ's time of mercy when thou wast in thy bloud I said to thee live and thy time was the time of love John tells the seven Churches of Asia Christ lov'd us and then wash'd away our sinnes by his bloud heavenly husband thou lov'st to good purpose Christ loves to make holy as well as happie he would have her without blemish spot or wrinckle Fourthly Christ love's that he may save harmelesse preserve his object free from danger Satan loves to destroy but Christ loves to save All Christ's favours run into this the soules salvation of whom he loves he 's cal'd the Saviour of his body the Church Eph. 5.23 the head you know contrives and advise's for the whole body Such a head is Christ he came to save as well as seeke lost soules When Christians are in Christ their selves and soules are in safe hands Job 10.29 no man shall pluck them out of my Fathers hand saith Christ what power 's like to his Spouse of Christ thou mayst trust thy selfe with thy heavenly Husband put thy life in his hand for hee came not to destroy the beleeving world but to save it Oh you sonnes of Sion how carefull is Christ of you his eye is upon you his eare open to your cry Christ watcheth his children as you watch yours he 'l not let a child goe out of his sight least he catch a fall and bruise or maime himselfe and spoile his beauty and when he do's get a fall Christ's eares are open hee can quickly heare him crie and then he gives him a helping hand till he 's risen againe You are in his hand and in his heart and shall hereafter dwell in his heavens what would you more And now my friends that Christ hath shew d his affection by doing and suffering for you he expects action from you towards him and for him Consider intelligent hearts First is not he active for you he praies for you pleads for you at the Throne of grace against the accuser of the brethren then drink not in forsaken sins against which both your selves and Saviour also hath put up prayers with teares and strong cries in the dayes of his flesh Secondly are not Satans vassalls active for their Prince of darknesse Doe they not lay their heads and hearts together unite all their forces to follow that Prince who rules in the aire and workes in the children of disobedience to advance his Kingdome inlarge his Dominion as Hell hath inlarg'd her selfe doe not they seeke to make his Proselites many and shall the children of darknesse be wiser and more active in their generation and for their Prince then are the children of Light in their generation for their King and Saviour * 2 Sam. 1.20 Jesus Christ God forbid Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon least the daughters of the Philistims rejoyce and least the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph Love deserves love oh you children of Light you cannot give warmth to your garments but you shall receive 't againe Oh then bee rooted and grounded in faith with love Comprehend you with all the Saints what the height length depth breadth of Christ's love is Then shall you sing Hallelujah to God in the highest Heavens when the time of refreshment shall bee in the presence of the Lambe with exceeding great Joy to Just ones e Secundum laborem accipient non secundum proventum Bern. Non meritis operantis sed miseratione donantis Aug. Deus coronat dona sua non merita nostra FINIS