Christ a Christian's Life Or A Practical DISCOURSE OF A Believer's LIFE Derived from Christ and Resolved into Christ BEING The Substance of several Sermons Preach'd by the Author upon his Recovery from a Fit of Sickness and now extorted from him by the Importunity of Friends By JOHN GAMMON Minister of the Gospel and Pastor of a Congregation in White-Chappel Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Rom. 14.8 For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords LONDON Printed by J. R. for W. Marshall at the Bible in Newgate-street 1691. The Epistle Dedicatory To the little Flock of Christ over whom the Holy Ghost hath made me Overseer The Father of Mercies and God of all Grace who hath called you to his Eternal Glory by Christ Jesus make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you and make known to you that Mystery which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God who created all by Jesus Christ Beloved in the Lord I Have in some measure been acquainted with the longing Desire of most of you to have these Sermons Published by whose Importunity I have been prevailed with to Print them against many Struglings and much unwillingness in my self to go forwards with the Work for some of you well know how much I was set against the Printing of them and that for several Reasons First Knowing that there are plenty of good Books the Works of worthy Learned Men extant That there was no need of my unworthy Labours Secondly Knowing how little the best of Books are valued by most Thirdly Knowing the Scorn and Contempt not only of profane and wicked Persons but many that profess a great Zeal for God do contemn those principal Gospel-Truths Justification by Christ alone But if persons were truly wakened they would be of the Mind of Bellarmine That it will be best to rest upon Christ alone for Salvation when they come to die They will then see that they have had no cause to abuse the Servants of Jesus Christ that have made it their business to exalt Christ and Free-Grace Fourthly Knowing my own Insufficiency for so great a Work as to appear to Publick View Fifthly Because of many things that might be lest out in the Printing that was Preach'd I not Preaching by Notes cannot remember many things which were delivered to you when the Sermons were preach'd but here you will find the principal Heads of what I deliver'd being taken from my mouth by a Servant of the Lord when preached I have done my endeavour to supply what I could that was wanting and to correct what I saw out of order but it cannot be expected so well as it would have been if I had writ the Sermons I had preach'd at length yet finding the earnest desire of most of you to have them printed and the many Arguments you used to have them hastned to be published notwithstanding the many Struglings I have had against the Work yet the dear Love I bear to you and the earnest desire I have to serve you in the Lord hath overcome my unwillingness in this Work having received an account from several of you the sweet comforts many of you received when you heard them preach'd and have also declared how much it would add to your comfort and edification if they were printed I hope through Grace that you will not be disappointed of your expectation Some of you have declared that the Preaching was as Marrow and Fatness to your Souls I hope that you will suck out some Spiritual Sweetness in the reading of them As God was graciously pleased to answer your Prayers in raising me from a sick Bed to preach these my sick-bed Meditations amongst you so I hope through mercy your longing desire to read them will be satisfied in receiving that comfort you expect to reap to your Souls in reading of them What is said of Mony that it answers all things to the subsistence of the Body may be much more said of Christ to them that live upon him he answers all their Wants supplies all their Needs He that hath Christ wants not he that hath not Christ inherits not what he seems to have Christ enjoyed in the Soul makes bitter things sweet heavy things light where Christ's Presence is Darkness is made Light and Sorrow turned into Gladness How precious are the enjoyments of them that have such a precious Pearl as Christ is He is the chiefest of ten thousand he 's a most excellent and lasting Good Heb. 13.18 All the hid Treasure of Wisdom and Knowledge is in him Col. 2.3 What an excellent knowledge have ye attained unto that truly know Christ How doth this transcendent worth affect your Hearts changing them into his own Image and Likeness When a Soul comes to a saving knowledg of Christ he is changed then from Vir Terrenus an Earthly Man to Vir Coelestis an Heavenly Man Ignorance of Jesus Christ causeth Men to rest in Shadows and Forms in poor and low things compared with Christ and his Excellency are all but Dross and Dung so the Apostle esteems them Phil. 3.8 It is only a real saving knowledge of Christ can draw the Heart of a vain and perishing World to seek things that are above It is not a Speculation but an Application of Christ that brings home to the Immortal Soul what it stands in need of Life Light Pardon Peace Purity Righteousness Counsel Comfort Healing Deliverance Grace Glory all flows to the believing Soul from Christ in whom all fulness dwells The Soul that lives Christ hath a good Livelihood John 6.51 He shall live well for ever It is not an outside shew of Religion will be to the Soul what it stands in need of as Redemption Forgiveness Reconciliation Sanctification Consolation Salvation Christ is the Believers safe Sanctuary in all their Troubles and Temptations Isa 8.14 In this small following Treatise I hope you will find some Discourses of the fulness of Jesus Christ and the emptiness of the Creature for that is my Desire in all my Labours among you to get an esteem in your Hearts for Christ above all other things and that the Name of the Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and ye in him I hope I need not doubt of your acceptance of those plain following Truths I do not think that you will refuse it for its plain Dress but rather embrace it for I know as for the most part of you that you had rather have Christ plainly preach'd than such Discourses that are bedeck'd with Rhetorick or painted over with curious
of Peace to you though he is the King of Terrors to most of the World he comes with an Angels Face to the Believer tells you sweet news tells you you must go to your Beds of Dust where you shall rest in Peace for a time and then be raised up to Glory as we do our Children wrap them up in their swadling Cloathes for the Night and dress them fine in the Morning Death might say come you are only to go to your bed of Dust and in the Morning when you awake the Bridegroom will come and attire you here you are desiring and longing after Christ you would have more of God more enjoyment of Christ more comfort in your Spirit well you shall have it in the other World It is true Christ will raise up the wicked to judge and condemn them Union with Christ causes the Soul to cry out O for me to live is Christ O let me live to thy Glory Lord O let not a moment of my Life be without the enjoyment of thee What is the Preaching of the Word why are the Embassadors sent forth what are a multitude of mercies if I do not enjoy Christ O that I may magnifie Christ glorifie Christ saith a Believer that is it I press after more than any thing I here enjoy Secondly A Believers desire is that he may live to enjoy Christ because of the blessed Supplies he hath from Christ saith the Prodigal In my Father's house there is Bread enough O saith the Soul my Grace and Peace and Comfort and Righteousness and Joy is all from Christ Saith the Psalmist He led me in the Paths of Righteousness and caused me to lye down in green Pastures O saith the Believer It is from Christ alone that I have supplies of Grace of Peace of Strength Saith Austin I wish I had seen three things That I had seen Rome in its Glory That I had seen Christ conversing with Men and that I had seen Paul and heard him Preach But saith another Father I desire to see the King in his Beauty the Lord Jesus Christ in his Kingdom of Glory Many have spoke of him yet never received Grace from him but to have Supplies from Christ to be watered from him that a Believer desires Thirdly A Believers desire is to live to Christ because all means and mercies are all too low for a Believer without Christ Ah saith the poor Soul What is this Ordinance but a dry Well if I have not Christ what is my Life my Friends my Comforts without Christ It was asked one where lay his Jewels my Jewels are in my Husband and his Conquests Another where lie your Ornaments my Ornaments in my two Sons But ask a Believer Where are your Jewels my Jewels are in Jesus Christ the Pearl of Price ask another Believer where are your Ornaments O it is in Christ I put on Christ I wear Christ I enjoy Christ Christ is my Ornament ask another where is your Treasure in the unsearchable Riches of Christ Ephes 3.8 Vnto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should Preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable Riches of Christ there is a Believers Riches Now the World is too low a Region for a Believer to live in were it not that he enjoys Christ in it Meat and Drink and Honours are too low for a Believer to live on but to enjoy Christ in all is that which he aims at I hope that I may say that it is your earnest desire to enjoy Christ and that any thing below this would have been too low an end for you in your earnest desires for me to be restored to you and to have me among you once more to see me in the Flesh only was too low an end but your end I hope was that you might enjoy Christ That I might be spared to Preach Salvation in Christ to you what your Souls had formerly tasted of The Lord wip'd away your Tears and took away your sorrowful Spirits O that you may meet with Jesus Christ whom your Souls long for and long to hear from O that he that is the Life of Saints may come with quickening Life to your Souls that you may know your aim and end was that you might enjoy Christ The Lord hath heard your Cries and the Lord grant your Weeping and Sorrow may be turned into Joy while you live and that we may meet together before the Throne where you shall have your Tears wiped away Fourthly The fourth Reason is The endeared Love of Jesus Christ constrains a Believer to desire nothing in this Life but what they may enjoy Christ in O saith a Believer Lord let me dye in thy Embraces rather than to live with the hiding of thy Face I had rather dye in thy Arms than to live with thy Arms clasped against me The love of Christ constrains me as 2 Cor. 5.14 Friends have you tasted of the Love of Christ and can you desire any thing that you do not enjoy Christ in What a poor heap of nothing is all in the World without Christ A Saint will tell you if you ask him that he never lived a good day while he lived without Christ why the Love of Christ is shed abroad in his heart for the Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all than were all dead Saith the Apostle The love of Christ constrains me why if one died for all then were all dead in sin what shall we do then that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again When a Soul by Faith sees a dying Christ methinks he should say The love of Christ constrains me He lived Love and taught Love he died in Love and sits at Gods Right Hand in the infiniteness of his Love to intercede for his redeemed ones Saith the Apostle The love of Christ constrains me If we ask some Why do you so long after the enjoyments of Christ O says the Soul the Love of Christ The Love of a bleeding dying Christ constrains me How lovely are his embraces He hath called me loved me washed me a dead sinner a wretched sinner O the love of Christ constrains me I am in a strait I would not ask for Life if I might not enjoy Christ Not Christ only as he was King of the Jews as he conversed here on Earth but a crucified bleeding Christ Paul goes through the World as a Man minding nothing I don't know any man after the Flesh nor I do not regard what man saith No nor I do not know Christ as he came of the Stock of the Jews but I know Christ as my Redeemer and that he died for me He goes through the World as a man that hath lost a rich Pearl he goes looking for that Pearl so that he minds nothing else But if I could find this Pearl It is the love of
Delusions of Satan that they may not wait upon God in the way of his Appointment they think they need no more Teaching But the Lord will not leave his People to these Delusions for they shall through his Grace be so kept they shall be kept waiting on him in his Ordinances and Appointments so from Ordinance to Ordinance from Duty to Duty carried on strength to strength If you had a full Harvest presently you would be ready for Glory and if your Vessel were filled here you would be ready for an immortal Life you would be ready for your Life to be swallowed up in Victory as when you are distilling Aqua Vitae or any other Spirits you set a Bottle under it and that drops in drop by drop and when it is full you take it away and if it had been filled at once you would have took it away The Lord Jesus Christ could fill the Vessel at once But what then Could you contain your Joy You must enter into the Joy of your Lord. When the Bottle is full it is taken â—way it can hold no more so when a Soul is filled with Grace and Comfort and Assurance What is he fit for but Glory To go to enjoy God in that full measure that the Saints and Angels do But you have Mercy distilled out some drops in one Sermon and some in another that your Souls may be still filling up till you are fit for Glory If you were full at once you would not need any more Ordinances But now the Soul saith I bless God for his Ordinances for I have received some comfort by them O that I had a full Assurance O that I could see more of Christ O that I were perfect in Christ O that I could love him as the Saints do that are in Glory If you could then you need not come any more to Ordinances You see in a Cloud a bright side and a dark side in Ordinances you have Peace and Joy Ay and you have Temptation that you may long for another Ordinance that you may have Peace and Comfort so you are led from Ordinance to Ordinance you are led from Duty to Duty till you are brought to Glory So when you have received some Revelations of Christ you long for Ordinances again that you may receive more I say a sincere Believer that waits upon the Lord Jesus Christ that waits for a shower from Heaven he may see that in every Complaint he hath cause to rejoyce he must needs see something though he has a dark Cloud he cannot but say Truly he hopes to see a bright Cloud also He cannot but own that he hath some Glimmerings of Hope that were never found before Conversion that was never found in a carnal Heart as sometimes the Lord is pleased in an Ordinance to give unto the Soul at one time one Promise and at another time another If a Man had a Field of Corn and should thresh and grind it at once could he eat it all at once No but a little and a little at a time So the Field of the Promises is a large Field when you come to Glory all the Field will be bound up and all the Promises will be accomplished and you will have your Souls in that glorious Paradice of perfect Blessedness But now the Lord is pleased to drop in one Promise at one time and another at another The poor Woman of Canaan desired to be under Christ's Table to be fed with Crumbs They that wait on Christ for Crumbs shall not miss of having their fill at last A poor Soul in Christ gets at one time one Promise and at another time another and so is carried on till the Harvest is white when you are ripe for Glory there will be a perfect accomplishment of all the Promises but in the mean time we must wait for those great and precious Promises 2 Pet. 1 4. Hereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature exceeding great and precious Promises but these Promises drop down as you have need hereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises great incomparable Grace Love and Mercy are wrapt up in them at one time one and another time another is dropt into the Soul The Sons and Daughters of Sion that wait on God in a way of Duty O the sweet and precious Promises that they have given them As Ruth followed Boaz's Reapers and gleaned after them all day and then lay down at Boaz's Feet at night To spiritualize this Who was Ruth but a poor Gentile she was a Moabitish Woman O how good it is to be waiting It is the Believers Duty to be waiting on the Word and all the means of Grace and what should he do at night Lie down at Christ's feet leave him not till you are married to him nor then till you are brought home to Glory while you enjoy him fully So I say wait on him gleaning in his Field and you shall have sweet Divine Comfort and Consolation from him at last Secondly As for Promise so for quickening your Hearts by his Spirit when you cry with David Psal 119.25 Quicken me for my Soul cleaveth to the Dust The Lord is pleased sometimes to come in with quickening Grace to your Souls that you find your Heart quickened and revived like a dry Tree or Plant after Rain So the Soul complains I am like a barren Wilderness I do not find my Heart ascend up to God my Heart is even cleaving to the Dust but he desires Quickenings Quicken thou me according to thy word thou hast promised quickening Grace therefore I wait for Quickenings So a Soul saith O that I had Christ Could but my Soul taste him Could my Soul experience his Revivings And in waiting have you not found his Quickenings when you have confessed your Soul was free among the Dead Again Have you not found new strength to believe in Christ You have gone home sometimes and said in your Hearts I will never doubt more I will never give way to Unbelief more I will never to my dying hour misbelieve the Promises of God for his promises are sure and his mercies never fail I could sing with the Psalmist Praise the Lord for his Mercies endure for ever praise the Lord for his goodness never fails And can witness what the Psalmist saith Psal 138.2 3. I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy Name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy Name in the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul In the day that I cried that I waited upon thee immediately I had new strength from thee When my Heart was faint when my Soul was in a languishing condition I cried unto thee and thou strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul I had strength to believe I had strength to wait I
Stall Vnto you that fear my Name First You have the Persons that enjoy this great Priviledge those that fear the Lord to wit Believers distinguished from all others Secondly The Author of this Glory the Lord Jesus Christ Thirdly The Mercy they shall receive from him He shall arise with healing under his Wings upon such as fear his Name This general Mercy hath three glorious Manifestations First He rises with healing under his Wings Christ makes healthful Souls the Believer hath an healthful Soul Secondly Here is Liberty to the Soul they shall go forth one that knows not Christ is in Bondage but they shall go forth Thirdly Here is their growth they shall grow up as Calves of the Stall them that fear the Lord the Sun of Righteousness shall rise with healing under his Wings Though the Believer sometimes may have his doubting Fits his Dispondency many times yet the Sun of Righteousness will not let him perish for want of Healing he will rise with healing under his Wings First The Lord Jesus Christ heals the Souls of Believers with his Spirit when he pours out his Spirit into their Souls comfort ye comfort ye my People I will send the Comforter to you To a poor doubting drooping desponding Believer the Lord Jesus Christ rises with healing under his Wings he sends him a Divine Cordial from Heaven he sends a drop from his own Heart the Spirit of God comes and heals the Soul When the Disciples were under Trouble the Holy Ghost is promised I will send you the Comforter Though it is a dark Day though you think you shall never bear your Burden yet I will send the Holy Ghost that shall be a Comforter that shall lead you in all Truth that shall be better than my Presence So when the poor Spouse her very Bowels were turned within her very Heart was broken I opened to my Beloved and he was gone my Soul fainted my Heart melted What then Did he leave any thing behind him Yes He left Myrrh upon the handle of the Lock he did not only leave a Lock and Key he did not leave an Heart without Faith nor an Heart without some Peace nor an Heart without Joy nor an Heart without Comfort A Soul that is under the Law when he hath done a Duty is dead and hard still but the Lord Jesus Christ leaves Myrrh upon the handle of the Lock though he was gone and left her wounded he left her Balsam to heal her Whenever the Lord Jesus Christ leaves his People he leaves Myrrh behind him Cant. 5.4 My Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him First Christ heals with his Spirit Secondly Christ heals with his Merits When a Believer is under Trouble and Fear then this precious Blood of Christ comes fresh to them and is applied to them they overcame by the blood of the Lamb. When a poor oul goes mourning wishing longing O that I knew that Christ were mine Then Christ comes with his glorious Merit with his precious Blood he comes and heals the Soul comes and applies that Blood in whom we have redemption through his blood the remission of sin Ephes 1.7 Thirdly The Lord Jesus Christ heals the Soul with his Righteousness When a Soul finds it self in a naked condition as it were it cannot draw nigh to God it cannot look up to God it cannot speak chearfully of God nor thank God for the riches of Redemption fearing Christ is none of theirs then the Lord Jesus Christ reveals his Grace and Redemption and then the Soul saith The Lord my righteousness the Lord Jesus Christ heals all the Faculties of the Soul First He heals the Understanding Though the Believer hath true knowledge of Christ yet he may be in the dark when he stands behind the Wall the Believer cannot see him The Lord Jesus Christ is pleased by his holy Spirit to enlighten the Understanding to see how glorious and beautiful this Sun of Righteousness is The Sun is the Glory of the World so Christ is the Glory of the Soul As the Sun is Speculum Mundi so Christ is Speculum Animae all the Spiritual Light that the Soul enjoys comes in and through Christ Psal 36.9 For with thee is the fountain of light in thy light we shall see light so that I say this glorious Sun of Righteousness heals the Understanding he opens the blind Eyes and leads the blind in a way they know not The glorious Gospel is the Chariot that the Sun of Righteousness rides in that brings immortal Life to light through the Gospel But what would be the Gospel without the Sun of Righteousness 2 Tim. 1.10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished Death and hath brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel What would a Gospel be without a Christ It would be as a Box without a Pearl it would be as a Glass without Quick-silver Nay a poor Soul would have no Eyes to see this Glass were it not that Christ shines into the Soul Before Christ comes every Soul is shut up as in a dark Dungeon and can see nothing But when this glorious Sun doth shine with his glorious Beams on the Soul how does the Soul see his Beauty and excellency Then it may be said that the Light of the Lord is risen upon them Isa 60.1 Arise shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is revealed When a poor doubting Believer hath the revelation of this Sun of Righteousness when he shines on the Soul with the Divine Beams of his Grace with the Divine Beams of his Love with the Divine Beams of Comfort with Divine Beams of Peace this Sun of Righteousness is united unto a Believer We cant have a dark World while we have the Sun our Horizon cannot be dark while we have the glorious Sun in it so Christ is in the Believer the hope of Glory and they live in Christ and Christ lives in them But does he always shine alike in them No The Sun doth not always shine alike though it is the same one day as another yet sometimes the Clouds keep it from us but yet they are enlightned with it Take notice of this you can never be thriving Souls while you are ignorant Souls But a Believer though he complains of Ignorance hath such Knowledge that he can say I desire none but Christ none in comparison of Christ The Soul can say I desire nothing but Christ and if you ask me what I I would have I would tell you Christ Above all If you ask me How came you to know this glorious Lord He shined on my Understanding in the glorious Glass of the Gospel changing my Soul into the same Image 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory When a Soul comes to see
in Ordinances O let me have Christ or else they will be poor empty Wells without Water Clouds without Rain to my Soul Secondly He will tell you it was not only vain and foolish but altogether unprofitable Saith the Apostle What I counted gain I found loss What will it profit a man to gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Mat. 16.26 Saith the Apostle What I counted gain I found loss Alas What Profit shall I have of my Education and Learning I thought once I was as happy as another and a little Duty would make me happy for ever but I see without Christ I am undone for ever I thought if I gave God something of his due if I did some Duties and was something beyond the vain World I should be happy but I see nothing will do or can profit me without Christ for without I live in Christ I cannot enjoy Christ I cannot enjoy Grace in Christ Righteousness in Christ Faith in Christ Thirdly I see all my Duties are poor worthless things out of Christ I thought to have prayed my way to Heaven but I see all my Duties are Dross and Dung let me not meet one of them without Christ I had lost my Prayers and my Soul had not I been shipt in Christ had I not had Christ to be my all and in all I see all would have been unprofitable if I had not had Christ Prayers Sabbaths Hearing What is all my Hearing if I have not Christ So also the Supper of the Lord and other Duties what would they be to me without Christ they would be as whited Sepulchers which within are full of dead Mens Bones and all Vncleanness Mat. 23.27 O how miserable was I before I knew Christ and lived to Christ Nay saith a Believer I cannot tell you how wretched I was but I can tell you three things First I had been unprofitable I had never brought forth fruit to God Secondly Uncomfortable in Life and Death and unto all Eternity Thirdly I had been wretched and miserable O then Come to me I will tell you what God hath done for my Soul Psal 66.16 Tenthly A Believer desires neither Means nor Mercies nor Comforts but what he may enjoy Christ in because a Believer hath experienced how sweet the Life of a Believer is O taste and see that the Lord is good Psal 34.8 9. O taste and see how precious Christ is how rich in Mercy how wonderful in Love O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him I will tell you what Christ hath done for me I cryed unto the Lord and he heard me I have experienced it O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him that liveth upon him So in 1 Pet. 2.2 3 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious O saith the Soul I desire I may live upon Christ upon the Promises of Christ upon the Love of Christ What if you have tasted that the Lord is gracious Then let Christ be one at my Table one in my Prayers one in every Ordinance one where ever I am What have I tasted That the Lord is gracious that is the best Sawce to my Meat the best Comfort to my Soul O I have tasted What have you tasted That the Lord is gracious I experience I know what he is he is the chief of ten thousand I cannot live without him I cannot enjoy any Mercy or any Comfort without him Saith the Soul What is this Friend This is not Christ and what is this Ordinance This is not Christ What can I take Comfort in if I have not Christ The Saints can experience how precious Christ is to them that believe he is precious Mary came to the Sepulchre there was the place where her Lord lay there were the Grave-Cloths the Sepulcher but her Lord was gone where have you laid my Lord There Mary stands weeping I cannot live withou Christ So a Soul comes to an Ordinance Here is the Tomb Here is the Grave Cloths but where have they laid my Lord What comfort is this or that What is a Sabbath What is a Sermon What is a Sacrament What are Means and Mercies without Christ Where have you laid my Lord Why do you know him Yes saith the Soul he is the Chief of ten thousand I heard him speak to me my Sister my Spouse and I have felt the sounding of my Bowels toward him he hath moved my Heart and I cannot be satisfied without him I am sick unto Death if I do not enjoy Christ Thus the Soul experiences what Christ is he is the Chief of ten thousand Why he hath done more than ten thousand Worlds could have done What is he I have tasted that he is gracious I have experienced the Bowels of his Mercies the Wonders of his Grace therefore saith the Psalmist Psal 116. I belived therefore have I spoken Vers 5. Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is merciful 6. The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me Saith the poor Soul I was as low as the Gates of Hell I was as one without hope till Christ raised me up Christ was my helper God laid help on one that was mighty what then Now will I live upon this God Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee For thou hast delivered my Soul from death mine Eyes from Tears and my Feet from falling Thou hast delivered my Soul from Eternal Death mine Eyes from Tears of Sorrow which I had while they said Where is my God My Feet from falling into Sin I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living I will live upon the Lord to the Lord in the Land of the Living I believed therefore have I spoken what I set forth of the Wonders of the Lord that have I experienced And saith the Apostle 1 John 1.3 These things write we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ and we would have you live as we do live on Christ as we do O saith the Believer that all persons did but know Christ and live upon Christ We write unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us for truly our ends and aims are that you may live as noble lives as we do and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ It is God in Christ that we live upon and have Communion with O the Soul that experiences what it is to live on Christ desires in all things to enjoy Christ The Spouse would not step a foot without him Come my Beloved let us go forth into
glorious Crown Glorious Robes a glorious Throne I expect everlasting Joy and I expect Rivers of Pleasure Is not this an Inducement to a Believer to make Christ his Life When we expect great things how does it cause us to be intent about them Where a Soul expects high things and great things from Christ they will live upon Christ and to Christ make Christ their All In all Mercies and Comforts and Enjoyments what is the reason many are poor carnal dead Professors and have low Thoughts of those things that are Preached in the Gospel but because they never relished Christ And it is as much as ever they can do to creep along in the ways of God and may be something of Conscience causes them to perform Duty But where the Soul hath glorious and high Expectations it is otherwise great things he hath done for them and great things he is doing he is advocating and interceding with the Father answering all Accusations and pleading for poor Sinners I go to prepare a place for you saith Christ and will come again and fetch you that where I am you may be also I am going to prepare for you Mansions of Glory Robes of Glory Crowns of Glory immortal Glory Is not this Lord to be lived upon and to be desired more than all things that can be desired Therefore had you ever experienced what it is to enjoy Christ and live on Christ you could not but have high and glorious Thoughts of this blessed Jesus you could not but have your Hearts raised up with high expectation what he will do for you But poor trifling formal Professor whatever thou professest I fear thou knowest not Jesus Christ Ask your Heart Have I glorious hopes of Christ's appearing Have I glorious hopes of reigning with him in Heaven Doth he reign in my Heart now Do I prize him and make him my All desire him in all and glorisie him above all I believe should you put this Question to your Souls you would many of you know that you are great Strangers to Christ But a Believer that can experience the Love of Christ is lifted up in admiration of the Wonders of his Grace crying out Oh what Wonders of Grace What glorious Love What a precious Redeemer is this Did he die for me Did he cry out my God my God and was I on his Heart when he drank of the Brook by the way and lift up his Head and was it for me He went out of the World by a cursed shameful Death up to his Fathers Glory and said that he would come again to fetch me he will make Death to be a sweet Embassador for me the Angels will come and convey my Soul to Glory O what will be your Thoughts when you shall see your Lord coming in the Clouds when you shall hear him say Come you blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the Foundation of the World and sit down with Palms in your Hands and with Crowns on your Heads surely believing that he is your Lord and that his Glory is your Glory and that he will come again and fetch you then you shall be for ever with the Lord 1 Thes from 13. to 18. But I would not have you to be ignorant Brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the Voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so we shall ever be with the Lord. So much for the eleventh Reason This is a glorious Life the Believer hath experienced and that because he hath great expectation of what Christ will do for him as well as what he hath done for him therefore desires to make this blessed Christ his Life The Twelfth Reason is because a Believer can see no object so glorious as the Lord Jesus Christ is And saith the Soul all I can see I count it all empty in comparison of Christ for to see the Father in the Son choosing me in election before the World was to see this glorious Love out of the Bosom of the Father to be given for me to be my Ransom and Salvation O how glorious an Object is he to behold O how glorious is the Sun in the Firmament that lightens the whole World But then O how glorious is he that came out of the Bosom of the Father the Brightness of his Glory O my Soul let me behold him and live upon him I can see no way but he is glorious O love for Delight The Thirteenth Reason A Believer desires to live on Christ because the Lord Jesus Christ hath paid all and done all for him he hath bought all for him and saith the Believer all I have is from Christ have I Peace Hope Joy It is all bought by Christ I might have had a desparing Soul or a cursed Hope I might have been under the Curse and Wrath of God I might have been among the damned Souls that are roaring in Hell But have I Peace of Conscience Joy in the Holy Ghost Christ hath bought and brought me to the hope of an incorruptible Kingdom of Glory and as he hath bought all and paid for all I live upon him for all As the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope All the Joy I have and hope I have of Heaven is bought by Christ all the Enjoyment of God I have all the Glory my Soul is crowned with all the Joy my Heart is filled with is bought by Christ therefore saith the Apostle Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath begotten to us a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead It is Jesus Christ hath ransomed me from Death from Hell from Guilt of Sin he hath bought an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled therefore I desire to live upon him The Fourteenth Reason The Believer desires to live upon Jesus Christ because he works all his Works in him There is not a good Motion in him but Christ is the Worker of it not a good Thought or good Action but all is from Christ Isa 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordain Peace for us for thou hast wrought all our Works in us The Lord hath wrought for me Redemption Salvation Sanctification Consolation and Hope of Glory therefore I will live
again she knew not When Jesus told her that her Brother should live saith she Lord he hath been dead four days it seemed an impossibility that he should rise again yet before she believed the Resurrection of the Dead Was it a greater impossibility to raise him up when no part of him was diminished than to raise him up at the last day Saith Christ I am the Life I will raise him up at the last day and am not I able to raise up thy Brother that hath been dead but four days So should a Believer say within himself under his Doubts and Fears Did the Lord convert me bring me out of a state of Sin and Misery quicken me when I was dead and will he not give me Life Can he raise up Lazarus when dead four days and cannot he raise up my dead Heart Saith Christ I am the Life I am the Original of Life I am the first that gives Life all are dead Sinners till I come to quicken them till I come to bring Life to your Souls Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die for I am the Principle of their Life as I gave them Life at first so do I also continue their Life they shall never die When Death comes the Immortal Soul is alive it is but the Body that is gone to the Dust that will be raised up again that will be a glorious Body for the Soul to live with in Eternal Glory What an exceeding Joy is it then for a Believer that Christ is the Vital Fountain of his Life Though Death be at the very door it shall never come into the Soul Though there may be a Separation for a time the Soul is with Christ and the Body united to Christ that the Believer may be rather said to sleep than die The root of his Comforts are alive There may be a Death on a Believers outward Mercies and Comforts yet it shall never come into his Soul As we see the Trees in the Winter seem to be dead so the Believer they may fear the Death of their Comforts or Graces though they may have the Withdrawings of God's Presence yet as the Trees in Spring they revive and sprout forth so shall they revive and Death shall not enter into their Souls Saith Paul Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death I thank God for the Victory through Christ There is Death in my self but Christ gives me Victory he removes it he carries it away though it be at the Door it shall never come in at the Door if there be deadness upon the Heart Christ is Life to my Soul if there be Corruptions strong and great Christ is the Fountain of Life to innoble me to outgrow all As we may say of young Children that are weak and infirm they will out-grow their Weaknesses So a Child in Christ will outgrow his Infirmities they will outgrow their Corruptions and inward Weakness they shall have Victory over them they shall be Conquerors at the last Christ being the vital Fountain of Life a Believer must needs live a growing flourishing Life the Lord Christ doth water them at the Root Psal 1. The godly man is like a Tree planted by a River of Water which withereth not but bringeth forth Fruit in due season because there is a vital Fountain there is Life at the Root Isaiah 41.18 The Prophet speaking of Christ's being Life to his Church he is said to be Rivers of water in high places Were not Christ Rivers of Water the Saints would be dry at root but he is Rivers of Waters in a dry place Small Rivers may flow from a Fountain that may be stopt Mr. Robinson's Christ all in all but Christ is the ever-flowing Fountain that none can stop Other Rivers may be stopt in time of Drought but nothing shall stop the Grace of Christ Cold Weather may freez up Rivers but the coldest deadest Heart that is shall not freez up Christ's Grace he will be Rivers of Water in dry places Other Rivers may dry of themselves but all our Unworthiness shall not bar Christ's Grace from the Soul Christ is set forth excellently by that Rock our Fathers drank of and the Rock followed them and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 20.4 How did the Rock follow them The Water that was in the Rock followed them by some Channels or little Rivers in the Wilderness So doth the Lord Jesus Christ his poor bewildered people he not only is ready to give them Grace but follows them with Grace and follows them with Mercy Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my Life Psal 23.6 Alas if we should stand by the Rock never so long could we by smiting cause the water to gush forth But this Water is so free that it flows to the Believer Christ follows the Believer with his Grace follows them with his comforts follows them with supports follows them with new refreshments If this Rock did not follow us it would be long enough before we should go to this Rock Christ follows the Soul with Divine Grace as the Soul stands in need of it The Rock smitten by Moses supplied the Israelites and Christ smitten by the Curse of the Law supplies the Church not with Earthly Water but with Heavenly Rivers of Grace and Comfort following Believers not for a time but indeficiently and for ever Christ told the Woman of Samaria He that drinketh of this water it shall be a Well of water springing up unto eternal Life I am the resurrection from the dead the Resurrection from the Death of Sin and also the Life of the Soul to live in and upon Christ He that believes in me shall never die no Death shall lay hold on him to ruine him nor separate him from God and though Death come on the Body he is said never to die because he shall live for ever Therefore the Saint in Christ every day he lives he is living so upon Christ that he is daily getting on his way to Glory and is nearer to Heaven and Happiness Christ saith Because I live ye shall live also If the root die the branches must needs die but the root cannot die and the branches shall not die while the root lives the branches shall not die Therefore in John 15. he saith That he is the Vine and the Believer is the Branch that is the reason the Soul that lives in Christ and one in Christ must needs live a flourishing and increasing Life because Christ is the vital Fountain of Life to keep the Soul of a Believer flourishing and green at root it shall not be like the Barren Hypocrite or barren Apostate Secondly Christ is said to come down as Rain upon his Church and People to keep them watered to keep them fresh and flourishing Now you must note there must be a good root a living root or otherwise all the rain that is will do no good to the Soul Col. 1.19 It pleased the
call you to Mount Sinai he doth not speak with Terror and Horror but he comes to sing a glorious Song of Redemption that is red Wine to poor undone sinners and to poor doubting Saints But I tell you we may sing and preach till we come to the Grave and not one Soul be converted and brought home to God except the Spirit of the Lord come and work with us For I durst speak it if I could but have acquaintance with you to know your Minds there is not any one of you that will draw near to God while you think God is an Eneâ—y unto you but if any thing draws 〈◊〉 to God it must be the Song of red Wine Redemption through the Blood of Christ And then as for the drooping Saint he is afraid to come before God while he is under his Fear and Trouble then what shall I do Lord Take hold of my strength that is on Christ and be at peace with me The Spirit of the Lord reveals to the Soul a reconciled God that God is at peace with them and hath pardoned all their sins But before the Soul cries What am I an unpardoned Soul I am afraid I shall meet my sins that they will stare me in the face another day O that I did but know that Christ was mine That my sins were forgiven me That I had but the Love of God in Christ I have been looking saith the Soul when God will come and say Thy sins are forgiven thee David Psal 32. was greatly troubled he said The Lord's Hand lay day and night heavy upon him And how is it now I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin I found great Comfort I had a sweet shower Christ came down as Rain upon my Soul God revealed his pardoning Grace I said I will confess my Transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my sin What was David's sin never forgiven before Yes all his Transgressions were done away and his Soul was pure in the sight of God through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ But David had doubts on his Soul Fear on his Soul he had a Summers Drought would I had a shower of Mercy I confess I am a poor wretched Creature I am a vile sinner I will now look to the Lord and he did not look in vain Are not Believers sins pardoned Yes they shall never be remembred more But the Believer doth not know this always and when he does not know it he begins to cry out Is thy Mercy clear gone But then he calls to mind this is my Infirmity Then he cries to the Lord and in comes pardoning Mercy Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee O what a refreshing shower is this It is this I have looked for longed for waited for Then next saith the Soul I desire nothing more than to enjoy Christ yet I am so unrighteous I question whether his Righteousness be mine Now comes the Lord by his Spirit and reveals to the Soul that it hath a righteousness to stand before the Lord in Now the Soul can say The Lord my Righteousness Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption he is made of God to me O now he is made the Lord my righteousness How shall I know this The Spirit of the Lord reveals this to the Saints in the Gospel of Jesus Christ Now I can go boldly to God and ask mercy boldly of God Psal â—26 4 Turn again our Captivity O Lord as the Streams in the South As the Streams in the South refresh the dry and barren ground so does the Righteousness of Christ revealed comfort my Soul How barren was I in Duty I was afraid to come to God I was afraid whether my Wandrings would not cause God to turn me out of his Presence but God hath prepared Christ to be my righteousness therefore in him I come without Spot Indeed when I am out of frame it is without Comfort to my self but I have always Righteousness before God I have always boldness to the Throne of Grace through Christ Many Prayers that have been made when I was out of Frame have been no small Trouble to my Soul but when it was revealed to me that Christ was my Righteousness that he was made sin for me that I might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 that is tho Christ was a Man without sin in himself yet our sin was imputed to him and he was by God reckoned as a sinner and then he kills him putting our Curse upon him so that to us that are free Christ was made so that God looks on us as if we had performed perfect Righteousness Dr. Preston on Rom. 1.17 and when that is done he saves us You that have lived and not made Christ your Righteousness you will want a Righteousness when you come to die But they that have made Christ their Righteousness though their sins be as heaps of Sand yet through the Righteousness of Christ you will stand as spotless before God as if you had never sinned Now how do you know this to be your Righteousness Why the Spirit of God reveals this to your Souls and you can as boldly call him the Lord your Righteousness as you can call your House and Land or any thing you enjoy your own If you go to God in Christ whatever is needful for you you shall as surely have it as if you had it already Then next the Spirit of Christ flowing from the Heart of a Believer gives the Believer sweet Communion with God The Soul thinks it is at a distance from God the Spirit comes down in a sweet shower and brings it near to God O saith the Soul that I could but enter within the Vail to have Communion with God! But methinks God and I stand at a distance he is in Heaven and I am as it were in Hell I am as one forgotten though I lay claim to him as my God I would have the Knowledge of him that he is my God and God of my Salvation Psal 88. O God of my Salvation let my Prayer come before thee incline thine ear to my Cry for my Soul is full of trouble Sometimes a Believer is full of Trouble And what is the next And my Life draweth nigh unto the Grave I am counted with them that go down into the Pit That is dreadful when the fear of Death and of Hell meet together I am as a Man that hath no strength to believe yet I have some glimmerings that thou art the God of my Salvation But Death and Hell is approaching to me in my apprehension wilt thou shew Wonders to the dead shall the dead live Is it not possible I should live Shall I have a Shower of
had strength to hope and I had strength to live upon Christ for all Have you not experienced this that you have come weak to an Ordinance yet have found strength as one that hath drank new Wine Therefore the Lord is pleased to give you strength that you may go from Duty to Duty from Mercy to Mercy from Peace to Peace O you that wait on Christ in a way of dependence for new Revivings and new Manifestations to your Souls what Comfort will it be to you tho you have but little strength to go from strength to strength The Lord hath promised it Psal 84. They shall go from strength to strength till they appear before God in Sion This was spoken of the willing Israelites many tarried at home to worship Jeroboam's Gods they would not come to Jerusalem the Journey was too far and the cost and pains too much they would rather serve the Calves that Jeroboam had set up But the Godly Israelites went to Jerusalem and what did the Lord do for them See vers 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the ways of them whose Heart is found believing and waiting for Christ whose Heart is united to Christ and found waiting in his appointments What then They go from strength to strength every one of them in Sion appeareth before God not one shall faint by the way every one shall appear before God in Sion if they have never so far to go as sure as if they had but a Mile to go So it is in this day of our Gospel-worship in our waiting on Christ in the means the Soul saith I have many Duties on my Hand to perform and I do not know how to do them but if your Soul desires to believe in Christ to live in Christ to rowl upon Christ to wait on him in his Ordinances you shall go from strength to strength you shall every one come to Glory though you go through the Vally of Bacha tho you have dark places and barren places you shall have Wells of Salvation and they shall refresh your Souls Christ will be dropping his Comforts and Grace that you shall be filled with Comfort you shall go from strength to strength till you appear before God Again As for your Strength so for your Victory and Conquest over Corruption Have not you found in your waiting that the Life of Christ hath been manifest in the Death of your Corruptions in your Conquest that when you have cried out O wretched Man or Woman O how unfit to wait on Christ O how dark and dead am I Yet have not you through the Grace of Christ found the Life of Christ made manifest that you have gone away conquering and Victorious Though you do desire to live upon Christ yet you are not brim full of him at once but do receive your Joy and Comfort from him drop by drop that you may live on Christ in the way of his Appointments Thirdly The third Reason is that your Souls shall not be filled as you desire but drop by drop because we are not able to bear much of God's Glory at once we shall be over-set with the Feast if it be too much we are not able to drink much of this new Wine it is a Joy unspeakable and full of Glory therefore the Saints are called to enter into the Joy of their Lord because this Glory is unspeakable and cannot enter into them as good Mr. Whelch when he was in Prayer and Communion with God Hold Lord saith he it is enough So the Spouse complains of being sick of Love not for an absent Christ but for the great Enjoyment Cant. 2.4 He brought me into his banqueting House and his Banner over me was Love What then Stay me mith Flagons comfort me with Apples for I am sick of Love But in the 5th Chapter she was sick of Love for an absent Christ for a withdrawn Christ not absent in Union then she could not be sick of Love nor for Communion but over-set with manifestations not in that manner as she enjoyed when she sat under his Shadow in the third Chapter that she tasted his Fruit to be sweet for then she had it by degrees but here in more abundant manner vers 3. As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons I sat under his shadow with great delight and his Fruit was sweet to my taste While the Fruit drops from the Tree the Spouse could eat it taste it relish it and that with delight and was not over-set with it but she wants more Communion He brought me into his Banqueting-House to the Love-Feast there his Banner over me was Love First You see a Believer in a state of Grace cannot move one Foot till Christ move him how much less can a Soul that is in a state of Sin move after Christ Christ brings a Soul on from lesser to greater enjoyments from lesser to greater manifestations he brought me into his banqueting house where it was sweet to sit where I had an Apple a drop of his Love a taste of his Grace But he brought me I could not get thither of my self he brought me to his banqueting house what Sauce to the Feast His Banner over me was Love What would have been the Banquet without the Banner of Love His Banner over me was Love What then I was made so much of filled with such joy such comfort filled with such assurance filled with such delight that she was fain to cry out Stay me with Flagons comfort me with Apples my narrow Vessel will not hold it I must have new strength Stay me with Flagons new Wine that is the thing containing for the thing contained in it By Flagons is meant the Wine contained in the Flagons as we speak in the Lord's Supper We say this Cup is the New Testament in his Blood that is the Wine in the Cup. So here the Spouse Stay me with Flagons I have such a Love Feast I want Flagons of Wine to strengthen me yea and let me have some of the Apples too that before dropt from the Tree I am sick of Love Do you not wish sometimes O that I were filled with Christ O that I could praise him love him behold his Face and enjoy him as they do above Could our poor weak Vessels bear this No. When the Lord passed by Moses was to lie in the Clefts of the Rock and John fell down before him therefore he gives drop by drop that we might not have our Hearts over-set but with an Appetite long for more of him But for the full manifestation of him that is reserved for you in Glory where you will have strength for Vision and where you will have support for Fruition there you will have your fill of him when he brings you to the Throne of his Glory Fourthly The Lord Jesus Christ is pleased not to come down with those full Streams and pour
profitable How warmly do they discourse of the Kingdom of God How longing after it Luke 24.32 And they said one to another Did not our Hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures He might have talked of the Scriptures long enough and opened the meaning of them and no warmth come to their Heart till he shined into their Souls You that are united to this Sun of Righteousness you that live on him by Faith you are under these thriving Beams though you have not always the same manifestation But when these glorious Beams dart into your Souls how lively are you in your walking and in your talking Though you may have some frosty Nights some cold Fits yet while you are united to this Sun of Righteousness you shall have some warm Beams that shall make you thrive and grow All means of Grace are like the Prophet's Staff which will not bring the dead Child to Life until the Prophet comes When the Prophet came and lay on the Child the Child was warm and it breathed and stirred and rose up and walked Poor doubting Soul is there Breath in thee Dost thou breath after Christ Dost thou desire no means mercies nor blessings but what thou mayest enjoy Christ in them I say Christ hath already breathed on you and his Divine Beams of Grace will cause you to rise up and walk I mean to grow stronger and stronger so that the Sun of Righteousness heals the Affections of many A poor Soul cries I cannot love Christ it is impossible I should ever love him But if you desire to love Christ with your whole Heart you love him already The Soul that hath a spark of Faith that works by Love shall be sure to increase in Love When Christ comes down when he puts in his Finger by the hole of the Door saith the Soul Draw me I will run after thee his Love is better than Wine Christ sometimes gives you drops of Wine sometimes Flagons of Wine sometimes but a Sip and sometimes full Draughts Draw me and I will run after thee as if she had said Draw me and I will commend thee to others As Melancthon said when he was converted He thought that he could have converted all that he conversed with but he found the old Serpent was too hard for young Melancthon When the Soul comes to know this glorious Christ by Faith and to live upon him the Soul thinks he could so commend him that he could make all about him to love Christ Draw me I will run after thee Why what is the matter Thy Love is better than Wine vers 3. Because of the savour of thy good Oyntments thy Name is as Oyntments poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee vers 4. Draw me we will run after thee When the Lord Jesus Christ witnesses to the Believer by the Spirit that he is united to him when he sends forth Divine Beams from this Glorious Light and Life and Warmth the Soul hath his Love drawn out abundantly When Peter was freezing by the Fire in the High Priest's Hall one look from Christ melts his Heart Ah my Friends you may have the Fire of Ordinances kindled yet have an Heart as cold as a stone but when Christ looks on you then does he melt your Souls into the very Image of Love then he draws the Heart after him in Divine Acts of Love that what the Soul hath often thought of now it comes more and more to the Soul that Love is stronger than Death When the Divine Beams of Divine Love are darted into the Soul and the Soul comes to consider First What unconceivable Love the Love of Christ is O saith the Soul Christ hath loved me with an unconceivable unspeakable Love So Paul saith who loved me and gave himself for me Not I live but Christ lives in me the Soul is acquainted this is an unspeakable Love John 1.3 Behold what manner of Love is this that we should be called the Children of God! O what unspeakable Love is this saith the Soul that I should be called a Child of God! How comes it about O the Wonders of this Love O that I should be called a Child of God What me to be made like Christ For God to be my Father in Christ What manner of Love is this How unspeakable how wonderful is this love Secondly When Christ comes to shine on the Soul it comes to see what distinguishing Love this is Why me O Lord Who gave himself for me Saith the Apostle There is an application of this Love Why me Lord Why not many thousands chosen and I left out Why I chosen and many thousands left O that Christ should love me redeem me die for me O my Soul love thou the Lord live to this Lord let him be all in all who loved me before the World was That I am not among the Damned in Hell is a wonderful mercy But that I should be one of the Lords redeemed ones that I should be chosen out of the Kindred and Tongues and Nations of the Earth O what Love is this The Expressions and Impressions of Divine Love A Believer would live with it all his days and die with it and go to Glory with it Why me Lord Why hast thou pardoned me sanctified me O that God should give Christ for me That Christ should go through his Sorrows for me Through his bloody Sweat for me That I should have a part in Christ's precious Merits What though Christ loved sinners if I am not the sinner that Christ loves But when the Beams of Divine Love are darted into the Soul it cries O that Christ hath loved me more than his own Life more than his own Glory and love me above others in the World O what distinguishing Love is this Then the Soul must needs have an endeared Love to Christ O that for me to live may be Christ O that I may enjoy him in all my enjoyments Thirdly The Soul sees the Love of Christ is undeserved Love O wretch that I am that ever Christ should love me It is an heightning our Love when the Divine Beams of his Love shines on our Souls to reveal how unworthy we are of Christ's Love This is that the Apostle speaks of and nothing more heightens our Love than that Christ loved us when we were unworthy of his Love 1 Tim. 1.12 13. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the Ministry who was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy It is a glorious Beam of Divinity shines on the Soul when the Soul comes to see its own Unworthiness Why me Lord so wretched and miserable a sinner What Christ come from his Glorious Throne from Heaven to Earth to heal my Heart To come here to die for me a wretched Soul O when the Sun of Righteousness rises on the
not your Bread yours and your Meat yours and your Drink yours and Cloaths yours No Soul they are borrowed Mercies stoln Mercies and you will be damned for them without Christ has paid for them for you but the Soul that loves Christ his Mercies are all bought the Ministers of Christ those Ambassadors of Peace are all yours in Christ Paul is yours Apollos is yours and Life and Death is yours You that art out of Christ it makes my Heart tremble to consider that your Mercies are all to be payed for to be reckoned for and you that are in Christ you may leap and rejoyce at a drop of cold water and a bit of bread O! it is a rich Mercy it is bought with the Bloud of Christ and then at last you will be inriched you will sit like Kings in Glory with your Lord and Redeemer for ever and ever Fifthly It is a happy life because it is a Soul-satisfying life the Soul cannot be satisfied with any thing below Christ whatever a person does enjoy whatever a person does in a way of duty he cannot be satisfied if he hath not Christ Take who you will whether they be Formalists or Legalists whether Moral men or Profane men whether Rich men or Poor men or Professors that have not made Christ their Life they will tell you they want satisfaction there is a complaint of this thing or that thing wanting to give contentment if they have Golden duties if they do not bring the Water of life they cannot satisfie their Souls but this life of living upon Christ doth satisfie the Soul I shall shew in these following Particulars The Lord will satisfie her Poor with Bread the poorest Man that lives upon Christ lives more plentifully than the richest Man that knows not Christ Psalm 132.5 I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfie her Poor with Bread Who is the Poor the Poor is a longing person a craving person the poor desire something they stand in need of saith the Lord I will bless Sion's provision it is a great Mercy to have our provision blessed we may be fed high and yet not have healthy bodies Many may fare high in means of Grace but not having a Blessing with it they do not prosper Many have been long under the means of Grace and yet do not thrive nor grow in Grace saith God I will satisfie her poor with bread The Poor are craving and desiring and longing so the longing Soul in Christ shall be satisfied they shall not want the Prophet Isaiah speaks of spending their Money for that which is not bread which will not satisfie but the Lord Jesus satisfies the Soul fills up the Desires whatsoever they be Take one which is under the Law and hath the greatest Gifts and Parts but is a stranger to Christ and one that is the poorest in gifts and parts yet in Christ he hath more satisfaction than the other with all his great Gifts and Parts the poorest and meanest in Grace that is in Christ lives a higher life than the richest in Gifts and Parts or in worldly things that does not know Christ so that it is a satisfying life to live Christ Here is enough for this present life enough for hereafter there is enough in Christ to fill up all the Faculties of the Soul John 6.35 I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger he that believeth on me shall never thirst Coming and Believing is the same he that comes or believes in me shall never hunger What doth not a Soul in Christ hunger doth he not long for Christ yes but as he hungers and thirsts for Christ he shall be filled his wants shall be supplied we say in our outward things Money answers all things but Money will not satisfie the Soul But saith Christ he that comes to me I will satisfie all his desires he shall have Contentment Supplies Satisfaction he shall want nothing I am the bread of life I will satisfie his hunger I am the water of life he that comes to me shall never thirst they shall never cry I perish for hunger or I perish for thirst The Prodigal when he came to his Fathers house he did hunger but he had bread to satisfie his hunger A Soul believing in Christ making Christ his life there is enough in Christ to â—â—ll up all the desires of the Soul and to heal all the Wounds of the contrite Heart Whatever the Soul desires in Christ are Eternal Springs to fill up the Soul every thing that is below Christ is too empty to satisfie an Immortal Soul they are not Springs they are but Cisterns take Ordinances take away Christ what can the Ordinances do will not the Soul wither immediately Ordinances are but Cisterns and not Springs the Psalmist saith All my Springs are in thee Psal 87.7 Doth a Soul desire to love God hath the Soul a desire to be satisfied with Love with Beauty with the Glory of Christ there are divine Springs from Christ who is an overflowing and ever-flowing Fountain to the Souls of Believers to satisfie all their desires So that a Believer let him desire as much as he will he shall have his desires satisfied Psal 17.15 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness The longing Soul shall not miss of being filled with Wisdom in Christ with Redemption in Christ with Sanctification with Salvation Let the Soul crave for Holiness there is enough in Christ to fill it let it crave for Love there is enough in Christ let it crave for Peace and Joy there is enough in Christ to fill it Christ being such an inexhaustible Fountain is still flowing into the Soul to give it daily satisfaction the Soul may weary it self in other things and not be the better Believers that can but experience the least true Longings after Jesus Christ tho with a weak Faith need not doubt but that they have true Faith and shall not miss of a true and full satisfaction A weak Faith shews it self by this Grace of God namely an unfeigned Desire not only of Salvation for that the Wicked and Graceless Man may have but of Reconciliation with God in Christ This is a sure sign of Faith in every touched and humbled heart and it is peculiar to the Elect. Perkins on the Creed What a Mercy and Blessing it is to have the least true Desires after Jesus Christ since such Souls are assured in Gods Word that their longing Souls shall be satisfied Saith Holy Bernard He that Thirsts let him Thirst more and he that Desires let him Desire more abundantly because so much as he can Desire so much he shall Receive Persons will be weary of their Pleasures weary of their Treasures and weary of their Duties that Soul which hath made Christ his rest hath the truest satisfaction when a Soul comes to know Christ it may say with the
have entred into Heaven as well as the Wise But it is to have this name on us the Lord our Righteousness it is what Christ hath done you being found in him what he hath performed what he is that Believers shall be as being Members joyned to their Head Well have you found this Pearl of great price though there be not such great inlargements such great gifts And do your Souls wrap up your selves in this righteousness of Christ And do you lay hold on him to be Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption to you Hath God brought you off from your own bottom Do you no longer stand on your own Legs Do you trust to nothing that you can do What if you could pray as an Angel the Heavens are unclean in his sight and the Angels he charges with folly Though Praying Praising Hearing Reading are duties yet when the Souls find not Christ in them they are Broken Cisterns but when thy Soul hath Christ there is Faith and Love and Delight in the Soul rejoycing in God admiring the wonders of his Love Alas to think that outward Duties make up a Christians happiness then how often would a Believers comforts fail him for how often are we at a loss here and nonplust here but here is the joy of the Soul I have found the Pearl of price As for my own duties and performances these good Pearls though I have them and rejoyce in them in Christ yet I will not Plead to be Justified by them I will not so much as say when I have been performing the best duty Lord remember me for my Prayers sake But I desire to be found in Christ for the Lord Jesus hath bought all purchased all And so now the Lord is my righteousness my care is to be found in him Now I have a rich Pearl though I have poor duties and Prayers indeed they are good and useful and glorious in their places but I have found one Pearl worth all one Christ worth all and this Pearl I live on for all and live on in all Now saith the Believer I have enough I have got a Christ and I will live upon him I will live to him and I will rejoyce in him now I desire to enjoy nothing here below if I don't enjoy him for first Christ is a rare Pearl Whom with thee can compare who in the Heavens or among the Sons of the Mighty can compare with Christ Among all the Angels in Heaven who can be compared to Christ Take all their Praises and Triumphs and all the Services of those glorious Spirits are they to be compared to Christ Then how low and mean are our best Services I am sure if the Service of the Angels cannot compare with Christ much less can ours Will you come at last and measure with God Will you measure God's Justice and your poor Duties There is not the most Righteous Man living on Earth but it will be said Thou art weighed in the ballance and art found wanting but to the Man that knows Christ Christ is weighed for him and Christ is full and perfect Weight Justice hath good Satisfaction therefore well did Paul to cast off all Saith he I desire to be found in him he is a rare Pearl well may a Believer cast off all and desire to be found in Christ Psal 89.6 Who in the Heavens can be compared unto the Lord Who among the Sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord O what striving is here for Kingdoms and Crowns but put all the Kingdoms in the World and if there were ten thousand Worlds more one Christ is more worth than ten thousand times ten thousand Worlds But Soul if thou art but poor in the World hast but little here yet if thou hast a Christ thou art rich enough then well may a Believer say O let it to me to live be Christ let me enjoy no good Means or Mercies but in Christ because he is a rare Pearl To see a Soul in Christ what a rare Portion a rare Mercy is bestowed on that Soul We may see a Multitude hearing praying seeking goodly Pearls but it is rare to see a Soul that hath found this Pearl of great price selling all for Christ casting away all as Dung and Dross for Christ selling all that is not as if a Man that knew Christ were to run out of house and home but so to live upon Christ as to trample on the World so to use his Blessing in the World as that he may have his Heart ready to leave them when ever he is called to it and to sell his Righteousness that is not to trust to it Do not mistake me to think the Knowledg of Christ makes you less in Duty it makes you more in Love more in Delight and more in Praises and Prayer For saith the Soul though I have prayed or heard or been at the blessed Supper which of all these may be compared with Christ Therefore I will sell all for this goodly Pearl that I may have this Pearl of Price When you come to dye and leave this World if you have this Pearl of great Price you go boldly to the Throne of the Father O whatever other goodly Pearls you have you are lost for ever if you have not this Pearl of Price A Believer performs Duties as they are commanded of God and as the way wherein God meets his People but to his acceptance he hath his Eye upon Christ alone for the best of Duties are but Dung and Dross to compare with this precious Pearl When Satan comes with his Temptations and tells the Believer what a poor unworthy Creature he is the Believer that hath his Eye upon Christ for acceptance he may boldly answer Satan though I am poor and unworthy he through whom I am accepted is precious and dearly beloved of God the Father who is well pleas 〈◊〉 with him and in him Secondly Christ is a rich Pearl therefore you may well live upon him you may well say for me to live is Christ if you know Christ aright your Hearts Words and Lives cry out for me to live is Christ Persons for want of knowing Christ remain poor and blind and miserable and naked Col. 1.19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all Fulness dwell All Fulness of the Godhead all Fulness of Grace Peace Glory dwells in Christ when you have Christ you have enough to live on for you have a rich Pearl The Rich Man is covetous for more Riches the Believer is covetous for more of Christ he would enjoy nothing but he would enjoy Christ in it Christ above it O Soul here is enough to enrich you It is for want of knowing Christ that poor Sinners stand off from Christ For first Mr. Sedgwick 's Fountain opened though Sinners are very poor they are very proud Secondly Though they are very poor they are very ignorant First though Sinners are very poor they are very
upon him for all So much for the Doctrinal Part and Reasons of the Proposition why a Believer desires to live upon Christ and to Christ in all The Application follows The first Inference from the Point is this If it is so that the desires of a Believer run out in all after Christ to enjoy him more than all If Christ is a Believers Life then a Believer must needs live a very fruitful Life A Believer's Life is no barren nor unfruitful Life he cannot be a barren Tree there are no unfruitful Branches in Christ that fruitful Vine He that chooses Christ with his whole desire to make Christ his all he must needs be a fruitful Liver increasing in the Grace and Knowledge of Jesus Christ Indeed a Believer may have some dark Days that look gloomy he may have some Summer Droughts may make him look withered notwithstanding he is sound at Root he hath rooting in Christ for me to to live is Christ saith the Apostle while I live I will have my Life bound up in him and expect all from him A Soul that does thus cannot have an unfruitful Life there may be some Summer Droughts But is Christ your Life and do you expect him to be your All and wrap up your selves in Christ it is impossible for you to be barren for I tell you you that look up expecting to have your Life of Grace and Comfort from Christ he will not let your Expectation fail I do not speak what you are sometimes in your sense and feeling but what you are by Faith in Christ As that good Mr. Peacock he had a Summers Drought Saith he I feel an Hell in my Conscience crying out of the woful burden of his Sins saying how woful and miserable is my state that thus must converse with Hell-Hounds the Standers by asked him to pray I cannot said he suffer us to pray for you he replyed Take not Gods Name in vain for a Reprobate as I am Yet after these grievous Pangs this blessed Saint found much comfort as did appear by his Expressions I have been far led and deeply troubled with Temptation and Sting of Conscience I thank God they are ceased in good measure I desire I may not be branded for a Cast-away or Reprobate He declared that he renounced his inconsiderate Speech in his Trouble and Temptation humbly and heartily asking Mercy of God for them and after receiving a little more Light that through Mercy did arise in his Heart he brake forth in such Speeches as these I do feel God be praised such comfort that if I had an hundred Worlds I could not make satisfaction for such an Issue the Sea is not fuller of Water nor the Sun of Light than God is of Mercy his Mercies are ten thousand times more What cause have I to magnifie the great Goodness of God that hath humbled nay rather exalted such a wretched Miscreant one of so base a condition to a state so glorious and stately the Lord hath honoured me with his Goodness I am sure he hath prepared a glorious Kingdom for me the Joy I feel in my Heart is incredible Mr. Glover in his trouble and casting down thus complains What he felt inwardly in his Spirit no Speech was able to express he lay langushing in trouble for the space of five years he took no comfort in Meat nor Drink nor any pleasure in his Life being under the sense of some Back-sliding was perplexed as if he had been in the deepest pit of Hell he did not eat his Food from any Appetite but for this end to defer his Damnation thinking with himself that he must needs be thrown into Hell so soon as his Breath was out of his Body yet after this Summer Drought this Servant of the Lord had sweet showers of Mercy from Christ his Life after his many years Buffetings and strong Temptations he received great Comfort and afterward lived altogether an Heavenly Life No Art of Man no Arm of Flesh no Earthly Comfort no Earthly Power can possibly heal or help in this condition neither Men nor Angels Friends nor Phisick Gold nor Silver Pleasures nor Profits Preferments or Favours Mr. B's Cases of Conscience infinite skill must take this in hand or else never any Cure and Recovery can be had A poor Believer may be brought so low through Temptation and Desertions that they that behold them may think they are cast off by God but the Believers Life is hid in Christ and doth yet hope for a time of Refreshing as one that stands by the Trees and Plants perceiving them to look withered tells the Gardiner that he had as good cut them down as let them incumber the Ground for he believes they are dead but saith the Gardiner you are mistaken the Root is alive in the ground I hope for a good shower from Heaven to revive them a Believer by Faith beholds his Life in Christ expecting for the dropping of his Spirit to revive his drooping Spirit Saith the Saint you think because I am under temptation and burdened with Sin my hope is gone no in Christ my Root is green and I wait to have his Grace and Comforts poured out and I shall be raised up again Saith David I look to the everlasting Hills from whence my help comes Psal 123.1 2. Vnto thee lift I up mine Eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens Behold as the Eyes of the Servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the Eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistress so our Eyes wait upon the Lord our God how long until that he have mercy upon us Psal 121.1 I look saith David to the Hills that is to Sion Hill where God meets his People through Faith in God by Christ David did not look to the Tabernacle barely but to God in Christ figuratively Psal 18.24 Our help is in the Name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth and do you behold that God that made the Heavens that made all things Do you see the Clouds Do you see the glorious Sun To that God will I look till he break the Clouds and send down Streams that glad the City of God I lift up my Eyes to God in Christ I lift up my Eyes to the everlasting Hills to the Eternal Love of God in Christ and Everlasting Righteousness of God in Christ till he look down on me and look into my Soul therefore though you see me look like a barren Tree in Summer Drought it does but make me long the more for a shower for watering that is it I look up for O Saint What do you expect to see O saith he though Satan tempt me and Conscience may trouble me and my Soul be cast down that I am a sinner a condemned sinner but I will look up till God reveals Christ's Righteousness to be my Righteousness Rom. 1.17 For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith as it is written
Mercy Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the Grave or thy faithfulness in destruction Shall I have a shower upon my dying Soul Shall I be brought to have Communion with God Thus when the Lord seems to stand at a distance from the Soul he comes down in a shower by his Spirit that he finds very familiar Communion with God Therefore the Apostle when he prays for the Corinthians he prays That the Grace of the Lord Jesus the love of God the Father may be communicated unto them by the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13 14. The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen The Grace of Christ your Life the Love of God in Christ communicated to you through the Holy Ghost So when the Love of God is come down on the Soul then the Soul comes to have sweet Communion with God before the Soul was afraid to come to God but now it can say Lord thou knowest me and I know thee Lord thou knowest what is in me and what thou hast wrought in me Thus the Soul goes on knowing and being known So the Soul is carried on in this sweet Frame with that familiar sweet Communion with God that the Soul wishes it might always be employed in God's Service Again When Christ is revealed by the Spirit to the Soul the Soul comes to know its Adoption that it can and doth know God to be his Father the Spirit of the Lord poured out crying Abba Father Gal 4.4 5 6. But when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons Christ comes to redeem us the Holy Spirit comes to reveal to the Soul that you are no more Servants but Sons that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Sons of God redeemed by Christ's Blood but the Soul seems to be doubting whether it be so or no Well saith the Apostle because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father O what would many a poor doubting Soul give to call God Father Though many a Wretch calls God Father But a poor Believer if all the World were given him to be his Portion he would trample on all to call God Father in deed and in truth to go to God as a Father to have God for my Father that glorious God that made Heaven and Earth that glorious God that turns Men to Destruction and saith Come again ye Children of Men who feeds the Saints above with eternal Pleasure This God I can call my God my Father my Portion my Portion living my Portion dying a Portion beyond all the World This God by the Spirit the Soul comes to know to be his Father and the Soul is never well but when he is speaking to his Father there is such a Converse between the Father and the Child Again The Spirit when it comes with its revealing Evidence comforts the drooping Soul that Jesus Christ is everlasting Life to him They that live on Christ shall have everlasting Life from Christ The Believer hath many sweet and comfortable showers many precious drops flowing into his Soul that he can witness the Prophesie is come to pass The Prophet Joel saith Joel 3.18 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Mountains shall drop down new Wine and the Hills shall flow with Milk and all the Rivers of Judah shall flow with waters and a Fountain shall come forth from the House of the Lord. The Prophet alludes to those Waters that were conveyed from some Spring through Conduit Pipes towards the Altar Ezek. 47.1 2 3. for the use of the Temple in which Water the Priests washed what was to be washed This no doubt is a shadow of the purifying Blood of Christ and his sanctifying Spirit and Word and in that it is said to come from the Lord it intimateth that these glad Tidings this saving Grace shall be first Preach'd from Jerusalem and by the Church which is the House of God shall be published to others The Valley of Shittim that this Fountain shall water the meaning is it shall refresh purge and make fruitful all holy Works It was on the Plain of Moab on the Borders of Israel toward the South-East Numb 33.49 Josh 3.1 not far from the Dead Sea These Waters shall flow down to the dry and thirsty Mr. Pool's Annotations the barren and fruitless Gentiles and make them fruitful And it shall come to pass in that day in the day of the Gospel in that day that a Soul believes in Christ what shall come to pass In that day the Mountains shall drop down new Wine the new Wine of the Gospel not the old Lees of the Law but Wine upon the Lees. The Law may fret and grind your Spirits to Powder Mr. Strong 's Treatise of the two Covenants but what can melt them but the Covenant of Grace Isa 25. new Wine new Comforts new Peace and Joy that the Law could never bring Christ brings and the Hills shall flow with Milk the glorious Promises of the Gospel that shall be as Milk to the poor Soul Milk to poor Babes in Christ But then a poor Soul may object Truly I have desired Christ if I know my own Heart I would fain live upon Christ but yet I find my Heart very barren I do not find my Soul flourishing nor increasing nor growing but I find Comforts are absent from my Soul that I may say still the Comforter that should relieve my Soul is far from me To this I answer Soul you that desire Christ nothing in the World is like Christ to you you shall not miss of growth in Grace you shall not miss of this blessed Life though the Lord may not give it to you according to your Measures but according to his own good Will Grace and Wisdom for God hath very glorious Ends that you have not your Vessels full at once The First Reason is That you may depend upon Jesus Christ for daily incomes and supplies Alas while you are in this Life your Vessels are always filling and you are always to live in a way of dependence on Christ not only for that Grace you have received but for daily manifestation of Grace to your Souls for the grace of Faith and for the love of God to your Souls You are to wait daily on the Lord for strength Not I live saith Paul I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God 2 Gal. 19 20 21. I depend on Christ for all I live by the Faith of the Son of God and one that lives by Faith does not live by Sight There is something absent that a Man waits for for what we enjoy what
need we hope for and what need we act Faith for what we possess We are to depend on the Lord Jesus Christ so as to act Faith in him for new supplies of Grace We are to set our selves under those golden Pipes that do convey the golden Oyl you are to be looking to the everlasting Hills from whence your help comes as the Psalmist saith Psal 123.22 Behold as the eyes of Servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he have mercy upon us Psal 121.1 I will list up my eyes unto the Hills from whence cometh my help The Hills where the Temple was built Sion and Moriah there will I look from whence cometh my help Now we must look unto God in Christ for supplies of Grace and Peace and Comfort we are to expect our Comfort from those Mountains that drop down new Wine and the Hills that drop down Milk the Skies that pour down Righteousness and the Heavens that rain down Grace Were your Comforts always flourishing and green were you always filled with Joy would there be such a dependence on Christ where you are daily supplied and renewed When persons are waiting for Rain they set their Vessels forth day and night and when they are full they take them in again but persons that turn the Cock to let it run into their Cisterns it fills them presently they wait no longer Alass many run to their own Cisterns their own Duties walk by the sparks of their own kindling to what they can perform which the Lord complains of Jer. 2.1 My people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living water and hewed to themselves Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water Alas their Cisterns will not hold there is brackish Water in all their Springs broken Cisterns that hold no Water their Vessels will quickly be empty again but the Soul that waits on Christ will be like the Husbandman that waits for Rain is glad when he seeth the Clouds are gathering the Husbandman is glad he looks on his withered Grass and Corn but saith he the Clouds begin to gather and I wait for Rain and that will revive them again So saith a poor Soul I do expect yea I do wait for the Lord to come with new Light and new Love and new Peace and new Comfort and new assurance of his Love and that I may read my Pardon in his Blood and my Comfort in his Love Saith the Lord I will be a dew to Israel Hos 14.5 In the mystical and spiritual sense it signifies Christ who doth by his Holy Word and Heavenly Grace drop down and distil upon the Souls of Believers by his Princely Favours and loving Countenance which is as a Cloud of the latter Rain That which Dew is to Fields Gardens Vineyards Flowers Fruits of the Earth after an hot and scorching day that the Favour Word Grace loving Countenance and Holy Spirit will be to the drooping and afflicted Conscience of his People Dr. Reynolds A Believer hath his dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ who is appearing before God for him pleading the Sinners Cause presenting his own Wounds before the Father till he pours down his Grace into the Soul and drops down showers of Grace into the Heart But a Soul that feeds himself with his own Gifts and Parts he does his Duty and is gone therefore he does not wait for nor depend on Christ But saith a Believer I would be in a Believing Frame though I do not find Christ coming I will look up Psal 5.1 2 3. Give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation Hearken unto the voice of my cry my King and my God for unto thee will I pray My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up There are many go to their own Cisterns in the Morning performing Duty exercising what Gifts and Parts they have or what they remember they do Duty but it may be think not on Christ one Moment more all the day These are poor empty Cisterns that can hold no Water But saith the Psalmist I will pray and look up tho I am come off from my Knees I have not done looking up expecting or believing for I wait for the Lord's Answer I look for a Return of Prayer I look for supplies of Grace for supports of Faith for comforts to my Soul Many pray but do you look up do you believe do you make Christ your Life depending on him for the showers of his Grace to come into your Souls That may comfort you and quicken you and may be matter of praise not only that you may quiet Conscience but that you may enjoy God When the Earth is dry if a drop does but fall our Hearts begin to be glad we hope to have showers from Heaven So when a Soul finds but a drop of Comfort a drop of Love a little taste Saith the Soul Christ is coming now he is revealing himself I will depend upon him as long as I live as Job saith Though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee so saith the Soul I will depend on thee And as Luther said Though Christ come against me with a drawn Sword yet will I run into his Arms. Secondly The second Reason is That as you should depend on Christ so you should be waiting in the way of Duty waiting in Ordinances What Confusions have come into the Minds of Persons throwing off Ordinances pretending they had the Light within them and were come to perfection and had no need of Teaching pretending they knew more than could be taught them But speak with a Believer he will tell you another thing he will tell you he wants Comfort he wants Grace he wants teaching and that he wants new reviving Isa 26.8 Yea in the way of thy Judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our Soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee With my Soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my Spirit within me will I seek thee early yea in the way of thy Judgments have we waited for thee Though thy Hand hath been as it were against us though thou hast afflicted us though thou hast seemed to frown upon us yet we have waited for thee though it be dark with us whether it be the Night of Affliction or the Night of Desertion as well as in the Night of Trouble and Adversity though our Souls are in an afflicted state or a discomforted state we will wait till thou return we will wait for that God that hides himself from the House of Jacob Not like some that are seeking purer Churches through the deceivings of Satan and their own Hearts Many there are that think they have Knowledge enough and Peace enough but these are the
Soul to draw out its Love to Christ then the Soul sees its own unworthiness then a Soul loves Christ really when he sees Christ loved him unworthy How unworthy is my Soul of his Love This was Paul's Cry and so it is every Believers and the more Christ shines on your Soul the more do you see your unworthiness of his Love and Grace and the Soul cries out Lord hast thou passed by all my unworthiness crown'd me with Love enriched me with Love and shall I have my fill of Love O what Love is this Fourthly The Soul finds it a Love that passes Eph. 3.14 And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Truly saith the Soul I cannot tell you wherefore Christ loved me nor I cannot tell you the Depths of his Love but this I can tell I shall ever shine in the Ocean of his Love to all Eternity The more they meditate the more they consider the more they think of it the more they wonder what was from Eternity in the Breast of God that was manifested in time in giving Christ If you ask me to tell you from whence it comes it was from Eternity Secondly The Sun of Righteousness with his glorious Beams heals the affection in giving the Soul an humble and contrite Heart Many think when they are not shooting up they are not growing but there may be a taking Root though not a shooting up the golden Mines are not seen above the Earth they lie low By the Influence of the Sun the Seed takes root in the Earth and springs up Thus it is with the Sun of Righteousness the Lord Jesus Christ in changing the Heart of a Believer when he is increasing in the inner Man not shooting forth not growing in the apppearance yet he takes Root is growing in Humility When once the Lord Jesus Christ comes with his Grace and shines into the Soul it humbles the Soul and makes it low in its own Eyes and then the Soul sees its self wanting in Grace wanting in Love wanting in Enlargements and Delights but it grows humble When Christ appears the Soul sees its own Deformity the Soul thinks it is decaying in Grace when it is not acting those Graces as we may say above ground The Fruit-Trees do not bear Fruit all the Year yet are alive all the Year So I say to the Believer it is the surest way of Growth when they grow in Humility When a Soul comes to see Christ the more he shines with the Divine Lustre of his Grace and Righteousness the more the Soul is contrite Saith Paul When the Law came sin revived and I died Paul was it the Law in the Letter that shewed you your sin then why does it not teach those poor Creatures that read it and have it read to them No but it was the Power of Christ in the Law the Spirit of the Law of Life in Christ that shined into his Heart and brought home the Law to him to be a condemning Judge on the Bench to give the Sentence of Death that Christ might be there to be the Object of Life and Salvation to his Soul Saith he Sin revived and I died Persons will strain what they can to keep an even reckoning with the Law by doing some outward Duties Such as the Lord Jesus hath not risen upon they are yet in Darkness Children of the Night they walk at uncertainty they know not whether they go Alas many a poor Soul thinketh he is as sure to go to Heaven as he is to die when he is in the very Road to Hell only some go in the broad trodden Path open profane impudent sinners some steal thither behind the Hedg they are going to Hell but in a closer walk hidden from others and from many that are said to be Children of the Kingdom Mr. Murcot on Mal. 4.2 that are Strangers in Heart to an inward Revelation of Jesus Christ But when Christ comes to the Soul he comes to the inward part then the Soul is unhorsed of it self and laid low before the Lord. It was the Saying of an Holy Divine We may sooner call twenty from Profaneness than one from his own Righteousness For saith he sin is a feverish Distemper to the Soul and when the Man hath sinned he knows he is out of order But for a Man 's own Righteousness it is so born and bred with him that he makes it his grand Idol till Christ appears to the Soul with Divine Beams of his Righteousness and Grace this lays a Soul low and humble before the Lord and makes a poor Soul behold its own Ignorance Saith the Soul I am foolish but Christ is my Wisdom I cannot manage my Salvation nor I cannot chuse aright but Christ is my Wisdom to chuse for me Thus a Soul is humbled under its own Ignorance he beholds Christ that glorious Sun that gives Light to see his Fathers Face and to have all the glorious Will of God revealed to the Soul in him The Sun is the Glory of the Heavens but one Star differs from another Star in Glory but there is none like the Glory of the Sun O the Lord hath put the Excellence of Glory on the Lord Jesus He is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shining forth of his Fathers Glory He speaks here of Christ as Incarnate As the Glory of God did shine in the Face of Moses so that the People could not behold so now the Glory of the Lord shineth in the Face of Jesus Christ as the Apostle hath it so that we cannot behold it it dazles our Eyes stedfastly to hold his Glory as it doth to behold the Sun in its Glory Here is the Glory of his Grace the Glory of his Wisdom of his Mercy of his Power and all in Christ he is the Glory as it were of Divine Attributes they all shine forth in him each with his peculiar Glory The Temple the Glory of the Lord filled it so that they could not stand to Minister before him sometimes So Brethren now the Lord hath placed us in Jesus Christ he hath filled him with his Glory Therefore saith the Prophet The Glory of the Lord is risen on thee Isa 60.3 Mr. Murcot that is Christ manifested to thee Secondly The Soul sees its self unrighteous therefore it is humbled under its sinfulness till Christ is made its Righteousneses Thirdly The Soul sees its self cloathed with Rags like a Man that works hard yet cannot cloath himself with any thing but Rags Saith a Soul notwithstanding all that I have done I have not a Righteousness to cloath me to stand with before God But Christ is my Robe of Righteousness therefore when the Soul is humbled when he does not grow in enlargements yet he grows numble under the sense of his own Unworthiness and of Christ's Excellency Many Trees are planted in shady places that grow up tall tho they bear no Fruit. When a Soul knows not Christ there may be some
Christ always when the Soul wants Fruit comes with a Divine Beam darting into the Soul Christ doth cast many sweet Looks on a sinner when he breaks his Heart for sin First A Look of Love Hast thou dealt so with the Lord that loved thee Ah Peter tho thou hast denied me I will not forsake thee Oh Peter though thou hast swore and curst I know not the Man yet I know thee and will take notice of thee and will make known my self to thee O consider what Love this was Christ looked with a first Love on Peter we love him because he first loved us Ah Peter thou hast made the Breach but I will come to make it up thou hast turned from me but I will follow thee with my Love I will begin with thee As Christ began our Life of Grace so he begins all our Revivings Take a Saint under an hard Heart under Guilt he may sit under means and it is his Duty so to do but no stirring till Christ comes When Peter was in his sin and rebellion Christ looked on him with a first Love Secondly Christ looks with a free Love Peter I will not wait till thou comest to me with Legal Repentance I will look on thee before thou confessest me Christ begins first he comes freely with his Love Peter had smote on his Heart he had no preparation to come to Christ Christ loves freely Hosea 14. when he heals Backsliders he loves freely Verse 4. I will heal their back sliding I will love them freely for my anger is turned away from them Every Act of Christ's Love to us is free Love there is not any moment of our time that we can bring any thing that is our own to Christ to love us Thirdly Christ's Love was a very strong Love sinners shall never break the Cords of it Therefore have I drawn them with the cords of a man with the bands of Love Hos 11.4 O how strong was Christ's Love to Peter When a Soul laments that it cannot love Christ then the â—oul is growing in the Grace of Love Love then is stronger than Death and so is Christ's Love to every one that he redeems and so it was to Peter The strong love of Christ broke in upon him and now he falls a weeping Ah Peter have I loved thee and yet thou hast forsaken me yet here I am with a new look of Love Love stronger than Death that overcomes all our deadness and coldness then the Heart breaks and melts when Christ comes with his look of Grace he will break the hardest Heart there Fourthly Christ's Love was a very seasonable Love Then was the time of love when thou wert weltering in thy Blood Ezek. 16. How seasonably does the Sun shine on the Flowers and Plants to revive and comfort them When the Soul complains Corruption is strong Grace is weak my Heart is cold Love dies I find my Soul fainting I fear I decay Christ comes in seasonably with a new Manifestation of his love to the Soul and this breaks the very Heart That which is spoke of the Sun in the Firmament may be spoken of this glorious Sun of Righteousness the Sun comes like a Bridegroom out of his Chamber so does the Lord Jesus Christ appear to his Bride The Sun rejoyceth to run its Race as a strong Man and as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber does it appear So does Christ comes as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber and as a strong Man delights to run his Race so does the Lord Jesus Christ break forth into the Soul with his glorious Beams of Divine Grace Fifthly Christ's love is a great love How great is that love that can pardon such sins pardon such sinners visit the Saints under such Frames of Heart This was the love of Christ to Peter he lookt on Peter to break his Heart with a look of love Secondly He looked with a look of Mercy O Peter I will pardon thee Return to me saith the Lord I am married unto thee Jer. 3. Ah Peter I am thine he looked upon Peter it was Mercy broke Peter's Heart The Terrors of the Law may make Men run distracted but their Hearts are hardned against God But when pardoning Grace comes that breaks the Heart melts the Heart Peter went out and wept bitterly what shall I find mercy shall I find favour shall such rich mercy be shewed in pardoning me O give thanks unto the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 107. Psal 136. Thirdly The Lord Jesus Christ breaks in with a Divine Shine of Sanctification If Christ is your Life you shall never want Grace it is our Duty to be waiting for Grace praying for Grace but a Believer shall never want Grace he gives Grace to him in a time of need if ever it was a time of need this was a time of need with Peter It is good you should see your want it is good you should seek the Lord he gives the Grace of Repentance the Grace of Humility he gives the Grace of Godly Sorrow How seasonably is Grace given to a Soul that longs for it When there is no Water in their own Cisterns the Lord Jesus comes with new Springs of Grace to such a Soul A Believer never walks more comfortably than when he walks humbly then the Soul mourns before the Lord. Such Divine Beams of Love from Christ work in the Soul true Contrition and Humiliation Ah saith the Soul have I had so many wooings so many offers of Grace yet have kept Grace out of my Heart Could I shut out the remembrance of him one moment Hath his love been so soon forgotten He that wept for me and bled for me and died for me have I kept him out of my Heart The Spouse tasted of this but it was a growing time but her Soul was in great bitterness Oh saith she it was the voice of my Beloved I knew him yet I did not open to him Cant. 5.2 I sleep but my heart waketh saying open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my Vndefiled for my Hand is filled with Dew and my Locks with the drops of the night Verse 3. I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Verse 4. My Beloved put in his Hand by the hole of the door and my Bowels were moved for him When I opened my Bowels my Bowels were moved to think that I knew it was my Beloved yet would not open to him When a Soul comes to know Christ it cries O the many Offers I have had O the many sweet Wooings I have had O that ever I should slight and neglect and resist as I have done O that I should love so little when he loves so much O how slight have I thought of him How unkindly have I carried it and how untenderly O now let Christ be all in all Now the Soul hath a weeping Eye I looking cannot but love
Professor complains for want of Gifts and Enlargements Shall we bring thousands of Rams or ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl or my first born for my Transgressions the Fruit of my Body for the sin of my Soul Micah 6.7 What a proud absurd Question is this A carnal Heart will do any thing rather than come to Christ and yet have no Contentment in what they do But Soul when Christ becomes thy Life and the glorious Divine Beams of his Grace shine on your Soul you will live a contented Life all comes through Christ's hands all your Blessings and Mercies are bought with the Blood of Christ all your Duties sanctified by Christ Surely this Soul must needs thrive We say discontentedness make an unthriving Person Indeed it is impossible the Soul that is not united to Christ should thrive for he hath altogether Impossibilities before him It is impossible for you to reach Heaven with your Duties to get your sins done away with all your Tears and Prayers without you are wash'd in the Blood of Christ that cleanseth from all Sin 1 John 17. If you can fulfil the Law you shall live by the Works of the Law but it is an impossible thing If you can pray your way to Glory you shall be saved it is impossible But when a Man comes to Christ he takes away all the Impossibilities To what purpose were a Man commanded to bring in a Sum of Mony of his own to save his Life if he never had it nor ever will have it to pay Man since the Fall hath not nor never can have a Power of his own to obey God's Commands Whatever God commands Christ hath done it for the Believer what ever Law commands or Justice demands it is all done for you by Christ Saith the Apostle As for the Works of the Law if you can do them you shall live in them Gal. 3.6 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the Curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3.22 But the Scripture hath concluded all under Sin that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Verse 23. But before Faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterward be revealed But saith he we were all concluded under sin that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Christ comes and opens the Prison Doors le ts the Soul out from Unbelief le ts the Soul out from under the Curse of the Law How does Christ let the Soul from Prison Christ comes to the Heart causeth it to believe the Soul now believes the Promises takes hold of Christ in the Promise Christ comes to the Unbeliever to the Soul under the fear of God's Wrath and Curse assisting it with a Divine Promise working Faith in the Heart As suppose a Soul is under the burden of his Sins and should say I am so great a Sinner I fear I shall never obtain Mercy Christ comes with this Promise It is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief The believing Sinner layeth hold on Christ in the Promises and findeth Relief The Soul lies burdened with the sense of God's Wrath for sin Christ comes in with that Promise Come to me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest Saith the Soul Is it so indeed What rest in Christ for me What will Christ give me rest The Soul closes with the Promise makes Christ his Life and Rest to live upon As supposing a Man should be in a Crowd among Pikes and Guns and Halberts among mischievous Men he is afraid one will wound him another kill him but comes a Friend of his and a strong Man and carries him through all So does Christ when a poor Soul is under fear in himself he is afraid of every Frown of every Trouble Christ comes and carries him through all from the Curses of the Law from the Wrath of God from sinking Fears by applying himself a suitable Remedy who died for their sins and rose again for their Justification Now the Soul goes out and is at Liberty Until you know this Life you are but poor Prisoners Slaves and Servants and you do Duty but in Servitude till you come to know Christ The Soul that knows Christ shall grow many do not grow and they think it is for want of such a Grace or for want of Gifts and Enlargements But here is the fault It is in not living upon Christ and making him your Life As you know the Flowers and Roots that are in the Earth peep up their Heads in Spring as if they were rejoycing to see a Jubile So does a Soul that hath been tugging under the Law that hath not known Christ When Christ comes to shine on the Soul the Soul comes to look up and to breath in a new Air. Now Christ appears to his Soul he as it were hears a new Voice Come away my Beloved the Winter is past the singing of Birds is come Cant. 2.10 My beloved spake and said unto me rise up my Love my fair one and come away Vers 11. For lo the Winter is past the Rain is over and gone Vers 12. The Flowers appear that is when the glorious Spring comes the Sun shines warm and gloriously and what then The Spring is come the Flowers appear on the Earth the time of the singing of Birds is come and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land the Fig-Tree putteth forth her green Figs. When the Soul comes to live by Faith in Christ and grow up in Christ it puts forth green Leaves They are all withered Duties that are performed out of Christ Persons may make a great Discourse of Religion and be divided into Parties and they will all pretend to own Christ whereas if they are examined they deny Christ But the Souls that do live on Christ they do bring forth Fruit. What is the Law but the Winter to the Soul Arise saith Christ my Love my fair one and come away for lo the Winter is past the Rain is over A Man you know can't travel in Rain because of the Floods The Floods of God's Wrath are dryed up when you come to know Christ The Rain is sweet and pleasant when it comes down moderately but when it comes down hastily and in abundant manner it causes Floods Whatever a Soul does until it knows God in Christ there are Flouds of Wrath between God and them But when a Soul comes to know Christ all God's Dealings are like moderate Rain Rise up my Love and come away for lo the Winter is past the Rain is over no Rain to hinder you from God no Rain to keep you from the enjoyment of him Mild all your Mercies
Grace we enjoy You that live Christ though you go mourning from a Sermon this may encourage you to wait for the Blessing of the means of Grace It may be a Soul may object and say I am a poor sorrowful Soul am I blessed Soul thou art blessed Blessed are they that mourn The contrite Heart is an acceptable Sacrifice to God Blessed are they that mourn This is your case sometimes you mourn at other times you rejoyce in God and joy in the God of your Salvation You are rich in Blessings all Sermons that you hear do your Souls good and all Ordinances do your Souls good you are blessed when you are humbled when you mourn when you thirst as well as when you rejoyce These are Spiritual Blessings in Christ O Christless Soul till you know Christ there is not one of these belongs to you O Sinners you have innumerable Curses hang over your Heads that are out of Christ you have a Book 〈◊〉 of Wo and Lamentation written without and within Ezek. 9.10 Many sorrows are to the wicked but he that trusteth to the Lord mercy compasseth him about Psal 32 10. Innumerable are the Blessings that Believers are compassed about with When you come to an Ordinance and think you do not meet with God you complain and go away mourning you are blessed if you go away in the dark you are blessed How so I blessed that cannot see Christ Yes blessed are they that trust in him and stay themselves upon him though they walk in Darkness and see no Light O what a rich Soul art thou that livest this Life of Faith You are blessed in all Ordinances all Opportunities I tell you whatever comes God will bless his people God's Providence is to all the World he takes care of the whole Creation he is wonderful in Goodness and Mercy yet as a rich Man that gives to many yet in an especial manner saith he I must remember my Children at home my dying Child my weak Child this Child that Child every Child So God gives liberally to all but gives his special Blessings to his Children his choice Blessings are reserved for his redeemed ones O what a rich Life it is to live Christ The Saint is rich in Faith rich in Love rich in Peace rich in all Blessings Then the Soul admires What am I blessed in every condition What with all spiritual Blessings O Lord not long ago I was crying out Sure God hath forsaken me But this was your infirmity and sin But is not Christ more precious to you than ever Do not you long for Christ thirst for Christ Then you are blessed Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Under Darkness under Temptation under every Affliction you are blessed and every Sermon and every Sacrament and every Ordinance you have you are blessed though you cannot rejoyce in God in all yet you are blessed in all though you go away hanging down your Head O I have not met with God! I tell you you are blessed For it is said Blessed are they that mourn and Blessed are the poor in Spirit Fourthly You are enriched with the Love of God I do not know what you can have more to enrich you If the love of God doth not make you rich I am sure nothing can and you can never be rich if you have not the love of God and be sure God loves you if you know Christ he looks on you in Christ loves you in Christ delights in you in Christ John 16.27 For the Father himself loveth you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God God's favour maketh rich those whom God favours he hath grace that heals his Soul which is that that makes his Happiness and is that which is the inward fashioning of every Man's apprehension that makes him happy that brings comfort to him Pray mind the Lord Jesus speaks with an Emphasis for the Father himself loveth you You have my Father's love a choice Love indeed And how comes this Love about because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God because you have believed in me and made me your life God loves you What God love me I confess it would make a Christian go comfortably through all the Tryals in the World the very ardency and application of that the Heart of God is the Ocean the first rise of all Love to the Creature Christ is the Spring that first receives from him Dr. Crisp and then through him all Love is diffused to the Creature God loves me for the Father himself loveth you What God love me I pray how comes it about because you have loved me and believed that I came out from God You have made me your Life you have Faith in me and now God loves you God never loved you whatever you did without Christ God abhors all out of Christ God elected you all in Christ chuses you all in Christ pardons you all in Christ and then Oh what Immense Love is this God loves you in Christ O unspeakable Love O infinite Love this Love is Love that passes Knowledge Love that passes Bounds O highth and depth of Love you that live in Christ and believe in Christ are rich Souls We use to say when we see Men thrive and prosper in the World This will be a rich Man And what may you say of the Saints O they will be rich indeed they will have a rich portion because they believe that Christ came out from God O Soul hast thou with thy Heart chose Christ with thy Heart lived to Christ with thy Heart wrapt up thy self in Christ is it the out-cry of thy Soul none but Christ none but Christ thou art a rich Soul for thou art already possest of the presence of God it will be thy portion to live in the House of God for ever For Brethren to dwell together in love and unity how sweet is it O the harmony of it but what a divine Harmony is there in that Soul where the Love of God dwells Turn about your Thoughts turn about your Ears Hear I beseech you for Christ's sake accept of Christ that you may have God's love God indeed loved the Elect with Everlasting Love in Christ but God's Love is not manifested to you until you believe in Christ then all the things of this life are yours there are many things which we cannot reach here the price is too great Is not that rare which costs dear there is not a bit of Bread you have you that are Saints but it cost the Bloud of Christ all your Mercies are in a way of redemption all is yours Paul and Apollos and Cephas and life and death and things present and things to come for ye are Christs and Christ is Gods May it not be said of them that know not Christ Nothing is theirs Is not the Minister yours as well as others Is
Child away it cries out O let me go this pleasant way but the Person or Parent that pulls it away knows the Danger that the Child doth not therefore he plucks it away tho against the Childs Will So many times when a Saint cries out God is dealing with me in Anger when God is dealing with him in Love and tho it is a green and pleasant way the Lord prevents you by Afflictions from the Evil that otherwise you would fall into My Son despise not thou the chastning of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him It may be you will say Do any despise the Lord Yes when you murmur Truly God might have prevented this Affliction I cannot bear it I should have done well enough had not these Troubles come upon me But God is not wrath with a Believer the Flame of his Justice hath taken hold of Christ The Physician does not intend any hurt in a bitter Portion Christ hath paid dear for your Afflictions that they might be sanctified Heb. 11.6 Whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sons for what Son is he whom the Father chasteneth not But while a Soul is out of Christ every Pressure is a Lash of Divine Justice But a Soul in Christ may say by his stripes am I healed my Iniquities are laid upon him God hath nothing against me Christ hath paid all for me When God calls his Children aside corrects them they may say I will go to my Father and hear what he speaks for Christ hath paid all bought all and whatever the Cup is though bitter I will drink it up though a Cup of Affliction it is a blessed Cup. But Souls out of Christ every thing robs them of their comfort while they can do any thing and prosper in the World they go on bravely but let God touch them and they are filled with Amazement But take Saints that God is their God Christ their Life they can go on comfortably Lord whatever bitter Portion I have it is in Love That God in anger chastises his Saints is impossible for Christ hath born the Wrath of God and hath satisfied Divine Justice that God hath not one drop to pour out upon you that are Christs Your Afflictions are to keep you from sin to subdue sin to sanctifie your course of Life that you may be weaned from the World and live to God Many Persons bring a false Charge against the Saints of God in their Afflictions as Job's Friends did against him You will say to the Godly when they are afflicted The Hand of God is against you the Curse of God is upon you the Devil and our corrupt Hearts are very apt to make bad constructions of God's Dealings and to close in with such conjectures If Christ hath not paid all there is something for you to pay but if you are Christ's Christ hath paid all therefore Affliction cannot rob you of your comfort Secondly Justice cannot rob you The Justice of God is satisfied you may look Divine Justice in the Face boldly There are two Men that walk very fearfully the Man that borrows what he hath and the other that steals that he hath The one is afraid of an Arrest the other of hanging So it is with poor Sinners The ungodly Man that calls not upon God at all steals all for he never asks Gods leave he steals the Mercies of God without asking God's leave whether he shall have them or no. There is another that is the Professor that knows not Christ he indeed will ask God for Mercies and doth perform Duties he will pray he will give thanks and he will fast and in his own conceit do whatever God requires but he rests here but notwithstanding all this Justice is not satisfyed It is your Duty to give thanks for Mercies and your Duty to pray and your Duty to fast But do you think your Duties are Payments to God for what you receive And do you think because you perform Duty you satisfie God No there will come a day of Reckoning and you must lie in Prison till you have paid the last Mite if your Mercies are not bought with Christ's Blood but if Jesus Christ is become your Life then all is paid for you have all your Mercies in a way of Redemption So the Psalmist Psal 107.1 O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Will giving Thanks entitle to these mercies No let the redeemed of the Lord say so You that are Christs all God's Mercies are yours made over to you every Mercy is bought and paid for But an Unbeliever every comfort he hath he must pay dear for his Mercies and Talents are but borrowed but all the Mercies you have that are in Christ are bought with the Blood of Christ What you have is your own in Christ Jesus therefore none can take it from you Thirdly Satan cannot rob you of your comfort if you are in Christ he may cast Floods after you but he cannot rob you he may wash you but shall not drown you Vpon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it You are not built on this Rock that have not Christ to be yours do what you will but taking hold on Christ you are built on a Rock Mat. 16. And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Christ is not only a Rock to uphold you but he is Life to keep you that all the Flouds that the Devil casts after you shall not drown you Satan's Temptations may come and may try you the Saint may see a great Cloud arising but it shall not drown him David complains That Deep calleth unto Deep and that the Waves and Billows were gone over him Tho' there may be great Waves great Trials great Temptations they shall not overcome you I tell you the Devil shall never drown you that are in Christ the Ship may be tossed the poor Saints may cry out Lord save or we perish but if Christ is in the Ship no fear if Christ is yours if you are tossed with Temptations and perplexed with great Troubles all the Devil can do against you shall but stir you up to awaken Christ though he intends the undoing of your Souls Have you Temptations or Wandâ—â—ngs in Prayer Does it not make you to cry to Christ more vehemently to run to Christ more constantly to rely on Christ more heartily The Devil's Temptations do but wash away your Filth you are kept still upon the Rock you shall not be drown'd The loving-kindnesses of the Lord are still the same to you the Devil robs most of the World he robs them of their Time and their Souls and Comforts and they will certainly be undone But now though Satan
safe for him then a Saint while he lives he need not fear Death he lives a certain Life Secondly He may live comfortably First He may live certainly on comforts I am Christ's and I know nothing shall pluck me from Christ I am perswaded What are you perswaded of Paul I am perswaded that neither Life nor Death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. May not some Temptation some Corruption over-set you No saith he they shall not I shall be a Conqueror through Christ nothing shall separate me from him I am perswaded Death shall not if I live I live Christ if I die I shall live with Christ Nor Angels Good Angels will not if they would they should not nor bad Angels shall not nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present Buffitings Reproaches Scornings Imprisonment Sufferings what if you go through all this and are not separate from Christ Yet is there not something to come Do you not fear Death and Judgment that will be a Terror to most of the Sons and Daughters of Men. Whatever comes I still am Christs neither height nor depth shall separate me from Christ Let mine Iniquities reach up as high as Heaven the righteousness of Christ is still higher Nor Depths It shall not swallow a Believer up he is held safe in the everlasting Arms of infallible Grace and Mercy What a certain Life does a Saint live that is sure never to be separated from Christ things present cannot do it nor things to come shall not What a blessed Life an happy Life a safe Life is this O poor Christless Soul how uncertain dost thou live You are not sure of abiding here one moment The World is like an handful of Sand running through your Fingers like the Air that you breath in that you cannot hold a moment in your Fist But the Believer hath a certainty he can assure himself he shall never be poor and miserable nor deprived of true Happiness but shall be safe for ever in the Hands of Christ As for this World it is uncertain how long we shall enjoy Life Liberty or any Mercy we know not But the best Counsel I can give you is to get Christ and then you will be safe Things may have a good Aspect one day and another day as bad but yet in Christ you are safe for ever in Life in Death and to all Eternity Here you are certain of nothing Favour of Men or high or low rich or poor is unconstant the Wheel turns in a moment But if you have Christ you have a certain Life O how comfortably may a Saint live in all troubles and changes whatsoever that hath Christ for his Life We use to say It is an ill Wind blows no body good But I say let the Wind blow as ill as it will it blows the Saint always good that the Soul may say Let what will come I live well We may compare a Saint that is troubled for outward things to a Man that hath an Orchard full of Trees laden with Fruit but because the Wind has blown off the Leaves sits down and weeps If one should ask What do you weep for Why my Apple-tree Leaves are gone Why you have your Apples have you not Yes then what a foolish Man are you to weep for a few Leaves that might hinder both sight and ripening of your Fruit The comforts of this World are but Leaves Why do you weep for the Leaves while you have the Fruit Glorious Promises Glorious Peace Glorious Pardon Riches of Grace Hope of Glory and set down to weep or be cast down for the Loss of a few worldly comforts And the truth of it is so narrow are our Spirits so unbelieving are our Hearts that we many times weep for Losses here as if we had no better Portion What weeping while the Boughs hang full of Fruit What weep while your Souls have the glorious Promises and glorious Peace and glorious Pardon and a glorious Christ and hopes of Life Eternal through him Will you weep for a few outward Losses and Crosses while your Souls are filled with Fruit While your Souls are as Trees bringing forth Twins This is much to be lamented that the Saints do thus mourn for outward comforts let the Wind blow which way it will it cannot take away your Life You may eat of the Fruit of the Tree of Life in the midst of Paradice that you may leave your Drops below and come to the full Fountains above If a Man hath enough he may afford to lose a little Saith the Psalmist I have a goodly Heritage the Lord is my Portion Psal 16.5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine Inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot the lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly Heritage While Christ is my Life my Glory my Portion I have a goodly Portion May be the Winds may arise Storms of Affliction Storms of Trouble the Lord knows what may be but make sure of Christ let the Wind blow what way it will it can but blow off the Leaves it cannot take away the Fruit. The Church saith in Lam. 3.24 The Lord was her portion she would hope in him Is it so that a Believers Life is bound up in Christ There is a great deal of difference between a Believer and another Man at Death What are the thoughts of a carnal Man at Death What if they were known to the Standers-by My Life is done and my Misery is come O that I were to live in the World and never die But what is a Believers thought O saith he that my Heart may be setled on Christ that I may know Christ to be my Life and God mine I would bless his Name for ever There is a difference between a moral Man and a Believer How is it I have lived honestly I have done no body any harm God deal with me as I have done with others Now a Believer will discourse of things in another manner I have nothing in my self I am sin and sinful but Christ is my Life therefore I desire not to stand in one of my good Works in Judgment but wrap up my self wholly in Christs Righteousness Come to a Legal Man one under the Law O I would pray more fast more if I were to live longer Thus he would do a great deal of Work in a little time not considering if he lives longer he carries the same Heart about him But a Believer saith If I am to live it shall be by Faith I would believe more know Christ more I would live upon Christ more and when I die I would die in him and be found in him at the great day 3 Infer Is it so that a Believer's Life is bound up in Christ What boundless Love was
of this Life If a Man be sick unto Death as he thinks bring him tidings of Life it is the best News he can hear of bring him Tidings that his Will is made his Estate is setled very well but how is it with you I am a dead Man O Sir but I have brought one with me that saith he can certainly cure you This is the best News saith he that you have brought me So is Jesus Christ come to save poor Sinners of whom I am the chief saith a poor Soul This is a Saying worthy of all Acceptation They that do not prize the Gospel and find it the sweetest thing in the World yet have not Christ for their Life There is that in Nature that persons must be doing something that they may obtain Blessedness The Israelites stript themselves for to make them a God So do formal Professers they will be at much Cost and Charge for an outward Profession and then fall down and adore their own Doing but to prize this Gospel that brings them News of a Redeemer it is very rare to find one among many But now the Soul that longs for Christ is sick for Christ rejoyces to hear these glad Tidings Saith Paul 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chief It is the best News that ever I heard If the Gospel is not joyful News to you if it doth not affect you you never had Christ When a Soul comes to close with Christ he saith And is there hope for me and did Christ die for me And did Christ come to be Life for me O welcom News the best that ever I heard in my Life 2 Tim. 1.10 But now is made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished Death and brought Life and Immortality to Light through the Gospel Life is brought through the Gospel What Life Immortal Life Immortal Grace Immortal Salvation to a poor undone Sinner If this Gospel is not prized but as a thing indifferent as many make their calling and business their main end but the Gospel is a thing they can best spare Such never made Christ their Life In ver 9. the Apostle saith Christ hath called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ before the World began who hath abolished Death The Death of immortal Souls under the Curse of the Law and Wrath of God Christ takes Death away And what hath he brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel Were you but sensible of the Worth of this Life how would you love the Wells of Salvation from whence is drawn the Waters of Life Love the Pot that holds the Manna that preserves this Life Love the Messenger that brings you Tidings You shall live and not die How would a condemned Malefactor love that Person that should bring him a â—ardon yea the Messenger that should bring him News of it So it is with the condemned Sinner the Sentence is pass'd He that believes not is Damned O what Joy is it to hear of Salvation by Christ when the Sinner hath a sense of his misery This immortal Life comes through the Gospel When a Sermon of Christ is preached News from Heaven is brought to Sinners and what News is it O that there is mercy and pardon for poor Sinners Saith the believing Soul shall my Soul live is Christ become my Salvation O what blessed Gospel is this What precious News is this Now Soul do you look on the Gospel glad Tidings and the Feet of them that bring it beautiful if not be sure Christ is not your Life Fourthly They never had Christ for their Life that live in themselves that centre in themselves on themselves and not above themselves As thus Take a dead Man and wrap him up in Silk and Silver with the best Perfumes you can it centres all in Putrifaction Rottenness and Death all the sweet Smells and Perfumes will not keep him from corruption But take a living Man he lives on something to preserve Life It would be improper to say a Man lives on nothing a living Man must have something to subsist with A dead sinner centres in himself what Duty he performs he takes to be his Life But a Soul in Christ lives on Christ and not on his Performances tho he performs Duty So much for the Negative now follows the Affirmative What are the Characters of them that have Christ their Life First If Christ is your Life you will love the Word of God and look upon it to be very precious that hath been the means of begetting and nourishing this Life in you As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may go thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 If you have tasted that the Lord is gracious you will love the Food that the Lord gives you The Prodigal when he returned home to his Fathers House then he thought his Food precious The Word of Christ is that which is very precious to the Soul if you do not taste that the Lord is gracious you can never fall in love with Christ There may be some Convictions under the Word but they will wear off again there may be something that may delight but Souls that Christ is their Life they come to relish the inward sweetness and power of the Word of Christ if you have tasted that the Lord is gracious First They will long for it Secondly They will make it their Meat and Drink First They will long for it If a Child be crying for the Breast if you give it a Rattle or any other thing it will not please it or still it without the Breast It is not any thing of this World nor the Glory of it will still a Believer without Christ Psal 84. See how the Psalmist praises the Courts of God how lovely it is One day in thy Courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of God than to dwell in the Tents of wickedness Why would you be a Door-keeper in the House of God Truly there Beggars fare well Hungry Souls would be first in and last out they would be served more than once Saith a longing Soul I would not have a Word drop before I come that I may lose nothing I would be one of the first in and last out I would not have a Word drop nor a Crum fall I would hear all that is spoken of Christ How sweet is every Word of Christ The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul More are they to be desired than 〈…〉 than much fine Gold sweeter than the 〈◊〉 the Honey-comb Ps 19. And 〈…〉 prize thy Word more than my 〈◊〉 Food Soul thou that longest for the Word of Christ certainly thou art alive in Christ Surely thou that longest for the
Food of Christ livest on Christ I believe there are many poor doubting Souls among you If you were asked when you are an hungry if you were invited to a great Feast would you not leave that to go and hear Christ preached would you not leave your Meal to hear Christ's preous Word Saith Job Chap. 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary Food Then if thy Soul longs for the Word of Grace it is a sign that your Souls are made alive by Christ Whoever can say of the Word of Christ My Soul longs for it I long for the Courts of God I long for the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ I long for the Pot of Manna that I may taste of the Golden Manna I long for the day when Manna comes down from Heaven if it is so I say from God's Word though you may have many castings down your Souls are made alive by Christ and he is become your Salvation A Saint makes Religion his Meat and Drink It is one thing 〈◊〉 be waiting on God 〈…〉 and another thing to 〈…〉 Meat and Drink An 〈…〉 perform many things and be large in Duty and yet not make it his Meat and Drink John 4.31 32. His Disciples prayed him saying Master eat But he said unto them I have meat to eat that you know not of Alas his Meat was to do his Fathers Will The Word of Christ his Ordinances and Duties are Meat and Drink to the Believer I live a Life that you do not know of I have Meat and Drink that you do not know of I live in doing my Fathers Will. Saith a Believer I live on Christ and his Word and of all Mercies I enjoy nothing so sweet to me as Christ and his Word who is better to me than all outward Mercies If it be so with you you may take comfort in this that Christ is become your Life where the Word of Grace and means of Grace is become as Meat and Drink to your Souls Secondly A Soul that lives Christ and hath made Christ his Life he lives above the World He may have some Fears and Doubts But it is the Desire of a Saint to live above the things of the World If ye then be risen with Christ Saith a Reverend Author Amor meus pondus meum Every Man goes where his Love carries him seek those things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affections on things above and not on things on the Earth Col. 3.1 2. When I was in my natural state saith a Believer when the World went well with me I was mightily content but now I am risen with Christ made alive with Christ now my Heart is set on seeking things above had I but Communion with Christ could I but walk with Christ live upon Christ let the World go which way it will tho I have many Fears and Discouragements when I have Communion with Christ my Heart is above them all O my Soul what a good Day it is when thou canst enjoy Communion with Christ The Believer lives above Though many times a Soul hath his gloomy days in the World when Fears surround his Faith but he gets above it again When they look above where their Glory and Comfort is Set your affections on things above and not on things below There is an Exhortation and Dehortation Set your affections on things above there is the Exhortation And not on things below there is the Dehortation Christians are often forbid That they should not love the World and commanded positively that they should set their Hearts on things above Tho a Believer is many times complaining that his Heart is too much on this present World but saith a Believer I desire my Heart may be above O that it might never be below again O were it my Duty I would wish to be always in the House of God Therefore when your Heart is carried up above the World you have an Interest in a better Life than this is below Thirdly To perform Duty and to live on Christ above all Duties is another Character of one that makes Christ his Life They are carried up above Duty they pray and yet live on Christ by Faith they hear yet live on Christ for Righteousness Paul was a Man prizing Duty and loving Duty as much as any Saint preaching all night praying night and day preaching in season and out of Season he was much in praying and fasting yet saith he I count all my own righteousness but dung and dross without Christ It is rare Wisdom to be a Student in the Knowledge of Christ An exact walking Christian and yet to live above Duty upon Christ For one to neglect Duty and yet profess Christ that is a Delusion To profess Christ and live upon any thing below Christ is Confusion but to walk circumspectly in our Duty and yet to live above all upon Christ is a Character of a true Believer Fourthly If Christ is become your Life you will be diligent under all means of Grace under those means where Life is begotten and preserved The Impotent Folks lay at the Pool of Bethesda waiting for the moving of the Waters if ever they had healing it must be there A Soul must be diligent about Christ's Table where Crums fall to feed their 〈…〉 And Simon answering â—â—d unto him Master we have 〈…〉 the night and have taken nothing nevertheless at thy word I will let down the Net A diligent waiting at Wisdom's Gate a diligent hearkning when Christ will speak peace We will hear what the Lord will speak are the Words of gracious Soul Fifthly They that have Christ their Life Christ is very precious unto them O how precious is a Mans Life The Devil could tell God Behold skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his Life A Man would give any thing for his Life So a Believer would give any thing for a 〈◊〉 The Devil appears before God What is Job alive Tho be is 〈◊〉 of all thou hast spared his 〈…〉 Man will give all that 〈…〉 his â—â—fe Saith Paul I count 〈◊〉 but dung and dross that I may win Christ convinâ—◠〈…〉 will do any thing for a Christ part with any thing that they might but know Christ to be theirs When a Man is set on by Thieves saith he Take all so you save my Life Job 2.4 And Satan answered the Lord and said skin for skin all that a man hath will he give for his Life If Job had a thousand Treasures all that he had should go for his Life How willingly doth the Mariner unlade his Ship and cast all his rich Wares over-board that he may preserve that precious Jewel his Life A Man will give Skin upon Skin Gold upon Gold Treasure upon Treasure that he may save his own Life Let Life be at stake and a Man will give all the things he hath in the World for
it and think he hath a good bargain Life is the most precious the most excellent thing in Nature Hester's Speech to the King in her Petition imports that all other Losses might have been born but the loss of Life Mr. Caril on Job She thought Liberty not worth the asking for compared with Life A Christian values Christ above all things Phil. 3.7 What was gain to me I count loss that I may have Christ I count all but dung and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ For Christ is precious his Love is precious his Offices precious his Person precious his Promises are precious I would give all so I might have Christ to be mine Where Christ is your Life you will prize him above all O let me have Christ know Christ that is the Sum of my Life The Spouse told the Daughters He was the chief among ten thousand Did you ever see Christ precious Is his Blood precious Do you long for his Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.7 To them that believe he is precious Fifthly If Christ is your Life you will study Christ more and more Many we say are their own Physicians they will study Physick that they may be their own Doctors and know how to apply Medicines to themselves Those Souls that know Christ to be their Life they will study to know Christ more that they may have a Remedy for every Disease of their Souls ready at hand and not be strangers to that Grace and Mercy that helps in time of need I shall now come to wind up with a Word of Exhortation Is it so that the Life of a Believer is such a glorious Life O then you Christless Souls cry day and night till Christ is become your Life it is a Life above all Lives if once you come to live Christ you will say with David One day in thy Court is better than a thousand and I had rather be a door-keeper in the House of God than to dwell in the Tents of wickedness I would rather enjoy one moments time with Christ than all the Pleasures of the World It is a Life above all Lives The Happiness of this World is mixt with Sorrow You have your dead Flies in your sweet Oyntment The best of your outward Mercies are mingled with Trials and Troubles and Fears and when you have Gain you are afraid of losing it When you have great Mercies you have great Care comes in with it But to live Christ it is a pure Life It is said of Wisdom All her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are paths of Peace Now the Soul that lives on Christ what a sweet Life what a pure Life what a glorious Life does he live But saith the Sinner What shall I do Ah Sinner Christ hath done all that thou mayest have all given freely for in thy doing thou mayest be undone But what may you do to make Christ your Life Nothing that we do can move God to give Christ If we think we deserve any thing at God's hand for our doings it is the way to be undone But though we cannot work for Life we are taught to beg for Mercy God will be enquired of for those things he freely gives First Go to God and beg of him to convince thee of the necessity of Christ Go and tell the Lord what an undone and miserable Wretch thou art thou art poor and canst not see it Cry Lord I am poor but I am blind and miserable O Lord convince me what need I have of Christ Jesus Beg of God to open thy eyes to see the worth and want of Christ Secondly Beg the Lord to awaken thy Soul to see how suitable Christ is to thy Soul If the Lord would speak from Heaven this day and say to an awakened Sinner What wilt thou have Sinner Riches and Honours Wilt thou have long Life The Sinner awakened would answer No Lord that is not suitable give me thy self or I am undone Oh how suitable is Christ to an undone Soul Thirdly Beg God to perswade thy Heart how ready and willing Christ is to entertain thee when all is done you still sink under your Burden if you do not believe the willingness and reaidness of Christ to receive you Ah poor Sinner thou canst not long more for Life and Salvation than Christ longs to save thee All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Joh. 6.37 Fourthly What can you do Sinner Nothing to work in any way to purchase the Favour of God but this you may do Wait upon the means of Grace wait at Wisdoms Gate You do not know Sinner how soon it may be your Call how soon Christ may come and you may hear the Voice of the Son of God Though a carnal natural Man can do nothing in matter of his Salvation he may wait on God in the way of his Divine Appointments Though Zaccheus was a carnaâ—â—ublican he could get up into the â—â—camore-Tree to see Christ A poâ—â—â—â—â—â—al Heart may come wait and hea◠〈◊〉 be at Wisdoms Gate Come get into the Sycamore Tree and it may please the Lord to speak a Word to thee this day or next day Salvation may come to thy House to thy Soul May not we liken many persons that come to hear the Gospel to Zaccheus's getting up the Tree to get a sight of Christ they come to see and be seen and think not what they shall meet with they never see their need of Christ but Christ comes and calls the Soul awakens it Sinner where art thou Where art thou going undon sinner I will become thy Salvation Luke 19.3 Zaccheus had only a mind to see Christ as other persons had And he sought to see Jesus who he was but could not for he was low of Stature and he ran before and climbed up into a Sycamore Tree to see Christ And when Jesus came to the place he looked up and saw him Christ must look upon us first he saw a poor ignorant People running to see his Person but not to believe in him for Salvation Christ said unto him Zaccheus make haste and come down for to day I must abide at thy House Come to the Ordinances of God attend there Then poor Sinner thou art in the way though thou hast no Interest in Christ nor never heardst this Salvation sounding in thy Soul so as to give thee comfort though thou art looking and beholding there seeing and hearing out of custom Jesus said unto him Make haste and come down for to day I must abide at thy House Make haste if Christ would give thy poor dark Soul a call this day what haste would you make to close with Christ there would be no deliberation Zaccheus delays not but comes down presently and the Lord may speak in a Word of Grace sinner This day I will take up my Abode in thy Heart for ever O how good it
is to be under the means of Grace Tho many come but to take a Nap as Bishop Latimer saith God may catch thee napping The Lord may speak to thy Soul This day I will be thy Salvation O what joyful News would it be to a poor dead carnal sinner If the Lord should this day speak to thee and say Sinner I am thy Salvation And he came down and received him joyfully he was the best Guest that ever he entertained If you had asked Zaccheus a little before when he sat at the Receipt of Custom whether he would have parted with any thing for Christ he would not have hearkned to you now all shall go for a Christ now saith he Lord the half of my goods I give to the poor I will take Vengeance on my Iniquity and if I have taken any thing from any Man by false Accusation I restore him four-fold He came down and received him joyfully Thou art welcom to me if I had a thousand Worlds I could part with them all for Christ Be sure wait at Wisdoms Gate you may hear Christs Voice saying I am become thy Salvation Fifthly When you are waiting O send up Cries as the poor blind Men did when they heard that Christ was coming You have heard Christ preacht this day can you be still and not send up one Prayer and Cry to Christ Lord come into my Soul Will you go home with your cold Prayers and cold Hearts and cold Affections and shall Christ stand aloof off and you stand afar from Christ Mat. 20.30 And behold two blind setting by the way side when they heard that Jesus passed by cryed out saying Have mercy on us O Lord thou Son of David and the multitude rebuked them So a Soul may say I have a multitude within me bids me hold my Peace I have a multitude of unbelieving Thoughts tell me it is too late for me to come to Christ now I have a multitude of Thoughts Christ will not have mercy on me I have a multitude of Temptations never to pray more I have a multitude rebuking my Soul but the more the multitude rebuke me the more I will cry to Christ the more my unbelieving Heart cries Christ will not save thee the more I will cry to Christ to save me the more my Temptations bid me I should not pray I will pray the more when the Devil tells me it is in vain to seek for Mercy I will seek the more earnestly And they cryed Have mercy on us it was mercy they wanted Saith the Soul Unbelief tells me Christ will not look on such a Sinner as I am and my Heart tells me I am so vile there is no hope for me but I will cry the more Have mercy Lord help me I will tell the Lord I have need of a Christ I must have him or I am undone The more Temptations beset me the more Unbelief besets me the more I will cry to Christ to remove it the more I am tempted the more I will pray the more I will cry the faster I will cleave to Christ Sinners send up Cries to Heaven for Christ and Grace that your Souls may live and not die How would the Devil Baffle poor ignorant Souls out of all He would baffle them out of Duties and Ordinances and Sabbaths But a Believer will not be baffled by him and though the Devil and the World and his own Heart oppose him he saith I will make my Prayer to the God of my Life let them say what they will I will cry to Christ for Life And O you that are Strangers to Christ and are convinced of your undone condition beg of them that have an Interest in Christ to cry for you O you that have Christ consider what a safe a blessed a comfortable Life you live You that are yet Strangers what will you do when you come to die if Christ is not your Life Therefore let me beg of you to set your resolution to cry to the Lord and resolve that you will not be put off without Jesus Christ that you may not die in your sins and so perish for ever for the Wages of Sin is eternal Death but the Gift of God is eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ ERRATA Christian Reader Notwithstanding the Care that hath been taken to prevent Errors yet upon a farther perusal of this Tract I have found many have escaped the Press I hope what I have marked you will mind and what I have overlooked if you find them you will candidly pass thenn over minding the Sense and not charge the Author with the Printer's Faults PAge 13. line 24. for is he read would he be p. 29. l. 4. for his Jewels r. her Jewels p. 25. l. 10. for enjoys r. desires to enjoy p. 96. l. 5 6. for a Child in Christ r. Children of God for his r. their p. 249. l. 4 for to be r. is it to be p. 251. l. 14 for speak r. speak of p. 258. l. 9 for lives on r. lives Christ p. 260. l. 22. for the glorious the Mystery r. the glorious Mystery p. 262. l. 28. for a Soul r. Saints p. 263. l. 9. for Soul r. Souls p. 175. l. 17. for in thee r. in FINIS Books Sold by William Marshal at the Bible in Newgate Street Dr. Owen 's Books THE True Nature of a Gospel-Church and its Government wherein these following Particulars are distinctly handled I. The Subject-matter of the Church II. The formal Cause of a particular Church III. Of the Polity Rule or Discipline of the Church in general IV. The Overseers of the Church V. The Duty of Pastors of Churches VI. The Office of Teachers in the Church VII Of the Rule of the Church or Ruling Elders VIII The Nature of Church-Polity or Rule with the Duty of Elders IX Of Deacons X. Of Excommunication XI Of the Communion of Churches Printed in large 4o. Price bound 3 s. Another Book of the same Authors lately Printed left in Manuscript Entituled A Treatise of the Dominion of Sin and Grace wherein Sins Reign is discovered in whom it is and in whom it is not how the Law supports it and how Grace is deliver'd from it by seating its Dominion in the Heart Price bound 1 s. Another Book of the Doctors lately published Entituled A brief and impartial Account