thy Grace and Righteousness without that I have no comfort Come my Beloved let us get up early to the Vineyards let us see if the Vine flourish I am sure if I have not thy presence I shall have a dead and dark time a dismal walk of it Come Lord Jesus in the Revelation of thy Grace in my Heart then will my Soul thrive in Grace then shall I receive comfort If I have but the Buddings of Grace if I have thy presence I shall make a good construction of it if I have but a little Grace and Christs presence I can rejoyce in a little Grace A little Grace when Christ appears is more to a Believer than a strong Faith when Christ withdraws The Spouse would not bring discomfort to her self Come let us see if the Vine flourish whether the tender grapes appear if there be but the least Grace in my Soul what will you do there will I give thee my loves there will I give thee my delights there will I embrace thee with open Heart with warm Affections there will I give thee my praises there will I exalt thy name Come let us see whether the tender grape appear and the Pomegranates bud forth see how my Soul thrives let me take comfort though there be but the least budding forth of Grace though I have but a dram of Grace let me have thy presence there will I give thee my loves First My Soul shall have heart-joy and be full of delight Secondly Then will I give thee the glory of thy Grace Thirdly There will my Soul be endeared to thee When thou art present the very buddings of Grace will be sweet The strongest Believer cannot take comfort in his Graces till Christ appear in the manifestation of his Love to the Soul Fourthly Take Life for the end of Life The end I live for pray for hear for is that I may enjoy Christ My Friends Pray look to the end of your actions and see that your aim and desire in all is to glorifie and enjoy the Lord Jesus for it is but a few days and you will come to your last day a little time and you will have time no more a few Minutes before you will draw your last Breath a few Sabbaths and you will have no more and whatever you have done if you have not made Christ your life you are undone for ever That is an excellent question the Lord Christ puts to the multitude Mat. 11.7 saith our blessed Lord concerning John What went ye out into the Wilderness to see a Reed shaken with the Wind John that had Preacht of the coming and appearing of Christ there was abundance of People flockt about him to hear him as if they would all have been his Converts but alass they did not know him nor wherefore they went after him Many poor sinners seem to be taken with the Ministers and ways of God for a time but they do not know why nor wherefore as if the Lord Jesus should say if you are only taken with his Preaching as a Man and only the words of his mouth you will but see a Reed shaken with the Wind If a person goes to hear the best man upon earth Preach a man of the greatest Fame and Name and go barely for his Learning or Eloquence or to hear some new thing alass you see but a Reed shaken with the wind a poor mortal man a poor earthen Vessel the best of Ministers and Christians when under temptations are but Reeds shaken with the wind but if you come out to hear Christ Preacht to enjoy Christ to meet with Christ and can say I come to hear Christ Crucified and Preached Christs Righteousness revealed then indeed this is the aim and end of a Believer But saith Christ What came you out for we may say to many Professors What come you out for notwithstanding the means you have had the mercies you have enjoyed you are in the old way that you were in how blind and ignorant are most of the Doctrins of Faith in Christ of that Doctrin that alone will save them of that Righteousness that will cover them in the day of Battle Some are taken with one thing some with another some to get Notions in the Head to maintain Disputes But few come to enjoy Christ and meet with him but what went you out for O believer to enjoy Christ and if Christ is not your aim and end in every Duty and Sermon what a sad disappointment will you meet with at last Will you not do that in a spiritual action as in a civil action You eat you drink that you may live saith Christ Mat. 6.25 Take no thought for your life what you shall eat or what you shall drink nor yet for your body what you shall put on is not life more than meat and the body than raiment So I say is not Christ more than life Is not Jesus Christ more than all the things that appertain to life So saith a Believer I do all that I may get Christ So much for those four things in the Explication concerning Life The next is the reasons why a Believer enjoys Christ First Because of that Union there is between Christ and every Believer As there is an Union between a man and himself so is there an Union between Christ and a Believer You are dead and your Life is hid with Christ in God not I live but Christ lives in me I am not on my own bottom I am not a man living of my self they that are joyned to the Lord are one Spirit Christ is made my own he is made to me Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Christ and I am one I am a Member of his mystical Body so that wherever I live I live in Christ and Christ in me and I live to Christ A Believer is the very Image of Christs Goodness the very Impression of Christs Mercy the pledges of Christs Love Saith a Believer I see Christs Conquests is my Conquest his Life my Life his Righteousness my Righteousness his Victory my Victory I see him dead for me risen for me at Gods Right Hand for me appearing in Glory for me raising me up at the last day John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent him draw him and I will raise him up at the last day There is such an Union between the dust of a Believer in the Grave and Christ that he will raise him up in a close and near Union his Body like Christs glorious Body Saith Christ though a Believer dies there shall none of his Glory be lost the Grave is a perfumed Bed to take a sweet Nap till Christ calls in the glorious morning of the Resurrection then he will raise up every crum of his dust there shall none of him be lost for there is such an Union between Christ and a Believer that a Believer may meet death and not fear Death is but a messenger
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
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
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
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
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
external Duties performed yet the Soul does not grow When Trees are short they bear thick When a Soul grows in Humility they bring forth much Fruit though they hang down their Heads When the Bunches of Grapes are heavy then does the Vine hang down its Head So when a Soul grows out of Love with its self and in love with Christ then does the Soul lie low before the Lord. When a Believer thinks there is a decaying it is not so though it may be some Graces are not so much in Exercise at one time as at another But I do not understand how Grace can decay whilst Christ lives The Trees are not green all the year yet you do not say they are dead the Root is in the Earth and keeps alive So a Believer groaning under a sense of his unworthiness he is then best prepared to bring forth Fruit to God The more we find our own unworthiness and the less we find the Promises to belong unto us the more we must desire them being assured that this desire doth greatly please God who desireth and willeth his Grace should be earnestly desired Therefore when the glorious Sun of Righteousness casts forth its Divine Beams the Soul grows humble and lowly There may be some deadness as to the exercise of Faith some deadness as to the exercise of Love some backwardness in heart unto Duty Is the Soul now decaying No it is a Winter Season and tho you do not find Grace in present Exercise yet your Root is alive and will spring forth Will Christ let it die No it is more to glorifie his Grace Lazarus shall lie four days in the Grave and then the Power of God will be more glorified in raising him up and this we find most excellent in Peter Did not Peter know Christ Yes but yet he must take a little better root he must see that not only his Righteousness is in Christ but his Life also Peter was a brave Man before he fell I will not forsake thee though all men do I will stand by thee if all Men forsake thee I will stand alone Many times when we are carried on smoothly and largely on Duty we are apt to think our Mountain shall never be moved as David did but saith he Thou hidst thy Face and I was troubled When the Sun is lowest and furthest from us then our Shadows are longest but when it is shining over our Heads and nearest us then our Shadows are shortest then the Sun is to us most glorious So it is the less our knowledge of Christ is the more do Men doat on their own Righteousness The Shadow of their own Righteousness is longest when Christ and they are most Strangers but when Christ comes to dart into them his glorious Beams then they see themselves nothing The Soul that hath a glorious Revelation of Jesus Christ comes to see himself all in Christ and nothing in himself Saith the Apostle Sin died and I revived Christ is truly Omnipotent and truly then reigns in our Souls when we find our selves so weak that we can scarce give a Groan Many because they have not outward Marks or Signs in acting of Sanctification they will conclude they are not alive in Christ but Faith when Christ arises with Glory on the Soul beholds Christ what he is in the Promises and what he hath done for poor sinners and so wraps it self in Christ alone in whom all the Promises are Yea and Amen for ever Christ is that glorious Sun from whence a Believer hath all his Light and that precious Stock that a Believer receives sap and nourishment from to bring forth Fruit. A Believer may have a Winters season that he may not exercise his Grace but I cannot understand that a Believer can be said to decay in Grace being engrafted in Christ Do you think Peter is in a worse condition than before or that he decays No it is only Grace stopt in its exercise Do you think Faith was in a decaying Frame I know many conclude it was but I cannot think it Faith was only stopt in its exercise his Faith was in the hands of Christ safe Sin is sin and will cost the Saint dear but though sin is evil in its self God brings it about for good and though there is a stop in the Exercise of Grace the Root shall not wither nor the Branch neither but the Sun of Righteousness will shine on the Soul and revive it What does poor Peter do O how does he break forth into sorrow Luke 22.61 The Lord turned and looked upon Peter and Peter remembred the word of the Lord how he had said Before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice and Peter went out and wept bitterly Was Peter in a decaying Frame The exercise of his Faith was stopt for a time the Current of that Faith that works by Love that should have been stronger than Death that many Waters cannot quench that Love that should have been in a Flame it was for a while under the Ashes and the Flouds did as it were overflow it But did Peter decay No Peter's root was in the Ground there came a glorious Beam from the Lord Jesus that did revive Peter Peter the Devil will sift thee and thy Comforts will have a failing time thy own experience will fail thee of thy love to Christ and confidence of thy Courage and Boldness There is no building on experience we may take them for comfort but it is Faith in Christ we must build on because experiences may fail us Peter comes to a sad experience of his own wretched Heart his Love was as it were under Water but saith Christ Peter I have prayed that thy Faith be not lost thy experience will fail for a time When a Tree does not bear Fruit in the Summer we say it fails but in the Winter you cannot say it fails because you cannot expect Fruit So Christ told Peter his Faith should not fail therefore it did not decay but there was a stop in its exercise but his Faith being kept by Christ prayed for by Christ it did not fail Indeed poor Judas's decayed Demas and Alexander's decayed because theirs was but seeming not real Grace But is Peter's decayed No He like the Flowers in Spring time appeared Christ looked upon Peter The Sun of Righteousness this glorious Lord the Believers Life when he sees the Believer wants a Season to bring forth Fruit then he turns about the Divine Beams of his Grace toward the Soul Peter had taken Root and now he shall bring forth Fruit. Peter remembred the Words of Jesus he remembred what Christ had said Lord thou hast told me what a deceitful heart I have And what does he boast No he falls a weeping he grows in Humility now he hath a look from Christ O how many sweet Looks go forth in those Divine Beams on Peter's Soul Christ takes care of his own we have great Complaints from a Believer but
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
he did walk frowardly before me gave me not my ends in smiting him yet I will heal him and wherein doth this healing consist Alas in restoring Joy and Comfort to him The poor Soul was overwhelmed with Sorrow his Heart was ready to sink and fail within him and lest it should do so he will heal him Here is a healing indeed the healing of broken Bones and broken Hearts the Lord Jesus was anoynted by the Father for this very purpose with the Oyl of Joy and Gladness above his Fellows that he might speak in due season that he might bind up the broken Spirits The Lord Jesus delighteth to do this Will and Work of his Father O he loveth to be doing with broken Hearts And O that we had Work for the Lord Jesus This day he is among us now to see if there be any Heart in this condition that he may heal us it is his delight to do it O how doth many a poor Soul come under an Ordinance with an heartless Mind cold and dead and his Heart doth burn within him while the Lord by his Spirit hath Communion with him in those Ordinances What refreshing doth arise to a poor weary Soul when the Lord that createth the Fruits of the Lips speaketh Peace to such troubled and weary Souls He reviveth the Spirits which languish and are ready to go out As the poor Birds that in the Winter are hard put to it some lie you hardly know where as if they were dead or dying when the Sun returneth how doth it revive their little Spirits that were dead before The Night brings a heaviness and burden along with it to the Body but in the morning when the Sun ariseth how doth it enliven and enlighten Oh so it is in this case many poor Souls can say by experience when darkness hath been long on them they have no light no comfort no refreshment no breathing of the Spirit to their Apprehensions in Ordinances on their Heart O how have their Hands hanged down and their Knees feeble and knock one against another for feebleness And that which was within them in their own Apprehension ready to die But no sooner hath the Lord Jesus the Sun of Righteousness looked on them Mr. Murcer but they have had their Ankle-bones stretched The Joy of the Lord is their strength Neh. 8.10 The Saint indeed sometimes may have some Graces that may not be in exercise but there are other Graces set on work so that a Soul still lives a fruitful Life While you are ignorant of Christ there is no going forward whatever whatever Duties we do it is all but an heap of Ignorance Legal Repentance is such Sorrow as is in Hell but they that know Christ go forth of themselves to Christ for all First The Soul goes forth from his own Righteousness all becomes as filthy Rags he goes forth from himself you will never thrive while under the old Adam no believing in Christ no living on Christ until the Soul goes out of himself before ever you can see Christ glorious you must go out of your selves Cant. 3.11 Go forth O ye Daughters of Zion and behold King Solomon with the Crown wherewith his Mother crowned him in the day of his Espousals and in the day of the gladness of his Heart It is a glorious crowning when we are crowned with Christ's Crown but a withered Crown when we are crowned with our own Doings and Duties The Pharisees never thrived under any thing they did because they did not come forth of themselves Go forth from your sins from your selves out of your selves to Christ for your Life A poor Man hath nothing at home and he goes forth every day for something to live on So a poor Believer cries Lord I have nothing in my self I will live upon Christ for all it is not enough that I have made a Profession or can hear a Sermon or have got good Books but saith the Soul that knows Christ I will live every day on Christ for new experience for new supplies every day for the manifestation of his Grace of his Love of his Peace The Natural Man is bound up in himself and is fond of his Prison As the Prodigal he was resolved as long as he could get Husks he would live on them rather than go to his Fathers House for Bread Many poor Creatures while they can but speak to God in Duty though they have many fears they will live on that rather than go to Christ to be their Life The Woman of Canaan was highly to be commended for when Christ told her she was a Dog she desired a Crumb Why Woman sure you may fare better than to live on Crumbs What have you nothing at home No she must live upon Christ for she had not a Crumb of her own that would feed her Soul Mat. 15.25 26 27. She came and worshiped him saying Lord help me But he answered and said It is not meet to take the Childrens Bread and to cast it to Dogs And she said Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Master's Table I shall never thrive till I am under Christ's Table A Crumb from Christ will satisfie me more than all my own Loaves I am sure not a word drops from him but it is Life not any Look from him but it is Life not any Communication from him but it is Life So a Soul that lives on Christ he goes forth of himself O pray how do you that have been so long without the knowledge of Christ that live upon your own Duties A Believer will tell you he lives better and fares better now he is Christ's Beggar and lies under his Table for a Crumb than he did when he lived on his own stock There is Liberty in this Life If the Son make you free ye are free indeed You are but Bond-slaves by Nature a Slave to the Devil a Slave to the World a Slave to your selves in Bondage to the Law and I believe many Professors in this day understand not these words If the Son make you free then are you free indeed Many will be ready to say Make me free I will pray my way to Heaven I will hear my way to Heaven Ay but do what you will while you are out of Christ you are in Bonds it is only Christ can make you free John 8.36 If the Son make you free ye shall be free indeed The Servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth ever the Servant shall be cast forth When you have done all you shall be shut out of Heaven if you are not a Son The Servant abideth not in the House for ever but the Son abideth for ever If you bring the best of your Performances at the Great Day before the Lord and hope to be accepted for your so doing if you should say Lord receive me into thy Kingdom of Glory for I have prayed and fasted and gave
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
that can never be healed by all his Works It must be Christ that must redeem his immortal Soul When Adam had sinned God said Thou shalt die that is in dying thou shalt die a double Death while he lived he lived a dying Life To live Christ it is a suitable Life a precious Christ for a precious Soul is suitable For First The Redemption of the Soul is precious they are not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his Grace Now this Redemption becomes not the Soul till a Soul lives on Christ but this Redemption is suitable to a Soul under the wrath of God under sin and under Guilt Secondly Pardoning Grace is very precious And it is in Christ alone that the Soul can be pardoned Pardon is a precious Jewel to an immortal Soul It is only living by Christ laying hold on Christ that this pardoning Grace is conveyed to the Soul Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven him whose iniquity is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Rom. 8.32 Psal 1.2 An immortal Soul is precious in its being yet for want of a pardon is miserable to all Eternity because of its precious Excellency and Nature that wants the highest perfection to live upon him alone and not having him to be their Life their Death is more miserable than any Creature because other Creatures when they die there is an end of their Misery If a Man be condemned to die that is a Malefactor if under the sense of his miserable end looks upon himself better never to have been born better never to have lived on Earth than to make such an end A Soul out of Christ is the most miserable Creature that can be for the excellency of the immortal Soul is cast down to the greatest misery because it wants that which alone is the Soul's cure and happiness Thirdly Christ is suitable to the Soul in that there is a righteousness suitable to cover the Soul All the Gold and Silver and Jewels in the World will not be of any account to an immortal Soul when it stands naked before God But Christ's Righteousness is a precious Garment that cloaths the Soul that is naked in sin Buy of me white raiment thou art poor miserable and naked but I counsel you to buy of me Gold tried in the Fire that thou mayest be rich and white Raiment that thou mayest be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear Here is a cloathing for the Soul or else it will remain naked for ever and have nothing to keep off the Wrath of God When a Soul is convinced and awakened and affected with the Love of Christ when the Beams of his Divine Love and Grace break into the Soul embracing Christ what a quick sight and sense hath a Soul of Divine Comforts and Blessings And on the other hand what a quick sight and sense hath a Soul of the Wrath of God that is awakened under the sense of its Guilt and Misery Many have stifled their Conviction being swallowed up in Sensuality and are apt to forget the awakenings of Conscience by reason of the hardness of their Hearts and blindness of their Minds but when God comes to awaken them thoroughly that ye shall not sleep again then the Soul hath a deep sense of the Wrath of God If we could have spoken with Judas before he hanged himself he would have told you he had Hell begun here If you could have spoke with Cain he would tell you he found the Terrors of Hell while here on Earth Were we to speak to despairing Souls yet out of Hell they will tell you their Souls are naked to Divine Vengeance apply to them what Comforts you will there is nothing will do them good without an Application of Christ to their Souls and as they are awakened here so they will feel another Day what they now fear Psal 90.11 What is suitable to the Soul but Christ Have not many gone with all their Gifts and Parts and Duties to Hell What will serve this Immortal Soul but the Robes of Christ's Righteousness That alone will save from the Wrath of God and will alone bring the Soul in the favour and love of God Therefore to know and behold Christ is the only suitable good for an Immortal Soul We say when we see a Man raised from sickness or Death by the use of means How happy it was he was directed to that means or Physician Ah! but thrice happy yea a thousand times happy yea everlastingly happy art thou if thou art directed to know Christ for his is the only Righteousness that can cloath you to stand in God's Presence and be saved from the Wrath to come Then further as there is in Christ's precious Pardon and precious Righteousness to cover the Soul So there is precious Peace suitable When a Man hath not Peace with God he is a miserable wretched Man For a Man to be followed up and down where-ever he goes with the Wrath of a sin-revenging God that he cannot come to God But whereever he goes he is afraid Divine Vengeance will seize him What a dreadful state is it Fifthly To have Christ our Life is suitable because Christ lives for ever and your Soul lives for ever and you must have something to uphold them for ever All the Saints in Heaven though they live for ever and all the Angels though they live for ever they cannot help you if you have not Christ for yours If Christ who is at God's right Hand is not your Life where will your immortal Souls sink How happy is it to be provided for an Immortal Life Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter Psal 45.6 The Soul liveth for ever and therefore a short good Mr. Murcot on the Parable of the ten Virgins tho never so full is not commensurate to it There must be certitudo aeternae fruitionis There must be a never-dying Life and that must be a Life wrapt up in Christ Your Life is hid with Christ in God e're long you will all go out of this World and must appear before God and if you have not Christ for your Life what will you do What a Folly is it to make any thing your Hope below Christ be it Riches or Honours or Duties alas these will all fail you Saith John the Baptist I live a decreasing Life He must increase but I must decrease John 3.20 but he is yesterday and to day the same for ever but all other things will wither and die Therefore how good is it to live in Christ Take a Soul naked out of the Body and shew it all the Riches and Honours and Blessings of the World Alas they can
out Lord must I be shut up under thy eternal Wrath for ever There he sees the Judge condemning him the Law condemning him Conscience condemning him he can look no way but he is amazed above him a sin-revenging God below him everlasting Flames O what a dreadful Outcry will a condemned Soul make You may know by these foolish Virgins Lord Lord open to us what a dreadful Outcry will there be for a condemned sinner to appear before a sin-revenging God You are all condemned in Adam and if you have not a Christ you will be condemned to all Eternity when the last Moment comes what an Outcry will there be Lord Lord must I to Hell for ever Must I be damned for ever Yea Soul for thou hast no part nor portion in Christ Secondly As Seamen or Mariners when they suffer Shipwrack and are sinking make a dreadful Cry so a Soul that 's out of the Body that hath not Christ all your Duties and Profession and Comforts all your Righteousness and your Souls sinking together O what a dreadful Cry will there be my hope is perished my Righteousness is perished my Duties abhorred Wo is me I am undone for ever Thirdly What a dreadful Outcry is there when a City is besieged and plundered and all the Men Women and Children put to Fire and Sword So when Christless Persons must appear before God's Tribunal the Sword of Divine Justice meets the Soul The Angel that stood at the Gate of Paradice had a flaming Sword in his Hand the Justice of God that flaming Sword will meet you at Heaven Gate Soul no entrance here you must for ever lie in the Prison of Hell till your Debts are paid you have no Surety you have no Christ you have no Grace then you must for ever depart into everlasting Burnings now too late when Justice hath took hold of them Legions of Devils halling them down to the bottomless Pit They cry Lord Lord open to us when their Lamps are gone out Now Lord we see our Sparks dying before they reach Heaven O pardon this our Hypocrisie And O give of thy Oyl Thou art the Olive-tree pour out thy Oyl into our Vessels Had they with the wise Virgins Oyl in their Lamps saving Grace in their Hearts they had been ready and entred with Christ No but they would not come to Christ and see now the Gate was shut upon them now they cry Lord open to us they would not come to him for a Wedding Garment but they would be beholden to him to let them enter into the Feast without one Mr. Murcot tho Heaven would have held them but a little while if they had entred in that condition Next This Life is a suitable Life because it is a glorious Life Alas you live a miserable Life till you know Christ A Professor without Christ is a poor empty Person You read of a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwells Righteousness What was the Earth A dark Chaos before the glorious Sun that glorious Light came What is a poor Soul in this poor House of Clay till you come to know Jesus Christ till you come to live Christ We have a dark Chaos but when you come to live Christ this is a new Heaven in the Soul and a new Earth every part of the Soul every Member of the Body is put into a new Frame O saith the Soul let me not act but for Christ let me not walk but with Christ let me not be employed but for Christ let me not live but to Christ it may be you will give us the hearing of a Sermon on the Lords Day but what Mould are you cast in all the Week Alas what Folly and Madness is it for to be seeking looking waiting and watching for what is not for what will not do you good Our Eye is fixed our Thoughts are fixed our Hands are employed but is it for Christ Can you say you desire nothing in comparison of Christ Or are your Thoughts swallowed up in the World Where you have had one for Christ it may be you have had many thousands for the World To be a Professor and not live on Christ it is as if a dead Man should be dress'd with the Cloaths of a living Man and should have Meat dish'd out and set before him to eat who yet remains Dead and the Meat untasted Persons may make external Profession and have Ordinances administred to them but if you do not know Christ and live Christ what Profit will you have in all What is the Chaff to the Wheat Most of the Sermons you hear you may have the Notions of Religion but if Christ is not made manifest to your Souls you have but the Shell without the Kernel the Chaff without the Wheat He that knows Christ he that lives Christ is above that Soul let him live never so noble a Life that knows not Christ Therefore the Prophet saith That a wise Child is better than an old and foolish King Eccles 4.13 A wise Christian though he is never so little in Grace and Knowledge that knows Christ is better than the greatest Person in knowledg that doth not know Christ Better is the poorest lowest Christian than the greatest Noble in the Land that doth not know Christ Now I shall shew in some particulars the Glory of this Life To live Christ first If you come to live Christ it is a glorious Life for there is the beginning of Glory Whatever you do you never come to have Glory begun till you come to live on Christ by Faith Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun the good Work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ he that justifies he glorifies We are called to eternal Glory by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 5.10 If we have not Christ ours eternal Life will never be ours Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of Glory All the Pearls of a Christians Crown of Glory are the purchase of Christ's Blood As soon as a Soul begins to know Christ he begins an Heaven on Earth Let Earth and Hell do what they will Glory is begun the World and Devil and Temptations may toss you but they are come too late to destroy you there is immortal Life and Glory begun The immortal Seed is sowed in the Soul Grace in the Soul is Glory in the Believer Christ dwelling in the Soul is the beginning of Glory you never come to know the Life of Glory till you know Christ and when you come to live on Christ you are in the way to Glory and shall as sure come there as the Saints and Angels now in Glory This is the comfort and stay of a Believer when he comes to know Christ he is certainly linked to eternal Glory Secondly To live Christ is a glorious Life for you are changed from Glory to Glory into the same Image for there is a glorious Union between Christ and a Believer there is the natural Faculties there is the same
Soul hast thou breathed after Christ in them Then Soul they are perfumed they will be accepted in Christ Therefore by Faith in Christ your Prayers are safe O blessed be God for Jesus Christ blessed be God for the Persume and blessed be God for this ascending for you never would have ascended if it were not for the Spirit of God nor have your Prayers perfumed were it not for the sweet Odour of Christ's Righteousness There are two things a carnal Heart is ready to do if they do a Duty to their mind then they are apt to be proud of it and rest on it and if they do not do it to their Mind then they are cast down and complain I cannot pray I cannot profit by hearing God hath forgotten me The humble Godly believing Soul that hath made Christ his Life he can truly say Though I am poor in my self yet I am rich in Christ I am indifferent and cold in Prayer but Christ is my Offering and Altar and therefore in him I put up all to God Therefore you see how safe a Soul is that is in Christ First Your Souls are safe none can rob you of them go where you will your Souls are safe in the hands of Christ you that live Christ know Christ believe in Christ lay hold on Christ your Souls are safe indeed he will keep you Saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.12 What I have committed to him he will keep my All I have left with him he that hath bought me that hath paid the price I have committed all to him As you know if a Man hath purchased a rich Jewel and leaves it in the hand of a trusty Friend saith he I have left it with one that is an able Man but is he faithful Yes he is a very honest Man O how much more may we speak of Christ Hast thou committed thy Soul to Christ Why Because he is able to pay whatever Justice can demand He hath paid it all Whatever Troubles or Trials I go through Christ can bare me up But is Christ faithful He is a faithful High Priest saith Paul I have committed my All to him You do not know what you lose by not committing your selves to Christ We commit our selves to our selves and that is our great loss If you believe Christ to be faithful commit your Souls to him it is safe to leave your All with Christ Sometimes a Man will not leave the worth of six pence in another Mans hand why Because he is in debt and so he thinks it is not safe Christ is not in debt he hath paid all that God hath demanded therefore do you commit your Souls to him the Apostle had committed his All to him and truly Paul had learn'd very much of the knowledg of Christ For the which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed Many times a person says I am ashamed I was such a Fool to believe such a Person Many times you trust to your own Heart ay the more Fool you Many times you say I trust to my own Duties ay the more Fool you But I have committed my All to Christ Why Because I know him I have left all with him and I am perswaded when I meet the great God I shall not be a Farthing in debt for Christ hath paid all I am perswaded my Comforts will be safe I am perswaded my Hopes my Faith my Soul my Body my Treasure are all safe when the poor Hypocrite will be ashamed when the carnal Professor will be ashamed Whatever Denomination Believers go under by a reproaching World let them do all they can you that have committed your Souls to Christ shall not be ashamed Nevertheless I am not ashamed saith the Apostle for I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Look to that day that great day of accounts is coming that day that you must meet God at the Judgment-seat If Christ doth not then present his satisfaction for you to God you must lie by it to all Eternity But if you are in Christ your Souls are safe Paul was as sure of Glory as if he were in Heaven he was as certain of a Crown of Righteousness as if possess'd of it 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforward there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto them also that love his appearing Friends look to your Crown look to your Souls look to your Glory ay and that you may secure them look that you lay hold on Christ Methinks to consider how many Millions of Souls will stand at the great Day strangers to Christ that have made a great Profession of Religion but have rested upon their own Duties for Salvation should awaken us to throw our selves upon Christ alone in all we do for acceptance before God Do as many Duties as can be performed if Christ be not yours at that day you will be confounded but if Christ is yours your Souls are safe But Christians are your Souls in the hands of Christ Bought with the Blood of Christ Have you committed your Souls to Christ Do you live on him Psal 37.5 Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall hring it to pass he will never fail them that commit themselves unto him Heb. 13.8 Yesterday and to day the same for ever If the World be turned upside down he is the same for ever Secondly The Soul that lives Christ his Soul is safe none can rob him of his Comforts First Afflictions shall not rob you of your Comforts Truly I tell you Friends there are many we hope they are Believers but for want of a real demonstration of Faith in Christ and living on Christ they are afraid in every Trouble that God is coming to destroy them But if Christ is your Life who can destroy you Mat. 10.28 And fear not them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both Body and Soul in Hell What hurt can all Affliction do when God is your God There is not one Affliction comes but it is in Love You may write Love upon all your bitter Portions they are all safe you have them from a kind and tender Physician that understands his Practice and loves his Patients If it is a bitter Portion yet Love and Care may be writ upon all Many are apt to cry God is against me he is destroying me he hath found me out but when Christ is become your Life it is all in Love from God If a Child be running in a pleasant way to the Rivers side where many Children have been drowned and one pulls this
him in Glory Col. 3.3 4. For ye are dead and your Life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall they also appear with him in Glory The Saints if they consider need not be so afraid at the approaching of Death for it will be the real happiness of their Souls for then you shall enjoy that perfect Communion and Blessedness that you long for here on this side the Grave We are willing to have rest but are loath to go to bed we are willing to be released of our sins and troubles but we are unwilling to die and we shall never be wholly freed from them till then How lingring are we as if our Desires were that Christ's Chariot-wheels should stay a little longer But sure were the Joy of this glorious Life more cleared up to us we should long to put off our Mortality and to put on Immortality 2 Cor. 5.1 2 3 4. You that have Christ for your Life are very safe Death shall rob you of nothing for the Apostle saith For him to live is Christ and to die is gain Death does but take away that clod that we carry about us that we may see the Sun of Righteousness more glorious and enjoy him more perfectly in immortal Life and Glory Death robs most but shall not rob the Believer you shall but make an exchange of Heaven for Earth Glory for your Shame Joy for Sorrow for your crying and weeping here praise and Hallelujahs above Fourthly Death shall not rob you of your Treasure Indeed the Damned live but it is a miserable Life living Death in everlasting chains When Death comes the Treasure of the Saint is perfectly enjoyed What they had an earnest of before now they have in possession now they shall put on the glorious Robe and the Royal Crown on their Head they shall put on the Crown of Glory and of Righteousness Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness O what a laying up is here When the Apostle was ready to be offered up saith he I am ready to be offered up but I shall lose nothing by it for I cannot have my Crown till I die 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all that love his appearing I am ready to go I do not repent my going I know very well the time of my departure is at hand But what then Though it be I have fought the good fight I have kept the Faith I have lived Christ I have made him the hope of my Life and now I shall receive my Crown I have been in Troubles and Trials and in my Lords Battles but now I am going to receive a Crown of Righteousness Why so Had Paul deserved it by his Works No but as God is a righteous God and had promised Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day I shall have it when I am offered up when I am put to Death and then shall I wear a Crown an Immortal Crown on my Head for ever and this is not only for me but for all that love his appearing they must needs love his appearing that have him for their Life O the glorious Crowns that the Saints shall be crown'd with at that day a Crown of Life that never withers Here our Comforts wither while we hold them in our Hand they wither like a Beautiful Flower in the Morning it holds up its Head but by Evening it is withered A Crown of Glory that never fades away O what treasures will the Saints have when Death comes that have made Christ their Life The Worldling will lose his Treasure the Hypocrite will lose his hope he will never hope more Job 27.8 For what is the hopes of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul Tho he hath gained applause of Men he shall lose it Dan. 12.3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever What is the Hope of a Hypocrite of a Christless Soul when he hath breathed his Last when his Soul sits quivering on his Lips Alas I have made a Profession of Religion I thought I had something laid up but all is lost for ever O that I should hope in vain and now the end of my hope is come and not the Salvation but Damnation of my Soul Though I have done many things and made a clutter in the World and eat and drunk in Christ's Presence it is all in vain that I have hoped my strength and my hope is perished for ever and then all his Peace is lost No Peace saith my God to the wicked Then the Storm of Divine Vengeance will come and awaken the false hope of the Hypocrite then the Worldling will lose all his Riches The Young Man was sorrowful to leave all and follow Christ Persons are afraid to do any thing for Religion for fear of wanting But whether the Young Man will part with all to follow Christ or no he must leave all at Death Death does spoil them of all their Treasure But it is not so with the Saint The poor Christless Soul may say when he considers his state Whatever I have e're long it will be taken from me if I have treasured up the Worlds Goods and have not made Christ my Life I am like for ever to be undone to use this World to God's Glory will be our Mercy but to over-love it it will be our undoing but Death to the Saint will be the year of Jubile they shall have double for all their Trials Troubles and Sorrows when Death comes they shall have all restored to them whatever they have lost for Christ it will be gain then they have laid up for themselves a good Foundation for time to come as the Apostle speaks 1 Tim. 6.17 18 19. Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the times to come that they may lay hold on eternal Life A good Foundation against the time to come the Saints have their Treasure in store when they go hence Mat. 6.20 Lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where Thieves do not break through nor steal In Heaven there his Heart was there his Hope was there his Desire was there his Longing was and now he comes to die his Treasure is