motus Anioâ—i est eontemplatio Dei Plato Timaeo That the healing of any thing consists in giving it its proper diet and motion and then he addes That the proper motion of the mind consists in the contemplation of God Does not this greatly evince and prove that the health of the soul consists in an intimate union and adherence to Christ For what more proper diet can the renewed soul have than Christ himself and is there any motion more decent and becoming the friends of Christ than a close and uninterrupted communion with Christ himself And the same Philosopher informes us Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plato Repub. 4. fol. 444. That the right method of restoring health is to restore al the humors and parts of the bodie to their natural order for what is sicknes but some disorder c. And then he more particularly affirmes That the health of the soul consists in virtue Does not this infallibly demonstrate that the Health of the soul is maintained and improved by adherence to Christ for himself For what order what virtue can there be in the soul without this adherence So Mal. 4.2 With healing under his wings and Rev. 22.2 2. 2. Strength Another issue of life is Strength and stabilitie of parts which is a consequent of health and consists mostly in the Vigor and Activitie of the Spirits Hence we find both these joined together as the proper effect of the soul's adherence to God in Christ Prov. 3.7 Fear the Lord Prov. 3.7 8. and depart from evil i. e. Cleave to God in Christ for himself which according to the Old Testament phraseologie is expressed by fear and bid adieu to sin What then v. 8. It shal be health or medicine to thy Navel As if he had said look as the Navel administers nourishment and medicine to Infants lodged in their Mothers womb for the restauration and confirmation of al parts so this filial fear or obsequious adhesion of thy soul to God in Christ shal feed nourish confirme and restore al parts of thy spirit Whence it follows and marrow to thy bones or irrigation or watering to thy bones i. e. look as the marrow by the moisture it affords to the bones doth very much confirme and strengthen the same as Job 21.24 so in like manner doth the soul's adherence to God in Christ greatly confirme and strengthen it The Nerves though most flexible are judged the strongest part in the bodie because they are the vehicule of the Animal Spirits And how does this notion of bodily strength commend the soul's election of Christ which is the spiritual Nerve that conveigheth spirits and strength from Christ the Head unto the believing soul Again the strength of every thing is said to consist in its adherence to its first principles of Dependence the strength of the branch consists in its adherence to and communion with the stock and root And does not then the strength of Christ's friends consist in continued adherence to and dependence on him is not he the Vine and are not they the branches and can the branch get any strengch save by adhering to the Vine Was not this Christ's main errand into the world to bind up the broken-hearted Esa 61.1 The Philosopher could imforme us t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato Hippias fol. 375. That by how much the more righteous any soul is the stronger it is And are there any more truely righteous and holy than those who adhere most firmely to Christ for himself Does not the vigor and strength of Grace consist in this that it is as a pondus or weight to incline the whole soul to contemplate love and enjoy God in Christ for himself u Ordo sive Amor est pondus quo res omnis ad finem ut ad centrum quietem stabilitatem vergit Gib What is Divine Love but an impetus or strong impulse and bent of wil whereby it adheres to God for himself Is not al spiritual strength conveighed to the soul by this means 3. 3. Growth in Grace Another issue of life is augmentation or growth And what more effectually promotes the growth of the new creature than repeted Election of and Adherence unto Christ for himself The Improvement of Grace consists not merely in the Depuration of opposite principles nor yet in a greater Disposition of the subject but in the acquirement of a greater Latitude of spiritual life both intensive and extensive which ariseth from the soul 's firme Adhesion to and Dependence on Christ for himself For nothing doth more transforme the heart into the glorious Image of God than the fiducial intuition of the glorie of God in Christ 2 Cor. 3.18 And it is most certain that none arrive to higher raisures of Grace in this life than those that live most in actual Dependence on and communion with Christ for himself Does not the child thrive most when it adheres most unto and sucks the mother's Breasts And is not Christ the same to his friends as the Mother is to the child 1 Pet. 2.2 3 when is the branch more green and flourishing than at spring when it abides most in and receives most juice and sap from the Vine and is there not the same ressemblance between Christ and his friends Joh. 15.5 Who are they that go forth and grow up as Calves of the stal but Christ's friends who adhere to him and so lie under the warme beams of the Sun of Righteousnes who ariseth on them with healing under his wings Mal. 4.2 4. 4. Sense Another issue of life in the new Creature as wel as in the old is spiritual inward sense w Vitâ nihil sensibilius Life is of al things most sensible and the more spiritual and excellent the life is the more quick and lively are its senses x Quanto le cose sono piu materiali tanto è la lor ' insensibilita La Fisonomia Dela Belliere For by how much the more material any life is by so much the greater is its insensibilitie O then what a quick sense hath the friend of Christ so far and so long as by repeted acts of election he adheres to him as the fountain of his spiritual life It 's true peradventure he has not the grateful sense of the sweet Accidents of Christ's presence yet has he not the doleful sense of Christ's absence He has not the feeling sense of Christ's fulnes in him yet has he not a deep sense of his own emtines out of Christ He has not perhaps the refreshing sense of his Interest in Christ yet has he not a lively sense of the transcendent excellence of Christ and what a bitter thing the losse of Christ is According to the sweet sense we have of any Felicitie enjoyed such wil be our bitter sense of the losse thereof Now it is most certain that none have a more feeling bitter sense of the Absence or losse of
to elect and inviolably adhere to Christ because hereby it wil in its mesure participate of Eternitie it self and eternal enjoyments 3. Another commun place of Arguments Mot. 3. From the Nature of Amitie with Christ to enforce this Exhortation is taken from the genuine Idea and Nature of Amitie with Christ What is Friendship with Christ but a Divine Confederation Alligation or binding of the Heart to God by a solemne League and Covenant of Friendship And can there be a greater Felicitie than to have the soul bound by an inviolable Covenant of Amitie to the great Jehovah What Is it possible that a rational Creature should refuse such a sweet and Divine Obligation as this of friendship with Christ Are not these silken and golden chains whereby a rational soul is bound fast to his chiefest good more desirable than the Iron chains whereby the heart is fetterd to sensibled good Is there any losse or pain to be feared by having the soul inseparably glued and knit to such an excellent friend as Christ is Is it not a sweet and delightsome death to die with longings for and soul-satisfying conversation with Christ our best friend What is Hel but separation from Christ Psal 73.27 and therefore what-greater Heaven may we expect or desire than an Immutable and Intimate union and communion with Christ as our best friend Psal 73.28 Is it not strange then that Human Nature indued with Judgement and Wil should be so averse to a Covenant of friendship with Christ What not adhere and cleave to Christ who is so good a friend yea sometimes an only friend Doth the soul receive any Dammage by entring into a strict Amitie with Christ Is it any shame or disgrace for Human Nature to be fettered and chained to Christ the Lord of Glorie Wil any thing render thee more Happie than the eternal Blessed Vision and fruition of the Deitie And is not this Appendent to yea formally contained in friendship with Christ 4. Mot. 4. From the effects of friendship with Christ Lastly To provoke our spirits to an entire Election of Christ as our friend let us consider a little the blessed Effects of such an Election 1. Divine Life 1. Is not life a very eligible thing Did not Satan speak the truth when he said Skin for skin and al that a man hath for his life And is not the life of the soul by so much the more desirable than the life of the bodie by how much more excellent the soul is than the bodie Now wherein consists the life of the soul but in friendship with Christ As the life of the bodie Consists in its union with the soul so doth not the life of the soul consist in union with Christ as its Friend What is spiritual Death but Disunion from Christ Can there be a more natural uniforme equal permanent excellent noble and perfect life than that which consists in conversation with Christ our choicest friend Is not al other life though never so seemingly splendid and glorious but a dream and metaphor of life or rather a Shadow of death if compared with this life Yea doth not this bring health out of sicknes life out of death Heaven out of Hel 2. 2. Strength Wherein consists the Vigor and Strength of Human Nature but in Election of and Adhesion to Christ as our friend Doth not al Infirmitie and Imbecillitie of bodie spring from some dis-union obstruction or distance between the part and the whole And do not al our Infirmities of soul arise from Dis-union or Distance from Christ our Head Is not the soul most firme and strong when it adhereth most firmely to Christ its first principle 3. 3. Honor. What is true Nobilitie Honor and Dignitie but Adhesion to and participation of the Fountain of al Honors Now as the King is the Fountain of Honor in his Kingdome so is not Christ the Fountain of Honor in his Kingdome And can there be an higher piece of Honor among Subjects than to be the King's Favorite and friend to have his eye and ear and power to command And is not this Honor vouchsafed to al Christ's friends Have they not his ear yea heart to command as C. 6. S. 5. 4. 4. Libertie Wherein consists the formal Idea of Divine Libertie but in a Divine Amplitude or Enlargement of State and Acts arising from subjection to God and the use of al other things in subordination to him And is not this the immediate and essential product of Amitie with Christ as before C. 6. S. 5. 5. 5. Riches What are Riches but the Affluence of many useful and precious Goods Now if Christ be your friend are not al things yours 1 Cor. 3.22 23 Yea has not he an admirable facultie of Spiritualizing temporal mercies Are not the very commun goods of his friends sugared and watered with special favor dipt in the bloud of the Son of God And doth not this turne curses into blessings povertie into riches salt crosses into sweet mercies Whereas to such as are not friends of Christ their best blessings are salted with the curse of God The sweetest comforts want spirit and bloud without Christ but to such as are his friends there can be no want an uncovered Tent a straw Bed a Pillow of stone an emtie Purse are great riches to such Yea by electing Christ for thy friend thou comest to share in fountain-goodnes and are not al things most pure most sweet and most copious in their Fountain Can he want any thing that is good who enjoyes the Fountain of al See C. 6. S. 5. 6. 6. Peace Wherein consists true Peace Joy and comfort but in a sweet Harmonie Vniformitie Order and Agreement of al parts And whence springs this Harmonie and Agreement in the soul but from its firme Adherence to Christ as its friend 7. 7. Interest What is the supreme Interest of a Rational Creature but to use and refer al inferior concernes to his Last end And is not this also the Immediate and proper Issue of Friendship with Christ Do any more effectually promote their supreme Interest and Last end than such as Elect and adhere to Christ as their best Friend Thus we see what Demonstrative Arguments Reasons and Motives there are to induce and provoke men unto a complete closure with Christ as their friend And oh what a prodigious piece of folie is it after al this for men to persist in open enmitie against or false friendship towards Christ SECT 3. Directions for such as are open enemies or Hypocritick friends of Christ to come to a cordial and complete Friendship with him WE procede now to the second part of this Use Divections for attaining to a complete friendship with Christ namely the Directions for attaining unto a complete Amitie with Christ Art thou firmely resolved or wel inclined to become a friend of Christ But art thou indeed and in good earnest disposed
good-order and harmonie Pythagoras Hence some oâ— the Philosophers held that Virtue was nothing else but a symmetrie or Harmonie And if this Good order or Harmonie be essential to al virtue how much more than is it requisite to friendship especially between the soul and Christ which is one of the highest degrees of virtue The poor Philosopher could say h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato Protag 3. fol. 326. that the whole life of a man should consist of a good ryme and right harmonie Whence he makes Harmonie and Symmetrie to be the soul not only of the moral but also of the natural World Is not this more properly applicable to the Saints friendship with Christ Prudent order the soul of Amitie what does more spirit animate beautifie and confirme Amitie with Christ than an holy order and Divine Harmonie in our waies and conversation And what can be more soverainly efficacious and expedient for the begetting this sacred order than this spiritual prudent Dexteritie which we have been treating of Spiritual light and prudence is the best orderer of things Sinners void of the light of life are loged in the grave of sin where there is no order but confusion yea their light is darknes as Job speaks of the natural death Job 10.22 Job 10.22 A land of darknes as darknes it self and of the shadow of death without any order and where the light is as darknes Sinners whose light is darknes cannot but be full of disorder and confusion for al disorder comes from darknes Thence Job 37.19 Job 37.19 't is said we cannot order our speech by reason of darknes None can order their words and waies aright but such as are indued with the spirit of God and saving light Whence David praies Psal 119.133 Psal 119.133 Order my steps in thy word i. e. cloth me with a spirit of wisdome or prudent dexteritie that so I may order my steps according to thy word and approve my self thy faithful friend And such as do thus prudently order their waies have a promise of the highest manifestations of Divine friendship Psal 50.23 as Psal 50.23 To him that ordereth his conversation aright wil I shew the salvation of God We see then how essentially and universally useful this Divine Prudence is both for the production and conservation of friendship in general but more particularly of that Amitie which ought to be 'twixt the soul and Christ I shal sum up the whole of this particular in a brief character of Divine Prudence as it relates to friendship with Christ This spiritual prudence is i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jambl. ex Pythag. an Intelligent eye which contemplates those incomparable beauties and transcendent glories that are in Christ it is a spiritual tast which savors and rellisheth those incomparable sweetnesses that are in Christ It is the greatest inventresse of means most expedient for the enjoyment of Christ as our friend It is a k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. sacred orderer which prescribes the best Directorie for our waies It is produced in a pure mind which reflecting on Christ beholdeth in him a most beautiful exemplar or Idea for al its waies It is l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. the Corrector and Governor of al our paths m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jambl. ex Pythag. which referring al to the Divine patterne brings us into the nearest Assimilation to and communion with Christ as our friend O! what need then have the friends of Christ to studie and pray for this Divine prudence Jam. 1.5 If any lack wisdome c. CHAP. III. The Election of a single Christ in opposition to Sin Self the World and the Law SECT 1. The Saints friendship with Christ is conjugal and therefore Christ is singly to be Elected AS the foundation in Artificials gives union A found Head and a sincere Heart the great springs of al friendship and strength and the Head in Naturals affords Influence and Conduct to the whole bodie the like does Prudence in Morals particularly in Friendship as it has been shewn But yet if Prudence be the root and Head the Wil is the Heart where friendship has its proper Seat and Throne So that not only a sound Head but also a sincere heart is essentially and fundamentally necessary to the constitution of true Amitie whether human or Divine This leads us to the remaining Characters of the first fundamental Law of friendship namely that it be founded on a single complete election of our friend and that for himself These Adjuncts or Attributes given to this Election refer both to its object and subject i. e. we must chuse a single complete object for it self with a single complete Heart Wherefore we shal discourse of these Attributes under both their references First 1. Touching the object of this Election As for the object of this Election it must be single and complete in al friendship whether human or Divine We shal with the Lord 's gracious Assistance examine each of these in their order First 1. It must be â—ingle either 1. Comparatively The Object of this Election must be single at least comparatively if not absolutely For 1. Al friendship amongst men requires that its object be comparatively single that is that the heart admits not of any corrival or other friend who stands in direct opposition to or competition with his elect friend For every one may be justly reputed so far an enemie to his friend as he is a friend though but secretly to his friend's enemie Or 2. Absolutely as in conjugal friendship But 2. There are some kinds of friendship which require a single object absolutely as that between conjugal Relations Conjugal Amitie as such absolutely excludes al degrees of comparison in the same kind as to al other lovers and friends He or she that has the least degree of true conjugal love or friendship for any other person save that to whom he or she is joyned by a conjugal Election or Mariage-consent offers violence to the very fundamental Laws of conjugal friendship and may be accounted an Adulterer or Adulteresse at least so far as this irregular passion prevaileth For the very formal nature or reason of conjugal friendship excludeth al corrivals or copartners with its friend This is a sealed fountain if any streams issue forth to other lovers the whole is poisoned Prov. 5.15 16 17 18 19 20. Prov. 2.17 Cant. 4.12 Now such is the friendship betwixt Christ and a gracious soul The friendship betwixt Christ and his friends conjugal and therefore the object single it is conjugal and therefore requires absolutely a single object of its election or choice That soul who admits any other but Christ to share in the same Kind of conjugal Affection which it owes to Christ is guiltie of spiritual adulterie and fornication There is a ful character of a soul espoused to Christ Cant. 4.12 a
is said to be the Character or expresse Image hereby is also denoted the permanence and subsistence of the Deitie in Christ he is not a superficial transient Image but an expresse lively subsistant and essential character or Idea of the Father's person as a Child that bears the Image of his Father and partakes of the same nature with him In that he cals Christ r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Expressa effigies vel insculpta figura In speculo quidem apparet Imago hominis fed non character unde character plus est quam Imago quae in Gera vel alia quapiam re est nam character est Ima o permanâ—â—s Oecolampad in Heb. 1.3 Character praeter figuram requirit ut sit expressus ad Archetypum adaequatus essentialiter ut possit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. rebus adis sâ—ris im rimere suam Imaginem Sic caim voâ—at inscusptam formam ut ab omni adumbrata vel inani Imagine distinguat the Character it is much more emphatick than if he had said an Image For there appears in a Glasse the Image of a thing but not the character which denotes a true solid lively forme or expresse Image exactly representing the Archetype as the character of the Seal impressed on Waxe So that character here imports that Christ is a most perfect adequate absolute essential and expresse Image of God such as gives a most certain and evident representation of his Father answerable to Phil. 2.6 where he is said to be in the Forme of God which implies more than a figure or bare Image namely an essential character 'T is true there are some f He is the engraven forme of the person of the Father noting hereby the Unitie of substance as in whom the Fulnes of the Godhead dwels bodily Col. 1.9 Even as Paul cals him the Image of God distinguishing him by this name from al shadows Heb. 10.1 Deering on Heb. 1.3 stampes impresses or dark characters of God on the Visible sensible World There was also a more legible and fair character or Image of God on Adam's soul in Innocence There is yet a more noble character or Impresse of the Divine Glorie on Glorified Saints and Angels but yet al these characters are infinitely short of our Emmanuel as he is the substantial character or expresse Image of his Father's Person which notes not only an unitie in Qualitie but in Substance not only similitude but also Indentitie or samenes in essence as also Paritie and Equalitie in Glorie Thus Christ is the Character of his Father's person which also renders him infinitely eligible for himself But how Christ is the Image of his Father's Person wil farther appear in what follows on 2 Cor. 4.4 6. SECT 5. The Explication of 2 Cor. 4.6 4. WE find another great Character of Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 In the Face of Jesus as he is the expresse Image of his Father's Glorie 2 Cor. 4.6 For God who commanded the light to shine out of darknes hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowlege of the Glorie of God in the face of Jesus Christ Here are several gradations which render the whole but especially Christ the center of the whole very beautiful and glorious 1. He saies that God who commanded the light to shine out of darknes hath shined in our hearts Paul here counts al his notional knowlege before Conversion but darknes yea such thick darknes as was upon the face of the Chaos before God Created light Gen. 1.2 So that nothing but the creative power of God could bring saving light out of his confused pharisaick darknes 'T is true he had head-knowlege before ay but now saies he God has shined in our hearts and made them a living Glasse for what Why 2. To give the knowlege of God Yea 3. The light i. e. the clear and evident manifestation of the knowlege of God The face of Christ What But how is this possible Surely no way but 4. In the face of Jesus Christ f Per Angelum faciei Jehorae Esa 63.9 Filius Dei intelligitur dictus faciei ipsius Angelus quia est ille qui visibili specie columnae sâ—il nubis ignis Israelitas in deserto duxit saciem Dei quast conspâ—ciâ—aâ— populo fâ—it idâ—quod Jehovae ipsi ad cribitur Exod. 14.24 Alii appellationem hanc illi dafam esse volunt quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1.15 Glass Rhetor. s The Face is the most celestial beautiful majestick lovely and visible part in a man's bodie wherein the invisible Characters and Dispositions of the soul are oft very visible if there be any goodlines or excellence in the creature it usually appears very far in the face By face here we may understand the whole Forme of Christ as Mediator t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebraeis id omne significat quod sensibus exterioribus perci itar Giot. in l. So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers to the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies al that which is obvious to externe sense and in general the whole person Whence the Face of a man is frequently in the Scripture-Phrasiologie put for his whole person so to accept the Person is in the Original to accept the face Luk. 20.21 as elsewhere because the excellences of the person shine most in the face Much of the Majestie Glorie beautie and lovelines of a man shines in his face Thus Christ is the face of God Oh! What an infinite Majestie beautie and Glorie doth there shine in Christ How lovely amiable sweet and heart-ravishing are the manifestations of God in Christ Alas what is there to be seen of God but what shines in Christ Is not al God and whole God manifest in the face of Christ May we expect the least mediatorie manifestation of the Divine Love Grace and Mercie but in the Son Is there not a confluence of al the lovely qualities al the drawing Attributes al the ravishing Beauties of the Deitie in Christ And doth not the contemplation of these glorious perfections which shine in the face of Christ draw life out of Death beautie out of deformitie strength out of infirmitie order out of confusion happines out of miserie yea Heaven out of Hel Thus in the face of Christ the Majestie Beautie Amenitie Amiablenes Grace with the other Divine Characters and Invisible Glories of God the Father become visible and intelligible to the renewed mind It 's confest there is much of the glorious light or knowlege of God shines in the Face of the creatures and more in the Face of the Ceremonial and Moral Law and yet more in the Face of the Gospel and Gospel-ordinances and yet more in the Faces of Believers and glorified Saints But alas What are al these Faces if compared with the glorious lovely face of our Emmanuel but mere deformities yea nothing Oh! What a beautiful glorious face has this Son of
69 John Baptist's self-denial the foundation of his friendship with Christ p. 70 71 3. How far the World is to be rejected in order to the Election of Christ for himself p. 73 4. How far the Law is to be rejected by Christ's friends p. 79 Notes of a soul 's being maried to the Law p. 80 How Christ's friends are dead to the Law p. 80 81. How the friends of Christ are alive to the Law as a rule p. 81 82 CHAP. 4. The Election of whole Christ c. A Complete Christ the Object of the Saints friendship p. 84 85 1. The friends of Christ must Elect him as their King p. 86 88 2. Christ's friends Elect him as their Priest p. 89 91 3. The Election of Christ as our Prophet p. 92 94 4. The Election of Christ's Person a fundamental part of our friendship with him p. 95 102 Self the first Motive that draws sinners to Christ p. 98 More pure strains of friendship with Christ p. 99 100 The plague of false friends is that they close not with the Person of Christ p. 101 102 5. The friends of Christ must elect his Spirit also as their Friend p. 102 105 6. Christ's Yoke Waies and Ordinances must be elected p. 105 107 7. Election of Christ's Members p. 107 8. Election of Christ's Crosse p. 107 CHAP. 5. How far the friends of Christ may regard themselves CHrist must be elected for himself p. 109 111 What it is to Elect Christ for himself p. 111 112 No regard is to be had to sinful or carnal self p. 113 How the Elect while under a Spirit of Bondage aim at legal self only p. 114 False friends of Christ ruined by legal self p. 114 115 The friends of Christ may not elect him for the advance of an Evangelick self-sufficience p. 116 117 Christ's friends may not elect him merely for the sweet Accidents of his presence p. 118 119 Christ may not be elected for a carnal Heaven or to avoid a carnal Hel. p. 120 121 122 The friends of Christ may not elect him for self as their last end or on their own Conditions p. 123 125 The friends of Christ may eye freedome from Hel. p. 126 127 The friends of Christ may have a regard to Heaven p. 128 130 Christs friends may desire ease from their burdens p. 131 The friends of Christ may regard themselves any way in subordination unto Christ p. 132 The essential connexion 'twixt the Interest of Christ and that of his friends p. 132 134 CHAP. 6. That the friends of Christ do most advance themselves by electing Christ for himself 1. THis is proved from the object Christ considered 1. As the Last end p. 136 137 2. As the First Beautie p. 137 138 3. As the First Principle of Dependence p. 138 139 2. From the Act of Electing Christ which is 1. Most Natural p. 140 141 2. Most living and lively p. 142 3. Most Rational p. 143 145 4. Most Voluntarie p. 145 146 3. From the Effects of electing Christ for himself which are p. 146 1. Participation of the Divine Nature p. 146 147 2. Libertie both natural civil and Divine p. 148 154 3 Divine life with al its Issues p. 155 1. Spiritual Health p. 156 2. Divine Strength p. 157 158 3. Growth in Grace p. 159 160 4. Spiritual Sense p. 160 161 5. Divine Motion p. 161 162 4. Divine Honor. p. 163 164 5. Divine Harmonie and Order p. 164 165 6. Divine Beautie and Glorie p. 165 166 7. Divine Pleasures p. 166 168 8. Divine Treasures p. 168 169 CHAP. 7. How and why Christ is to be elected for himself in regard of his Mediatorie excellences as Relative to God the Father THE Distribution of Christ's Excellences p. 170 Christ's Designement to Office p. 171 182 Heb. 2.5 6 7 8. largely explicated p. 172 175 Joh. 6.27 Sealed What p. 175 Heb. 3.2 Appointed p. 176 177 Act. 2.36 God hath made c. p. 177 178 Ephes 5.1 A sweet smelling savor p. 178 179 How the friends of Christ must eye his Divine Constitution p. 180 182 Christ's Aptitude for his Office p. 183 Joh. 1.14 largely explicated p. 183 186 Joh. 1.16 And of his fulnes c. p. 186 187 Al Grace passeth from Christ as its Fountain p. 187 189 How al Divine perfections dwel in Christ as in a Temple Col. 2.9 p. 190 195 Heb. 1.3 Explicated in each particular p. 196 208 2 Cor. 4.6 The Face of Jesus what p. 209 212 2 Cor. 4.4 How Christ is the Image of God p. 212 213 2 Cor. 3.18 Christ an Essential Glasse c. p. 214 218 How the Believing soul is transformed into the Image of God shining in Christ p. 216 217 How al the Attributes of God shine in Christ p. 219 226 The Wisdome of God in Christ p. 220 The Love and Grace of God in Christ p. 220 221 God's Justice in Christ p. 222 God's Holines in Christ p. 222 223 God's Omnipotence in Christ p. 223 God's Faithfulnes in Christ p. 224 God's Immensitie in Christ p. 225 God's Independence in Christ c. p. 226 Contemplate the Glorious Ideas of God in Christ p. 227 230 Election and Fruition of God's excellences in Christ p. 230 231 Imitation of Christ's human Nature p. 231 232 Christ's friends should present themselves fit Temples for Christ p. 233 234 CHAP. 8. The Doctrine of Amitie with Christ improved by Doctrinal Corollaries and practick Uses DOctrinal Corollaries from this Subject p. 235 248 1. The condescendence of Free-Grace p. 236 2. The Dignitie of Religion p. 237 3. The highest Wisdome is to make Christ our friend p. 238 4. Al by nature Enemies to Christ p. 239 5. Al friendship with Christ from God p. 240 6. The contradictions of many seeming Friends p. 241 7. How far false friends of Christ may go p. 242 243 8. How easie a thing it is to miscarrie in the beginning of our friendship p. 244 9. Much seeming friendship with Christ not real p. 245 10. True Friendship among men rare p. 245 246 11. The folie of such as refuse Christ p. 247 248 Use 1. The Aggravations of this sin not to mind friendship with Christ p. 249 259 1. As to its Object it is against Christ 1. The Author of life p. 250 2. Most willing to give life p. 251 3. Most excellent in himself p. 252 2. The Aggravations of this sin as to its Subject p. 253 255 3. The Aggravations of this sin in regard of its formal Nature p. 255 556 1. It 's ful of Atheisme p. 257 2. Of Crucifying Christ p. 257 3. Of Blasphemie against Christ p. 258 4. Of Sacrilege p. 258 4. The Aggravations of this sin from its Effects p. 259 The miserie of such as refuse friendship with Christ p. 259 263 Use 2. For conviction to Refined Hypocrites p. 263 How far refined Hypocrites may procede in false friendship with Christ p. 264 273 As to 1. The Spirit of Bondage p. 265
to us not only by addition of something to him but also by substraction or diminution of something from him As we may not therefore adde either sin or self or world or Law to Christ so neither may we substract or withdraw any thing from Christ A divided as wel as a compound Christ is but an imaginary friend or rather real enemie to us Wherefore he that will really make Christ his friend must elect him completely as wel as singly Now to chuse Christ completely imports two things 1. To chuse whole Christ And 2. To chuse whole Christ for himself Of these in their order First 1. The friends of Christ must elect a whole Christ Those who will contract an Amitie with Christ must elect or chuse whole Christ Though I cannot as yet satisfie mine own thoughts with that persuasion which supposeth justifying faith as such and under that reduplication to regard Christ as Lord and King as wel as Priest because this is as I conceive with submission to confound the differing formes of faith as justifying and as sanctifying whereof the former speaks a relation to Christ as Priest the latter to Christ as King chiefly Besides I have not as yet any sufficient reason which might persuade me to quit that received opinion That faith justifies as an Instrument not physick but moral or rather federal depending wholly on the institution of God and hence not as an Active but Passive or Receptive and Applicative Instrument whereby the Righteousnes of Christ is received and made ours Though I cannot I say for these and such like considerations force my mind to assent that justifying faith as such regardeth Christ as Lord and King yet I easily grant yea shal demonstrate that sanctifying faith which is one great ligament or essential bond of the souls friendship with Christ closeth with whole Christ as wel Prophet and King as Priest c. SECT 2. The friends of Christ must Elect him as their King 1. 1. The friends of Christ must elect him as King THE true friend of Christ doth espouse him not only as Jesus a Savior but also as Christ an anointed King he elects Christ not only as a Priest to deliver him from Hel but also as a King to deliver him from his lusts To take Christ only to save us from wrath and not to save us from sin is a black character of a rotten heart and false friend Joh. 1.11 So Joh. 1.11 He came unto his own and his own received him not He came unto his own i. e. Christ came to the Jews who pretended great friendship to the Messias and therefore when they heard he was come oh how were they overjoyed at so good news how do they rejoyce and sport themselves in the light of his Gospel as Joh. 5.35 what Hosanna's and Songs of deliverance do they sing Mat. 21.9.15 Joh. 12.13 How greedy are they to make him their King Joh. 6.15 How is it said then that they received him not why they received him not as k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non receperunt illum ut Dominum Grot. in locum Lord and King to rule over them and destroy their lusts They could be content to receive him as a Savior to deliver them from their enemies the Romans as also from the wrath of a sin-revenging God such tidings were very joyous to them but when Christ comes to convince them of and rebuke them for their unbelief hypocrisie pride formalitie and other great Abominations O then they would hear no more of him away with him he was not for their turne Thus they received him not as Lord and King But then he addes v. 12. But as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God i. e. Those who received whole Christ as Lord and King as wel as Savior those he dignified with the title of sons and friends The friends of Christ must bespeak him in this or such like language Lord here is an inflexible stiffe hard perverse stubborne obstinate stout proud heart wilt thou bend melt meeken soften stoop and humble it by thy royal Sceptre and Soveraign Grace shal it be made flexible pliable and conformable to thy royal wil and pleasure Again Lord here are inordinate tumultuous rebellious Affections which love what they should hate and hate what they should love which hope what they should fear and fear what they should hope c. Now good Lord wilt thou subdue these thy lawlesse enemies shall they by the power of thy Grace have a sweet Harmonie Vniformitie and Order infused into them may it please thee to enable me to love what thou lovest to hate what thou hatest c Farther Lord here are many spiritual refined lusts here is an Hel of Atheisme unbelief presumption carnal-securitie self-love spiritual pride carnal confidence formalitie hypocrisie c. Wilt thou dear Lord wash thy feet in the blood of these thine Adversaries Shal thy garments be died red in their bloud Lastly O Lord thou seest here is a wretched cursed old man a bodie of sin a root of bitternes a tyrannick lawlesse Law of rebellion an envenomed poisoned fountain of sin a corrupt nature dwelling in me may it now please thee to nail it to thy crosse to pierce it thorough with the spear of thy Spirit that so its heart-blood may issue forth as it sometime made thine to gush forth Thus the friends of Christ must elect him to be Lord and King over their lusts as wel as persons As for those who pretend to be friends of Christ but yet are not willing to have their lusts slain by him Christ pronounceth an heavy doom against such Luk. 19.27 But those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them Plutarch in the Life of â—yâ—â—rgus bring hither and slay them before me The Soveraigntie and Interest of a Prince consists chiefly in his wisdome and sufficience to governe for the faithful obedience of the subjects depends much upon the wisdome and sufficience of their Prince he that governs wel is usually wel obeyed As the Art of a good Rider is to make his horse flexible and tractable even so the Wisdome of a good King consists in teaching his subjects to obey This King-craft or Regal-wisdome is transcendently and incomparably in Christ and hence it is that his subjects and friends so willingly and chearfully elect him for their King Psal 110.3 Thy people shal be willing or willingnesses c. SECT 3. Christ's friends elect him as their Priest 2. 2. Christ's friends chuse him for their Priest CHrist's friends elect him as their Priest They own no other purgatorie of sins guilt but the bloud of Christ no other Intercessor at the Throne of Grace but the Lamb of God l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato Conviv fol. 188. The blind Philosopher could see and acknowlege thus much that al Sacrifices were to conciliate or breed Reconciliation Amitie
493. Grace and by virtue of his adherence to Christ as his friend he could ascribe and assume to himself some borrowed shadow of that Divine Al-sufficience And when friendship with Christ is consummate and perfect as it is in Heaven where the friends of Christ perfectly adhere to him for himself then there is a more perfect degree of this Divine Nature and self-sufficience Then the friends of Christ are if we may speak it with reverence as so many little made-Gods b Perfectè liber est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi mortalis Deus nihil habet quod nonvult nibil vult quod non habet vult omnia quae debet omnia possit quae vult Mori Disp 2. de Grat. thes 6. they have nothing but what they would have and they would have nothing but what they have Such a derived image or shadow of the Divine Nature and Al-sufficience have the friends of Christ so far as they elect and adhere to him for himself 2. 2. Libertie Another blessed effect which the friends of Christ ohtain by their electing of Christ for himself is a Divine Amplitude or Libertie Al human Libertie whether Natural Civil Moral or Divine consists in an Amplitude or Enlargement either of State 1 Natural or Acts. 1. As for Natural Libertie it consists in the natural Amplitude c Homo ad immensam quandam Amplitudinem natus est Gibieuf de Libert pag. 361. Vniversalitie and infinite capacitie of the soul whereby it is exemted from al coactive Necessitie and invested with a rational spontaneitie which naturally and essentially attends al its human Acts and Motions Now what does more conduce to the Improvement of this d Ille est liber in agendo qui à nullo creato dependet qui nullis limitibus coercetur nec ex parte princi ii nec ex parte finis qui eminentiam quandam Infinitatem adeptus est secundum quam ab Infinito ad Infinitum super Infinito movetur c. Gibieuf de Libert p. 270. natural Amplitude and enlargement of soul than a firme Election of and Adhesion unto Christ for himself What is it that most confines and narrows the whole soul but adherence to and dependence on sensihle inferior good Is not every facultie of the soul by so much the more universal ample and wide by how much the more immaterial and spiritual it is And what exemts and frees the soul from adherence to sensible good and carnalitie more than election of and firme adherence to Christ for himself Who has his wil more Vniversal and Indedendent as to Inferior goods than the friend of Christ who elects him for himself Is not al this exemplified to the life in Solomon who when he first elected God for his friend had a huge large heart bestowed on him as wel for natural as Divine matters so 1 King 4.29 1 Kings 4 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amplitudinem cordis Jun. Tremel And God gave Solomon wisdome and Vnderstanding exceding much and largenes of heart c. e Hebr. Amplitude or Enlargement of Heart Oh what an ample wide universal and comprehensive wisdome and wil had Solomon upon his first Election of and Adherence to God as his friend f Brutum Animal etsi non plane ad unum astrictum sit sicut Plaetae Lapides libertate tamen non pollet quiae nulla infinitate gaudet solius Rationalis creaturae istud privilegium est quae sola Dei capax est ista capacitate transire potest in Divinam Amplitudinem Gibieuf de Libert p. 262. But after his heart turned from God to sensible good what a narrow servile fetter'd heart had he Paul who was a great friend of Christ one that elected him for himself what a great vast comprehensive universal soul had he So 2 Cor. 6.11 Our heart is enlarged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is hugely amplified extended or widened Whereas v. 12. he saies the Corinthians by reason of their sin were straitned or narrowed in their spirits wherefore he exhorts them v. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be ye also amplified or enlarged and then he shews them how they might attain to this amplitude or enlargement of soul namely by returning to Christ and cleaving to him as v. 14 15 16. 2. 2. Civil Libertie As for civil Libertie it consists in a man's being sui juris his own Master or Lord and thence it is defined a Facultie of doing or power of living as men list or please whence g Populi illi libeâ—i dicuntur qui sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Derodone those people are accounted free which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as give laws to themselves And surely none are so free in this regard as such who elect and adhere to Christ for himself Yea such as are servants of men by the election of Christ for himself they become the Lord's free-men So 1 Cor. 7.22 1 Cor. 7.22 For he that is called in the Lord being a servant is the Lord's freeman i. e. A servant by election of and subjection to Christ becomes ingenuous noble and free both as to State and Acts. It 's true he is the servant of men ay but is he not also the son of God Joh. 1.12 his outward man is to serve and observe the wils and humors of men but oh how free how generous is he in the inward man what generous and noble principles has he what great and sublime designes and aims for God How much is he above the frowns and flatteries of this lower world even then when with his bodie he is most officious and serviceable to men And then as for Acts how free is he in his spiritual regards and acts towards Christ even when he is most deeply engaged in bodily services for men How chearful and active is he in the dispatch of his master's busines that so he may gain a little time to pour out his soul into the bosome of Christ Is it not admirable to see with what diligence some poor servants wil dispatch their affairs that so they may have some time for converse with Christ Whereas peradventure when they come to be their own masters they have not so much libertie of spirit and acts for Christ as when they were in a servile condition Thus the servant that is called in the Lord is the Lord's free-man The Heathen Moralist can teach us h Sencca Epist that virtue makes men sui juris their own Lords because nothing can be above him who is above fortune Again addes he That man can do what he list who conceives he must do nothing but what he ought Such a free Noble-man is the friend of Christ who elects him for himself i Ex subjectione ad Deum emergit Dominium in creaturas Gibieuf de Libertate p. 218 260 264. he by subjecting himself to Christ his Lord becomes Lord and master of al
glorious and admirable Mysterie is this that Human Nature should be extended and elevated to such a raised capacitie and glorious dignitie as to be by an Hypostatick personal union espoused to the Son of God and so become a Temple wherein al the plenitude of the Deitie dwels really essentially and personally What doth the fulnes of the Deitie so far condescend as to come down and dwel bodily or personally in Human Nature Is it possible that there should be such a Name and Thing as God-man Oh! what an ineffable incomprehensible unparalled Name and Thing is this What a glorious miracle what an astonishing wonder is Emmanuel God with us Mat. 1.23 Mat. 1.23 Who can declare his generation May not we conclude with Augustin that our Emmanuel was the Angel that said unto Manoah Judg. 13.18 Why askest thou after my name seing it is secret or admirable monderful Is not every letter yea tittle of this name Emmanuel God with us or God dwelling bodily in Human Nature beyond al mesure wonderful Oh! what infinite wonders of condescendent love what transcendent riches of Free-Grace are wrapt up in this one Name Emmanuel How could poor mortals yea sinners whose eyes are so weak and dim have ever hoped to behold the dazling lustre and shining glories of the Infinite Deitie had he not thus vouchsafed to come down and dwel bodilie in human Nature Are our bodily eyes so dim and weak as that they cannot in a direct line behold the Sun in its Noon-day Glorie and brightnes but must wait for some reflexe Image in a Bason of water or some such glasse how impossible then is it for a created understanding so much enfeebled by sinful distillations and humors to contemplate the glorious and dazling Deitie should he not reflect the beams and lustre of his shining Majestie on the Glasse of Emmanuel's human Nature Does not al this render Christ God-man infinitely eligible for himself seing al the fulnes of the Godhead dwels in him bodily really essentially personally Surely if al the beams of the Father's love Grace and Glorie centre in the human Nature of Christ and are from him reflected on his friends wel may they elect him for himself deservedly is he the object of their contemplation admiration adoration and Fruition to al Eternitie O! how should the friends of Christ studie gaze on and ravish their hearts with so amiable and glorious a friend in whom dwels al the fulnes of the God-head bodily What an excellent curious rare piece of work is this human Nature of Christ formed and framed by the Spirit of God Luk. 1.35 i Give me leave to think that there was more of God in the human Nature of Christ as Nature is a vessel coming out of the Porters house than ever was in Adam created according to Gods Image Rutherfurd's Christ's Dying c. p. 5. How far does it out-shine the Nature of Adam even in his Innocent state What a noble Fabrick is the human bodie of Christ which was framed and sanctified by the overshadowing power of the most High Of what a glorious make is Christ's human soul which was so curiously framed adorned and beautified with such an infinite masse of pure Grace In sum what a glorious Temple must Christ's Human Nature needs be wherein the plenitude of the Deitie dwels bodily SECT 4. The Explication of Heb. 1.3 Who being the brightnes of his Glorie and expresse Image of his Person c. WE find another excellent Character of Christ's Mediatorie perfection Heb. 1.3 Who Being the Brightnes as relative to God the Father in Heb. 1.3 Who being the brightnes of his Glorie and expresse Image of his Person c. Oh! what an admirable Description is here how weighty and wonderful is every word hereof 1. Who being the Brightnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Effulgentiae relutentia Greg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulgidus lucidus Hesych the Effulgence Splendor Lustre or shining brightnes Some take it to be a figurative terme borrowed from luminous or lightsome bodies which continually cast forth their rayes thereby to signifie that the Son of God procedes from the Essence of the Father and is inseparably the same with him dwelling in his inaccessible Glorie and manifesting the same to the World The word in its primary notation signifies the splendor or bright lustre of the Sun in its Noon-tide Glorie either direct or reflexe as it appears in a clear glasse Hence the Verb whence it is immediately derived signifies l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. in Orat. de Pasch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accipitur etiam pro Die ut apud Nicand in Ther. See more Hen. Stephâ— in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Refulgentia quomodo radius à sole resplendet unde non nulli deradiationem vertunt â—stius in locum the Sun's irradiating and illuminating the World and the original root is sometimes used to signifie the splendor of the Sun as it causeth Day A learned Critick makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here to signifie the reflexion of the Divine Majestie such as is the parelius or reflexe Image of the Sun on an opposite Cloud Christ is indeed a Divine parelius of God ' The Father saith Rutherford on this Text is as it were al Sun and al pearle the Son Christ is the substantial rayes light-shining the eternal and essential irradiation of this Sun of Glorie The Sun's Glorie is manifested to the World in the light and beams that it sends out to the Word and if the Sun should keep its beams and light within its bodie we should see nothing of the Sun's Beautie and glorie No man no Angel could see any thing of God if God had not had a con-substantial Son begotten of himself by an eternal generation but Christ is the beams and Splendor the consubstantial shining of God and as God incarnate he reveles the excellence Glorie and Beautie of God ' Thus he This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Splendor or Brightnes of this Glorie may come under a double consideration 1. It may be considered in regard of the Father whence by an ineffable Generation it eternally shone as light from light so much the force of the preposition here affixed doth indicate And look as the splendor of the Sun alwayes attends the Sun and cannot be plucked from it So Christ the shining splendor of God the Father is co-eternal to him and cannot be separated from him 2. A second consideration of this shining splendor is in regard of men and the manifestation which the Father gives thereof by his Son Christ the Splendor of his Father's Glorie was sent by him into this world to become incarnate that so in and by his human Nature as an instrument he might illuminate vivificate and transforme the Elect into the glorious Image of God Thus Christ is the splendor or shining lustre of his Father's Glorie God the Father is
enemies and false friends of Christ to a thorough-out closure with him as their friend is taken from the condition of their Souls 1. It s Origine 1. a This Divine Origine of the soul was by some Judaick Tradition wel known to the Pagan Philosophers Whence Plato cals the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Divine particle of God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine Nature And Aristotle cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most akin to the Gods Of which see Court of the Gentiles P. 1. B 3. C. 4. S. 4. Is not thy soul of a celestial origine Was it not Inspired and Infused immediately by God as Gen. 2.7 Is it not thence termed the Off-spring of God Act. 17.28 i.e. of al this inferior World most akin to God Is it not then a disgrace and Reproche for Human Nature to contract friendship with any but God in Christ Hath the soul such a physick or natural cognation with God Is it not then a monstrous prodigious curse that it should prefer friendship with Idol-friends composed of clay before Amitie with the great God from whom it descended and with whom it hath such a natural though not moral Ressemblance Oh! What an infinite Disparagement and Dishonor is this for Human Nature to enter into a strict Amitie with sensible Inferior Goods and to reject or neglect friendship with its Creator who gave it Being and stil continues to be its most Laudable Honorable and Happy Being that to which it is most akin 2. 2. It s Nature Consider the Nature of thy soul Is it not Immaterial Spiritual and simple And can any other Good but God in Christ feed and nourish a spiritual Nature Is there any proportion or suitablenes between carnal objects and an Immaterial facultie Is it not an absurd incongruous ignoble thing for such a simple sublime and elevated Spirit as the human soul is to mingle with a dirtie polluting world and mean while neglect Christ who is such a spiritual noble good d Quanto forma est nobilior tanto in suo esse semper excedit materiam Unde forma cujus operatio excedit conditionem materiae ipsa secundum dignitatem sui esse superexcedit materiam Aquinas contra Gent. l. 2. c. 68. By how much the more noble any Forme is by so much the more predominant it is over the matter and by how much the more it is predominant over the matter by so much the more must its operation excede and surpasse the condition of the matter This demonstrates the immaterial spiritual condition of the human soul its excellence and preference beyond al material beings and how much it is debased and disgraced by mingling with material sensible good or any thing inferior to God in Christ Farther the Immaterialitie of the soul may be demonstrated from its Indivisibilitie Intellectualitie Reflexibilitie Activitie and separate state Al which sufficiently demonstrate that nothing but God in Christ is an object adequate and commensurate to the soul 3. 3. It s Capacitie Remember of what an Infinite Capacitie thy soul is e Quanto potentia est altior tanto respicit objectun universalius Aquin. Has it not a vast Intellect or Apprehensive Facultie radically apt were it but morally disposed to take in the Glorious Ideas of God the first Truth and Beautie Is it not also invested with a boundlesse wil and Infinite Desires which can never be terminated or satisfied but by the Fruition of God in Christ the best Good Is there not in every Creature an Appetite of Vnion and Communion with its choicest good and best friend How then comes it to passe that the wil of man should be so averse from union and friendship with Christ 4. 4. It s Activitie Consider the Activitie of thy soul As it is a spirit of an Infinite capacitie so also of an unwearied Activitie and therefore must have some friend for continual conversation with al. For by how much the more simple and noble any Forme is by so much the more vigorous and active it is Now the human soul being the most simple and noble of al inferior formes it must needs also be the most active Thus much the f Plato Phaedr fol. 246. poor blind Philosopher could by his midnight Philosophie discover whence he attributes to the soul ' Wings or a winged Chariot whereby she pursues after the supreme Beautie or First Truth and never finds Rest or Satisfaction til she come to the contemplation thereof ' Such is the soul's Activitie And is it not much better to spend the vigor and Activitie of thy soul on Christ the best friend that ever was than on Idol-friends Is it not a great degradation debasement and defilement to human Nature to spend its Activitie in conversation with sensible goods which are so far beneath it but neglect friendship and communion with Christ Oh! what vexation shame torment and bondage follows such an adulterous heart 5. 5. It s Immotarlitie Remember thy soul is is an e Plato makes the soul to be as God incomposite incorruptible and immortal whence being disloged from the bodie he saith it roturnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to God that original Idea to whom it is akin Plato Phaedo fol. 55 56. Immortal Spirit and therefore must subsist when thy bodie is loged in the Grave and al the Beautie Glorie and Sweets of this eye-pleasing world burnt to a black cole or reduced to its primitive Nothing And what wilt thou do when thy soul is disloged from thy bodie and stript maked of al those Idol-friends to which it is now chained Doest thou now prefer friendship with this whorish world before Amitie with Christ Ay but what wilt thou say or think when al these Idol-Gods are rent from thee What wilt thou do for a friend to al Eternitie for thine Immortal soul if thou make not Christ thy friend Perhaps thou can't now as thou conceitest live wel enough without Christ and friendship with him But is there not a time coming when Time and the friend of Time shal be no more What wil thine Immortal soul do for a friend then if Christ be not thy friend But on the contrarie if thou make Christ thy friend now he wil be so unto al Eternitie f Aniâ—â—a est creata in corfinio aeâ—â—rnitatis temporis nam actio ejus secundum quam conâ—â—ngitur superioribus quae sunt supra tempus aeternâ—atem participat c. Aquin. contr Gent. l. 3. c. 61. Yea by adhering unto Christ who is an eternal good thy soul wil participate in its mesure of Eternitie it self For an act is specified by its object wherefore the soul sou'ls action whereby it is conjoined with Christ an Eternal Object doth in a sort partake of his Eternitie as those acts whereby the soul adheres to temporal objects are said to be temporal And oh what invincible engagements doth this lay on thine immortal soul
hereto Then take the following Directions First In general Lay a good Foundation look wel to the Beginnings of thy friendship be sure thou lay a good Foundation Take this for an Infallible eternal Truth The progresse and perfection of your Amitie with Christ wil be proportionable to its Foundation and beginning Wherefore a good Beginning is more than half your work and on the contrarie a bad Beginning is worse than none at al. Let thy Conscience be never so deeply wounded by the Spirit of Bondage yea cast down to Hel under Despairing thoughts and Hellish Terrors yet if there be not a fiducial closing with Christ thou wilt prove at best but a conquered Enemie or slave not a faithful friend of Christ Again Let thine Heart be lift up to Heaven in spiritual Illuminations and Raptures of Joy yet if the inward Pondus or Weight i. e. the more prevalent Inclination and Bent thereof be not towards Christ thou wilt remain but an Apparent Hypocritick friend and real enemie of him Lastly let thy Profession and Conversation be gilded over with never so many Splendid Titles Artificial Formes and Habits of legal Mortification pretended Evangelick Sanctitie Puritie and Pietie seemingly Angelick yet if thine Heart be not sound and sincere al thy Glorious Titles and Formes of Godlines and Friendship with Christ are but begun in Hypocrisie and wil unavoidably end in Apostasie Therefore thou seest how greatly it doth concerne thee to look wel to the Foundations and Beginnings of thine Amitie with Christ For if it begin il it can never end wel Loose worke or any fundamental error in thy first Election of Christ wil cause a crack in the whole Structure of thy friendship with him If thou begin but a seeming Hypocritick friend thou wilt and a real and open enemie of Christ Oh then of what infinite concernement is it to use al manner of Caution Circumspection and Diligence in laying a good Foundation for a sound and lasting friendship with Christ O beware beware of false superficial or rotten foundations If thou wilt build a lasting Structure of Amitie with Christ such as may reach up to Heaven thou must lay the Foundation almost as low as Hel namely thou must dig deep not only into sin but also into self and never leave digging til thou come to an holy and humble self-despair which is a kind of felt Hel yet the Gate of Heaven and friendship with Christ For self-despair is a door to Faith and Hope in Christ But we descend to particulars As in man's Bodie there are two great and principal parts the Head which is the Fountain of Animal Spirits and thence the seat of Sense and Judgement as also the Heart which is the Fountain of vital Spirits and so the seat of Life and Affections b The life of Friendship consists in Freedome tempered with Wisdome and Faithfulnes The main Foundations of Friendship with Christ 1. A prudent Head So in like manner in al Friendship there are two great principal parts and Foundations 1. A prudent Head 2. A vital loyal or Faithful Heart Now proportionable hereto there are two main and principal parts and Foundations of our Amitie with Christ 1. A prudent sanctified Head or Judgement 2. A vital loyal Faithful or Honest Heart 1. One principal part and main Foundation of Amitie with Christ consists in a sanctified prudent Head or a wel-principled awakened and serious Judgement As the Head is the top of the bodie the seat of Animal Spirits and therefore the Guide of a man so spiritual Judgement is the Guide of a friend of Christ Saving Light and Sanctified Wisdome is the very life and Soul not only of our first closures with Christ but also of al the following parts of Christianitie And this is to me a great maxime in Divinitie That according to the Nature and mesure of our Light and Judgement touching Christ and his concernes such wil be the Nature and mesure of our Amitie with him If our Light be as Joh. 8.12 The light of life i. e. a real spiritual clear distinct certain feeling and Active Light or Judgement then wil our Election of him as our friend be single cordial complete and firme So also as to the mesure if our Light be intense strong growing and noon-tide then wil our friendship with Christ be exceding warme flourishing glorious and operative Such an intimate Connexion is there between saving Light or sanctified Wisdome and friendship with Christ But oh how rare is it to meet with such a sanctified Head such a saving Light of Life or Judgement Are there not a world of seeming friends of Christ who have their Heads stuffed and cram'd with airy Notions fine spun Ideas or curious speculations of Christ and Evangelick Truths who yet never had any one beam or spark of this true Light of life or sanctified Judgement A Sanctified prudent head Which implies 1. An Head wel principled with Habitual Notions of Christ Wherefore it is necessary that we give the true character the exact Idea or Just mesure of this sanctified Prudent Head which is so Fundamental to the constitution of a sincere Amitie with Christ 1. It must be an Head wel-principled or indued with a stock of sanctified habitual Ideas or Notions touching Christ and his evangelick concernes especially such as refer to friendship with him This is essential and fundamental to the constitution of a Divine Amitie with Christ For if there be not a considerable mesure of Habitual Light or Sanctified Evangelick Notions touching Christ his Excellences Laws and the Benefits we receive by him how can the soul fal in love with him Who ever judiciously loved that whereof he never had any right Notion or conception In brief if thou wilt become a good friend of Christ get a true Idea or right notion of Christ's Relative and Absolute perfections How ful of Grace and Truth he is what an Infinite plenitude of Life dwels in him How willing and readie he is to fil every emtie heart to enrich every poor soul to refresh every wearie and heavy laden sinner to heal every wounded soul to revive every dead and drooping spirit to justifie every self-condemned sinner that comes unto him Get also a right Notion of al the Absolute perfections of Christ touching those ravishing Beauties and Transcendent excellences that shine in his person as he is the Son of God and expresse Image of his Person Farther thou must have right Ideas of thine own sin and miserie and thence of thine absolute necessitie and need of Christ as also of the covenant of Grace and the Termes on which Christ is offered to thee 2. 2. An awakened Head It sufficeth not that thou hast an head wèl-principled with Habitual notions of Christ but thou must also have an awakened Head or an actual feeling Judgement of Christ and his Affairs Habitual Notions without an actual feeling consideration of things is but a sleepy and dreaming
by our externe mines gestes and behavior ' O that green and young friends of Christ would observe this and more studiously intend the interne Life and power of Grace in the Heart than the externe Forme thereof 2. If thou desirest to approve thy self a loyal friend of Christ 2. A single Heart which Implice then industriously labor after a single Heart This is another essential branch or part of a sound Heart Now this single Heart implies both a single Object and also single Motives or Ends. 1. The Election of a fingle Christ 1. If thou wilt have a single Heart towards Christ thou must let a single Christ possesse thine Heart For such as the object under its formal constitution is such wil our Hearts be If thou elect a double Christ i.e. adde any thing to or compound any thing with Christ thou wilt have a double Heart O beware beware how thou mixe the World the Law Sin or Self with Christ Fie Fie on that adulterous whorish Heart which would fain loge somewhat besides Christ in the bed of its Affections Christ must lie his alone in the Bent of the wil or he wil have nothing to do with that soul Alas how many make a commun Strumpet of their Heart let it lie in commun for Christ and for any Idol-lover Thou must defie right-hands right-eyes and al other Idol-lusts or Lovers if thou wilt be a loyal friend of Christ Yea self in its whole latitude whether wise conceited Religious moral Righteous or Evangelick self must stand by as a mere cipher that so Christ may possesse the room of self Thou must die to al other Lovers if thou wilt live to and with Christ as thy Friend We have al too much of an adulterous love and whorish Heart which is inclined to loge something besides Christ in his Royal Bed and therefore the Lord is pleased to allure such as belong unto the Election of his Grace into a Wildernes-condition of much spiritual Bondage Tentations Desertions Deadnesses Discomfitures Hurries and other Afflictions not a few thereby to banish al Idol-lovers from the Heart Oh then Why wil not poor awakened souls fal in with the designe of their Lord and let him have his alone in the Royal bed of their conjugal Affections Christ wil be Al or None 2. 2. Single Motives of our Election If thou wilt have a single Heart towards Christ then let the Motives of thy Friendship to him be single As thou must elect a single Christ for thy friend so also the motives of thine Election must be single Now the motives of any action are of the same Nature and have the same Influence with the end for the Last end is the supreme motive of every Action So then to have single motives of our friendship with Christ is to have a single Intention or Intuition of right ends in our election of him This is called in Scripture a single eye Mat. 6.22 Mat. 6.22 If therefore thine eye be single i. e. If thou hast a single pure Intention if there be no squint eye no oblique regards to private ends A single heart takes Christ not only for the Loaves but for himself not only as the way to profit but as the way to life not only to cool the heats of Conscience but also to quench the fire of lust in the heart not only to satisfie the Law and its demands but also to satisfie the Heart with the Fruition of Christ himself Such are the motives of a single Heart and such ought to be the motives of thy friendship with Christ Thus the Spouse Characteriseth the friends of Christ Cant. 1.4 Cant. 1.4 The upright love thee i.e. such as have an upright single Intention right ends or strait motives they and they alone have a sound sincere love of Friendship for thee such as have a double heart or as the Psalmist Psal 12.2 an Heart and an Heart an Heart for Christ and an heart for Idol-lovers such are false friends 3. 3. An Entire Heart A sound Heart is an Entire Heart As thou must take Christ with a single Heart which refers to the Object and Motives so also with an Entire whole Heart or thou wilt never make a loyal friend of Christ This indeed follows on the former for if the Heart be double as to the object and motives it can never be in it self Entire The Composition or Duplicitie of the object ever breeds a Division in the Facultie or Subject which destroyes al friendship with Christ Integritie of Heart is Essential to al true Amitie with men but much more with God Ps 119.2 So Psal 119.2 Blessed are they that seek him with the whole Heart i.e. 1. They who seek nothing but God himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or if they seek any thing else but God it is for himself Thus God is to be loved with the whole heart i. e. he is to be loved alone or if any thing else besides God be loved it must be loved for God and in God For he that loves any thing besides God which he loves not for God loves that thing more than God and so makes an Idol of it they that love Christ with the whole heart love nothing but Christ for it self 2. To seek God in Christ with the whole heart is to have the prevalent part of the heart towards him and they who have the prevalent Pondus or Bent of their Hearts toward Christ they are indeed sound-hearted and Loyal friends In moral estimation the major prevalent part passeth for the whole if Christ hath the prevalent part or Bent of the wil he was the whole but if you give him only the lesser part i. e. some Velleitie or conditionate wil some wishings and wouldings some loose desires you give him nothing If you give Christ only a faint languishing incomplete wil you are so far from becoming his Friends as that you do indeed render your selves more spiritual cunning and mortal enemies to him thereby For such imperfect Velleities or conditionate languid desires and wil towards Christ being soon overcome and born edown by the prevalent Bent of the Heart towards Idol-lusts and other Lovers they serve only to concele corroborate and improve those seeds of enmitie which lie dormant in the Heart against Christ O then take heed how thou content thy self with some languid faint wishes or conditionate desires after Christ believe it he wil have the Bent of the wil or nothing If thou divide Christ or divide thine heart 'twixt Christ and the World thou wilt never have him As thou must reserve nothing of the Bent of thy heart for any but Christ Believe it as a piece of Christ wil not suffice thee so a piece of thine heart wil not suffice Christ Beware then how thou divide thy narrow Heart remember al is too little for Christ it wil not serve him and any Idol he wil have al or none Give Christ
And can we imagine that the spiritual fixed contemplation of Christ's ravishing Beauties and Glories by an eye of Faith wil not have a more efficacious Influence on his friends to inflame their hearts with friendship towards him O! Would men but studie pore on and admire the incomparable excellences and perfections of Christ what admirable friends would they be How would their Hearts be ravisht with Love unto him What infinite complacence and satisfaction would they find in communion with him 1. 1. Studie the Beauties of Christ's person What more Attractive than Amiable Beautie And is there any thing imaginable so Beautiful as Christ What is Beautie but a connatural Amenitie or sweet Amiablenes of forme and figure arising from a natural wel-tempered complexion situation and proportion of al parts And are these Ingredients of Beautie any where to be found in such a super-eminent degree as in Christ Is he not in regard of his complexion stiled white and ruddie Cant. 5.10 which are estimed colors most predominant in Beautie Doth not the Spouse give him this Character Cant. 1.16 Behold thou art fair my Beloved yea pleasant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. amiable beautiful acceptable every way heart-ravishing Is there any thing in the world more Beautiful than the Sun and its light shining in its Meridian Glorie And is not Christ's Beautie set forth by that of the Sun shining in its strength Rev. 1.16 Oh! what an Infinite Glorious Sun of Righteousnes is Christ How Beautiful are the beams of his Glorious light O come come al ye friends of Christ and behold this your King in his Beautie as Esa 33.17 O gaze gaze for ever on this your friend let the eyes of your understandings spend their vigor in Heart-affecting contemplations and views of those admirable glories that shine in the person of this your dearest and best friend and never desist til your hearts be ravished with and captivated to him 2. 2 Studie Christ's Good-Nature love and compassions towards his friends Studie admire and adore greatly the suavities or sweeinesses of Christ's Nature the wonders of his love and the Tendernesses of his compassions towards his friends Oh! What an incomparably good-Nature hath Christ How admirably sweet-humored is he towards his friends Were any of Christ's friends ever troubled with causelesse crosse Humors and vexatious carriges from Christ Is not his Nature made up of unparalled sweetnesses O studie and dive deep into Christ's good-Nature and sweet Humor What Divine Suavities possesse his Nature How wel-tempered his spirit is How free from al morose sour il humors his Nature is There are many eminent Qualities in Christ which render him of an incomparably sweet Nature 1. His Nature as curiously framed by the spirit of God is of a surpassing finer make than al other human yea Angelick natures 2. His Human Nature was Graced in and from the Womb. It 's sin that makes our Human Nature so morose so sour so il-conditioned but Christ's nature is clothed with pure Grace and therefore most sweet most benigne most wel-tempered 2. Christ's Love Studie also and admire the wonders of Christ's Love to his friends O that ever such an Infinite Masse of pure spotlesse Love should mingle with Sinful Dust and Ashes Oh! What a free undeserved Love is this Who could ever have imagined that poor deformed bankrupt Rebels should obtain a share in such love and that without hire What was our Emmanuel content to espouse human clay and assume it into such a substantial mariage or hypostatick union with the Deity thereby to reconcile Heaven and Earth Did he borrow a human Heart and Affections to embrace us Human bowels and compassions to Sympathise with us human eyes to weep for us human breath to groan for us a human tongue to plead for us human flesh to sweat drops of bloud for us a human Head to be crowned with thornes for us human armes and legs to be pierced for us a human bodie to bleed for us a human soul and life to die for us O the Altitudes the Profundities the Latitudes and Longitudes of this Love That the Soverain Lord of Glorie should breath forth such flames of insinite love in human flesh and bloud O the Infinite condescensions of this Love What doth the Lord of Glorie stoop so low as to embrace poor wormes crawling on the dunghil of sin Is the King of Kings content to enter into a league of Amitie with miserable captives Doth the great God wooe and beseech his sinful ercature to become his friend Oh! What a boundlesse bottomlesse love is here What vigor and force is there in this Love How heart-charming and soul-conquering is it What delight doth it take in gaining and triumphing over stout rebellious hearts How much doth love in Christ out-run sin in us Did not Christ begin with love to us albeit we begin with hatred to him Was not our Heaven first framed in the Heart of Christ Did not his love contrive the way to Heaven for us long before we had being much lesse love for him Doth not he love such as others hate even Enemies And doth not his love out-work Devils and Hel Is there any power so strong and efficacious as Christ's love How Industrious laborious and unwearied is it How ineffable how unsearchable is it O Studie Studie what are the Lengths Breadths Heights and Depths of this Love Believe it this is the sweetest and best yea only studie for the friends of Christ The more we studie this Love of Christ the more we may studie it there are fresh veins of excellence new Treasures and riches to be found in it every day This wil be the wonder of glorified Saints and Angels to al Eternitie Alas why is it that our hearts sink and despond under our Discouragements How comes it to passe that our Hearts are no more inflamed with Love to Christ Is not this one main Reason because we do not Studie and Admire this Love of Christ as we ought to do What vigor and strength doth the studie of this Love infuse into al the Iniâ—uragements of faith How much doth it raise up the soul under al its Discouragements What a veil of Disgrace and Contemt doth it cast on al the goodlines of the Creature How greatly is the soul raised to communion with Christ by the studie of his Love 3. Christ's compassion and tender nesses Studie also the Tendernesses of Christ's care and compassion towards his friends Is he not mindful of them when they are forgetful of him Doth he not think much good for them oft when they think il of him Though he may be sometimes out of sight yet is not even then his heart with them Doth he not long for and bleed over them when he seems to be departed from them It 's true he sometimes suspends the tokens of his love and marques of Divine favor ay but are not these his suspensions wrapped up in many secret
last brings faith of Assurance There is no more effectual course for the discoverie of our faith in Christ than by putting forth fresh acts of faith on Christ For as by the vital acts of life we know we have life so by believing we come to know that we do believe Yea faith is not only in it self the best evidence of Grace but also it gives light life and spirit to al other evidences of Grace yea who are they to whom Christ most delights to give the Assurance of his love but such as most frequently love and elect him for himself Al this is confirmed to us by the lively feeling experiences of the best Saints who usually never find Christ nearer to them in the evidence of his love than when their hearts are nearest to him by such fiducial acts of Election and love I have known a Christian and indeed the greatest Saint that I ever knew who was much assaulted with a violent Tentation that he was but an Hypocrite but being brought to this Resolution That if he had been an Hypocrite hitherto yet now he would cast himself upon the Grace of God in Christ immediately the tentation vanished Thus we see what a soverain Influence fresh acts of adherence to Christ have to dispel douts and strengthen friendship with Christ SECT 3. The friends of Christ should endeavor to grow more Rooted and Built up in Christ Col. 2.7 3. 3. Advice to the friends of Christ to grow more rooted and built up in Christ HEnce follows another seasonable Admonition and Advice for the friends of Christ in order to their living up to the Dignitie of their Relation and Profession namely that they would labor after a frame of spirit more rooted and built up in Christ This is a subsequent of the former and so it is brought in Col. 2.7 Paul having Col. 2.7 in the foregoing verse exhorted them to walk in Christ by frequent election of him in the same manner as they at first received him he here subjoins Rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith The friends of Christ may not content themselves in the mere Repetition of their first Acts and Works but they ought to make progresse therein and grow more rooted and wel-grounded in Christ As if the Apostle had said Ye cannot walk in and with Christ as your friend unlesse ye are deeply radicated or rooted and firmely superstructed or built upon Christ Here is a twofold mecaphor the one taken from plants wel-radicated the other from Edifices or Houses wel-grounded He teacheth us therefore that Christ is our Root in which we ought to be daily more firmely radicated and our Foundation on which we ought to be continually more firmely edificated or built The first notion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred by Erasmus So as you may have roots fixed in Christ as for the other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it being a participle of the present Tense it shews that this superstruction is successive and gradual as Ephes 2.21 In sum the Spirit and mind of this Advice is that the Friends of Christ would Endeavor after a Soliditie firmitude depth and strength in the great fundamental and vital acts of Faith So it follows and stablished in the faith f Idem absque figura repetit quod per Translationes dixerat Calv. in loc whereby he nakedly and without a Figure expresseth what he had before wrapped up in the two Metaphors of being rooted and built up in Christ Now the great Fundamental and vital Acts of Faith in Christ wherein the Friends of Christ should endeavor to be more deeply radicated or rooted and built up are these 1. 1. A solid and firme Assent to and Estime of Christ The Friends of Christ must labor after a greater Soliditie and depth as also Firmitude and Strength of Assent to and Estimation of Christ as their Friend The more deeply radicated solid and firme our Assent to and estime of Christ as our friend is the more shal we Live and Walk and Act according to the Laws of Friendship with him A superficial feeble Assent to or commun and cheap estime of Christ argues a very slender and narrow if any degree of sincere Amitie with Christ This proves the ruine of a world of pretended friendship to Christ that it wants this due soliditie Firmitude depth and vigor of Assent and Estime And without al peradventure the more the friends of Christ are radicated and wel-grounded herein the more they wil grow up to flourishing Trees and beautiful Structures of Amitie with Christ 2. 2. A strong and resolute Adherence to Christ Another Radical Fundamental and Vital part of Faith wherein the friends of Christ should endeavor after more soliditie depth and Firmitude is cordial Adhesion to Christ as their friend The friends of Christ should labor after a peremtorie resolute yea Head-strong Bent of wil in adherence to Christ The more tenacious violent and strong the wil is in adhering to Christ the better and more durable is its friendship with him This was the main of Barnabas's advice to the young Christians at Antioch Act. 11.23 Act. 11.23 And he exhorted them al that with purpose of Heart they would cleave unto the Lord. Barnabas was much rejoyced to see their young and green Amitie towards Christ ay but he would fain have them more solid and firme more deeply radicated in their Adherence to Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with purpose of Heart i. e. with a more peremtorie resolute determined fixed wil an heart more strongly bent more firmely and inviolably knit to Christ a wil more firmely determined for Christ but more undetermined for sin and self an Heart more and more resolved for Christ but more and more unresolved for other Lovers a wil more bent for Christ but more unbent for Idol-friends So much also is contained in the following notion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to adhere or cleave to the Lord as the needle to the Loadstone as the Wife to her Husband as the Bodie to the soul This firme solid and deep Adherence of the wil to Christ is wel expressed Ps 73.26 Psal 73.26 my flesh and mine Heart faileth but God is the strength of mine Heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my rock He to whom mine heart adheres as a drowning man to his rock Or we may read it with R. Ezra thus the firme Adhesion of mine Heart is to God Hold fast Christ contend for him it is a lawful plea to go to holding for Christ Rutherf As if he had said I am wel nigh immersed and quite swallowed up in the Ocean of Tentations but yet the firme Adherence or rational Bent of mine Heart is to Christ here I am resolved to adhere and stick come what wil. And why because he is my portion for ever as it follows Christ loves a peremtorie resolved wil such as cannot part with him for the greatest good
follows V. 6. His left hand is under mine Head and his right hand embraccth me She no sooner longs for him but feels his embracements yea he longs for her as much or infinitely more than she longs for him Oh! what a pleasing pain is it to be pained with desires after Christ what a sweet living death is it to die with longings after him O! what monstrous unkindnes is it that Christ should long after his friends and yet they not long after him O hunger and thirst after Christ hunger after his Grace thirst after Christ's Love and the sense of it hunger after his person yea hunger and thirst after Spiritual hunger and thirst after Christ there is a young Heaven in Hunger and Thirst after Christ None injoy more of Christ at least of his spiritual and gracious presence than such as have most infinite thirsts and longings of soul after him Get as near Christ as thou mayest by thy Desires if they cannot run let them creep towards Christ never leave ' til thine Heart be chained and fettered to Christ by desires if not by more sensible Fruition Thus it was with the Spouse Cant. 3.3 Cant. 3.3 Him Saw ye him whom my soul loveth Saw ye Him There is a great Emphase and Efficace in this manner of speech h Vis max ima est in co dicendi genere nam Relativum fine Antecedente est maximè Emphaticum Sanctius in loc Here is a Relative Him without an Antecedent which argues the force and Stength of her desires She thought al the World knew whom she meant and desired after her desires are so ardent as that they wil not permit her to expresse his Name al that she can say is Saw ye Him c. Him what Him doth she mean Must the Watch-men needs understand her broken language Yes her desires were so pressing as that she had not leisure to say more than this saw ye him whom my soul loveth The like affectionate desires after Christ we find in Marie Joh 20.15 Sir If thou hastborne him hence Joh. 20.15 tel me where thou hast laid him and I wil take him away Here is nothing but Him and Him and Him her desires after Christ were so vehement as that she had not time to expresse whom she meant she saies tel me where thou hast laid him and I wil take him away Alas poor woman the strength of her desires made her excede the bounds of rational discourse Surely nothing that is dutie seems impossible or burthensome to affectionate desires after Christ The stronger our desires after Christ are the Stronger and more invincible wil our Amitie with him be 3. 3. Grief for Christ's Absence Again the friends of Christ should labor after a more conjugal grief for and bitter sense of Christ's Absence especially for and of sin the cause thereof The friends of Christ when they have not the sweet sense of a felt and injoyed Christ they ought to have the bitter sense of an Absent displeased Christ A true conjugal friend of Christ knows no wounds no pains no torments like those of an angry withdrawen Christ i To love Christ and to want him wants little of Hel. Ruth Death and Hel to him consists in separation and distance from Christ The sense of losse to him is worse than the sense of pain Yea it is his greatest pain that he hath lost his best friend he sees al the curses and Plagues of God wrapt up in the losse of Christ Cant. 5.6 So it was with the Spouse Cant. 5.6 I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone my soul failed when he spake c. My soul failed Christ's Parting farewel put his Spouse into a fainting swooning dying fit Her heart was gone when her Lord was gone when he left her she left her self her spirits evaporated Oh! what languishments what swoonings and failures of spirits should the friends of Christ have when he bids Adieu to them especially if their sin be the cause of his Departure from them Should they not be greatly afflicted in Spirit that Christ's withdrawment from them was occasioned by the withdrawment of their Hearts from Christ What should wound and grieve them if not this that they have wounded and grieved their best friend and so made him at least seemingly to turne against them as an enemie Can there be a worse Hel on this side Hel to the friends of Christ than this that their departure from Christ has made him depart from them and leave them under a wildernes-condition of many Tentations Desertions Difficulties c O mourne mourne for Christ's Absence and for sin the cause thereof as the worst Hel. 4. 4. Lively Hopes of Christs Returne As the friends of Christ should maintain a deep bitter sense of and grief for Christ's Absence so ought they no lesse to keep up a wel-grounded lively Hope of his Returne Hope is according to the Scripture stile the Anchor of the soul Heb. 6.19 if this fail Heb. 6.19 how soon wil the Heart fail and sink down into the Gulf of despair In times of Desertion Satan and our own unbelieving Hearts make many black lies and raise many slanders on Christ therefore if Hope dies al dies Wel-grounded Hope is a seed of Heaven it is a good Prophet which alwaies Prophecies glad tidings of Christ's Returne Yea take a friend of Christ in his lowest ebbe of comfort and darkest mist of Desertion and Tentation yet even then he hath some insensible negative Hopes so that he dares not say peremtorily Christ wil never returne or if he say it 't is but in a fit of Vnbelief and therefore he soon recollects himself again and cannot but cherish some secret hopes which though not perceptible or sensible yet he wil not part with them for a thousand worlds Thus it was with Jonah ch 2. v. 4. Though I said Jonah◠2.4 I am cast out of thy sight yet I wil look towards thine holy Temple Jonah in the Whales bellie cast a wist eye of Hope towards the Temple the Symbol of Christ which kept up his soul from sinking when his bodie was sunk unto the bottome of the Sea Thence saith David Ps 119.81 Psal 119.81 my soul fainteth for thy salvation but I hope in thy word He had long expected salvation and should have given up al for lost had he not hoped in God's word of Promise Christ breathes in a word of Promise into his Heart and he breaths forth fresh and lively hopes every day into Christ's bosome The friends of Christ must remember that the Cable to which the Anchor of their Hope is fastened is not their own mutable ambulatorie wil or the fallible word of men but the immutable Oath and infallible word of the eternal God who is Veracitie it self Heb. 6.17 18. Oh! what a strong Foundation what an immobile Rock is here for our Hopes to anchor on How
similitude or likenes and the more like men are in virtuous Qualities the better friends they make I interpose virtuous Qualities as the foundation of this similitude and friendship because there is no genuine similitude or friendship but what hath its rise from Virtue Al vicious persons are difforme and dissonant not only from virtuous men but also among themselves Sin is but a Chaos or masse of Confusion difformitie and disagreement al lusts are irregular turbulent factious dissonant and jarring among themselves as wel as with Virtues Therefore vicious men whatever their pretensions may be can never attain to any sincere solid Amitie because they can never have any virtuous Vniformitie or Ressemblance It is the serious virtuous person only that may lay claim to true Vniformitie and friendship as Plato and other Philosophers have long since determined Now then this being the true Idea of al Amitie whether Divine or human that it be founded on some virtuous Vniformitie and Conformitie hence it necessarily follows that the more Vniforme with and Conforme to Christ his friends are the more they live and walk and Act up to the Dignitie of their Relation to him as friends 1. 1. Interne Uniformitie with Christ The friends of Christ should labor after the nearest interne Vniformitie with Christ their Spirits should rise up to the highest Ressemblance of Christ They should endeavor to have the Image of Christ drawen in more lively characters on their hearts Undoutedly the more the friends of Christ participate with him in the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 the more lively Impresses and Stampes of his Image they receive upon their souls the better friends they are Thus much is contained in that excellent Admonition and Advice of Paul Rom. 12.1 2. Rom. 12.1 2. v. 1. he exhorts them to present their bodies or whole persons a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God c. i e. to approve themselves what they professed real and loyal friends of Christ But how might they attain to this That he expresseth v. 2. And be not conformed unto this world i. e. Let not your hearts be shaped moulded or formed according to the Humors lusts fashions or any other deceitful Ideas of this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds i. e. Let your minds be stript of their old corrupt Forme received from the first Adam and be clothed with the new Divine Forme or Image of Christ the second Adam as Ephes 4.22 23. whence it follows that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect wil of God i. e. that ye may approve your selves Loyal friends of Christ The more the friends of Christ are transformed by the renewing of their minds into the Image of Christ the more they wil come to have one and the same Mind and Spirit with Christ the more they wil mind affect and delight in what Christ minds affects and delights in most Doth not the poor o Eadem velle ac eadem nolle ea demum vera Amicitia Heathen teach us that this is true friendship to wil and nil the same things What makes men better friends than an Vnitie or Similitude of Wils Must not then the friends of Christ Studie and affect a similitude yea Vnitie of Wil with Christ What makes a greater Schisme on friendship with Christ than Pluralitie of Wils Identitie or Samenes of Wil with Christ prevents a world of sin and is the Life of Grace A friend of Christ should have his wil broken to pieces that it may be made one With the Wil of Christ to mind and intend the same things with Christ Yea is not this one of the highest degrees of true Amitie with Christ Doth Christ mind and intend the Glorie of his Father most And shal not the friends of Christ endeavor after the same mind with Christ herein O what Strong Intention what pure aimes should they have at the Glorie of God How should al the concernes of self be quite melted into and swallowed up in the Concernes of God and his Glorie Again doth Christ Love and Affect Grace more than the whole Creation besides And shal not the friends of Christ love and affect Grace more than al things else Farther doth Christ delight in nothing so much as in doing and suffering his Father's Wil Was it his meat and drink to do and suffer the same O then how much should the friends of Christ delight in doing and suffering God's wil What complacence should they take in Active and Passive obedience Thus the friends of Christ should studie and affect a greater Latitude of interne Vniformitie with Christ in Mind Wil and Affection And without al peradventure the more they partake of one and the same Divine Nature and heart with Christ the more faithful and complete friends are they 2. 2. Externe Conformitie to Christ The friends of Christ must studie and endeavor not only Interne Vniformitie with but also externe Conformitie to Christ They must not only mind and affect but also Talk and Act and Live as Christ True friendship even among men requires not only Habitual and inward Ressemblance in Nature dispositions Principles and Affections but also actual and outward Conformitie in Conversation and Actions So here Divine Amitie with Christ implies not only interne habitual Assimilation to him but also externe actual Imitation of him and the greater Latitude of degrees the friends of Christ attain herein the more real and visible yea glorious wil their Amitie appear to be This was Paul's greatest Ambition to be an Imiâ—ator of Christ which he commends also to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.1 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ So Ephes 5.1 Be ye therefore followers of God Ephes 5.1 as dear Children It is the Ambition of pious Children to imitate their Parents in what is good As they partake with them in one and the same Nature and likenes so would they fain conforme to them by one and the same Actions and Mode of life Parents Exemples are usually more forcible and binding than their precepts to their Children And this ariseth from that natural friendship or Vniformitie of Nature which is betwixt Parents and Children Such should the Exemple of Christ be to his Children and friends by Grace as they have his Divine Nature communicated to them and thereby an Vniformitie of Spirits so also should they studie and affect a conformitie to or Imitation of him in al their Actions and Conversation Did Christ break thorow al Tentations and Difficulties to do and suffer his Father's Pleasure Should not then his friends arme themselves with the same mind in doing and suffering the wil of God Is it not greatly unbecoming a friend of Christ to be thrust off from a dutie either by the Frowns or Smiles of this lower world Was David that Noble friend of Christ scoffed off from his dutie by Michal Doth he not rather