The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 5
Section. 5.
Secondly, for the triall of our vnion and fellowſhip with Chriſt,2 by our affection vntounto Chriſts preſence. wee are to examine how we ſtand affected to the company and preſence of Chriſt: for if wee be one with Chriſt, and hee with vsus, we will further expreſſe the louelove of our ſoules which wee beare him (not onelyonly by louing whatſoeuer, and whomſoeuer belongs any wayes vntounto him, and by often thinking of him with delight, by often talking and ſpeaking of him, and of his praiſes with great content, by a ready and willing obedience, and doing of his pleaſure; yea, by expoſing our ſelues, our goods, our names, our bodies and liues if need were, to danger for him; but alſo, and that eſpecially) by deſiring his preſence aboue all things elſe, and by carrying ourſelues reſpectively in the ſame, by reioycing exceedingly therein, mourning and grieuing when we are debarred of the ſame.
Now Chriſt becomes preſent with vsus,And firſt when hee drawes neere vntounto vsus. either when hee comes and drawes neere vntounto vsus, or when wee come and draw neere vntounto him.
1. He is neere vntounto vsus,1 As he is God, by his omnipreſence. firſt generally, (and to all others as well as to vsus) as he is God, in regard of his omnipreſence, and being in eueryevery place by his eſſence & power. But thus properly and immediately wee put him not on. Yet thus far we may hence trie our ſelues, inaſmuch as they that are Chriſts, doe euer ſet themſelues, (in the acknowledgement of his Godhead, and of the vbiquitie thereof) as in his preſence, euer, and in all things approuing themſelues vntounto him, and not daring to doe any thing which is vnſeemely in his ſight and preſence. When Chriſt is once ours, then is the Godhead of Chriſt ours, in regard of the power and efficacie of it, we being mediately vnited to the Godhead of Chriſt, by vertue of our more immediate vnion with his manhood, as was ſaid in the beginning. In which regard, Chriſt, according to his Godhead and power, doth now goe before vsus, to conduct and bring vsus ſafely to the heauenly Canaan, as formerly hee did the people of Iſrael to the earthly Canaan; and if then, much more now.Exod. 23.20.21.2. But, ſaid God to his people then, and in effect to vsus now, Behold, I ſend an Angel before thee, to keepe thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I hauehave prepared; Beware of him, and obey his voyce, prouoke him not, for he wil not pardon your tranſgreſsions; for my name is in him, &c. And thus doe Gods ſeruants alwaies conceiue of Chriſt, approuing themſelues vntounto him as God, not daring to ſinne in his preſence. They walke before him and are perfect or vpright, as Chriſt, the ſecōd Perſon commanded Abraham. Gen. 17.1.Thus Ioſeph kept himſelfe from ſinne being ſtrongly tempted, how can J doe this great wickedneſſe and ſinne againſt God? Gen 39.9.2 Cor 4.2.Thus Paul laboured in his Miniſtry to approue himſelfe to eueryevery mans conſcience in the ſight of God; yea, he charged Timothy, 1 Tim. 6.13 14.in the ſight of God — and before Ieſus Chriſt— to keepe the commandement (giuen him) without spot vnrebukeable, &c. which doubtleſſe he did.
Let all vsus Chriſtians examine our ſelues hereby,To ſet our ſelues euer in Chriſts preſence, is a good ſigne of grace. whether our behauiour, our words, our inward thoughts and affections of ſoule, bee ſuch as may become the preſence of Chriſt, whoſe eyes are tenne thouſand times brighter then the Sun. If we indeed, as we profeſſe, did alwaies and in eueryevery place take our ſelues as cloathed and beſet with his preſence, wee would ſo reioice therein & reuerence the ſame, that we would nether ſay, think, do, or deſire to doe any thing vnſeemely; wee would make him the witnes, yea & iudge of all our thoughts & intentions, & ſo demeane our ſelues, that wee durſt in all things appeale to him and to his omniſciencie, as to our witneſſe for the preſent, whom we acknowledge & beleeue ſhal come to be our Iudge alſo. It wold make vsus take heed of ſecret ſins, & carry our ſelues vprightly as in his ſight, and to take heed of hypocriſie, to ſhew our ſelues conſtant, and the ſame in all companies whether godly or prophane, in priuate, & when no eie elſe ſees vsus, as well as in publike ſight & view of others, &c. But thus the hypocrite doth not; neither doth the adulterer cō ſider this that waites for the twilight, nor he that cloſely defrauds and ſteales from his Chriſtian brother,Par. 3. §. 6 nor drunkards when they, with Baltazer, Dan. 5.5.ſit and carouſe together, they thinke not of the hand in the wall.