Great Precious Promises, Sermon 3
SERMON III.
2 Pet. 1.4.
Whereby are given unt… us exceeding great and precious Promises, that by these you might b… partakers of the divine nature, hav…ing escaped the corruption that is i… the world through lust.
SOmetimes the soul of a Christian do… move in the paths of God, and in th… wayes towards Zion as the chariots … Aminadab, when they are under the so… enliving and quickening influences of heave… and sometimes the soul of a Christian do… move in those blessed paths as Pharaohs ch…riots, they drive most heavily, when there… a cloud between the precious face of Chr… and them: and wee conceive that sound … spirituall exercise of Faith upon the Pr…mises, would make a Christians motio… more swift towards heaven. We grant Chr… hath three different wayes of guiding … and daughters to Glory: there are some th… Christ carrieth to heaven in a chariot pav… with love, that all alongs their life they … living within sight of that promised La… and are taken up with the refreshing fo… tastes of the heavenly joyes; such a one … Henoch, who spent his dayes in walking wi… God: there are some that Christ guideth … heaven in a chariot that is drawn with speck…ed horses; they have mixed dispensations of sorrow and joy attending them in their walk, they have a winter and a summer, they have a night and a day, and such a one was Iob. 3. There are some that Christ carryeth to Heaven in a fiery chariot, that all alongs their life they are under distracting terrours of the most High, and are living perpetually to their own apprehensions upon the borders of hell, and such a one was Heman, whom Christ thus did guide to heaven: however, if wee shall go there, we need not much dispute the way how wee came, for he doth all things well. And upon the other part, Satan hath three different wayes of guiding souls unto everlasting torment; there are some that Satan carryeth to hell in a chariot of delusions, making them believe that they are still going to heaven; and such are the hypocrites in Sion: and I shall say; I think that chariot was never so …illed as it is in those dayes. O fear that …nxious disappointment that many of you (it is like) will meet with? An hypocrite hee hath strong hopes, hee hath strong idols, …nd hee hath strong delusions, these are his three attendants. And there are some that Satan carryeth to hell in a chariot of profa…ity and ignorance of God, whose judgement goeth before hand, and they are known that …hey are going there. And there are some …hat Satan carryeth to hell in a chariot of civility, whose Religion stands in this, con…erning the letter of the Law to bee blamelesse. And certainly, believing of the promises▪ and studying to exercise faith upon them, … that which might prevent many of these damnable soul destroying and murdering delusions that are within some of our beast…. There are three things in Scripture that are called precious: Christ he is called precious 1 Pet. 2.7. Faith is called precious, 2 Pe… ▪ 1.1. To you that are partakers of the li… precious faith with us, and the promises they are called precious, in the words that … have read, and Faith (as it were) hat… two blessed eyes, by one of those it beholdeth Christ, and by another of these it beholdeth the promises, and fixeth it self upo… them. O Christians and expectants of He… ven, would you know what is the rise of … the sad things that have befallen you in the… dayes? It is this in short, ye believe not th… promises. O Christians, what is the reaso… that ye carry not your crosses with patience it is, because ye believe not the promises b… which your soul must be upholden in th… day of your affliction. O Christian, wh… is the rise of your little mortification? … it not because ye believe not the promises for by them ye should be made partakers … the divine nature. O Christian, what is th… ground that ye pray so little, and that yo… pray with so little successe? It is, becaus… ye believe not the promises. A Christia… when he goeth to pray, he should take the… two things along; 1. The sensible co…victions of his necessities: And, 2. Th… precious promises that is given to answe… that necessity, the one would provoke fervency, and the other Faith. Are there not some here that knoweth not what it is to pray upon a promise, and that maketh you pray to so little purpose. O Christian, what is the reason of your so much sorrow, and of your little spiritual comfort? It is, that ye believe not the promises: It is no wonder that your names be called Marah, because ye exercise not faith upon the precious promises of God. I think without wronging you or any that are here; I doubt much if ever Christians had such hearts as the most part of us have; O what a heart is that, that can neither pray nor praise? both are alike mysteries unto them: What a heart is that, O Christian, that can neither believe promises, believe threatnings, nor obey commands? What a heart is that, that can neither sorrow for sin, nor rejoyce in God? and what a heart is that, that can neither love Christ when he is present, nor can they …ong for Christ when he is absent? and what … heart is that, O Christian, that can neither …ove heaven, nor can fear hell? and is there nor such hearts with us, even with us that …re here this day?
At the last occasion that we spake upon these words, we spake a little to the first …hing in them, which was the rise and originall of the promises, holden forth in that word, Whereby, or by whom. The second …hing in the words, was the properties of …he promises; and wee told you that there were these four holden forth in the words. The first property of the promises is, that they are free, which is imported in that word, are given; all the promises of the everlasting Covenant being the precious and free gifts of God. Hence you will see that oft times the tenor of the Covenant of Grace runs upon that strain, I will give you, as i… clear, Ier. 32.39. I will give you one heart, and Ezek. 36.26. I will give you a new heart, and Ezek. 11.19. I will give you; It is the strain of the language of the Covenant of Grace, to give.
Now in speaking upon this first property of the promises, to wit, their freedom, I shall speak a little unto these two, the first thing shall be to point out unto you the way how a Christian may win to the distinct uptaking of the freedom of the promises▪ and then I shall from thence presse some duties.
And in short, as to the first, we conceive that a Christian may win unto the distinct uptaking of the freedom of the promises, by these Considerations. 1. Let a Christian cast his eye upon the sweet rise, and spring, or fountain of the promises, and there ye will see their freedom shining most clear: for what is the fountain of the promises? Is it not the boundlesse and everlasting love of Christ: this is clear, Deut. 7▪ 7. where God giving a reason of all the great things that he had performed for them, he setteth down the rise of it, Because I loved you, saith he: and again the ground of this is, Because I have loved you, there being no reason of love, but love: and it is clear, 2. Sam. 7.2. where David having received many precious promises, hee setteth down the rise of all these in that verse, For the words sake, saith he, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these things to make them known to thy servant. And it is clear, Ezek. 17.8. where God calleth the time of entering into Covenant with them, a time of love; that love it was eminently shining in that day when God did condescend to Covenant with them: And hence yee see in Scripture, that the promises they are called by the name of mercy, Micah 7.20. To perform the mercy to Abraham, which is the Promises, and they are so called, because mercy and boundlesse love is the sole fountain and spring of all these promises. Secondly, Consider the persons who have right to make use of the promises? Must not the promises be free when the proclamation is upon these tearms, Rev. 22.17. Whosover will, let him come, there is nothing to give you a right to the promises, but only a willingnesse to embrace them, if yee will, yee may take them. And, thirdly, yee may read the freedom of the promises in this, that any condition which is annexed to the promise: Christ giveth to the Believer strength to perform that condition: It is known that Faith is the condition of the promises, and it is certain Christ giveth a Believer that condition as well as hee giveth him the promise, Philip 1 29. To you it is given to believe, and Eph. 2.8▪ It is the gift of God: It is impossible for a Christian to perform the condition, except Christ who is surety for him did perform it. Fourthly, Ye may read the freedom of the promises, … ye consider the time when the promises are accomplished, it is often at such a time, when the Christian hath been, and is under no very spirituall frame. Hence yee will see in Ezek. 16.60, 61. that when the promises are accomplished, then God requireth confusion and blushing of face, because of their former wayes: and Ezek. 36.31. when the promises are accomplished, then that is the time when the Lord calleth them to remember their own evil wayes, and their doings that were not good; yea, hee will have them and all the world to know, it is not for their sakes that he doth this; therefore he commandeth them to bee ashamed and confounded for their own wayes, or the posture they were in when he accomplished his promise: And if there were no other thing to speak the freedome of the promises, but the trysting of the accomplishment of them with such a frame, it were more then suff…cient: But besides this, see Davids practice, 2 Sam. 7.8. hee readeth the freedome of the promises from his own imperfections, What am I (saith hee) and what is my fathers house, that thou shouldest have brought mee hitherto? And even in the same Text, there is an Emphasis in that word, to us, Whereby are given to us, as if the Apostle did say, to prove that the promises are gifts: I can bring no other argument so strong as this, They are given to us. Fifthly, Yee may read the freedom of the Promises, if yee will consider and take up the infinite fulnesse and all-sufficiency of the Promiser, that there is nothing without himself that can perswade him to give such promises. Hence yee will see, Gen. 17.1. when hee is making the Covenant with Abraham, hee putteth it still in the Frontispiece of the Covenant, I am God all-sufficient, as it were, to put off all thoughts of merit that Abraham might have, and that Abraham might bee perswaded of this, that there was not any imaginable perfection in himself, that could be the ground and rise of such promises. And there is that, lastly, from which yee may read the freedom of the promises, if yee consider the greatnesse of these promises: if they were of a lower nature; then were it lesse to bee wondered, if merit should come in to plead for it self: But when a Christian shall compare himself, and the greatnesse of the promises together, hee cannot but then sing that blessed song, These are the gifts and donations of God, and what am I, and what is my fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto.
Now the second thing that wee purposed to speak to, is, to presse some duties upon you from this, that the promises are free, and wee shall lay before you these three. The first, That since the promises of God, are free, then as you would not destroy your own souls, bee much in making use and application of the Promises: Are not the promises your life? Did not all the Saints that went to heaven before us go to heaven, living upon the promises? There was not a step of Abrahams life, but hee walked with a promise in it; there was not an affliction that Abraham met with, but hee took comfort to himself from the promises; and I shall remove these two mistakes that are incident to Christians in the application of the promises, even from this ground, that they are free.
The first is this, There are some Christians that will not apply the promises, because they are under the convictions of their own infirmities, and of their own basenesse: so that when wee presse you to believe the promises, yee reject this counsell, because yee consult with your own infirmities. This was the practice of David, Psal. 22.4. Our fathers trusted in thee, they trusted and were delivered: but hee durst not trust in the 6. verse, But I am a worm, and not a man▪ I am a reproach among the people. And it is that same divinity that is in these dayes, when we presse you to believe the promises, because of the great cloud of witnesses that have gone before you, that believed the promises. O say yee, if I were like David, and Abraham, I would believe the promises; but truely David said that same, that lived before you, if I were like my fathers, I would believe the promises, but I am not like my fathers. And therefore I would say to you these two words. 1. Are yee inferiour o… short unto David in holinesse, or necessities? Wee do not question but all of you will answer, wee are not inferiour to David in necessities, but in holinesse; Then say wee, if ye be not inferiour to David in necessity, then make use of the promises: for as we cleared the last day, necessity giveth … right in making use of the promises. 2. I would say, I am certainly perswaded, that sensible necessity would cut short many of our formal debates, in closing with the promises, necessities (as ye use to speak) hath no Law, and necessity hath no manners. Let mee say that to you who will not close with the promises, that if yee were under sensible necessity▪ if Christ should forbid you to close with such a promise, ye would close with it though hee forbid you, as the woman of Canaan did, there is nothing but sensible necessity will overcome it: necessity never disputes its right, for it goeth over the belly of such a dispute, it presently maketh use of that that its need calleth for.
Secondly, There is that other mistake amongst Christians in believing the promises, that they want the qualifications annexed to the promises, and therefore they dare not believe the Promise, especially that promise of closing with Christ, they think they are not under such a deep measure of humiliation, of sorrow for sin, nor under such lively apprehensions of the excellency of Christ. And I shall say but these six things unto these that will not close with Christ, because they want qualifications, or at least, have not these qualifications after such a way. First, Let mee tell thee (O Christian that thus disputes,) go between the first steps of a Christians way to heaven and the last, and see if yee can behold a grave upon which this is written, Behold here lieth a man or a woman that came to Christ to imbrace him, and hee would not receive them; Did yee ever behold such a grave as this? And why then do ye so much dispute? Will ye take a trial of Christ whether hee will refuse you if yee come, and if hee shall refuse you, sure I am, he will do that which he never did to any before you. The second thing I would say to such, that the want of such degrees of such things, ought not to be a ground of your not closing with Christ; for if yee had these qualifications that yee require, yee would maintain that same dispute that yee do now; for when we desire you to close with Christ, ye answer, that your sorrow is not come to such a height as it ought, nor is your humiliation come to such a height, as ye pitch for your self to come to. O Christian, if yee come to ten times more, and yet ten times more, yee would have that same dispute then which ye have now: and the ground of it is this, the more that a Christian have real sorrow, he will oftentimes be the more in the apprehension that hee hath not sorrow. Thirdly, If yee want the qualifications that are required in these that should close with Christ in the Covenant of promise, then come to Christ to get these qualifications. I would only ask at you, think yee to spin sorrow for sin out of your own hearts; Think ye to spin humiliation for sin out of these wretched breasts of yours, yee must come to Christ for sorrow, as well as ye come to Christ for life. Fourthly, All the qualifications▪ that …re annexed unto that promise of closing with Christ, and coming to him, they point …ut rather the qualification of them that will come, then the qualification of these …hat ought to come: Yee read such a command as that, Come unto mee all ye that are wearied and heavy loaden. O say yee, I am not weary, and I am not under the burden of sinne, therefore I cannot come. I will tell you what is the meaning of that command; Christ inviteth these who have the greatest unwillingnesse, to come and get willingnesse: But withall, it sheweth this, none will come to get rest from Christ, but these that are first weary; and that this is the Lords method of working, first, to make weary, and then to ease; but no such matter in his Word, That first, wee must have a wearinesse of our own making, or else hee will not receive us: now but when yee come, yee will be weary, and hee will receive you. Fifthly, let mee say to you who thus disputes, make your want of qualifications the very ground of your closing with Christ. I shall but in three places let you see this strange arguing of Faith in closing with the promises: There is that, Psal. 40.11, 12. Let thy truth continually preserve mee, that is, let thy promises be accomplished and made lively unto mee, which are my preservation: and would yee know the ground and reason that hee anexeth unto this; For saith he, Innumerable evils encompassed me about, they have taken such hold of me, that I am not able to look up. He maketh his very want of qualifications, the grounds of his closing with the promise, and seeking the accomplishment of it. And there is that second expression which is most wonderfull, Psal. 25 11. David prayeth for the accomplishment of that promise, Pardon my sinne upon that same very account, Because it is great. And I shall give you a third place in which the arguing of Faith is most mysterious, Exod. 33. compared with Exod. 34.9. In the first place, God denieth the accomplishment of that promise, of going up amongst that people: And the ground hee giveth of it, is, Because, saith hee, yee are a stiff necked people. And chap. 34. verse 9. when Moses is praying for the accomplishment of that promise, That God would go amongst them; he taketh that same very argument out of the mouth of God; Go up amongst us; For, saith hee, wee are a stiff-necked people: God said he would not go up because they were a stiff necked people, and Moses desireth him to go up because of this▪ And there is this, lastly, that wee would say to you, that so much dispute; If yee would have these qualifications that yee want, yee would study to close with Christ by Faith; Would ye have sorrow for sin? then believe; Would ye have high thoughts of Christ? then believe: Would ye have humiliation? then believe; for believing is a mother grace unto all these.
The second duty that we would press upon you from this consideration that the promises are free, is, That when the promises …re given to you, and are accomplished, ye would study to be denied to any merit in your selves, which ye may suppose to be the …ise of the giving or accomplishment of the promises. There is nothing that a Christian …eceiveth, but it is a fruit of infinit love, there …s not a conviction that trysteth a Christian, …ut it is the fruit of infinite love; there is …ot one real sigh for sin, but it is the fruit of …nfinit love; there is not one blink of the precious countenance of Christ, but it is a …ruit of infinit love; there is not the least …egree of hatred against sin, but it is the fruit of infinit love; there is not the least promise that is accomplished unto you, but it is …he fruit of infinit love: so that upon all our …eceipts from God, there is reason to sing that …ong, Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thee …oth belong the glory: And therefore, I would presse this upon you, O Christians, …educe all your mercies unto the fountain, …nd there sit down and pen songs of everlast…ng praise to him. Will ye but take a view …f this, there is not one bit of bread that ye …at, that is within a promise, but it is a mercy …hat hath come running to you through the …owels and tender heart of Christ: his heart … the fountain of all our mercies, and they …weetly stream out of that precious foun…ain; so that if ye had no other thing to com…end your mercy from, but that it is a gift …f the heart of Christ, ye may take it in your …rms upon this account, and solace your …elves with it.
The last duty that we would presse upon you from this consideration, that the promises are free, is this; Ye would be studying to close with Jesus Christ that is promised and freely holden out to you in the Gospel; O sinner of eighty years old, O sinner of sixty years old, O atheists of fourty years old, and O sinner of twenty years ol… and downward! I do here invite you, … the Ambassadour of Jesus Christ, to imbrace Christ freely offered in the promise; yea, … do invite you by all the vertues of that noble Plant of renown; by that everlasting love that dwelt in his precious heart, by all the sufferings and wounds that he received, by his eternal glory, and by all the blessings and joyes of heaven, and by that love that ye owe unto your precious and immortal souls▪ that ye would come and imbrace him freely offered to you in the Gospel. And for the further pressing of this, and for clearing of the way of your closing with him, I shall first propose some Gospel mysteries, and sweetly agreeing contradictions, (if so we may speak) held forth in Scripture. 1. Come and buy Christ, and yet buy him without money; that is, come and receive Christ, and ye shall have as unquestionable a right to him as if ye had bought him, that is to buy without money; ye have nothing to commend you to Christ but necessities, and necessities bideth you go, and Christ biddeth you come, why then will ye sit this call. 2. What a Gospel mysterie is that, Yee ar… to buy Christ, and Christ is above price, there is nothing that we can give to buy that pear… of greatest price, and yet we must buy him: then the meaning is, come, and buy Christ by faith, and by forsaking of your idols, this is all the price that he doth require for himself; and so he requireth nothing of you but what he himself doth give, or what is both your duty and advantage to forsake, and which is no gain for him to receive: Christ is not enriched by your hearts, and by giving of your consent to him. 3. This is a Gospel mysterie, that we are to buy without money and without price, and yet to buy with a price, according to that word, Prov. 17.17. there is a price put in the hands of fools, to buy wisdom, and what is the meaning of tha…, to buy with price, and buy without price? It is in short this, though Christ be offered to you in the Gospel freely, ye must not sit down, but be active in closing with him; What is the price that Christ requireth of you? even this, that ye would forsake your soul destroying idols, and that ye would forsake your former evil wayes, and take hold of the present opportunity for imbracing him. And O! cursed shall the heart be that will not imbrace Christ; O but to have him one hour in our arms, it were well worth ten thousand E…ernities of the enjoyment of all things that are here below; ye would never open your arms again to another lover, if once ye had him between your breasts. O but a sight of him that now is the eternal ravishment of all that are above, would transport your hearts with joy, with delight, and admiration, above all expression. Fourthly, There is this Gospel mystery by which we would presse you to imbrace Christ; A Christia… must buy Christ, and yet he must have him freely. Is there not an inconsistence, do you suppose between buying and having freely▪ But I would say this to clear it, Christ is bot… the seller, he is the wares, and he is th… buyer; Christ he presenteth himself unt… your hearts, and he desireth to sell himself and he perswadeth and freely enableth yo… to buy him: I will tell you what Chris… doth, he standeth without our hearts, and within our hearts, he standeth without an… knocketh by the Word, and he standeth within and openeth by his Spirit; Christ he bot… commandeth, and he obeyeth, both withi… doors, and without doors, and all this … doth freely.
The second thing I shall say to perswade your hearts to take Christ freely promised and offered unto you, shall be this; Will yo… consider that there is willingness in the hear… of Christ to take you. I shall give unto you these six things that speaketh ou… Chris… his willingnesse to receive you. First, Doth he not command you to come and receive him? and if ye could multiply objection… throughout eternity, why ye should no… close with Christ, ye may cut them all asunder with this knife, This is his Commandement: And doth he not command you, Mat▪ 11 28. Come unto me all ye that labour: And Isai. 55 1▪ Ho, every one that thirsteth▪ com… to the water. Secondly, Hee doth regra… and deeply resent it that ye will not come. … think Christ never weeped so bitterly, as …hat day when he weeped over Ierusalem, …hat they would not imbrace him, Luke 19.…. If thou, even thou, at least, in this thy day, …ad known these things that belong unto thy …eace: And Iohn 5.40. Yee will not come to me that ye may have life. O what think yee can be the rise of this, that Christ should …orrow because yee will not give up your hearts to him; doth hee increase his gain when yee give him your hearts? No cer…ainly, but he cannot endure that madnesse …n you, that ye should forsake your onelyonly gain. Thirdly, Would you do Christ a joy…ull turn, and make his heart glad? Imbrace him; This is clear, Luke 15.5. that when hee finde…h the sheep that is going astray, He returneth rejoycing. Fourthly, I say no more unto you, would you make all the Persons of the blessed Trinity to rejoyce, would yee make all the Angels of Heaven to …ing, would yee make all the Saints that …re round about the Throne to ex…lt for joy; …hen give your hearts up to Christ, and close with him in the Covenant of promise; according to that word, Song 6. last vers. Re…urn, return O Shulamite, return, return, that we may look upon thee. Four times that command is repeated, return ▪ and the great argument with which he ba…keth it, is. That …ll the Persons of the Trinity may rejoyce, That we may look upon thee. Fourthly, Con…ider but how he hath concescended to give himself at a very low rate: What will yee give for Christ? O sinners, what will ye give for him? Would yee give the world for Christ? I will tell you what yee will ge… Christ for, ye will get him for a very look, Isa. 45.22. Look unto mee, O all yee ends of the earth: And think yee not that is a matchlesse mercy, that the thirty three years sufferings of Christ, all the pains and torture… of his heart, his being under the unsupportable wrath of an offended God, the fruit o… all that should be yours for a look. Will ye deny that to Christ, Oh, do yee ever think to finde a more down-coming market? Ye…, fifthly, doth not this speak an admirable willingnesse to have you, hee is to give you that look. It is impossible for these cursed eyes of ours, ever to give precious Christ a look, and therefore he hath Promised to give that to us, that we may give to him, Zech. 12 10. They shall look to mee, that very look yee are to get from Christ, and ye see it is withi… the compasse of a promise. Lastly, That speaketh Christs willingnesse to receive and take you, that he doth not take the first refusal. O Christians that are now in Christ, if Christ had taken an hundred refusals from you ye should never have been in heaven, but he waiteth for an answer, and doth not take us at our first word: acording to that word, Song. 5.2. I am wet, saith he, with the drops of the morning, and my locks with the dew of the night: Hee was long knocking at her heart, and stayed a long time there patiently▪ suffering all the injuries he could meet with. And I would only pose you, think yee that …f one of the richest of you were suiting a …ery poor woman, and shee refused you so …any times, would your proud hearts sub…it to take her? And yet how often-times …ath the precious heart of Christ submitted …o many effronts, and refusals that wee have …iven him: I think if it were possible, Chri…ians would wink when first they behold …hrist upon the day of their espousals: For … suppose their wil be a great dispute between …me and love, desire and confusion; shame …ill make you to close your eyes, because ye …ave oftentimes undervalued that Prince, and …et love will not let you close them; desire …ill put you to look, though reflecting upon our former wayes, will make you blush and … ashamed.
Thirdly, To perswade you to receive …hrist in the offer of his free promises▪ I …all but say these three words and close.
Look to these excellent gifts that Christ …ingeth with him, he bringeth Justification …ith him, and is not that an excellent gift? … bringeth Sanctification with him, and is … that an excellent gift? Hee bringeth joy … the holy Ghost with him, and is not that … excellent gift? Hee bringeth the love of …od with him, and is not that an excellent …? Hee bringeth patience under sufferings …ith him, and is not that an excellent gift? … why should I name what hee bringeth? … bringeth himself and all things, and what …ould ye have more? O but for one saving …ink of his face, it would make your hearts … down your enimity that you have maintained so long. 2. O Christian, that ye ma… close with Christ, do but remember the hap…pinesse that yee will have in imbracing him I told you not long since, and now I put yo… in mind again: There is a sixfold crown whic… shall bee put upon your head; Would yo… have long life, then come to Christ, and y… shall have a crown of eternal life: Would … have glory? then come to Christ and ye sha… have a crown of glory: Would ye have know…ledge of the mysteries of God? then come … Christ, and he shall crown you with know…ledge: Would you have an eternal felicity and an uninterrupted happinesse, then com… to Christ, and ye shall have an immort… crown: Would you have holinesse and s…ctifiation, then come to Christ, and yee … have a crown of righteousnesse; yea, he sha… put a royal crown upon your head, a crow… of pure Gold; and then that word shall be accomplished to the full, Zech. 9.16. The… shall they be as the stones of a crown lifted … and as an ensign upon the land. O what a … think yee will it bee, when Christ shall … your crowns upon his hand, and shall … them upon those heads never to be remov… again, here we are often put to sigh … that lamentation, The crown is fallen from … heads, woe unto us for wee have sinned, b… there shall be no more sin to make our crow… to totter. 2. I must tell you, There is … fourfold sute of apparel that yee shall be cloathed with ere long: ye are now cloath… with heavinesse, but then yee shall be cloath…ed with the garments of praise; And did … …ver know such a robe as that? Is it not a more excellent robe then the robes of Kings …nd Emperours in the earth, to bee cloathed with praises? Many of them are and shall …e for ever cloathed with infamy and …. Yee shall be cloathed with change of ray…ent, and shall be brought unto the King in …ayment of needle work. O poor L…sse and …oor Lade that sitteth upon the dung-hill, …hat knows not what it is to have change of …pparel, yee shall have it in that day, when …hrist shall solemnize the Marriage with …ou, ye shall misken your self. O Christian, … yee knew your self never so well, ye will …ee forced to cry out, O▪ is this I? Is this I … am now made perfect through his comeli…sse. 3. Ye shall be cloathed with the gar…ents of immortall glory, yee that have your …undation in the dust, and dwell in the houses … clay, yee shall then bee cloathed with these …cellent robes of immortality, and cloathed … with your house from heaven. And lastly, … shall bee cloathed with the garment of … spotlesse righteousnesse of Christ. O such a …jestick walk as ye will have, when ye shall … a scepter in one hand, and a palm in … other, these robes put upon your back, … these crowns upon your heads, and then … bee walking through these streets that … paved with Gold. 3. I shall give you … word to think upon, That there are … things that shall be your exercise in …. 1. Yee shall be constantly taken up in …ndering: If it be not presumption for us …hink a little; What is the exercise of Christ and the Saints that are above, we conceive it is this, Christ is wondering at thei… beauty, and they are wondering at his beauty, Christ is looking upon them, and the… upon him; and is it not true, that if Chris… …e now ravished with one of our eyes, Son… 4. ver. 9. much more shall he be ravishe… when both our eyes shall be given to hi… and shall eternally behold him, without go…ing a whoring after other lovers. 2. … shall be continually in the exercise of prais… joy and light shall be flowing in, and admir…tion and praise shall be flowing out eternally ye shall then sweetly warble upon the… Harps of God, and shall cry, Hallelujah … him that sitteth upon the Throne, there … be no discord there; there is a sweet … beautifull harmony amongst all these spirit… all and heavenly Musicians. O but to … them, it were a heaven, though we had … that blessed lot as to sing with them. 3. … shall be continually taken up in the … of love: Faith is your predominant … while ye are here, but Love shall be … predominant grace when ye are there. … is it not a mysterie to take up these … emanations of love and delight, that … passe between Christ and you? ye shall be folding Christ, and Christ shall be infold you. 4. Ye shal be continually beholding … I think it is hardly possible for the Wife to …member her Husband in heaven, though loved him as her own heart, they will … taken up in beholding him that sitteth on Throne, they will think it too low an … to be taken up with looking upon another in these relations: all will be ravished beholding him, and one another in him, and for him. O the blessed exercise of these that are now entred within tha… City, and within these Gates, whose name is praise. 5. Ye shall be continually taken up in beholding, ye shall be alwaye… knowing, and yet never able to comprehend the endless mysteries and perfections of Jesus Christ. O such a study! Is it not pleasant alwayes to be studying Christ? and will not these things perswade you.
And now but a word more to these that will not have this free offer: If yee will not …mbrace Christ and take him, let me tell you, … would not bee in the stead of that person …or ten thousand worlds, if yee will not im…race Christ and take him for your portion, …he stones of the wall of this house will bear witnesse against you, and they shall have a …ongue to speak against you, that yee have …een invited to take him, and would not: … long that day is approaching, and draw…g near, when the Athiests and refusers of …hrist they shall change their faith, they shall …hange their love, they shal change their fear, … they shall change their joy; and they …all change their mind, ye shall change your … yee that are refusers of Christ; for I … there are many that thinks they have … with Christ, who never did close with …; that faith shall flee away, and ye shall …lieve the con…rary: yee shall change your …, or at least, your opinion of your love: … think yee love Christ, but yee do not imbrace him; I will tell you what will be you… exercise, and I can tel you nothing so te…rible Christ shall eternally hate you, and ye shal… eternally hate Christ, there shall be a … hatred betwixt you two for evermore. … that dreadful word, Zech. 11.8. it shall the… bee accomplished to the uttermost, My … loathed them, and their soul also abhorred mee… ▪ And ye shal change your fear, for now thoug… ye fear not God, nor reverence man, yet the… the horrour of God shall make you shake … a leaf, and ye shall change your light and you… judgement. Ye do now undervalue Christ and thinks him of nothing worth; when Chris… is presented unto you, there is no beauty … yee should desire him: But, O think on th… day when Christ shall sit down in the cloud… and ye shall see his beautifull face, every … of which shal be able to captivate your hear… if they were then capable to be ravished … the sight. O what will be your thoughts … him? And if the blessings of a crucified … our come not upon you, then the eternal, … unsupportable vengeance of Christ shall … upon your heads that would not condesce… to take him: ye shall be cursed in your … ye shall be cursed in your death▪ and ye … be cursed after death; What say ye to … Are ye content to take him! ye might … the day that ever ye were born, if yee … once come to close with Christ. Now … him that hath the keyes of the house of D… vid, that can open your hearts to give … entry, we desire to give praise.