The Best Match, Chapter 10

The Best Match · Chapter 10

p. 163CHAP. X. Which Directs Souls, and ſhews them the way, how to Attain unto this ſweet and Bleſſed Eſpouſal with Jeſus Chriſt.

AN Eſpouſal with Chriſt, what more ſweet? what more deſirable? And who that underſtands himſelf, would not covet it, before any thing this World affords? no Husband like Chriſt, and no happineſs like to an Eſpouſal to him, but the queſtion is, how we may attain hereunto: Truly, ſoul, the work is great, and 'tis the Divine Spirit alone that does and can tie the Marriage-Knot between Chriſt and thee; but he works in this, as well as in other caſes, in and by the uſe of means; and there are ſeveral things highly incumbent upon thee, and which muſt be attended by thee, as ever thou wouldſt attain to an acquaintance with this Bleſſed Eſpouſal.

1. Would'ſt thou be Eſpouſed to Chriſt? Then labour to be deeply Senſible of thine utter eſtrangement from him by nature, as alſo of thy woful miſery by reaſon of that eſtrangement. A deep ſenſe of our Eſtrangement from Chriſt, and of our miſery by reaſon of that eſtrangement, is one good ſtep towards a conjugal-Union and relation to him, and without the one, we are never p. 164like to attain unto the other. Labour, therefore for this.

1. Labour to be deeply ſenſible of your eſtrangment from Chriſt by nature: Naturally we are all ſtrangers to Chriſt, ſtrangers to all conjugal-Union & Communion with him: We know not what any ſuch thing means: As 'twas with the Epheſians, ſo 'tis with us all by nature, they were and we are without Chriſt in the World, Eph. 2.12. And not onelyonly without him, but alſo far from him as it followes, &. 13. I may truly ſay to every natural man and woman in this, as Peter did to Simon in another caſe, Acts. 8.…1. Thou haſt neither part nor Lot in this matter; Thou knoweſt not what Union and Communion which this ſweet Lord means: Yea, not onelyonly are we by nature eſtranged from Chriſt; but moreover we are at Enmity with him, and fill'd with hatred and oppoſition againſt him; we, as thoſe mentioned, Lu. 19.14. Do hate him, and would not have him to reign over us: Naturally we are at Enmity with Chriſt, and with every thing that is his, with his Perſon, with his Preſence, with his Spirit, with his Kingdome, with his Lawes and Ordinances, with his Graces, with his Righteouſneſs, and the like: His perſon is too holy for us, his preſence, too pure, his Spirit too convincing, his Kingdom to Spiritual, his Laws and Ordinances too ſtrict, his Graces too bright, his Righteouſneſs to oppoſite to p. 165ſelf; and ſo we hate all, and are at Enmity with all: Yea, we are at Enmity with the very way of Life and Salvation by him: Touching the Goſpel they are Enemies, ſayes the Apoſtle, which is ſpoken of the Jews, but true of all by nature, Rom. 11.28. We would live, but not by Chriſt: We would be Saved, but not by Chriſt: Thus naturally we are all eſtranged from him; and thus high does our eſtrangment riſe, which we muſt be deeply ſenſible of, if ever we get Union and Communion in a conjugal way with him: Therefore work this a little upon your thoughts, till you find your heart begin to bleed and relent over it.

2. Labour to be deeply ſenſible of your exceeding great miſery by reaſon of this eſtrangment: As we are all naturally with out Chriſt; ſo our miſery herein is exceeding great: So much the Apoſtle holds forth, in the place before quoted, Ephe. 2.12. Where he ſpeakes of our being without Chriſt, as our miſery; yea, as the ſpring and Foundation of all our miſery; and therefore that is firſt mentioned: the Epheſians were, and we are (as he there tells us) without the Covenant, without hope, and without God in the World; miſery enough for any Soul to lye under; and the inlet and Foundation of all is, their and our being without Chriſt: As to have Chriſt (ſays a learned Interpreter upon this place) is the Foundation of all good; ſo, to be p. 166without Chriſt is the beginning and foundation of all evil; an inlet into all woe and miſery, and what leaves us in a moſt deplored ſtate for ever: Take a taſte, and but a taſte of this your miſery, and then work the ſenſe of it upon your own Souls.

1. Being without Chriſt, you are deſtitute of all good, you are without Life, without Grace, without Peace without Pardon, without Comfort, without Righteouſneſs, without Heaven, without Salvation, without Hope, and without God (as you have it in the ſame place) Eph. 2.2. without the Favour of God, without the Preſence of God, without the Life of God, without the Image of God, without the Spirit of God, and being thus without God, you are without all true good, and true happineſs: According to the old and true Maxim …ine Summo bono nihil honum: Without the chief good there is nothing good.

2. Being without Chriſt, you are in Bondage to ſin and Satan, which is the worſt Bondage in the World. Naturally all are the Slaves and Vaſſalls of theſe cruell Lords: Hence we are ſaid to fulfill the Devils luſts, Je. 8, 44. and as the luſts of the Devil, ſo the wills and luſts of the ſleſh, Epe. 2.2. to be the ſervants of ſin, to ſerve divers luſts, and pleaſures, and the like: And as naturally all are thus in Bondage to ſin and the Devil; ſo there is no redemption from this Bondage but by Chriſt, and that in a way p. 167of Union with him: If the Son therefore ſhall make you free, ye ſhall be free indeed, ſaith he himſelf to the Jews, Je. 8.36. They were Glorying in their privilidge, that they were Obrahams ſeed, and never were in Bondage to any man: True, ſayes Chriſt, but ye are in a worſe Bondage then a Bondage to man, in Bondage to ſin, in Bondage to your luſts: For he that committeth ſin is the ſervant of ſin: and this Bondage none but the Son can free you from; and therefore, untill freed by him, you remain under it. O how ſore a Bondage is this? To be under the command of ſin, to be at the beck of every baſe, unclean luſt, and to be carried Captive by the Devil at his will: This is ſuch a Bondage as that the Bondage of Iſrael under their task-makers in Egypt, and the bondage of Turkiſh ſlaves, who are kept at the Oar and Galley is freedom to it: as to ſerve Chriſt is the greateſt liberty, ſo to ſerve ſin is the cruelleſt Bondage.

3. Being without Chriſt, and Union with Chriſt, you are rejected of God: Know ye not (ſayes the Apoſtle:) that except Chriſt be in you, ye are Reprohates; 2 Cor. 13.5. Know ye not? As if he ſhould ſay, 'tis a moſt clear, manifeſt, and evident truth, that unleſs you have Union with Chriſt, you are Reprobates; i. e. you are unapproved of God, you are out of his Favour, both your perſons and ſervices are rejected by him: To the ſame purpoſe p. 168is that, Gal. 4.22. Where we read, of 2 Mothers, and 2 Sons: The two Mothers were types of the 2 Covenants, the Covenant of works, and the Covenant of Grace, as appears by v. 24. The 2 Sons are types of 2 ſorts of perſons living in the Church; one born after the fleſh, the other by promiſe; one belonging to the firſt, the other to the ſecond Covenant: Well, what's the condition of theſe? Why, the one is in a ſtate of rejection, and the other of acceptation: They, that belong to the ſecond Covenant are owned, and embraced in the arms of Love; the other are caſt out (as you may ſee in the ſequel of the Chap:) Beſides, all our acceptation with God is in Chriſt, and through Chriſt, Eph. 1.6. Out of him therefore we are in a ſtate of rejection: O, how ſad does this ſpeak your condition to be? for men, yea, for good men to reject, and diſown us, is what may be born, eſpecially when God ownes, and ſmiles: But for God to diſown, and reject us, this is terrible indeed, though all the World ſhould own us, and ſmile upon us: How terrible is that word? Reprobate ſilver ſhall men call them: for the Lord hath rejected them, Jer. 6.30— If God ownes, and ſmiles, 'tis no matter who frowns; but if he frowns, and rejects, who can own or ſmile to the relief of the Soul?

4. Being without Chriſt, you are under the Law, and ſo under the curſe; and how p. 169ſad is this? as there are but 2 Covenants, the old, and the new; and but 2 heads of thoſe Covenants; the firſt, or the ſecond Adam; ſo all men do belong to, and are found in the one or the other of theſe: Whilſt therefore you are ſtrangers to Chriſt, you are under the Law, and being under the Law you are under the curſe: For, ſayes the Apoſtle, As many as are under the Law are under the curſe: For it is Written, curſed is every one that continueth not in all things that are Written in the Book of the Law to do them, Gal. 3, 10. The Law has no pitty, no ſparing for offenders; But for every breach thereof lays the Soul under the curſe: Now, we have all broken the Law, we all broke it in Adam, being in him as in an head; and we have all broken it 10. Thouſand times over in our own perſons; and by both are fallen under the curſe thereof: And, Soul, doſt thou know what the curſe of the Law means? It carries in it Death and condemnation for ever: Being under the Law, we are curſed in our perſons, and curſed in our comforts: The wrath of God lies upon our ſouls, and the curſe of God is in all our enjoyments, our very. Bleſſings are accur'ſt to us, Mal. 2.2. We read in Scripture of the people of God's curſe; and thou art one of them, Soul, who ever thou art, that art out of Chriſt: O how woeful, how deplorable a condition is this!

p. 1705. Being without Chriſt, and eſtranged from Chriſt, you lie under the guilt of innumerable ſins, which you alone muſt bear for ever? 'tis in, and by Chriſt alone, that Souls are Diſcharg'd from the guilt of ſin: And who are they, whom he diſcharges from guilt; but ſuch as are found in him, are under a Marriage-Covenant with him? thoſe his Blood cleanſes from all ſin, 1 Jo. 1.7. and in him have they redemption through his Blood, even the for giveneſs of ſin, Eph. 1.7. As for others, he tells them plainly they ſhall die in their ſins, Jo. 8.24. O, how ſad a condition is this? Soul, thou art guilty of multitudes of ſins, the leaſt of which has evil enough in it to damn thee eternally: Thou haſt thouſands, & 10 thouſands of Scarlet, Crimſon ſins, ſins cloathed with black and crying aggravations, lying upon thee; and to have all theſe in the full weight of the guilt and puniſhment of them charged upon thee by the great God for ever, how miſerable does this ſpeak thy condition to be.

6. Being eſtranged from Chriſt, you are under a neceſſity of ſinning, and ſo of great'ning your own damnation daily: A man out of Chriſt does do, can do nothing but ſin; for he is not ſubject to the Law of God, nor can he be, Rom. 8.8. And as he is ever ſinning, ſo he is ever treaſuring up wrath unto himſelf, Ro. 2.5. O, how ſad a condition is this? This is Dura neceſſitas (as Auſtin calls it) and ſpeaks a p. 171mans condition to be very doleful: To be always ſinning againſt God, and alwayes treaſuring up wrath to a man's own Soul, this is next to Hell, in ſome ſort worſe. To give you thee Sum of all,

Being eſtranged from Chriſt, you have nothing to ſatisfie Divine juſtice, which is ready to ſeize upon you; nothing to pacifie Divine wrath, which is ready to break forth againſt you; nothing to ſtand between Divin revenges and your ſinful ſouls: What ſhall I ſay? you have many accuſers, and by them many heavy charges brought in againſt you, and being without Chriſt, you have no Advocate to plead your cauſe, none to ſpeak a good word in Heaven for you: and is not that ſad? you are deeply in debt, you owe your 10 thouſand tallents to Divine juſtice, and being without Chriſt, you have nothing to pay, but are in danger of being caſt into the Priſon of eternal darkneſs, whence there is no redemption: And is not that ſad? you are under an obligation to much Duty, and being without Chriſt, you are under an utter impoſſibility of performing any of it acceptably: You are under a judgment of condemnation, and being without Chriſt you have nothing that can ſecure you one day, one hour, one moment more on this ſide everlaſting Burnings: and O how ſad, and miſerable is this! Thus you ſee, both your eſtrangment from Chriſt, and alſo your miſery (in part) by reaſon of p. 172that eſtrangment. Now, as ever you would get Union and Communion with him, labour to be deeply ſenſible of both theſe.

2. Would'ſt thou indeed be Eſpouſed to Chriſt? Then labour to be ſoundly convinced, and deeply ſenſible of the greatneſs, and Hainouſneſs of the ſin of refuſing Chriſt, and the offers of his Love; poor Soul, thou ſtandeſt it out againſt Chriſt, he wooes, and calls, and invites thee to himſelf; but thou ſlighteſt, and refuſeſt all, and this thou thinkeſt a ſmall matter; but let me tell thee, this is a moſt hainous and crying ſin: To Swear, to Murder, to Steal, to be Drunk, to be Unclean, and the like, theſe thou look'ſt upon as black and horred things: Indeed well thou mai'ſt; for they are ſins of a more then ordinary hainous and abominable nature: But yet know, that thy ſin in rejecting Chriſt, and the offers of his Love, is greater, and more provoking then all theſe: This indeed is the great ſin, and the ſin thou muſt in a eſpecial manner be ſenſible of; if ever thou art United to Chriſt; ſo much Chriſt himſelf tells us, in that known place, Joh. 16.8, 9. he, ſayes he (ſpeaking of the Spirit, whom he promiſed to ſend) ſhall convince the World of ſin, becauſe they believe not in me: unbelief then is the great ſin that the Spirit convinces ſouls of: And what's unbelief, but the neglect and refuſal of Chriſt, and p. 173the offers of his Love made to us in the Coſpel? He ſhall convince the World of ſin; becauſe they believe not in me; i.e. de illo magno & grandi incredulitatis peccato: He ſhall convince them of that grand ſin of unbelief (as a learned man expounds it) as if Chriſt ſhould ſay, he ſhall make men ſee the black and hainous nature of the ſin of rejecting me, and my Love: He ſhall humble them for it, and ſet them a bleeding over it: This ſin of rejecting Chriſt, ſome of the Shcool-men have called Maximum peccatum, the greateſt ſin of all: And indeed, next to the unpardonable ſin, what greater? This is a ſin moſt directly, and immediately againſt Chriſt and the Goſpel: O for a vile wretched ſinner to ſhut the door of his ſoul againſt Chriſt, the King of Glory, and deny him entertainment, to refuſe and reject the free and frequent offers of him and his Love, how great a ſin muſt this be? And ſoul, to convince thee the better of it, and make thee the more afraid of it, I ſhall ſuggeſt a few conſiderations to thee, holding forth a little of its black and horred evil.

1 Conſider, that the neglect and refuſal of Chriſt & his Love is a ſin againſt a ſpecial & eminent command, and therefore a great & crying ſin: The greater and more eminent: the command is, which we tranſgreſs and ſin againſt; the greater our ſin and guilt is in tranſgreſſing that command: Now, God does not onelyonly command us to receive p. 174and embrace Chriſt and his Love; but this command of his is a great, ſignal, and eminent command: So St John tells us, 1 Joh. 3.23. This is his commandment, that we believe on the Name of his Son Jeſus Chriſt whom he hath ſent: What is it to believe on the name of Jeſus Chriſt; but to receive and embrace Chriſt offering himſelf in the Goſpel to us, and to live upon him, having ſo received and embraced him? Now (ſayes he) this is his commandment, his great, his ſpecial commandment, his commandment in a moſt ſignal, & eminent manner; and Chriſt himſelf aſſerts the ſame thing, Joh. 6.28, 29. In the 28 v. They ask him, what ſhall we do, that we may works the Work of God? His anſwer in the 29. v. is, This is the Work of God, that ye believe on him, whom he hath ſent: i. e. That ye receive and embrace me, and live upon me, by believing: This is [the] Work of God, the great work which he commands you, and expects from you: Believing (as Calvin obſerves upon this place) is not called the Work of God; Non quia efficit deus in nobisſed quid requirit Chriſtus docet Calv. in Loc.becauſe 'tis of Gods operation (as you have it elſe where) or that which God works in us; but becauſe 'tis the great thing which he commands, and requires of us. To reject, and refuſe Chriſt then, is a ſin againſt a ſignal and emenient command; indeed againſt the great command of the Goſpel; and therefore muſt needs be a great, and crying ſin: more particularly.

p. 1751. The neglect and refuſal of Chriſt, and his love, is a ſin againſt a clear and expreſs command of God, a command wherein the authority of God does peculiarly and eminently ſhine forth: So much is held forth in the place mentioned before 1 Joh. 3.28. this is his commandment (ſays he ſpeaking of the commandment of Faith) his expreſs Commandment, a Commandment wherein his authority is evidently and peculiarly ſeen; the authority of God ſhines forth in all his commands, but eſpecially in this above the reſt: Therefore this you ſee has an emphaſie put upon it: This is his commandment: Now the more clearly and eminently the authority of God ſhines forth in any command, the greater our ſin and guilt is in tranſgreſſing that command.

2. The neglect and refuſal of Chriſt and his love, is a ſin againſt a command, wherein the heart of God and Chriſt does much lye; and is therefore a great ſin: This is a true Rule: That the more the mind or heart of the Law-Giver is in any law or command, the greater is our ſin and guilt in the breach and tranſgreſſion of that law or command: Now God's command to us to receive Chriſt by believing, is a command wherein his own heart, as well as the heart of Chriſt, does much lye: indeed there is nothing in all the World, that the heart of God and Chriſt is more ſet upon, or deſirous of, then this; that Souls ſhould p. 176embrace Chriſt by believing, and become one with him in a Marriage-Covenant: Witneſs the freeneſs of their offers, the frequency of their calls, the importunateneſs of their pleas, the patientneſs of their waitings, the affectionateneſs of their entreaties, the friendlineſs of their upbraidings, the patheticalneſs of their lamentings, the ſweetneſs of their wooings, the unweariedneſs of their drawings, and the graciouſneſs of their dealings in reference hereunto: But you have already ſeen, how much the heart of Chriſt, and in him the heart of the Father is in this buſineſs: now to tranſgreſs ſuch a command, a command wherein the heart of God and Chriſt does ſo much lye, and to run counter to that, which they ſo much deſire, O what a ſin muſt this needs be?

The neglect and refuſal of Chriſt, is a ſin againſt a command which has vertually all the commands of God in it, and ſo in the breach and tranſgreſſion thereof we break and tranſgreſs all; and O how great a ſin then muſt this be? to believe on Chriſt is comprehenſive of all that God commands and requires of us; this is ſo his Commandment, as that in obeying this we obey all; And in violating this we violate all; and ſo he eſteems and accounts it: This is evident from Joh. 6.28, 29. What ſhall we do (ſay they) that we may work the works of God? This is the work of God (ſayes Chriſt) to believe on p. 177him whom he hath ſent: Pray, mark, they ſpeak of [works] in the plural Number: They would know what all thoſe works were which God requir'd,Loquuti erant de operibus, Chriſtus ad unum opus eos revocat, hoc eſt, ad ſidem, quo ſignificat quicquid extra fidem homines moliuntur inutile ac vanum eſſe, ſolam vero fidem ſufficere. Calv. in Loc. and what the extent of the command was: And Chriſt in his Anſwer reduces all to one, and that is Faith; by which he ſhews that as all is vain without Faith, ſo Faith is vertually all that God requires: This is the Work of God: (ſays he) as if he ſhould ſay, here's all in one, to believe on, and receive me is comprehenſive of all; and accordingly, my beloved, to reject Chriſt and his love is to break all at once, and to violate all at once? 'Tis to rebel againſt and poure contempt upon the whole mind and will of God at once,Appellat Chriſtus infidelitatem ſimpliciter peccatum, quia peccatum infidelitatis omne peccatum complectitur. Cher. and in effect to renounce all duty and allegiance to him: Suitable whereunto is the obſervations of a learned Man upon that place, Joh. 16.8, 9. Chriſt here (ſays he) calls unbelief [Sin] Simply and abſolutly becauſe that ſin comprehends all ſin in it: O how great a ſin then muſt this be?

4. The neglect and refuſal of Chriſt, is a ſin againſt a command of much love: All Gods commands have love in them: They are deſign'd by him for our good (as the Scripture tells us) but eſpecially p. 178this command of his, that we ſhould receive and embrace his Son: For what is this command, but a command to us, to be ſaved, a command to us, to be happy? What is this, but a commanding of us, to Live for ever more, to be eternally bleſſed, in and with himſelf? And O how great a ſin muſt the tranſgreſſion of ſuch a command be? Did God command us any hard or ſevere thing, ſomething that tended to our prejudice, and not our happineſs, that were ſomewhat; but when he commands us nothing but to be happy, and to be happy in the beſt way: O how great a ſin muſt it be to tranſgreſs ſuch a command?

2. Conſider, the neglect and refuſal of Chriſt is a ſin, which in a peculiar manner derogates from him, and poures great contempt upon him, and therefore a great ſin: The more contempt any ſin poures upon Chriſt, and the more it derogates from him, the greater that ſin is: Now what ſin derogates more from Chriſt, or poures greater contempt upon him, then the neglect and refuſal of him, offering himſelf to us, does? This is a ſin which takes the Crown off from Chriſt's head, and throwes it in the Duſt: It every way, and in all reſects poures great contempt upon him.

Firſt, this ſin vilifies and poures contempt upon the Perſon of Chriſt: Chriſt's Perſon is infinitely excellent, and infinitely p. 179amiable, and accordingly to vilifie and contemn his Perſon muſt be a great ſin, and contract great guilt, and this the refuſal of him, does: Hence, call'd a treading under foot of the Son of God (which Argues the higheſt contempt imaginable) Heb. 10.29. Every refuſal of Chriſt carries that Language concerning him in it, Iſa. 53.2. When we ſee him, there is no Beauty in him, for which we ſhould deſire him: He has neither form, nor comlineſs in him: He is a perſon of no worth, no deſireableneſs: O what contempt is this to be caſt upon Chriſt, and how much does it derogate from him?

2. This ſin vilifies, and poures contempt upon the work, office, and undertaking of Chriſt, as Mediator; upon all that he has done, and ſuffer'd, withall the riches of his Grace, and Love, manifeſted therein: Hence 'tis call'd, as a treading of the Son of God under foot, ſo an accounting his Blood a common and an unholy thing, a thing of no worth, no uſe, no value, no excellency, Heb. 10.29. Great, my Beloved,Valde indignum eſt ſanguinem Chriſti, qui ſanctificationis noſtrae materia eſt profanare. Calv. in Loc. was the work, and undertaking of Chriſt, as our Mediator, and great were the things, which he both did and ſuffer'd in the diſcharge of that work and undertaking; great alſo was his Grace, and Love towards us in all, and accordingly, great muſt our ſin and guilt be, in pouring contempt thereon, which we do by our refuſing of him: Hereby we pour contempt upon p. 180all his acts and all his offices, as Mediator, upon all his Merits, and all his Purchaſes, upon all his Grace and Love in bleeding and Dying for us: We do hereby in effect ſay, that neither Chriſt, nor any thing which he has purchas'd, is worth accepting and embracing: That we had rather, that he had never … never become a days-man between God and us; that he might have keept his Blood to himſelf, and we will not thank him for ſhedding of it; that we need neither him, nor any thing that is his: Hereby we do in effect ſay, that the whole Goſpel is a Cheat, a lie, a meer Deluſion: That Chriſt is an hard Maſter, and rules with Rigour; that Salvation is little worth, and the like. O what horred contempt of Chriſt is this?

3. This ſin plainly preferrs a poor, Baſe, Vile luſt before Chriſt, and all the Glorious Riches and Treaſures of Chriſt: and O what contempt of him is this? Why do men refuſe Chriſt, and the offers of his Love? Surely 'tis for the ſake, and from the Love of ſome luſt or other, either the luſt of the Fleſh, the luſt of the Eye, or the pride of Life; and if ſo, then by refuſing of him they do really prefer this Luſt before him, and all the Treaſures of his Grace and Love: And thus indeed you find it to be, Mat. 22. Reginning as alſo Luke. 14.18, 19, 20. Where Chriſt offers himſelf, withall his Treaſures, to poor Sinners, who yet ſlight and refuſe both p. 181him and them: And why ſo? The one hath a farm, the other a Merchandize, and all have ſome carnal concern, to mind: the Sum is, they have a luſt to be ſatisfied; and therefore Chriſt, and all the Treaſures of his Love, muſt be rejected; By refuſing of Chriſt we do in effect ſay, that there is more good, more ſweetneſs, more happineſs in a luſt, in a little carnall, worldly pleaſure and advantage, then there is in Chriſt, and all that is his: Hereby we do in effect ſay, that men are deceiv'd in Chriſt, that the Word of God makes a falſe report of him, that he is not ſuch a Saviour, nor is his Salvation ſo great as the one, and the other is repreſented to be: O what contempt is this to be caſt upon Chriſt? Eſau (yow know) is ſaid to deſpiſe his Birth right; and how? By preferring a meſs of pottage or a morſel of Meat before it, Gen. 25.34. But O how much more do we contemn Chriſt and his Love by preferring a baſe, vile luſt before him and it? Surely greater contempt of Chriſt than this can't well be found: And how great then muſt the ſin of the refuſal of Chriſt be, and how much ſhould we tremble at it?

3. Conſider, that the neglect and refuſal of Chriſt is a ſin which in an eminent manner darkens and oppoſes the Glory of God, and reflects the higheſt Diſhonour upon him of all others; and therefore a great ſin: The more any ſin darkens and p. 182oppoſes the Glory of God, the greater the guilt of that ſin is: For (firſt) the more any ſin oppoſes the Glory of God, and reflects Diſhonour upon him, the more contrary it is to the higheſt good; and the more contrary any ſin is to the higheſt good, the greater the guilt of it muſt needs be: And Secondly, the more any ſin oppoſes the Glory of God, and reflects Diſhonour upon him, the more it thwarts and contradicts the higheſt end of Man; and the more any ſin thwarts and contradicts the higheſt end of Man, the greater the guilt of that ſin is:

Now the neglect and refuſal of Chriſt is what eminently oppoſes the Glory of God, and reflects Diſhonour upon him: The reception and entertainment of Chriſt puts an honour upon the Father: Indeed every act of Faith honours God, Rom. 4.20. And eſpecially this great and Fundamental act of Faith, in embracing Chriſt: So on the other hand, the neglect and refuſal of Chriſt is what reflects Diſhonour upon God, it throws his Glory in the duſt; and hence 'tis, that this ſin is ſo exceeding provoking to him, as in the Scripture it is repreſented to be: Particularly take here two things.

1. This ſin of refuſing Chriſt is what ſlights and contemns all the Glorious excellencies and perfections of God at once; and ſo can't but caſt very great Diſhonour upon him, and be very oppoſite to his Glory: In Chriſt, my Beloved, all the p. 183Glorious excellencies and perfections of God are eminently manifeſted and diſplayed: In him do all the Glorious counſels of his Grace and Love meet, and in refuſing him we deſpiſe and poure contempt upon all. In him does his love eminently ſhine forth, and the fulneſs of it reſt, 1 Jol. 4.9, 10.Tota aeterni p… is complacontia in ſolo ſilio incamato acquitſcit reſide… & q…aſi depoſi…a eſt, Chemn. In him is his Juſtice, Righteouſneſs, and Holineſs eminently manifeſted and diſplayed, Rom. 3.25, 26. In him does his wiſdom, yea, his manifold wiſdom, appear and reveal its ſelf: In a word, whole God is manifeſted and revealed in him, and withall tender'd to the embraces of our Faith and Love: In every offer of Chriſt made to us in the Goſpel, God does in effect ſay to us, what ever I am, or can do, as God, that Il'e be to, and do for you, to make you happy for ever: accordingly to refuſe Chriſt muſt needs poure contempt upon all: It ſlights and poures contempt upon the Grace of God, the wiſdom of God, the power of God, the juſtice of God, the Holineſs of God, the Fulneſs and All-ſufficiency of God, and all the Ancient Glorious counſels of his Love concerning Souls: to refuſe Chriſt is in effect to ſay, that the Grace of God is no Grace, at leaſt not worthy of our acceptance: That his juſtice and holineſs are not to be regarded, and that we value them not: That his wiſdom is folly, p. 184and his power weakneſs; that his fulneſs has little in it, and is no way able to ſatisfie us, and make us happy: that a broken Ciſtern is as good, as that Fountain of living waters: And hereby we down-right deny his Faithfulneſs, and put the lie upon him, 1 Joh. 5.10. We do in effect ſay, that the God of truth is a liar, that his witneſs and teſtimony is not to be credited, that his word of promiſe is a meer deluſion, and for no other uſe, then to beguile Souls: O what contempt, what Diſhonour muſt all this caſt upon the bleſſed God, and what horrible wickedneſs muſt it be? to make God a liar (ſayes a Learned Man) is an horrible and execrable impiety: Deum ſacere mendacem horribilis eſt & execranda impietas quia tanc quod illi maxime proprium eripitur, Calv. in Lec.thereby we take that from him which is moſt dear and proper to him. O tremble, Soul, tremble at the Blackneſs and helliſhneſs of this ſin.

2. This ſin of refuſing Chriſt is what is directly oppoſite to the higheſt deſign of God for his own Glory, and Robs him of that Glory which is moſt dear to him: what, my Beloved, was the higheſt deſign that ever God laid and carried on for his own Glory? Verily 'twas Chriſt, and the Salvation of ſinners by Chriſt: He deſign'd himſelf a revenue of Glory in making the World, and he does deſign himſelf a revenue of Glory in all he does in governing the World: But that wherein he has deſign'd the higheſt revenue of Glory to p. 185himſelf, is the miſtery of Chriſt, and Salvation by Chriſt: So much is evident from Epe. 1.11, 12, 14. In whom ſayes he ſpeaking of Chriſt) We have obtained an inheritance, being predeſtinated according to the purpoſe of him, who worketh all things according to the counſel of his own will, that we ſhould be to the praiſe of his Glory; And again, v. 14. unto the praiſe of his Glory: The ſum is this, that God's Glory was his great end in the diſpenſation of Chriſt, and our Salvation by him; and alſo that in and by that diſpenſation he did deſign the higheſt revenue of Glory to himſelf: For pray obſerve, firſt he calls it the praiſe of his Glory, the ſplendor, and higheſt emanation of his Glory: (Secondly) he repeats this deſign of God to the praiſe of his Glory, and again, to the praiſe of his Glory; which notes this to be his grand deſign for his Glory. Again, what is that Glory that is moſt dear to God? Verily 'tis the Glory of his Grace: Grace is his darling attribute, and the Glory of his Grace is moſt dear to him: Hence this has been peculiarly his deſign in the whole of the miſtery of Chriſt: So the ſame Apoſtle tells us, Eph. 1.6. Who having before ſpoken of the great miſteries of predeſtination and redemption by Chriſt; here in the 6. v. tells you, what was God's great deſign in all, viz: The praiſe of the Glory of his Grace: 'Tis the crowning of Grace, and the enthroning of Grace, which God in a peculiar manner delights p. 186in: Now if the higheſt deſign of God for his own Glory be by the miſtery of Chriſt, and our Salvation by Chriſt, and the Glory of his Grace be moſt dear to him; then 'tis clear, that our refuſing of Chriſt is moſt oppoſite to the higheſt deſign that God ever carried on for his own Glory, and Robs him of that Glory which is moſt dear to him: For alas! This is in effect to ſay, that God has laid out no Grace upon ſinners in the diſpenſation of Chriſt, and that he deſerves no Glory upon the account of that diſpenſation: This is in effect to tell him, that neither his Chriſt, nor his Grace in him, is worth minding, worth receiving; and that we are no wayes beholding to him for the one, or the other: And O what Diſhonour muſt this reflect upon God, and how darkening to his Glory? And accordingly, Soul, let thee and I tremble at it, and at the Blackneſs and horridneſs of that ſin, that has ſuch a dreadful effect.

4. Conſider, that the neglect and refuſal of Chriſt, is a ſin which directly and immediatly murders the ſoul, and damns it eternally; and therefore muſt needs be a great ſin: That ſin that does moſt directly and immediatly murder the Soul, and deſtroy it eternally, that muſt needs be a great ſin, and ſhould be greatly dreaded by us: And what ſin is it that does this, but our neglect and refuſal of Chriſt? And, Soul, that thou may'ſt be the more deeply p. 187convinced of this, ſeriouſly weigh theſe following propoſitions.

Firſt, that the neglect and refuſal of Chriſt is a ſin, which rejects the onelyonly remedy of ſinful ſouls: Poor Sinners are in themſelves dead, loſt, undone, and periſhing for ever: They are ſick, and ſick to death; they are ſinful, and ſinful to damnation; and there is one, and but one remedy for them, and that's Chriſt; Chriſt and his Blood, Chriſt and his Grace, Chriſt and his fulneſs; Beſides this, there is no Balm in Gilead, no Phyſitian there for them; neither is there Salvation in any other, Acts. 4.14. Therefore by refuſing and rejecting him, they refuſe and reject the onelyonly remedy: He indeed is a Compleat, as well as an onelyonly, remedy: He is able, and as willing, as he is able, to ſave to the very uttermoſt, as the Scripture tells us: But they by rejecting of him exclude themſelves from his ſaving efficacy, and ſo thereby do directly murder their own ſouls.

2. That the neglect and refuſal of Chriſt is a ſin, which bindes all a mans other ſins faſt to him: 'Tis a great and weighty ſaying which a worthy Divine has. Unbelief, ſayes he (which is properly the neglect and refuſal of Chriſt) bindes all a mans ſins faſt to his Soul, and Damnation faſt to his ſins: 'Tis indeed the Bond of all our guilt, and all our miſery; that which makes the curſe cleave cloſe to us for ever: And while a man remains in this ſin, 'tis impoſſible, p. 188that he ſhould be acquitted and diſcharged from the guilt of any one of all his ſins: 'Tis (I remember) Auſtin's obſervation upon that place, Joh. 16.8, 9.Ponit hoc peccatum infidelitatis ſpecialiter, quia hos manente caetera manent, hoc decedente caetera remittuntur, Aug. Where Chriſt tells us, That his Spirit ſhall convince the World of Sin, becauſe they believe not in him: Chriſt (ſayes he) instances in the ſin of infidelity in a ſpecial manner, becauſe that ſin remaining, all our other ſins remain: But that being taken away, all others are forgiven: Faith (as one of the Ancients expreſſes it) delet omnia peccata, blots out all ſins; but unbelief that bindes all faſt upon us: Hence that word of Chriſt, If ye betieve not, ye ſhall dye in your ſins: i. e. your ſins ſhall cleave cloſe to you to the very death, Jo. 8.24. This will be further evident in the next propoſition: Therefore

3. That though all ſin be killing and damning, yet no ſin ſhall ever damn or deſtroy us, unleſs we add thereunto the ſin of the neglect and refuſal of Chriſt: 'Tis true, every ſin is damning; ſin within, ſin without: The wages of ſin is death, Rom. 6. last. And the Apostle tells us, there is a just recompence of reward due to every tranſgreſſion and diſobedience, Heb. 1.2. But though every ſin be damning, yet what ever a mans ſins are, though never ſo many, never ſo great; they ſhall, they can never damn him, in caſe he receives, and embraces p. 189Chriſt: Nor indeed can any of all a mans ſins be ſaid to be the immediate cauſe of his damnation, but his refuſing of Chriſt: Indeed under the Law the immediate cauſe of mens periſhing was ſin in general: But under the Goſpel the onelyonly immediate cauſe of mens periſhing is the rejection of Chriſt and his Grace through unbelief: So much Chriſt himſelf tells us in that known place, Joh. 3.18. He that believeth on the Son is not condemned, Meritum damnationis juxta Evangelium, non eſt peccatum, ſed preſeverantia finalis in peccato infidelitatis, Twiſ. vind. gra.but he that believeth not, is condemned already, becauſe he hath not believed on the name of the onelyonly begotten Son of God: He that believeth on Christ is not condemned: And why ſo? Is it becauſe he has no ſins to condemn him? No, but becauſe believing on Chriſt all his ſins are done away: But he that believeth not on him is condemn'd already: And why? Is it becauſe he is a ſinner in general, or becauſe his ſins are many and great ſins? No, but becauſe he hath not believed on the name of the onelyonly begotten Son of God: The ſum of all is this: The immediate cauſe of mens condemnation is not this ſin or that ſin, but their refuſing of Chriſt by unbelief: Hence you have it ſo frequently up and down the Goſpel: He that believeth ſhall be ſaved: He that believeth not ſhall be damned, and the like; Well then, if our vefuſing of Chriſt be the rejecting of the onelyonly remedy of ſinful Souls; if it be what p. 190bindes all a mans ſins faſt upon him; and if none of all a mans other ſins, though many and great, ſhould or could ever damn him, were not this ſin of refuſing Chriſt added to them; then certainly this is that ſin which does moſt directly and immediatly murder the Soul: O how great a ſin then does this ſpeak it to be? Murder is a great ſin; an iniquity to be puniſhed by the judge; nor do we look upon a murderee fit to live: But no murder like to Soulmurder, nor ſhould we ſuffer this Soulmurderer to live one moment.

4. Conſider, that the neglect and refuſal of Chriſt is a ſin which argues you to be really in Love with your ſins, which truly and indeed chooſes Death rather then Life, loves Darkneſs more then Light, and which leaves you without the leaſt colour of excuſe or room of appeal for ever: And O what a black and horrid ſin muſt this then be? A little of each.

1. This ſin of neglecting and refuſing Chriſt, is, what really argues you to be in Love with your ſins, and to have ſlight thoughts of them: For men to act ſin is bad; but to have ſlight thoughts of ſin, and to be in Love with it, is much worſe; ſin being againſt an infinite good, even infinitly contrary to the bleſſed God, has in a ſort an infinite evil in it; and to be in love with that which has an infinite evil in it, O how dreadful a thing is this? Yet this your refuſal of Chriſt carries in it: For p. 191pray, mark, had you not ſlight thoughts of ſin, you would not refuſe the pardon of ſin, when offer'd you; but would account it worthy of all acceptation; and were you not in Love with your ſins, yea, greatly in Love with them, you would not chooſe and deſire to continue in your ſins; much leſs would you refuſe and reject ſo great a good, as Chriſt is, for the ſake of your ſins: Should a condemn'd Malefactor refuſe the Kings free pardon, would not this argue him to have ſlight thoughts of Death; yea, to be in Love with it, and to prefer it before life? As clearly does your refuſing of Chriſt argue you to have ſlight thoughts of ſin, and to be in Love with it: O were you not in Love with your ſins, you would be glad of a diſcharge and deliverance from them, and would withall readineſs and joyfulneſs embrace it, when freely offer'd to you, as in Chriſt it is.

2. This ſin of refuſing Chriſt is what truly and indeed ſpeaks you to love darkneſs more then light, and to choſe death rather then life: 'Tis what prefers ſin and death before Chriſt, and life, and Grace; O what a black ſin then muſt it be? This Chriſt himſelf aſſerts concerning it, and that as an high aggravation of it, and what makes it doubly damning, Joh. 3.19. This is the condemnation, that light is come into the World, and men love darkneſs rather then light. Chriſt and the good p. 192things of Chriſt are here call'd light; on the other hand ſin and death, ſin and the miſeries that attend it, are call'd darkneſs: Now (ſayes Chriſt) men by unbelief and refuſing of me do declare, that they love this darkneſs before this Light: Men by refuſing of me do in effect love, chooſe, prefer ſin, and death, and darkneſs before me, and my Grace, me and that eternal life which I would give them: O what a ſin is this? Chriſt may truly ſay to Sinners, as Moſes to them of old, Deut. 30.19. I call Heaven, and Earth to record this day, that I have ſet before you, Life and Death, bleſſing and curſing; therefore chooſe life, that ye may live: Now, for them to chooſe death and reject life, to chooſe the curſe and reject the bleſſing: This is a dreadful ſin indeed and the more dreadful: On the one hand, becauſe the light is ſo lovely and amiable; and on the other hand, the darkneſs is ſo odious & terrible: as alſo becauſe the obligations which lie upon us to love, chooſe, and prefer the light before darkneſs, are ſo weighty and forcible: For Chriſt earneſtly deſires it, he graciouſly counſells it, he ſtrictly commands it, and no leſs then a whole eternity of Glorious and unſpeakable happineſs depends upon it: O think of theſe things.

3. This ſin of refuſing Chriſt is a ſin which leaves you without the leaſt colour of excuſe, or room of appeal for ever; p. 193which muſt argue it to be a great ſin indeed: Firſt, it leaves you without the leaſt colour of excuſe, without the leaſt coulour of excuſe for ſin, and without the leaſt colour of excuſe why you ſhould not die for ſin: This Chriſt himſelf is expreſs in, Joh. 15.22. If I had not come, and ſpoken to them, they had not had ſin, but now they have no Cloak for their ſin: If I had not come, and ſpoken to them (viz. in the Goſpel) revealing my Father's will; and offering my ſelf and my Grace to them; They had not had ſin. i. e. Not ſo great ſin: But now they have no Cloak, no excuſe for their ſin: Now they have no pretence to make, nothing wherewith to colour or extenuate their ſin: The neglect and refuſal of Chriſt leaves men altogether inexcuſable, and it will do ſo to be ſure in the laſt day: O when God in the day of his righteous judgment ſhall demand of men that have liv'd under the Goſpel; why they ſin'd, and having ſin'd, why they are found in their ſins, and being found in their ſins, why they ſhould not die for ever: what will they have to ſay by way of excuſe or apology for themſelves? Verily nothing; but will be Speechleſs, as he is ſaid to be, Mat. 22.12. They can't ſay, they were not warned of the evil of ſin: They can't ſay, that pardon and Salvation were not offer'd them: They can't ſay, that the offer was not full, and free, and clear: They can't ſay, they had to do with an hard Maſter; nor can they ſay, p. 194that ſin is not worthy of death: They will have nothing to ſay. Secondly, it leaves you without the leaſt room or place of appeal for ever: I may ſay here, as 'tis ſaid in anorher caſe, 1 Sam. 2.25. If one man ſin againſt another, the judge ſhall judge him; but if a man ſin againſt the Lord, who ſhall intreat for him? So if a man ſin againſt the Law by tranſgreſſing of it, he may appeal to the Goſpel, and the grace of Chriſt there: But if a man ſin againſt Chriſt and his Grace offer'd in the Goſpel, where then ſhall he appeal? Verily there is no appeal to be made, no relief to be found for him. If a man be condemn'd at the ſeat of juſtice, as having ſinn'd againſt the Law, he may appeal unto the mercy-ſeat, the throne of Grace, and ſind ſweet relief; but if he ſin againſt the mercy-ſeat, and the throne of Grace, then he has nothing to appaal to, that may adminiſter relief to him: Now by refuſing of Chriſt we ſin againſt the Throne of Grace, we pull down, what in us lies, the mercy-ſeat: and where then ſhall we appeal? O conſider theſe things, and learn by them to dread this ſin of refuſing Chriſt: I might ſay much more to convince you of the hainous evil of it; but let this ſuffice: Sure I am, 'tis enough to; and had we the due ſenſe of it upon our Spirits, it would, make us tremble at it for ever.

3. Wouldeſt thou indeed be Eſpouſed to Chriſt? Then give not way to the diſcouragements of ſenſe; but bear up thy Soul p. 195upon the encouragements of Faith, upon ſuch Goſpel-principles & conſiderations, as do tend to draw ſinners to Faith in Chriſt: Poſſibly, upon reading and conſidering the woeful miſery of thy condition without Chriſt, and the dreadful hainouſneſs of thy ſin and guilt, in thy long and frequent refuſing of him, diſcouragements not a few may ariſe within; and indeed no ſooner uſually does a poor Soul look towards Chriſt, or think of cloſing with him in a Marriage-Covenant; but preſently multitudes of diſcouragements ariſe to deter him there from: O, ſays he, what a monſtrous ſinner am I? How have I deſpiſed Chriſt and his grace? How long have I ſtood it out againſt him? I have ſerv'd my luſts all my dayes, and rejected his calls: To what purpoſe do I now talk of cloſing with him? Theſe, and multitudes ſuch like diſcouragements do ariſe in the Soul, which being given way to, do effectually keep him from Chriſt: But if ever, Soul, thou wouldeſt attain to Union and communion with him, thou muſt ſhut thine eyes and heart too againſt all diſcouragements of this nature; and though they preſs in upon thee again and again; yet thruſt them out fixing thine eye and heart upon the encouragements of Faith; dwell much in the thoughts of them, and bear up thy ſoul upon ſuch Goſpel principles and conſiderations, as do tend to weaken unbelief, & beget Faith in the ſoul; and for p. 196thy help herein I ſhal mention ſome of theſe encouragements of Faith, or Goſpel-principles, which I would have thee to be ſerious and frequent in the contemplation of.

1. The firſt Goſpel-principle, or encouragement of Faith, which thou ſhouldſt bear up thy Soul upon, and be frequent in the contemplation of, is this; that there is a rich, a glorious, and an overflowing fulneſs of all good treaſured up in Chriſt for poor Sinners; and that his Grace does abundantly exceed both our wants and ſins: 'Tis the work and nature of unbelief, to little and limit the fulneſs of Chriſt in the eye of the ſoul: It ſhews the ſoul the multitude of his ſins and wants; but it conceals and Locks up Chriſts treaſures and fulneſs: And, whatever we pretend, the ground of our not cloſing with Chriſt, at leaſt one principal one, is this, that we doubt of his fulneſs, we do not ſee enough in Chriſt to ſupply our wants, and relieve our diſtreſſes: Unbelief perſwading us, that Chriſt is not the Chriſt, the Scripture repreſents him to be: But, Soul, away with all ſuch apprehenſions, and dwell thou in the contemplation of Chriſt's infinite fulneſs: Look to him, as one infinitly able to ſupply thy wants, to pardon thy ſins, to healthy maladies, to ſubdue thy luſts, to ſanctifie thy heart, and to ſave thy Soul eternally: Look upon him, as the Scripture repreſents him: The Scripture tells p. 197thee, That it pleaſed the Father, that in him ſhould all fulneſs dwell, Col. 1.19. All fulneſs of Grace and life, all fulneſs of peace and pardon, all fulneſs of Righteouſneſs and Salvation: There is in Chriſt not onelyonly a fulneſs of abundance, but of redundance, an over-flowing fulneſs; a fulneſs infinitly ſuperabounding our ſins and wants: The Scripture tells us, That he is able to ſave unto the very uttermoſt, all that come unto God by him, Heb. 7.25. Save, able to ſave, able to ſave to the uttermoſt; and that not one or two, but all that come unto God by him: The Scripture ſpeaks of Chriſts unſearchable riches, Eph. 3.8. The Ocean of his Grace is not to be ſounded by the longeſt line of the largeſt created underſtanding: Paul experienced the ſuperabounding fulneſs of his Grace, and has left it upon record for our encouragement, 1 Tim. 1.14. The Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant; it was more then enough: I found more Grace in Chriſt (as one expreſſes it) then I knew what to do withall; and yet what was this Paul? Himſelf tells you in the very v. before and after, he was a Blaſphemer, a Perſecutor, and the chief of Sinners, a man every way of as many ſins and wants, as thou art: Accordingly view him, and bear up thy Soul in the face of all diſcouragements: Reaſon thus with thy ſelf: True, my condition is ſad, my wants are exceeding many, and my ſins exceeding great: But p. 198what then? Is there no Balm in Gilead? Is there no Phyſitian there? Is not Chriſt able to ſave me, and that to the utmoſt notwithſtanding all: Look, O my ſoul, yonder is ſweet Jeſus upon the Throne at the Fathers Right Hand, full of Grace and truth; look upon him, and conſider: What are all thy wants to his Riches and fulneſs? What are all thy miſeries and diſtreſſes to his Bowels of Mercy? What are all thy ſins to the merit of his Blood, thy provocations to his fatisfaction? Were thy wants more and greater then they are, his fulneſs could ſupply them all; were thy ſins greater and more hainous then they are, his Blood could cleanſe thee from all: The Blood of Jeſus Chriſt cleanſeth from all ſin, 1 Jo. 1.7. There is infinitly more worth in his merits to pardon and juſtifie thee, then there is evil in thy ſins to damn & deſtroy thee: True, I have a Fountain of ſin, and guilt, and death in me: But here's a deeper Fountain of Grace, and life, & righteouſneſs in him: ſee, O my Soul, ſee how vaſt and large his treaſures of Grace and Glory are, and bear up thy ſelf upon them: O did Sinners dwell more in the view of the Glorious fulneſs of Chriſt, they would be more in love with him; and hereby would counter-work and undermine unbelief in one of its greateſt artifices, whereby it keeps ſouls from him. I ſhall here for thy encouragement onelyonly ſubjoyn the ſaying of a worthy Divine. Chriſt (ſayes he) can, and p. 199it becometh him well to give more then my narrow ſoul can receive. If there were ten thouſand thouſand millions of worlds, and as many heavens full of men and Angels, Chriſt would not be pinched to ſupply all their wants, and to fill them all. Chriſt is a Well of Life, but who knoweth how deep it is to the bottom?

2. The ſecond Goſpel-principle or encouragement of Faith which thou ſhould'ſt bear up thy ſoul upon, and be frequent in the contemplation of, is this: That as there is ſuch a Glorious and in-exhauſtible fulneſs in Chriſt, ſo this fulneſs is in him, not for himſelf, but to be diſpenſed and communicated to poor Souls coming to him: True (may the Soul ſay) here's fulneſs enough, riches and treaſures enough of all good in Chriſt; but what's this to me, or wherein does it concern me? Wherein does it concern thee? Why, 'tis wholly thy concern, and the concern of ſuch, as thou art: For what ever fulneſs he has in him, 'tis treaſur'd up in him for Souls, for Sinners, yea, for the worſt of Sinners: How ſweet is that word? Pſa. 68.18. where, ſpeaking of Chriſt, the holy Ghoſt tells us, that he hath received gifts for men: He hath received gifts. i. e. He has a fulneſs of all good in his hand, and at his diſpoſe, and this for men: I but I am a devil (ſayes the ſoul) a rebel, & what's this to me? obſerve, what follows, and thou wilt find it concerns thee, yea, p. 200thee eſpecially: He hath received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious alſo: Hence alſo 'tis, that he is ſaid to be made Head over all things to the Church, Eph. 1.22. He has all fulneſs dwelling in him, but 'tis as an head, and ſo 'tis all for the uſe and ſervice of the body, for every poor ſoul that comes to him: And therefore 'tis added, Head over all things to the Church. i▪e. For the Churches uſe and ſervice of which he is Head: Take a view of all that fulneſs that is in Chriſt, and 'tis all as much and as really for the uſe and ſervice of ſuch as come to him, and are made members of his body, as the treaſures and endowments of the natural head are for the uſe and ſervice of the natural body, and the members thereof: And O what an encouragement is this to Faith? 'Tis the obſervation of a learned man upon the place laſt quoted. Leſt (ſayes he) we ſhould think this great glory of Chriſt to be a thing that does not concern us, Ne ſummam illam Chriſti gloriam putemus aliquid a nobis alienum, eſſe, teſtatur illum eſſe a Deo patre totius Eccleſiae, Beza.he is here declar'd to be conſtituted and appointed by the Father to be Head of the whole Church. Well then, ſoul, bear up thy ſelf upon this encouragement: Say, look, O my ſoul, look unto ſweet Jeſus, who hath received Gifts for men: View him as one that has received a fulneſs of all Grace from the Father on purpoſe to be diſpens'd and communicated to thee, and p. 201to ſuch as thou art: He has life in him, and he has it for thee; he has peace and pardon in him, and he has it for thee: He has wiſdom, and righteouſneſs, Grace, and Glory in him, and he has it for thee, and for ſuch as thou art; and therefore go to him, expect all from him, caſt all upon him.

3. The third Goſpel-principle or encouragement of Faith, which thou ſhouldſt bear up thy ſoul upon, and dwell much in the contemplation of, is this, that there is a perfect freedom and willingneſs in Chriſt, yea, 'tis even genuine and naturall to him to beſtow himſelf, with all his Glorious riches and fulneſs, upon poor ſouls coming to him: Chriſt (as you heard) has all this fulneſs in him as an head; ſo you have it expreſly, Col. 1.18, 19. Now as 'tis genuine and naturall to the head to miniſter influence to the members: So 'tis even genuine and naturall to Chriſt to communicate his Grace to poor ſouls: Beſides, all that fulneſs that is in Chriſt, 'tis in him not as God onelyonly, but as man: 'Tis depoſited and treaſured up in his human nature: It pleaſed the Father, that in him ſhould all fulneſs dwell, Col. 1.19. In him i. e. (as a learned man expounds it (in the man Chriſt, or in that human nature in which he dyed and tranſacted the buſineſs of our Salvation: In co, i. e. In homine Chriſto, vel in humana illa natura in qua obivit & adminiſtravit negotium ſalutis noſtrae, Daven.'Tis true, the God-head or Divine nature is the firſt p. 202ſpring or Fountain of all Graee; but the human nature of Chriſt is as it were a ſecond ſpring and Fountain of Grace: That is as a treaſury or Store-houſe, wherein all Grace is laid up for us: Hence 'tis ſaid, that as the Father hath life in himſelf, ſo he hath given to the Son to have life in himſelf; becauſe he is the Son of man, Joh, 5.26, 27. Chriſt as God hath life, i.e. all Grace originally and independently in him, as the Father hath: Indeed as God he is the ſame infinite and independent Fountain of Life and Grace with the Father: but 'tis as man that he is ſaid to have Life and Grace given to him: The ſum then is, That that Glorious fulneſs of Grace that is in Chriſt for Sinners, is Fountain'd up in his human nature, and being Fountain'd up in his human nature it will, and can't but ſlow, yea, overflow to, and upon poor ſouls, that caſt themſelves upon him: The truth is, 'Tis to charge Chriſt with unkindneſs and unſaithfulneſs both at once, to ſuppoſe him unwilling to communicate himſelf and his fulneſs to Sinners coming to him; and, ſoul, canſt thou find in thy heart to lay ſo blacka charge upon ſo ſweet and good a Chriſt? 'Tis the way and work of the devil and unbelief to perſwade Souls, that Chriſt will not receive them, nor communicate his Grace and fulneſs to them; though they ſhould come to him, which they endeavour to do from the conſideration of his greatneſs and holineſs, together p. 203with their vileneſs and ſinfulneſs: Chriſt, ſay they, is choice and peculiar in his Love and reſpects, as great Perſons uſe to be: He will know his diſtance, and he will make Sinners know theirs: But, Soul, deal with this, as from the devil and unbelief, reject it as a reproach thrown upon Chriſt, and dwell much in the contemplation of his infinite willingneſs to receive and ſave the worſt of Sinners that come to him: Reaſon it a little with thy ſelf: Why did he become incarnate? Why did he bleed, and die? Why does he woo, and wait, and offer, and call, and ſtrive with poor Sinners to win them to himſelf? Does it not all argue a willingneſs and readineſs in him to give forth both himſelf and his fulneſs to them?

4. The Fourth Goſpel-principle or encouragement of Faith, which thou ſhouldeſt bear up thy ſoul upon, and dwell much in the contemplation of, is this: That the onelyonly ſpring and principle of all that ever Chriſt does for poor Sinners from firſt to laſt is his own Soverain Grace and Love: 'Twas his Love that brought him down from Heaven, and that led him out to Bleed and die for them: Hence Eph. 5.25. he is ſaid to Love his Church, and give himſelf for it: 'Tis his Love, his free Love, that firſt draws them to himſelf, and allures them into Covenant with him: I have loved thee with an everlaſting love; therefore with loving kindneſs have I drawn p. 204thee, Jer. 31.3. 'Tis his Love that receives them, that pardons them, that beſtows life and Salvation upon them: Hence all is ſaid to be of Grace, even the whole of our Salvation, Eph. 2.8. Hence he is repreſented to us as ſitting upon a Throne of Grace, and there 'tis that he invites us to come to him, and from thence give out all to us, Heb. 4.16. and therefore to that Throne we, though Sinners, may come boldly: He is upon a Throne; and therefore we may aſſure our ſelves, that he will do great things for Sinners coming to him; he will act like a King, pardon like a King, ſave like a King, do all with Kingly greatneſs and magnificence: And 'tis a Throne of Grace, a Throne that reigns Grace, a Throne whereon Grace ſits in imperial Majeſty, and decrees all for poor Sinners coming to it; and ſo does all freely, all in a way of Soverain Grace and Love: Hence that Language, I will have mercy, becauſe I will have mercy, I will pardon, becauſe I will pardon, and I will ſave, becauſe I will ſave: Now what an encouragement is this to Faith, and how, if rightly weighed and conſider'd, would it daſh all the pleas of unbelief to pieces, and ſweetly draw the Soul on to a cloſe with Chriſt in a Marriage-Covenant? For pray conſider, what is the nature of Soverain Grace and Love? The nature of it is to act from it ſelf to itſelf without any conſideration of any thing in us, without reſpecting p. 205either the worthineſs or the unworthineſs of the creature at all: The nature of it is ſuch, that 'tis neither conſtrain'd to, nor reſtrain'd from doing good to ſouls by any thing either of good or evil in them; but all runs freely: And therefore no matter what I am, though never ſo vile and wretched in my ſelf, while I have to do with ſuch love, and ſuch love is the ſpring of all Chriſt's dealings with me, and Carriages towards me.

5. The Fifth Goſpel-principle or encouragement of Faith, which thou ſhouldeſt bear up thy ſelf upon, and dwell much in the contemptation of, is this: That the great deſign of Chriſt in all his undertakings for, and diſpenſation towards Sinners, is the illuſtrating and enthroning of his own Grace; and the more vile, ſinful, and forlorn a wretch thou art, the more will his Grace be enthroned and illuſtrated in thine acceptance with him. Chriſt in his dealings with and for Sinners does not onelyonly act from a principle of Soverain Grace, but in all he carrie on a deſign to enthrone that Grace of his, and to make it Glorious for ever; yea, and he acts, and will act ſutably to ſuch a deſign: 'Tis not what ſuch and ſuch Sinners do or do not deſerve (ſays Chriſt) that I am to mind, but what my Grace can do for them, and what will make moſt for the Glory of that Grace, what will ſet the brighteſt Crown upon its Head: This is evident, p. 206Eph. 1.6.12.14. Which was open'd before upon another occaſion: Hence thoſe whom he ſaves, he ſaves in ſuch a way, as may moſt lift up his own Grace, his deſign therein being, that Grace might reigh, as you have it, Rom. 5.21. Hence you read of his juſtifying the ungodly, Rom. 4.5. He will have his Grace triumph over every Soul, whom he ſaves. Now what an encouragement is this to Faith? Chriſt not onelyonly ſits upon a Throne of Grace, but alſo his deſign in dealing with Sinners is to ſet his Grace upon the Throne. Sinner, the more vile and ſinful thou art, the more ſutable it is to Chriſt's deſign to ſave thee; for the more vile and ſinful thou art, the greater name and Glory will his Grace get in thine acceptation and Salvation by him: The more vile and ſinful thou art, the greater will be the declaration of Grace on Chriſt's part in thine acceptance and Salvation: O when Chriſt ſhall pardon a ſoul ſo guilty, receive a ſoul ſo ſinful, reconcile a ſoul that is ſuch an enemy, as thou art, how will this declare the Glorious riches of his Grace in the view both of men & Angels? This will ſhew forth the exceeding riches of his Grace, as the the Expreſſion is, Eph. 2.7. And the morevile and ſinful thou art, the greater will be the admiration of Grace for ever on thy patt; Where much is forgiven, there will be the return of much Love, much praiſe, Luk. 7.47. O, who am I (ſayes p. 207the ſoul, when once received to mercy, though more then ordinary vile and ſinful) who am I, that I ſhould find Grace in Chriſt's ſight? What, ſuch a rebell, and yet pardon'd? Such an enemy, and yet reconcil'd? Such a Black devil, and yet waſht, and made white in the Blood of the Lamb? Such a Fiend of Hell, and yet made a Favourite of Heaven? Such a filthy, deformed wretch, and yet taken into the pure and Lovely Boſome of ſweet Jeſus? O Grace, Grace! How rich and free is Grace? And O what praiſe and Hallelujahs will there be tuned upon the Tongues and ſpirits of ſuch to God and the Lamb for ever? When therefore thou wouldſt go to Chriſt, and diſcouragements ariſe to keep thee back from him, thou ſhouldſt dwell in the thoughts of and bear up thy ſoul upon this conſideration, reaſoning thus with thy ſelf: True I am a vile wretch, the chief of Sinners, one on all accounts worthy to be abhor'd, and caſt off by Chriſt: But what then? Chriſt acts towards Sinners purely from a principle of Grace and Love, he regards neither worthineſs nor unworthineſs; whether a great ſinner or a little ſinner, 'tis all one to him, as to his accepting of me: Moreover his deſign is to Crown his Grace, and render that Glorious; and the more vile I am, the more that deſign of his will take in mine acceptation and Salvation: How vile therefore ſoever I am, I will caſt my ſelf upon p. 208him, and put in for an Eſpouſal with him.

6. The ſixth Goſpel-principle or encouragement of Faith, which thou ſhouldeſt bear up thy ſelf upon, and dwell much in the contemplation of, is this: That 'tis the Glory and perfection of Chriſt as Mediator to receive Sinners, and to give out himſelf and his fulneſs to them, when they come to him: This, if rightly weighed, will mightily help on Faith, and liſt the poor ſoul over his diſcouragements into the Boſome and embraces of Jeſus Chriſt: To underſtand it aright you muſt know, that Chiſt has a two-fold Glory and perfection: The Glory and perfection of his Perſon, as he is the Son of God; and the Glory and perfection of his office, as he is Mediator and head of the ſecond Covenant: the Glory and perfection of his perſon, as the Son of God, that is infinitly compleat and full, that admits neither of diminution nor augmentation, being unchangeably the ſame for ever: But the Glory and pefection of his Office, as Mediator, that in a great meaſure ariſes from his receiving Sinners, and beſtowing himſelf and his Grace upon them, when they come to him; and the more Sinners he receives, and the more Grace he gives out to them, the greater his Glory and perfection in this reſpect is: and it may be truly ſaid, that Chriſt in receiving, and giving our Grace to Sinners, when they p. 209come to him, does increaſe the revenue of his own Glory, and more and more compleat and perfect himſelf, as head and Mediator: Hence the Church is called his fulneſ, Eph. 1.13. God gave him to be head over all things to the Church which is his Body, the fulneſs of him that filleth all in all: Now if the Church is Chriſts fulneſs, then the more that is filled and compleated by his receiving Sinners to himſelf, and giving out Grace to them; the more full and compleat he himſelf, as to his Mediatorie honour and perfection growes: Hence alſo Saints are ſaid to be the Glory of Chriſt, 2 Cor. 8.23. As Chriſt alone is their glory, ſo they alſo are his glory: And how his glory? Not onelyonly becauſe they do, or ſhould actually glorifie him; but alſo becauſe he has received them, and laid out his grace upon them; and 'tis his grace onelyonly that ſhines forth in them: Hence that obſervation of Galvin upon the place. They (ſayes he) that excell moſt in grace and holineſs, Quicun que pietate, & ſanctimonia exceluut, ſunt Chriſti gloria, quid nihil habent niſi dono Chriſti. Calv.they peculiarly are the glory of Chriſt; becauſe they have nothing but by free gift from Chriſt: Hence alſo Chriſt tells us, that he is Glorified in them, Jo. 17.10. And he ſayes Expreſly that the Spirit ſhall Glorifie him, becauſe he ſhall receive of his, and give it unto us, Jo. 16.14. By all which it appears, that 'tis the glory and perfection of Chriſt, as Mediator, to receive Sinners, p. 210coming to him, and to beſtow himſelf and his grace upon them: In ſhort, my beloved, all that ever Chriſt has done for, and is made of God to, poor Sinners; all his acts, and all his offices, as Mediator, do receive their ultimate perfection in their ſull influences on us and our Salvation: And as Chriſt receives his name and Denomination of a Saviour from his Relation to, and acting for poor Sinners to redeem and ſave them; ſo the perfection of this office, and thoſe acts of his do lye in the full accompliſhment of our Salvation: And indeed they would all be but vain and weak acts, ſhould he not fully ſave us, coming to him. O what encouragement is here to Faith, and how muſt unbelief ſink, and die before this conſideration, if rightly improv'd? True (may the ſoul ſay) I am vile, ſinful, and unworthy; but 'tis the honour of Chriſt to receive me; 'tis his glory to beſtow himſelf and his grace upon me; 'tis his prefection, as Mediator, to accept and ſave me, and ſuch, as I am; and therefore why ſhould I be diſcouraged? I will go to him, and caſt my ſelf upon him: Thus bear up your ſouls upon, and encourage your Faith with theſe Goſpelprinciples, which is greatly neceſſary, and will not a little conduce to an Eſpouſal between Chriſt and you.

4. Would'ſt thou indeed be Eſpous'd to Chriſt? Then take heed of all jealouſies of him, and prejudices againſt him; and p. 211be ſure ever to maintain right thoughts of him. One of the great deſigns of Satan, and one of the moſt curſed workings of unbelief, is to prejudice ſouls againſt Chriſt, and to fill them with hard, jealous thoughts of him; which if they can prevail in, they infallibly keep the ſoul from cloſing with him in a Marriage-Covenant. If a woman has jealouſies and hard thoughts of a man, and be filled with prejudices againſt him, ſhe is never like to enter into a Marriage-Covenant with him: And no more will a ſoul cloſe with Chriſt in a Marriage-Covenant, as long as he is filled with hard thoughts of him, and prejudices againſt him: Watch therefore againſt this: The Devil, together with the unbelief of our own hearts, will frame up a thouſand ſtrange Notions and repreſentations of Chriſt in the ſoul, thereby to prejudice us againſt Chriſt; but take heed of all theſe, and be ſure to maintain right thoughts and apprehenſions of him; particularly here take onelyonly two things.

1. Be ſure to maintain honorable thoughts of his Perſon: Look upon him as a Perſon of glory, and as having all excellencies in him: 'Tis the work, and nature of unbelief to darken and obſcure the Perſon of Chriſt, to make that appear vile and contemptible in the eye of the ſoul, whereby it does effectually ſtrengthen it ſelf with in him; and indeed there is nothing p. 212more prevalent to keep the ſoul from Chriſt, then an ignorance of, or prejudice againſt his Perſonal worth and excellencies: This was that which made the Jewes ſo generally reject him: They ſaw no Beauty in him for which they ſhould deſire him, nor did they diſcern form or comlineſs in him; and therefore rejected him, Iſa. 53.1, 2. They Look't no ſurther then the outward form, the veil of his fleſh; they ſaw not his Divine Beauty and glory; and ſo deſpiſed him: And, my beloved, unleſs we look within this veil, and come to view and contemplate him, as a Perſon of glory, we alſo ſhall reject him to our eternal perdition. Pray, obſerve, 'tis the Perſon of Chriſt that puts worth and ve…t…e into all his doings, and all his ſufferings; all his offices, and all his promiſes: 'Tis the worth and excellency of his Perſon, that makes his Blood ſo precious, his Promiſes ſo ſweet, his Righteouſneſs ſo glorious, his Grace ſo efficacious, his Love ſo endearing: 'tis the worth and excellency of his Perſon, that gives Authority to all the commands of Faith, and does aw the heart to obedience; and 'tis the worth and excellency of his Perſon, that is one of the moſt powerful attractives to draw and allure the hearts of the ſons of men to him; if therefore his Perſon be undervalued, if the dignity and glory of that be not ſeen, we are never like to enter into a Marriage-Covenant with him: Therefore, ſoul, if ever thou would'ſt be Eſpous'd to this Chriſt, p. 113always maintain honorable thoughts of his Perſon: Behold his glory, as the glory of the onelyonly begotten of the Father, and beg him more and more to reveal his Perſonal worth, and excellencies to thee.

2. Be ſure always to maintain good thoughts of his ways, Kingdom, and Government: Admit not of one jealouſie of Chriſt, as if he were an hard, ſevere Husband; as if he carried it with rigour and ſeverity towards his ſpouſes: If the Devil and unbelief fail in their other attempts, then they endeavour to prejudice ſouls againſt Chriſt, perſwading them, that he is an hard Maſter, an auſtere Husband, that rules with intolerable rigour and ſeverity: I know, ſayes he in the Goſpel, that thou waſt an auſtere man, Mat. 25.24. And hereby the ſoul is ſeared off from Chriſt: But, ſoul, as ever thou would'ſt be Eſpous'd to him, take heed of any ſuch jealouſie of him, or prejudice againſt him, keeping up good thoughts of him and his ways, him and his government; and be much in contemplating the ſweetneſs both of him and his wayes: Is he ſevere? Pray, where lies his ſeverity? Does he call you to bear his Yoak? He does, but 'tis an eaſie yoak: Does he enjoin you to bear his Burthen? He does, but 'tis a light Burthen: My yoak is eaſie, and my Burthen is light, Mat. 11.29.30. Does he expect you ſhould take up the Croſſe? He does, but 'tis a ſweet Croſs, a gainful Croſſe, an honorable Croſſe, a p. 214Croſſe that is inlaid with love, and overlaid with Divine ſweetneſs, a Croſs that has a Crown annext to it, even a …rown of Life, Rev. 2.10. A Croſs that is a Crown here; for 'tis an honour to ſuffer for Chriſt, Asts 5.41. And a Croſs that will greaten and brighten your Crown hereafter, Mat. 5.11, 12. bleſſed are ye, when men ſhall revile you, and perſecute you; for great is your reward in Heaven: Does he call you to perform ſuch and ſuch ſervices? He does, but withall he gives you ſtrength to perform them, hetping your infirmities by his good Spirit, Rom. 8.26. and in caſe you ſail, and come ſhort in and of what he calls for, what then? Why then he pities and ſpares you, and Father doth his Son that ſerveth him; he over-looks your failings and defects, …. 3.17. Can you do nothing, onelyonly you have a mind to ſerve him? Why then he accepts of that willing mind according to what you have, and not according to what you have not, 2 Cor. 8.12. when you can't pour out a prayer, a ſigh, a groan is accepted by him: Will he have the throne in you, and rule in your ſouls? He will, but his way of rule is moſt ſweet; for he rules with love, and he rewards with life; and he gives a throne for a throne, a throne in glory for a throne in your ſouls: What ſhall I ſay? his wayes are all wayes of pleaſantneſs, and his pathes are all peace, Prov. 3.17. and O what pleaſure, what delight, what ſolace and ſatisfaction of ſoul is there to be found in walking in them? In a word, his p. 215whole ſervice is perfect freedom, and there is no true ſreedom but in his wayes and ſervice:Quis regnare nolit? Vis regnare faliciter? Servi benigno Jeſu, & regnabis, quia ills ſervire regnare eſt. Bern. 'Tis a great ſaying which I have read in one of the Antionts, who (ſayes he) would not reign? But wot laſt thou reign happily? Serve kind Jeſus, and thou ſhalt reign, becauſe to ſerve him is true reigning. Thus you ſee, there is no juſt reaſon for hard thoughts of Chriſt in this reſpect, but rather the contrary: Accordingly anſwer, and throw off all thoſe black reproaches, which the devil and unbelief caſt upon this good Lord; and be ſure to maintain good thoughts of him, and his wayes, which will not a little conduce to the promoting of an Eſpouſal between him and thee.

5. Would'ſt thou indeed be Eſpouſed to Chriſt? Then ſtudy and contemplate much, how infinitly grateful and acceptable Chriſt is: Sinners know not, or if they know, they conſider not, who, or what Chriſt is; they mind not, how acceptable a good he is to ſouls; and therefore they ſlight him: Had'ſt thou known, ſayes Chriſt to the woman, the gift of God, and who it is that ſpeaketh …o thee, thou would have askt of him, and he would have given thee living waters, Jo. 4.10. Truly did men know Chriſt, and his infinite aceptableneſs, they would run to him, and cloſe with him in a Marriage-Covenant: Study therefore and contemplate this much, thereby poſſeſſing thy ſoul with a deep ſenſe of it. The Apoſtle ſpeaking but p. 116of one truth concerning Chriſt, tells us 'tis worthy of all acceptation, 1 Tim. 1.16. And if ſo, what acceptation muſt Chriſt himſelf, yea Chriſt, withall his truths, and all his treaſures both, be worthy of? And how ſhould our ſouls cleave to him, & take him into our embraces? There are among others five things which ſpeak a good to be eminently grateful and acceptable: worth and excellency: uſefulneſs and ſerviceableneſs: ſutableneſs and conveniency: Sweetneſs and delight: Durableneſs and unchangableneſs in all; all which are ſound in Chriſt, who tenders himſelf and his Love to us.

1. There is worth and excellency in Chriſt, yea, incomparable worth and excellency: The Apoſtle ſpeaks of an excelling excellency that there is in the knowledge of Chriſt, Phil. 3.8. Now the knowledge of Chriſt is ſo excellent, becauſe Chriſt is excellent: Chriſt indeed is all worth, all excellency: He is an infinite Ocean of Beauty and glory; he is the chiefeſt among ten Thouſand, and all together lovely. Cant. 5.10 16. All excellencies dwell in him, as in their proper Fountain, and they all meet, and are united in him, as lines in their proper center: Some beauty, ſome excellencies you find ſcatter'd up and down among the creatures; the Saints, and Angels, the Sun, Moon, and Starrs, and the like: But alas! Tis ſcatter'd, and 'tis ſcatter'd but here and there a drop; but in Chriſt you have all Beauty, all p. 217worth, all excellency in a bleſſed Union and conjunction: You have all in one, and that unchangeably. O what a portion is Chriſt (ſayes one) O that the Saints would dig deeper into the treaſures of his wiſdom and excellencies: Truly 'tis ſweet digging there, and there, in ſome ſort, there will be room for digging to all eternity; for even through eternity new wonders of glory will ariſe, new Beauties and excellencies will appear, and ſhine forth in Chriſt: What ſhall I ſay? He has in him all the excellencies of both worlds; and is indeed deſervedly the wonder of both: In him there is a confluence of all the lovely properties, the drawing attributes, the raviſhing Beauties, the Bright-ſhining and glorious perfections of the infinitely bleſſed Deity: Hence, ſayes he, all that the Father hath is mine; which may be underſtood of his Divine perfections, Joh. 16.15. Hence alſo he is ſaid to be equal with God, Quicquid perfectionis in patre erat & eſt totum illud eſt in filio, in to, tota patris peſona, tota foreign tota foreign, tota etiam facies expreſſa eſt, Zanch. in Loc.Phil. 2.6. i▪e. Look, what ever Divine perfections there are in God the Father, they all are found in Chriſt: in him is expreſt the whole Perſon of the Father, the whole Eſſence, Being, and Feauty of the Father: And (as a Learned man has obſerved) Chriſt the Son is in all things like the Father, this only excepted, that he is not the perſon of the Father: Filius per omnia ſimilis eſt patri, hoc excepto, quod non eſt ipſa patris Perſona. Davenant.Hence alſo he is ſaid to be the brightneſs of his Father's Glory, and p. 218the expreſs image of his Perſon, Heb. 1.3. All the Fathers glories and excellencies do ſhine forth in him, and he perfectly repreſents the Father to us: Thus Chriſt is a perſon of excellency; and ſo moſt acceptable: And O who would not accept and embrace ſuch a Chriſt? And how great a wickedneſs is it to reject him? I can't but here take up the complaint of an holy man: O pity, pity for evermore (ſayes he) that there ſhould be ſuch an one, as Chriſt Jeſus, ſo boundleſs, ſo bottomleſs, ſo incomparable, ſo infinite in excellency and ſweetneſs, and ſo few that will take him: they miſerably loſe their love (ſayes he) who will not beſtow it upon this lovely one.

2. There is uſefulneſs and ſerviceableneſs in Chriſt: As Chriſt is a perſon of the higheſt excellency, ſo of the greateſt and moſt abſolute need, uſe, and ſervice to poor ſouls: Indeed he is the one needful good, Lu. 10.42. Chriſt is ſo much needed by, and of ſo much uſe and ſervice to poor ſouls, that they can't poſſibly do well, and be happy without him: Pray, conſider, we provoke God, and he is angry with us; and by Chriſt alone 'tis, that we receive the attonement. Rom. 5.11. We ſin, and load our ſelves with guilt; and by Chriſt alone 'tis, that we are or can be diſcharged from it: In him have we redemption through his Blood, even the for giveneſs of ſins, Eph. 1.7. We have an hard and impenitent heart, an heart that cannot repent; p. 219and by Chriſt, and Chriſt alone 'tis, that we can obtain repentance, he being exalted to give repentance unto Iſratl, as well as remiſſion of ſins, Act. 5.31. We are at a dreadſul diſtance from God, afar off (as the Scripture ſpeaks) and by Chriſt and him alone 'tis, that we are made nigh: What ſhall I ſay? The beſt of Saints, as well as the worſt of Sinners, have an abſolute need of Chriſt, and he is of daily uſe and ſervice to them; neither can they live one day or one hour without him: Indeed he is their life, and without him therefore they are dead and undone, as well as others: without him they can do nothing, Jo. 15.5. Without him every duty will be too hard, every burthen will be too heavy, every temptation will be too ſtrong, every luſt will be too mighty for them: without him they would yet ſall ſhort of the eternal reſt, and would make ſhip-wrack of Faith, ſouls, and all for ever. Without him neither Saints, nor Sinners can have any acceſs to God, any intercourſe or communion with him, in which notwithſtanding the whole of our happineſs both in time and eternity lies. I am the way (ſays he) and no man cometh to the Father, but by m, Jo. 14.6. And through him, ſays the Apoſtle, we have acceſs unto the Father by one Spirit, Eph, 2.18. Without him we could have no peace with God; for he alone is our peace, Eph. 2.14. And having peace with God, without him we could not maintain our peace one hour, it being he alone that p. 220is our advocate and propitiation with the Father, 1 Jo. 2.1, 2. Thus he is every way moſt needful, and moſt uſeful to eternal ſouls: O how grateful, how acceptable then is he, or ought he to be to us?

3 There is ſutableneſs and conveniency alſo in Chriſt to the ſouls of men: The ſutableneſs and conveniency of any good renders it acceptable to us: How acceptable is bread to an hungry man, becauſe a good ſutable to him? How acceptable is drink to a thirſty man, becauſe a good ſuitable to him? Now there is an admirable ſutableneſs and conveniency in Chriſt to the ſouls of men, and that in all the caſes of them: Why then ſhould he not be acceptable to them? One (I remember) repreſents the ſutableneſs of Chriſt to the ſouls and wants of Sinners thus, the whole perſon, nature, and offices of Chriſt (ſayes he) are ſo ſuited and proportioned to all the varity of needs in us, that they are as a key for a lock, there is ward for ward, every thing done in the key ſutable to the lock: and indeed ſo 'tis here, Chriſt and his fulneſs being exactly ſuited to us and our wants: We are ſick, and ſick to death, and Chriſt is a Phyſitian, Mat. 9.12. And what more ſutable to the ſick then a Phyſitian? We are ſinful, and ſinful to damnation, we are loſt Sinners, and Chriſt is a Saviour; and who or what more ſutable to loſt Sinners then a Saviour? We are poor captives, p. 221the captives of ſin and Sathan, in bondage to death and the curſe; and Chriſt is a Redeemer; and who or what more ſutable to Captives then a Redeemer? Weare under the Tyranny and Uſurpation of many mighty, powerful Luſts, Luſts that are impoſing upon us every hour, and we are no way able to deal with them: But Chriſt is a great and puiſſant King, who can ſubdue all, and whoſe Arrows ſhall be ſharp in the hearts of all his and our Enemies; and what more ſutable to Perſons in ſuch a circumſtance then ſuch a King? We are dead, and Chriſt is Life; and what more ſutable for the Dead then Life? We are poor, and miſerable; and Chriſt is gold to enrich us. Are we naked? Chirſt is Cloathing for us: Are we blind? He is Eye-ſalve for us: Are we in Priſon? He is Liberty: Are we Hungry? He is Bread: Are we Thirſty? He is the Water of Life, which thoſe that drink of ſhall never thirſt: Are we troubled? He is Reſt: Are we drooping and deſponding? He is the conſolation of Iſrael: Are we bewilder'd? He is a Guide: Are we born down in our ſpiritual conflicts? He is the Captain of our Salvation, who will fight for us: O how ſutable every way is Chriſt to ſouls, and being ſo ſutable, why ſhould he not be acceptable to us? Poor ſinner, is there any in Heaven or Earth that will ſo ſuit and anſwer the various wants and caſes of thy ſoul, as p. 222Chriſt does and will? Why then ſhouldſt thou not account him worthy of all acceptation?

4. There is ſweetneſs and delight in Chriſt: Trahit ſua quem que voluptas (ſays the Poet) every one is drawn and allur'd by pleaſure and delight: What is it that makes ſin, that curſed thing ſin pleaſing and grateful to ſo many? Surely one great thing is that pleaſure and delight which they find, at leaſt promiſe themſelves to find, in it: and indeed generally the more ſweet and delightful things are, the more readily and greedily they are embraced by the Sons of Men: Why then ſhould not Chriſt be grateful and acceptable to us? Is there any ſo ſweet, ſo pleaſant, ſo delightful, as he? He is a Fountain of ſweetneſs, as well as Excellency: I find him ſo ſweet (ſayes an holy Man ſpeaking of Chriſt) that my Love, ſuppoſe I would charge it to remove from him, it would not obey me. How ſweet is his Love? Thy Love is better thon Wine, ſayes the Spouſe, Cant. 1.2. This is that beſt Wine which goeth down ſweetly, cauſing the Lips of thoſe that are aſleep to ſpeak, Cant. 7.9. Yea, this is that will cauſe a dead Man to ſpeak and Live, as an holy Man ſpeaks concerning it. Experienced Souls will tell you, that there is more ſweetneſs in one deſcent of Love from Chriſt, then in all the delights of ſin and the Creature: This is that p. 223which ſweetens the ſharpeſt affliction; yea, this is that, and that alone, which ſweetens Death it ſelf, and enables the ſoul truly to triumph over it, Rom. 8. latter end. O the ſweet bathing that there is in the Fountain of Chriſt's Love! How ſweet are his Fruits? I ſat down under his ſhadow, ſayes the Spouſe, with great delight, and his Fruits were ſweet to my taſte, Cant. 2.3. By Fruits I underſtand the purchaſes of his Blood, and the effects of his Love, Peace, Pardon, Righteouſneſs, Juſtification, Sanctification, and Holineſs, Acceptation with God, and the like: And O how ſweet are theſe? How pleaſant are theſe? With what ſolace and ſatisfaction may a believing ſoul feed and feaſt himſelf upon theſe? How ſweet is his preſence, entercourſe, and communion with him? This made the Spouſe to be plad, and rejoyce in him, Cant. 1.4. This indeed ſets the ſoul down at the very Gate of Heaven, where he ſayes, 'tis good to be here: 'Tis a bleſſed exclamation which I find one of the Ancients breaks out into. O how good, and how ſweet, O how good, O quam bonum & quam jucundum! O quam bonum & jucundum eſt, tecum dulciſſime Jeſu habitare in unum, tecum colloqui, tibi revelare cauſam animae noſtrae, tuae que eonſolationis reſponſo perfruri! Bern. de paſs. domi.and how pleaſant is it, to dwell with thee, moſt ſweet Jeſus, te converſe with thee, to reveal the concerns of our ſouls to thee, and to enjoy thy conſolations! And again elſewhere, O thou moſt p. 224ſweet and moſt loving Jeſus, how ſweet is it to think of thee! for while we are ſpeaking and thinking of thee, thou art ſweetly preſent with us, and our ſouls are fill'd with delight in the odours of thine Oyntments: O dulciſſime & amantiſſime Jeſu, quam jucundum cogitare, quam ſalubre, loqui de te, tu enim de te loquentibus preſens mentem dulciter accendis, &c. Id. Ib.And yet once more, O Lord, when at any time I partake in this joy (ſpeaking of the joy of Communion with him)

I cry out, Lord, 'tis good to be here, O Domine, ſi quando me in aliqua hujus gaudit parte invenio, clame Domine bonum eſt nos hic eſſe faciamus hic tria tabernacula, ſidei unum, ſpei unum, amori unum. Bern. de amore dei.les us build three Tabernacles here, me for Faith, one for Hope, one for Love. And indeed who is there that knows what Communion with Chriſt means, that does not find an incomparable ſweetneſs, ſolace, and ſatisfaction in it? This is that which fills ſome with joy unſpeakable and full of glory, even here; and this is that which will be the joy and delight of Heaven for ever; Every way Chriſt is a very Field of pleaſure, a very Paradice of Joys, and a very Fountain of delights: O why, why then ſhould he not be more grateful and acceptable to us?

5. There is durableneſs and unchangeableneſs in Chriſt; which being added to all the former, renders him even infinitely the more grateful and acceptable: Poſſibly ſome worth, ſome uſefulneſs, ſome ſutableneſs, ſome ſweetneſs and delight there p. 225may be found in the Creature, and Creature Enjoyments; but alas! this allayes the acceptableneſs of all, that 'tis all fading, dying, and changing: and indeed whatever is ſhort, and but for a ſeaſon, can't challenge any great acceptation: But now Chriſt he is laſting, durable, and unchangable;Hoc eſt, ſemper ſui ſimilis, invariabilis, immutabilis, abaeterno in aeternum. Glaſſ. Rhet. Sac. He is the ſame yeſterday, to day, and for ever, Heb. 13.8. What he was, he is; and what he is, he alwayes will be: He was moſt excellent, moſt uſeful, moſt ſutable, moſt ſweet and delightful to Souls; and ſo he is, and alwayes will be: He (as one of the Ancients ſpeaks of him) is immutable, Deus eſt immutabilis mutans omnia, nunquam novus, nunquam vetus. Aug.he changes all things, but is himſelf unchangable, never new, never old. Hence alſo Chriſt himſelf tells us, That he is the Alpha and Omega, he that was, and is, and is to come, Rev. 1.8. He is ever the ſame in love, in beauty, in fulneſs, in faithfulneſs, and in all his deſirableneſſes: And O how grateful and acceptable does this render him! All our enjoynments here below fade and change; yea, we ourſelves change: Changes and War are upon us, as Job ſpeaks; yea, ſome of us are daily waiting for our laſt and great change: But O! bleſſed be God, Chriſt fades not, Chriſt changes not: What he was to, and what he has done for Souls formerly, that he is to, and that he can do for ſouls now; yea, and that he will be to, and will be able to do for Souls hereafter: p. 226For he is ſtill to come; as he was, and is, ſo he is to come, which is a ſweet word. Poor Soul, hitherto, it may be, thou haſt gone along through thy work and warfare with ſome comfort and courage; but that which damps and terrifies thee, is the apprehenſion of what may be to come. O, ſayeſt thou, the Tryals that are to come, the Difficulties that are to come, the Temptations that are to come, the Storms and Tempeſts that are to come! Well, Soul, for thy encouragement under all, know, that whatever is to come, Chriſt is to come too: Are there Tryals to come? Chriſt is to come too: Are there Difficulties and Temptations to come? Chriſt is to come too: Are there Storms and Tempeſts to come? Chriſt is to come too: And while Chriſt is to come, fear not, only cloſe with him in a Marriage-Covenant, and make him thine; then come what will come, come what can come, all will be well. Thus Chriſt is every way acceptable, and infinitely acceptable; and as ever, Soul, thou wouldſt be indeed eſpouſed to him, dwell much in the ſtudy and contemplation of his acceptableneſs: Labour to be poſſeſt with a deep and daily renewed ſenſe of it, which will ſweetly draw and allure thy Soul to him.

VI. Wouldſt thou indeed be eſpouſed to Chriſt? then be ſure that thou pitcheſt thy Faith aright upon him, and cloſeſt in effectually with him in a way of believing: 'Tis Faith that is both the great uniting, and the p. 227great intereſting Grace; it unites us to Chriſt, and intereſts us in Chriſt: 'Tis that, as has been formerly declared and evinced, that puts Chriſt and the Soul into the boſom and embraces of each others love, and by which the Marriage-Knot is tyed between them. If ever therefore thou wouldſt be indeed eſpouſed unto him, look well to thy Faith, ſee that thou doſt pitch that aright upon him, cloſing with him, and embracing of him; not by halves, but throughly; not feignedly, but intimately and cordially. But here ſome may ſay, How may we do to pitch our Faith aright upon Chriſt, ſo as to get conjugal Union and Communion with him? Three things muſt be done in order hereunto, which I deſire you to look well to.

I. See that you wholly quit and renounce your ſelves.

II. Labour to get a right notion and apprehenſion of Chriſt.

III. Be ſure to make a right choice of him, being ſo apprehended.

I. Would you pitch your Faith aright upon Chriſt, and be indeed eſpouſed to him? Then ſee that you wholly quit and renounce your ſelves. Self and believing are at the utmoſt diſtance from, and enmity with each other that is imaginable; they are irreconcilably oppoſit each to other; and where Faith takes place, there Self vaniſhes and dies away, and that in all its notions, and with all its p. 228accompliſhments: Hence, ſayes Chriſt, If any man will come after me, believe on me, be eſpouſed to me, let him deny himſelf, Mat. 16.24. Let him deny himſelf, renounce himſelf, go out of himſelf, let Self become nothing with him: And indeed, the Soul that believes in Chriſt, does go quite out of himſelf, he ſees and feels himſelf to be a poor empty Nothing in all reſpects, he ſees and finds his Strength to be Weakneſs, his Wiſdom Folly, his Beauty Blackneſs, his Righteouſneſs Sin, his All Nothing: And thus muſt we, if ever we indeed believe and get Union with Chriſt. O, my Beloved, one of the great things which ſtands between Faith and us, Chriſt and us, is Self: This indeed is the Souls Darling, the firſt Born (as one calls it) of his Love and Delights, and he is loth to part with it; but part with it he muſt, and renounce it he muſt, or he can never believe aright, nor is he ever like to have any part or lot in Chriſt: Every ſtep out of Self is a ſtep towards Chriſt, and Faith in Chriſt; and we muſt be divorced from the one, if ever we be married to the other: particularly you muſt quit and renounce Self, eſpecially in this three-fold Notion; Self-Will, Self-Worth, Self-Intereſt.

1. You muſt quit and renounce Self-Will: He that indeed believes, muſt in a ſort have no Will of his own, but his Will muſt be wholly melted and reſigned up into the Will of Chriſt: Hence the Church is ſaid to be ſubject unto Chriſt, Epheſ. 5.24. We are apt p. 229to live in our own Wills, and are exceeding fond of, and ſet upon having our Wills, and that how croſs and contrary ſoever they be to the Will of Chriſt: But if ever we believe ſo as to get union with Chriſt, our ſtubborn Wills muſt bow, our proud Wills muſt down, and muſt in all things, as much as is poſſible, be refer'd and reſign'd into Chriſt's Will: and good reaſon, for his Will is the rule of goodneſs, as well as the firſt cauſe of all things: We muſt not think to ſay, we are Lords, but we muſt bow to Chriſt as the great and only Lord.

2. You muſt quit and renounce Self-Worth, Self-Rightcouſneſs; you muſt renounce all Worth and Righteouſneſs of your own in point of juſtification and acceptation with God. 'Tis a great word which I ſhall ſpeak, Mens duties, living under the Goſpel, keep almoſt as many from Chriſt and believing, as their ſins do: My meaning is, as the love of ſin keeps ſome, ſo confidence in Duties, a confidence in Self-Worth, Self-Righteouſneſs, keeps multitudes of others from Chriſt and believing: And the truth is; my Beloved, this piece of Self is the great Idol of the Soul, and that which men are marvellouſly loth to quit and renounce; and indeed 'tis oftentimes ſo painted, and, as it were, ſpiritualliz'd, acted with ſo much ſtate, and ſet out with ſo many ornaments, that it would make any one in love with it: but yet this Idol, ſo dear as 'tis to the Soul, muſt be denyed and renounced, this Darling p. 230muſt be caſt off, and that with loathing and abomination in reſpect of Soul-ſaving, if ever you believe, and are united to Chriſt: And the Soul that indeed does believe, looks upon himſelf to be the pooreſt, deſpicableſt, and undoneſt Creature in the World notwithſtanding all; he throws away not only his Rags, but his Robes too, all his Priviledges, all his Performances, all his moral Excellencies and Attainments, as to a dependance upon them for Life and Salvation; as you know Paul did Phil. 3.8, 9. of which more hereafter. The Soul's language in the Work of believing is ſuch as this; I am a poor, vile, empty nothing in my ſelf; I am nothing, I can do nothing, and I deſerve nothing; I am nothing but ſin, I can do nothing but offend and provoke God, and I deſerve nothing but frowns and death from him: If ever I be ſaved, 'tis Free Grace muſt ſave me; if ever I find favour in Gods ſight, it muſt be purely from Grace in Chriſt: Alas! I have walked contrary to God all my dayes; my heart and life both have been full of eumity and provocation againſt him, and my very Duties are damning, my beſt Righteouſneſs being as filthy Rags, Iſa. 64.6. And indeed, till it comes to this with us, we are like to remain ſtrangers to Chriſt, and Faith in Chriſt. I ſhall only ſay this further as to this particular, That no men in the World are further off from Chriſt, and union with him through believing, then ſuch as truſt in their own Worth, their own Righteouſneſs: p. 231Chriſt himſelf tells us, That Publicans and Harlots do enter the Kingdom of Heaven before ſuch, Mat. 21.31.

3. You muſt quit and renounce Self-Intereſt; that is to ſay, you muſt be at a parting point with all, you muſt be willing to forgo all your outward intereſts and concerns for Chriſt, when he calls you to it, thinking nothing too much or too good for him: this Chriſt is expreſs in, Matth. 10.37. He that loveth Father or Mother more than me, is not worthy of me: And he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And again, Luke 14.33. Whoſoever he be of you, that forſaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my Diſciple. In a word, the meaning is not, that all that come to Chriſt muſt actually forſake all thoſe things, and deny themſelves as to the enjoyment of them; but the meaning is, (firſt) that we muſt have a very diminutive love for theſe in compariſon of Chriſt. And (ſecondly) that we muſt be at a parting point with all for Chriſt's ſake, and at Chriſt's call. And truly, 'tis but reaſon we ſhould be ſo; he that actually parted with ſo much for us, does highly deſerve that we ſhould be in a readineſs to part with our little All for him: Thus we muſt wholly quit and renounce our ſelves, if we would indeed believe and have union with Chriſt.

II. Would you pitch your Faith aright upon Chriſt, and be indeed eſpouſed to him? then labour to get a right notion and apprehenſion p. 232of him, as the great object of Faith. One great reaſon why many fail and miſcarry in their Faith, and ſo fall ſhort of Chriſt, is their ignorance of him; they have not a right notion and apprehenſion of Chriſt, as the great object of Faith; and indeed, unleſs Chriſt be rightly known and apprehended by us, we are never like to pitch our Faith aright upon him: How ſhall they believe (ſayes the Apoſtle) in him, of whom they have not heard? Rom. 10.14. How ſhall they believe? i. e. Men cannot believe aright on one that has not been reveal'd and made known to them: a blind, ignorant Faith, is never like to reach union and communion with Chriſt; and, my Beloved, if we would believe aright on Chriſt, we muſt know him aright, and apprehend him aright.Dei cognitio eadem eſt cum Fide, quâ inſiti in Chriſti Corpus, divinae adoptionis conſortes, & Caelorum haeredes eſſicimur. Calv. in loc. Faith, in Scripture, is ſometimes expreſt by knowledge, John 17.3. Not that knowledge alone is all that is requiſite to Faith; but it notes thus much to us, that the knowledge of Chriſt is ſuch a requiſite to believing, that there can be no true believing without it: Hence alſo Chriſt ſpeaks of ſeeing the Son, and believing on him; ſeeing before believing, and ſeeing in order to believing: This is the will of him that ſent me, That **Quiſquis videt Filium & credit in eum. Hac verba oſtendunt fidem ex Chriſti notitia fluere, non quod praeter ſunplex Dei Verbum quicquani deſideret: ſed quia ſi Chriſto fidamus, qualis ſit & quid nobis off…rat, ſenstire nos oportet, Caiv.whoſoever ſeeth the Son and believeth on him, ſhould p. 233have everlaſting life, John 6.40. By ſeeing the Son, here we are to underſtand the true Knowledge of Chriſt: Hence alſo they that come to Chriſt, and believe ſavingly on him, are ſaid, in order thereunto, to be taught of God, and to have heard, and learn't of the Father, John 6.45. And, pray, what have they been taught of God? what have they learn't of him, but the knowledge of Chriſt, as the great object of Faith? at leaſt this is one great leſſon, which all that believe do and muſt learn. As ever therefore you would pitch your Faith aright upon Chriſt, labour to know and apprehend him aright; labour to know and apprehend him, as he is revealed and offered in the Goſpel. Particularly,

1. View and apprehend him in his Godhead and Divine Nature: The Goſpel reveals him in his Divinity, it propounds him to our Faith, as God, the true God, the great God, the mighty God, God over all; and thus ſhould Faith eye and apprehend him:Fatetur Thomas Chriſtum eſſe Dominum ſuum; deende altius conſcendit, ac Deum quoque nominat; fides ejus evehitur ad aeternam Chriſts divinitatem. Calv. in loc. Thus Thomas his Faith apprehended him, when he ſaid, My Lord, and my God, John 20.28. And indeed nothing but a God-head, an infinite, eternal, unchangable God-head is a Foundation ſtrong enough for Faith to build upon.

2. View and apprehend him in his Perſonal-Relation; not only as God, but alſo as God the Son, and ſo as diſtinguiſh't from the Father: Thus the Goſpel reveals and propounds p. 234him to our Faith, and thus alſo ſhould our Faith view and apprehend him: Thus Peter's Faith, with the reſt in whoſe name he ſpake, did eye and apprehend him, John 6.69. We believe, and are ſure (ſaid he) that thou art that Chriſt, the Son of the living God: There is a diſtinct honour due to every Perſon in the Sacred Trinity; and the more diſtinctly our Faith eyes and apprehends Chriſt in his Perſonal Relation, as Son, the more compleat it is, and the more it gives him the honour of that Relation.

3. View and apprehend him in his Humanity, or as the Son of God incarnate: The Goſpel reveals and propounds Chriſt as the object of Faith, to us, not ſimply as God, and as God the Son, but as God the Son incarnate, as the Word made Fleſh, John 1.14. or as God manifeſted in the fleſh, 1 Tim. 3.16. As having taken humane nature into perſonal union with himſelf, and ſo is both God and Man in one perſon; and thus alſo ſhould Faith eye and apprehend him: You believe in God, ſayes he, believe alſo in me, Joh. 1.14. Hence alſo he ſpeaks ſo often of eating his Fleſh, and drinking his Blood, and of giving his Fleſh for the life of the World; and withall tells us,Tune vitam in Chriſto invenies, ſivitae materiam quaeras in ejus carne. Nam ſicut aeternus Dei Sermo fons vitae eſt, ita caro ejus veluti canalis, vitam, quae intrinſeca (ut loquuntur) in Divinitate reſidet, ad nes diſſundit. Calv. that his Fleſh is Meat indeed, and his Blood Drink indeed, Joh. 6.51, 53, 54, 55, 56. By all which he ſignifies to us, that our Faith muſt reſpect and apprehend him as Man, as well as God; p. 235as the Son incamate; and indeed thus he is the next and moſt immediate object of Faith: The God-head or Divinity is the ultimate object of Faith; but Chriſt, the Son incarnate, is the next and moſt immediate object of Faith: Hence we are faid by him to believe in God, 1 Pet. 1.21.**A Chriſto homine nos deducimur ad Chriſtum Deum. Faith firſt eyes Chriſt as Man, or the Son incarnate, and by him comes ultimately to object it ſelf upon God: The humanity is janua ad Divinitatem, (as one ſpeaks of it) a Gate to the Divinity, that by which our Faith paſſes to the God-head:Neque ad Chriſtum Deum unquam perveniet, qui heminem negligit. And (as a great Divine ſpeaks) he that comes not to Chriſt as man, ſhall never come to him as God: The truth is, Faith cannot deal with God immediately, but as God cloath'd with our nature.

4. View and apprehend him in his office of Mediatorſhip: The Goſpel reveals and propounds Chriſt to our Faith in his Office, it propounds and reveals him as Chriſt, as the true Meſſiah and Saviour of the World, as one ſeal'd, ſent, and anointed by the Father for the redemption of loſt Souls, and thus alſo ſhould Faith eye and apprehend him: So alſo did Peter's Faith apprehend him: Thou art Chriſt (ſayes he) the Son of the living God, Mat. 16.16. Hence we read of believing that Jeſus is the Chriſt, 1 John 5.1. Hence alſo Chriſt tells the Jews, If ye believe not, that I am he, ye ſhall die in p. 236your ſins, John 8.24. If ye believe not, that I am he, i. e. that I am the Meſſiah, the Chriſt, the Saviour that was promiſed. O! Faith is ſhort of that notion it ſhould have of Chriſt, unleſs it thus eyes him in his Office.

5. View and apprehend him in his infinite ability and ſufficiency for the diſcharge of his Office: The Goſpel reveals and propounds him to our Faith, as one able to ſave to the very uttermoſt; and accordingly ſhould our Faith eye and apprehend him, Heb. 7.25. It reveals him indeed both as an onelyonly and alſufficient Saviour: as an onelyonly Saviour; Look unto me, and be ſaved, all ye ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none beſides me, Iſa. 45.22. Neither is there Salvation in any other; nor is there any other Name given under Heaven, wherby we may be ſaved, but his only, Acts 4.12. And as an alſufficient Saviour; My Fleſh is Meat indeed, and my Blood is Drink indeed, (ſayes he) and he that eateth me, even he ſhall live by me, John 6.55, 57. It reveals him in the infinite vertue of his Blood, the inexhauſtible fulneſs of his Grace, the compleatneſs of his Obedience, the excellency of his Righteouſneſs, the perfection of his Satisfaction, and the like; and thus ſhould our Faith eye and apprehend him. O labour for ſuch a notion and apprehenſion of Chriſt as this is: as ever you would believe aright, and be indeed eſpouſed to Chriſt, labour for a found, clear, diſtinct knowledge of him, as the great object of Faith: Pray much for a p. 237Spirit of Wiſdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him; that was the Apoſtles prayer for the Epheſians in this caſe, Epheſ. 1.7. and let it be yours for your ſelves.

III. Would you pitch your Faith aright upon Chriſt, and be indeed eſpouſed to him? Then be ſure to make a right choice or election of him, being thus known and apprehended. To have a right notion and apprehenſion of Chriſt, is good and neceſſary, in order to union with him by believing but 'tis not enough; no, Chriſt being known and apprehended, muſt alſo be choſen and embraced by us, and that as he is revealed and offered in the Goſpel. To know and apprehend Chriſt, is an act of the Mind or Underſtanding; but to chuſe and embrace Chriſt, is an act of the Will and Affections; and though Faith has its riſe and inchoation in the mind, yet its complement and perfection it has in the Will and Affections; theſe liking, chuſing, and embracing of him, and that in a way ſutable to what the mind ſees and apprehends concerning him; and this muſt be added to the former, or there is no right believing, and ſo no conjugal union and communion with Chriſt:Obſervemus, fidei ſedem non in cerebro eſſe, ſed in corde; & quoniam cordis nomen pro ſerio et ſincero affectu fere capitur; dice firmam eſſe & efficacem fiduciam, non nudam tantum notionem. Calv. Hence that of the Apoſtle, With the heart Man believeth unto Righteouſneſs, Rom. 10.10. True believing then is with the Heart; now by the Heart here, as alſo generally elſewhere p. 238in Scripture, is meant the Will and Aſſections; accordingly to believe with the Heart, is for the Will and Affections to chuſe and embrace Chriſt, as he is revealed and offered in the Goſpel; this is called a receiving of Chriſt, John 1.12. We receive Chriſt into our Wills, when we chuſe him, and adhere to him for Life and Salvation; and we receive him into our affections, when we love him, deſire him, and delight in him; and this is believing: To believe, ſayes Calvin, is nothing elſe but to chuſe and embrace Chriſt with a ſincere affection of mind, as he is reveal'd and offer'd in the Goſpel: And this indeed is the great vital act of Faith, and that whereby our Conjugal-Union and Communion with Chriſt is more eſpecially brought about: This is that which makes Chriſt ours, and puts us into the poſſeſſion of him: Mary, ſayes Chriſt, has choſen the better part, which ſhall never be taken from her, Luke 10.42. She had choſen Chriſt, and her choice of him had made him her own, and ſo her own, as that ſhe could never loſe him, never be deprived of him: Indeed a right choice of Chriſt makes him ours, it unites us to him, and intereſts us in him for ever. A little further to help you in this buſineſs, know that a right choice of Chriſt is accompliſh't by theſe three ſteps.

1. The Soul apprehending Chriſt (as before) likes him, and approves of him, as the beſt and moſt ſutable Saviour, the moſt lovely and deſirable object in Heaven or p. 239Earth: The Soul ſayes of Chriſt, as they did of the Land of Canaan, Numb. 14.7. The Land (ſay they) is an exceeding good Land: So this Chriſt, ſayes the Soul, is an exceeding good Chriſt, this Saviour is an exceeding good Saviour; there's none like him, there's no beauty like his Beauty, no blood like his Blood, no fulneſs like his Fulneſs, no love like his Love.

2. The Soul deſires him, and longs after him, and that with a ſtrong, ardent, and vigorous affection: This is call'd hungring and thirſting after Chriſt, Matth. 5.6. The Soul ſeeing Chriſt, and approving of him, longingly cries out; O a Chriſt, a Chriſt! O that this good Chriſt were mine!

3. The Soul is by Grace ſweetly and powerfully determined upon Chriſt; ſo as actually to make a ſolemn and deliberate choice of him, ſingling him out from all other things in Heaven and Earth, as the beſt and moſt deſirable good, and moſt worthy of his deareſt and moſt intimate embraces: The Soul now pitches his choice upon Chriſt to be his Head and Husband, his Lord, and Saviour, his reſt, his treaſure, his happineſs, his all for ever: Now by theſe ſteps, ſee that you come up to make a right choice of Chriſt; be ſure that you like him, and approve of him, as the beſt and moſt deſirable object in Heaven or Earth: Truly if you view him aright, you can't but like him, and approve of him as ſuch: See that the deſire of your Souls be indeed towards him above p. 240all others: View him, till you fall in love with him, yea, till you fall ſick of love for him; and be ſure not to reſt, till you get your Wills ſweetly and powerfully determined upon him, ſo determined upon him, as to make a free, ſolemn, deliberate choice of him, paſſing by all other Lovers, and taking him alone into the boſom and embraces of your Faith and Love. Now that you may be ſure to make a right choice of Chriſt, ſuch a choice of Chriſt as may make him yours; and tie the Marriage Knot between him and you, obſerve herein theſe five or ſix great Rules.

1. Be ſure that, you chuſe and embrace Chriſt himſelf, and not ſomewhat elſe inſtead of him. 'Tis a great and awakening ſaying which a worthy Divine has; Many now, ſayes he, take Chriſt by gueſs; but be ſure that it be he, and onelyonly he whom ye embrace: his ſweet Smell, his lovely Voice, his fair Face, his gracious working in the Soul will ſoon tell if it be he or no. So ſay I, be ſure that it be he; many miſtake the Object, they cloſe with ſomewhat elſe inſtead of Chriſt; at beſt, they chuſe Chriſt's Portion, his Benefits, his Priviledges, his Purchaſes, but not his Perſon: But my advice, to you is, pitch on nothing ſhort of the Perſon of Chriſt, then is our Raith beyond all doubt rightly pitch't upon Chriſt, when Chriſt himſelf, not his Benefits and Priviledges onelyonly, are choſen and embraced by us. A Marriage, if right, is between Perſon and Perſon, p. 241not between Perſon and Portion, Perſon and Eſtate, that being a reſulting thing: So here in this Spiritual-Marriage, Faith does not marry the Soul to the Portion, Benefits, and Priviledges of Chriſt, but to Chriſt himſelf. True, I don't ſay (firſt) but that true Faith gives the Soul an intereſt in all the Benefits, Priviledges, and Purchaſes of Chriſt: Nor (ſecondly) do I ſay, that the Soul may not have an eye to theſe, and a reſpect to theſe in his choice of, and cloſe with Chriſt; yea, uſually theſe are the firſt thing that Faith has in its eye: The firſt thing the Soul looks at, and is taken with, when he is drawn to Chriſt, uſually is that Peace, that Pardon, that Righteouſneſs, that deliverance from Sin, Death, and Hell, which he ſees is found and treaſured up in Chriſt for Souls: But though theſe things be ſo, yet the Soul does, and muſt go higher, he muſt look at, and pitch upon the Perſon of Chriſt, or his Faith is not ſo right and compleat as it ought to be. Alas! 'tis the Perſon of Chriſt that is the great Fountain of all Grace, and all Manifeſtations from God to us; and Faith accordingly does cloſe in with his Perſon: The Spouſes Faith ſeems ſo to do, Cant. 5.10. She had her eye upon the perſonal Beauty and Glory of Chriſt, and accordingly embraced him with her Faith and Love: Hence alſo you have ſo often thoſe expreſſions; I ſought him whom my Soul loved; and ſaw you him whom my Soul loveth? Her love, and ſo her Faith was fixt upon Chriſt himſelf: and p. 242thus do you fix your Faith and Love upon him; ſo ſhall you be ſure not to miſs of a Conjugal-Union and Communion with him.

2. Be ſure that you chuſe a whole Chriſt, and not a part of him only: My meaning is, ſee that you chuſe and embrace Chriſt in all his Offices, as a King as well as a Prieſt, as a Lord as well as a Saviour; and as in all his Offices, ſo for all thoſe ends and uſes for which God has deſigned him, and the Goſpel revealed him to us; for Holineſs, as well as Righteouſneſs; for Sanctification, as well as Juſtification. I need not tell you, that Chriſt is a Lord and King as well as a Saviour, and that as ſuch he is revealed and offered in the Goſpel to our Faith: Him hath God exalted a Prince and Saviour to give repentance unto Iſrael, and remiſſion of ſins, Acts 5.31. and they that will have him, as a Saviour to give them pardon, muſt have him as a Prince to give them repentance: And you know Chriſt's Reſt and his Yoke go together in the Goſpel-Offer, Mat. 11.28, 29. Nor need I tell you, that God has appointed him, and the Goſpel reveals him to be our Sanctification as well as our Juſtification: So you have it expreſly, 1 Cor. 1.30. Accordingly, then do we chuſe Chriſt, and embrace him aright, when we chuſe and embrace him under each notion; when we chuſe and embrace him not as a Saviour only, but as a Lord too; not onelyonly as a Prieſt to procure pardon and reconciliation for us, but alſo as a Prince, to rule, govern, and command p. 243us; not only as our Righteouſneſs to juſtifie us, but as a Fountain of Grace to make us holy; and thus true Faith does chuſe and embrace him, Iſa. 45.24. Surely ſhall one ſay, in the Lord have I righteouſneſs and ſtrength: Mark, Faith chuſes Chriſt not only for Righteouſneſs, but for Strength too, Righteouſneſs for Juſtification, Strength for Holineſs and Sanctification. Chriſt's language to the Soul, in the tender of himſelf, is ſuch as this; Poor Soul, thou art in a dead, loſt, undone condition, God is wroth with thee, Hell gapes for thee, Juſtice calls aloud for vengeance againſt thee, and there is no hope, no help, no ſalvation for thee, but in and by me, and union with me: And loe! I am willing to beſtow my ſelf, with all my fulneſs upon thee: But remember this, that I'le rule and command thee: If I be thy Saviour, I'le be thy Lord and King too: If thou wilt ſhare in my Redemption, thou muſt be content to bear my Yoke, to bow to my Scepter, to ſubmit to my Laws and Kingdom: Accordingly, Faith's anſwer, if right, is this; Content, Lord, 'tis but fit, that he that Saves ſhould rule and reign, that he that Redeems ſhould be bowed and ſubmitted to; and I do willingly give up my ſelf to thy holy and ſpiritual Government, thy Yoke is eaſie, thy Scepter is Righteouſs, thy Kingdom is full of Peace and Joy, and I deſire to come under them: I would have thee to make me holy, as well as righteous; to ſubdue this rebellious heart of mine, and to rule p. 244in me by thy pure Spirit, as well as to ſave me by thy perfect obedience: O ſee, that thus you chuſe and embrace whole Chriſt, elſe your Faith is not right, nor are you like to attain unto a Conjugal-Union and Communion with him.

3. Be ſure that you chuſe Chriſt ſingly and alone, and not joyn ſomewhat elſe with him: Some are for compounding with Chriſt, they would joyn ſomewhat elſe in Partnerſhip with him; but as Chriſt muſt not be divided, ſo neither will he be compounded, he will be all, or nothing at all to Souls; and ſo true Faith cloſes with him: Hence with the new Creature Chriſt is ſaid to be all, and in all, Col. 3.11. The Patriarchs (as one obſerves) had many of them a Wife and a Concubine, but it is not ſo here; no, as Faith chuſes a whole Chriſt, ſo it chuſes a naked Chriſt, Chriſt ſingly and alone, without joyning any thing elſe in Partnerſhip with him: It matches the Soul to Chriſt with an abſolute excluſion of all other Matches: Indeed Faith ſees enough in a ſingle Chriſt, a naked Chriſt, without the help of any thing elſe, and accordingly chuſes and embraces him: And ſo muſt your Faith chuſe and embrace him, or you are like to miſs of Conjugal-Union and Communion with him: You muſt chuſe him ſingly and alone, joyning nothing with him, and that eſpecially in the great buſineſs of Righteouſneſs and Acceptation with God: Some would fain compound with Chriſt in this buſineſs; p. 245they would have Chriſt, but they would have their own Duties too; they would have his Righteouſneſs, but they would have their own Righteouſneſs too; they would have theirs bear a ſhare with his in the point of Righteouſneſs and Juſtification before God. Thus 'twas with the Jews of old, Rom. 9.31, 32. with Ch. 10. beg. 'Tis ſaid, They followed after the Law of Righteouſneſs, but attained not to the Law of Righteouſneſs: And why? Becauſe, ſayes the Apoſtle, they ſought it not by Faith, but, as it were, by the Works of the Law: and Chap. 10.3. They went about, 'tis ſaid, to eſtabliſh their own Righteouſneſs, and ſubmitted not themſelves to the Righteouſneſs of God. Pray obſerve, (firſt) they were addicted to, and look't for Salvation by their own Righteouſneſs. (Secondly), Though they were addicted to their own Righteouſneſs, and would fain live by it, yet they ſeemed not to cleave wholly to that, but would have Chriſt's and theirs joyned together; therefore 'tis ſaid, They ſought it not by Faith, but, as it were, by the Works of the Law, i. e. They were neither wholly for Chriſt, nor wholly for Self, but partly for the one, and partly for the other, joyning Self with Chriſt. And (thirdly) this left them ſhort of Righteouſneſs, Life, Salvation, and all: For 'tis ſaid, that upon this account they attained not unto the Law of Righteouſneſs. To joyn Self with Chriſt in this Point, is as dangerous and deſtructive, as to ſet up Self againſt Chriſt. Thus (I ſay) p. 246'twas with the Jews of old, and thus 'tis with the Papiſts now: But, my Beloved, if ever you would pitch your Faith aright upon Chriſt, you muſt not once think of thus compounding the buſineſs between Him and Self; but Chriſt muſt be all in all: We muſt ſhut our eyes againſt all other things in Point of Juſtification, and muſt go forth ſingly and nakedly to Chriſt, venturing our eternal All upon the alone bottom of his everlaſting Righteouſneſs.Juſtitiae Dei obtinendae principium eſt, abdicare ſe propriâ juſtitiâ. Calv. 'Tis Calvin's obſervation upon the place laſt quoted, That the foundation of, or firſt ſtep towards our obtaining an intereſt in the Righteouſneſs of God, is for a man to renounce and go out of his own Righteouſneſs. Thus, I am ſure, Paul's Faith choſe and embraced Chriſt, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. Thoſe things which were gain to me, (ſayes he) thoſe I counted loſs for Chriſt; yea doubtleſs, and I count all things but loſs for the excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt Jeſus my Lord, for whom I have ſuffered the loſs of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Chriſt, and be found in him, not having mine own Righteouſneſs which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Chriſt, the Righteouſneſs which is of God by Faith. Pray mark, his Faith here chuſes and embraces Chriſt for his Righteouſneſs and Juſtification, and herein he joyns nothing with him; he pitches ſingly and nakedly upon Chriſt alone, renouncing all other things whatever; he had as much of his own to p. 247have lean't & depended upon in this point, as any meer man that ever lived, ſince ſin entered the World; for, in Priviledges, in Graces, in Services, and in Sufferings for Chriſt, (I am apt to think) he excelled all meer men; but yet he reſts on none of theſe, no nor ſo much as joyns any thing of it with Chriſt,Loquitur de iis, quae anteà, adhuc inconverſus, magnifecerat; & in iis juſtitiam ſalutiferam poſuerat, nune autem converſus ad Chriſtum ea deſpicit, & ut ſordes, & res viliſſimas abjicit, tanquam ad ſalutem inutilia, imò pernicioſa, ſi ſiducia juſtitiae in iis ponatur. Glaſſ. Rhet. Sac. but rejects and renounces all, and that with the greateſt loathing and deteſtation in the point of Juſtification, cleaving ſingly and nakedly to Chriſt alone: ſayes he, I account all but loſs, yea dung, that is, as the moſt vile and loathſome thing; and I would not be found in it for a thouſand Worlds. The truth is, to joyn any thing of our own with Chriſt in this buſineſs, is what excludes us from any ſhare in Chriſt, or any benefit by Chriſt; ſo much the Apoſtle is expreſs in Gal. 5.2, 3, 4. Behold, I Paul ſay unto you, that if ye be circumciſed, Chriſt ſhall profit you nothing; for I teſtifie again to every man that is circumciſed, that he is a debtor to do the whole Law: Chriſt is become of no effect unto you, whoever of you are juſtified by the Law, ye are fallen from Grace. The ſum of the Apoſtles deſign is to ſhew, that to joyn any thing of our own with Chriſt in the buſineſs of Righteouſneſs and Juſtification, and not reſt purely and entirely upon him, is what ſhuts us out from any part and lot in Chriſt, or any benefit p. 248and advantage by him; for pray obſerve, there were among the Galatians, ſome who did miſcere Chriſtum cum Lege, as Calvin's expreſſion is, they did joyn the Law with Chriſt, preſſing and taking up Circumciſion as a part of that Righteouſneſs whereby they expected to be juſtified and ſaved: They were not ſo groſs in their minds, (as that great Divine there obſerves) as to expect Salvation meerly by the obſervation of the Law, and their own Obedience; but they were for ſharing the buſineſs between this and Chriſt: Now what ſayes Paul to them, and by what does he labour to antidote the Believers among them againſt this great error? Why, (firſt) he tells them plainly, that if they will joyn either Circumciſion, or any thing elſe of their own with Chriſt in this matter, then Chriſt ſhall profit them nothing, verſ. 2. And he aſſerts the ſame thing, verſ. 4. Chriſt, ſayes he, is become of no effect to you; i. e. You ſhall have no part in Chriſt, no benefit by Chriſt; Chriſt is of no uſe, no benefit, no advantage to you no more than if he had never been:Chriſtum dimidium quiſquis haberevult totum perdit, Calv. And indeed, as one obſerves upon the place, Whoever is but for an half Chriſt in this buſineſs loſes all of Chriſt. (Secondly); He tells them, that if they will have any thing of their own to bear ſhare with Chriſt in the matter of their Salvation, they are Debtors to do the whole Law: If they will have their obedience to the Law, to have any ſhare in their acceptation with God, then they muſt keep p. 249the whole Law, for elſe all were nothing; 'Tis a great Speech of a Learned Interpreter upon theſe words;Qui debitor eſt totius legis faciendae, mortem nunquam effugiet; quia ſemper manebit ſub reatu. Nemo enim unquam reperietur qui legi ſatisfaciat, talis igitur obligatio, certa eſt damnatio hominis. Id. Whoever, ſayes he, is a Debtor to do the whole Law, can never eſcape death, becauſe he will alwayes remain under guilt; for no one will ever be found, who will be able to fulfil or ſatisfie the Law, ſuch an Obligation therefore is the certain damnation of the man that lies under it. Thus you ſee, there muſt be nothing elſe of our own joyned with Chriſt in the matter of our Righteouſneſs and Juſtification with God; but our Faith muſt cleave ſingly and nakedly to Chriſt alone: The truth is, Chriſt's Righteouſneſs alone is ſufficient to ſave and juſtifie the worſt of ſinners: 'tis the Righteouſneſs of God, 2 Cor. 5.21. and the Righteouſneſs of the Law, Rom. 8.3. A Righteouſneſs every way adequate and commenſurate to the ſtricteſt demands of Law and Juſtice, a Righteouſneſs as long, as broad, as deep, as high, as the ſin and guilt of the moſt Scarlet, Crimſon Sinners can be, and why ſhould any think of joyning any thing therewith? Truly ſo to do, is to reflect great diſhonour upon it, and upon the Wiſdom and Grace of God in ordaining it for our Juſtification and Salvation. And as we muſt joyn nothing with Chriſt in the matter of Righteouſneſs and Juſtification, ſo neither muſt we joyn any thing with him in the matter of our Sanctification p. 250and Holineſs: We ſhould look for no Grace, no Holineſs but what comes from him, and is wrought in us by him: Nor indeed will God own any thing for Grace and Holineſs in us at laſt, that does not come from him: In all reſpects therefore let the language of your Souls be, O none but Chriſt, none but Chriſt.

4. Be ſure that you chuſe Chriſt and embrace him as your Reſt and Happineſs; and not only as one that is to bring you unto Reſt and Happineſs: Chriſt, my Beloved, is not only the way and means to bring men unto Happineſs, but he alſo is himſelf their Happineſs, and as ſuch he is tendered to us, and ſhould be choſen and embraced by us: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, (ſayes he) John 14.16. that is, as one gloſſes upon it, I am the Beginning, the Progreſs, and Perfection of a Chriſtians Happineſs: Sure I am, as Chriſt, conſidered as the Way, is the Means, and what leads us unto Happineſs; ſo Chriſt, conſidered as the Life, is himſelf our Happineſs, our ſupream Happineſs; and indeed, we come to Chriſt as the Life, by Chriſt as the Way. Sweet is that ſaying which I have read in one of the Ancients on this place; We, thy People, (ſayes he,Nos populus tuus ſequamur te, per te, ad te, quia tu es via, veritas & vita; via in exemplo, veritas in promiſſo, vita in prae…nio. Bern. ſpeaking to Chriſt) do come by thee to thee, becauſe thou art the Way, the Truth, and the Life; the Way in thy Example, the Truth in the Promiſe, the Life in the Reward: p. 251I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: i. e. Ego ſum via rectiſſima, veritas ſuprema, vita vera, vita beata, vita increata. Tho à Kemp. lib. 3. de imitat, Chriſti.as another expounds it, I am the onelyonly right Way, the ſupream Truth, the true Life, the bleſſed Life, the increated Life. And ſutable hereunto is Calvin's obſervation upon theſe words,Summa hujus ſententiae eſt, quiſquis potitur Chriſto, nihil illi deeſſe: idioque ultra ultimam perfectionem eniti quiſquis eo uno contentus non eſt. Et ſiquis a Chriſto deflectas, nihil poterit quam errare; ſiquis in eo …on acquieſcat, nihil quam vento & vanitate alibi paſcetur: Siquis ultra eum rendat, mortem vita loco inveniet. Calv. in loc. The ſum, ſayes he, of this Sentence is this, He, whoever he be, that obtains and poſſeſſes Chriſt, can want nothing: whoever therefore is not content with him alone, aſpires after ſomething beyond the ultimate and higheſt perfection. And then he concludes thus, If any one turns aſide from Chriſt, he can do nothing but err, if any one does not reſt in him, he elſe-where feeds upon nothing but wind and vanity: If any one makes out after any thing beyond him, he will find Death inſtead of Life. O there are infinite Beauties, Delights, and Perfections in Chriſt, whereby he is able to fill and ſatisfie us, and make us happy: And for my own part, as I deſire never to be happy, if Chriſt be not able to bring me to happineſs, ſo I deſire no better or greater happineſs than what Chriſt is, or can be to me. O, there's all in him, all to fill, all to comfort, all to delight and raviſh, all to ſolace and ſatisfie the largeſt faculties of eternal Souls. May I have but Chriſt, ſayes Rutherford, I ſhall think my ſelf p. 252as well Heaven'd as any whatever. Truly he, and he alone is centrum quietativum, as the Schools ſpeak, the quieting, reſting center of the Soul. And ſo the Pſalmiſt tells us, Pſal. 116.7. Indeed he in his preſence, and our enjoyment of him, is Heaven and Happineſs: 'Tis the higheſt happineſs which Chriſt promiſes his People here, Joh. 14.21. and 'tis the higheſt happineſs which his People reckon upon, or hope for hereafter. Phil. 1.23. Anſwerable whereunto is the Obſervation of one upon thoſe words of Chriſt to the Thief upon the Croſs, Luke 23.43.Mecum eris in Paradiſo; mecum inquit, mira benignitas, non dicit ſimpliciter, eris in Paradiſo, vel cum Angelis er…s; ſed mecumeris, ſatiaberis eo, quem deſiderias. Bern. de Paſſ. Dom. This day thou ſhalt be with me in Paradiſe: With me, (ſayes he) O wonderful goodneſs! he does not ſay ſimply, thou ſhalt be in Paradiſe, or thou ſhalt be with Angels; but thou ſhalt be with Me, thou ſhalt be ſatisfied with him whom thou deſireſt. Thus Chriſt is the Reſt and ſupream Happineſs of Souls; and accordingly our Faith ſhould chuſe and embrace him: I will not ſay, there is not true Faith, where the Soul does not come up to ſuch a choice of Chriſt, as this is; But this I'le ſay, That though Faith at firſt may not thus chuſe Chriſt, yet afterwards, as it grows up more towards perfection, it does come to chuſe Chriſt under this notion: And the more diſtinct it is in chuſing Chriſt, as the ſupream Reſt and Happineſs of the Soul, the more compleat and perfect it is. Faith's p. 253language to Chriſt, when come to any maturity, is ſuch as this; Lord, as all my Life is in thy Death, all my Healing in thy Wounds, all my Righteouſneſs in thy Obedience; ſo all my Happineſs is in thy Preſence, all my Heaven in the boſom and embraces of thy Love: Nor have I any in Heaven but thee, neither is there any upon earth that I deſire beſides thee, Pſal. 73.25. O thus chuſe Chriſt! chuſe him as the Reſt, the Solace, the Happineſs of your Souls, and never think of any thing elſe to be the leaſt part of your Happineſs beſides Chriſt.

5. Be ſure that you chuſe and embrace Chriſt with his Croſs, and not onelyonly Chriſt with his Crown; Chriſt crucified, as well as Chriſt glorified; Chriſt upon terms of ſuffering for him, as well as reigning with him, he calling thereunto: Thus alſo Chriſt tenders himſelf to us, and thus muſt he be choſen and embraced by us, Mat. 16.24. If any man will come after me, let him deny himſelf, take up his Croſs, and follow me: And Luk. 14.27. Whoſoever doth not bear his Croſs, and come after me, cannot be my Diſciple. Some are for Chriſt, and his Crown, but they ſtick at his Croſs: They are for a reigning Chriſt, but not for a perſecuted Chriſt: But, my Beloved, if you would ſo chuſe him, as to be married to him, you muſt chuſe him as upon the Croſs Crucified, as well as upon the Throne Glorified: The meaning is, you muſt chuſe him with a firm reſolution to ſuffer for p. 254him, if he calls you hereunto; you muſt chuſe him as one perſecuted and diſtreſſed on Earth, as well as one dignified and glorified in Heaven: In a word, you muſt chuſe him for better for worſe, in all eſtates and conditions, with all his Inconveniences, as well as his Priviledges, with his Poverty, his Impriſonments, his Reproaches, his Deaths, his Dangers, his Conflicts, and the like: that is to ſay, you muſt chuſe him with a willing reſolution of mind to undergo all this at his call, and for his ſake; and this indeed is to cloſe with him in his own way, and upon his own terms: Chriſt's language to the Soul, in the tender of himſelf to him, is ſuch as this; Soul, I am willing to be eſpouſed to thee, I am willing to beſtow my ſelf, with all my Riches and Fulneſs upon thee; but if thou wilt have me and theſe, thou muſt be content to ſuffer for me, to be reproach'd, to be perſecuted, to be impriſoned, yea, to be killed all the day long for me, when I pleaſe to call thee thereunto: And indeed Faith, when right, cloſes with him upon theſe terms: Content, ſayes the Soul, being acted by a true Spirit of Faith, Chriſt upon any terms that he thinks fit, Chriſt with the Croſs, Chriſt with Reproach, with Impriſonment, with Death, with whatever he pleaſes rather than go without him: And indeed we need not be ſcared, nor terrified at the Croſs; for there is no Croſs ſo bitter as Chriſt is ſweet; there is nothing we can p. 255ſuffer for Chriſt, that is worthy to be compared with the Glory we ſhall have in Chriſt, and with Chriſt: Beſides, Chriſt is worthy to be ſuffered for; and therefore welcome Chriſt, and welcome his Croſs too: Truly, my Beloved, Chriſt's Croſs is ſweet, very ſweet, as he makes it: That ſweet-ſmell'd and perfum'd Croſs of Chriſt, ſayes one, is accompanied with ſweet refreſhments, with the Kiſſes of a King, with the Joy of the Holy Ghoſt; therefore ſcare not at it, but chuſe him with his Croſs as well as his Crown.

6. Be ſure that you chuſe Chriſt often, and think it not one ſingle Act or Work onelyonly to chuſe and embrace him: If you would indeed make ſure of Chriſt, and an eſpouſal to him, you ſhould chuſe him and embrace him anew every day. We are apt to look upon the Work of chuſing and embracing Chriſt, as one ſingle Act or Work onelyonly; but, my Beloved, 'tis a Work that ſhould be often repeated: by often repeating of it we ſhould grow more ſound, more ſtrong, more diſtinct in it: As a ſecond Edition corrects the Errors of the firſt, ſo after Acts of believing in this kind do ſupply the defects of the firſt Act: Indeed my advice to you is, that you would make as much conſcience of chuſing and embracing Chriſt afreſh every day, as of praying every day; eſpecially if you be either young beginners in believing, or older believers under clouds and darkneſs. St. Paul made freſh choices of Chriſt to the very laſt, p. 256Phil. 3.8, 9. And 'tis the duty of them that do believe to believe: Theſe things write I unto you, ſayes St. John, that believe on the Name of the Son of God, that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God, 1 John 5.13. They did believe, and he would have them to believe afreſh every day; and ſo would I have you do, every day renew the firſt great Act of Faith in your cloſing with Chriſt, ſo ſhall every day be a day of eſpouſals between Chriſt and you; and ſo by degrees ſhall you come to the ſenſe and comfort of this eſpouſal. I have read of ſome who never came to a ſight and ſenſe of their Union with Chriſt till they took this courſe. Thus I have now ſhewn you the way how you may come to be eſpouſed to Chriſt, as well as what an Husband he is, what great things he does for his Spouſes, and how much his Heart is ſet upon an eſpouſal with ſinners: Now will you take this courſe? Or ſhall all be loſt with you? Poſſibly the whole will have a different effect upon thoſe that read or hear theſe things: Some, I hope, will be won and gained to Chriſt by them; others, I fear, will reject and deſpiſe all, and that either out of a ſpirit of profaneneſs, or inſenſibility of their need of, and concernedneſs in theſe things: If any Soul ſhall reject them out of a ſpirit of profaneneſs, I would ſay to ſuch a Soul, as Solomon to the Scorner, Prov. 9.12. If thou ſcorneſt, thou alone ſhalt bear it; thou alone ſhalt bear all thy ſins, and all the wrath and vengeance of God due to them: If any p. 257ſhall reject theſe things out of a Spirit of inſenſibility of their need of, and concern in them, their caſe is the more to be pittied; for the more inſenſible they are of their miſery without Chriſt, the greater is that miſery of theirs. What more miſerable, ſayes Auſtin, Quid miſerius miſer… non miſerante ſepiſum? Aug.then for a miſerable man not to commiſerate himſelf? Others, it may be, ſtand doubting and trembling, daring neither to reject, nor yet to embrace: not reject, becauſe their need of Chriſt is ſo great, the worth of Chriſt ſo eminent, and the guilt of the rejection of Chriſt ſo black; nor yet embrace, becauſe their ſins are ſo many, and their unworthineſs ſo great. To ſuch I would ſay, ceaſe thy trembling, and delay thy cloſe with Chriſt no longer; it has been thy ſin, let it be thy ſhame and ſorrow that thou haſt neglected and refuſed Chriſt ſo long,Serò te amav…, pulchritudo tam antiqua & tam nova, ſerò te amavi. Aug. ſaying with Auſtin, I have loved thee too late, O thou ſo ancient and yet ſo new a beauty, I have loved thee too late. And for thy encouragement, I would ſay to thee, as the Servant did to his Lord upon ſuch an occaſion as this, Luke 14.22. Lord, it is done as thou haſt commanded, and yet there is room. Though many ſinners, and great ſinners have been received to mercy, yet ſtill there is room for thee, and for all that have a mind to Chriſt; There is room in Chriſt's Heart, there is room in Chriſt's Arms, there is room in his Covenant, there is room in p. 258his Kingdom, there is room upon his Throne with his Father for thee: But if yet any ſhall reject this offer of Love, and perſiſt ſo to do, ſuch will at laſt find, that there is room in Hell, room in the infernal Pit, room in the place of torment for them: Therefore as Life and Death are once more ſet before you, ſo I beſeech you to chuſe Life and not Death, that you may live for ever.