Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 27 – Title page 3
CHAP. XXVII.
Care to ſee Chriſt living in us.AS Chriſt lives in all Gods children, ſo let all that profeſſe Chriſt, and call God Father, ſee and diſcerne Chriſt living in them. This is the crowne and comfort of a Chriſtian to have Chriſt living in him, and without this he hath but the naked and empty name of a Chriſtian, like an Idoll that hath the name of a man, and is no man, a name that he lives, and yet is dead: Feele Chriſt therefore living in your underſtanding, by prizing the knowledge of Chriſt above all learning, by determining to know nothing in compariſon of knowing Chriſt, and him crucified, by learning Chriſt as the truth is in him, being filled with the knowledge of his will in all wiſedome and ſpirituall underſtanding: Feele Chriſt living in your will, in making your will free to chuſe and embrace him and the things of God, to intend and will him and the glory of God above every thing, making his will the rule of your will, and faſhioning and framing you to be a willing people, in and about his worke and ſervice: Feele him living in your imaginations, by thinking upon him with more frequency and delight, then of any other thing, by having more high, honourable, and ſweeter apprehenſions of Chriſt, then of all the creatures: Feele Chriſt living in your affections, by being rooted in Chriſt by a lively faith, as a Tree in the Earth; by fearing Chriſt above all earthly powers, as the Subject his Soveraigne above all Civill Rulers; by loving him, as the Bride the Bridegroome, above all other perſons; by rejoycing in him, as the rich man in his jewell above all the reſidue of his Subſtance: Feele him living in your members, by circumciſing, and preparing your eares to heare with meekneſſe and reverence, by returning to your tongues a pure language, that your ſpeech may miniſter grace to the hearers, by reſtraining your eyes from beholding vanitie, by diſpoſing your hands to worke that which is good, and by making your feet ſwift to every good duty; as you diſcerne your ſoule living in your humane body, moving all the members to humane ſervices; ſo diſcerne Chriſt living in your bodily members, diſpoſing, and framing them to religious duties: Feele Chriſt living in all your ſervices, as the chiefe worker of them, and inabler of you to them, doing all in his name, by his aſſiſtance, and for his glory: Feele Chriſt living in the Prayer which you make, praying by the Spirit of Chriſt, in the name of Chriſt, and for the honour of Chriſt: Feele Chriſt living in the Word which you heare, making it an immortall ſeed to regenerate you, a ſacred Fire to purge you, a heavenly Light to guide you, and a meſſage of peace to comfort you: Feele Chriſt living in the Sacrament which you receive, making it a Coeleſtiall Manna feeding you; a Seale of Righteouſneſſe, aſſuring you of your Juſtification; an obligation binding you to new obedience, and a pledge of Gods unchangeable love towards you: All holy Ordinances, if Chriſt live not in them, ſhew not himſelfe powerfull by them, are but an empty ſhell without kernell, and a dry breaſt without milke, miniſtring no nouriſhment. All the Religious Duties wee performe, if Chriſt live not in them, are but a Sacrifice without Fire, a dead Carkaſſe, of no eſteeme with God: Our affections, if Chriſt live not in us are a charet without wheeles, they ſinke and fall unto the earth, they cannot encline nor move towards the Lord: All our beſt abilities, if Chriſt live not in them, are as ſtanding Waters without a living Spring, they putrifie, and rot, and prove unprofitable: If Chriſt live not in us, our knowledge is ignorance, our wiſedome fooliſhneſſe, our faith preſumption, our love diſſimulation, and our obedience no better then rebellion: If Chriſt live not in us, our underſtandings are blinded, and wee cannot ſavingly know God; our will is inthralled, and wee cannot intend God; our faith like Jeroboams arme is withered, and wee cannot lay hold upon the promiſe of God: The whole ſufficiencie of a Chriſtian is from Chriſts living in him. Chriſts living in man, makes him wiſe in diſcerning the things of God, ſincere in intending the glory of God, powerfull in withſtanding what doth oppoſe him in the wayes of God, fruitfull in the worke of God, meeke and humble in ſubmitting to the hand of God, faithfull in keeping the Covenant of God, joyfull in hearing the Word of God, fervent in invocation upon the Name of God, patient in waiting for the Comforts of the Lord, contented with the portion God giveth, conſtant in running the race which God hath ſet before him, and graciouſly perſwaded of living the life of Glory for ever in Heaven. *⁎*
MANS MISERY WITHOVT CHRIST.
OPENING The ſinfull, perplexed, diſhonourable, and Soul deſtroying Condition of Man without CHRIST, tending to the driving and drawing of every man out of himſelfe unto CHRIST.
By Alexander Groſſe, B. D. Miniſter of the Goſpell, and Paſtor of Bridford near Exon in Devon-ſhire.
Whoſoever tranſgreſſeth, and abideth not in the Doctrine of Chriſt hath not God,
2. Epiſt. Ioh. ver. 9.
If ye beleeve not that I am he, ye ſhall dye in your ſins,
Ioh. 8.24.
If any man abide not in me he is caſt forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them and caſt them into the fire, and they are burned.
LONDON, Printed by G. M. for John Bartlet, at the Signe of the Gilt Cup near Saint Auſtins Gate. 1642.
MANS MISERY WITHOVT CHRIST OPENED.
EPHES 2.12.
At that time ye were without Chriſt, being aliens from the Common-wealth of Iſrael, and ſtrangers from the Covenants of promiſe, having no hope and without God in the world.