〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nocumenta Documenta Schola cruis Schola lucis Detrimenta corpotum incrementa virtutum Greg. Iam. 1.17 and hee will not suffer his faithfulnesse to faile towards them Psal 99.32 23. Christ can scourge his friends for and from their sinnes as well as for the exercise of their graces and yet love them dearly constantly and ardently In him is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning Not so much as a shadow colour of alteration or mutation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will in no wise cast you out Joh. 6.37 and he that escapes the Lords affliction may suspect his owne adoption 1 Qui excipiturd munero flagellatorum excipitur à numero filiorum Trees are rooted the more firmely by shaking m Deus unicum habet filium sine peccato nullum sine flagello The Persian Kings shunned familiarity with their Subjects and were seldome seene that they might be the more honoured n Persona Regis sub specie Majestatis occulitur Iust l. 1. so Christ serv's Christiās 1. 'T is not length of time that can worke or occasion an alteration in his love It 's everlasting I have loved thee with an everlasting love Hos 2.19 Jer. 31.3 Behold I will betroth thee unto me for ever Wee may through tract and length of time forget and be forgotten As Joseph forgot his Brethren and was forgotten of them Length of time may either wholly weare out out affections or else coole and lessen their heat and strength towards our familiars But Christ's love tak's not cold is not cooled towards his 't is alwayes firme free full fervent Heb. 13.5 Hee hath said I will ne'r leave thee nor forsake thee The words are emphaticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a duplication of the subject of the Promise I will not leave I will not forsake and a multiplication of Negatives o Est negationis conduplicatio ut fit vehementior pollicitatio Estius in locum there are five negatives in the promise by which he intimates he will not yea he will not surely he will not forsake his servants he will never totally reject them he will not utterly forsake them I will not leave you comfortlesse or as Orphanes as children without parents p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non descrit etiamsi dese rere videatur non deserit etiamsi deserat Austin Nam non dicessit Deus quando recessit Secondly no distance of place were it never so great yea although 't were as great as that which is betwixt the lowest earth and highest heaven yet cannot this part Christ and Christians or impare the strength of his affections towards them worke the least alteration in his love yea even now although his glorious Majesty possesseth the heavens yet his heart is where 't was 't is towards his Saints on earth You blessed babes and friends of Christ your head in the heavens prayes for you pleads for you takes notice of you and all your sufferings he 's in Heaven enter'd before you but 't is to make way for you fit a place for you and preserve your roomes till you come assure your selves he cannot forget you doe not you forget him Thirdly nor can strength of deformity worke a change in his love he can love Job on the dunghill with his filthy carcase Jerymiah in the d'ungeon with his rotten ragges q Anima quae nunc pannoso vestitu servili habitu tegi putatur in regno Coelorum Regina nobilis Regi astans reperitur Basil l. de vera Virg. Lazarus whil'st begging with his running sores Jonah in the Whale's belly though his head 's bound up with weeds Abel tumbling in his own bloud Paul and Silas in the stocks with contemptible chaines as he is no respecter of persons so neither is hee a respecter of conditions hee ne'r withholds his affection from his people in affliction CHAP. III. Of the degrees or rather the immensities of of Christ's unsearchable love INfinitnesse ha's no demensities by finite considerations Christ's love is of an infinite nature There 's a measure in every thing sait's our Proverb but Christ's love out-vies the worlds Proverb 't is without me asure ha's no measure in it It 's nothing above Geometrie that 's an Art that may teach to measure the earth but the Heavens are not so farre from the Earth as the degrees of Christ's love are above all Arts and parts of men Can you measure him who ha's measur'd the waters in the hollow of his hand Isaiah 40.12 and meeted out Heaven with a span Christ's love's immense knowing Christians can tell you so and that no mortall can describe its measure we 'l illustrate its greatnesse a little as the earthlinesse of the instrument will permit and leave the rest to be revealed in Heaven to all heavenly minds THe degrees of love as well as the truth strength force and ardencie thereof are as the relation is in which it acts which may be shadowed out thus First Christ loves more then friends there may be a knitting of soules among friends as in Jonathan and David but did you ever heare of a knitting of natures 1 Sam. 18.1 vide 2 Sam 1.26 friends of Christ Christ hath knit your natures to his you are one nature as well as one flesh are you glad on 't can the two natures of two friends be united in one person Christ hath don 't this is the mystery of perfect love The Law commands love thy neighbour as thy selfe but extends no farther but Christ hath done a great deale more marke beleeving soule Christ's love to thee hath excell'd the love of friends For Christ lov'd thee not onely as himselfe as his Father commanded but also more then himselfe as his love constrain'd Hath hee not given his owne life to save thine was not his soule wearie to the death to refresh thine under the powers of that death which is death indeed 't is the second death I meane to which the first is but a shadow Hee was as a sheep led to the slaughter to free his sheep from such shambles I lay downe my life for my sheep that 's the heavenly voice doe you heare it you sheep of Christ Joh. 10.15 Can Paul crie up some that would for his good have pull'd out their right eyes so well they lov'd him oh sanctified soules you have greater cause to crie up Christ for hee would and did draw out both his eyes yea his precious soule to doe you good both now and in your latter end also so well be lov'd you and he is the same hee was you blessed babes of Christ Secondly Friends may peradventure die for friends and that 's the greatest love that man can shew Joh. 15.13 but Christ's love is more he died for foes r Non existentes immo resistentes Ber. sup Cant. ser 20. Rom. 5.8 Christ can bleed freely to make a resisting rebell live sweetly the life
soules to cleanse and sanctifie them to his own and his Fathers use p. 115. 4. Christ loves to save the soule harmlesse preserve and keepe it alive Satan loves to destroy but Christ loves to save page 116 117 Christs affection to his calling for action from them for him Ibid. 1. He 's active for you prayes for you pleads for you at the Throne of grace night and day against the accuser of the Brethren page 118. 2. Satans vassalls are active for him and 't is a most abhominable thing and not to be paralell'd that children of darknesse should doe more for their Father then do children of light for theirs Ibid. PART 2. CHAP. 1. CHrist-like affections working toward Christ page 1. The rise of this 1. Divine love is active and it acts towards Christ for fulnesse p. 2. 2. Christ is the Center to divine Love and arising aloft in him it ha's rest and the soule it selfe is then a serene Spirit page 3. 3. Every thing hath its end and moves towards that love has its end too thitherward it moves Grace has no other end but God glory Love is a grace and a great one full of heavenly motion page 4. 4. Divine Love is the Divine nature and cannot be confin'd in man who is but an heape of earth 't will break forth upward till it become Glory page 5. 5. Best intelects covet best objects Christians have the best intelects therefore they love Christ page 6. Christ how the best object of Love Divine made plaine in three particulars 6. Divine Love goes out workes towards Christ by a Divine instinct it ascends upward for it can doe no other page 8. 7. A spirituall soule is righteous seeth 't is a righteous thing to love Christ see 's some must love Christ shee knowes none has more cause then shee Ibid. 8 A divine soule is reasonable seeth 't is but reasonable to love him who loved her when shee had nothing in her worthy of love page 9. CHAP. 2. CHristians shewing love to Christ and how in twelve remarkable things page 9 c. CHAP. 3. LOvers of Christ how known 1. Such as love Christ see a motive in Christ to stir up love it being the emminencie of an object that ottracts love page 29. 2. A soul that loves Christ thirsts after his presence has never enough of his communion with her p. 30 31. 3. One that loves Christ feares to disprease him true Lovers are loth to offend those they prize and love page 33. 4 True love is of the person of Christ were he without portion or priviledges A Christ under shame as well as Glory a Christ abas'd as well as exalted page 33 34. 5. One that loves Christ would fain he doe like Christ p. 35 36. 6. They love Christs friends as the object of his delight p. 37 38. CHAP 4. THe passage of Divine Love as it works towards Christ may be obstructed and how cleared in six particulars page 39 c. CHAP. 5. CHrist keeping love alive in cbristians and how shewed in many particulars page 50 c. Incentives to love Christ what in ten particulars handled at large page 59 c. PART 3. CHAP. 1. VVHat things agree to make up a right sigt naturall p. 3. Visions of Heaven glorious and why Ibid. They have in them God a glorious object Christ a glorious medium and a light super-sensuall supernaturall and glorious too page 4 c. Right sight of Christ what 1. To see him as he is p. 11 12 13. 2. Right sight of Christ is experimentall page 14. The good arising from such a sight of Christ what express'd in four particulars page 4 c. The evill of the contrary not to see Christ ezperimentally clear'd by four things also page 18 c. 3. Right sight of Christ is to see Christ as a man is seene of Christ p. 21. How a Christian is seene of Christ in two particulars Ib. A perswasion to looke up to Jesus and why p. 23. Incentives to that glorious work what 1. All heires of everlasting life long'd to see Christ before their death and had their desires page 24. The language of a Christ-less man or woman at the Judgement-day what page 25. 2. Mans necessity calls for this hee must minde a Jesus see him by faith for he wants him and there is not another page 26. 3. A right sight of Christ gives a right sight of selfe and selfes estate it being most certain that men never see themselves so well as when they most see Jesus Christ page 28. Sight of Christ what sight of selfe it gives In him we may see what we have been are shall be page 29 c. 4. All right sight of Christ has in 't a sustaining nature a heart-relieving vertue a soule-reviving ability things of Heaven being all supporting much more Christ himselfe page 34. 5. 'T will encrease inward joy a joy of heart which excells the joy of harvest page 37 c. 6. 'T will strengthen patience under the crosse and chstaizement for Christ page 40 41 42. CHAP. 2. THe likenesse betwixt the 1. and 2d. or the naturall and spiritual birth what in eight particulars page 43 c. Four reasons why men should esteem it a greater priviledge to bee borne twice then to be borne but once page 56 57 58 59. How God brings in and brings up returning sinners 1. He principles them 2. Acts them 3. builds them 4. Constrmes them page 60. How God principles those bee will save Ibid. Christ's act by which he drawes out those principles what 1. Illumination page 61. What work light makes in a darke Soule Ibid c. 2. Humiliation page 63. How Christ humbles men kindly page 64 65. To what end Christ humbles layes low chosen vessels page 66. How Christ builds Christians 1. by keeping them and all their graces in continuall action p. 74. 2. By infusing strength suitable to opposition page 75. What Christ in building helps his people to live above whilst they live in the body 1. Above corruption 2. Above temptations 3. Above gracious evidences 4. Above glorious manifestations of his Fathers love how page 79. c. Christ confirms his how p. 87. The effects of such stability of heart in that respect what page 88. The faith of Saints concerning this what page 90. CHAP. 3. CItizens of heaven are strangers here What it is to be a stranger here 4. particulars of that page 92 c. Whence it is that Christ lets his live so far from home that God so kind a Father puts his children into such an unkind world page 105. 1. To put a difference betwixt Earth and Heaven 2. To glimpse out Glory to a faithlesse people page 107. 3. To save others alive page 108 109. 4. To dispose them for higher things and how page 110 111. 5. That grace might have a being as well as glory page 112. Strangers on Earth how knowne
1. By the price they put on glory the thoughts they have of Heaven page 113. 2. By the language they speak page 114. 3. A strangers mind motion is home-ward though he lacks nothing page 116 c. The practice of S t s making good this principle and how Ibid. 4. Strangers in a strange Land content themselves only with things needful page 119. 5 Strangers ingage not themselves too much in the affairs of the natives of strange Lands page 123. How little cause Saints have to love this strange Land or be loth to leave it 1. Till then they 're far from their best friends chiefest favours they are in a farre Countrey whilst from their Fathers house page 124. Other considerations to loosen the Saints from the world p. 125 126. 2. They should not love it be loth to leave it for till then they 'l be foiled vex'd soil'd with filthy sins page 127. Saints being strangers what they should be and doe whilst ranging through this earthly region p. 128. CHAP. 4. SAints have their appointed time of change To be changed what 'T is to have a different manner of being 't is the cessation of a person or thing from being what it once was page 130. The sundry sorts of changes what in 3 particulars p. 131 132 133. 134 To be gloriously chang'd what page 135. A three-fold imployment for Saints in order to a disposing of them for their last greatest and best of changes page 136 c. Saints have need to be chang'd two reasons of that p. 140 c. CHAP. 5. GLory what page 182. What things concur to make up everlasting glory page 183 c. To be glorified compleatly what page 196 c. The glory of the soule in heaven what page 197 c. What the glory of the body shall bee in the Kingdome of heaven page 199 c. What the glory is that soule body shall possesse joyntly p. 206 c. The adjuncts of glory what page 224 c. The Errata Part 1. PAge 1. l. 3. r. acts are p. 6. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 8. l. 12. r. p. 8. l. 2. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 3. l. 10. r. usuall p. 30. r. crucis p. 34. l. 11. r. meted p. 55. l. r. his p. 65. l. 25. r. on p 67. r. risisse p. 80. r. rebellis p. 93. r. nisi p. 114. l. 10. r. shee p. 65. r. nobis p. 73. murorum p. 30. r. numero p. 42. r. Aethyopissam quandam p. 56. l. 12 r. promisory p. 80. r. protegentis dele via Part 2. Page 33. r. in cum p. 62. r. perfecte p. 56. r. absentia p. 68. r. judicant p. 3. l. 19. r. Center p. 56. l. 21. r. Ieopardy p. 59. l. 26. r. Ishmael Part 3. Page 8. l. 7. r p. 12. l. t. r he p. 14. l. 2. r. thy p. 34. l. 23. r. afflictions p. 47. l. 8. r. loth p. 46. l. 2. dele to p. 54. l. 21. r. it s so l. 22. p. 61. l. 24. â— this p. 80. l. 20. r. doubtfull p. 106. l. 8. r. wearie p. 116. l. r. r. those p. 52 l. 14. r. soule p. 158. l. 3. r hearing p. 182. l. 10. dele to p. 183. l. 1 dele where p. 206. l. 4. r. eternally p. 167. r. exosumer esse Christo p. 212. r. Coacreatae Some other lesser faults there bee which the Printer Corrector desire the Reader to relieve with his penne THE YERNINGS OF Christs bowells towards his languishing FRIENDS Joh. 13.1 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end * Quum dilex isset suos qui erant c. Montanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligo simpliciter amo CHAP. I. Of the sence of the words and their usefulnesse unto all Christ-obeying Christians WHere affection is the spring of action and operation love is perfect to perpetuitie Christ act's as he is he 's with out end so is his love Things of Heaven are all lasting everlasting you may guesse at their beginnings but never at their endings The word in the originall * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies to love something by adhering to it with the mind and heart a Suidas seu aliquem amore complector cum aliquo amicitiam colo as 1 Joh. 2 10. Mat. 6.24 cha 22.37 Mark 10.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to be content and satisfied with it as that a man desires nothing else b Me aut amabis aut quo contentus sum diliges Cic. Others say 't is more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as comâ—ounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valdè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acquiesco quae enim diligimus in iis acquiescimus Alsied in Lexic signisicat contentum esse acquiescere Casaub in Mar. 10.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud LXX Interpretes non semper pro diligere sed pro amicis blandisque verbis compellare laudare sumitur ut Cant. 1.14.2 Paral. 18.2 'T is hearty love Christ is said* to love the young man viz. hee spake friendly to him and dealt gently with him as the word there imports Blessed Messiah the Saints Saviour at his last departure from them adhered to them with all his might soule mind and strength and was so fully satisfied with them tooke such great content in them as that he desir'd no other portion besides them And thus speaking sweetly and kindly to them call's them his owne c Peculiaritèr destinatus Thess 1. v. 5. peculiaris ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cujus est certa quaedam minime cum caeteris communis idea Cajet 1 Cor 11.6 vide Bezam in loc The Lord Christ is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God's owne Sonne quod sit filius Dei per aeternam generationem as being his peculiar portion His owne every word of Christ hath its weight every word drop's sweetnesse as the hony combe Christians you see your blessed lot you are Christ's owne and Christ is your owne This comfortable kind of speaking to Christians is very usefull in Scripture as Jesus Christ is the faithfull's owne so the faithfull are Jesus Christ's own Rom. 14.4 God is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beleeving Christians owne master he shall be holden up by his owne Master for God is able to make him stand Christians have you had experience of the powerfull workings of Gods love towards you and on your Spirits and doe you feare a finall falling a partiall or totall declining from Jesus Christ and his sweetest wayes of soule-ravishing contentments Remember God's your owne he both can and will make you stand Those that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion that shall never be removed In generall consider Christ hath and may claime title to all by a right of dominion and so all then are Christs owne as he 's Lord of all creatures
But Christs flock are his owne thus 1. By right of donation God hath given some to Christ and what 's more a mans owne then that which is given him The great God gives great gifts like himselfe millions of soules had Christ given him 1 Tim. 2.6 2. By right of purchase and Redemption Jesus Christ hath bought some 1 Cor. 6.20 given precious d Fortasis epithetum pretiosa nonnullum habet respectum ad pretium sanguinis Christi meritorium ejus Lorinus in locum bloud for some precious soules 1 Pet. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he gave himselfe for us not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a counter-ransome for all our sinnes Oh thou man of God ponder these things well in thine owne minde Christ gave his owne selfe for thy selfe and art not thou then his owne canst thou then have the heart to act such a part of unkindnesse against him as to serve thy selfe God forbid 3. By right of conquest hee hath conquerd some with kindnesse and overcome some with unexpressible love he hath subdued them to himselfe and their sinnes with Satan downe to the dust and therefore they may well be his and shall not he have the greatest share in them May not Christ say to a subjected soule as Paul to Philemon thou owest mee even thine owne selfe Me think 's the soule should thus reply yea Lord and take me and all mine for thine owne use my soule Spirit strength what I am or may be for it 's thine owne 4. By right of stipulation Ezek. 16.8 or Covenant-making I entred into a Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I entred into a contract or bargain with thee and shall not the Lord have his bargaine 5. By right of a gracious communication some are sweetly sanctified to the use of Christ to the service of Christ and no other The Lord hath set apart him that 's godly for himselfe Some are vessells of honour fitted for their Masters use Jo. 17.19.22 Ps 4.3 6. A Beleever is Christs owne by a right of Regeneration as he 's begotten againe in and after Christ's owne Image God the Father through Christ by his Spirit hath begotten them againe into Christ's owne likenesse The first Adam begat a sonne in his own likenesse after his owne Image e Gen. 5.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel ut aliqui volunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 genuit secundum figuram suam the second Adam did so too And being begotten againe in his likenesse as children truly like their owne heavenly Father they are truly and properly call'd his own children End signifies diversly f Denique Erasmus tandem Beza ad finem usque i. e. indesinentur Piscator Omni tempore hoc est semper perpetuò First the continuation of a thing Psal 102.17 18. He shall regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise it this shall be written for the Generations to come i. e. inperpetuum for ever Isal 9.7 The Lord shall endure for ever * Assiduè Drusius this sence from the place Nazian perpetuò vulg lat in finem Where the Chaldie hath it in saeculum the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ loves his owne with an everlasting love Christians doe yee sometimes doubt through misapprehensions and mistakes 't is without cause given on Jesus his part Secondly end 's put sometimes for extremitie as misery sorrow and suffering is the end of sinning death is the end of life sorrow misery and death is mans extremity Messiah loves his owne in all their extremities 3. Sometimes it signifies perfection g The Graecians significantly call end and perfection by one and the same terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat tam perficio quam finem facio fineo obeo or consummo benevertit ergo Poeta Phyllirides pucrum citharâ perfecit Achillem also as growth is the end of youth i. e. the perfection of youth Glory is the end of grace viz. the perfection of grace for grace is initiall glory glory begun a christian that is sanctified seasoned and set apart to the Lords use begin's to live the life of glory even here in the Kingdome of grace Grace is glory inchoate Glory is grace consummate 4. Sometimes the scope or finall cause h Scopus seu causa finalis Rom. 10.4 1 Tim. 1.5 significat etiam exitus seu eventus Phil. 3.19 James 5.11 of things Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every man that beleeveth viz. that perfection of holinesse and that exquisite righteousnesse with greatest fulnes which the most holy God and his most holy Law aimed at and which is more he did compleatly answer and fully satisfie the exactest mandates and precepts of the same strictest Law for every beleeving soule Christ loves his to the same end the Law aimes at viz. to make them holy and present them blamelesse before his Father with exceeding great joy Ah Lord who is wise and see'th not strength of love shed abroad by the Spirit in the hearts of thine In this text it 's put for death onley he loved them to the end i. e. to the death not that death could put an end to Christ's love by which he adhered and doth adhere to his * Christ's love's immortall Mors igitur non finit omnia Death only ends mortall things Death was not able to breake the bands of friendship which were betwixt head and members Christ and christians that could not destroy the power of union betwixt him and his for how could death put an end to that which tooke away its sting from it Christ's love to his subdu'd him to incounter with Death Hell and the grave who is now triumphing over all principalities and Powers The sence then may be such as this that it put an end to his terrene and mortall life and conversation amongst them here i Mors vocatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non quòd omnia in morte cum morte siniantur quia etiam de Christi morte haec appellatio usurpatur sed quia terrenae mortali huic vitae ac mundanae conversationi finem imponit Gerh. in locum comin Joh. 13.1 and so hee loved them to the end of that course he steered with them here in the body For 't was come to this that bodily presence must now for a time be suspended corporall fellowship certainly ended though very sad newes to the hearts of his followers Disciples yet all in love Now he and his must be taken asunder for a time that they may be joyn'd together againe when time shall be no more Thus when Jesus knew the houre was come that he should depart out of this world to the Father loving his owne he loved them did cleave to them even unto the end The note from the words then may be such as this Christ loves
a fountaine give he ne're so much out to us he hath ne'r the lesse in himselfe hee is an inexhaustible well-spring of life he is not only full in himselfe and for himselfe but also communicatively unto others Fifthly Christ's love is free vv Non habet quo intret gratia ubi meritum occupavit Bern. in cant serm 67. acts freely in dispensation to every spirituall soule I will love them freely Hos 14.4.2 Cor. 5.4 men oft-times doe not the good they might when they have opportunity but Christ seeks for an opportunity waites for it goes about doing good You have some lovers that will love but then there is this defect in their love it is onely extorted from them by kindnesses and curtesies done to them and received by them from them whom they affect but can you force love from Christ x Omnia quae de Christo legeris non necessitate sed sponte facta reperies Orig. in gen hom 8. Matth. 10.8 if you could you need not for he love's freely he 's free enough freely you have received Christ's bowells yerne fully all his gifts are given freely come from him freely Rom. 8.32 Rom. 3.24 Justification comes freely Sanctification Glorification freely The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you because you were more in number then any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because he loved you Deut 7.7 8. he did it not from any motive arising from you for there was nothing in you to draw and kindle his love but he did it because he did it y Amat quia amat Bern. He chooseth none worthy of himselfe but by choosing them makes them worthy z Nullū eligit dignum sed eligendo efficit dignum Aug. cont Iuli Pelag. l. 5. c. 3. These things demonstrate freenes of grace to be in Christ to flow from him into beleevers First in that when hee sets his love upon a soule hee finds nothing in that soule worthy of love he findes much matter of loathing but nothing that's matter of love as an object fit and sutable for Divine love to fasten upon When a poore sinner lieth buried in pollutions and fleshly defilements and hath no cause in him moving Christ to love hee makes lovely and then loves though he findes that soule loathsome Ezek. 16. from the third to the eight Christ himselfe became uncomely Isa 53.2 that hee might the better cover their uncomely parts with his comelinesse he was without forms and comelinesse and when men saw him there was no beauty that they should desire him this he was for your sakes Christ doth as wee our selves doe upon those members that we thinke to be lesse honourable 1 Cor. 12.23 even on them we bestow more abundant honour and on our uncomely parts more abundant comelinesse Christ bestoweth on the more uncomely sinner receiving him the more abundant comelinesse so that the greatest sinners make the most gracious Saints Paul was once one of the chiefe of sinners the worst of men but after the Lord Christ in mercy look'd on him and wrought kindly upon his Spirit he became then one of the best of men in labours more abundant for Christ then all others Oft-times it falls out that such as are most rejected of men are most respected of God A lame Mephibosheth a halting creeple a blind Pharisee a leprous Samaritan Luk. 12 16. an ulcerous Lazarus a woman with a bloudy issue Mark 5.34 Persons uncleane and contemptible objects of disdaine in the eyes of men a Non desormitate corporis animus foedatur sed pulchritudine animi corpus ornatur Senec. he hath chosen also persons of meane employments as Amos a heards-man Gideon a thrasher Abel a shepheard Noah a husbandman Joseph a Carpenter Peter and Andrew fishers James and John fishers mending their nets were called and a Jaylor with many others of this world 's poore who were rich in Faith when chosen Mary a harlot Rachel a harlot Paul a blasphemer some of all sorts of sinners have been and shall bee saved through the riches of his grace yet God forbid you should sinne that Grace may abound doe not so sinne against Christ for if yee are Christ's yee dare not Secondly in that he comes upon a lovelesse sinner and sinfull soule unseene unsought and not desired 1. Unseen a man by nature is borne spiritually blind hee see 's not his owne wants nor Christ's worth the sinfulnesse of sinne nor the goodnesse and sweetnesse of a Saviour he see 's not his owne misery perceives not the nature of the Lords mercy he considers not his spirituall penury Christ comes upon the spirits of men invisibly unseen which shewes 't is from free love and that no provision can be made in any soule for the Lord Christ but what hee brings along with him Secondly unsought I am found of them that sought me not I said behold me behold me to a people that was not called by my name I saiah 65.1 viz. the heathen Gentiles that could not seek nor grope for and after Jesus Christ a people that had not so much as a good name to commend them if it were possible to Christ much lesse good natures What then moved this blessed lover to set his love upon them was it any thing they had for Christ or to bring unto Christ surely no. What then 't was the freenesse of Christ's will to doe good that moved him to love freely I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy that 's his determination He 's unsought not sought of them but they are sought of him He 's the seeker before conversion if there be any which must needs be if there be any reconcilement betwixt God and the soule Luke 9.10 I am come to seek and to save that which is lost Christ seekes us before we doe or can seek him we are lost till then Christ elects us also before we can elect him Joh. 15.6 you have not chosen mee saith Christ but I have chosen you you see then Christ's love is free and acts freely towards such as he will save Thirdly Christ workes on the soules of men when not desired naturall men doe not know him are not acquainted with him Iob. 21.14 his outgoings and incommings before them b Scientia non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem Tolerabilior est paena vivere non posse quam nescite Senec. they are enemies to the knowledge of a crucified Christ and it is certaine there can be no desire of unknowne objects When we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Isaiah 53.2 The Prophet predicts what carnall and naturall men would thinke and conceive of Christ in their naturall conditions If men see no beauty in Christ no lovelinesse and sweetnesse in him it is impossible they should desire him for 't is the excellencie luster and beauty of an object that strengthneth