indeed this is that which gives all the rest an advantage against them but even this greatest Enemy Christ has conquered for them Hence he is said to have condemned sin in the flesh he for sin condemned sin in the flesh Rom. 8.3 i. e. He by being made a Sacrifice for Sin hath killed and subdued Sin past a sentence of Death and Condemnation upon Sin for ever Hence also our old Man is said to be crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed Rom. 6.6 Hence also he is said to destroy sin to take away sin and the like And how Why as to the Reign and Power as well as the Guilt and Curse of it And this Paul acted by the Spirit of Faith could triumph in even whilst he was in the sharpest conflicts with sin Rom. 7.23 24 25. I thank God through Christ sayes he For what why for victory over and deliverance from that Law of Sin he was now conflicting with 2. He has conquered Self for them Self as well as Sin is our deadly Enemy This indeed is a near close Enemy and most difficult to be slain This is an Enemy that we are too too loth many times to have destroyed and yet an Enemy which makes woful spoyl upon us and our happiness I often think of the Speech of an Holy and Learned Divine Oh sayes he if I could be Master of that House-Idol my Self my own my own Will Wit Credit and case how blessed were I O but we have need sayes he to be redeemed from our selves rather than from the Devil and the World And presently again he cries out O wretched Idol my Self When shall I see the wholly decourted and Christ wholly put in thy room And who that have any acquaintance with themselves do not find cause to cry out in like manner Oh this Self this wretched Self how great an Enemy is it Well but this Christ hath conquered and closing with him thou shalt by degrees find it to die and fall under thee Paul did so I am crucified with Christ sayes he nevertheless I live yet not I Gal. 2.20 He had an I a Self which ruled in him but by Christ 't was crucified and slain for him and he was a conquerer over it 3. He has conquered the World for them Take the World in what notion you will and 't is in one respect or other an Enemy to the Saints the Men of the World the Things of the World the Frowns of the World the Flatteries of the World they all one way or other fight against them and are Enemies to them The World as well as Sin and Self is a mortal Enemy to them But this Enemy also Christ has subdued and conquered for them and he has told them so much for their comfort under the oppositions they meet with from it Job 16.23 Be of good chear I have overcome the World sayes he q. d. the World is your Enemy but 't is a conquered Enemy 't will moless and oppose you but it shall not be able to hurt you for have conquered it for you And as he has conquered it for us so he will enable us closing with him by Faith to conquer it so 1 John 5.4 This is the victory which overcometh the World even our Faith The World shall not alwayes annoy and infest the Saints 4. He has conquered the Devil yea all the Devils in Hell for them The Devil is the Enemy of the Saints and indeed he is a formidable one an Adversary that goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 He is a subtil a potent a malicious a cruel and an indefatigable Enemy But so formidable an Enemy as he is Christ hath conquered him for them hence he is said to have destroyed the Devil he partook of flesh and blood that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2.14 and to have spoiled Principalities and Powers and to have made a shew of them openly on his Cross tryumphing over them Col. 2.15 dragging them at his Charriot-Wheels as was the manner sometimes for Conquerers to deal by their vanquished Enemies The sum is that he hath made a compleat and glorious conquest over all the Devils in Hell for Believers He has conquered them even to triumph Christ has conquered the Devil for his Spouses as to his ruling reigning and commanding power and he will and does conquer him at last yea speedily as to his tempting vexing and seducing power The God of Peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly Rom. 16.20 Shortly Soul the Devil shall vex thee no more molest thee no more infest and annoy thee by his temptations no more 5. He has conquered Death for them Death is an Enemy and 't is the last Enemy that is to be destroyed so the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 15.26 and in it self considered a terrible Enemy 't is 't is the King of terrors Job 18.14 But this Enemy hath Christ conquered for all his He has taken away all its killing power its sting and curse in so much that they may holily triumph over it and rejoyce in its approach the Apostle did so 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. Death sayes he is swallowed up in victory O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory The sting of Death is Sin the strength of Sin is the Law but thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ O what a triumph does he here act over Death through the conquest Christ has gotten over it for him Truly this Enemy is so far conquered by him for them that 't is become indeed a friend to them and they can when in a right spirit embrace it as such and long for it as such Christ by Death has unstung Death and in a sort undeatht it Thus Christ has conquered all his Peoples Enemies and they being made one with him in a Marriage-Covenant all his Victories are theirs and his Conquests theirs and they are conquerers over all in him and oh how sweet how incouraging is this and how should it win Souls to a close with him poor Soul thou seest thy self environed with Enemies thou art hard beset on all hands legions of Lusts and Devils attended with Self Death and the World oppose themselves against thee and thou art often crying out as David in another case 2 Sam. 3.19 I am weak and these men the Sons of Zerviah are too strong for me yea thou art ready to say of them as he sometimes in his unbelief did of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul Alas I am a weak nothing-Creature and am unable to grapple with the least of all mine Enemies and how then shall I stand up against them all surely I shall perish by them at last Well Soul but know for thy encouragement that all thine Enemies are conquered by Christ and though
ever This added to the rest is desirable and for this none like Christ Yea none but Christ he and he alone is a never-dying Husband the best Husband here below is mortal and may leave you in a moment but Christ is immortal he is the King immortal eternal 1 Tim. 1.17 and he only hath immortality 1 Tim. 6.16 He and he onely lives for evermore Behold I live for evermore sayes he Rev. 1.18 He will never leave you in the desolate state of Widdow-hood yea not onely does he live for ever himself but moreover he makes all his Spouses to live for ever too So you find John 11.25 26. I am the Resurrection and the Life sayes he he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die Oh what an Husband is this an Husband that lives for ever himself and that makes his Spouses live for ever too he gives all his Spouses such a life as never dies an immortal life In a word close with him and as he will live for ever as thy Husband so thou shalt live for ever as his Spouse Oh who would not accept of such a Person Soul if thou receivest him know he lives for ever to love thee to comfort thee to delight thee to make thee happy in and with himself but if thou rejectest him know that he lives for ever to punish thee to inflict wrath and vengance upon thee and to make thee compleatly miserable but oh reject him not Thus I have shewn you a little what an Husbund Christ is to his Spouses and upon the whole I would say to you as the Spouse did to the Daughters of Jerusalem Cant. 5.16 This is my Beloved and this is my Friend this is he that offers himself to your embraces surely he is no mean no despicable Person but one infinitely desireable Now what do you say will you have him or will you not possibly this is the last tender he will ever make of himself to you possibly the Match must be made now or never therefore now close with him accept him upon his own terms who surely is worthy of all acceptation CHAP. VIII Which shews what great things Christ does for all his Spouses TRue may some say Christ's Person is desirable but what will he do for his Spouses What may our Souls expect from him in case we should close up with him in a Marriage-Covenant What will he do What will he not do for you Surely he acts like himself and does great things for all his Spouses And oh happy happy they that are indeed espoused unto him I shall for the more effectual drawing of poor Souls to him shew you what he does for his Spouses in these following Particulars I. He payes all their Debts II. He supplies all their Wants III. He heals all their Maladies IV. He bears all their Burthens V. He sweetens all their Afflictions VI. He subdues all their Enemies VII He minds and manages all their Concerns VIII He enjoynters them in eternal Life and Glory I. He payes all their Debts fully discharging their Souls from all Sin and Guilt No sooner is a Woman married to an Husband but presently all her Debts become his he payes all at least is lyable so to do In like manner no sooner is a Soul espoused to Christ but all his Debts to Law and Justice become Christs and he pays all And O how great a thing is this Friends we are all in debt deeply in debt to the Law and Justice of God We owe each one of us more than our ten thousand Talents Matth. 18.24 We lie under whole Mountains of Sin and Guilt The truth is our first Father left us and all his Posterity in debt we brought Sin and Guilt into the World with us and the first day we were born Divine Justice might have arrested us and have cast us into the dismal Prison of utter darkness De Parentjbus illis venio qui me ante fecerunt damnatum quam natum peccatores peccatorem in peccato suo genâ—erunt Bern. de amore Dei I came of those Parents sayes one of the Ancients who made me damned before I was born they sinners begot me a sinner in their sin And to the same purpose another of them speaks Nemo mundus a peccato coram te Domine nec Infans cujus est unus dici vita super terram Aug. in Conf. No man is free from sin sayes he in the sight of God no not an Infant of a day old And to give you a greater authority than these the Holy Apostle asserts the same thing Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entered into the World and death by sin and death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Adam sinned and we all sinned in him we all being in him as in a common Head and the guilt of the act of his sin is as truly ours as if we had each one of us acted it in our own persons and we all stand justly condemned for it Hence also vers 18. he tells us That by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation Besides we have all contracted a vast Debt upon our selves and do lie under much actual guilt and that of a scarlet-dye and crimson-tincture Alas we have done little but sin'd ever since we came into the World and indeed as long as we are out of Christ either all we do is sin or at least we sin in all we do We are every day running upon new Scores adding sin to sin and guilt to guilt And O how great then must our Debts to Law and Justice needs be You look upon that man to be deeply in debt indeed whose Debts are so many and great as that he can neither know nor count them And thus it is with us so many and so great are our Sins and consequently our Debts to Law and Justice that we can neither know nor count them David though an holy Man cries out Who can understand his errors Psal 19.12 Alas who of us can count the sins of one day they pass our knowledge And which is worse still we are under a necessity whilst in our natural state of encreasing our sin and guilt every day and hour Now how shall all this Debt be paid this Sin and Guilt be expiated and done away Why only by Christ close with him in a Marriage-Covenant and your Souls are discharged from all Justice that stands upon Satisfaction it calls for full payment its language is Pay or perish pay or be damned and nothing have we of our own to pay the least of all our Debts nor can we possibly right God for the wrong we have done him by the least fin and which adds to our misery we are every day in danger of Arrests nor know we how soon Justice will by the hand of that grim Sergeant Death clap an Arrest upon us and cast us
became of no Beputation or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Se câ—acuavit omm glâ—rria i.e. Christas gloriam illam majestatem in qua câ—at apud patram ita ab diderit in forma servi ut eaâ—s se penitus evaâ—â—ssâ— visissit Zanch. in Loc. Fallus quod non crat matens quodeâ—at Her as the Greek is he emptied himself to wit of his glory his glory was veiled and clouded hereby the glory of his God-head was Eclipsed 't is true indeed his Godhead was not hereby lost or laid aside no he was as much and as truly God after his Incarnation as he was before he did not cease to be God by becoming Man but as one of the Ancients expresses it he was made that which he was not and yet remained that which he was he was made Man yet so as that he still remained to be God but though his God-head was not lost or laid aside hereby Carnis humilitas sait instar veli quo Divina majestas tegebatur Calo. yet hereby was the glory of it veiled and lost for a time and he was not content to have it so oh how great a condescention was this oh for him that was God God equal with the Father to become Man to cover himself with the course Veil of our Flesh and be content for so long a time to lose the glory of his Deity which was infinitely dear to him and all this to make way for an Espousal between himself and poor Sinners what self-abasement was this and how should it encourage Souls to look after an Espousal to him 2. He not only became Incarnate but also freely bled and dyed in order hereunto which is a further discovery of his heart herein being sayes the Apostle found in fashion as a Man he humbled himself and became obedient unto the death even the death of the Cross i. e. to the most formidable Death a Death of pain a Death of shame an accursed Death Pâ—il 2.8 Hence also 't is said that he gave himself an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for us Eph. 5. 2. Yea not only did he bleed and suffer and dye but he did all freely and with much readiness and enlargedness of Soul hence he is said to have powred out his Soul unto Death Isa 53.12 Voluntariè scipsum in mortem tradidit Musc in Loc. He seemed in an holy manner prodigal of his Life in the case he thought neither Blood nor Life nor any thing too much for them Oh! how much does this argue his heart to be upon the business It spake Jacob's heart to be much set upon Rachel to have her to Wife that he could be content to undergo so much hard Service for her as he did even seven years Service Jacob 't is said served seven years for Rachel yea and they seemed unto him but a few days for the Love he had to her Gen. 29.20 So surely it argues Christs heart to be much set upon an Espousal with Sinners that he was content not only to serve but even bleed and dye for them in order hereunto Oh Sirs behold and wonder Christ comes from Heaven quits his Throne leaves the bosome of his Father in which he had with insinite delight lain from Eternity behold and wonder the Lord of Life dyes the God of Blessing was made a Curse The infinitely beloved Son treads the Wine-press of the Father's wrath Heaven descends into Hell glory veils and Eclipses it self under shame and ignominy the infinitely holy one is made sin and all this to redeem and redeeming Espouse poor Sinners to himself and is not his heart upon the business think you And has he not Love for them Oh be not saithless but believing 2. Such is the heart of Christ and so set upon an Espousal with Sinners that he condescends sweetly to woo them and solicit them for their Love and acceptance of him Should you see a Man with all carnestness and importunity wooing a Virgin and making Love to her following her from day to day with renewed offers and sollicitations you would conclude his heart was much set upon an Espousal with her And is it not thus with the Lord Jesus towards poor Sinners Does he not woo them and make Love to them and that with all earnestness and pressing importunity following them with renewed offers and sollicitations from day to day Now he meets them in this Ordinance and there he woos them and makes Love to them anon he meets them in that Ordinance and there woos them and makes Love to them now he sends his Ministers and by them woos them and makes Love to them anon he sends his Spirit and by him woos them and makes Love to them thus he is every way and upon all occasions wooing them and in his wooing of them How earnestly does he call and invite them to himself 't is not a cold offer or a slight motion onely that he makes to them but he moves and offers calls and invites with all earnestness and importunity Hoe every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters come ye yea come Isa 55 1. and again the Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that is a thirst come Rev. 22.17 How vigorously does he plead and expostulate the business with them Christ does not onely call and invite but he also pleades and expostulates with sinners in the case and that in the most winning way and with the most weighty arguments that possibly may be Hâ—eâ— every one that thirsteth come unto the waters wherefore do you spend your Money for that which is not bread And your labour for that which satissieth not incline your ear and come unto me hear and your souls shall live and I will make with you an everlasting Covenant even the sure mercies of David Isa 55.2 3. And again turn ye turn ye whâ— will ye dâ—â— O house of â—srael Ezek. 33.11 I have no pleasure in your damnation but had rather that you would come unto me and live why will you dye is not lise better then death is not Heaven better then Hell is not my love better then a Lust are not the Pleasures of any Presence and at my right hand which are for evermore better then the pleasures of sin which are but for a seasor a short season why will you dye is there â—oâ—b 〈◊〉 in Gilâ—ed is there no Physsitian there am not I able to save you to the uttermost and are not my Arms wide open to receive you have not I dyed for that very end that you might live look here 's my Blood here are my Wounds behold me in the Garden and see me bleeding there for you behold me upon the Cross and see me bleeding yea bleeding to death there for you and then see if you can find in your hearts to refuse me any longer In short would you not lose all your cost and all your labour would you enjoy good the best good the most sat is
perfectly what manner of one thou wouldst be and how thou wouldst carry it towards him and yet all could not hinder him from shewing this favour to thee Why then shouldst thou think it will cause him to break with thee now The Soul may be apt to say Did Christ think I would be such a Wretch that I would so grieve him so offend him that I would carry it so unworthily towards him under all his love as I do Yea Soul Christ thought it yea he knew it perfectly before-hand in Deut. 31.21 't is said That God knew what Israel would do before-hand So Christ knew before-hand how thou wouldst fleight his Love grieve his Spirit violate his Laws he knew how thou wouldst offend and affront him by a proud vain wanton behaviour before him He knew how thou wouldst backflide and go a whoring from him and had he not seen and known that he had love enough and bowels enough to cover and pass by all he would never have made love to thee Hence when he betroths he is said to do it in judgment Hos 2.19 Christ knew what he did and what an one he married when he married thee to himself And as all could not hinder his love at first so neither shall it take off his love from thee now 3. Consider that thou mayest have many failings and miscarriages be guilty of many breakings with Christ and departures from him and yet the Marriage-Covenant between him and thee not be broken A Woman may be guilty of many failings and miscarriages many defects and misdemeanors and yet all not break the Marriage-Covenant between her Husband and her And so here O how sweet is that Scripture Psal 89.30 31 32 33 34. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their iniqui-quities with a rod and their transgressions with stripes And what sollows Nevertheless sayes he my loving kindness will I not utterly take from them nor suffer my faithfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Pray mark Christ's People may sin and sin greatly and he may sharply chastise them for their sins yea he may seem to take away his loving kindness from them and may really for a time suspend the influences and manifestations thereof but his Covenant-love and faithfulness to them that remains firm and stedfast to them for ever notwithstanding all So again Jer. 3.1 14. Though thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet return again to me saith the Lord. Turn O back-sliding Children for I am married unto you Mark though they had backsliden though they had played the Harlot though they had played the Harlot with many lovers yet Christ owns his Covenant-Relation to them and with them yea and he sends as it were his Covenant after them and by that fetches them home to himself O! whatever thy miscarriages are whatever thy breakings with Christ and departures from him have been yet being once married to him the Marriage-Union and Relation between him and thee remains firm and stedfast for ever notwithstanding all O but sayes the Soul my heart is still bent to backsliding from Christ and I am afraid I shall at last totally and finally depart from him and then farewel all I answer That Christ stands engaged to keep thee from true notwithstanding any thing in and of thy self if left by Christ thou wouldst be apt totally and finally to depart from him but Christ himself stands engaged to keep thee to him 'T is the very tenure of his Covenant with thee Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good and I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall never depart from me O Sirs not only is Christ's heart towards his People but he is engaged by Covenant to keep their hearts close to him and faithful with him at least so far as that they shall not totally depart from him and so their faithfulness to him does depend upon his faithfulness to them I 'le close this consideration with that known and great Scripture Rom. 8. latter end Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth and lest all these things should not reach the case of every Soul he adds nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. III. Consider that 't is not long e're the Lord Jesus thy dear Husband will come and consummate the Marriage between him and thy Soul And O how sweet will this be The Match here is but as it were begun between Christ and thee but Christ will shortly come and consummate it Behold the Bridegroom cometh Mat. 25.6 And again they that were ready went into the Marriage ver 10. and the Marriage of the Lamb is come Rev. 19.7 There is a time then when Christ will come to consummate the Marriage between him and Souls When he comes as to the World he comes as a Judge to condemn them to avenge the quarrel of his Gospel the quarrel of his Covenant the quarrel of his Blood all which they have rejected he comes to pass Sentence upon them for resisting his Spirit for contemning his Grace for breaking his Laws for neglecting his Salvation And O how dark will the day of his coming be to them But now to his own Spouses when he comes he comes as a Bridegroom And O how sweet will this coming of his be to them 1. Then he will turn all your Water into Wine Joh. 2. beg we read That Christ being at a Marriage he there turned Water into Wine And truly Soul when he shall come to consummate the Marriage between him and thee he will turn all thy Waters of Affliction into the Wine of sweet Consolation to thee He will turn thy Night into Day thy Darkness into Light thy Sorrows into Joys thy Mourning into Dancing thy Troubles into Rest thy Conflicts into Triumphs thy Labours into Reward thy mournful Lamentations into joyful Halelujahs Then will he fulfil that Scripture to thee Rev. 21.4 God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more Death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain Poor Soul now thine eyes are full of tears with holy David Thou goest weeping and mourning it may be all the day long but then all tears shall be wiped off thine eyes Now thou art in deaths often as the holy Apostle was but then there shall be no more death Now
is in them John 2.24 25. He knows the State the Spirits the Frames the Thoughts the Ends the Counsels the Wayes the Wants the Burthens the Temptations of all In a word he is infinite in Wisdom and Counsel and he knows perfectly as how to promote his own Glory so how to defend save and comfort his Spouses and carry on their happiness in the best way O who would not have such an Husband Soul if thou reject him know that his Wisdom will fight against thee and he does know how to damn and destroy for ever V. Are you for Beauty That takes with most for this none like Christ For Beauty and Comeliness he infinitely surpasses both Men and Angels We read of Moses that he was exceeding fair and of David that he was ruddy and of a beautiful countenance and Josephus reports of the one of them that all that saw him were amazed at and enamoured on his beauty O but what was their beauty to Christs Were their beauty and with theirs the beauty of Men and Angels put together it would all be nothing to the Beauty of Christ Not so much as the light of a Farthing-Candle is to the light of the Sun at noon-day He is Beautiful and Glorious Isa 4.2 Was Moses fair Christ is infinitely more fair He is fairer than the Children of Men Psal 45.2 And had you an eye to behold his Beauty you could not but be amazed at it and enamoured on it Was David ruddy and of a beautiful Countenance See what the Spouse says of Christ Cant. 5.10 My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand which notes the perfection of his Beauty and therefore she concludes all with this having spoken of the Beauty of his several parts He is altogether lovely vers 16. or he is all loveliness as if she should say What do I do there is no end of his beauty and amiableness there is nothing in him but what is lovely and there is nothing lovely but what is in him neither is there any thing in the whole Creation that has beauty and amiableness enough in it to be a shadow and resemblance of his beauty and amiableness O fair Sun sayes Rutherford and fair Moon and fair Stars and fair Flowers and fair Roses and fair Lillies but O ten thousand thousand times fairer Lord Jesus Alas I have wronged him sayes he in making the comparison this way O black Sun and Moon but O fair Lord Jesus O black Flowers and black Lillies and Roses but O fair fair ever fair Lord Jesus O black Heaven but O fair Christ O black Angels but O surpassingly fair Lord Jesus In short Divines observe that there is somewhat in Christ more amiable than Salvation and indeed there are those Heart-indearing Beauties those Soul-ravishing excellencies in the person of this Beloved that are unspeakably beyond Salvation it self He is the brightness the lustre the shining forth of his Fathers Glory Heb. 1.2 O who would not be ravished with and enamoured on his Beauty A small sight and report thereof set the Daughters of Jerusalem a seeking after him Cant. 6.1 And shall it have no influence upon you to draw and allure you to him Does one so fair and beautiful make love to such black and deformed Creatures as you and I are and shall we refuse him Shall we reject this lovely Lord O that his Beauty might enamour us VI. Are you for Love as well as Loveliness for a sweet kind loving Disposition This is desirable to all for this also none like Christ He is of a most sweet loving tender affable Disposition He indeed is love it self kindness it self Deus est totus amor totus amabilis et totus amans nostri Dix tenderness and compassion it self God is love 1 Joh. 4.16 His love to his Spouses has all dimensions heights breadths depths lengths in it Yea it passes Knowledg Mensuratione isthac dilectionis illius immensurabilitatem immensitatem indicat Apostolus Glas Rhet. Sac. Ephes 3.18 19. which shews the immensity and unmeasurableness of his love as if he should say of it 't is higher than Heaven and deeper than the Sea 't is broader than the Orb of the Earth and longer than all Time during throughout Eternity yea and it passes Knowledge There are two things which exceed our knowledge our Sins and Christs Love the one is almost the other is altogether boundless and bottomless Though a man has never so many accomplishments to commend him yet if he be of a rough crabbed soure disposition this renders him unacceptable for such a Relation But to all his other perfections Christ has this added That he is infinitely loving as well as lovely and of a most kind tender disposition to his Spouses Hence we read in Scripture of his Love his Kindness his Meekness his Gentleness and the like all noting the admirable sweetness and amiableness of his Disposition he wept over his very enemies even them that finally refused him Luk. 19.41 42. Yea he had a kindness for his Murtherers and prayed for them and that whilst they were murthering of him yea and his Prayer carried many of them to Heaven Luke 23.34 O what love what kindness their must he have for his Spouses He that has love for Enemies and such love what must he have for his Friends 'T is a sweet gloss which one of the Ancients has upon the place last quoted Pater ignosce illis O Verbum summi Patris Verbo conveniens orat non solum pro persequentibus calumniantibus sed etiam pro occidentibus sed Pater inquit q. d. Per dilectionem Paternam qua unum sumus supplico tibi ut exaudtas me pro his occisoribus meis ignoscendo agnosce Filii tui amicitiam ut inimicis ignoscas Bern. de pass Dom. Father forgive them they know not what they do This sayes he is a Word becoming the eternal Word the Word of the eternal Father he prayes not onely for his Persecutors and Reproachers but even for his Murtherers improving all his interest in his Father for them saying in effect Father I intreat thee by that fatherly love thou hast for me and by which we are one hear me for these my Murtherers in forgiving of them own the love of thy Son that thou mayest pardon his enemies O what kindness does this argue In a word his love is as an Ocean which has neither brim nor bottom neither can he but be kind to his The Law indeed of kindness as 't is said of the good Wife Prov. 31.26 is in his lips yea and in his heart and carriages too all being full of love Oh! that his love might draw you Surely no love like his love none so full none so free none so sweet none so fruitful none so ravishing none so lasting his love where he loves never fails nor can it ever be broken off Who shall separate us sayes the Apostle from the love of
Christ That is nothing can separate us from his love Neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Things present nor Things to come nor Heighth nor Depth nor any thing else can do it Rom. 8. 35 38 39. And I think sayes an Holy Man his unchangable love hath said unto me I defie thee to break me or change me Oh sirs experienced Souls will tell you how sweet and good and rich Christ's love is They will tell you one sight one taste of it makes Heaven in the Soul that 't is better than Wine Cant. 1.2 And will you reject him and his love too Will you pour contempt upon so much kindness O how justly then will you perish under his wrath He has wrath in him as well as love wrath for Enemies as well as love for his Spouses and his wrath is as hot and terrible as his love is sweet and comfortable yea his love will if rejected by you turn into wrath and no wrath like that that is the result of abused love Oh therefore close close with Christ this day VII Are you for a Person of esteem one that is much valued and beloved An ingenious Soul would desire this and for this none like Christ As there is none so kind and loving as he so there is none so much valued and beloved as he He is beloved by all whose love is worth the having He is highly valued and beloved by all the Saints both in Heaven and Earth the Saints in Heaven they admire and adore him 't is a part of their happiness to love him and delight in him for ever and the Saints on Earth they love and value him above all others whatever he is the dearly Beloved of their Souls How often does the Spouse call him her Beloved and her Well-Beloved And once and again she declares her self sick of love to him she is enamoured on him he is indeed the desire of all Nations Hag. 2.7 That is to say He whom all the faithful in all Nations do love desire and delight in Hence also that of the Apostle to you that believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 The Saints love and value Christ above all their Natural or Creature-Enjoyments above Father and Mother Husband and Wife and Children and Houses and Lands and the like So much is intimated Mat. 10.37 19.29 they love and value him above all their Spiritual Attainments accounting them but Dung for Christ Phil. 3.8 They love and value him above their lives being ready to die for him Acts 21.13 Rev. 12.11 Oh how dear is Christ to Saints He is also highly valued and beloved by all the Holy Angels He is the great object of their Love and Admiration Hence he is said to be seen of Angels that is to be beloved and delighted in by Angels 1 Tim. 3.16 The blessed Angels do see that in Christ which does enamour them on him and fill them with love to him and delight in him yea which does fill them with perpetual admirings and adorings of him Rev. 5.12 Yea which is more than all this He is infinitely valued and beloved by God the Father also The blessed God sees that in Christ that renders him infinitely amiable and desireable in his Eye and to his Soul both as Son and also as Mediator he is even infinitely dear and precious to the Father As he is the Son of God the Son of the Father as the Apostles expression is so is he the Darling and Delight of the Fathers Soul and was so from all eternity so much he himself tells us Prov. 8.30 So he is the infinite and eternal Favorite of the infinite and eternal Father so he is one in essence with the Father and accordingly must be infinitely dear to the Father Hence he is said to be in the Fathers bosom Tilius in sinu Patris est 1. In aeterna generatione 2. In arctissima unitate 3. In ardentissima dilectione 4. In secretissimorum communicatione Glass Rhet. Sac. and as Son he was so from eternity John 1.18 Now the Bosom is the seat of Love and his being in his Fathers Bosom notes that strong ardent intimate love which the Father has for him yea even as Mediator the Father loves him John 3.35 Yea he loves him with a choice a signal and an eminent love with a love of the highest strain the choicest excellency the sweetest influence a love that has a stamp of special glory upon it Hence he is called the Beloved Ephes 1.6 He hath made us accepted in the Beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. in Filio sibi gratissimo dilectissimo Zanch. that is in Christ who is most dear to God Hence God calls him his beloved Son This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 Filius dilectionis i.e. Filius dilectissimus Daven in loc Yea he is called the Son of his Love he hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son the Greek is the Son of his Love Col. 1.13 Yea the Father proclaims him to be the delight of his Soul Behold saith he my Servant whom I have chosen mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth Isa 42.1 What shall I say God loves himself infinitely Omnia diligit Deus quae fecit inter ea magis diligit creaturas rationales in illis eas amplius quae sunt membra unigenitisui multo magis ipsum suum unigenitum Aug. and next to himself he loves Christ and delights in him 't is true he loves all the works of his hands as such especially rational Creatures and among them he has a peculiar love for his Saints and the Holy Angels but he loves Christ unspeakably more than all He indeed is first Beloved and most Beloved and best Beloved by him of all others Naturam humanam assumptam a Dei Verbo in Persona Christi Deus plus amat quam omnes Angelos Aqui. God as the School-men observe does love the very flesh or Humane Nature of Christ more than all the Angels In a word he loves him so as that he is even ravished with him and he can't but love all that are in him or related by Covenant to him and that though altogether unlovely in themselves Now Sirs will you not love and embrace this beloved one one that is thus valued and beloved by Saints by Angels and by God the Father And let me say one that is hated and despised by none but Devils and devilish ones Soul if thou reject him whom all the Saints and Angels love admire and adore then never expect to live with them in the fruition of him But reckon upon living with Devils and damned spirits in Hell for ever If thou reject him whom the Father loves and delights in then expect to be rejected both by him and the Father for ever but Soul rather be prevailed with to love him too VIII Are you for Immortality for one that lives for