a mans spirit bee never so cold yet if Christ be with it hee is in the ready way to burne with love to Christ as strong as death which many waters cannot quench They that have Christ with their spirits are in the ready way to the very heigth of joy consolation they are in the ready way to joy unspeakable and full of glory These things have I spoken unto you that your joy may be full said Christ to his Disciples Christ speaks such things to the spirits of those with whom hee is present as fils their spirits with joy to the very brim and this oft times in the very depth of all outward extremity The Church doth darkly hint this The Comforter which should relieve my soule is far from me Lam. 1.16 As if the Church had said though my outward misery bee exceeding great yet if the Comforter did but keepe close to my spirit I should have as much consolation as my heart could hold in the midst of all my misery but this is my misery of miseries that the Comforter which should relieve my soule is far from me out of the hearing of sighes and groanes nay out of the hearing of strong cryes he is angry against my prayers In a word a Christian which hath Christ with his spirit is in the ready way to excell in vertue as David sayes to excell in all vertue to be wiser then his teachers more excellent in all grace then his neighbours And therefore to have Christ present with our spirits must needs be counted and called A prime and principall blessing Lastly to have Christ with our spirits is the ready way unto eternall good and therefore a prime and principall blessing As a stone carries with it whatsoever light thing be fastned to it unto its own center so Christ whose proper place of residence is Heaven carries with him thither all such spirits as to whom he is united on earth If we have a speciall friend at Court wee count that wee are in a ready way to see all the pompe of the Prince Christ hath the Keyes of Heaven and Hell hee opens and no man shuts shuts and no man can open all with whose spirits he hath dwelt and beene kindly used upon earth hee knowes and when they shall knock at those everlasting gates hee will open and let them in to every roome in his royall dwelling and shew them all the glory which he had with his Father before the world was 'T is betweene Christ and that spirit with whom he lives as between Naomi and Ruth where the one lives the other will Whilest such spirits live in the body Christ will live with them there when they remove out of the body Christ will not leave them death cannot separate but commands his Angels to bring them to eternall mansions with himself Christ which is lifted up to glory himselfe will draw all such unto him as in whose spirits he dwels and no strength shall bee able to withstand him none shall pluck such out of his hand Vnio cum Christo est unio inunibilis If to have Christ with our spirits bee a grand favour not to have him with our spirits must needs be a grand evill A spirit without Christ is naked as a body without cloathes Many things may make cloathing and defence for the body but only Christ that best garment as the Father of the Prodigall cals him can make cloathing and munition for the soule A mans spirit without Christ is as a naked body amongst thorns every thorne pierceth and every bryer scratcheth and fetcheth blood from such a body so worldly cares and worldly fears when strong will pierce such a naked spirit thorow and thorow and make him runne mad if God unsought do not seasonably step in and bridle the Bedlam A mans spirit without Christ is as a naked body amongst Serpents every Serpent stings and venomes such a naked body to death so every seed of the Serpent stings and poysons to death such naked soules by their threatnings flatteries examples and the like A mans spirit without Christ is as a naked body in great blasts of lightning such bodies are suddenly scorcht and consumed so such naked soules are suddenly blasted by the fiery darts of the Devill and so suddenly oft times goe from burning to burning from burning in sin to burning in hell A mans spirit without Christ is not only naked but blind too A naked man having his sight may make some shift but a man naked and blind too is in a miserable helpelesse state indeed and just such is the state and condition of every mans spirit that hath not Christ with it for as the Sunne in the Heavens is the eye and light of the greater World so the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ is the eye light of the lesser world man Now doe but imagine what a darke dolorous condition wee should all bee in if the Sunne were darkned or had utterly forsaken our Horizon or doe but thinke of that darknesse which was upon the Aegyptians for a little time when no man could stirre out of his place and such and much worse is the darke dolorous condition of a spirit without Christ not able to see the least beame of saving light not able to stir a steppe out of his place in the way that leads to life A mans spirit without Christ is not onely blind but dumme too A man that is blind yet if he can speake can begge for that which hee cannot see to worke But when a man is blind and dumme too that hee can neither helpe himselfe nor beg others hee is in a dolefull condition indeed and just such is the condition of every mans spirit that hath not Christ with it For as Christ is Eyes to the soule so hee is a Mouth and Tongue enabling it to cry Abba Father Unlesse the spirit of Christ be with our spirits helping our infirmities who are godly we are dumme and not able to speake to our owne Father as adopted children for daily Bread much more unable to begge for life to the dreadfull Judge of all the World must all ungodly persons needes bee whose spirits are altogether without Christ as an helper I would have all men that live in their sinnes thinke seriously of this when Christ as the dreadfull Judge of all the World at the great day shall aske you what you have to say for your selves that you should not eternally die for your sinnes in which you have lived you will bee like that man which was without his wedding garment dumme and not able to say a word for your selves because Christ is not with your spirits 'T is impossible that a mans own guilty spirit should bee able to looke the terrible judge of men and divells in the face much lesse speake a word for mercy unlesse the Al-mighty spirit of Christ be with it to aid it Many ignorant wretches sooth themselves with this that they will
imparting divine mysteries if thou follow on to know as the Prophet speaks if thou humbly forget look over all thou hast presse hard after more the things thou knowest not Christ will teach thy spirit morning by morning as by the learned Christ hath taught thy spirit many truths why he will leade thy spirit into all truth if thou urge his promise and beleeve He will fill thee with the knowledge of his will in all wisdome and spirituall understanding If thou pray for it as Paul did for the Colossians Thou findest Christ with thy spirit as a Comforter why thou maist have yet much more consolation from him if thou study to be more pliable to him Thou hast Christ distilling drops of consolation into thy spirit now and then why thou maist have Christ powring in flagons of love into thy soule filling thee with joy unspeakable and full of glory if thou bring thy spirit to bee more lowly and meek for such find most rest to their soules if thou carefully keep comming to Christ still in every pressure of spirit for such finde most ease that is renewing faith still as thou renewest thy sins Thou findest Christ with thy spirit as a quickner strengthner to duty why thou maist find him yet more mighty with thy spirit this way if thou powre out thy spirit often with David for quickning grace and if thou more deny thine own strength and cast thy self more upon his Could we but attain Pauls height in selfe-denyall to bee nothing in our selvs though I am nothing saith he 2 Cor. 12.11 we should finde Christ gloriously present still with our spirits and be more constant in zeale strength to every good work then we are I conclude this thus bee so tractable to Christ that thou maist with Mary winne upon Christ still and think that thou canst never bee neere enough to him nor intimate enough with him and this is the ready way to have a heaven upon earth for the more we get Christ to be with our spirits the more truly may wee bee said to be in Heaven The last thing that I have to say to you that find Christ with your spirits is matter of consolation Here is comfort for you against famine When thy body wants food Christ that is with thy spirit will give that meat to eat which the world knowes not off so that when others repine and curse God and their King in their extremity as the Prophet speaks thou shalt bee patient in this tribulation and instant in prayer to him who can command Ravens to bring thee bread and flesh to feed on and will rather then thou shalt starve if thy life may bee more to his glory then thy death Here 's comfort for you against the sword In the midst of all troubles and fears Christ that is with thy spirit will beare thee up admirably What is the face of an enemy to terrifie if Christ be with thy spirit What is the spoiling of thy goods nay what is the spoiling of thy body if Christ bee with thy soule A Mountaine of misery is but as a Mole-hill if Christ support the spirit To think of the Sword is a naked reference to flesh and blood and so nothing is more terrible but let us that feare the Loro think of it in reference to Christ that is with our spirits then wee shall not be troubled though we heare of warres and rumours of warres no more then at the rumours of any other calamity Here is coÌ„fort for you against the Plague which is here and there scatterd in the Kingdome What is any disease to the body if Christ bee with thy soule As the outward man decayeth the inward man shall be renewed daily because Christ is with thy spirit When thy body is full of paine thy soule shall be full of comfort because Christ is with thy spirit When thy body is sealed with spots for death thy soule shall be sealed with the Holy Ghost unto eternall life because Christ is with thy spirit The plague of the body is nothing if this plague of plagues bee not upon the spirit to wit destitute of Christ Here is comfort for you against persecution When men frowne upon thee without Christ will smile upon thy spirit within when men lade thy outward man w th reproaches Christ will fill thy inward man with comforts when men shut up thy body from the communion of Saints Christ will give thy spirit a large freedome of communion with himself When men strike thy body Christ will stroke thy soule when men kill thy body Christ will save thy soule In a word as the afflictions of Christ abound in thy body so the consolations of Christ shall abound in thy soule because Christ is with thy spirit Name any misery that is incident to man and here 's comfort to be suckt out of this point to oppose unto it Finally in life in death eternally after death Christ that is with thy spirit will be gaine unto thee Thy life he will make comfortable thy death hopefull and thy being after death eternally joyfull Wherefore I will conclude my Sermon for the good of you as S. Paul doth his Epistle for the good of Timothy The Lord Iesus Christ bee with your spirits Trinuni Deo gloria Errata Pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 7. For say read saw p. 39. l. 6. pro pereunte solep eâ—…nt omnia lege pereunte sole pereunt omnia p. 114. Marg. For I do conceive r. I do not conceive p. 169. l. 7. FINIS
come to them should patiently wait till Christ thus come to them p. 98 Severall considerations very powerfull to make the soule to wait patiently till Christ as a Comforter come to him p. 98 99 c. Babes in Christ which never yet found Christ as a Comforter come to them should observe how Christ comes with comfort to the soule and not put him off p. 109 110 Babes in Christ which have found Christ as a Comforter to come to them but now have lost him should labour to bee sensible of their losse p. 112 113 c. Such should not blame Christ for departing as a Comforter from them p. 116 117 c. Meanes how such babes in Christ may get their Comforter to returne againe to them p. 118 119 c. 2 Tim. 4. Vers 22. The Lord Jesus Christ bee with thy spirit To have the Lord Iesus Christ with our spirits is a prime and principall blessing p. 126 There is a double presence of Christ with man corporall and spirituall joyntly or meerely spirituall p. 127 128 c. The spirituall presence of Christ with man upon earth is commune or speciall p. 129 130 c. To have Christ specially present with our spirits is the ready way to all temporall good p. 134 Objections to the contrary answered p. 135 136 c. To have Christ specially present with our spirits is the ready way to all spirituall good p. 143 144 c. To have Christ after a speciall manner with our spirits is the ready way to eternall good p. 147 Not to have Christ specially present with our spirits is a great evill p. 149 Wherein this grand evill doth principally consist p. 149 150 c. How to know whether Christ be specially present with our spirits p. 164 165 c. How to get Christ to be specially present with our spirits p. 171 172 c. Men that finde Christ specially present with their spirits should thankfully acknowledge this great favour p. 176 177 c. Such should labour to keepe Christ with their spirits p. 180 According to what operations a man may lose the presence of Christ p. 181 182 c. Christians should labour to get Christ as much present with their spirits as may bee and how this may be done see page 188 189 c. Comfort against the sword plague famine persecution and the like ariseth to them which have Christ specially present with their spirits p. 191 192 c. CHRIST'S COMMUNION with his Church Militant John 14. vers 18. I will not leave you comfortlesse I will come to you CHRIST and his Church are deare each to other the truth of this is at large manifest in this Chapter Christ as a heavenly Husband being to leave his earthly Spouse to wit his Church Militant and to live with his Father at his right hand in glory with his Church Triumphant endeavoureth in various Verses of this Chapter to comfort the sad Spirit of his beloved Spouse which he perceived was much dejected The Verse which I have chosen to insist on is one of them I will not leave you comfortlesse I will come to you In more words let me repeate this Verse againe Thou O my Love my Dove my faire one art sad I see and disconsolate at my departure As a Lily in the valley nay as a Lily indeed among thornes I shall leave thee the Prince of darknesse dwelling in the children of darknesse will endeavour to devoure thee Sons of Belial will beset thee persecute and torment thee as they have done me before thee but be not at this O fairest of women dejected as one without all consolation for I will not leave thee comfortlesse I will come to thee What difference is there betweene a Prison-house and mine own house if sweet friends continually come to me there T is a Prison and no better we abide in whilest we dwell in the body fetter'd we are with many lusts and groane we doe under the tyranny oppression of a body of death and O! wretched men that wee are dwelling in these dungeons of Clay if no friend from Heaven come to us 'T is true O my Spouse what thou sayest and therefore that thy dweling in the body may not be comfortlesse I will come to thee I will not leave thee comfortlesse I will come to thee The body is a Prison to the soule and the World is a Hell to both The God of this world is a Devill and the children of this world Devils to the Spouse of Christ The Father torments her spirit and the Children torment her flesh neither in body nor soule whilest in this world can the Spouse of Christ be quiet We that are thus in Hell upon Earth shall quickly be comfortlesse if no friend from Heaven come to us True O my Spouse but to prevent this I will come to thee From Heaven to Earth indeed is a long journey but yet this I 'le not stand on rather then thou shalt be left comfortlesse in any condition upon Earth I will from Heaven come to thee Let it bee what weather 't will at what time 't will and be at midnight thou need'st me I will come to thee I will not leave you comfortlesse I will come to you Affliction hath made many friends upon Earth forsake me O my Saviour wilt not thou my heavenly friend so serve mee What if the Devill cast me into Prison wilt thou come to mee there wilt thou visit me when I lye in a nasty roome amongst nasty wretches that curse and swear which thou canst not endure to heare Yea O fairest of Women rather then thou shalt be comfortlesse in such a condition I will come to thee Thou wilt come to me O my Saviour one day but what if the Devill keepe mee in such a Prison ten dayes a long time till the iron enter into my soule wilt thou not wax weary at last and leave comming to me No my love I am resolved to the contrary I will not leave thee comfortlesse I will come to thee Why but what if Satan winnow me as wheat and cast me into sinne which is more odious to thee then any prison then any place or any thing wilt thou not then shake me off for ever never come to me more This O fairest of Women may make me cease comming to thee for a moment but no longer for I am resolved not to leave thee comfortlesse in any condition either of sin or punishment I will not leave thee comfortlesse I will come to thee My Text you see is Christs conjugall promise to his Spouse of all kindnesse during the time of his personall absence The matter of this promise is consolatory the forme according to which our Saviour expresseth this consolatory language is first negative I will not leave you comfortlesse Secondly affirmative I will come to you These latter words containe the reason of what is delivered in the former Wee cannot bee comfortlesse because Christ still