Judah and Benjamin 2 Chron. 15. 2 The Lord is with you while you be with him and if you seek him he will be found of you but if you forsake him he will forsake you Quest. But what shall we do to seek him Ans. If you will seek you must forsake sin and flee youthful lusts 2 Tim. 2. 22. 1. Especially take heed of lying that 's the Devils chain by which he holds poor Children from Christ Lies are the refuge of guilt and folly where the inconsiderate youth hides himself from man and is kept from God as Adam when he knew he was naked Gen. 3. 7 sewed Fig-leaves together a poor shift to hide his nakedness so the sons of Adam when they become guilty make Lies their covert and instead of seeking fly further from God and bring a double guilt and punishment upon their heads 2. Beware of Pride the wanton youth is like the wild Asses Colt or as Jer. 2. 23 24 The swift Dromedary traversing her ways or a wild Ass used to the wilderness that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure The souls not seeking God is charged upon his Pride Psal. 10. 4 The wicked through the pride of his countenance his looks testifie his pride will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts 3. Be not of a stubborn or disobedient spirit to the counsels of Parents and Teachers but hearken to their instruction It is the most sad and certain presage of the ruine of your souls if you refuse the serious and early advice of your natural and spiritual Fathers That 's a dreadful saying 1 Sam. 2. 25 concerning Eli's Sons They hearkened not unto the voice of their Father because the Lord would slay them 2. Go read the Scriptures the Eunuch found Christ there and Augustine found him there while he was reading Rom. 13. 13. Go ask your Teachers and they will direct you in the way go hence into your corners and weep and pray and God will come to you and when you hear the word Preacht mind what is spoken to you it is God that speaketh whom you should seek 4. Consider If you will seek the Lord early you will lay the foundation of your own peace and comfort living and dying O how may you prevent the sighs the groans the repentings the heart-akings that have fill'd up our days for want of an early seeking after God What a comfort was this to our dying Friend as also to her surviving Friends and Relations That She did and could truly say that she began to know God betimes and her great preparation-work for death to use her own words was not now to do And as that was your comfort then so let it be your Copy now What a great advantage was that to David Psal. 71. 17 18 That when he was old he could plead an old acquaintance with God O Lord thou hast taught me from my youth Now also when I am old and gray-headed O God forsake me not Two things more I would briefly shew you 1. What will be the difference between them that made it their business early to seek the Lord and them that sought him not or sought him too late and that with reference to eternity in a dying hour 2. Whence that difference doth arise 1. What will be the difference betwixt Saints and Sinners with respect to death at last 1. The wicked and ungodly sinner that would seek the world his own pleasure and sinful lusts When he comes to dye Conscience rings a dreadful peal and makes him cry out in the bitterness of his soul Alas Friend I must dye Animula vagula blandula quos nunc ad ibis locos Poor flitting dear departing soul whither art thou going Christ is an enemy God is a stranger I have no friend to save me I must be damn'd I am undone I am undone for ever But the dying Saint when he hath the sentence of death in him hath the hopes of life before him I must dye says he O welcom Death I am now going to enjoy him whom I have loved to possess him whom I have sought as this precious Saint said to me a little before her death I know whom I have trusted I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine says the Believer Now shall I ever be with the Lord. 2. The careless sinner that would not seek the Lord when he comes to dye bids a doleful adieu to all his comforts farwel Friends Relations pleasures and delights for ever I shall never see a good day more But he that sought the Lord while he liv'd when he comes to dye says Behold I dye now farwel troubles temptations sin and sorrow for ever I am lanching forth into a glorious eternity I shall never see a sad day more 3. The wilful sinner when he is about to dye after all the counsels he hath slighted and now time shall be no more cries out with horrour I have for ever lost my opportunities of seeking God it is now too late I am left to perpetual howlings But the gracious Soul who hath sought and found God in seeking when he is about to dye looks back with delight upon all the Ordinances wherein he hath many times met with Christ and found God nigh to his soul and says I am going where I shall need Ordinances no more but God shall be all in all I am going to mine eternal rest to an everlasting Sabbath-keeping in Heaven 2. Whence doth that difference arise From the wisdom of the one and foolish inadvertency or rather obstinacy of the other one knew his season and did the things that did belong to his peace the other had his season but knew it not and now his misery is great upon him one sought after Christ that he might have an interest in him and make God his friend the other refused Christ and now God is his enemy and so death is to him the King of terrors But the believing soul can to allude to that in Isa. 11. 8 play upon the hole of the Asp and put his hand on the Cockatrice Den and when the pains of an irksom disease are upon him and pangs of death before him he says all these rackings and grievous aches be but like the ratling of the Charriot-wheels that Joseph sent to fetch his Father and his Brethren to him and all his wearisom waking nights be to him as the valley of Achor or door of Hope 1. Because he knows death is no death to him but a passage unto a glorious life with God whom 〈◊〉 hath sought and serv'd all his days he is but going unto his Beloved the Lord Jesus who is gone 〈◊〉 way before him 2. Because he looks on the Grave not as his Prison but a bed of Spices or rather the Saints Tyring-Room where they throw off mortality to put on immortality and lay aside corruption to put on incorruption I thought here to have spoken a word to the nearest Friends and
particulars by which he eminently makes known the intireness of his indeared love to his Saints and by the same ways I shall shew you by and by that the Saints of God 〈◊〉 express their love to Jesus Christ. 1. First of all he discovers and makes known his love to his Saints in denying himself of all the glory he had with his Father in leaving those Regions above that he might come down and gather his Saints together that he might redeem them out of the hands of Hell and deliver them out of the House of their Prison and bondage Rev. 1. 6 Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood he gave his heart blood for us Phil. 2. 5 6 7 Who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God Gods fellow coequal with the Father What did he do why He made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of men And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross Was not here love Greater love hath no man than this That a man lay down his life for his friend yet this was greater love for Christ laid down his life for his enemies Rom. 5. 10. 2. He manifests his intire love to his Saints in the delight he hath in their communion and in fellowship with them Christ is never better pleased or more delighted than when his Saints are in communion and fellowship with him When and Where-ever two or three are gathered together in my name there is my heaven here I delight to dwell If you read over this 8th Chapter of Proverbs it the 31 verse you shall see the â—edundancy of Christs love to his people before ever he had a people they were his contemplative delight that he should come down and be with them and give himself for them Rejoycing in the habitable part of his earth and my delights were with the sons of men Do but read Cant. 7. 5 and there you shall see how the Spouse her self takes notice of the delight her Beloved takes in communion with her The King says she is held or bound as in the Margin in the Galleries What are the Galleries why they are the Ordinances wherein he promises to meet his Saints the King will sit at his round Table he will walk with them in the Galleries in private communion he is held or bound there That is he takes so much pleasure and delight he is taken so much with the beauty he hath put upon his Saints that to speak it with reverence he cannot tell how to go from them and leave them as a man with his best beloved is bound as it were with chains of love 3. And lastly Christ manifests his love to his Saints in the earnest longing he hath to have them with him in his glory When any one sinner is converted it is said there is joy in heaven the King of Saints rejoyceth all the Angels and Saints sing together there is I say joy in Heaven when one sinner comes in Christs sends forth his Angels to entertain them and to bring them into his Fathers presence nay he leads them in himself In Joh. 14. 2 3 Christ tells his Disciples In my Fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there yâ—â— may be also And you may read at your leisure that ravishing Chapter Joh. 17 and if you read it with understanding and your souls go with your eyes be it spoken with reverence to such a glorious God and King as he is you will perceive that he seems not satisfied with his own glory at the right hand of the Majesty on high without the Company of his dear-bought Saints that he hath bought with his own blood Read especially the 22 23 24 verses And the glory that thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one Vers. 23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Vers. 24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world Then Christs Mediatory Kingdom will be compleated and the shame and sufferings that were undergon by him will be answered when he hath gathered his Saints to himself to behold his glory 3. And now I shall shew you the second part if we turn the Table then we shall see that the Saints of God in their measure and according to their strength those that are truly such do love the Lord Jesus with all their hearts and you find it not thus with you you have reason to be jealous of and to suspect your selves I say the true Saints of God do love the Lord Jesus with all their hearts Whom having not seen ye love iâ— whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen ye love with such a love as raises your hearts it is Amor vulnerans ligans c. a love as one says that wounds that strikes them to the very heart a love that binds their souls to Christ which made the Spouse cry out Cant. 2. 5 Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love The truth is you may imagine that it is an Hyperbolical expression but indeed there is no expression that can fully set it out and therefore you see how the Spouse hangs as it were on the lips of Christ Cant. 1. 2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love or loves is better than wine And every Saint while he is in the wilderness in his Wilderness-state leans on his beloved What would a Saint have in any condition None but Christ Christ is his All in all 4. And therefore in the second place I shall shew you That the Saints of God do mutually and reciprocally express and discover their love to Jesus Christ in their measure in their degree as he makes known his love to them As 1. They express their love to Christ in denying all for him Christ left a Kingdom and all the glory of his Fathers House But alas the Saints of God they have nothing to leave in comparison of what he left They that leave Houses Lands Mannors Kingdoms for Christ all this is little I say in comparison of what Christ left for them but the truth is whatever the Saints have all that they have they will lay at
the feet of Christ when he calls them to it and this as soon as ever they apprehend that love of Christ to them as soon as ever they come to be made sensible of the worthiness of Christ of the All-sufficiency that is in Christ to do them good away goes the world they sit loose to it as loose as Elijah's Mantle 2 Kings 2. 13 which fell off when he was taken up to Heaven Thus said and thus did the Disciples of Christ We have left all and followed thee But I shall only add the example of one eminent Saint who left all for Christ and if all the Princes in the World had thrown their Crowns into his lap he would have left them all Phil. 3. 7 8 What things were gain to me those were counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. v. 9 And be found in him c. 2. As Christ discovers his love to the Saints in his delight of communion with them so the people of God do intirely love earnestly desire and delight in communion with the Lord Jesus Christ theâ— would be in fellowship with Christ where-ever they be Cant. 1. 1â— A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloveâ— unto me he shall lye all night betwixt my breasts that is near my heart And therefore is the Spousâ— brought in Cant. 2. 7 breaking ouâ— after this strange kind of manner I charge you or I adjure you O yâ— Daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my love till he please The Lord Christ as iâ— she had said is come to abide with me and I take so much delight in communion and fellowiship with him that I charge you not to disturb him I would not have the dearest lust I would not have any sin whatsoever to interpose betwixt Christ and me 3. As Christ discovers the greatness of his love to his Saints in longing to injoy them with himself in his glory so the Saints of God here upon earth do long earnestly long to injoy him in his Fathers presence in the House of his glory to be in those Mansions that he hath provided for them in those Regions of glory above They look earnestly for the glorious appearance of the great God and the Lord Jesus Christ as the Apostle to Titus expresses it Titus 2. 13 14 Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works They look out as Sisera's Mother out of her Window and cry through the Lattice Judg. 5. 28 Why is his Chariot so long in coming why tarry the wheels of his Chariots So the soul of a Saint looks out at every cranny at the eye and at the ear and cries out Why tarries his Chariot why is he so long in coming That dear Saint that is gone before us was wont to tell me That she had waited a long time for her great change and did continue waiting And the truth is it cannot be otherwise when once a Soul is espoused to Jesus Christ and hath been kissed with the kisses of his mouth and knows any thing of his love and loveliness from the very day of espousals there will be there must be a longing desire of enjoyment as it is with young Lovers when once true love is between them all the time after is a time of desire and longing Make haste says the soul to Christ and come away Egredere anima says the longing Saint go out Soul to meet Jesus Christ this is the Case as it is between Christ and a believing Soul Says the Soul to Christ either come down to me or take me up to thee Dear Jesus Christ when shall I come and appear before God I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all I would also observe to you that passionate out-cry of the Spouse to Jesus Christ Cant. 8. 14 Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a young Roe or to a young Hart upon the mountains of spices It is the voice of a believer to Jesus Christ. I should now make a transition from hence to the next Observation but let me first a little improve this And the use I shall make of the first Doctrine is this Vse 1. To stand a while together with you admiring at the infinite sovereign and free Grace of God who hath set his love upon man and hath done poor creatures that honour as to engage their hearts to love God and the truths of God God is not beholding to us for our love for he is an object infinitely above our love and 't is a wonder of mercy that God accounts us worthy to love him and to love Jesus Christ What a mercy is this that God should beget in us any love to himself by revealing his infinite love to us that his love should be shed abroad in our hearts Oh! stand amazed at this especially when you hear God saying Isa. 65. 1 I am sought of them that asked not for me I am found of them that sought me not I said behold me behold me unto a nation that was not called by my name But more of this anon when I come to the second Branch Only here we may go away with admiring thoughts into Heaven at this infinite free and condescending love of God to our poor souls and to raise up our hearts to the greater admiration consider 1. What a great what a wonderful and immense Love this Love of God is that he bears to poor creatures his favour is better than life it self Psal. 63. 3 Because says the Psalmist thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shalâ— praise thee What shall we call it A Fountain a Fountain without brim or bottom Amor Dei est infundens creans bonitatem The Love of Christ as one says 't is that which creates and infuseth goodness all manner of good temporal spiritual and eternal 2. Would you see the fruits and effects of this Love Alas 't is not a small matter for the great and glorious and holy God to tell a poor soul I love thee Men may say so and it may signifie little but God never says so to any but it creates a Heaven in the Soul it fills the Soul with all the joys and delights of Heaven it leads him into the Regions of Life and Peace peace peace and assurance for ever Isa. 26. 3. and 32. 17. In all your duties this will be your delight That God loves you In a time of darkness this will be your light and in the pangs of death this will be your
living comfort That God loves you and that you have had an heart truly to love God and you know that he loves you by your love to him and your love to God being as it were the transcript of Gods Love to you in your souls And indeed which may raise your admirings where God loves and whom he loves he never leave he never ceases to love Rom. 8. 38 39 For I am perswaded saith the Apostle there that neither death nor life nor Angels good or bad Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2. Use of exhortation to them that truly love the Lord Jesus Dear Saints you that have indeed a true love to God and do by that see his love to your souls Oh keep your selves in the love of God To that end Direct 1. Set a high price on this grace that is wrought in you and as the Apostle says let it be your great care to preserve and to keep life in this love of yours to Jesus Christ. Jude vers 21 Keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life And for this purpose 1. First of all consider the worth of this love to Christ what an excellent and wonderful grace this is to have a heart truly to love the Lord Jesus Christ. 1. It is that which is the clearest evidence of the Love of God it gives you all your life and comfort in a time of darkness in a dark day to know by your love to Jesus Christ that he loves you and that the Father loves you there is no such clear evidence as this in all the World If a man had all the treasures of gold and silver in the world he could not read the love of God in them but in your true love to Jesus Christ you may When you walk in darkness and can see no light this is that spark of light that will give you light when you are at a loss When it is dark round about us when we can see little or no faith little or no hope little or no strength that we have let us then inquire and see whether we have any love and if we have any true love to Christ this will give us light and life Rom. 8. 28 We know that all things says the Apostle work together for good To whom to them that love God If one should ask me this question Why is the promise made to those that love God I answer because the Saints do want somewhat to comfort to support and relieve them in a dark day and when all other light fails and we can see no faith find no holiness this will never fail them If there be once true love to Christ there will be some spark remaining that will administer comfort to them in the darkest day 2. Consider with your selves that if you preserve and keep up this love this love to Jesus Christ in your hearts it will work in you a likeness to Christ And can you desire to be like any person that you love better or that is more exactly and perfectly pure and holy that is more lovely than Christ This true love is a fire that makes all things like it self true love to God is of an assimilating vertue it will make us like to God and like to Christ whom we love Love is like a Looking-glass if you turn the Glass downward there will appear nothing but the representation of earth and terrestrial creatures all earth but if you turn it upward then there will appear Heaven and celestial and the urseen glory of another world unseen as to our bodily eyes but visible to the eye of faith If we give forth our love to Christ why then all Christ all Heaven and all holiness is on the soul. Direction 2. Be diligent and exact on your watch if you do prize and set any value upon this love to Jesus Christ endeavour to keep it as you would keep your lives keep it as you would keep the best Jewel in the world nay the world cannot give cannot afford you such another Jewel This Christ hath bought for you with his own most precious blood by his death his shameful and accursed death and therefore you have reason great reason to keep it safe for its own worth and because it is of so great use as hath been before mentioned because it will be a light to you in a dark in the darkest day and because it will make you like God and like Christ take heed therefore lest it be stoln from you or abated in you As persons that have a Jewel of great price and value will be often looking into the place where they laid it up to see whether it be safe so this spark of Divine fire which is put into and laid up in our Souls is a Jewel of matchless and inestimable price How therefore should we inquire concerning it how it is with us as to our love to God and Christ We should be trying and examining our selves whether Wives or Children or any earthly Relations or worldly concernments or enjoyments have not stoln away our hearts or abated our love We should say to our own hearts in this case as Christ to Peter on another account Lovest thou me more than those Joh. 21. 15 16 17. So we should say to our hearts Dost thou love Jesus Christ dost thou love him indeed and in earnest dost thou love him better than these than these Children these pretty little Idols that are set up before our eyes dost love him better than all creature-comforts and relations dost love him better than all earthly treasures better than thy estate better than all the world better than all these Yea better than Heaven it self without Christ Thus I say we should still be examining our hearts and see how it is with us as to our love to Christ for to tell you the truth our hearts are very treacherous I know not how it is with yours but I find it so with mine and that it is a very hard matter to keep up that height of love to Jesus Christ as there should be The Prophet Jeremiah tells us Jer. 17. 9 That the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it And as it is so in general so especially with God the heart is more inclined to be treacherous with God and in things relating to God than in any other things and therefore we have great need to look well to them to be diligent and exact upon our watch in reference to this love to Christ. Direct 3. If God hath vouchsafed this grace to you as he hath made you partakers of his love and given you the transcript or reflection thereof be you sure that you love him again and be you