dyeth to himself For whether we live we live to the Lord and whether we 〈◊〉 we die unto the Lord whether we regard 〈…〉 or not it must be to the Lord. Whether we eat or not it must be to the Lord make him the end of your conversation Iesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb 1â— 7 8. 2. In all things seek to 〈◊〉 him 1 Cor 7.32 Care for the things that belong to the Lord how you may please the Lord. And labour whether present or absent to be accepted of him 2 Cor. 5.9 Have none to please but Christ and for Christ. 3. Be ever found doing his work Mat. 24.46 Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing never cease working till you die life and labour must end together he gives us no time to be idle in 4. Go by his rule in all your ways let all your actions and proceedings be regulated by his law whatsoever ye do in word or in deed do all in the Name of the Lord Iesus Col. 3.17 As when Pharaoh had lifted up Ioseph and made him ruler over the Land of Egypt and they cryed before him bow the knee Pharaoh said unto Joseph I am Pharaoh and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all Egypt Gen. 41.44 So 5. Employ all you are have and can for him His word is Luke 19.13 Occupy till I come all your Talents he requires the service of thoughts 2 Cor. 10.5 of words Eph. 4.29 of works 1 Cor. 10.31 of body and Spirit 1 Thes. 5.23 6. Highly esteem what ever is his His Day Ordinances Servants Ministers and his holy Word let the feet of his Embassadors be beautiful both for their Master and their message-sake they are the Servants of Christ. Our delight should be in those excellent ones who bear the image and wear the badge of our Lord the world now thinks that of all callings this of the Ministry can best be spared but let us not think so basely of them who are Christs servants not only to do his business but to wait on his person ye to represent his person 1 Cor. 4.1 7. Study to approve your selves in all things to him 2 Thes. 1.11 12. Pray always that God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. In a word let none but Christ be your end Serve him not to serve your own turns but let every interest be subservient to Christ learn to perish that the glory of Christ may live make not Religion a design let Christ be sweet for himself in serving him let nothing else be your scope and then nothing will divert you aim not at profit so gain will not allure you nor at pleasure so ease will not corrupt you nor at friends so favour will not seduce you Be all unto Christ and let Christ be all unto you Be all or nothing 2. Means 1. Redemption from other opposite Masters Luk. 1.74 That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life 2. Enmity in us must be subdued all that exalts it self against the knowledg of God strong holds pull'd down imaginations and high things cast down and every thought be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. 3. Receive instruction from him we must be taught in this service and that by him we must learn Christ Ephes. 4.20 21. If so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Iesus Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom Phil. 4.12 In all things I am instructed 4. You must also be furnished by him with graces and strength 2 Tim. 3.17 Throughly furnished to all good works And 2 Tim. 2.21 Prepared unto every good work and have his strength or you can do nothing Ioh. 15.5 5. Practise self-denial If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me Mat. 16 24. Either you must deny your self or you will deny Christ that man that sets much by himself will never reckon much of a Saviour He who hath not learned self denial when Christ and self come in competition meet on a narrow bridge will endeavour to make Christ go back he that doth not account himself nothing will soon esteem Christ so 6. Clear your selves from all worldly distractions lay aside the world as much as may be that you may attend upon the Lord without distraction 1 Cor. 7.35 Let not this be your rule to Christ and holiness so far as you may without any prejudice to your worldly interests but this follow the world so far only as you may without being false and unfaithful to Christ and his service do not say to duty as Prayer Hearing Meditation stand aside I have such a worldly business to look after but rather say world stand aside Be sure that you are gotten clear of the world and that Christ have the preheminence in you be not ye the worlds prisoners but Christs free men 7. Remember the last account and judgment 2 Cor. 5.9 10. Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him for we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad None so diligent and faithful in the service of this Lord as those that with Ierome have still sounding in their ears that terrible voice Surgite mâ—rtui venite ad judicium Our Lord is gone but will come again to take an account how matters have been managed during his absence now sincce we look for such things what manner of persons ought we to be 3. For manner Christ be served in a right manner 1. Heartily freely cheerfully the heart is the marrow of the performance Col. 3.23 Whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord Ephes. 6.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not with eye service as men pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart Serve him in the spirit doing service with good-will and gladness making it our meat and drink to do his will quod cor non facit non sit 2. Humbly reverently when we have done all we can all those things that are commanded say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do Luk. 17.9 10. In bearing when he corrects content with our allowance not doing what we please but what pleases him coming at every call and obeying
every command and doing it because commanded eying the precept in every performance praying hearing giving because Christ bids me And with greatest reverence serving with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.18 remembring our distance Augustus said to one that gave him homely entertainment Who made you and I so familiar 3. Solely No man can serve two masters Luk 16.13 Not serve them so as to please both scarce so as to please either not serve sin or Satan at all nor man in opposition to or competition with Christ who keeps servants to serve others We must be undivided serve him and none but him forsake all and follow him 4. Faithfully sincerely as Moses who was faithful in all his house as a servant Heb. 7.5 Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth Josh. 24.14 q. d. If you intend to serve him it must be done in uprightness or else you do not serve him at all God abhors a Hypocrite more than a Sodomite 5. Fervently zealously diligently fervent in spirit must be joined with serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 Do all we do with all our might the living God must have lively service How diligent was Abrahams Servant in his Masters work he would not eat bread till he had done his errand and when 't was done he stay'd not on compliments The Twelve Tribes served God instantly day and night Act. 26.7 Diligence is the property of a good servant 6. Entirely absolutely universally 1. In respect of the subject with all the faculties of the soul and members of the body Rom. 6.19 with all our abilities 2. In regard of the Object though never to irrational to flesh and blood this is reason enough the unerring Lord will have it so not pick out our work never examine what the service commanded is but who commands it with blind obedience 3. In all places in private as well as in publick for he hath yea fills all places if thou canst find out a place where he doth not see thee there it shall be lawful for thee 〈…〉 others we must have respect to all his commands 7. Constantly and perpetually in time of prosperity as well as adversity and e contra he is ever the same and so should his servants and service be we can neither begin too soon nor continue too long in Christs service none ever repented of either there must be no end of working till of living Faithfulness unto death hath the only promise of a Crown of life Rev. 2.10 everlasting Rom. 14.9 This service takes in the whole man and life 2. For Motives and Encouragements besides what was in the Characters and Properties of the Master consider but what a service this is and that will be motive enough to embrace and lay hold on it 1. It is a most honourable service whether we respect the Master or the work 't is more honour to serve Christ than to serve Emperours nay to have Emperours serve us he is the better man that serves the better Master Now he is the best Master 't is usual with the Apostles to prefix this among other their Honourary titles Paul a servant of Christ This was one of the fairest flowers in their Garland the meanest offices about Princes are accounted honourable Servire Deo regnare est 't is Royal and Kingly a glorious Master and glorious fellow-servants Angels and glorified Saints all the ser 〈…〉 honourable the practice of all vertues praying and praising c. Honorabilia legis Hos. 8.12 If ever it be put to your choice either to have the greatest outward favours or serve Christ with disgrace chuse the latter with Moses Heb. 11.24 25. He refused to be called the son of Pharoahs daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Reproach and indignities for Christ are favours chains and prisons for Christ is a mark of honour and rich treasure 2. Most comfortable a service full of soul-ravishing joy A day in his Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere Psal. 84 10. 'T is a type of heaven where is fulness of joy it leads to communion with God who is the God of all consolation O when Saints meet with God in duty they are in a corner of Heaven 3. A most profitable service we are indeed unprofitable servants but sure we have a very profitable service under him they that speak against the Lord with stout words saying Mal. 3.13 14. It is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances And Iob 21.15 What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit shall we have if we pray unto him speak without all truth and reason for never any truly served the Lord who gained not evidently by it your labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult No man ever kindled a fire on his Altar for nought The servants of Christ may be poor here but this is the working time and in their sufferings they serve him 1 Tim. 6.6 't is great gain 4. 'T is a necessary service and indispensable we are not left to our own liberty to chuse whether we will serve him or no this is the unum necessarium and must be done 1. Though the thing to be done be dangerous Phil. 2.30 Not regarding his own life 2. Though it be difficult to us 3. Though unlikely to take effect Luke 5 5. VVe have toiled all the night and have taken nothing nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net though men forbid and withstand us and would beat us off from it Acts 5.29 VVe must obey God rather than Man 5. Most easy Mat. 11.29 30. None other so easy 1. In regard of the nature of this service His Commandments are not grievious Ioh. 5.3 There is certainty in this employment 't is easy to the new nature as the light of the Sun is delightful to those that have good eyes to them that love God and have the right art of serving him 2. In regard of other services That under the Covenant of Works and that under Sin and Satan 3. 'T is easie in regard of the help afforded to it 'T is easie for a Child to lift up a great weight when a Giant holds his hand and lifts with him Christ and his Spirit assist It were not only hard but impossible if left to our selves in it but da domine quod jubes jube quod vis I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me 'T is easie to act what Christ in the Covenant of Grace will accept and in respect of the reward and compared with the service of Satan and Sin that afford no gawdy-days 6. 'T is the greatest freedom it not only consists with but brings freedom 't is the Law of liberty Iam. 1.25 He is the Lords freeman 1 Cor. 7.22 Iohn 8.32 It is perfect freedom and will free us from all
and Master to guide and govern your hearts and thoughts and lives by his Laws and Statutes and is it your ordinary purpose desire and endeavour to obey him even when he commands the hardest duties and those which most cross the desire and interest of the flesh and 't is your sorrow when you break your resolutions herein then Christ is yours But if you are only content to be saved by him from Hell when you dye in the mean time he shall command you no further than will stand with your credit or pleasure or worldly estate and ends and did never heartily consent that he should rule over you nor resign up your souls and bodies to be governed and disposed by him nor took his Word for a Law and Rule of your thoughts and actions but if he would give you leave you had rather live after the world and flesh than after the Word and Spirit he is not yet yours though you may in words call him Lord and Master yet in your works you deny him He is his Friend and Disciple that keeps his commandments Iohn 15.7 14 but they that would not hearken to his voice would none of him he gave them up to their own hearts lusts Psal. 8.11 3. Have you received the Spirit of Christ The Apostle makes the former and this characters of such as have received Christ. 1 Joh. 3.24 He that keepeth his commandments dwells in him and Christ in him hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us Well then do ye obey the Laws of Christ and walk in his ways conform to his example and live the life of Jesus He that doth not thus may say he abides in Christ but he doth but say so 't is not so in truth and reallity 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abides in Christ ought to walk as he walked Further Let me ask you the question the Apostle asked the Disciples at Ephesus Acts. 19.2 Whether have you received the Holy Ghost If God have given Christ to you Christ hath given you his holy Spirit For if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 1 John 4.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit The Spirit not as residing in Christ but as given to us is an evidence that we have received Christ. Well then let every one of you be now inquisitive and put such interrogatories as these to himself Have I the Spirit is he given to me doth he dwell in my soul have I the spirit of illumination and revelation Eph. 1.17 Do I see such things as I never saw before as the inexpressible vileness and loathsomness of sin the greatest beauty in holiness c. Have I the spirit of life in Christ Jesus to quicken me and raise me up from the dead Rom. 8.2 2 Cor. 3.6 Have I felt the spirit of conviction to convince me of sin righteousness and judgment Iohn 16.8 The spirit of grace and supplication stirring up to and assisting in that heavenly duty of Prayer Zech. 12.10 The spirit of holyness to sanctifie me 1 Pet. 1.2 to mortifie my sins and corruptions Rom. 8.13 and work up my heart to all holy obedience Ezek. 36.27 Am I renewed in the spirit of my mind is Gods Image repaired in me am I transformed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord Am I growing in grace perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord Do I walk in all Gods Ways and Statutes freely regularly constantly Am I willing to sacrifice an Isaac a Benjamin an Absolom a Delilah Herodias and hew with Samuel delicate Agag in pieces or with David keep my self from mine own iniquity Is the old man dead the flesh with all its cursed retinue mortified do I detest and loath every sin in thought word and deed and that not so much for its effects as for its nature and hate it rather as Hell than for Hell Enquire what do you find of these high and gracious operations oâ— the spirit in your selves he is always an active working Spirit is he so in you Doth he raise your hearts to heavenly things and draw forth your souls to Christ O deal faithfully with your own souls let the search be deep and thorow go to the bottom of your deceitful hâ—arts bring things to an issue be sure that you be not mistaken 4. If Christ be received there will be a more earnest intent desire and breathing of soul after him he that hath once tasted the sweetness of his grace and seen the splendor of his beauty will be so far from being satisfied that he will still more and more thirst after him the more excellency the soul apprehends in him the more vehement and restless are his desires towards him Thus it was with the Spouse Cant. 2.3 4 5 â—he had a glance of him and cries out As the Apple-tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the sons Here the Spouse seems to be strongly moved with affection and before her beloved had well ended his speech breaks out into an affectionate Elogy of him which she is not able to express but conquered with her own passion she sits down and breathes for comfort I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste Here the soul receives and applys Christ with sweet rellish to her palate comfort to her heart He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me was love she still tasts more of the riches of his Grace and what was the effect of this did she surfeit with eating his fruit and banquetting no she is more ravisht with desire Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love I am wounded nay slain as some Interpreters with love which by the sweet vehemency and insatiability of it makes the heart to burn and weep groan and sigh to forget all and drive away all but him on whom alone she fixeth and would rest but cannot center till she enjoy him in glory till then she is sick and weary and lives not in her self but in him in whom her life is hid As Plato defines love an ardour or flame of a soul dead in its own body and living in another One thus writes to his friend I have for the present a sick life much pain and love-sickness for Christ. O what would I give to have a bed made to my wearied soul in his bosom O when shall we meet O how long is it to the dawning of the marriage-day O sweet Lord Iesus take wide steps O my beloved come leaping over the mountains of separation O that he would fold the heavens together like an old cloak and shovel time and days out of the way and come away Well have you pain and sick-nights for Christ do your thoughts continually run on
such as are strong and crafty many motives to serve him but he cannot furnish them with strength or craft to serve But our Lord Christ sometimes chuseth the simplest the meanest the plainest men fisher-men to do his work for he can give gifts to men which they have not and raise the parts which they have he can make himself a Mercury a messenger out of any block Christ can send a fool of his errand and cause him to do it wisely He can cause the stammering tongue to speak plain and the plainest man to speak the highest Rhetorick when Moses complains of a slow tongue he can say I will be thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say Exod. 4.12 If he finds us not fit to do his business he can make us fit If Christ please he can make a man master of his trade before or as soon as ever he is servant to it Thus without the wisdom of the world Christ overcomes the wisdom of the world and by the foolishness of Preaching as men count foolishness saveth those that believe 1 Cor. 1.21 The foolishness of God is wiser than men i.e. those instruments which Christ employs how foolish soever men count them shall foil all the wisdom of man Uses of this Doctrine That Christ is a true Believers Lord and Master 1. Use of Information and Instruction 1. It informs us that Christ is Lord as well as Jesus our Soveraign as well as our Saviour He is both Lord and Christ Act. 2.36 And we are not only to look at benefit by him but service to him and not only come to him as Zebedees Sons Mar. 10.35 saying Master we would that thou shouldst do for us whatsoever we shall desire but with Saul fall at his feet saying Lord what wouldst thou have us to do we will do for thee whatsoever thou shalt command We should not only come to him for ease for our souls but to take his yoke on our necks and follow him Mat. 11.28 29. Men would have Christ to redeem them and Satan rule them Christ to save sin to lord it If it be not the language of their tongues yet 't is of their lives with most men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We will not have this man to reign over us Luk. 19.14 there it sticks the carnal mind is enmity to the Law lust cannot endure restraint and therefore men most oppose Christs Nomothetick power and carnal hearts are ready to say our lips are our own who is lord over us to be controul'd for every word every thought every action we cannot endure it O consider Christ hath many enemies but they are his chief enemies that withstand his reigning Those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and stay them before me By becoming Christs servants we do not cast off but only change our yokes 2. It 's not enough to be in the Church and outwardly admitted and stiled Christs servants but we must be really his and in heart Christ keeps no servants only to wear a livery cloak for security in sinning As he is not a titular Lord so neither are his servants titular servants to speak service and live in opposition to him to call him master and do the work of his enemy to be in the skin a Christian and in the core a heathen to have an outside verbal complimental profession and contradict it with an unholy conversation is no better than a renouncing of Christ. 'T is no advantage to bear the marks of Christ in our bodies and to have no fruit of it in our souls this is but to clothe our selves with the leaves of the vine without partaking of the sap Paganism and loose profession shall fare alike when Christ comes to judgment 3. There are divers kinds of Christs servants and there will be great diversity in their end 1. Some for honour some for dishonour 2 Tim. 2.20 as vessels in an house 2. Some sincere and good some evil and unprofitable Mat. 24.46 48. some faithful and wise and are found well doing some evil and riotous Mat. 25.21 26. some good and faithful some wicked and sloathful and unprofitable 3. Some Temporary that abides not in the house for ever some that abide there Ioh. 8.35 There will be great diversity found betwixt Christs servants in the end betwixt those that only cry Lord Lord and those that do the will of God Mat. 7.22 23 24.47 51. He shall make the one ruler over his goods the other cut him asunder Mat. 25.21 28 30. 4. It may inform us what the state of a Christian is 1. He is not his own not sui juris but a servant to Christ 1 Cor. 6.19 Ye are not your own and 1 Cor. 7.22 He that is most free in other respects is Christs servant no man can have any propriety in himself or power over himself but what is derived from this absolute Lord and stands in full subordination to him Therefore it belongs to Christ to be the absolute disposer of us and all things he may do with his own what he pleases and use it to the pleasure of his own will who would interpose or any way hinder Christ from the free disposal of his own not any co-partner for there is none nor we our selves for we are wholly his therefore it is not possible for him to do us any wrong however he shall use us therefore no man should repine at his disposal of him but all should acquiesce in his disposing will nor do any thing for selfish ends which is injurious to the will or interest of Christ. Christ hath full power to do what he lift with us or ours How far should any of his servants be from expecting that he should give an account of any of his actions to them it should suffice them that whatever befalls them it is from the Lord. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away whensoever he removes any comforts if we find our selves too ready to say to instruments as the owners of the Colt What d◠ye loosing or removing it we should be silenced though not with that answer which was returned by the Disciples to them the Lord hath need of it yet with this he sees it needful for us that thus it should be whensoever he commands the hardest duties inflicts the smartest stripes c. every servant of Christ should stop their murmuring-mouths with this the Lord will have it thus and as Act. 21.14 The will of the Lord be done 2. Neither are the good things we possess our own he that is not owner of himself is owner of nothing all that we have is properly his as well as we for no man can have more title to any thing than to himself we have not any thing nor can have which is not as much from Christ as we so is not as much his Therefore we should not dispose of any thing we have but for his interest and
help him Job 22.2 3. Nor thy wickedness hurt him Job 35.2 He expects no gain by thee looks for no requital he offers this gift to thee not that he may be blessed by thee but that he may be bountiful to thee it 's thy good not his own that he looks at The felicity of accepting is thine own and the misery of neglecting is thine own Prov 9.12 If thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self but if thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it Men call Customers to them and press them with many arguments and entreaties to buy that they may inrich themselves by their Customers but God calls men to buy of him not to inrich himself he is as rich and perfect and happy as he can be but to inrich themselves I counsel thee saith Christ to his lukewarm Church â—ev 3.18 to buy of me gold tryed in the fire Why that he might get â—omething by him and enrich himsâ—lf No that thou maist be rich that thou not I may be rich Now Brethren ponder it seriously it is wholly for your own good that you may escape wrath and death that you may attain Heaven and life that God is pleased once more to offer Christ to you He gives his Son to this end that you may be saved to bring you into the state of Sons and into a right to Heaven and Glory Had he given Christ only to rule over you with his Scepter of righteousness it would have been an excellent gift and no small priviledg to be Subjects to such a Prince especially for such as were bondslaves of Satan by nature but he gives Christ to save and redeem us Something yea very much of God is in the Creation much of God in his common providence but most of all yea whole God in the redemption of man If a Physitian should come to us who would heal us of all our diseases suppose we were an Hospital of unsound persons would he not be most acceptable to us What more acceptable to a poor man than wealth or a naked man than clothes or to an hungry man than bread a slave than freedom all this and infinitely more is Christ to us Now all that is required of us in order to the obtaining of all these benefits is to believe in Christ and what is believing but receiving Christ as he is offered to us in the Gospel Iohn 1.12 What is thy mind now about this offer what dost thou resolve on wilt thou have Christ this Gift of God or not Is there any thing unreasonable in his demands any thing defective in this offer or in the gift is not Christ fair or good enough is he not rich and honourable enough is there any want of love or loveliness in Christ for thee What hath been said of him will silence all these and the like objections What canst thou say is it an indifferent matter whether thou take this or not doth not thy eternal felicity depend on thine acceptance of him what sayest thou shall Christ be thy Lord or the Devil One of these will reign over thee Consider what thou dost thy Soul is immortal and must either take God and Christ and Heaven to be thy portion for ever or Hell and Death and Wrath and Divels for thy portion for ever one of these two is the portion of all the Sons and Daughters of Adam If thou wilt still prefer the world before Christ and love the creature above Christ and please thy flâ—sh more than Christ 〈◊〉 thou goest without him and however thou maist shift in this world yet when once thou appearest in another world God will rain fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest and this will be the portion of thy cup Psal. 11 6. But if now thou acceptest oâ— this gift of God Jesus Christ when all thy friends shall leave thee and dearest relations forsake thee yea when thy flesh and thy heart shall fail thee Christ will be the strength of thy heart and thy portion for ever Well consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding that thou maist know when thou art well offered and be wise on this side the other world I know not what other answer you can rationally make to all that hath been said to perswade your acceptance of this gift of God but that either you have it already or desire to know how you may make it your own I shall therefore to prevent mistakes in the one and to give assistance to the other first direct you to try your selves whether Christ be yours or not and then how to attain propriety in this excellent gift whereby you may be happy to all eternity Let this be your most serious inquiry whether you have indeed received this gift of God or not Is Christ yours can you truly say with the Spouse Cant. 2.16 My beloved is mine and I am his If you can but once say and speak true I am my beloveds as Cant. 6.3 you may with the same breath conclude my beloved is mine Have you ever made a full intire affectionate deliberate and unreserved resignation of your selves unto him have you given up your heart head and hands all you are all you have unto Jesus Christ and that constantly Then he is wholly yours For God never gave his Son to any but such gave themselves to the Lord and are new creatures and sound believers But more particularly 1. If you have received this gift of God you do very highly esteem of him and prefer him above all other things in the world To them that believe Christ is precious they have a good opinion of his worth and excellency have him in greatest honour and estimation as Hinsius saith the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies He that loves Father or Mother or any Relation or Riches or Pleasures more than Christ is not worthy of him cannot be his Disciple Do you truly in judgment and affections account it your chief happiness to enjoy the Lord Jesus Christ is he the chiefest of Ten thousand in your eyes altogether lovely Can you say with David Psal. 16.5 The Lord is my portion or with him Psal. 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth I desire beside thee or in competition with thee So that whatever temptations to the contrary you meet with you do in your settled prevailing judgment prefer Christ before all and count all loss and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledg of Christ making him the end of your desires and endeavours putting the world and all other things behind him in your esteem and pursuit and thinking no labour nor losses nor sufferings too great for Christ. 2. Are you willing to receive Christ as Lord as well as Saviour submit to him as King as well as accept of him as Redeemer and come not only for ease and rest but to take his yoke upon you and become his Servants Is Christ your Lord