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A64995
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The true Christians love of the unseen Christ, or, A discourse chiefly tending to excite and promote the decaying love of Christ in the hearts of Christians with an appendix concerning Christs manifestation of himself to them that love him / by Thomas Vincent.
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Vincent, Thomas, 1634-1678.
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1677
(1677)
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Wing V447; ESTC R235433
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94,936
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230
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lost and that it was Christ only that could save them they felt the Wounds of Conscience and it was Christ only that could Heal them they feared the Wrath of a Sin-revenging God and it was Christ only that could Deliver them The Remission Reconciliation and Salvation which they had by Christ did lay the first Foundation of a most endeared love unto Christ And stâ—ll they perceive a continual need of Christ to procure daily pardon for them and to convey dayly supplyes of Grace unto them They have Need of Christ when they are Dark to Enlighten them when they are Dead to Quicken them when they are Streightned to Enlarge them when they are Weak to Strengthen them when they are Sad to Comfort them when they are Tempted to Succour them when they are Fallen to Raise them when they are in Doubts to Resolve them when they are under Fears to Encourage them when they Stagger to Establish them when they Wander to Restore them Christ and None but Christ can do all this and more than this for them and therefore because of the need and usefulness of Christ true Christians do love him Rea. 2 True Christians do love an unseen Christ because of the Loveliness of Christ which Loveliness though it be not and cannot here be seen by the Eye of the Body yet it is evident unto the Eye of Faith see the Description which is given of Christ the Beloved by his Spouse the Church Cant. 5. 9. The Daughters of Ierusalem there enquire of the love-sick Spouse What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved O thou fairest amongst Women what is thy Beloved more than another Beloved that thou dost so charge us Hereupon the Spouse giveth a Description ver 10. My Beloved is VVhite and Ruddy the cheifest among ten thousand and after she had set forth his Graces Beauties and Excellent Accomplishments in Metaphors taken from beauties in the several parts of mans body in the 11 12 13 and 14 verses she concludeth in the 15 and 16 verses His Countenance is as Lebanon Excellent as the Cedars His Mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether Lovely This is my Beloved and this is my Friend O Daughters of Ierusalem The Spouse is here acknowledged to be the Fairest amongst Women and not only by the Daughters of Ierusalem but her Beloved who had a more curious eye doth both commend her loveliness and admire it ch 6. 4 5. Thou art beautiful O my Love as Tirzah comely as Ierusalem Turn away thine â—yes from me for they have overcome me and ver 10. VVho is this that looketh forth as the Morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun and Terrible as an Army with Banners But what beauty is there then in the Beloved if the Church be beautiful beyond all other of the Children of men how beautiful is Jesus Christ from whom the Church doth derive all its comeliness He is said to be White and Ruddy that shews the beauty of his Face and his Countenance is said to be as Lebanon and like the lofty Cedars thereof that shews the Majesty of his Face His Mouth is said to be most Sweet and sweet it is indeed in regard of the Gracious words which proceed from it no Doctrine so sweet as Christ's Doctrine no Precepts so sweet as Christs Precepts no Promises so sweet as Christs Promises But to sum up all Excellencies and Perfections in a word he is said to be altogether Lovely there is no Person or Thing in the World that is most lovely which can properly be called altogether lovely Many defects may be found in the most amiable persons and much insufficiency may be found in the most desirable things but Christ is altogether lovely unlovely in no respect there being no Spot or Blemish no Defect or Imperfection to be found in him and he is lovely in every respect there is an incomparable and Transcendent amiableness in Christs person in every regard In the person of Christ the Humane Nature and the Divine Nature are in Conjunction he is most lovely in regard of both His Humane Nature is compounded of Body and Soul His Body is most Beautiful a most Glorious Beauty and lustre is put upon it whatever it were in his state of humiliation be sure it hath a Glorious Beauty now in his state of Exaltation It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Glorious Body Phil. 3. 21. If the Face of Moses did shine with resplendent Glory after his conversing Forty dayes with God in Mount Sinai which was Below how doth the Body of Christ shine which hath been above Sixteen hundred years in Mount Sion which is Above I am perswaded that Christs Body is the most Beautifull of all Visible Creatures But the Beauty of Christs Soul doth Excel No creature whatever hath such shining Excellencies as are in the Soul of Christ All the Excellencies that are or ever were in any creature are like a Feather laid in the Ballance with the exceeding weight of his Glorious Excellencies and Perfections Christ Excelled the most Excellent Men that ever lived as to Spiritual Endowments when he was here upon the Earth He Excelled Moses in Meekness Solomon in Wisdom Iob in Patience and how much doth he Excel now he is in Heaven He Excelleth not only the Spirits of just men made Perfect but also the most glorious and Holy Angels that never sinned If any creatures have Wisdom it is but a Beam Christ is the Sun If they have Goodness it is but a drop in Christ is the Ocean If they have Holiness it is but a Spark or dark shaddow Christ is the Brightness of his Fathers Glory If they have the Spirit they have it but In some measure the Spirit is given to Christ without Measure Ioh. 3. 34. Christ is most lovely in his Manhood so nearly united unto his Godhead and how lovely is he in his Godhead as God he is Equall in all Glorious Excellencies with the Father Christs Godhead implyeth Excellency of Being he calleth himself I am Ioh. 8. 28. Excellency of Glory therefore called the Lord of Glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. and King of Glory Psal. 24. 7. Lift up your heads O yee Gates and be ye lift up ye Everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in This is Interpreted by some to be spoken of Christs Ascension and the Angels and Saints making way for his Triumphant Entrance and Possession of his Heavenly Pallace Many Descriptions are given in the new Testament of this lovely Person I shall mention only one Col. 1. 15 16 17 18 19. Who is the Image of the invisible God the First-born of every creature For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth Visible and Invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were made by him and for him And he is before all things and by him all things consist And he is the Head of the
you have nothing to do with it Procul ite Profani Avant all ye profane ones all ye unclean ones all ye ungodly ones all Unbelievers whatsoever who being without Faith are also without Love to Christ see that you come not neer to lay your unclean hands upon this most excellent Promise never look for any discovery of Christs love unto you whilest you go on in wayes of Sin whilest you are in your Natural Estate I believe some of you may be ready to say What if Christ doth not manifest himself unto us let us have our Honours and Dignity let us have our Wealth and Plenty let us have our Friends and Delights and let who will look after those aiery and fancifull Satisfactions in Christs Manifestations Sinners is this your language either of tongue or heart Let me tell you one day you will sing another tune you will be of another mind one day you will acknowledge that all the Happiness which you so eagerly pursued in the sweetest creature-enjoyments was but a Fancy that it was thin light and aiery that it was vain and empty when all is fled away and left nothing behind but Stings and bitter Grief but inward wounds gripes and dreads upon the sight of approaching Death and under apprehensions of approaching Wrath and eternal Torments in Hell Then what would you give for an Interest in Jesus Christ and a well-grounded Perswasion of his special Love unto your Souls Then the Manifestations of Christ will appear to be no aiery thing and that nothing besides this can rationally support your Souls when you come to the Borders of the Grave and to the Confines of Eternity And let me further tell you that have no love to Christ that although Christ whilest you are such will never manifest himself unto you in a way of Love yet there is a Day coming when he will Manifest himself unto you but this Manifestation will be with a Vengeance it will be in a way of most Furious anger I mean at the last day of Judgement when Christ will be revealed from Heaven not onely to those that Love him but also to those that Hate him for every eye shall then see him and he will come in flaming Fire to take Vengeance upon you that have not obeyed this Gospel-Precept to Love him The Consideration of this should awaken you to fear and fly from Sin which otherwise will be your ruine and eternal Perdition and O that withall you would be perswaded to apply your selves unto the Lord Jesus Christ by Faith that you may hereby have Interest in him and in that great Salvation which he hath purchased for you and which in the Gospel in freely tendred unto you and this Faith in Christ would work Love to Christ and put you in a capacity of these Manifestations of Christ's Love unto your Souls Sect. VII Vse 2. THe second Use concerneth such of you as have some Love unto Christ but are without these Manifestations and there are two sorts of such 1. Some of you never had these Manifestations 2. Some of you have had these Manifestations but have lost them 1. Some of you never had these Manifestations of Christ's Love It may be you are young and raw Christians a little while ago you were forward Scholars in the School of the Devil and served divers luâ—ts with all your might and strength the Lord hath lately hedg'd up your way with thorns hath opened your eyes to see your sins and made you sensible of your danger but as yet your eyes are not open as to any comfortable sight of your Saviour Indeed Christ hath been revealed unto you as able and willing to save you and you have been drawn by the Word and Spirit to take hold on him and to give up your selves unto him but as yet you are in the daâ—k as to your Spiritual Estate you are under doubts and fears of unsoundness and rottenness at heart that you are Hypocrites and shall fall away as other Professors like your selves have done you fear you shall one day perish by the hand of Saul that the Devil and your own Lusts will be too hard for you and prevail so far with you as to pull you back into wayes of Sâ—n and thereby to pull yoâ— down into the botâ—omless Pit of Hell This causeth a dread upon your spirits and fearfâ—ll apprehensions of Gods wrath and future Vengeance this fâ—tcheth many a sad and heavy sigh from your breasts many a brinish tear from your eyes you are troubled bowed down greatly and go mourning all the day Yet you are resolved to give your attendance still unto Ordinances and there to wait upon the Lord and for the Lord you are resolved notwithstanding all discouragements that you will be the Lords though you know not whether he be yours you are resolved that Christ shall have your hearts and you will venture your Souls upon him though you know not whether you are accepted by him This may be a Use of Encouragement unto you certainly you are such as love Christ and are beloved by Christ and Christ will manifest himself unto such as have such Love let me tell you that Christ is not far from you whatever you may apprehend though he be out of your sight yet you are not out of his his eye is upon you and his heart is towards you he hears all your sighs he sees all your tears he pities you and sympathizeth with you in all your Griefs he loves you and ere long will let you know it he is now preparing you for sweet discoveries of himself and ere long he will give you those discoveries If you follow on to seek him he will certainly and may suddenly be found of you And who knows but this may be the time of Christ's manifesting his Love It may be whilest you are Reading this Discourse you may have a glimpse of his face and hear his Voâ—ce saying unto you Be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you Lift up the Hands that hang down lift up the Heart that is cast down Look up then dejected Soul thy Saviour is before thee open thine Eyes and look look with the Eye of Faith canst thou not see a marvellous Beauty in his countenance dost thou not perceive some smiles in his Face some Smiles upon thy Soul Dost thou not feel his Spirit sweetly breathing upon thine heart perswading thee and giving thee a sweet sense of Christ's peculiar Love unto thee Dost thou not perceive some inward knocking 's at the door of thine heart and hear some inward callings Open to me and I will come in and sup with thee This is the Voice of thy Beloved make haste and open to him open all the Faculties of thy Soul lift up the Everlasting Gates to this King of Glory send forth the Handmaids of thy Desires to invite the Lord in let thy Faith take hold on him and usher him into thy Soul and then embrace him in