much forgiven have not your sins been very numerous and very heinous and hath Christ obtained the pardon of them all and will not you love Christ much 4. You have the Robes of Righteousness from Christ you are born naked of Original Righteousness and you could not work out any actual Righteousness for your selves that might cover your nakedness whatever you wrought your selves it was rags that could not cover you and it was filthy rags which did pollute and defile you Christ hath given you the Robes of his perfect Righteousness to cover and adorn you withall and therein you are accepted as perfectly Righteous in the sight of God O how should we love the Lord Jesus for this Garment if your Bodies were naked and one should give you clothes to cover you especially if they were rich clothes you would love such a person and will you not love the Lord Jesus Christ who hath given you a garment to cover your Souls and that a very rich one even the Robes of his most pure and unspotted Righteousness which by Faith is put upon you 5. You have peace of Conscience from Christ. This is that peace which the Scripture telleth us passeth all understanding Phil. 4. 7. It passeth all understanding to know the worth of it such as have this peace would not leave it upon any account they would part with Estate or Liberty or Life rather than part with their peace and those which have it noâ— but now do slight and neglect it yet if they be awakened by the sides of the Grave and when they are come to the confines of Eternity then they would value this peace and would give all the world were it at their dispose for it Thâ—â— Jewel of peace you have from Jesus Christ he hath purchased it for you the chastisement of your peace was upon him and he hath promised and bequeathed it in his last will and Testament unto you Iohn 14. 27. My Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you In his reconciling you unto God he hath laid a Foundation for this peace in all you that are true believers and if he have moreover spoken peace to you in giving you well grounded evidences of your Reconciliation if after raising a Storm he hath sent a calm into your Spirits and given a sweet fâ—renity unto you in the testimony of his Spirit to and with your Spirits that your peace is made with God O how should this draw sorth your love to Christ 6. You haâ—e the Joyes of the Holy Ghost from Christ. We read of the Thessalonians that they received the Word in much Affliction with Ioy of the Hâ—ly Ghost 1 Thess. 1. 6. Such are â—hose Joys spoken of in the Text which are unspeakable and full of Glory These are not Carnal joys but Spirâ—tual which are of a higher nature and sweeter relish that have a higher object and are the beginnings of Eternal Joys if you have these joys in any measure you have them from Chriâ—â— he sends the Holy Ghost from heaven to be your Comforter to fill your Hearts with Spiritual joys and shall not your hearts then be filâ—ed with love to the Lord Jesus who is the Author of them 7. You have the richeâ— of Grace from Christ if any of you were poor and ready to starve with hunger and cold and a rich man should give or send to you a chest full of Gold and Sâ—lver or a Câ—binet full of Jewels worth many thousand pounds would you not love such a Bâ—nefactor the Lord Jesus hath given you the riches of Grace the least measure of which is really of more worth than the vastest treasures of Gold Silver and precious Stones that ever was gathered together â—nd heaped up by the most wealthy man that ever lived upon the face of the Earth and will you not love Jesus Christ who hath given you these ineâ—timable riches 8. You have the Dignity of Children from Christ 1 Iohn 3. 1. Behold 〈◊〉 manner of Love the Father hath bestowâ—â— upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! this priviledge of Adoption is bestowed upon you not only by the Father but also by the Son Iohn 1. 12. But as many as received him to them gave he Power to be come the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name We read of some raised from the dust and lifted up from the dunghill to sit with Princes Psal. 113. 7 8. It is a far higher advancement to be lifted up from the dâ—ngâ—ill of sin and of slaves to luâ—ts and Children of the Devil to be made the Soâ—s and Daughters of the Lord Almighty This honour have all the Saints and it is Jesus Christ who hath conferred this honour upon you and will not this endear your love to Chriâ—t 8. You have the Spirit of Prayer from Christ being Sons the Spirit of the Son is sent down into your Hearts whereby you are enabled to say Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. through Christ you have access unto God by the Spirit Eph. 2. 18. It is the Spirit of Christ which helpeth your infirmities in Prayer that formeth your Petitions that enableth you to Pray with Faith and Life and Fervour Through Christ you have free Admittance to the Throne of Grace through Christ you have Assiâ—â—ance by his Spirit to Pray in Prayer through Christ you have Audience and Gracious Returns O how are you beholden unto Christ and how should you love him 10. You have a Title to the Kingdome of Heaven from Christ. Through Christ you are Children and through Christ you are Heirs It is Christ that gives the first Fruits of the Heavenly Canaan the earnest of the future Treasure and Inheritance which he hath promised and the foretastes sometimes of those Soul ravishing Pleasures which the Saints shall have in Fulness and to Eternity when they are received up into Glory And it is Christ that hereafter will give Possession unto you of the Kingdome of Heaven At the Day of His Glorious Appearance after he hath owned you before the whole World of Angels and Men and Honoured you to be His Assessors in His Judging and Condemning the Wicked he will receive you with Acclamations of Joy and Triumph into the Glorious Pallace of the New Ierusalâ—m where you shall have the Beatifical Vision and Fruition of the Glorious Iehovah and be made partakers of such Glorious Felicity as hath not now entred into your Hearts to conceive And will not the Consideration of all this set your hearts on fire with love to Christ Christiâ—â—s is there any Person like to Christ's Person is there any love like to Chriâ—â—'s love are there any benefits like to Christs benefitâ— No no he is imcomparable in all methinks then you should by this tâ—me â—eel your love to Christ like Fire to burn within with 〈◊〉 flame or methinks your love to Christ should be like water I mean the waters of the Sanctuary spoken of Ezeâ—
have such fulness and plenty as the Lord Jesus Christ and none so willing to communicate of his fulness unto the wants of such as are poor in Spirit and sensible of their need Col. 1. 19. It hath pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell There is not only Plenty in him but fulness not the fulness of the cistern but the fulness of the Fountain not the fulness only of sufficiency for himself but the fulness of redundancy for his people not some fulness for some things but all fulness for all things that are good not fulness for some time and to continue but for a while but all fulness doth dwell in him and abide for all his people throughout all Generations and this not to depend upon the pleasure of men whose minds may alter but it hath pleased the Father it dependeth upon the pleasure of the Father who is always the same and whose good will to his people is unchangeable There is a twofold fulness in Christ for his people here besides his fulness of Glory which hath a reference to Eternity There is a fulness of Merit and a fulness of Spirit 1. A fulness of Merit in that full and perfect Righteousness which he hath wrought out for them and which he doth impute unto them for their Justification 2. There is a fulness of Spirit in Christ the Spirit being given unto him without measure which he doth impart and communicate unto them for their Sanctification and Consolation Christians you are empty Christ is full you are poor Christ is rich you are indigent Christ is All-sufficient and will not you love Christ who is able to do for you beyond what you are able to ask or think and is as willing as he is able to supply all your Spiritual necessities will you not love Christ who is an Overflowing Everflowing â—ountain of Good who hath inexhaustible treasures of Graces and Comforts in him which are set open before you and unto you and every day you may freely come and fetch such jewels out of this Treasury as are of higher worth and greater use than any Earthly Riches in the greatest Plenty and abundance 6. Consider Christs kindness and mercy All the kindness of Men is unkindness compared with the kindness of Christ all the Mercies of Men are Cruelty compared with the Mercies of Christ. He is all kindness all bowels all compassion all pity all grace all mercy to miserable lost mankind I shall not enlarge here because this will fall under the second head of Arguments taken from the consideration of Christs Love And if you add the kindness and mercy of Christ to all his other excellencies and perfections surely he will appear to have incomparably the greatest attractives in him for Love unto any that have not a very thick veil of unbelief before their Eyes to hide him from their view Secondly Consider what Christ is to the Father 1. He is most nearly related to him 2. He is most dearly beloved by him 1. Christ is most nearly Related and with all most perfectly like unto the Father All the Creatures are related to God as their Maker but Gods Children are more nearly related the Saints are nearly related to God who are his Children by Adoption and Regeneration the Angels are more nearly related to God who are his Sons by Creation and never were separated from him by sin but the Lord Jesus Christ is most nearly related unto God who is his Son by Eternal Generation thus Christ is the only Begotten Son of God and doth bear his Image most perfectly being the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person This near Relation of Christ and his likeness to the Father doth call for your strongest love if you have reason to honour the Father on the same account you have reason to honour the Son if you have reason to love the Father you have the same reason to love the Son You will love the Sons of Princes and will you not love the Son of God you will love your own Children who bear your Own Image and will not you love Christ who is the express Image of God we read of Christ Phil. 2. 6. Who being in the form of God thought it no Robbery to be equal with God Christ without Robbery or Derogation unto God is equal with God in all Glorious Excellencies and Perfections and therefore your highest and strongest love is his due and without robbery you cannot withhold it from him 2. Christ is most dearly beloved by the Father 2 Pet. 1. 17. For he received from God the Father Honour and Glory when there came such a voice to him from the Excellent Glory This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased he then that is wortâ—y of the Fathers love surely is worthy of yours he that is cheifly beloved by the Father should chiefly be beloved by you Thirdly Consider what Christ is unto all true Christians if you be such Christ is your Shepherd he feedeth you in green Pastures he hath laid down his life for his Sheep and will you not love such a Shepherd he is your Captain who hath conquered all your Enemies for you and leadeth you on to take the spoils and will you not love such a leader He is your Prophet who teacheth you the most excellent things that ever were taught the highest mysteries the most Glorious Truths which are of the greatest concernment to know and believe and he teacheth you in the most excellent way by his word and Spirit opening your understandings as well as his Truths giving you light and an eye to discern this light and will you not love such a teacher He is your High-Priest who hath made satisfaction for you and withall maketh intercession for you to reconcile â—ou unto God and his intercession is incessant and prevalent and will you not love such an Advocate He is your King who ruleth you most powerfully and righteously most Wisely and Graciously and will you not love such a Soveraign He is your Benefactor the most kind and bountiful and no gifts are comparable unto his gifts and will you not love such a friend He is your Brother and if he be not a shamed to own you for his Bretheren and Sisters will it not be a shame if you should withhold from him your hearts He is your Husband and you are joyned to him by the Spirit and Faith in such Bonds as cannot be broken and will not you embrace him in the arms of your dearest love He is your Redeemer who rescued and delivered you from Sin and Sathan from Death and Wrath He hath redeemed you by price the price of his blood and hath he not then given the greatest price for your Love he hath redeemed you also by conquest and shall he not make a conquest of your hearts Surely you are altogether unworthy of these relations if you do not present Christ with your
for such as you although now his friends yet whilst in a state of Nature strangers and enemies here was Love stronger than death Oh the height Oh the depth of this Love There are such dimensions in this love of Christ as the longest line of your most extended thoughts and imaginations can never be able to reach and measure 6. It was the Love of Christ which raised him again from the dead for you Rom. 4. 25. Who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification 7. It was the Love of Christ which carryed him up from earth to heaven where he was before for you Ioh. 16. 7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you 2. The strength and activity of Christs Love to you doth shew it self in what he is Doing for you 1. He is interceding for you at the right hand of God Rom. 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us It is through Love that Christ doth plead for you in Heaven that your persons may be accepted your sins pardoned your prayers answered and that the Holy Ghost may be sent down to you to teach sanctifie and comfort you 2. He is preparing a place for you Ioh. 14. 2. In my fathers house there are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you It is through love that Christ as your forerunner is for you entred into the glorious Palace that is above to take possession of it for you and to prepare places there for your reception 3. The strength and activity of Christ's love to you doth shew it self in what he will do for you 1. He will keep you in his hand that none shall pluck you thence Ioh. 10. 28. They shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Because you are received into the arms of his love therefore you shall be kept by the hand of his power and therefore you shall never either finally or totally fall away 2. Christ will make all things work together for your good Rom. 8. 28. And we know that All things work together for good to them that love God Christ hath an endeared love to all you that love God your love being the fruit of his and when Men and Devils conspire together to do you mischief Christs love will turn it unto your spiritual advantage 3. Christ will stand by you in trouble and at death Iohn 14. 18. I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you When affliction doth arise especially if it be for his sake you are bereaved of all outward Comforts Christ will not leave you comfortless when friends fail and flesh fails and Heart fail yea and life fails Christ will not fail but will stand by and strengthen you and be a light to you in your darkest hours a stay to your Spirits when they are ready to sink within you 4. After death Christ will take care of your Souls he will not sufâ—er them to wander they know not whither he will not suffer the Devil to seize on them as his prey but he will send his Angels to conduct and convey them into the heavenly paradise that where he is there they may be also Luk. 16. 22. And it came to passe that the Beggar died and was carryed by the Angels into Abrahams bosom 2 Cor. 5. 8. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. 5. Christ will raise up your Bodies at the last day if your Bodies should be consumed by Fire or drowned in the Water or rot in the Earth whatever becometh of them the Lord Jesus at his second glorious appearance will find them and raise them and transform them into the likeness of his most glorious body Iohn 6. 40. And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that every one which seeth the Son and Believeth on him may have Everlasting Life and I will raise him up at the last day Phillip 3. 20. 21. For our Conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body 6. Christ will send forth his Angels to gather you into the society of the Elect that have lived in all Ages and all Parts of the World and to convey you into his presence to meet him in the Air when he cometh to Judge the World Math. 24. 31. And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four Winds from one end of Heaven unto the other 1 Thess. 4. 16. 17. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air. 7. Christ will own you and crown you and admit you into the Kingdom of Heaven which he hath prepared for you Math. 25. 34. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the Foundation of the World Here is strong and active love indeed and shall not the consideration of this love of Christ raise and highten your love unto him shall it not provoke and excite you unto activity of love unto the lively and most vigorous exercise thereof hath Christ united himself to your nature and shall not your Hearts be united to his Person hath he fulfilled all Righteousness for you and will not you fulfill his command of Love hath he endured such temptations contradictions and sufferings upon your account and given himself to dye for you and will not you give your Hearts unto him hath he risen from the dead and Ascended into Heaven for you and will not your Affections arise from the Earth and Ascend into Heaven where Jesus Christ is Doth he plead in Heaven with the Father for you and will not you hearken to his pleadings by his Word and Spirit with you for your love is he preparing a glorious Mansion for you in his Fathers house and will not you prepare a place for him and entertain him in the inner room of your chiefest Affections doth and will he keep you in his hand and will not you embrace him in your bosoms will he make all things work together for your good and will not your Affections work towards him will he stand by you in trouble and at Death and will not this
had the Manifestations of thy Love would not my love grow and encrease hereby Should I not love the more dearly and strongly if I had clear discoveries and were perswaded assuredly of thy love unto me Truth Lord I am altogether unworthy of such a favour but didst thou ever bestow this favour upon any for their deserts are not all thy Gifts free and am not I as capable as any of Free-grace the more unworthy the more I shall admire thee the more is forgiven I shall love the more And may I not now have a taste of thy Loving kindness Hasten my Beloved O hasten unto me and be as a Roe upon the Mountains of Spices Do not veil thy face from me any longer do not conceal thy love but now O now draw near and make me exceeding glad in the light of thy Countenance and in the beauty of thy Face and smiles thereof Such desires and pleadings as these might prevail with the Lord forthwith to return again unto you and to say Well Soul I have heard thy Prayer thy breathing and thy cry thy pleadings have prevâ—â—ed with me and I am now come unto thee and be it to thee according to thy Desires Come Soul and look up lift up thine eyes and see Here I am Behold me Behold me this day I am come to bring glad tydings of great Ioy unto thee I assure thee that I am thine and all mine is thine and thou art mine and shalt be mine for ever And what words can found so sweet and yield such comfort as these or such like spoken by the Spirit unto the hearts of those from whom Christ is withdrawn SECT VIII Vse 3. THe Third Use doth concern you that do love Christ and have the Manifestations of his Love to your Souls Three things be exhorted unto 1. Rejoyce in the Lord. 2. Admire his Free Grace 3. Labour to retain these Manifestations 1. You that have the Manifestations of the Love of Christ Rejoyce in the Lord of all Persons in the world you have most reason to rejoyce you are the happiest men and women alive It is not Wealth in the greatest abundance which can make men happy the richest Persons have often thorns of the greatest discontent to pierce their hearts and Stings of the greatest guilt to wound their Consciences It is not the highest Honour and worldly Dignity which can make men happy the vilest men are often exalted and those that are in the Highest places are in the most Slippery places from whence they are soon cast down into destruction and whatever security they have in Life yet they are usually consumed utterly with Terrours when grim Death doth appear and summon them to depart It is not the sweetest sensual Delight which can make men happy Vanity is the Attendant and Vexâ—tion of Spirit is the Consequent of all those pleasures that are sensual and sinfull which are the seed also of Pain and Everlasting torment Such onely can be said to be happy in truth as are really united and related unto Jesus Christ and through him reconciled unto God and entituled unto the Kingdom of Heaven but you are the most happy and have reason to take the most comfort who have not onely Relation unto Christ but also the Manifestations of him who know that Christ is yours and you are his that Christ loveth you and that his Love as it had no beginning so it is without changing and will know no ending If you know that Christ loveth you you have reason to rejoyce because hereby you may know assuredly that you are Elected that God by an eternal and unchangeable Decree hath chosen you when he hath chosen so few of fallen Men and none of the fallen Angels and when there was not the least foreseen Motive to induce him hereunto the assurance of this may yield unexpressible sweetness unto you If you know that Christ loveth you you may know assuredly your Effectual Calling Conversion and wonderfull Union unto Christ and O what matter of Joy is it to think how God hath called you out of Darkness into his marvellous Light how he hath delivered you out of the Snare of the Devil and the bonds of your own Lusts and set your Souls at liberty how he hath wrought a Miracle in your first Resurrection from the Grave and spiritual death of Sin put forth the same power in your New Creation change of your Natures as in his first Creation of the World how he hath dissolved and made a divorce between your hearts and your sins and so wonderfully United and espoused you unto the Lord Jesus and by this Conjunction and Relation given you an Interest in all the Priviledges which Christ hath purchased If you know that Christ doth love you you mâ—y know assuredly that you are Justified through his Merits and Mediation and O what matter of Joy is this to think that all your sins Original and Actual are pardoned that none can lay any sin to your charge because God hath justified you that there is none that shall condemn you because Christ hath loved you and out of Love hath dyed for you and is now making Intercession for you at the right hand of God Rom. 8. 33 34. to be acquitted from all Guilt and no more lyable unto future wrath than if you had never offended and when you had no Righteousness of your own to be accepted as perfectly Righteous in the sight of God through the Imputation of Christ's perfect Righteousness Who have reason to rejoyce if you have not reason If you know that Christ loveth you you may assuredly say that you are the Sons and Daughters of the Lord Almighty and will you not rejoyce when of Children of the Devil Children of Disobedience Children of Wrath you are made the Children of God the Glorious Jehovah that is the Supream Sovereign and King of the whole World and when you have not an empty Name onely but are intituled to all the Priviledges of his Children If you know that Christ doth love you you may know assuredly that he will keep alive his Interest in you preserve his Grace in your hearts and enable you to persevere in Faith and Holiness notwithstanding all the alluring Temptations which you may meet withall in the World notwithstanding all the Suggestions and Oppositions of Sathan and notwithstanding all the powerfull workings of your remaining lusts and corruptions all which do combine together and use all their power and policy which is great to extirpate your Grace to draw you unto sin to entice or force you out of the wayes of God and O what matter of comfort is it that the Lord Jesus who loveth you hath undertaken for you to keep you in his hand and by his unseen but mighty power to enable you to resist and overcome to hold on in his wayes and hold out unto the end so that you may triumph with the Apostle and say as Rom. 8. 35 37. Who shall