seems the most to exalt him 4. 4. As to the Law of God The true friend of Christ is dead to the Law but Maried to Christ He expects not life by Doing but by Believing It 's true he is alive to the Law as it is an evangelick Rule of the Divine Life but he is dead to it as a Covenant Rom. 7.4 He has an intimate Vnion with Love for Delight in Christ's Royal Law of Libertie as it is an exact Idea and Image of the Divine Nature but yet he abandons and abjures the Moral Law as a covenant of works Yea the very Faults and Aberrations from the Law which a true friend of Christ is obnoxious to do in the end make him more in love with it and obedient to it as a rule Whereas on the contrarie his love and obedience to the Law as a Rule doth indeed alienate his heart the more from it as a Covenant And the formal reason of both these contrarie regards and affections is one and the same namely love to and dependence on Christ which under his failures and defects make him more humble dependent and watchful and under his performances to the Law more thankful affectionate and regardful to Christ But now the false friend of Christ notwithstanding al his pretensions to Christ he stil remains dead to him and maried to the Law It 's true he comes to Christ as a Mediator but why is it is it not to have a legal or Evangelick Righteousnes of his own to depend on Doth he not performe al his duties in obedience to the Law as his Husband thereby to quiet Conscience Is it not his grand designe to exalt the Law as a Covenant of works Doth he not desire Grace more to pay his debts to the Law than to walk with or injoy Christ Is it not greater joy and satisfaction to him to content and satisfie the Law than to content and satisfie Christ Doth he not make it his work and busines to bring forth fruit to the Law rather than to bring forth fruit to Christ Rom. 7.4 These are black characters of being Maried to the Law 5. 5. As to Crucifixion to the World The genuine friend of Christ makes Christ alone his friend but the world Christ's and his own servant He makes the world the object not of his Fruition but Vse only nothing but God in Christ is the matter of his conjugal Amitie Fruition and satisfaction So long as he can injoy Christ he accounts that he wants nothing i. e. no essential part of his Beatitude albeit he lies under the Deprivement of Al things and so on the contrarie although he has a confluence and abundance of al things yet he injoyes nothing but Christ as the matter of his Felicitie Thus it was with Paul Phil. 4.12 Phil. 4.12 he knew how to abound in al his wants and how to want in al his Abundance he had got the Art of contentation in the losse of al things and of moderation in the injoyment or use of them because he made Christ alone his friend and the world a servant to Christ and himself But is it thus with the false friend of Christ Doth he indeed make Christ alone his Friend and the world his servant Doth he not rather make Christ his Servant and the world alone his friend Are not al his Thoughts Studies Affections and Labors laid out chiefly on the World Doth he not make some lower inferior good the chief object and matter of his Fruition Complacence and Satisfaction and Christ only a matter of use or means subsvervient to his Idol-good Hence is he not altogether a stranger to that great Evangelick Mysterie of abounding in al his wants and of wanting in al his abundance When the World smiles on him with the Affluence of al things doth not his heart adhere unto and commit adulterie with it And if the world frown upon him is not his heart ful of murmurs stormes and vexatious Anxieties Such an Adulterous Whorish heart has every false friend of Christ as he is described to the life Jam. 4.4 6. 6. As to the election of a whole Christ with a whole heart A sincere friend of Christ takes a whole Christ with the whole heart He Elects not only the Crown but also the Crosse the yoke as wel as the wages the work as wel as the reward of Christ And as he embraceth a whole Christ so also with a whole heart Psal 119.2 i.e. the Pondus weight Bent or most prevalent Inclination of his heart is towards Christ It 's true he has some Wil and at times a Lust for inferior goods ay but yet he has a stronger Wil and Bent for Christ he is in a remisse degree unwilling but in an Intense degree willing to be Christ's But is it thus with the false friend of Christ Doth he indeed take an whole Christ or doth he not rather pick and chuse out that of Christ which best serves his turne It 's true the notion of a Savior is sweet to his wounded Conscience ay but is not the notion of a Lord bitter to his rebellious heart A view of Christ's Crown is pleasing but is not the contemplation of his Crosse sad and terrible to him Again as he takes a divided false Christ so is it not with a divided false heart He is in some degree willing to be Christ's but is he not in a greater degree unwilling He has a faint languishing superficial wil for Christ but hath he not a far firmer deeper and more violent wil for Idol friends so greatly is his heart divided Jerem. 3.10 Judah hath not turned to me with her whole heart A divided Christ or heart makes a false friend 7. 7. As to closures with Christ's person for himself A sincere friend of Christ closeth with the person of Christ and that for himself He comes to Christ not only for sâ—me good things from him but for those good things in him It 's true he loves the Gifts of Christ wel ay but he loves the Giver better yea he loves the Gifts for the Giver's sake He comes not to Christ merely as a beggar to a rich man's door as a Client to his Lawyer as a sick woman to her Physician only to serve a turne and away again but he comes to Christ as a sick woman to her Husband and friend who is both able and willing to cure her of her maladies and also to satisfie her with himself It 's true that which first inclines the friends of Christ to come unto him is the sense of their need ay but they know there is no way to have those needs supplied but ay a closure with his person and after some familiar conversation with him they then find by sweet experience that al their needs are supplied in the fruition of Christ for himself they at first seek and injoy Christ for themselves but afterwards they seek and injoy themselves in Christ
provided it may be on his own termes and conditions Sinners by nature are so stout-hearted as that they wil rather part with Christ Heaven and Life than with their own conditions and therefore the main work of the spirit of Bondage is to stoop and bend the wil to make the heart flexible and willing to take Christ upon his own termes and conditions ' Til the heart be weaned from its own conditions it is not fit to make a friend of Christ The Heathen moralist could say h Non recipit sordidum virtus amatorem Soluto ad◠illam sinu veniendum est Sen. 222. that Virtue receives not a sordid Lover we must come to it with an open breast This is most true of friendship with Christ he is a sordid selfish friend who comes to Christ with an open face but with a breast lockt up which is the mode of courtiers and politicians no they who wil enter into friendship with Christ must come with an open heart as wel as face without Reserves Ifs and And 's or any such-like conditions They must bring an heart of white paper and leave it with Christ to write what conditions he please on it In brief the friends of Christ must be willing to receive al conditions from him but to give no conditions to him Thus David Psal 131.1 Psal 131.2 My soul is as a weaned child i. e. weaned from mine own conditions So Abraham Esa 41.2 is brought to the foot of God to be content to go and come to do and suffer to be any thing or nothing as God should please whence he is stiled v. 8. The friend of God 8. Prop. The friends of Christ may not elect him with regard to themselves any way Self may not be regarded in opposition to or competition with Christ wherein self may stand in competition with or opposition to the Honor of Christ The great designe and Interest of the friends of Christ should be to abase themselves and exalt Christ So John Baptist Joh. 3.30 and the Publican Luk. 18.14 Hence when ever self comes in competition with or stands in opposition to Christ's honor it ought not to be regarded by the friends of Christ SECT 7. The friends of Christ may in their election of him have regard to freedome from Hel. 2. How far the friends of Christ may have regard to themselves in their election of Christ THese exclusive or negative Propositions being premised the inclusive or affirmative wil more easily follow In the general the friends of Christ may in their election of him regard themselves so far as he is offered in the Gospel as a means applicable and necessary for the obtainment of life and salvation For without al peradventure he that elects Christ as offered in the Gospel elects him as his friend Now the Gospel offers Christ as a means of life and salvation to al such as wil come unto or elect him for their Mediator Yea the Gospel makes this the great damning sin that men wil not come unto Christ for life and salvation so Joh. 5.40 surely if this be the great Gospel-sin that men wil not come unto Christ for life then it necessarily follows that this is the great Gospel-dutie and that wherein our friendship with Christ doth much consist that we elect or close with him in order to the obtainment of life by him But this wil appear more clearly and fully by the following particulars 1. Prop. The friends of Christ may The friends of Christ may eye freedome from Hel. in their election of him have an eye on and regard to their freedome from Hel. This is evident 1. Because the Gospel offers Christ to sinners as their only Redeemer to deliver them from Hel. 2. Because self-preservation is an essential branch of the Law of Nature which the Law of Grace or friendship with Christ does not destroie but perfect Thus much the wisest of the Heathens could by their candle-light see and acknowlege wherefore i Hence the Stoicks made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self preservation the first part of their Moral Philosophie as Laert. Zeno. some of them made self-preservation the first part of their moral philosophie and k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plato another saith that this is virtue to preserve a man's self and what belongs unto him neither is there a more noble and generous piece of virtue than to save a man's self and others 3. The very notion of Hel duely considered doth both allow and require that the friends of Christ both fear and endeavor to avoid it For what is Hel but a continued state of blaspheming sinning against and separation from God Now may not the friends of Christ elect him as a means to keep them from such a state of sinning against and alienation from himself 4. Neither does this argue servile and slavish but filial fear to chuse Christ out of fear of Hel so long as the Hel we fear is not merely a tormenting but also a sinning Hel. Is it not the highest degree of filial fear and love for a child to be afraid of falling into the fire because thereby he shal grieve displease and be deprived of his father surely such a fear of Hel is not only allowable but generous and filial in Christ's friends SECT 8. The friends of Christ may and ought to elect him with regard to Heaven 2. Saints may elect Christ with a regard to Heaven Prop. HEnce it follows That the friends of Christ may elect him with an eye or regard to Heaven the great recompense of reward For 1. Thus likewise is Christ tendred in the Gospel almost every where 2. The most loyal and faithful of Christ's friends are commended for their faith in eying the recompense of reward So Moses Heb. 11.26 for having respect to the recompense of reward Yea 3. It is the Character of Christ himself Heb. 12.2 Looking at the joy that was set before him This is an exemple without al exception that the friends of Christ may have an eye on what they expect from him 4. Heaven and Happines is proposed by Christ as the great motive to draw his friends unto a firme Amitie with and adherence to himself So John 14.2 Now a motive hath the place of an end though sometimes but partial and subordinate and it 's wel known that the end is a main principle of the Action and therefore ought to be looked unto by the Agent Is it not then most reasonable that Heaven which is made a motive and so an end though but partial and subordinate to allure Christ's friends to the election of him should be regarded by them Has Christ promised and does he not offer Heaven as an encouragement to his friends to make them elect him more chearfully and shal they not eye the encouragement which Christ gives them What is this but to say the end and motives of an action ought not to be eyed by
The case stood thus The Jews had entred into a conjugal covenant of friendship with God as you have it Jer. 2.2 3. I remember the kindnes of thy youth the love of thine espousals c. But Israel had broken her conjugal covenant with God as this Prophet Hosea declareth at large chap. 1.2 whence She is here stiled an Adulteresse because albeit she retained the profession and worship of God in part yet she looked to other Gods and loved flagons of Wine o Propter voluptates colunt Idola magis de victu quam de Dei cultu solliciti Tarnovius Intellige hoâ— de Idololatrarum â—oâ—viviis plerumque enim haec conjunguntur superstitio luxus Rivet i. e. she found good emolument or incomes of pleasures and riehes by the flagons of Wine or drink offerings which were poured forth to other Gods therefore she looks towards them or gives them a share in that conjugal friendship and worship which was due to God alone as Zeph. 1.5 Yet for al this though Israel had thus broken wedlock with God yet he had an affectionate compassionate eye towards her she was beloved of her friend though an adulteresse God had a mind to enter into a new covenant of conjugal friendship with her but how would God be content that Israel should lie in commun for him and Idol-Gods No but first he redeems her Affections by out-bidding other lovers and so wil have her as a garden enclosed and a fountain sealed proper to himself So v. 2. So I bought her to me for fiveteen pieces of Silver c. V. 3. And I said unto her thou shalt abide for me many daies thou shalt not play the Harlot and thou shalt not be for another man so wil I also be for thee As if the Lord had said O my backsliding Spouse I have yet once again ransomed thee both by price and power from thine Idol-lovers look wel to it that thou play not the Harlot again be thou for me and not for any other lover and I wil be for thee approve thy self a loyal friend to me and dout not but that I shal approve my self so to thee Thus Cant. 6.3 Cant. 6.3 I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine i. e. I am wholly and singly for my Beloved as he is wholly and singly for me Siâ—ut speculum figuram nullam habet sed illam admittit quam is quem habet coram objicit sic spoâ—sa fidelis praeter sâ—onsum nullum ad asâ—octâ—m admittit Sanctius I am in regard of conjugal love and subjection not mine own but his as he is in point of conjugal love and care not his own but mine It s true my beloved ceaseth not to be his own when he becomes mine but yet he demeaneth himself as if he were not his own he assumeth such intimate Relations and bowels of an husband friend savior c. as bespeaks him wholy mine and therefore it is my dutie to make over my self my Thoughts Admirations Affections Person and al to him so that I am now to mind admire live in possesse enjoy and delight in him and not my self I am to reject every Idol-lover and friend Thence God tels the Israelites that he would not deliver them til they had put away their false Gods Judges 10.13 14. Judg. 10.13 14 15. Yet ye have forsaken me and served other Gods wherefore I wil deliver you no more Go crie unto the Gods ye have chosen and let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation God upbraids them with their Idol-Gods and false lovers But yet when the Israelites had put away their Idols and humbled themselves before God it is said the Lord's sâ—ul was grieved for their miserie v. 15 16. The like Hos 14.3 4. Hos 14.3 4 8. When Israel is brought to renounce al Idol-lovers and false Gods then and not til then Christ comes in as a friend promising to heal her backslidings So v. 8. Ephraim shal say what have I any more to do with Idols and what follows I have heard him and observed him c. Christ wil never hearken to us as a friend so long as we have to do with Idols Thus Hos 2.15 Hos 2.15 16. 16 17. when God takes Israel again into Covenant with himself he wil have her forget the names of Baalim her old Idol lovers and cal him Jshi her Husband Thus the soul that enters into a conjugal friendship with Christ must be for him singly and for none other he must not adde to or compound any thing with Christ but must bid adieu unto and abandon al old lovers which may pretend unto or aim at the least share in the bent of the heart or that conjugal Affection which is alone due to Christ SECT 2. Reprobation of sin by the friends of Christ BUT now to descend to particulars Four old lovers which pretend a share in our conjugal love there are 4 old friends or lovers which pretend unto and aim at an interest in that conjugal affection and friendship which is alone due to Christ and those are 1. Sin 2. Self 3. The World 4. The Law as a Covenant The first two are interne and bosome-friends and therefore more apt to betray us the latter albeit more externe and forrein yet are they exceeding dangerous and very prone either by their smiles or frowns to get a share in that conjugal friendship which is due to Christ Whoever therefore does really intend and desire to enter into a solemne League and Covenant of Amitie with Christ must abandon each of these so far as they stand in opposition to or competition with Christ who must have his royal Throne al alone in the bent of the heart And this indeed suits with the nature of al election formally considered For n Cujus est approbare ejus est reprobare al election in its strict notion does import a reprobation of something he that elects one thing reprobates another So he that elects Christ for his friend must reprobate or refuse al these old Idol-lovers so far as they pretend unto any share in that conjugal Affection which is due to Christ and to him alone 1. 1. The friend of Christ must reprobate and reject sin He that wil espouse Christ for his friend must absolutely renounce yea bid open defiance unto sin that bosome inmate which pretends much kindnes for us but is indeed a sworne enemie not only unto Christ our best friend but also to our selves The Philosopher could tel us o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. l. 2. c. 4. That those who are truly friends have the same enemies and friends This holds most true here he that is a friend to Christ is an enemie to sin and so on the contrary he that is a friend to sin is an enemie to Christ To pretend unto an election of Christ as our friend without any sincere reprobation of sin is
for his Sin should refuse friendship with the Prince of Life who alone can save him What Art thou a poor starved sinner and yet refusest the Bread of life Yea doest thou trample on the Lord of life who makes such provision of suitable abundant soul-strengthening soul-fattening soul-satisfying and delicious food for thee Oh! what a monstrous piece of Ingratitude is this So Psal 81.10 11. Psal 81.10 11. Christ makes a solemne invitation open thy mouth wide and I wil fil it And what follows But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me Oh! there lies the sting of their sin Israel would have none of me This Me is the greatest word that ever was spoke it lies as a Mountain of Lead on Israel's sin O! What a generous illustrious Divine Me is this How many Paradises Heavens and Glories lies wrapt up in this great Me What a death and Hel is it to be deprived of this brave and noble Me What eye-pleasing Beauties what soul-satisfying delices what infinite Treasures of Grace and Glorie lie in this inconceivable Me as dropt from Christ's mouth And yet lo Israel would have none of me I would fain be a friend of Israel but alas Israel would have none of me for her friend I court and wooe Israel to be my Spouse but she refuseth and rejects Me Me who am her most honorable laudable and best self Me who am her old tried faithful omnipotent most useful and most pleasing friend What a world of deep aggravations are there couched under this little Pronoun Me Who would ever have imagined that Israel who professed so much friendship to Christ should be guiltie of such unkindnes 2. 2. Christ willingnes to give forth life and to be reconcilee to sinners Is not Christ extreme willing and readie to give out life to sinners Doth he not long for and thirst after the Salvation of lost souls Are not his offers of life exceding Free chearful and universal May not al that wil come and drink freely of this living Fountain Revel 21.6 Is not he as readie to give as we are to aske to open as we are to knock Joh. 4.10 Doth he not give Liberally and Abundantly to al that desire friendship with him Cant. 5.1 Yea doth he not wait long and greatly importune sinners to be reconciled to him So 2 Cor. 5.20 We pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God Now is not this an hainous crime that Christ who is the Lord of Glorie should come and beseech his enemies to be reconciled to him and yet they go on in open Hostilitie against him What Doth Christ who is the person offended and injured stoop so low as to become a supplicant and beseech you who are rebellious Subjects to be reconciled to him and his Father And wil you sleight such gracious condescension such unparalleld offers of mercie Oh! What prodigious Impietie is this 3. Christ's personal excellences Consider again what it is you reject in rejecting Christ and friendship with him Is not Christ as has been proved most eligible for himself Doth not al God the Father's Glorie and perfection even the Blessed Deitie it self dwel corporally i. e. Really Substantially and Personally in him Is he not the expresse Image and Character of the Father's Person and Glorie Heb. 1.3 And is he not thence the First in order of Truths and the Last in order of Ends the Alpha and Omega of man's Felicitie as Revel 1.11 I am Alpha and Omega the First and the Last c Now can a rational creature be guiltie of a greater crime than this to refuse Friendship with the first Truth and Last End of al things For what more Beautiful than the First Truth or Light and what more Amiable than the Last End or choicest Good Doth not heautie attract the eyes and Goodnes allure the Hearts of al And by a paritie of reason must not the First Beautie if duely apprehended necessarily be most attractive of the mind's contemplation and the Last best Good most alluring of the wil 's Election And yet Ah! Alas How few minds stand gazing on Christ the First Beautie and Truth How few Wils are fettered and chained to Christ the Last End and Chiefest Good Oh! What horrid Atheisme Sacrilege and Blasphemie is this to refuse Amitie with such an excellent superlative Good as Christ is Who would ever believe did not woful experience assure us of it that man who is indued with a rational capacitie should be so much averse from yea an enemie to his best Good Oh! when when wil the blind mad world of sinners come to it self and be convinced of its sin and miserie in rejecting Christ the alone Fountain of the Divine Life and the main of objective Beatitude 2. 2. The Aggravations of this sin in refusing Amitie with Christ mesured by its subject The Aggravations of this sin in rejecting friendship with Christ may be mesured by its chief Subject or Seat which is the Wil. This is an Aphorisme in Theologie generally granted in the Scholes That look by how much the more of the wil there is in any sin by so much the more it is aggravated For the Wil is the chief seat and therefore the mesure of Meral Beings whether good or evil If there were no good wil there could be no Grace nor Glorie and if there were no sinful wil there could be no sin nor Hel And so by consequence according to the proportion of the wil Such is the proportion of our Grace or Sin A wil strongly bent for God is eminently Gracious and a wil strongly bent for sin is notoriously wicked Now this sin of rejecting Amitie with Christ carries much of the wil and therefore much of the the formal Nature Venome and Malignitie of sin in it And thence it deserves a remarque that when Christ comes to convince the unbelieving Jews of the weight of their sin in rejecting him he layes the stresse of al on their Wil. Psal 81.11 So Psal 81.11 But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me The like Prov. 1.25 But ye have set at nought al my counsel and would none of my reproof Thus also Joh. 5.40 And ye wil not come to me that ye might have life And so else where Christ frequently upbraids them with wilful impenitence and unbelief which argues not any sufficient light in Nature to apprehend or moral capicitie in the Wil to embrace Christ but these and such like Reprehensions are used to point out the chief root and seat of the disease which is the Wil For sinners are wilfully Ignorant or Haters of the light as Prov. 1.29 For that they hated knowlege c. and so proportionably wilfully impotent or unable to come to Christ for life Now is it not a prodigious sin for men wilfully to shut their eyes against and hate the most beautiful and glorious rayes of
to elect and inviolably adhere to Christ because hereby it wil in its mesure participate of Eternitie it self and eternal enjoyments 3. Another commun place of Arguments Mot. 3. From the Nature of Amitie with Christ to enforce this Exhortation is taken from the genuine Idea and Nature of Amitie with Christ What is Friendship with Christ but a Divine Confederation Alligation or binding of the Heart to God by a solemne League and Covenant of Friendship And can there be a greater Felicitie than to have the soul bound by an inviolable Covenant of Amitie to the great Jehovah What Is it possible that a rational Creature should refuse such a sweet and Divine Obligation as this of friendship with Christ Are not these silken and golden chains whereby a rational soul is bound fast to his chiefest good more desirable than the Iron chains whereby the heart is fetterd to sensibled good Is there any losse or pain to be feared by having the soul inseparably glued and knit to such an excellent friend as Christ is Is it not a sweet and delightsome death to die with longings for and soul-satisfying conversation with Christ our best friend What is Hel but separation from Christ Psal 73.27 and therefore what-greater Heaven may we expect or desire than an Immutable and Intimate union and communion with Christ as our best friend Psal 73.28 Is it not strange then that Human Nature indued with Judgement and Wil should be so averse to a Covenant of friendship with Christ What not adhere and cleave to Christ who is so good a friend yea sometimes an only friend Doth the soul receive any Dammage by entring into a strict Amitie with Christ Is it any shame or disgrace for Human Nature to be fettered and chained to Christ the Lord of Glorie Wil any thing render thee more Happie than the eternal Blessed Vision and fruition of the Deitie And is not this Appendent to yea formally contained in friendship with Christ 4. Mot. 4. From the effects of friendship with Christ Lastly To provoke our spirits to an entire Election of Christ as our friend let us consider a little the blessed Effects of such an Election 1. Divine Life 1. Is not life a very eligible thing Did not Satan speak the truth when he said Skin for skin and al that a man hath for his life And is not the life of the soul by so much the more desirable than the life of the bodie by how much more excellent the soul is than the bodie Now wherein consists the life of the soul but in friendship with Christ As the life of the bodie Consists in its union with the soul so doth not the life of the soul consist in union with Christ as its Friend What is spiritual Death but Disunion from Christ Can there be a more natural uniforme equal permanent excellent noble and perfect life than that which consists in conversation with Christ our choicest friend Is not al other life though never so seemingly splendid and glorious but a dream and metaphor of life or rather a Shadow of death if compared with this life Yea doth not this bring health out of sicknes life out of death Heaven out of Hel 2. 2. Strength Wherein consists the Vigor and Strength of Human Nature but in Election of and Adhesion to Christ as our friend Doth not al Infirmitie and Imbecillitie of bodie spring from some dis-union obstruction or distance between the part and the whole And do not al our Infirmities of soul arise from Dis-union or Distance from Christ our Head Is not the soul most firme and strong when it adhereth most firmely to Christ its first principle 3. 3. Honor. What is true Nobilitie Honor and Dignitie but Adhesion to and participation of the Fountain of al Honors Now as the King is the Fountain of Honor in his Kingdome so is not Christ the Fountain of Honor in his Kingdome And can there be an higher piece of Honor among Subjects than to be the King's Favorite and friend to have his eye and ear and power to command And is not this Honor vouchsafed to al Christ's friends Have they not his ear yea heart to command as C. 6. S. 5. 4. 4. Libertie Wherein consists the formal Idea of Divine Libertie but in a Divine Amplitude or Enlargement of State and Acts arising from subjection to God and the use of al other things in subordination to him And is not this the immediate and essential product of Amitie with Christ as before C. 6. S. 5. 5. 5. Riches What are Riches but the Affluence of many useful and precious Goods Now if Christ be your friend are not al things yours 1 Cor. 3.22 23 Yea has not he an admirable facultie of Spiritualizing temporal mercies Are not the very commun goods of his friends sugared and watered with special favor dipt in the bloud of the Son of God And doth not this turne curses into blessings povertie into riches salt crosses into sweet mercies Whereas to such as are not friends of Christ their best blessings are salted with the curse of God The sweetest comforts want spirit and bloud without Christ but to such as are his friends there can be no want an uncovered Tent a straw Bed a Pillow of stone an emtie Purse are great riches to such Yea by electing Christ for thy friend thou comest to share in fountain-goodnes and are not al things most pure most sweet and most copious in their Fountain Can he want any thing that is good who enjoyes the Fountain of al See C. 6. S. 5. 6. 6. Peace Wherein consists true Peace Joy and comfort but in a sweet Harmonie Vniformitie Order and Agreement of al parts And whence springs this Harmonie and Agreement in the soul but from its firme Adherence to Christ as its friend 7. 7. Interest What is the supreme Interest of a Rational Creature but to use and refer al inferior concernes to his Last end And is not this also the Immediate and proper Issue of Friendship with Christ Do any more effectually promote their supreme Interest and Last end than such as Elect and adhere to Christ as their best Friend Thus we see what Demonstrative Arguments Reasons and Motives there are to induce and provoke men unto a complete closure with Christ as their friend And oh what a prodigious piece of folie is it after al this for men to persist in open enmitie against or false friendship towards Christ SECT 3. Directions for such as are open enemies or Hypocritick friends of Christ to come to a cordial and complete Friendship with him WE procede now to the second part of this Use Divections for attaining to a complete friendship with Christ namely the Directions for attaining unto a complete Amitie with Christ Art thou firmely resolved or wel inclined to become a friend of Christ But art thou indeed and in good earnest disposed