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
What made Abraham so eminent for friendship with God as that he is stiled with an emphase or accent The Friend of God Was it not his self-abnegation Abraham's friendship with God founded on self-denial that laid so good a foundation for his so great Amitie with God Were not al the great and noble exploits of Abraham's friendship with God founded on self-denial His first great act of friendship towards God for which he is stiled Esa 41.2 8. the friend of God consisted in his forsaking Chaldea his nearest relations and eye-pleasing delights to follow God he knew not whither as a Pilgrime al his daies Was not this an high piece of self-abjuration Again the second great Act of friendship for which he is recognized and openly proclaimed the friend of God James 2.23 was his offering up his only Son Isaac And O! what a world of self-denial was there in this Act I might run thorow that little Book of Martyrs Other Scripture-instances Heb. 11. or white rol of Christ's Confessors and friends Hebrews 11. and discover unto you what visible veins of self-denial ran thorow al their friendship towards God For faith which was the soul and life of their friendship is the greatest self-denier in the World Do but in your meditations which is too large a Theme for me run over those noble friends of Christ there mentioned even from Abel to the end of the Chapter and you 'l see pure and high strains of self-denial which were the chief corner stones of their confidence in and friendship with God in Christ Again let us contemplate Christ's New Testament friends and we shal find much of self-renunciation at the bottome of al their Amitie with Christ Was not John Baptist a rare John Baptist's friendship with Christ grounded on self-denial choice friend of Christ and who more eminent for self-denial than he especially when it came it came to a competition with Christ Mat. 3.11 So Mat. 3.11 he confesseth he was not worthy to bear Christs's Shooes Joh. 3 26 30. But more particularly John 3.26 30. v. 26. Some of John's Disciples seem much offended that Christ had more Disciples than he whereupon John v. 27 28. rebukes them and v. 29. declares solemnely that for his part he was but the friend of Christ the Bridegroom and therefore 't was joye enough for him to hear his voice Yea addes he v. 30. He must increase but I must decrease As if he had said Let my name lie in the dust and rot sobeit that his name be exalted and made glorious let me be disgraced and despised provided that he be dignified and extolled let my root wither and drie away so that his branch may flourish let my Sun set and be turned into a black cole that his Sun may shine forth more brightly not my Kingdome but his Kingdome come let me be nothing so that he may be al things These are noble strains of self-denying friendship I might shew you the like in other Evangelick friends of Christ as the Thief on the Crosse Luk. 23.42 and Paul who Rom. 9.3 seems content to suffer an innocent and sinlesse Hel for the interest of his Lord and every where when he speaks of himself he draws a veil over his own excellences that so Christs glorie might shine forth more conspicuously as Gal. 2.20 Yet not I but Christ liveth in me that modest corrective not I argues much self-denying friendship But I must contract By these and the like exemplifications and instances we see what an essential and fundamental connexion there is betwixt self-denial and Friendship with Christ I shal close this particular with an observation of the Philosopher z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. l. 1. c. 1. who notes that young men usually are more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 friendly and sociable than other ages because they rejoice in societie and mind not their profit or self-interest as friends ought not The reason holds good in al friendship and the observation very far in friendship amongst men because the elder men grow usually if they are not clothed with a Divine nature the more selfish they are But it 's quite contrary in Divine friendship with Christ Young Christians though they oft have the largest affections for Christ yet have they the least friendship towards him and the reason is because there is much of self in al their Affections and duties they mind more what they receive from Christ than what they give unto him they love Christ in themselves more than themselves in Christ whereas grown and mature Christians though perhaps their Affections and friendship to Christ be not so juicy and sappy yet are they more spiritual and lesse selfish they love Christ now more for what good is in himself than for what good they receive from him and whereas at first they loved Christ for themselves they now love themselves in and for Christ the more they are acquainted with Christ the more they love him for himself which is the purest strain of freindship Thus we see how essential self-denial is both to the Being and Perfection of al friendship and particularly of Divine SECT 4. How far the World must be reprobated in order to the Election of Christ as our friend 3. How far the World is to be rejected in order to the Election of Christ as our friend WE have finisht the two great interne competitors of Christ sin and self we now procede to the externe corrivals of Christ which are the World and the Law These are not formally and in themselves enemies to Christ but only objectively and indirectly as they by their frowns or smiles inveigle and entice the heart away from Christ We shall therefore examine them more cursorily and begin with the World which is so far to be rejected as it stands in opposition to or competition with Christ The world has a double face the one smiling and the other frowning by the former it endeavors to allure by the latter it strives to terrifie the soul from Christ In both these respects the World must be denied though principally as to the former For generous spirits are sooner overcome by the smiles than by the frowns of the World 1. The Allurements of the World As for the Allurements and blandissements of the World they are very bewitching and heart-inveigling things Al things in excesse are hurtful but the intemperance of prosperitie is most dangerous a Magnam so turam magnus animus decet qui risi se ad illam extulit altior stetiâ— illam quoquâ— infra terram deduâ—it Seneca He need have a great mesure of Grace who has great worldly enjoyments for if his heart be not much above them with God he wil be soon brought under and made a slave by them The world albeit it promise fair is very faithlesse and deceitful it usually then deceives us most when we most love or trust it Nothing
Christ than they who elect and adhere to him for himself Oh! What a quick and deep sense have such of sin which is the cause of Christ's departure How do their wounds of Conscience bleed under the fresh and lively sense of smal miscarriages against Christ Such are their spiritual senses One of the Philosophers y Protagoras dixit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diog. Laert 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 held That the soul was nothing else but sense Is not this in a sense true of the renewed soul so far as it adheres to Christ for himself has it not then al its spiritual senses exercised as Heb. 5.14 Does not Paul pray for the Philippians That they might abound in al sense Phil. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and how may this be attained unto but by adhering unto Christ that quickning Head 5. 5. Motion The last great issue of life is Motion and by how much the more noble and raised the life is by so much the more active and perfect wil the motion be For the manner of acting is according to the manner of existing By how much the more perfect the Forme is by so much the more perfect is the life and thence according to the perfection of the life we may mesure the perfection of the operation springing thence And can there be a more noble and perfect life than continued Election of and Adhesion unto Christ for himself Does not the z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plato Timaeo Philosopher assure us That the contemplation of God is the proper motion of the mind And who may expect the contemplation of God if not the friends of Christ who elect him for himself What is there more efficacious to draw forth every Grace in its exercice than transforming sights of God in Christ by faith And who are there that enjoy more of such transforming sights than such as most firmely and constantly elect and adhere unto Christ for himself O! what uniforme harmonious beautiful yea glorious exercices of Grace do such friends of Christ live under Are not these the pure in heart to whom the blessed vision and fruition of God is promised Mat. 5.8 do not these behold in Christ that Divine Miroir or Glasse the Glorie of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 In short what spiritual motion can the Saints exert without adherence to and dependence on Christ their Head Joh. 15.5 without me or separated from me ye can do nothing Thus the friends of Christ by continued election of and Adhesion to him for himself are made partakers of the Divine life and al the issues thereof SECT 5. Divine Honor Order Beautie Pleasures and Riches from the election of Christ for himself 4. 4. Effect is Divine Honor. ANother great effect of electing Christ for himself is Divine Dignitie Honor and Advancement What is Honor even in the estime of the poor Philopher but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eth. l. 4. the reward of virtue given to good men And what greater virtue can there be than an intimate Adherence to Christ for himself Again is not the King the fountain of Honor and are not they estimed most Honorable who stand in his presence and receive marques of Honor and Favor from him b Nemo altero nobilior nisi cui rectius ingenium Qui imagines in Atrio exponâ—nt noti magis quà m nobiles sunt Seneca Surely this makes much for the Honor of Christ's friends who elect him for himself for such are Heavens Courtiers they stand in the presence of Christ the King of Kings yea they are his Assessors who set with him upon the Throne Luk. 22.30 That ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdome and sit on Thrones c. What higher marque of Honor can there be than to have Christ's and his Father's name written on their forheads as Ezech. 9.4 Rev. 14.1 c Altum quiddam est virtus excelsum regale invictum In regno nati sumus Deo parere libertas est Seneca Is it not a singular favor that such have Christ's ear and heart to command Can there be a greater Dignitie than to be of Christ's Cabinet-Counsel Psal 25.14 Is it not an high marque of Honor to receive friendly visits and manifestations of love from Christ as Joh. 14.21 15.15 Farther what greater Nobilitie amongst men than to be of the bloud-Royal And are not those who elect and adhere to Christ for himself most allied and akin to him as Mat. 12.49 50. Behold my Mother c. The Philosopher defines d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. Definit 1 Chron. 4.9 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nobilitie a virtue of Noble manners And what more Noble manners can there be than to adhere to Christ for himself What was it that made Jabez 1 Chron. 4.9 more honorable or weighty or glorious than his brethren Why we are told v. 10. Jabez called on the God of Israel c. Jabez elected God and clave unto him for himself c. Such honor have they who cleave to Christ 5. 5. Effect is Divine Harmonie and Order The Election of Christ for himself is that which Produceth Conserves and Promotes the most that may be a Divine Harmonie and good order in the soul and its Operations The Philosophers saw so much Beautie and excellence in Harmonie and Order as that One e Plato makes it the soul of the World f Pythagoras held 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diog. Laert Another held That Virtue and al things else that were desirable consisted in Harmonie Whence Plato called Virtue the Musick of the soul and Justice the Symphonie or concent of Virtues And what puts the soul into a better Order Harmonie and Vniformitie than Adherence to Christ for himself g It is said of Padre Paul the Venetian that that which made him most admired was the coupling together of Virtues that are seemingly opposite as Knowledge and humilitie c. Life of Father Paul Oh how uniforme and harmonious are al the motions of the friends of Christ so far and so long as they adhere to him what a sweet composure and concent is there of Contemplatives and Actives of Prudence with Meeknes of Wisdome with Humilitie of Seriousnes with Chearfulnes of Affabilitie with Severitie of Solitude with Service and Activitie Thus Graces seemingly opposite do sweetly conspire and meet together by virtue of that Divine Harmonie which attends the soul's adhering to Christ for himself 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8. 6. 6. Effect is Divine Beautie and Glorie The Election of and Adhesion unto Christ for himself infuseth a Divine Beautie and Glorie into the soul as also into its Acts so far as they spring from this root h See Les Beaux Esprits Tom. 1. Confer 26. de la Beautè Plato makes Beautie to arise from the Forme so far as it is predominant over the matter which is of it self without forme and beautie Others
singly completely and for himself We now come to make some general Improvements both Doctrinal and practick of this first part of the first great and Fundamental Law of Friendship with Christ The Doctrinal Improvements of this Head we shal reduce to certain useful Corollaries or Inferences which naturally flow from what has been laid down and follow in their order 1. 1. The Infinite condescension of Free-Grace Doth Christ assume sinners into such a blessed state of Friendship with himself Hence then we may infer what the infinite condescension and Soverain Dominion of Free-Grace towards lapsed undone man is What Is it possible that the great Jehovah should stoop so low as to engage in such an intimate friendship with his poor creature Yea that the most glorious pure and spotlesse Being should be content to mingle with impure dirtie sinful flesh and bloud Yea farther that the ever-blessed God should court and beseech his deformed creature to enter into a strict bond of friendship with himself what transcendent condescendence is this Was it ever known that Beautie courted Deformitie that Riches begged friendship of Povertie that Honor bended the knee to Reproche and Disgrace that the King beseeched the Malefactor to be reconciled to him that Happines wooed Miserie to be its Spouse Yet Lo thus it is in this busines of Friendship with Christ the first and supreme Beautie courts the most deformed sinner the infinitely rich and self-sufficient Being begs his poor nothing-creature to be friends with him the most Honorable Lord of Glorie wooeth his wretched reproched and captive rebel to be not only reconciled to him but his Spouse O the unparalleled and admirable soveraintie of this Divine condescendent Grace Who would ever have thought or imagined that such Al-sufficient and omnipotent Grace should have stooped so low to proud self-conceited and rebellious sinners What a wonder of wonders is this that free-grace should pursue sinners with continued offers yea importunate desires of Friendship when they pursue it with repeted Effronts and Acts of Rebellion O! how should the friends of Christ admire and adore the Lengths Breadths Depths and Heights of this Transcendent condescension of God 2. 2. The Dignitie of Religion Hence also we may infer What a Noble Generous and Heroick thing the true Christian Religion is in that it puts lapsed man into a state of friendship with the great God For what is true Religion but a Religation or binding of the soul unto God And how can the soul be bound to God more inviolably and more intimately than by deep spiritual and lively Acts of Contemplation Election and Fruition of him for himself as our friend Must not therefore that Religion needs be a very Heroick and Generous thing which binds the heart to God by such an inseparable intimate and strict bond of Friendship surely he deserves not this Title of honor to be called a Christian who estimes not Religion and Friendship with Christ as the most Honorable thing in the World 3. 3. 'T is the highest Wisdome to make Christ our friend Hence learne farther That none are truely Wise Judicious and Intelligent but such as elect Christ for their Friend The choice of an agreable and good friend has alwaies been accounted by the wisest of men of greatest moment and concernement For Friendship although it be but a Relative Being yet it is mightie efficacious and Influential in that it secretly insinuates and winds it self into the heart and by I know not what kind of charme captivates and transformes it into the Ideas and Qualities of its friend Is it not then a point of highest Interest and consequence to see that we make choice of the best friend And can there be a more suitable or better Friend than Christ Are not al other friends of no value if compared with Christ Have not the best of creature-friends their crosse humors their self-interests their morose and disagreable actions But oh what a sweet-humored self-denying condescendent affectionate judicious and faithful friend is Christ Surely then they are no fools who elect him for their friend albeit they thereby should disoblige al the world besides and incur its frowns The friends of Christ know ful wel what they get in making Christ their friend although thereby they lose al other friends yea make them their enemies Time wil be and that not long hence when it wil more fully appear that there is nothing of moment but real Friendship with Christ and therefore certainly they who elect Christ for their friend must needs be the wisest of men yea the only wise men albeit they are not such now in the world's eye and estime 4. 4. Al by nature enemies to God in Christ This Idea of Amitie with Christ as before stated instructs us also that al men by nature are enemies to God in Christ Friendship among men as we have proved comes not from Nature but by choice Men are not borne but made friends and that by long conversation and experience grounded on some commun Likenes and Agreablenes And is there so much requisite to the constitution of friendship among men Oh! how much more then is there required to the constitution of a firme inviolable and spiritual Amitie with Christ Can a blind mind by Natures dark Lanthorne see Christ's excellences Can Free-wil by her most potent Impotence find legs to come to Christ or armes to imbrace him Can there be any Divine Amitie with Christ without some Divine Conformitie and Similitude to him And has the black deformed Rebellious and dead soul any the least ressemblance of Christ by Nature Doth not Friendship with Christ in its formal Idea import a complete Resignation and subjection to his Soverain Wil and Grace And is not the Wil of man naturally crooked perverse stubborne humorous proud inflexible and every way repugnant to Christ's wil Yea do not men naturally hate Christ and al that belongs to him his Yoke Crosse Worship Word Wayes and People It 's true some natural men having had the privilege of a good education or the Infusion of some commun graces presume they love Christ wel but had they been borne of Jews or Pagans would not the same commun motives which now induce them to love Christ have proved as powerful to work in them a more inveterate hatred against him Doth not our Lord himself assure us Luk. 11.23 He that is not with me is against me c. Whereby he strongly proves that there can be no midle state betwixt Enmitie against and Friendship with Christ such as are not friends to are enemies against him 5. 5. Al Friendship with Christ from God Hence it follows that God alone can make men friends of Christ Divine Amitie is the effect of omnipotence man may as soon give himself an Angelick Being as make himself a friend of Christ Thence saith Christ Joh. 15.16 Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you c. a Joh.
the visible Church on earth crouded with many secret enemies to who seem good friends of Christ Yea what Throngs and Crouds of Hypocrites are there now roaring in Hel who once passed for great friends of Christ in the visible Church Assuredly real Friendship with Christ is very rare and difficult It is an easie matter to be a friend in Name but O! how difficult is it to be so indeed I verily believe that one great designe of al God's Providences towards his Church is to discover the Rottennesses and Hypocrisie of false friends of Christ And I am not without great and I fear too rational fears that many of those who now passe for generally avowed friends of Christ wil one day appear to be but hollow-hearted and masqued enemies of him O that there were not too great grounds for such fears 10. 10. True friendship among men very rare From the general Idea and notion of Friendship we may collect That there is little yea very little real and solid Amitie to be found amongst men each towards other It 's true there is nothing among men more affected and commun than this stile Your Friend and yet what more rare than the Thing The Notion of Friendship is Sweet and Amiable and therefore al lay claim to it but the practice of the Thing it self is very difficult and rare especially in this self-seeking Age and therefore it is no wonder that the most of men even among those who assume to themselves the name are so much strangers to the thing Alas How few are there who do or can elect their friend for himself Wil not the most of men break with their best friends when they crosse their Humors or Interests Do not the Philosophers teach us that al true Amitie is founded in Virtue And is there any virtue beyond Friendship with Christ May we not then hence conclude That there is no true Amitie among men as men but what springs from Amitie with Christ I am strongly persuaded that there was never lesse Friendship among men as men than now adayes and the reasons to me are evident namely from the strength of mens private passions their Inordinate love to this World the Soverain prevalence of self and the decay of that ancient Simplicitie Integritie and publick-spiritednes which formerly flourished among men These I say seem to be the genuine Reasons and Causes why there now is lesse natural or civil Amitie among men than in the dayes of old 11. 11. The folie of such as refuse to make Christ their friend Hence also we may conclude That such as refuse to elect Christ for their friend are deservedly branded with the blackest marque of Fools and Mad men Is Christ indeed so amiable and eligible for himself Doth al the Glorie and perfection of the blessed Deitie dwel bodily in him Is it man's supreme Dignitie Libertie and perfection to elect and adhere to him for himself Oh then how desperately foolish how notoriously mad are al they who reject or neglect the election of such a friend Alas what is it to have al the World thy friend if Christ be thine enemie Wil not al the Glorie of this fading world at the last conflagration be burnt up and contracted into its first nothing at least as to matter of happines What canst thou be said to have or enjoy if thou wantest Christ How poor would thy gain be if al the earth were thine and Christ not thine But on the contrarie what a blessed losse is that if thou shouldest lose al things to gain Christ Are not al things without Christ nothing and nothing with Christ as good as al things Is it not notorious folie for a rational soul to hunger after the jejune emtie pleasures of a vexatious World and to neglect the Divine suavities and delices of an increated eternal Good Doth it not argue a sottish bewitched mind to stand gazing on a blasted Sun-burnt flour of sensible good and mean-while to turne the back on the Sun of Righteousnes that first Light and Beautie Alas Alas that Rational creatures should be so raving mad as to lavish their Affections on such deformed Harlots and black Idols of clay and yet find so little love for the best friend that ever was O the Monstrous folie O the unconceivable madnes of blind sinners That Beautie it self should have so few eyes gazing on it that the supreme eternel most comprehensive most diffusive most permanent and best good should have so few hearts fettered and chained to it That he who is the wonder of Heaven and Earth the only Beloved of the Father should have so little share in the hearts of men O bewitched fools O blind souls What ails you that such an incomparable friend is despised by you How comes it to passe that you are so desperately mad as to part with your love and souls for mere nothing When wil men â—e wise SECT 2. A practick Improvement of this Doctrine touching Amitie with Christ in order to the conviction of secure sinners who reject Christ Use 1 Of conviction to secure sinners who mind not Friendship with Christ HAving dispatched the Doctrinal Corollaries we now procede to some practick Improvements of this great Doctrine touching Friendship with Christ And the first great practick Vse I would make of this Doctrine is of convincement to secure sinners who neither Mind nor Affect this great concerne of Divine Amitie with Christ This Vse I shal branch forth into two parts 1. The conviction of the Sin 2. The conviction of the Miserie of such as neither mind nor Affect Friendship with Christ 1. 1. The Aggravation of this Sin not to mind friendship with Christ mesured To convince secure sinners of their sin in rejecting or neglecting Friendship with Christ we may consider its Aggravations both in regard of its Object Subject Formal Nature and Effects 1. 1. By its Object The Aggravations and weight of this sin wil greatly appear if we seriously weigh and consider the Object against which it strikes For it is a Maxime evident to the Light of Nature and so universally granted by al considerate persons That the Aggravation of an offense is to be mesured by the Object or Person against whom it is committed Now then let us consider what there is in Christ that Aggravates their sin who refuse Divine Amitie with him 1. 1. It is against Christ the alone Author of life Is not Christ the alone Spring and Source of Spiritual life Can any but Christ give life to dead souls Did he not die that dead sinners might live Is not his bloud a Soverain balsame for wounded bleeding souls O then how comes it to passe that bleeding dying sinners reject him who is the alone Soverain physician of Souls Was it ever known that a condemned Rebel refused to be reconciled to and receive a pardon from his Soverain Prince Is it possible that a wretched Malefactor hung up in Chains
first conjugal Election of him Col. 2.6 2. 2. Advice to the Friends of Christ to repete daily their first Election of Christ ANother piece of Admonition and Advice for the Friends of Christ in order to their living up to their professed Amitie with him is daily to revive and repete their first Election of and closure with Christ And O that I had Affections Expressions and Opportunitie to presse home this great piece of Sacred Advice on the friends of Christ What can there be said of greater moment for the Preservation The Benefits of such repeted elections of Christ Improvement and Perfection of our Friendship with Christ than this that our Hearts be frequently yea daily and deeply engaged in this great Fundamental and Vital Act of Electing and closing with Christ 1. 1. As to gradual separation from sin self the World and Law Did not this solemne Election of Christ at first make that happie divorce between the Heart and Sin with al other Christ's Enemies And is not the Heart daily more alienated from Sin and Self and the World and the Law by such revived closures with Christ Doth not the prevalence and predominance of spiritual pride carnal Confidence Self-love Earthly-mindednes Hypocrisie with other spiritual lusts arise from our defects of such renewed closures with Christ e Be not discouraged at broken and spilt Resolutions but to it and to it again Wooe about Christ ' til ye get your soul espoused as a chast Virgin to him Rutherf Is there any thing that doth more effectively quench the flames of violent passions or break the impetuous force of unmortified Dispositions and irregular Inclinations than fresh Adherences to and Recumbences on Christ What more efficaciously shuts the door of the Heart against the Blandissements and Inveiglements of an Heart-bewitching world than to have it laid open for Christ and the election of him Is not the Heart also by such fresh espousements of Christ more powerfully rent from the Law as a Covenant of works This seems to be the import of our Saviors exhortation Mat. 7.13 14. Mat. 7.13 14. Enter ye in at the strait gate c. i. e. Make it your daily work to bid Adieu to al Beloved Idol-friends which are enemies to Christ get your Hearts every day more and more stript of and rent from Sin Self the World and the Law as a Covenant And how may this be accomplished but by more continued Election of and Adhesion to Christ The Strait Gate takes in not only Aversion from Idol-friends but also Conversion to Christ our best friend and the daily Repetition of the latter gives no sinal perfection to the former The Heart is never turned more effectually from sin self the world and Law than when it is most firmely and frequently turned to Christ 2. 2. As to the confirmation or our union with Christ This repeted and daily Election of Christ is that which Corrâ—borates and confirmes the Soul's bond of Vnion or Covenant of Amitie with Christ For what is it that first knits the Heart in a Covenant of Friendship with Christ Is it not the Believers Election of Christ as his friend And doth not the Repetition of the same Election mightily confirme and strengthen this bond of Vnion Cant. 2.16 Thus it was with the Spouse Cant. 2.16 my Beloved is mine and I am his Here she makes a fresh and solemne espousement of or conjugal Covenant with Christ As if she had said He is wholly for me and shal not I be wholly for him and for non other Hos 3.3 He has given me a large room in his Heart and shal not I give him a Regal Throne in mine heart Is he content with me poor sinful unworthy me and shal not I be content with Him most excellent alsufficient incomparable Him Thus by repeted election of Christ she strengthens her union with him Is not the Heart hereby kept close to Christ and thence Christ kept close to the Heart Do not such repeted frequent Elections of Christ bring the soul into a more intimate and firme Adhesion unto Him so that the Heart cannot be long absent from Christ nor Christ long absent from the Heart 3. 3. As to the Radication of Grace Such reiterated and frequent Elections of Christ do greatly radicate and Strengthen the Root of Habitual Grace in the Heart According to the mesure of our actual Dependence on Christ and his Impartment of Grace to us such is the Vigor and Strength of Habitual Grace Now this reiterated Election of Christ is that which brings the soul into the most Absolute Dependence on Christ and engageth him to give forth the most efficacious influences of his Grace The more we Elect Christ the more we depend on him and the more we depend on him the more we receive from him in point of Grace So Col 2.6 Col. 2 6 7. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus so walk ye in him i. e. keep up the same frame of spirit towards Christ wherewith ye first received him be much in the repetition of your first election of him A Christians coversion-work is never at an End ' til his life be at an end His new-birth is never perfectly over so long as he continues in this imperfect life He ought daily to enter in at the strait Gate that so he may walk in the narrow way Mat. 7.13 14. Peter had a second Conversion after his great Relapse into that sin of denying his Lord And so the friends of Christ have their Second Third Fourth c. Conversions as to fresh turnings from sin unto God Can'st thou remember with what frame of spirit thou first receivedst Christ What deep convictions and feeling sense of sin thou hadst What breaches for and from sin were made on thy soul What solemne closures with Christ thy soul made Why then as thou at first didst receive Christ so walk in him keep up the same frame and posture of spirit towards sin and Christ And what follows V. 7. Rooted and built up in him and stablished in the Faith The Radication of Grace and the establishment of the soul in faith depends on our walking in Christ as we first received him i. e. on the fresh Election of him 4. 4 As to the Enlargement of Affections This repeted Espousement of Christ is that which gives us an huge enlargement of Affections towards Christ Oh! What strong and raised desires after Christ What Intimate and inviolable Embracements of Christ in the Armes of Love What Infinite Satisfaction and Complacence in his Presence What bitter Lamentations and mournings after him in his absence What Infinite thirsts and longings for as also lively Hopes of his Returne And what Implacable zele against whatever may oppose Christ would his friends have were they much in this repeted Election of Christ The Love of Espousals and kindnes of youth which young Converts give unto Christ is usually most