This Faith comes from this Living Fountain this Living Root and Foundation Christ within the Hope of Glory This would make Christendom as the Garden of Eden and the Paradice of God but Christendom is now become a barren Wilderness there is little true Faith found among them The Lord hath some even a remnant that love and fear him and that are near and dear to him that have a True and Living Faith in the Lord Jesus but they are as a Cluster of Grapes in a barren Wilderness but the rest are as a Thorn-Hedge My Friends Is Christ ascended into Heaven Let us by Faith ascend and dwell with Christ in Heaven let our Faith ascend to Christ in Heaven and let our Meditation ascend to Christ in Heaven and let our Hearts and our Affections ascend to Christ in Heaven while we are in the Body and in the Wilderness of this World yet in our Minds and Affections let us be with Christ in Heaven and let us witness with the Apostle That our Conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body according to the Working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself They looked for the last Appearance of his glorified Body and they looked for his daily coming into their Hearts I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you How will he come unto them By daily renewed Incomes of his Spiritual Life and Light and Divine Power He knew they would have but little Meetings at first yet he encourageth these little Meetings Where two or three are gathered together in my Name I will be in the midst of them It is not limited to a great number the Promise is to Two or three as well as to an hundred or many hundreds If a Man be in his House alone or if he be on the Top of a Mountain or by the Side of a River in Prayer if he be a true Disciple of Christ and takes up his Cross and follows him he shall find the Holy Spirit present with him If a Man love me saith Christ he will keep my Words John 14.23 and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our Abode with him So that here is a daily coming From whence From Heaven Here is a daily Coming from Heaven of Christ's Descending from Heaven The Father Son and Holy Spirit will come from Heaven to a true Believer and make their abode with him We must not understand this coming so grosly as if the Father Son and Holy Spirit should leave Heaven and come and dwell with the Sons of Men. What is this coming then It is the Heavenly Influences the Heavenly Powers and Heavenly Vertues like Heavenly Rains the Heavenly Gifts and Manifestations of the Lord Jesus by his Blessed Spirit in our Hearts So then Friends I beseech you observe these following Words which are of the like Import and concern to every one of us The Word is nigh thee this is the Command saith Moses which I command thee this Day this Word is not hidden from thee neither is far off it is not in Heaven that thou shouldst say Who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it How may we be sure it is God's Command as well as the most known and revealed Truth It was a Command to them I say to them to believe that Christ was to come in the Flesh they were to obey that Commandment the Word of Christ in their Hearts the word of Faith the word of Righteousness the word of Reconciliation to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was to die for Sinners In the Time of the Law and before the Time of the Law they were to believe that Christ was to come and die for them and shed his Blood for them Heb. 11.1 Faith is the Substance of Things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen Now from the beginning of the World all that long Trace of Time between Adam and Moses for about Four thousand Years they lived by that Faith they hoped for Christ's Coming and had got an infallible Assurance that God would forgive them their Sins and receive them graciously into his Hands when they should come to die and go out of this earthly Tabernacle of the Body and give them an abundant Entrance into his Everlasting Kingdom the Paradise above But why is this Word called the Commandment in the singular Number I will tell you because one Word not many is comprehensive of all God's Commandments be acquainted with this word in thy Heart and it will learn thee all God's Commandments It will teach you all that can be preached from the Holy Scriptures This Word of God that is in your Hearts is comprehensive of all Then you will object and say What need I have any outward Preaching I will sit at home and only mind the Light within the Word that is nigh and in my Heart No that is a great Mistake to say there is no need of outward Preaching many things are greatly profitable that are not of absolute necessity I do not say the Bible is of such absolute neceâ—sity that if Men should take the Bible from us we must perish for want of it God forbid If we should be banished into Turky and they should be so cruel as to take our Bibles from us as they do other Goods and think to bring us over to their Religion this word of Faith in our Hearts will bring to our Remembrance what is written in the Holy Scriptures so that the Bible is a necessary and profitable outward Help but not of such absolute Necessity that we must be undone for ever and perish without it This word of Life that is in thy Heart will preserve thee from perishing eternally O be acquainted with it If a Time should come that there should be no Meetings no outwatd Preaching or Hearing or that we should be shut up in Prison and see the Face of Man no more yet this word of God in our Hearts will teach us and witness the love of God to us in our dying Moments and we shall feel our departing Souls in the Hands of the Lord and may say with our Redeemer Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit O what Joy will this be to us in a dying Hour Now what is it that gives this Knowledge Understanding and Assurance to us The word of Faith in the Heart It may well be called the word of Faith An hypocritical Faith is a Faith without Charity Love and Obedience All Faith is false that is not grounded upon this Word of God it is needful to be preached this inward Word this Word of God within how doth it reconcile us to God It reconcileth us to God by opening of the Mysâ—ery of Christ Jesus and discovering to us
as a High Priest and Propitiation for Sin as an Advocate as an Intercessor and as the Attonement we must see our absolute need of him in order to our obtaining Eternal Salvation Christ is both the Priest and the Sacrifice the Priest that offers and the Attonement that is offered O glorious Mystery that he who is our great high Priest should offer himself The Priests under the Law offered other things â—s the Body and Blood of a Beast but Christ offered himself he gave himself a Ransom for us he offered his own Blood his own Life he made his Soul an Offering for Sin he offered himself Soul and Body a compleat Offering not his Body only but his Soul and Body also he offered himself through the eternal Spirit Before Christ can be thus embraced and sought after as a Hiding-place there must be a Preparation going before And it is prophesied of him A Man shall be a Hiding-place the Man Christ Jesus No Man but he can be a Hiding-place from the Storm and Tempest And as the Shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land And it is prophesied of him again He shall be our Peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land What Man is this And who is this Assyrian It is an Allegory or Metaphor The King of Assyria you know invaded the Land and carried away the ten Tribes The King of Assyria by way of Metaphor or Allegory is he that seeks to destroy our Souls and make havock of them Christ shall be our Peace When the Assyrian comes into our Land to spoil us and destroy us the Man Christ Jesus shall be our Defence How through Faith in him he shall be our Hiding-place and our Defence and as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land We must fly unto him by Faith and our Faith must not stand in the wisdom of the words of Men but in the power of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the true Foundation he is the true Ground and sure Footing for every one of our Faith The mighty Power of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ opening and revealing to our Souls the great Mysteries of our Salvation Christ is called the Power of God and the Wisdom of God The Jews require a Sign and the Greeks seek after Wisdom but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a Stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolishness but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God Doth Paul preach two Christs No by no means neither Prophet Apostle or Evangelist preach two Christs as if Christ within were one Christ and Christ without another Christ The Man Christ Jesus that died a painful and shameful Death upon the Cross in whom all Fulness dwells the Fulness of the Godhead bodily he is the living powerful eternal Word that had the Spirit without measure which is in measure in us he is but one Christ one compleat and intire Christ But some may say Why doth the Apostle Paul call Christ the Power of God and the wisdom of God I answer plainly because the fulness of the divine power and wisdom dwelt in Christ and dwells in him so that through our Faith in him we receive such a measure of the divine wisdom and power as we need in order to have the work of our Salvation wrough out to have it begun carried on and finish'd There are two things that we greatly need that we absolutely and indispensibly need Wisdom and Power We need a measure of God's Wisdom of heavenly and divine Wisdom to make known to us the whole Will Counsel and Mind of God for our Salvation for all that we can read in the holy Scriptures and other good Books and all that we have preached to us from time to time can never suffice to give us the true Knowledge of the will and mind of God in order to our Salvation unless we be supplied with divine Wisdom from above unless we be inwardly inspired endued and inlightned with the Spirit of Wisdom and Knowledge from God and Christ Jesus We need a measure of the divine Spirit and of the divine Wisdom to teach and instruct us concerning the Mind and Will and Counsel of God concerning our Salvation not by Piece-meal and in Parts but we must know the whole Mind and Counsel of God as much as is needful to our Salvation to have it wrought in us David was sensible of this when he thus prayed Teach me to do thy Will O God teach me thy Judgments Psal 119.108 And teach me thy Statutes vers 64. teach me by thy good Spirit But some there are that are ignorant and self-conceited which are ready to say What need we pray after this manner Did not David know God's Precepts and Statutes He had them upon his Memory and upon his Heart But for all the knowledge that he had of God's Precepts yet he needed further to be taught and instructed in the depth of the Mystery of divine Wisdom and Knowledge therefore in respect of the Commandments and Statutes of God he prays Lord teach me thy Precepts teach me thy Statutes and Testimonies and Judgments We need the Teachings of the Spirit of God which is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation The Apostle prays thus for the Ephesians 1 chapter 17 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him The eyes of our understandings being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his Power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the Dead and set him at his own right Hand in the Heavenly places We need a measure of the Divine Wisdom that dwels in all fullness in Christ He that was Crucified and buryed rose again and Ascended into Heaven and is now there in that prepared Body wonderfully Glorified but not another Body it â— the same Body but now impassible not subject to suffering or Bodily weaknesses aâ— Hunger Thirst Sleep or Wearyness hiâ— Body is not now passible or obnoxious to any kind of Suffering Secondly Another thing we greatly need is Power these two Wisdom and Power do in a manner comprehend and contain all our needs We want the Instruction of Divine Wisdom to give us understanding and knowledge to know the Mind of God to know the whole Will and Counsel of God to know our Duty to God and what the Lord requires of us and what the Lord Christ requires of us in order to our Eternal Happyness And then we want Power as well as Wisdom if God should give us Wisdom and Understanding and Councel to know what we ought to do and withhold Power from
in Christendom is not the true Faith Why Because they have not these Fruits Love is a Fruit of the Spirit where is Love amongst them Where Love is there will not be Backbiting Heartburnings Jealousies Surmises and uncharitable judging one another No where Love is these things will not be but Love Joy and Peace Peace with God and Peace with one another and nothing but Peace and good will even towards all Then our Swords will be beaten into Plowshears and our Spears into Pruning-hooks and Men will learn War no more That there is so much strife and contention in Christendom it is because true Lov◠is wanting among Men and true Faith is also wanting But there are a Remnant that have tru◠Faith that worketh by Love but this noble Faith and Love and the rest of the Fruits o◠the Spirit are greatly wanting amongst the generality of the Professors of Christianity I◠is by Faith that we come to be ingrafted into Christ the true Vine and abide in him and bring forth much Fruit. It is by unbelief that Men are severed from Christ and not abiding in him they are cast forth as Branches that are withered and then cast into the Fire and burned O great is the hurt of unbelief and great is the benefit of true Faith He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit Eph. 4.10 11. saith the Apostle Christ when he Ascended upon high he led Captivity Captive and gave Gifts unto Men. He that first descended into the lower parts of the Earth is the same that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come into the unity of the Faith and the knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carryed about with every Wind of Doctrine by the sleight of Men and cunning craftyness whereby they lie 〈◊〉 wait to deceiave Hence observe the manner of the Speech and Phrase used by the Holy Ghost all these are for edifying the Body of Christ till we come unto the unity of the Faith and knowledg of the Son of God to a perfect Man All Believers make up one perfect Man where Christ is the Head and Believers are the Members Let thy progress be never so great thou canst not come to equality with Christ he hath the fulness of the God-head dwelling in him Bodily we can come only to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ now the greatest and higest measure is but a measure Consider what is Written Rom. 11.24 The Jews that were natural branches were cut off from Christ the good Olive Tree through unbelief What was their unbelief They did not believe in Christ Jesus the Son of Man they did not believe in him that was born of a Virgin to be the Prophet that God promised to his People they did not believe the Man Christ Jesus to be the true Messiah that God had promised to send to put an end to the Types and Figures and shadows of the Law and to their new Moons and solemn Feasts and to Circumcision and to the Passover and to put an end to the offering up of outward Sacrifices and the shedding of the Blood of the Sacrifices that so their Sins might be forgiven them for without shedding of Blood there is no Remission It was not the Blood of Beasts that wer◠offered in Sacrifice could take away Sin Why Because these were only Representations and Symbols to help the People's weakness and to present Christ to their Eyes and suited to their weak State which is compared to the state of a Child This was the Reason they received not Christ outwardly and the Unbelief of the Jews was great in that because they did not receive Christ into their Hearts in his Spiritual Appearance but they received him neither inwardly nor outwardly Whosoever reject Christ outwardly they reject him inwardly and whosoever receive Christ inwardly and sincerely they also receive him outwardly to be the great Sacrifice for their Sins they own his priestly Office for the Remission of Sins through the Blood of the Covenant they do admire the wonderful Design and Contrivance of the Wisdom of God in the great Work of Man's Redemption they adore and admire the Mercy and Love of God his Power and Justice Holiness Wisdom Goodness Faithfulness and Truth in that glorious Contrivance that he should send his Dear Son to die for the Sins of Men and take our Nature and Sin upon him and be made a Curse for us and take the Curse from us and to be made Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him He was wounded for our Transgressions bruised for our Iniquities the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his Stripes we are healed Isa 53.5 Who his own self bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree that we being dead to Sin should live unto Righteousness He was made Sin for us saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. How was Christ made Sin for us Sin that is a Sin-offering He became an Offering for Sin They that are Branches in the true Vine and grafted into Christ receive heavenly Sap and Moisture from him We must believe that Christ died for our Sins we must believe that he was made a Curse for us and that he shed his Blood for the Remission of our Sins We must believe this weighty Testimony This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to die for Sinners and to shed his Blood for Sinners as well as inwardly to appear in the Hearts of Sinners A Work that was a most necessary Work for the Redeeming Renewing Sanctifying and Cleansing of us from all Sins So my Friends true Faith in Christ receives him with all his Benefits receives him both in his outward and bodily Appearance as manifest in the Flesh and also in his Spiritual Appearance and coming into our Hearts and by true Faith in him we come to be ingrafted into him and receive Sap and Moisture and heavenly Influence from him who is the true generous and Noble Vine Our blessed Lord here holds forth a wonderful Mystery in these few Words I am th◠true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit he taketh away and every Branch that beareth Fruit he purgeth
that Counsel that is here given to the Church of the Thessalonians Prove all things Try all things prove Men's Ways prove Men's Words prove Men's Doctrines prove Men's Principles I question not but you are such an understanding People that I need not say much to you I hope you are come to that exercise of Mind that you will take care not to be led aside not to be prevailed upon by the fair Speeches of any but that you make it your business rightly to come to know how to prove all things that offer themselves to your Consideration which I told you are of a religious Concern and are such things wherein the Salvation of our Souls are concerned That which we must come to prove things by is that which I have next to mention among you this a Man cannot do except it be given him from above We cannot prove things as we ought we cannot try things nor search into things except we know a receiving something from above A Man can receive nothing except it be given to him by God from above You and I have not that Knowledge that Ability that Understanding to Prove all things and hold fast that which is good until I receive the Gift of God I cannot do it And as it hath been often told you God hath been pleased to give so much of his Grace and of his good Spirit as he hath seen good but some have not received this heavenly Gift But some may ask me What I mean by receiving it By receiving I mean when this good Gift is given and bestowed upon Men they are joyned to it and made one with it As it hath pleased God to give to every one of us a measure of his Grace and Spirit There are diverse Names it is but one and the same thing if we have received the Gift from above let us keep to it and abide in it then as we abide in this Gift in this good Spirit then are we in a State and Condition to prove all things It is a true saying of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned You see your Calling Brethren how that not many wise Men after the Flesh not many Mighty not many Noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the Wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought the things that are The Apostle speaking to the Church of Corinth saith Hath not God made foolish the Wisdom of this World for after that in the Wisdom of God the World by Wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe for the Jews require a Sign and the Greeks seek after Wisdom but we preach Christ Crucified to the Jews a Stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God If any saith the Apostle would be wise let him become a Fool that he may be wise Let us lay aside all our own Parts and Wisdom and come to the Gift of God in our own Souls and to the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Friends my Charity is such I am so persuaded of you all I am satisfied that God hath been so merciful to you all as to enlighten your Minds and open your Understandings that you are among a seeking People walking towards Sion with your Faces thitherward I do not question but you may meet with many things which may sometimes put you in doubt and make you to question your Condition that you do not well know what to do yet in the midst of all your Troubles there there is something in your own Souls and Consciences that will not let you be quiet till you come to be in some measure like those the Apostle exhorts to Prove all things and hold fast that which is good It is good for all Christian People to be examining themselves in reference to Religious matters that do concern the Salvation of their Souls I count those that are seeking Men and Women to be in this holy Exercise the Grace of God which is in their Hearts will put them upon it as it is in Dan. 12.4 They shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased But it is fallen out in our Days that Iniquity doth abound and Wickedness encreaseth That which I have further to mention is this That you will be sure to keep to the Gift of God and when you come to know what is good that you hold it fast when you are upon searching or trying any Man's Doctrine if it be sound hold it fast if it be not sound meddle not with it But some may put this Question How shall we be further satisfied We may be discomposed in our Minds and possibly be in a maze and in great straits that we cannot keep so close to the Gift of God as we ought to do Is there nothing elsâ— that may be assistant and helpful to us I answer yes God hath been pleased to afford us another Help the Holy Scriptures The Bereans they did search the Scriptures whether those things were so You that are a seeking enquiring People examine and prove all things according to the Gift of God which is given to you and see whether any Doctrine that is preached to you be according to the Holy Scriptures If any Man preach any other Doctrine the Apostle passeth a severe Sentence against them 1 Gal. 7.8 There be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ but though we or an Angel from Heaven preach another Gospel to you than that which we have preached let him be accursed It is the Lord 's great and abundant Mercy that he hath graciously vouchsafed the Holy Scriptures of Truth to be preserved through all Ages and to be translated and turned into their own Language when we are in doubt or at a loss we may go to the Law and the Testimony there it no contrariety between the Lord 's Teaching and the Holy Scriptures Therefore let us prove Men's Sayings and be not like many in our Days that take things upon Trust It is good to be striving as much as in us lies to prove every thing wherein the Salvation of our Souls is concerned and to hold fast that which is good This ought to be our Care and there is a great deal required after we have examined and proved and found out what is good there are many things to hinder us and turn us out of the
run as to obtain the Crown Let it plainly appear that you are Followers of Christ then you must deny your selves and take up his Cross and follow him Let it be our care not to love any thing not to love our selves more than we love the Lord Jesus Christ We live in a Day wherein there is so much Vanity and Pride Oppression Unholiness and Contempt of true Religion and the power of Godliness and other crying Sins that it seems to me as if the end of all things were at hand as our Saviour hath foretold that near the end of the World Iniquity should abound and the love of many wax cold If your love to Christ my Friends is sincere you will love one another If you love me saith Christ then keep my Commandments by this shall all Men know that you are my Disciples if you have love one to another John 13.35 If we have a sincere love to Christ we shall love one another and we shall find that love will cover a multitude of Sins When we see any Man falls short of what he ought to do we shall be concerned for him and pity him if he be wanting in his Duty towards God or towards Man we shall not be severe in censuring him but when we reprove him or admonish him it shall be in love and with a spirit of Meekness and as the Apostle speaks Rom. 12.10 We shall be kindly affectioned one to another with Brotherly love preferring one another This was the practice of the Primitive Christians who were inflamed with a holy zeal for God and love to one another shewâ—ng forth the Vertues of Christ in a Conversation becoming the Gospel let us follow them who were Followers of Christ who through Faith and Patience do inherit the Promises and then we shall say with the Apostle For us to live is Christ and to die is gain If I live in the Flesh saith Paul this is the fruit of my labour yet what I shall chuse I wot not for I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better 1 Tim. 4.6 I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing Thus if we fight the good Fight with the Apostle and follow the Captain of our Salvation we shall be more than Conquerors through him that loved us Jesus Christ the Righteous who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who only hath Immortality dwelling in the Light which no Man can approach unto whom no Man hath seen nor can see to whom be Honour and Power everlasting Amen A SERMON Preached by Charles Harris At Harp-Lane November 4th 1694. There is nothing so comfortable in this lower world as to be satisfyed by the spirit of God that we are saved by the Lord Jesus from the wrath to come and therefore all who are waiting to dwell in the sense of this comfort they should work out their own salvation with fear and trembling knowing that it is God which worketh in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure There are many People desire to be saved from the wrath to come but they would be saved in their own wayes not considering rightly that There is no Name given under Heaven whereby men can be saved but the Name of Jesus This then have I found to be the great lesson which I and others ought to learn how we are saved by Jesus and delivered from the wrath to come the Angel that was sent from Heaven unto Joseph speaking concerning Mary the Mother of our Lord Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost And she shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his People from their Sins Now observe what the lesson is that we have in these words he shall save his People from their Sins it is a saying worthy to be observed and possibly may the inquirer say who is it that belongs to Christ Because the word saith he shall save his People from their Sins our Saviour is very intent upon this matter No man cometh unto me saith he except my Father which hath sent me draw him Here is one of the marks and tokens that thou belongst unto Christ that is one that the Angel spake of He shall save his People from their Sins Again saith our Saviour concerning his Church and People in his Prayer to his Father John 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me How shall we understand this saying Thine they were that is they were under thy preparation they were under the stirrings of thy power and under thy awakenings before they came to believe in me Observe again Thine they were and thou gavest them me How doth God the Father give Believers unto Christ he gave them unto Christ to receive the promise of the Father made in Christ For in him are all the promises yea and Amen Then again here is your comfort what our Saviour further expresseth in his Heavenly Prayer Those that thou gavest me I have kept â—nd none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition that the Scripture might be fullfilled Are you under or have you known the drawings of the Father to bring you unto Christ that is are you made sensible of the want of Christ The spouse was under the drawings of the Father before she found Christ I will rise now and go about the City saith the Spouse I will seek him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not The Watchmen found me to whom I said Saw ye him whom my Soul loveth I charge ye O ye Daughters of Jerusalem if ye find my Beloved that ye tell him that I am sick of Love What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved O thou fairest among Women what is thy Beloved more than another Beloved that thou dost so charge us My Beloved is White and Ruddy the chiefest of Ten Thousand Thus she was prepared for Christ who had inflamed her with his love and drawn her desires after him It is said concerning John the Baptist He Preached the Baptism of Repentance for the Remission of Sins making ready a People for the Lord. This is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Esaias the Voice of one Crying in the Wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord make his Paths straight There was a stirring from Heaven among the People when the Baptist came Preaching Repent for the Kingdom of Heâ—ven is at hand they were prepared to receiâ— his ministration so when People come to 〈◊〉