THE BEST MATCH OR The Believer's Marriage with Christ A SERMON On the Parable of the Marriage of the King's Son Mat. 22.1 2 c. Preached at Potters Pury in Northamptonshire September the 29th 1690. By MICHAEL HARRISON Minister of Casfield in Bucks To which is added four Hymns I. An Hymn of Praises to God for giving Christ II. To Christ for redeeming us III. To God for the Gospel IV. The Believer's Groans for Sion's Deliverance I Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not Son of God hath not Life London Printed for Nathanael Ranew at the King's-Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1691. THE PREFACE THIS Heavenly Sermon invites Souls to come to Christ that Spiritual Feast that best of Feasts costly to the Provider free to the Comer Christ was crucified to make a Feast for us but it crucifies him afresh that many who are affectionately invited will not come They will be starv'd before they will come to this Feast They will be damn'd before they will come to Christ Alas that they should perish when Life is so near But they that do come find by blessed Experience that his Flesh is Meat indeed and his Blood Drink indeed There is 1. Calling 2. Coming 3. Vnion 4. Communion Calling is twofold Outward Inward Outward Calling is by the Gospel and Gospel-Ministry Inward Calling is twofold Ineffectual Effectual The inward ineffectual Call leaves the Soul in worse state than it found it The quenching of the Sparks of Heaven is the kindling the Flames of Hell And they fall deepest into Hell that fall backwards into Hell The inward effectual Calling is when a Soul comes to Christ that is believing Joh. 6.35 This Coming or believing determins effectual Calling and begins Vnion This Vnion is the ground of Communion which on the Soul's part is a partaking of all such spiritual good things as are purchased by the Blood of Christ for Believers There is nothing that the corrupt Nature of Man is more averse to than Christ and Faith in Christ There are no Quarrels commenc'd by the World Flesh and Devil against any Grace so much as against justifying Faith nor against any Ordinance so much as that which Faith comes by which is the sound and plain preaching of the Gospel Rom. 10.17 Through Self-Fulness and Spiritual Distempers it comes to pass that there is no Appetite in the Soul after Christ but this Spirital Feast is loathed By others Christ is respected only as a remote cause of Salvation They will not allow Justification by Faith in Christ's Blood without the Deeds of the Law they will not come to Christ unless they can make him a Present As if it were not enough to be Joynt-Heirs with Christ unless they might be Joynt-Purchasers also But the Word saith Come for all things are now ready i. e. in Christ Luk. 14.17 Come without Money and without Price Isa 55.1 Only Come Q. Is not this presuming A. Nothing is more contrary to Presumption that this For 1. It is the greatest piece of Self-denial There is no Humility like Faith 2. It is taking the Lord at his Word Obj. This believing is a slight matter Answ It is a senseless and a vile Objection And to speak as the truth is People do but trifle in Soul-matters till they are effectually humbled and chastised by the Spirit of Bondage It is a great thing for a Man with the Heart to believe unto Righteousness Such a poor Creature is made first to know himself to be a very miserable lost undone helpless sinking perishing Wretch and so to know himself as to abhor himself and so to abhor himself as to deny himself and so to deny himself as to cast himself into the saving Arms of an only Saviour which were stretched upon the Cross and are spread wide open in the Promises of the Gospel to embrace any wretched Sinner as will fall into them This is done by Divine Light and Power The Spirit convinces the Father draws And Oh how the Soul cries pants yearns after Christ O nothing but Christ Nothing but Christ It can never be satisfied till it come into that blessed Bosom where the weary are at rest This breeds Repentance secures Obedience The Repentance is evangelical that Obedience filial The Terrors of the Law break the Heart into hard pieces the Love of Christ melts it and makes it flow like Water And the Soul that hath learned Christ to be her Righteousness finds him to be her Strength also Isa 45.24 In a word Christ is all He hath done all he hath suffered all and he must have the Glory of every part of our Salvation God will have his Son honoured Sinners Sinners Come to Christ Know that there is no Salvation but by Christ neither is there any Salvation by Christ but in Christ Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting Salvation Isa 45.17 Let nothing come between the Graff and the Stock Touch close upon the Foundation Let the whole weight of your Salvation lie upon that Foundation which God hath laid and not Man You are lost and undone come as such to Christ Come to a Saviour as to a Saviour he will receive you joyfully Will you not come O Come confess your Sins and that you are guilty to Vnexcusableness O Lord I cannot answer for what I have done I cannot bear what I have deserved But I appeal to the Blood of Christ Thy Justice might be glorified in mine eternal Destruction but it could never be satisfied but the Blood of Christ hath both glorified and satisfied thy Justice O let Christ's Blood go for mine Oh sprinkle my Conscience with the Blood of Christ Lie in Dust and Ashes and cry for the Blood of Sprinkling O Lord revive among us the Doctrine of free Grace the work of Conversion the Power of Religion and the Spirit of Brotherly-Kindness and Charity And now may we see the King of Kings and Lord of Lords sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up and his Train filling the Temple Now let him be exalted and extolled and be very high Now let him be great to the Ends of the Earth And blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel who only doth wonderous things And blessed be his glorious Name for ever and let the whole Earth be filled with his Glory Amen and Amen The Author's Advertisment to the Reader THe Reader is desired to take notice that the following Sermon was preached to a Country-Congregation without the least design of ever being made publick But some of the then Hearers being very earnest for a Copy of the Author's Notes with leave to print it the Author who was at first unwilling having no desire to be seen in Print yet at last condescended to give a Copy leaving it to their choice whether to make it publick or no. The Subject is Christ the very Subject of the Gospel If the Lord please to bless it to win over any Souls to
for ever And this cannot be better expressed than in the Words of that Learned and Godly Divine Mr. William Pemble in his Book called Vindiciae Gratiae For the habit of Grace in the Regenerate we affirm that it is constant abiding for ever in them in whom it is once planted so that he that is once converted cannot so shake off the Grace of his first as to need a second Conversion and a Sinner once raised from Death unto Christ through the infusion of spiritual Life he dies no more but lives for ever to the Glory of God As appears from that of the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.2 3. What is this Seed by which we are born again 't is not the Word either alone or principally considered because that is the Instrument no it 's by the power of the Spirit without which the Word is but a dead Sound So then this Seed is the Power or Vertue of the Holy Ghost But why is this Seed called incorruptible in respect of itself it is so but it 's so stiled in this place in respect of the effect it produces quatenus Semen it produceth Fruit like it self incorruptible and immortal We are not born of corruptible Seed for that perisheth and what is born of it but of incorruptible that lives and endures for ever and so what ever is born of it is immortal this quickning Power of the Spirit lives for ever not only in it self but in us also therefore a Soul once in Christ by renewing Grace can never finally fall away 3. Others say That the Apostle speaks here only by way of Supposition If these fall away it 's impossible to renew them c. but they can never fall away But 4. Others say These were but the common workings of the Spirit upon the Hearts of Hypocrites and these come nearest to the Sense and it must be confest Hypocrites may go a great way in Religion and have even some Taste and Relish of the Things of God in their Spirits as appears in the Stony-ground-Hearers take heed Reader thou beest not an Hypocrite Mat. 13.20 they are said to receive the Word with Joy and yet not any saving Grace in their Souls But 5. Others expound this Scripture of those extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit Christians had in the Apostles days such as the Gift of Healing speaking with Tongues c. These extraordinary Gifts were from the Spirit And no doubt such as had any of these miraculous Gifts were much pleased and delighted with them and many that had them perished as may appear from comparing these Scriptures Mat. 7.21 22 23 24. Gal. 3.3 4. And this I humbly conceive to be the Sense of this Scripture O it 's dreadful to sin against Light against Convictions to live under a Gospel-Ministry and get no good by it But now these excepted Jesus Christ is offered to all in the visible Church and all are freely invited to come in as in the Text. Now these free and general Offers see in these two Scriptures Isa 55.1 2 3. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters and he that hath no Mony come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without Mony and without Price c. and Rev. 22.17 The Spirit saith Come and the Bride saith Come and whoever is athirst and will let him come and take of the Water of Life freely 5thly But in a peculiar manner tho Jesus Christ be offered in general to all yet he is particularly offered to such as are wounded and afflicted in Soul for Sin and these alone are the Persons that will welcome a Saviour Luke 5.31 32. The whole need not a Physician but those that are sick 't is the wounded Soul that needs a Plaister the sick Soul that needs a Physician the Prisoner that needs a Redeemer the lost Sinner that needs a Saviour Now if there be in this Congregation any trembling bleeding wounded Spirits that are with the Jaylor crying What shall I do to be saved O ten thousand Worlds if I had them for a Christ c. To such is the Word of this Salvation sent Poor Soul here 's a Christ for thee be of good chear arise he calls thee hear what he saith unto thee Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Thirdly What is it to come to Christ to believe in Christ to receive and accept him upon Gospel-Terms This coming to Christ 't is not a meer dogmatical and opinionative Faith a meer Perswasion of the truth of Scripture to believe the Articles of your Creed and profess your selves Christians this is very common but this coming to and believing in Christ it is a saving Grace wrought in the Hearts of Persons by the Word and Spirit of God whereby being awakened to see their Sin and Misery that Hell and Wrath due to them for Sin they despair in themselves and all other Creatures and speedily fly from their Sins and themselves to Jesus Christ resting on him alone for Justification Pardon and Eternal Life This is coming to Christ and not a Person under Heaven that hath not such a particular Faith as is here described did ever yet come to Christ 1. You have here the nature of it it is a saving Grace i. e. not what is common to Believers and Unbelievers but peculiar to Believers only there is a common Faith a common Love a common Repentance and common Obedience which Hypocrites may have and there 's a special saving Faith a heavenly new-distinguishing Work of the Holy Spirit on the Heart which is peculiar to a Saint and none but a Saint hath it you have both these expressed in that one Scripture Heb. 10.39 We are not of them which draw back to Perdition but of them which believe to the saving of the Soul Here 's first common Faith Some that draw back i. e. were unsound rotten-hearted Professors who had a common Faith enough to make them profess and own Christ in time of Peace but not enough to go through with their Profession and here 's a saving Faith a belieVing to the saving of the Soul O look to it that your Grace be more than what 's common 2. Here 's the necessary Preparation to it and that is the Heart awakened and humbled and broken for Sin this Brokenness of Heart for Sin it is not Faith nor coming to Christ but it is a necessary Preparative to it an unbroken Heart unhumbled Soul will never come to Christ Luke 5.31 32. The whole need not a Physician but they that are sick 'T is Necessity that drives Men to Christ when they see themselves undone ready to drop into Hell the Law curses them and they are beset on every side like those Acts 2.37 when they were pricked at the Heart then they cried out What shall we do to be saved now ver 38. the Apostle directs them to Christ the Sinner must first despair in himself
a cordial closure with Christ tho some may quarrel the Author hath his End and God shall have the Glory The Believer's Marriage with Christ OR A SERMON On the Parable of the Marriage of the King's Son Mat. 22.2 The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain King which made a Marriage for his Son 3. And sent forth his Servants to call them that were bidden to the Wedding and they would not come 4. Again he sent forth other Servants saying Tell them which are bidden Behold I have prepared my Dinner my Oxen and my Fatlings are killed and all things are ready come unto the Marriage 5. But they made light of it and went their ways one to his Farm another to his Merchandise And so on to the 14th Verse HEre is a Parable spoken by our dear Lord Jesus Christ himself and therefore calls for an hearing Ear and an understanding Heart in every one here present And for our better understanding the Mind of Christ herein let us answer five or six Queries Query 1. What are we to understand by the Kingdom of Heaven Answ There is a threefold Kingdom of Heaven 1. That blessed everlasting Life the Saints shall live in the next World Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven 2. There 's the Kingdom of Grace or the Divine Life in the Hearts of the Elect in whose Hearts Jesus Christ hath set up his Spiritual Kingdom Mat. 13.31 The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Grain of Mustard-Seed See ver 32. This and the following Parable of the Leaven as a * Pareus in locum Learned Man observes signifies the Power and Divine Efficacy of the Gospel in and on the Hearts of the Elect in the day when they are inwardly renewed by the Spirit 3. The visible Church comprehending both good and bad is sometimes called the Kingdom of Heaven as in the Parable of the Draw-Net Mat. 13.47 The Kingdom of Heaven is like to a Net that was cast into the Sea and gathered of every kind i.e. The visible Church by the Ministry of the Word gathers into it not only such as are truly sanctified but all that visibly own Jesus Christ And in this sense I humbly conceive this Parable of the Marriage is to be understood The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a King c. i. e. The great God of Heaven in calling Men unto and directing them how to attain Eternal Life doth as Kings use to do at Marriage-Feasts who having prepared all things ready send out their Servants to invite the Guests so God hath provided a Gospel-Banquet and sends out the Ministers of his Word to invite Men to come to Christ Query 2. Who is this King Answ The great God of Heaven who did originally contrive the glorious Work of Salvation as appears in these Scriptures Isa 42.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. these are the Father's words to Christ calling him forth to undertake the great Work of Redemption Had not the Father contrived a way of Salvation for lost Sinners our Condition had been for ever hopeless Jesus Christ is the Father's Gift Joh. 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son to die Query 3. Here is a Wedding but who is the Bridegroom the Son here spoken of Answ The Lord Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God who is the Churches Spiritual Bridegroom and as such often spoken of in Holy Scripture Psal 19.5 Which is as a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber the ancient Fathers understood this of Christ the Rex ille est Deus Pater sponsus est Filius Dei Sponsa pauci electi Nuptiae disponsatio copulatio Ecclesiae cum Christo Pareus in loco Spiritual Bridegroom of the Church * Corpus suum assumptum ex Virgine ipse tanquam sponsus Ecclesiae toties promissus per Prophetas c. Psalterium Paraph. who assumed Human Nature in the Womb of the Virgin thence appeared as the Churches Heavenly Bridegroom in the World and so he is held out to us in the Parable of the ten Virgins Mat. 25.1 2 3 4. as a Heavenly Husband that comes to consummate a Spiritual Marriage with his Church Query 4. But who is the Bride Answ The Church of Christ and especially the Elect. Jer. 3.14 I am married unto you Rev. 19.7 The Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife the Church hath made her self ready O the Honour given to a Believer to be married to Jesus Christ Query 5. What is meant by the Feast Answ That glorious Provision God hath made for poor undone Sinners in Christ as Union and Communion with God and Christ all the Benefits purchased by the Death of Christ such as Pardon Justification Sanctification Adoption and the like these are the Heavenly Dishes served up at this Gospel-Feast for Believers to feed upon And it 's very usual in Scripture to represent Heavenly Things by Temporal and particularly by Feasting Isa 25.6 And in this Mountain i. e. Sion the Church and a Type of Heaven shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all People a Feast of fat things a Feast of Wines on the Lees of fat things full of Marrow of Wines on the Lees well refined i. e. In that day that an elect Soul is married to Jesus Christ there 's an Heavenly Banquet in that Heart Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the Door and knock if any Man hear my Voice and open to me I will come in and sup with him and he with me Query 6. Who are the Servants sent out to invite the Guests to the Wedding Answ The Servants * Primi Servi fuerunt Patriarchae posteriores Moses Prophetae Pareus in loco are God's Ministers both of the Old and New Testament the first were Patriarchs then Moses and the Prophets and last of all the Apostles and their Successors So I that am now preaching to you am one of these Servants come to invite you to come to Christ the Jews they refused now the Gospel is preached to the Gentiles whose Offspring we are Having thus explained the Parable we come now to the Observation and tho this pregnant Text might afford many yet I shall content my self one which comprehends the very Heart and Marrow of the Text. Doct. God in and by the Gospel freely offers Jesus Christ with all the Banefits of his Death to all that are willing to come to him and receive him upon Gospel-Terms In speaking to this Heavenly Truth I shall endeavour these five things First Shew who it is that makes this Offer to Sinners God the Father Secondly What is offered Jesus Christ Thirdly Wherein is Christ offered viz. in the Gospel Fourthly To whom doth God offer Christ viz. To all that are willing to come to him Fifthly What is it to come to and receive and accept of Christ Q. First Who it is that offers Christ and Salvation to Sinners Ans It is the
before he will come to Christ People cry out against spiritual lively quick preaching but why O this drives People to Despair There 's two sorts of Despair 1. To despair of getting to Heaven in a state of Sin while a Man is unregenerate unsanctified and truly such a Despair as this we do preach I tell you from the Lord Jesus Christ that every one of you living and dying in a Christ-less State you will be as surely damned as if you were in Hell already Joh. 3.3 Except you are born again you cannot see the Kingdom of God 2. There 's another kind of Despair and that is when Men despair of ever obtaining Mercy tho they do repent and leave their Sins We do not preach any such Despair as this But on the contrary do all we can to draw and to encourage Men to come to Christ with an assurance of Pardon Isa 55.7 Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts and turn to the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 3. There 's the Instrumental Cause of this blessed Work upon the Soul and that is the Word of God Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God If you would be drawn to Christ wait upon a Gospel-Ministry 4. There is the Efficient of this Heavenly Work the blessed and holy Spirit of God Ephes 2.8 Faith is the Gift of God The holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 because the Spirit by the Word can draw a Soul to Christ Therefore wait on the Ministry but beg as the Church doth the Drawings of the Spirit Cant. 1.4 Draw me 5. Here is the Terminus à quo or what a Man flies from in the day when he thus comes to Jesus Christ 1. He flies from Sin Now the Wicked forsakes his Way and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts Isa 55.7 Now is the time when a Man hath right Apprehensions of the hellish destructive nature of Sin he sees Sin now to be worse than Plague Famine Sword or any Temporal Evils and therefore flies from it as Lot out of Sodom or the Jews out of Egypt he hastens now as for his Life to cleanse his Hand and his Heart from all Pollution both of Flesh and Spirit now Sin appears what it is in it self he flies from Heart-Sins secret Sins vain Thoughts as well as open Sins Psal 119.113 Psal 139.23 2. He flies from himself Whatever high Thoughts he might have of himself formerly he now sees himself one of the filthiest and loathsomest Creatures under Heaven and this especially in the Vileness of his Heart and Nature by reason of that Fountain of Original Sin and Corruption which is in him he now sees the Plague of his Heart 1 Kings 8.38 And hence he now loaths himself condemns and judges himself in the sight of God Rom. 7.28 O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Death 6. Here is the Terminus ad quem that to which the poor awakened Sinner flies and that is to Jesus Christ Indeed Faith in general looks to the whole Word of God and believes whatever is revealed therein to be true upon the Divine Authority of the Word it self yielding hearty Obedience to every Command trembling at the Threatnings Isa 57.15 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miser ego homo infelix ego homo Montan. Aerumnosus ego homo Beza Ah me miserum quis me liberabit ab hac dira servitute It signifies one that is wearied with troublesome and continual Combats like as a Champion striving a long time is like a last to be overcome 't is the Voice of one breathing after Deliverance Calv. But the principal and especial Act of saving Faith is a receiving Christ and a resting upon him alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life And altho this special Act of Faith as leaning resting hanging upon and trusting in Christ crucified be so much exploded in this corrupt Age by Men of corrupt Minds yet it is and ever will be a sweet and heavenly Truth prized by the Church of Christ more than all the World besides and clearly proved from the holy Word of God Joh. 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God Cant. 8.5 Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved So Ephes 1.13 In whom also ye trusted after that ye believed This leaning trusting resting upon Christ is the proper Act of justifying Faith and it hath three degrees Adherence Recompence Assurance 1. Adherence which singles out Christ and holds him and as it were by the hand of Faith takes him by the hand for the Stay and Support of the Soul The poor Sinner seeing his own Nothingness he flies to Christ hangs on him cleaves to him looks to him in every Strait when he has no-whither else to look nor none else to trust to 2 Chron. 20.12 We know not what to do but our Eyes are unto thee 2. Recombence which is an acquiescence on Christ the Soul resolves to rest upon Christ let the Issue be what it will as Job Chap. 13.15 Tho he slay me yet will I trust in him Or as Hester Ch. 4.16 I will go in unto the King and if I perish I perish So saith the Believer I will hang upon Christ's Skirts believe in him follow after him if I perish I perish tho he frown upon me I will not leave him tho he kill me yet will I trust in him Psal 37.5 Commit thy way unto the Lord wait patiently for him and he will bring it to pass 3d. Degree of Faith is the Faith of Assurance this is rare and but few Christians have it When the Spirit of God so shines in upon his own Work in the Soul as to inable a Christian to speak triumphingly with the Church Cant. 2.16 My Beloved is mine and I am his Or with the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that when this Earthly House is dissolved we have an House in Heaven Now poor complaining Soul thou hast not this Faith of Assurance yet if thou hast the Faith of Adherence and Recombence thy case is good Assurance is not essential to justifying Faith APPLICATION Is this so that God thus freely offers Jesus Christ to all that are willing to come to him then we shall make a fivefold Use of this Truth A Use of 1. Information 2. Examination 3. Exhortation 4. Direction 5. Consolation I. Vse shall be of Information in six things 1. If this be so then this informs us of the desperate Madness and Folly of the greatest part of Men in the World who wilfully reject Jesus Christ thus freely offered in the Gospel Should you see a poor Maid begging her Bread from Door to Door cloathed in nasty Rags and ready to perish with Hunger and Cold and a great Prince should offer his Son in Marriage to
have you ever been awakened by the Spirit of God to see your undone sinful miserable Estate But do not mistake me I do not mean that meer trouble for Sin is a sufficient Evidence of your coming to Christ No Cain and Judas were troubled for Sin but never came to Christ but when your trouble for Sin drives you to Christ Matth. 11.28 2. Such as have ever come to Christ and believed in him have seen the Glory Excellency Fullness and Perfections that are in Christ There is indeed all manner of Glories in Christ but a Carnal Eye sees them not the Eye of Faith only discovers the Excellencies that are in him Cant. 5.4 The Spouse had had a sight of the Fullness of Christ and therefore her Soul was in pursuit after him Now have you seen Christ's Excellency 2 Cor. 3.18 It may be you have heard of Christ you have read of Christ but have you seen him by Faith 3. Those that did ever come to Christ were drawn to him by the Ministry of the Word Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing 1 Cor. 1.21 It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe Now examine You think you have Faith how came you by it did you always believe that 's a sign you did never believe but have you found the Ministry of the Word to be the Power of God to your Salvation Rom. 1.16 Examine 4. All those who have ever yet come to Christ have divorced all their old Acquaintance I mean Sins with which the Sinner is as intimate as a Man with his Friend Isa 28.15 The Sinner is in League and Covenant with his Sins Tit. 3.3 nothing sweeter to the Sinners taste Job 20.12 13 14. But now when a Sinner comes to Christ he casts all his Sins away there 's now an absolute Breach between the Sinner and his Sins and not only gross and scandalous but hid and secret Sins he hates vain Thoughts Psal 119.113 He forsakes both the way of Sin and also the Thoughts of Sin Isa 55.7 The Wicked forsakes his Ways and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts Now examine is it so with you 5. Such account it a singular Honour to be employed in the Service of Christ Eph. 3.8 Vnto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable Riches of Christ What an Honour did David count it to be but a Door-keeper in the House of God Now examine Do you indeed esteem it your great Priviledg that you may come and hear the Word preached that you may pray that you may sit down at the Lord's Table are these things counted greater Honours and Priviledges by you than if you had the Prince's Ear 6. Such who have ever come to Christ count an Interest in Christ and Relation to Christ their chiefest Treasures Christ is to them that Pearl of great Price which they value more than ten thousand Worlds 1 Pet. 2.9 To you that believe he is precious Do you see an Excellency in Christ Do your Souls above all things thirst for an Interest in him Relation to him Likeness to him 7. Such who ever did in a right manner come to Christ they take as much pains for Heaven in a way of Holiness and Obedience as if there were no Saviour no Mediator but Heaven were to be gained by works and yet after all live as entirely by Faith upon Christ as if they never had performed one Duty or done one good Work This you may see in St. Paul never any after Conversion did more than he did much in Prayer Fastings and Sufferings for Christ and yet never any lived more by Faith than he did Phil. 3.8 9. I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but Dung that I might win Christ And be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousness which is of Christ by Faith Now examine Do you work out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling Do you give all Diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Do you labour to be holy in all manner of Conversation denying all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and living soberly righteously and godly in this present evil World Do you take up every Duty in point of performance but lay them down in point of dependance living only by Faith upon Christ III. Vse shall be of Exhortation to persuade every one of us to come to Christ It was the Work of these Servants in this Parable to invite Persons to Christ And 't is my Work this Day to persuade you to invite you to come to Christ O that I could tell what Words to use to prevail with you to come You are invited not only to the Marriage of the Son of God but to marry with the Person of the Son Christ is offered you in that sweet Relation of a Spiritual Husband Come my Brethren will you have Christ Do you see your need of Christ Do not your Souls long for a sight of Jesus Christ Come if you are but willing have but a Spiritual Thirst You may come and be welcome Christ doth not expect you should bring any price in your Hands Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters and he that hath no Money come ye buy and eat buy Wine and Milk without Money and without price So Rev. 22.27 it may be you are willing to have Christ a Saviour but you must have him a Lord also Many like Christ to bring them to Heaven but they are not willing to part with their Sins Now that I may prevail with you to come to Christ I will endeavour to do these three things First Shew you the excellency of the Person you are invited to marry with Secondly The Advantages that you will gain by coming to Christ Thirdly The danger of not coming 1. To invite you to come to Christ Consider what an excellent Person Christ is Had you but a sight of those incomparable Glories that are in Christ it would raise your Hearts in admiration of him and beget in you earnest desires of acquaintance with Him In Cant. 5.8 You have the Churches Sickness for a Sight of Christ In Ver. 9. The Daughters of Jerusalem wonder at her What is thy Beloved more than anothers Beloved This is the usual Language of a carnal Person You talk of the Beauty and Glory of Christ What is there in him more than in another To this the Spouse answers ver 10. My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand White in respect of his Divinity being God blessed for ever and Ruddy in respect of his Humanity Ver. 15. He is altogether lovely Search all the World there 's none to be found like Christ beautiful in his