such a transcendent nature The heart of man is so distrustful so faithless and the conscience is such a clamorous thing and therefore he cannot think this is too much I beseech you therefore do not lose the comfort of it that in Christ God is our God though we can say of nothing else it is ours perhaps we cannot say great houses are ours or great friends are ours or Inheritances ours that is no matter we can say that is ours which is infinitely more then that We can say God is ours in Christ Nay being exhorted to say by the spirit of faith that God is ours in Christ all things in the world are ours As you have it in that place of Scripture All things are yours why because you are Christs and Christ is Gods Whether things present or things to come Paul Apollos Cephas life death all is yours you are Christs and Christ is Gods that is all things must by a command from God conspire to make us happy affliction or Satan or death or trouble of conscience or desertion or every thing to help us to Heaven The curse is taken away and there is a blessing hid in every thing that befalleth a Christian to bring him to Heaven therefore it is a comfort of infinite extent All is yours because God is yours You shall see the extent of the comforts further by retail as it were If God be ours then all is ours too what be they the Scripture telleth you and I should spend too much time in unfolding of them 1. If God be ours his wisdom must needs be ours to find out wayes to do us good for his infinite wisdom hath found out a way in Christ by satisfaction of his justice to bring us to Heaven He can make us go beyond all the policy of our Neighbors for his wisdom is ours 2. If we be in danger his power is ours to bring us out 3. If we have sinned his mercy is ours to forgive us He himself being ours his mercy must needs be ours The whole being ours it followeth out of the strength of reason that the parts also must be ours 4. In any want his allsufficiency is ours to supply it or to turn it to good and make it up in a better kind 5. In a word God being ours whatsoever is in God whatsoever God can do whatsoever he hath is ours because himself is ours And therefore I beseech you make this use of it to get into Christ by faith to be one with Christ that so God may be our God Get faith above all graces the grace of union and the grace of communion that being one with Christ we are one with him God being ours all is ours yea the worst thing in the world is ours If God be not ours it is no matter what else is ours Alas all things must be taken from us we know not how soon and we taken from all things else What if we ha d a Kingdom as Saul had if we be forsaken of God as he was What if we had Paradise if we offend God we shall be cast out What if we had the dignity to be Apostles if with Judas we have not God what will all come to What if a man should enjoy all the world if out of Christ it would yield him no comfort As the Emperor said I have gone through all varieties of conditions Et nibil mihi prodit but it hath done me no good If we had all what is it but vanity of vanities and not only so but vexation Now when we have God to be our God he is able to fill the soul He is larger then the soul and he is able to quiet the soul he is the rest of the soul the soul is quiet in him is the Center as the place of quiet If God be ours then the soul resteth in it for God filleth the soul and quiets the soul and hath alwayes fresh comforts for the soul infinite still to all eternity There is nothing in the world but we do as it were deflorare take away the flower of it by use and it becometh stale Though a man continue many thousand years in the world yet he will be weary of all things in the world because there is no freshness in them It is finite and the soul is larger then the comforts of the world But in God is a spring of fresh comforts to everlasting Consider the things that inable him to be our God to fill the soul and to be larger then the soul to quiet and calm the soul in all the troubles of it and then to have fresh springs of comforts what a comfort is this to have God for our God Let it therefore raise up our souls to labor after our God and never rest till we have some interest in this great portion of God to be our God When we can by faith go out of our selves to Christ and lay a right and just claim to God to be our God this is a comfort that reacheth from everlasting to everlasting It giveth us forgiveness of sins when we had lost our selves because we are in Christ he hath forgiven us In all extremities and troubles when no creature can comfort us it is his glory to shew himself a God It reacheth to the Resurrection of the body God is Abrahams and Isaacks and Jacobs God when dead because he was the God of whole Abraham Isaack and Jacob and therefore of soul and body And it reacheth from all favours of this world so far as is for our good to all eternity being our God he will protect us from all extremities in this world he will speak comfort to our souls which nothing can do but God When we be dead he will raise up our dust because he is our whole God the God of our souls and bodies and we shall be for ever with the Lord. It is a comfort of wonderfull extent Vse 1. Let us therefore make this use of it Labour to make him so to us for as he is to us so God by his spirit is our comforter who being satisfied giveth us his spirit We must make God our God and then he will be a God unto us These be mutual wheresoever they be wheresoever God is God to any they by the spirit obtained by Christ have grace to make him so to themselves What is it for us to make God a God to us It is this to set up God a throne in our hearts and to give him a Soveraignty over all things in the world that we may say in truth of heart God is our joy God is our comfort God is our rock God is all in all to us When we give him supremacy of affection above all the world we esteem nothing above him we value him above all esteem his loving kindness is better then life it self for else we do not make him a God to us and then it is no comfort
as are taught of God Who can take away the opposite disposition of mans nature to goodness but God by his spirit who can shine into the soul and quicken the soul but Christ by his spirit who is above the heart and conscience but Christ by his spirit therefore take heed of formality submit your hearts to the great Prophet of the Church that Moses speaketh of Deut. 18. who shall be the great teacher of the Church lift up our hearts to him that he would teach our hearts and remove the naturall disposition that is in us that he would take off the veil from our hearts and teach not only what to do but to teach the very doing of them Teach us to hate what is ill teach us to believe and to resist all Satans temptations who can teach this but the great Teacher whose Chair is in Heaven therefore take heed of depending on formall things Lift your hearts to God that he would joyn his teaching with all other teaching This cannot be too much stood upon I beseech you therefore take it to heart Give me leave to add a few things more If Christ speaketh in generall to Mary she answereth in generall And when he speaks aloof to her she answereth aloof to him a far off and never gave him a direct answer till he gave a direct word to her When he said Mary she gave him a direct answer Rabboni not before I beseech you therefore let us not rest in generall promises and the generall graces that be so much stood on by some That God hath a like respect to all Trust not to that we must not enter into his secrets but let us obey his precepts and Commandements And withall remember this When we hear of a generall mercy and Commandement for all Nations to believe and that Christ came to save a world of sinners alas what is that to me unless thou by thy holy spirit speakest to my soul and saist in particular I am thy salvation and speakest familiarly to my soul Generalls are in some degrees comfortable But if I find not particular interest by the witness of thy holy spirit to my soul if thou sayst not to my soul I am thine and thou art mine all is to little purpose Therefore in the desires of our souls in prayer let us desire the Lord to reveal himself in particular We trust too much in Generalls God is mercifull and Christ came to redeem the World They be truths and good foundations for to sound faith upon but they will not do the deed till by daily prayer vve seek to the Lord that he vvould in a particular manner reveal himself to us This doth Paul pray for Ephes 1. That God would vouch safe to them the spirit of Revelation And this is the office of the holy Spirit his speciall office is to reveal to every one in particular his estate and condition to God-ward The Holy Ghost knoweth the secrets in the brest of God and in our own hearts Now the Holy Ghost only can reveal the particular love that lyeth in Gods brest to our particular souls And therefore we should desire God that the holy spirit may be sent to seal to us our particular salvation and never be quiet till we be sealed in particular assurance that we be they whom Christ came to save This we ought to labour for if we labour for it we shall have it sometime or other for God loveth to be familiar with his Children He loveth not to be strange to them if they seek his love but to reveal himself first or last And few seek it but God revealeth himself by his spirit to them before they die if he doth not they are sure of it in Heaven And therefore they that be against particulars they are enemies to their own salvation Mary regarded not while Christ spake of generalls But when he came to particulars then Rabboni and not before Jesus saith unto her touch me not I am not yet ascended to my Father c. This verse containeth Christs Prohibition or Christs Commission or Charge His prohibition Touch me not and his reason for I am not yet ascended to my Father His Charge Go to my Brethren And then directeth what to say to them I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God The words be very naturall and need no breaking up to you But I shall handle them as they follow one another Jesus said to her touch me not Touch me not Why he would have Thomas not only touch but to put his finger into his side that is more then touching him But our Saviours intent is to meet with a disposition in Mary something carnall something low and mean in regard of this glorious occasion Christ being now risen and glorified for his resurrection was the first degree of his glorification And therefore touch me not She came with too much a carnall mind to touch him when we said Rabboni it was not satisfaction enough for her to answer Rabboni but she runneth to him and claspeth him and clingeth about him as the affection of love did dictate to her But saith he touch me not in such a manner this is not a fit manner for thee to touch me in now I am risen again In a word she had a thought to converse with Christ in as familiar a manner as before when she powred oyntment on his head He was the same person but the case is altered that was in the dayes of his humiliation now he was risen again and it was the first degree of his glorification There was another manner of converse due to him and therefore touch me not Thou thinkest to touch me as thou didst before but thou must not do it She was too much addicted to his bodily presence 1. It is that that men will labour after and have laboured for even from the beginning of the world to be too much addicted to present things and to sense They will worship Christ but they must have a picture before them They will adore Christ but they must bring his body down into a peece of bread they must have a presence And so instead of raising their hearts to God and Christ in a heavenly manner they pull down God and Christ to them this the pride and base earthliness of man will do And therefore saith Christ touch me not in that manner It is not with me now as it was before We must take heed of mean and base conceits of Christ What saith Paul 2 Cor. 5. I know uo man now according to the flesh no not Christ himself now he is risen Christ was of such a Tribe Stature had such gifts and qualities What is that to me Christ is now Lord of Lords and King of Kings He is glorious in Heaven and so I conceive of him I know no man after the flesh no not Christ himself I forget what
but Christ ascended to Heaven that his departure from them might not be prejudicial to them but that they might have comfort through the God of comfort the spirit of comfort the Holy Ghost I will send the Comforter And though there was no losse by the ascension of Christ they might fear by losing of Christ that all their comfort was gone I but Christ telleth them I go to prepare a place for you He goeth to take up Heaven for his Church and then to send his spirit What a blessed intercourse is there now since Christs ascension between Heaven and Earth Our body is in heaven and the spirit of God is here on earth The flesh that he hath taken into heaven is a pledge that all our flesh and bodies shall be where he is ere long In the mean time we have the spirit to comfort us and never to leave us till we be brought to the place where Christ is This is great comfort and this is the main end why Christ ascended to the Father that he might send the comforter And comfort might well come now in more abundance then before because by the death of Christ all enemies were conquered and by the Resurrection of Christ it was discovered that God was appeased The Resurrection of Christ manifested to the world what was done by death and now all enemies being conquered and God being appeased what remains but the sweetest gift next Christ the Holy Ghost And that is the reason why the holy Ghost was more abundant after Christs Resurrection because God was fully satisfied and declared by the rising of Christ to be fully satisfied and all enemies to be conquered 4. One end likewise of his Resurrection was to make a shew of his Conquest There is a double victory over the Enemy There is a victory in the field and triumph together with it And then there is triumphing in Civitate Regia a triumphing in the Kingly City So Christ did conquer in his death and shewed his Conquest by resurrection but he did not lead captivity captive and make shew thereof till he ascended and then he made open shew of his victorious triumph in Civitate Regia 5. One special end likewise why he would have this Message sent that he was to ascend was that he might appear there in Heaven for us as Heb. 9. He appears for ever in Heaven for us and maketh intercession for us When the high Priest was to enter into the holy of holies which was a type of Heaven he carried the names of the twelve Tribes ingraven in stones upon his brest Christ our true high Priest being entred into the true Holy of Holies carried the names of all his Elect in his breast into Heaven and there appeareth before God for us He carrieth us in his heart Christ doth fulfill that which in John 17. he prayeth for appearing in heaven before his Father by virtue of his blood-shed and that blood that speaketh better things then the blood of Abel it speaks mercy pardon the blood of Abel crieth for vengeance justice but the blood of Christ saith here is one that I shed my blood for And when we pray to God God accepts of our prayers and by virtue of Christs blood-shed there is mercy and pardon and favour procured which is sprinkled by faith upon the soul God manifesting to the soul by his spirit that Christ dyed in particular for such a soul which soul praying to God in the name of Christ that blood not only in Heaven but sprinkled upon the soul speaketh peace there The spirit saith that to the soul which Christ doth in Heaven Christ saith in Heaven I dyed for such a soul the spirit saith in the soul Christ dyed for me and the blood of Christ is sprinkled on every particular soul As Christ in Heaven appears and intercedeth for me so the spirit intercedeth in mine own guilty heart that always speaks discomfort till it be satisfied with particular assurance Christ dyed for me and God is mine and Christ is mine Thus particular faith sprinkleth the blood of Christ upon the soul So that now my sins are not only pardoned in Heaven but in my soul There is not only intercession in Heaven but in my soul My soul goeth to God for pardon and for mercy and rejoyceth in all the mercies it hath and hopeth to have What is done in Heaven is done in a mans soul by the spirit in some measure 6. The last end is that he might shew that our salvation is exactly wrought that God is perfectly satisfied to the full else he should never have risen much lesse ascended to Heaven And therefore if we once believe in Christ for forgiveness of sins and yet say I doubt of salvation it is all one as if you should go about to pluck Christ from Heaven The doubtful distrustful heart till it be subdued by a spirit of faith saith who shall ascend to Heaven to tell me whether I shall go to Heaven or who shall enter into the deep to tell me I am freed from hell I am afraid I shall be damned saith the guilty heart till the spirit of God hath brought it under and perswaded it of Gods love in Christ Say not who shall ascend up to Heaven for that is to bring Christ down from Heaven And what an injurious thing is it to bring Christ from heaven to suffer on the Crosse This is a great indignity though we think not of it to doubt of our salvation and not cast our selves on his mercy For as verily as he is there we shall be there He is gone to take up a place for us he is there in our name as the Husband taketh a place for his spouse And if we doubt whether we shall come there or no we doubt whether he be there or no. And if we doubt of that we doubt whether he hath wrought salvation or no and so we bring him down to the Crosse again Who shall descend to the deep that is to bring Christ from the dead again such is the danger of a distrustful heart So that by Christs ascending into Heaven we may know all is done and accomplished all our enemies are subdued God is appeased and fully satisfied Heaven is taken up in our room and therefore labor for a large heart answerable to the large unchangeable grounds we have for faith to pitch and bottom it self upon Therefore make this further use of this ascension of Christ and thereupon his intercession in Heaven for us He is there to plead our cause he is there as our surety to appear for us and not only so but as a Councellor to plead for us and not only so but one of us as if a Brother should plead for a Brother and not only so but a favorite there too all favorites are not so excellent at counselling perhaps but we have one that is favorite in Heaven
into Christ by a spirit of adoption and have the stamp of the Father upon them The likeness of the Father and of Christ whom God begetsto his own likeness that are in a word like Christ Christ is the first Son and in him and for his sake we are Sons He is the natural Son and they may say our Father that labor to express the disposition of Christ who is the first Son See this disposition of Christ in the Gospel how marvellously patient he was under the hand of his Father obedienâ— to the death of his Crosse humbled full of love full of goodness He went about doing good Do we thâ—n walk as Christ did carry we the image of the second Adam have we the patient humble meek disposition of Christ in our measure do we love Christ in his members God in his Image do we love the Ordinances and the power of Reâ—igion this sheweth what we are and is our conversation sutable to our inward disposition do we walk in light do we shew by our conversation whose Children we are do our speeches give a Character of the inward man If this be in us though in never so small a measure with comfort we may say our Father But may not another man that is not in Christ come to God under the sweet name of our Father yea he may come to him as his Father by creation and providence or sacramentally a Father or as brought into the Church and having God to create him and to provide for him Lord thou hast shewed thy self a gracious Father thus far though I cannot from any inward perswasion say My Father Thus far as I can I say my Father strive against our spiritual infidelity believe God and cast our selves on his gracious promises in Christ God will meet us at the same time and he will send us his spirit to make us his Sons And therefore let no man that hath been a wicked liver be discouraged from going to God in the name of a Father in that wherein he is a Father Lord thou hast created me and preserved me and it is thy mercy I am not in Hell yet thou offer'st to be my Father in Christ thou hast made gracious promises and invited me and upon this when the heart yieldeth to the gracious apprehensions of God as a Father there is a spirit of faith wrought in the heart presently therefore think of the name of a Father and the very thoughts of it will bring the spirit of adoption Only it speaks no comfort to the bitter malicious satanical enemies of Christ and the power of Religion they be Children of the Devil But now poor souls that groan under the burden of sin let them think that God is a Father and of the mercies of God though they do not see they be interested in them By the very contemplation of the mercies of God in Christ and his inviting them to receive them the spirit of God will be wrought in the soul whereby they may have confidence to come to God as a Father I desire you therefore to remember this it is the first Sermon of our Saviour Christ after his Resurrection and therefore forget not to think of God as a Father and Christ as a Brother Indeed whatsoever comfort is in any relation God and Christ have taken it on them A Father is more comprehensive then any other Title Christ is Father and Husband and Spouse And God is our Rock and Shield and whatsoever is comfortable he hath taken on him and in Christ we may command him to be so And if we had ten thousand Worlds they could not be compared to the comforts that arise from hence that we can call God Father It is more to us if we could improve it in our spiritual Trade for Heaven then if we had a thousand worlds especially in dayes of affliction and in the hour of death For it improveth whatsoev er is in the bowels of God for poor distressed souls When nothing else will comfort this will comfort if we can say to God Father Though we cannot make a distinct prayer yet if we can say Father God can pick matter out of our broken Language Now Christ is ascended up to Heaven he doth us more good then he did when he was upon the earth The Sun in the Firmament yieldeth us heat and comfort but if it were nearer it would do us hurt or if further off it would not do us so much good God hath placed it being a common light of the world high to inlighten inferior bodies and to convey influence by means into them And so Christ the Son of righteousness being ascended and advanced to Heaven doth more good then on earth And therefore saith he it is for your good that I ascend It is for our good that we have Christ in Heaven to appear there for us I ascend to my Father and to your Father Father is here taken personally not essentially though it be true in that sense to my Father as the first person of the Trinity especially Christ might well say I ascend to my Father now for he was risen again and was mightily declared to be the Son of God by his Resurrection from the dead Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee that is this day have I declared thee It is said of things fiunt cum pate fiunt they are done when they be open and declared to be done Christ was the Son of God when he rose again because he was discovered by his glorious Resurrection to be so indeed And therefore Christ may well say after his Resurrection I go to my Father and your Father Observe from hence That God in Christ is our Father We say Relations are Minimae entitatis they are little entities founded on others but they are maximae consequentiae of great concernment I beseech you before I leave the point give me leave to go on a little further in this to shew that wonderful mercy that admirable goodness which the tongues and hearts of all the men in the world and Angels in Heaven are not able to express that love of God which is contained in the Relation he hath taken on him in Christ to be our Father 1. Consider who and whom Who the great God that hath the Son to solace himself in he did not adopt us because he wanted Sons he had Sons of his own and Sons of his love to sollace himself in what need he have took Traitors Rebels enemies to make them his Sons Oh it is a marvellous advancement of our nature that God should in Christ become our Father It is said Psalm 113. God abaseth himself to behold things below and indeed so he doth with reverence be it spoken to his great Majesty he abaseth himself in regard of things below In regard of us worms of the earth that be enemies yea Devils by nature For
A HEAVENLY CONFERENCE BETWEEN CHRIST AND MARY AFTER HIS RESURRECTION WHEREIN The intimate familiarity and near relation between Christ and a Believer is discovered LONDON Printed for John Rothwel and are to be sold at the Fountain and Bear in Cheapside 1654. TO THE READER THe scope and business of this Epistle is not so much to commend the Workman whose name is a sweet savor in the Church As to give thee a short and summary view of the generalls handled in this Treatise Though much might be said of this eminent Saint If either detraction had fastened her venomous nails in his pretious name or the testimony of the Subscribers of this Epistle might give the Book a freer admission into thy hands This only we shall crave leave to mind the Reader of That this bright Star who sometimes with his light refreshed the souls of many of Gods people while he sâ—one in the hoâ—izon of our Church set as we may say between the evening of many shadowes and the morning of a bright hoped for Reformation which though it be for the present overcast yet being so agreeable to the mind of Jesus Christ and ushered in with the groans and prayers of so many of his Saints we doubt not but will in Gods own time break forth gloriously to the dissipating of those Clouds and foggs which at the present do eclipse and darken it Now as it is the wisdom of God in bringing about his own designs to raise up fit and suitable instruments for the work of every Generation So it is also the gratious dispensation of God to put seasonable words into the mouths of those his Servants who by faith do fix their eyes on him for the guidance of his blessed spirit as every judicious Reader may observe in the works of this reverend Divine who foreseeing as it were what a degeneracy of spirit Professors in his time were falling a pace into that itch of Questions and Disputings like anoxious humor beginning then to break forth among Professors like a skilful Physician applyed himself to preserve the vitalls and essentials of Religion That the souls of his hearers being captivated with the inward beauty and glory of Christ and being led into an experimental knowledge of heavenly truths their spirits might not evaporate and discharge themselves in endless gainless soul-unedifying and conscienceperplexing questions For as it is in nature a man that hath tasted the sweetness of honey will not easily be perswaded that honey is bitter But he that hath only taken it up upon credit may soon be baffled out of it because no act can go higher then its principle and so it is in Religion for those good souls that have imbraced the truths of Jesus Christ upon a supernatural principle and experimented not only the truth but the goodness of them in their own souls they are the clinched christians the good hold-fast men as Mr. Fox stiles some Christians in his dayes they are the even and steady walkers Whereas those that have only a form of godliness a slight tincture who have only out of novelty and curiosity or pride and ambition or other self ends professed Religion will prove giddy and unconstant like Clouds carried about with every blast and while they promise themselves liberty be a prey to the net of every fancy and opinion To the sound and practical Christian that is not squeesie stomacked will the truths in this treatise be grateful supposing therefore and desiring if thou are not thou may'st be such a one Here is offered to thy consideration a divine and heavenly Discourse betwixt Christ and Mary between a soul-burthened sinner and a burthen-removing Saviour Thou may'st here see how diligent Mary is to seek how ready Christ is to be found Mary hath her heart brim full of sorrow Christ Comes as it were leaping over the Mountains with comfort and bowels of compassion Mary was in a strong pang of affection nay her affections were wound so high that her expressions seem broken and her actions might seem to savor of irregularity were it not to that excellency of the object did warrant the height of her affection and the compassion of Christ was large enough not only to interpret for the best but also to pardon and cover all her infirmities The woman was better at her affections then expressions They have taken away my Lord she speaks at random names no body whether Jews or Disciples or Souldiers But see the strength of her faith she is not ashamed to call him Lord even in the lowest state of humiliation though Christ be reproached persecuted despised rejected dead buried yet he shall be Maries Lord. Again I know not where they have laid him she dreams of a bodily asportation and resting of Christ somewhere and speaks with indignation as if she looked upon it as an indignity or incivility nay of cruelty Saevitum est in cadavera saevitum est in ossa saevitum est in cineres Cyprian of the Roman Emperors cruelty to remove a dead body What was done to Christ Mary takes it as done to her and good heart she thinks she hath so much right to him that he should not be stirred without her knowledge And I know not where c. Now while Mary is seeking Christ who is never far absent from a seeking soul he stands at her back Christ is neerer to us many times then we think of Sometimes a poor soul wants the sight of comfort more then matter of comfort and is like Hagar weeping for water when the well is hard by seeking of Christ is the souls duty but Christ manifesting himself is the souls comfort Mary turned her self and she saw Jesus Gerson saith the Angels rose up at the presence of Christ which Mary seeing made her turn about but omitting that conjecture The original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes used for a turning of the face but most frequently for a turning of the whole body but to put it out of doubt here it is said exegetically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She turned her self back The same phrase the Steptuagint use of Lots wise looking back Many times Christ hath his face towards us when we have our backs upon him and therefore if thou wouldest finde Christ turn thy self to him Again here thou may'st see the true Joseph he knowes Mary when she knows not him but takes him for the Gardner Christ is alwayes before-hand with us in his grace he loves us before we love him and calls us before we call him Mary travails with desires to find Christ and Christ is full of yernings towards her like Joseph he could refrain no longer and because the general manifestation of Christ wrought little he calles her by her name Mary and she being a sheep of Christ knowes his voice and answers him with a title of dignity Rabboni that is to say my Master We may see here that discoveries of grace are not fruitless they stir
every thing by name he knows every thing of a man to the very hair he knowes their parts and their very excrements of their parts he knew her and acknowledged her too Mary 1. It is a word of knowledg and familiar acquaintance and acknowledgment 2. It is a word of compassion because he had held her long and now could not longer He pittieth the state she was in he saw her ready to â—ink for grief and melt for sorrow and therefore he said Mary 3. As it is a word of compassion so it is a word full of exceeding love 4. And it is a word of peculiar appropriation Mary whom I have so much respected heretofore And a word of satisfaction on his part out of his pitty and out of his love and former familiarity acquaintance Mary I am the man thou seekest I know what all thy seekings tend to thou wantest him whom thou lovest thou wantest me I am he whom thou seekest She answered him again Rabboni which is interpreted Master She returned him an answer again she spake to him he first began then she follows she found the virtue of his speech in her heart there was an influence of it to her heart and his love witnessing to her heart raised her love to him again So it was an answer of Christs speech and from the same affection an answer of love and an answer of exceeding large affection and satisfaction to her soul Oh my Rabboni the soul of my soule the life of my life my joy my rock my all that can be dear to me Rabboni I have enough As he desired to give her satisfaction so she takes satisfaction in the word And yet it was not full satisfaction for after she claspes about him and would not let him go It was an affection that stirred up much desire more and more to have communion with him so that he was fain to check her afterward Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father she had not enough as indeed a believing affectionate soul hath never enough till it be in Heaven And thus you see the sweet intercourse upon the apparition and first discovery of Christ to Mary He spake to her and she answered him again with the same affection And it is a word of dependance as it is fit Rabboni my Master it is not only a word of honour not any superior but a superior in way of teaching there was submission of conscience to the Rabboni as the Rabboni labouring to sit in the consciences of people It is a Syriack word which signifieth in the originall Multiplication of knowledge in him that speaketh that laboureth to breed much knowledg in him that is spoken to and therefore it is a word of great respect and dependance She might well call him Rabboni for he was Master of Masters Rabboni of Rabbonies the Angel of the Covenant the great Doctor of the Church the great Gamaliel at whose feet all must fit and be taught So ye see what sense and affections are in these little words The fulness of heart that was in this Couple cannot be exprest were it possible to say all that could be said And therefore we leave the Hypothesis and come to make application of it to our selves First we may learn here that till Christ himself discovers himself no teaching will serve the turn No the teaching of Angels will not serve turn till Christ himself by his holy spirit discovers himself when Christ doth it it is done And therefore it should teach us so to attend upon the ministery as to look up to the great Doctor that hath his Chair in Heaven and teacheth the heart If he teach it is no matter how dull the Scholar is He is able to make any Scholar if he instruct I will not inlarge the point because there be particular places wherein they will be inlarged The second thing I will observe is this That Christ when he teacheth he doth it by words not by Crucifixes not by sights We lost our salvation and all our happiness by the ear and we must come to it by the ear again Adam by hearkening to Eve and Eve to the Serpent lost all and we must recover salvation therefore by the ear As we have heard so we shall see We must first hear and then see Life cometh in at the eare as well as death Faith ye know is the quickning of a Christian the spirituall life of a Christian now faith comes by hearing And therefore I beseech you in the bowels of Christ set aside prejudice and meekly attend Gods Ordinances Do not conâ—ider who we are we are but poor Ministers frail men as your selves But consider the Lord that is pleased to convey life and salvation and grace and whatsoever is fit to bring to Heaven this way therefore they that despise this way set light by salvation as the Apostle saith Acts 14. They judge themselves unworthy of the Kingdom of Heaven They can read at home but is that the way God hath sanctified Did not the Manna stink when gathered on the Sabbath day There is a curse upon all private industry and devotion when it is with neglect of publick Ordinances She could have no comfort till Christ spake Nay the very sight of Christ could not comfort her Let this I pray you be enough that I may not inlarge the point any further This is the way for comfort We must hear him in his Ministers here if we 〈…〉 him comfortably 〈…〉 after Come ye blessed oâ— m◠〈◊〉 c. 3. It was but one word Mary and is there so much force in one word yea when it is uttered by Christ One word coming from Christ and set on the heart by the spirit of Christ hath a mighty efficacy The word had an efficacy in creating all things fiat fuit Let it be done it was done Let there be light there was light So let there be light in the understanding and there it shall be presently So in all Christs cures he said the word and it was done So in all spirituall cures let him say the word it is done Nay a very look of Christ if the spirit go along with it is able to convert the soul Respexit Christus flevit Petrus amare Christ lookt on Peter he wept bitterly what will his word do when his look will do so much It was but a word and but one word say but the word saith he in the Gospel and my Servant shall be healed This should make us desire that Christ would speak though but few words to the soul That he would cloath the words of men mightily with his word and with his spirit and then they will be mighty in operatioâ—â—nd works One word but it was a prâ—gnant word It was full of affection she knew it well enough Mary What to call her so familiarly so sweetly by her accustomed name it wrought on her bowels
presently 4. But to go on you see here again that Christ must begin to us before we can answer him He began to Mary and then she said Rabbony all the passages of salvation are done by way of Covenant by way of commerce and entercourse between God and man but God begins first In election indeed we choose him but he chuseth us first And he knoweth who are his and we know him but he knows us first And in calling we answer I but he calleth first and we do but eccho to his call in justification forgivness of sins we accept of justification and submit to the righteousness of Christ and Gods purpose of saving man that way but he giveth faith first for faith is the gift of God We glorifie him here on earth but it is from a result of Gods glorifying us in Heaven some earnests we have but they are of Gods giving All we do is but reflexion of his love first or his knowledge first The Christian soul saith thou art my God I but he saith first I am thy salvation As Augustine saith non frustra dicit anima Deus salus tua when God saith I am thy salvation it is eaâ—ie for the soul to say thou art my God And this may teach us in our devotions when we are to deal with God when we are to bring to him any request to desire him first to reveal himself to us desire Christ to reveal himsâ—lf by his spirit to us It is an errour in he case of mens devotions they think to bring something of their own strength and to break in as it were upon God without his discovery first But Paul saith Gal. 4. 9. We know God or rather are known of him We must desire that he would make known his heart to us first and then we shall know him again that the would speak to us by his spirit and then we shall answer to him again That he would say to our souls he is our salvation and then we may lay claim to him he is our God Desire the spirit of revelation to reveal his bowels and love to us in Christ by his holy spirit for certainly in every return of ours to Christ God begins to us all in all though not so sensibly but we ought to pray every day more and more for a sensible revelation that God would reveal his love to us in Christ And we cannot but answer if Christ saith Mary Mary cannot but answer Rabboni But you will say then it is not our fault but Christs fault if he must begin If God begins we shall answer I answer briefly That God doth alwayes begin to us and is before-hand with us in all dealings with our selves He giveth us many motions and never withdraweth himself from us but when he is despised and slighted first therefore let us take heed that we labour to answer Christs call vvhen he doth call If vve slight it then in a judicious course he ceaseth to speak further to us if vve slight his beginnings of revelations There be many degrees and passages to faith and assurance if vve do not observe the beginning hovv God begins to reveal himself to us by little and little speaking to us by his spirit in our hearts vvhen he begins then in a spirituall judgement sometimes he leaves us to our selves And therefore let us regard all the motions of the spirit and all the speeches of the spirit of Christ for he begins by little and little else our consciences will say afterward we are not saved because we would not be saved We would not yield to all the passages of salvation but when he was beforehand with us and offered many sweet motions yet we loved our sins better then our souls and so repelled all Therefore I beseech you do not refuse the sweet messages from Heaven the gracious and sweet motions of the spirit of Christ make much of them God hath begun to you be sure to answer Learn it of Mary when Christ began she set not her heart and infidelity against it but she opened her heart and said Rabboni learn therefore the duty of spirituall obedience when God speaks speak Lord for thy Servant heareth Do not shut your eares to the motions of Gods blessed spirit do not harden your hearts against his voice but open your hearts as she did Rabboni Our Saviour Christ here saith Mary but when after he had concealed himself from her a long time It is not presently Mary nor Rabboni He had coÌ„cealed himself a great while Christ doth not usually open himself fully at first though at first he doth in some degree but he observeth degrees as in the church in generall You see how that he discovers himself in his gracious promises by little and little darkly at first and at last the Sun of righteousness ariseth clearly So the day-Starre ariseth in our hearts by degrees It is a great while before Mary heareth the satisfying speech of Christ Mary But why doth Christ thus conceal himself in regard of his fuller manifestation It is partly to try and exercise our faith and other graces and therefore God doth seem to withdraw himself in the sence of his love 1. To see whether we can live by faith or whether we be all together addicted to sense as the world is who live altogether by sense and not by faith 2. He would have our patience tryed to the utmost he would have patience have its perfect work she had much patience to indure all this but her patience had not a perfect work till Christ spake 3. Christ will stir up and quicken zeal and fervency in his Children and therefore he seemed to deny the woman of Cnnaan first he giveth no answer but a harsh answer A Dogge And she works upon it though I am a Dogge yet Dogs have crumbs All which denyal was only to stir up zeal and earnestness And therefore though Christ doth not manifest himself to us at first yet it is to stir up zeal and affection to seek after him more earnestly A notable passage there is of this Cant. 3. 16. The soul sought Christ and sought long and sought in the use of all means but at length she waited and in waiting she found him 4. Christ doth this for to set a greater price upon his presence when he comes to make his presence highly valued when he doth discover himsâ—lf Desiderata diu magis placent Things long desired please more sweetly And things when wanted are ingratiated to us as warmth after cold and meat after hunger and so in every particular of this life And therefore God to set a greater price on his presence and that he would be held more strongly when he doth reveal himself he defers a long time That is one reason why he did defer revealing himself to Mary that she might have the more sweet contentment in him when he did reveal
ashamed to see Christ come to such an end they were full of unbelief though Christ had told them he would rise again they could not believe and so what with fear and what with doubt and what with grief for their using of Christ so unkindly and leaving him certainly they were in a perplexed and disconsolate condition yet now go and tell my Brethren We see then that after relapses when we be in state of grace to deal unkindly with Christ must needs be matter of grief and shame yet if we be humbled for it and cast down even then Christ hath a sweet message for us by his holy spirit Go tell my Brethren In the Canticles The Church the spouse of Christ had dealt unkindly with Christ by losing him and forsaking him Chap. 3. 5. In the third Chapter she had lost him and sought him on her bed but found him not she rose and went to the watchmen and then went through the City but found him not at length she found him whom her soul loved Then Christ speaks most sweetly and comfortably to her in the beginning of the fourth Chapter but especially in the sixth Chapter after she had dealt most unkindly with Christ He standeth at the door knocking and waiting till his locks dropt with rain in resemblance of a Lover that standeth at the door and is not suffered to come in Afterward he leaveth her for this unkindnesse yet not so but that there was some sweet relish left upon the door God alwayes leaveth something in his Children to long after him and at length after much longing Christ manifesteth himself sweetly to her Chap. 6. 4. and breaketh out Thou art beautiful O my love as Tirzah comely as Jerusalem terrible as an Army with banners turn away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me thy hair is as a flock of Goats c. and so goeth on my Love my Dove my undefiled one He could not satisfie himself in the commendations of his Church being as it were overcome with love And this sheweth that after we have dealt unkindly with Christ and our consciences are ashamed and abashed with it as it is fit they should yet if we will wait awhile and be content not be desperate nor yield to temptation if we stay but a while Christ will manifest himself to us and shew that he valueth and prizeth the hidden graces we cannot see he can see gold in oare He can see hidden love and hidden faith and grace that we cannot see in temptations and he will manifest all at length and shew his love when we stand most in need of it We see it in David who was deeply humbled for his folly with Bathsheba for there was not one but many fins as murder and adultery c. yet being now humbled God sent him and Bathshebah wise Solomon to succeed him in his Kingdom He forgetteth all and so you see our Saviour Christ forgetteth all their unkindness he biddeth her not go tell my Renegate Disciples that owned not me they care not for me I care not for them I am above death and all and now will use them as they did me oh no but go tell my brethren without mentioning any thing that they have done unkindly What is the reason it is sufficient to a gracious soul that it is thus It is the course of God but there be reasons to give satisfaction First the love of Christ to a poor disconsolate afflicted soul is most seasonable when they have relaps'd and dealt unkindly with Christ then Christ not only forgiveth but forgets all nay and calleth them under the tearm of Brethren which is more then forgiving and forgetting Oh now it is seasonable for there is a wonderful dejection of spirit after unkind usage of Christ in a soul that knowes what Christ means It is as a shower of rain after great drought it falleth weighty upon the soul Secondly The freedom of Christs love most appeareth then when no desert of ours can move it for is not that love free when we have dealt unkindly with him and joyned with the world and with the flesh and dealt slipperily with him that then he will speak kindly to us and make love to us Lord if I had had my due what would have become of me If he had sent them word according to their deserts he might have said go tell the Apostate base people that have dealt unworthily with me whom I will send to Hell Oh no but tell my Brethren his free love appeareth most at such times when our souls are most dejected Thirdly Satan roareth then most then he most of all sheweth his horns when we are relapsed oh saith he if thou hadst never found kindness it had been something but thou hast dealt unworthily that hast had so many favours and dost thou so requite the Lord of glory Now this love of Christ doth exceedingly confound Satan and trouble his plots he knoweth then that God leaveth men and he joyneth with a guilty conscience and a guilty conscience maketh them to fear all they have deserved shall I look God in the face Christ in the face when I have used them thus shall I receive the Sacrament and joyn with Gods people now Satan doth joyn with guilt of conscience and carrieth it further and when God seeth them dejected and humbled for this he speaketh more comfort to them then ever before There is none of us all I can except none but had need of this have we dealt so unkindly with Christ since our conversion have not we dealt proudly and unkindly and carlesly with him and if we have the love of Christ in our brests it will shame and abash us Now if we have joyned with a temptation Satan will say will you go to God and to prayer that have served God thus shall I yield to this temptation if we can shame our selves and say Lord I take all shame to my self I have dealt most unworthily with thee we shall hear a voice of comfort presently And therefore whatsoever our condition be be invited to repentance though thou hast fallen and fallen again I have dealt unkindly did not Peter so and yet go tell my Disciples and tell Peter The Pope will have him head of the Church I am sure he was head in forsaking of Christ and indeed Christ ever upbraided Peter with forsaking of him now only he biddeth him feed feed feed that he might take more notice of it but he was so kind that he never cast it into his teeth Obj. But saith the poor drooping soul if I had never tasted of mercy it had been something Answ But object not that for though Peters offence was great yet his offence was great and though thy sins be great yet if thy repentance and humiliation be answerable thou shalt have most comfort of all And therefore let no man be discouraged If we
be severe I but that is the greatest part of their weakness if they have any goodness in them For who was more indulgent to the Disciples then Christ who saw their weakness He bore with all their infirmities Where we see any goodness let us bear with many weaknesses we ought to be peaceable men Beati sunt pacifici they that be appeased in their consciences in sense of their own pardon are ready to shew mercy to others Busie contentions quarrelsom dispositions argue they never found comfort from God himself If God be a Father and we are Brethren it is a levelling word it bringeth Mountains down and filleth up vallies All are Brethren take them in what condition you will if they be great in the world Brethren of an high degree yet brother levelleth thē If they be of low degree yet it filleth them up raiseth thē to the height in this brotherhood And therefore go tel my Brethren tell them all for they be all equally Brethren If I were to speak to persons of quality and great parts as I am to speak to mean let them be put in mind of their condition Nothing should raise us up so high as to forget the everlasting relation of Brother Infirmity should not so far prevail with us as to forget that which the Children of God have to eternity And for other persons more eminent if he be a King let him not so mind that as to forget all other For all relations determine in death and must be laid in the dust all must stand on equal ground before Gods Barre and they that have most to answer for have the highest accompt of all and therefore it is ground of humility to all Let them that are in greatest eminency consider this Paul after conversion could say henceforth know I no man after the flesh There is a great deal of humanity in the World complement is very ordinary which is the Picture and out-side of humanity but Christian love which is a degree above humanity the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brotherly love that is the scorn of the world They will own a Brother in office but owning them in the sweet bonds of Brotherhood as they are the Sons of God here is Heaven make much of them in that kind that is a strange thing in the world but we must know what it meaneth before we come to Heaven we must respect a Christian be he what he will be under all his infirmities if he hath a good spirit in him which God the Father seeth and Christ seeth We must bear love to all Saints Some will make much of an eminent man that hath excellent parts because there may be some countenance from such persons but here is sincerity that beareth love to all Saints He wraps them up all in the general tearm Go tell Peter amongst the rest that hath offended more then the rest If you will know whether you be true Brethren or no or Sons of God or no make a use of tryal by what is formerly delivered I shall inlarge my self in that point because all dependeth upon it God is the Father of all by creation he is the Father in a general Covenant of all that receive the Sacrament and are baptized But if they have no other relation to God but so they may go to Hell as Judas and others did therefore we must know whether we may claim this relation of Father on good grounds or no else it is an usurpation 1. Those that belong to God the spirit of God witnesseth to them that they are Sons They that are adopted have the spirit of adoption in some degree God sendeth his spirit into their hearts that assures them that they be Gods Children And howsoever this is the first yet God giveth some intimation by his spirit that they look to God in another familiar manner then before and he looks on them in a Fatherly manner so there be some intimations and insinuations and hints though the spirit of adoption witnesseth not fully and gloriously to the soul always because we are not fitted for it but sometimes in great afflictions and desertions Where the spirit of God is there is Communion with God in the spirit of adoption And when the voice of the spirit of adoption speaks not lowdly yet there is a work of the spirit there is something in us renewed by the spirit there is something of the new Creature When a Christian cannot hear God say to his soul I am thy salvation yet a man may see a work of grace there is a love to God to the Ordinances to the people of God a mourning because he cannot mourn a sighing because he hath not an heart plyable He is discordant with his condition when he is disconsolate so that there is a work of the spirit helpeth him in his worst condition Besides there is a spirit of supplication in some measure though he cannot make set discourses to God yet he can in a sweet manner lay open his sorrow and grief to God and leave them in his bosom They be broken words perhaps but God can pluck sense out of them God knoweth the meaning of the sighing of his own spirit though broken speeches So that where there is any tongue for God in a man there is a spirit of prayer there is not a strangeness of God to go altogether by but the spirit hath a kind of acquaintance with God and it goeth to God in a familiarity and layeth forth grief and putteth forth Petitions in another manner then the World doth Again a Christian in the worst condition God not only shineth on him through the Cloud but there is a spirit in him that sigheth to go through all thick Clouds to God There is a spirit of supplication and of love in some degree for that is promised The spirit shall help our infirmities when we know not how to pray the intercourse and Communion with God is never broken off where there is any spirit of adoption Therefore Jonas and David and the rest though they could not pray yet they sighed to God and would not leave him If they could not imbrace Christ they would touch the hem of his garment They will not yield to the stream altogether but strive against it And though they be carried away with the strength of the stream and see no goodness in themselves yet they that be with them shall see a spirit striving to another condition then they are in Something of Christs something of Gods spirit there will be in them And take them at the worst they will appear better then the civil man that thinks himself a glorious man though he hath nothing but for shew and fashion who would be in such a mans condition without some brokenness of heart some sighs 2. Likewise we may know it by our sympathy and Antipathy Our sympathy with them that be good and antipathy
to that which is naught There is a love of that which is good So things good things are connatural to a good man There is a relish in good Company and good things As there is sweetness in the best things so there is something in the Children of God that is answerable to the God whom they serve He is never so out of tast but he findeth his chief comfort in this thing and he is never himself so much as when he is conversant in these things though in different measure sometimes more and sometimes lesse There is an inward antipathy to God in a proud carnal man that hath not his heart subdued by grace there is a contrariety to the power of that grace which outwardly he professeth and a sympathy with the world and the spirit of the world Take a good Christian at the worst he is better then another at the best I beseech you therefore examine our dispositions how we stand affected to things of an higher nature then the things of the world to spiritual things how we can relish spiritual things Gods Ordinances any thing that is holy surely if there be the life of God and Christ in us there will be a kind of coÌ„naturalness suitableness of taste to the sweetnes that is in holy things To come to the next mark the order here Go to my Father and your Father We are the Sons of God at the second hand God is the Father of Christ first and then ours He is his God first then our God This is a weighty point for directing of our devotion that we may know in what order to look on God See God in Christ see all things in Christ first and then in us Look upon him as Father to Christ and then to us Look on him as a God to Christ first and in Christ a God to us Look on him as having elected us but elect in Christ first See our selves justified but see Christ justified first from our sins and his justification declared by his resurrection See our resurrection and ascension and glorification in Heaven not directly but in Christ our head who is in Heaven and taketh up place for us See God loving us but look on it in Christ who is Sedes amoris The next thing to God is his Son and he loveth none but in him When we consider of any spiritual blessing say with the Apostle Blessed be God who hath filled us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Otherwise we do not know our selves nor God Whatsoever is derived from God to us is through Christ all promises are his first they are made to him and to our nature in him and they are performed for his sake he taketh them from God the Father and they be performed for his sake He is the true Aaron we are but the skirts the Oyl that is powered upon his head runneth down to his skirts it runneth to the meanest Christian but the Oyntment of grace is first powred on his head Of his grace we receive grace for grace and of his fulness The first fulness is God himself the second receptacle of all is Christ God-man the third are we we have it at the third hand God emptieth himself into Christ as Mediator In him are the fulnesse of all riches the treasures of all wisdom and knowledg we are compleated in him and in him we are full His is not only a fulness of the Vessel as ours is but a fulness of the Fountain And it is for our comfort that it is so that Gods love is to Christ first There is a firm foundation when God loveth us in his Son and we are Children in his natural Son in whom we are adopted then our state is firm Oâ—r first state in the first Adam was not firm but now our nature is taken into the unity of the second person it is firm So that the love and care and Fatherly disposition of God towards us it is sweet to us because it is tender to his Son It is eternal to us because it is eternal to him He can as soon cease to love his Son as cease to love us For with the same love he loveth all Christ mystical head and members There is not the least finger of Christ the least despised member of Christ but God looketh on him with that sweet eternal tenderness with which he looketh upon his Son preserving the prerogative of the head Oh this is a sweet comfort that now all the excellent priviledges of a Christian are set on Christ and then on us and therefore we should not lose them for Christ will lose nothing When the favour of a Prince is founded on his Son whom he always loveth the affection is unalterable on the Son and therefore the case is good So Gods favour to us is foâ—nded on his love to his Son therefore unalterable and eternal we should therefore look up to God in his son put up all our PetitioÌ„s to him in his son expect all from him in his sonne He is in Heaven for us to do that that belongeth to us Expect all from God through Christ and do all to God through Christ love God in Christ and Christ in God our selves in Christ and our selves in the love of God Christ is in God and God is in Christ God and Christ are in us there is a marvellous sweet relation and communion between God and us and Christ and us It is a sweet communion and mysterious to us How sweet is the communion between the soul and the body the soule being so spiritual and the body a peece of earth But what is this to the mystery of mysteries when God takes clay and dust into unity of his person and all this is for this union The great and glorious union of Christ to our natures is that he may take us into his mystical body and so make us one with himself and one with the Father He took our natures that he might convey his Fatherly goodness and love and spirit to us The sweet union of the two natures of Christ is to confirm union between the Father and us and Christ and us And we are never happy till we be assured thaâ— we are one with Christ which is the issue of his excellent prayer John 17. Our blessed Saviour fetcheth the comfort of our Father from this that God is his Father first and so to joyn both together That God is our God because he is his God first It is a point very considerable That whatsoever comfort we look for from God and in God we must see it in Christ first before we see it in our selves because we be but Sons by adoption and we have all we have from God through Christ Whatsoever we see in Christ think this will belong to us And whatsoever we look should belong to us see it first in him As verily as he ascended we shall ascend As verily
Gods enemies Now there be two sorts of enemies that we are especially to have nothing to do withall if we side with God enemies within us and enemies without us Sin within us we must take part against our sins take Gods part and the spirits part against corrupt motions and affections Divinity must begin from within else it is faction without It is not Religion but faction if the Religion begin not in our hearts and if we hate not sin in our selves Where there is true antipathy the nearer any thing is that is opposite to our nature the more hateful it is He that hateth a Toad hateth it in his bosom most of all And he that hates sin as sin hates it in his own heart most of all And therefore they that will pretend Religion and be naught in their own particular it cometh not from a true principle for they that will side with God side with God in their own hearts and be good men in their own particulars therefore I beseech you try your selves by this Likewise 〈◊〉 men estâ—em sinne Gods enemy wâ—â—â—esoever they see it and so far as their authority and power reacheth they will take Gods part in themselves against themselves and in the world too I will not inlarge the point because it cometh in by way of tryal and I cannot but touch it as a tryal Thus you see how we may know whether we be Gods or no by owning his cause and siding with him you have some expressions in Scripture to this purpose Micah 4. 5. All people will walk every one in the name of his God and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever Every man will walk and converse in the name of his God they will own their God and take part with him and we will walk in the name of our God for ever and ever and own his cause at all times and constantly for ever and ever And likewise in Esay 44. speaking of gratious times there when men shall be bold for the Lord as in all times some men will One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord and tearm himself Israel God shall have his tongue his hand and all He shall say I am the Lords he shall call himself by the name of God he shall subscribe to it and own the cause 4. Again if we would know whether God be our God we must know whether we may lay just claim to our God as a peculiar God to us or no and that way in which God sheweth himself to be a God in peculiar respect to us Now how doth God shew himself a God in a peculiar respect to his Children He sheweth himself to have a peculiar respect to them 1. By peculiar gifts when he gives to them that which he giveth to none else shall we imagine God to be our God by common gifts and common graces no for thou comest to hear the word so Herod did Thou receivest the Sacrament so did Judas so did Simon Magus Thou hearest the truth with some joy so did the third ground Thou hast excellent partâ— so hath the Devil himself But thou art in such a place of the Church teachest others so did Judas Are these evidences to try whether we be Gods or no what then is the peculiar gift and love-token that God bestowes upon his favorites they be the graces of his spirit especially in regard of God an humble broken heart and a believing heart and a lowly heart that goeth out of it self that goeth unto God by faith and towards man full of love which argueth a great deal of self-denyal when a man can love others with denyal of his own profit and ease He that hath a humble believing lowly heart hath more then all the world besides for he hath Gods peculiar gift Many poor souls complain as if God had no regard to them and yet in the mean time they have humble broken hearts which is more then if they had all the wealth and worâ—h that the world hath which have proud hearts never broken The return of these favours will be comfort in death and glory in Heaven What will the fruit of a believing heart be he hath God and Christ if he hath a lowly large heart to do good he doth that which in the issue shall further his accompt at the day of judgement and there is the love of God shewed in his special favour 2. So the love of God especially shall be a special peculiar comfort that the world is ignorant of especially in times of extremity Inward peace of conscience inward joy and inward comforts these are signs of love that God bestoweth upon a man when he will own him in the worst times and speak peace to his soul when nothing in the world will speak peace When the Lyons roar the great Lyons of the world roar in extremity he hath inward peace and joy and comforts of the holy Ghost that inward intercourse of God with the soul is a sign of Gods peculiar love when God speaketh peace to the soul when he sheweth the light of his countenance which David in the 4th Psalm prefers before all outward comforts whatsoever Gods revealing of himself as the Scripture calleth it When God revealeth himself to his to be theirs with peace and joy and comfort accompanying it this is peculiar 3. Again a peculiar favour and love-token of God as to have seasonable and sanctifying correction To have corrections when they be seasonable when we be in a way of straying and God will bring us home by correction and when we have sanctifying correction we find by experience that all is turned to our good If I find any thing turn me to my God I know I am his if my Crosse be seasonable and sanctified he is my God for he takes that course with me which he takes with his own people These be singular signs of Gods love when he bestoweth the graces of his spirit his comforts peace and joy though not largely yet so much as shall sustain the soul And then when he seasonably meeteth us and will not suffer us to thrive in an evil couâ—se Oh it is a judgment of judgements to be hardned in sinful courses of life how can it but end in desperation at length and therefore it is a great favour to be chastized it sheweth we are Sons and not Bastardâ— Thus we see how we may lay just claim to this that God is our God in a peculiar manner 5. To name but one more to distinguish a spirit of presumption from a spirit of faith and truth that God is our God is this 1. If we have grace to answer his dealings towards us When we can eccho to Gods dealings God hath chosen us if we have grace to chuse him for our God We may know
he hath called us effectually when we answer Gods call when he biddeth us believe he giveth us an influence of power to be able to say I believe Lord help my unbelief We may know he loveth us when we reflect love again and love him we may know he compasseth us when we imbrace him we may know he delighteth in us when we can delight in him and his Servants Whence is the strength of this Argument from hence All good things whatsoever we do from God is but by reflection God shineth on us first God owneth us for his first and God must do so in the order of causes God being the spring of all goodness he must begin we love him because he loved us first else we could never love him therefore if we love him and his truth he loveth us that is sure VVhat have I in Heaven but thee and in earth in comparison of thee surely he owneth us because in order of causes we can have nothing but from him first 2. And then again out of the nature of conscience if we can go boldly to him as a reconciled God notwithstanding guilt of conscience it is a sign he hath obtained peace of conscience because it is the nature of conscience if it hath not peace from God not to dare to appear in Gods presence So then when there is inward peace and love answering to Gods love choice answerable to Gods choice apprehending of him answerable to his apprehension this reflection and return and rebounding back to God is an invincible argument that God hath first shined upon that soul God sometimes will let us see things in the effect and hide them in thecause Perhaps he wil not perswade bâ— his spirit that he loveth us hath chosen us and that we are his but he will work something in our hearts because he will have us search our spirits what good thing he hath wrought what love what choice of the best side are in any of these surely then God is theirs though there be not an open voice yet we may know God hath loved this soul and spoken peace to that soul because we can return nothing to God but he must shine on us first Therefore beloved let us make use of this and let us take heed of sacrilegious usurpations that we do not usurp upon Gods house or God in a peculiar respect Indeed we may come to God as his Creatures we are the workmanship of thy hands and say the truth though we be in a wicked course of life but to say thou art my God in Christ I am thine thou hast chosen me for thine when we have not chosen him for our God nor loved him nor his cause nor sided with him nor have any stamp of him on the soul have nothing but common favour that castawayes have as well as we and the Devils as well as we for the Devilâ— go beyond all men in parts and yet to usurp the prerogative of being Gods in a peculiar manner and to be bold with the holy things of God as if we were of his family this is a dangerous usurpation take heed of it And therefore they that live in courses of rebellion and resolve not to mend they take the holy things of God as the Psalmist speaks Psal 50. in an holy indignation what art thou that takest my word in thy mouth since thou hatest to be reformed Thou art an enemy to God and goodness and wilt be so thou art in a course of rebellion and wilt be so The Devils works you do and will do can we not take the word of the Covenant into our mouths and shall we take the seal of the Covenant therefore resolve to amend else have nothing to do with God do not add one sin to another It is Childrens food and not for Doggs it belongeth to them of the family If thou be none of the Family what hast thou to do with them If thou be of the Family whatsoever thy infirmities are thou maist come boldly for the seals are to strengthen our weak faith When the Father is Father of a Child the Father will not cast away the Child for breaking out with deformity or lameness when God hath taken us into his Family infirmities cannot discard us But I speak of them that in a wilful opposite course of sin shew they never had to do with God in familiar entercourse God never gave them a spirit to alter their natures Propriety and proportion and suitableness of disposition go together propriety joyneth with suitableness where God owneth any man he makes them like himself by his word and spirit that their natures shall be even and agreeable to holy things shall have a tast of holy things And where there is not suitableness of holy things there is no propriety Will God own a man and not make him suitable will God take his friend and not give him a friendly nature he will not for he first fitteth our natures for communion with himself else there can be no propriety Let us not deceive our selves but if vve find some beginnings of grace and can say without arrogancy or usurpation doubtless thou art our Father our God we be not worthy to be thine but we be thine If we finde something that cast-awayes cannot have some grief of heart for sin some faith some little measure of love some love of truth and inclination to the best things then we may come boldly to increase our familiarity and communion with God but otherwise it is dangerous to come to God we approach a consuming fire who shall dwell in everlasting burnings say they in Isaiah and if God be not in covenant with us oh he will be consuming fire everlasting burnings and we but stubble it will increase spiritual judgment in us hardness of heart and going on from sin to sin till we be accursed for sin therefore it is a fearful thing to be given up to hardness of heart they that do continue in sin God giveth them up to hardness of heart to be insensible of his dealings with them Vse 3. If we can in any degree make it good that God is our God and we his people then let us make use of it for our comfort in all times that we have a God to go to though we have no friend in the world yet we have him in whom all friends meet If we have no comfort here yet we have him in whom all comforts meet for all concenter in him He hath Father and friends and worth and grace and peace and comfort in him and all is in him if we go to him we shall find a confluence of every thing that is good suitable to any necessity of ours And therefore let us learn to single out of God whatsoever may help us to be in covenant with him He having made himself over to be ours let us learn this wisdom to single out
of God whatsoever is peculiar to our present condition for considering he hath made himself a God to us he is all-sufficient for every turn therefore out of his all-sufficiency take out whatsoever is fit for any particular exigency Lord I am now in a straight and want wisdom thou in Christ hast abundance of wisdom Christ hath in him all treasures I now want friends I want counsel I want help I want strength God hath a fulness of all this for his Children He hath it not only to content himself and look on his own happiness but for his friends that be in covenant with him that be in covenant with him that be so near him that he will own him to be their God If you aske what is Religion it is to know God to have all-sufficiency in him for my good and then to make use of him by dependance on him for that good and by advancing of him in giving him the due honour and thanks of it And therefore we deserve not the names of religious persons if we do not study what he is to his Creatures in the Covenant of grace Then make use of it by a spirit of dependency and alwayes giving praise and thanks This is our whole man and what is all else nothing but trouble and vanity Get our bonds sealed that he is our God and then break with all the world beside come what can come or what will come we are sure to be safe It is a comâ—ort of wonderful large extent The use of the Sacrament is to seal that God is our God in particular and that Christ is ours as verily as the Bread and Wine are ours And let us desire the Lord to seal to every one of our souls that are to have communion with him in particular that he in Christ is ours Christ with all his merits and the fruits of them forgiveness of sin and life everlasting as verily as the outward man partakes of the outward seals and then we shall come and go away with comfort and be made partakers of that end and use of the Sacrament for which our blessed Saviour instituted it Having spoken before of common favours which Devils and Castawayes may have as well as we I shall inlarge my self a little in this because it is a point of concernment As in other sins we be like the Devil so in this sin a man is worse then the Devil himself if a man will be a common swearer and opposer and malitious against goodness being only in love with some idle conceipt of his own which he will have God himself stoop to else he will not to Heaven he will not be saved but by his own foolery A man that hath a bitter spirit against the power of grace that is a common blasphemer that carrieth a spight against Religion for him to say God is his God the Devil will as well say so He will say of Paul and Sylas these are the people of God but he will not say himself is For a man to live in sins against Conscience defend them oppose all that opposeth his sins and yet claim an interest while that disposition standeth in him it is more then satanical impudency and it is extream hardening of the heart against all goodness for how many thousands in the Church perish and sink to Hell under this presumptuous conceipt I am Gods and God is mine when the title is false and the evidence false And therefore is is a point deserving throughly to be examined continually what those evidences of graces be that we venture our souls and salvation upon I will not stand much to presse the point But you see the necessity of it consider therefore I beseech you whaâ— I have sâ—id If God be ours there will be a separation where there is an owning of God for our God There will be a separation from all that is not his as well as a gathering to them that be his The work of Gods spirit in his Children is like fire which hath two properties to sever all heterogeneal and strange stuffe and drosse and the like and gather all the homogeneal stuffe of one nature And so the works of the spirit gathereth to the soul so much as is good and refines that and severeth that which is contrary That spirit of God that telleth them that they be Gods it is is a severing spirit and a uniting spirit it severs contraries and it uniteth things of the same nature there is a joyning to what is good and a separating of what is evil I will add this farther that wheresoever on good title we can say I am Gods there is a reflect act of the soul to say God is mine God hath put a light of reason and friendship into man Now friendship standeth in mutual office of duty and gift where this is not there is no friendship no reconciliation no owning on good tearms The end why God saveth a company of men and bringeth them to Heaven the body of Christ which we call the Church it is that he may have eternal communion with them in the Heavens as he hath with the blessed Angels and in Christ a nearer communion then he hath with them Now how can this communion be unless we turn to God unless we have something to answer Gods love Again note God is ours because Christ is ours the Covenant is first made with Christ and then with us Whence we see a ground of particular application of that which we call particular faith a ground of particular application by a spirit of faith of God to us and Christ to us that God in Christ is my God and your God The ground of this is as God offereth himself we must apprehend him but Christ offers God and he knoweth how to offer him He teacheth us how God is to be presented and he presenteth him as our God and our Father and therefore let us entertain him as ours Thus you see a good ground of particular application of God the Father and Christ to us in particular in two respects not only that every one in particular ought to have a particular faith and not to think a general faith is enough to believe as the Church believeth but to have a particular faith of the object not only of the subject but of the object that that is his in particular I go to my Father and your Father God is the Father and the God of all the Elect and only the Elect and of every one of the Elect as we say in solidum that is said to be in solidum when every one applieth the whole to himself without diminution of any part The sum is in solidum to every one that will make use of it to inlighten every Creature that shutteth not his eyes As a common Fountain is no mans in particular for no man can say this is my Fountain alone and yet every man
to your own souls if you do not And therefore I beseech you if you be not yet come in adde this more you be sacrilegious persons if you be not Christians in earnest have not you given your selves to God in baptisme and have not you in your lives given your selves to lusts which you renounced at your baptisme now you have alienated your selves from God to whom you were dedicated Did not you ingage your selves to God in your Baptisme and is not he willing to receive you He thought of you when you could not think of your selves And therefore as it bindeth you over to greater punishment if you will not come in but continue sacrilegious persons from God to whom you have dedicated your selves so God preventeth you with mercy He incourageth by the seal of election in Baptisme to make it good by faith without which it will do no good being but a seal to a blank therefore how many incouragements have you to come in Take Gods gracious offer he giveth you time to make your peace it is nothing but wilful rebellion to stand out against God For they that have given themselves to God and now renewed their interest in him by the Sacraments let them conceive what a word of comfort they have in this That Christ is theirs and God is theirs What an ocean of comfort is it when all things leave you as all things will yeâ— we have God that will be a God for evermore At the time of death what comfort will it be to say God is mine Christ is mine Life is mine no longer world is mine no longer friends forsake me but I am interessed in God and have made Covenant with God who is a God for ever the Covenant I have made is an everlasting Covenant It is of that largeness the comfort is that the Angels themselves admire it the Devils envie it and it is a matter of glory and praise in Heaven for ever Therefore make much of such a priviledge that is the envy of Devils the admiration of Angels that is the joy of a Christians heart here and matter of glorifying God for ever world without end That God in Christ is become his God here and for ever it is a ravishing consideration It is larger then our hearts here be comforts larger then the capacity of our hearts Cor vestrum soli Deo patere debet our hearts ought all to lie open to divine things for they have more in them then the heart can contain If we will shut them shut them to worldly things Oh the comfort of a Christian that hath made his state sure let him glory in the Lord. There be three degrees of glory in all let him glory under hope of glory glory in afflictions and glory in God that is we glory in God to be our God That in the sharing and dividing of all things God hath given himself to us and what an offer is this that when God divideth the world to the Children of men you shall have this and that but you shall not have me But to his Children he hath given himself and he hath nothing better to give and indeed there is nothing else needs for there is more in it then we can speak but that when God divideth all things he should give such a share as himself is not this a glory that a poor Creature should have God to be his and all he hath to be his to make use of it in life and in death it is worth all the world It is worth our endeavors to make our Calling and Election sure when we may have this comfort from it FINIS Prutitus disputandi scabies ecclesiae Sir H. VVotton Ideo conversa est quia angeli assurrexerunt praesentiae Christi Gerfon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. se domum versus praeter virum suum qui subsequebatur ipsam Junius in anal in Gen Exodo 25. 20 Col. 1. 20. Ministery of Angels towards Christ Luke 2. 9. 10. Luke 22. 4â— John 10. 12. Act. 1. 10. Heb. 1. 14. Psal 34. 7. Luke 16. 22. Mat. 24. 31 Presence of Christ comfortable weaknesse of faith now seen 1 Cor. 6. 9. When Christ speaks the Angels are silent Christs first words after his Resurrection Misapprehensions of Christ in good men Mat. 11. 28 Passion clouds understanding Act. 17. 81 Mat. 11. 28. Esay 40. 11. Love a willing grace Cant. 8. 6. Nothing can comfort the grieved soul till it heares the voice of Christ Ingâ—ntes dâ—lores stupent Christ takes notice of all 〈◊〉 Rabboni The believing soul is never satisfied till it comes to Heaven Obser 1. Cathedraâ— habet in caelis qui cordâ— dâ—cet Observ 2. Necessity of hearing Note Christ can easily comfort God is the beginner of all saving works Object Answ The motions of the spirit must not be slighted Alloquenti Christâ— fideles respondent 1 Sam. 3. 10. Grace a graduall work Quest Reasons why God defers mercy James 1. 4. Mat. 15. Mark 7. 27. 28. Communion with Christ is the Christians life Directions to re injoy Christ Gen. 45 3. Psal 63. Caution Mat. 28. 1. Mark 16. 9 Luk. 24. 1. Joh. 20. 1. Where to find him Luk. 2. 46. Christ conveyeth himself to us by the ear and by the eye first by the word and Sacraments The excellency of the Sacrament â— Cor 6. 2. Caveat The teachings of Christ by his spirit are powerful and cannot be resisted General promises must be particularly applied Christâ— dying for sinners is no comfort to the soul but by a particular application Spiritus Dei Dei hominis secreta cognoscit John 20. 27. Love to Christ cannot be satisfied without the injoyment of Christ Sense much affects carnal men Christ after his Resurrection is to be touched by faith and not by sense The Regenerate knoweth no man no not Christ himself after the flesh Joh. 4. 24. Externâ— dei placere nequtunt Hos 10. 11. â—rduum difficile est in fide vivere Christ not to be touched because not ascended non solum significat tangere sed ad haeâ—ere coÌ„glutinari Esa 52. 11. 2 Cor. 6. 17. A tabernaculo im piorum hominum recedite Num. 16. 27. Mitte fidâ—m in caelum tetigisti Christs care of mourning souls Charity Mat. 5. 24. God uses weak instruments to effect great matters 2 Cor. 4. 7. 1 King 17. 4. Quest Answ Rom. 8. 29 Rom. 8. 17 Heb. â— 14. Christ not ashamed to be neerly related to us Joh. 15. 15 1 Cor. 11. 3 1 Cor. 12. 27. Ephes 5. 23. John 2. Revel 22. Object Answ Relation to Christ must not be denyed because of sin Luk. 15. 21 Tentatio est ad Christum eundi opportunitas ut nobis succurrat Vanity of Popery Popish Orders Mark 9. 24 Relyance on Christs comforts The consideration of Christs free gracâ— and love keeps from desperation A Christian is Confessor Mark 8 18 Deserting of Christ is betraying of him
Comfort in that Christ is our Brother Christ in glory owns his Churches Cause Use of exhortation by faith to labor to be one with Christ John 1. 16 Faiths usual work Christs calling his Disciples brethren adds much to our comfort Faith presents things to come as present Love teacheth what it knowes Humility will be instructed in what it knowes not Christ ascended into glory forgets not his people in debasement It is the highâ—st honor to be a member of Christ By faith in Christ both sin death and hell are overcome The freedom of a Christian The Christians dignity Satans Objection The Christians Reply Christ to be believed and not Satan Mother and brother in spirit is preferred before mother and brother in the flesh Christians are fruitful Trees of righteousnesse The world knowes not the excellency of Gods people and therefore regards them not The constancy and humility of Christ Christ speedy in comforting Object Christ takes his owâ— time to comfort the humble soul Christs love constant Question Resol Gods love is constant because grounded on his own eternall purpose Fuâ—damenta taâ—en stant inconcussâ— Syoâ—is Christ by death reconciles us by his life he saves us Obj. Answ Trusting in Christ takes off trouble The links of salvation hold firm on Gods part Gods love â—n Iterable In darkest times Christ is near to comfort Simile Note The Churches care to find her beloved Christs sweet and comfortab e spâ—ech â—o his beloved Christs high commendations of his spouâ—e Note Reason 1 Kindnesse shewed after dejection is very seasonable Reason 2. Christ deals not with us after our deserts Reason 3 Satan by laying guilt to our charge labors to carry us further fâ—om God Comfort to those that sh me themselves John 2â— 15 16 17 We are not so ready to come as Christ is to receive Well mâ— when Christ and the soul mâ—et together Presumptuous sinners The most humble Christian most subject to be discouraged Rom. 5. 20. Object Answ Jer. â— 1. Comforts against great sins Our comforts fail not because he is God and not man Note Difference between a carnal and a gratious heart Sin imputed to Christ as our surety Faith makes things absent present Saints look forward as Christ did Till we come to Heaven our desires are unsatisfied Simile Notes of our spiritual Resurrection Heavenly mindednesse Converse with the world be not defiled with the world Heaven injoyed on earth Quaere Reasons of Christs ascension Our enemies conquered and God appeased by Christs resurrection Victory triumph Heb. 9. 24 Christs blood speaks mercy and pardon The spirit hâ—râ— and Christ in Heaven here together His Resurrection ascension declares the Father to be satisfied to the utmost Rom. 10 6. 7. Christs intercession Apoc. 12. 9 Christ more skilful to save then Satan is to destroy The super excellent advantage of Gods people above the world 1 Joh. 21. Rom. 8. All Scriptures are for consolation The flighting of the Ministry is the havock of conscience Faith makes all present Fath the Christians priviledge Think on Christ as ascended with him Ephes 5. 20. 1 Joh. 2. 1. Mat. 6. 12. Go to God for pardon of sinners in the name of Christ To rely on Christ is to feed upon him God is first Christs God and Father and then our God Father How God is the Father of Christ Christ coequal with his Father Joh. 20. 28 1 Col. 20. God a Father All comfort is from God reconciled to us in Christ Mal. 3. 17. Father is a tearm of indulgence Luk. 15. 18 Gods infinite love to a sinful man Heb. 12. 6. A name of provision Luk. 12. 32 Luk 12 30 Father is a name of protection Pro. 18. 20 What we owe to God as a Father Fear God for his greatness love him for his goodness Gods wisdom and love God keeps the best things till the last Esay 49. 15 16. Psal 121. 4. Faith and prayer fetcheth all from God Mat. 7. 9. 10. Mat. 6. 8. God not a Father in Christ to the wicked The Hypocrite disposition To whom God is a Father Christs disposition The Character of a gratious Christian Quaere Solution No sin should hinder us from going to God as our Father The name of Father speaks no comfort to the malitious enemies of Christ Simile Rom. 1. 4. Heb. 1. 5. Gods unexpressible and wonderful love to mankind Psal 113. 6. Our nature advanced in Christ as high as can be God a Father to his discâ—nsolate Disciples Psal 117. 11. Job 42. 6. 8 Gods love to us is from his own bowels not from our goodnesâ— If mercy were not shewed to sinners none could be saved Comfort in afflictions Mat. 27. 46 God Christs Father in all his persecâ—tions The Law necessary to be teached Contentation in all conditions to be laboured for Humility a lesson to be learned from Brotherhood 2 Cor. 5. 16. Love to the Saints the highest mark of sincerity Notes of adoption God may be our God though we cannot alwayes make it Even sighs groans pierce through thick Clouds get to God Good things connatural to good men How to go to God in prayer Ephes 1. 3. 1 John 17 Mans insinite happiness by Christ Clay and dust taken into unity of the person of God Ephes 2 6. All we have or can expect to have must be obtained through Christ Use Blesse God for Christ as well as for our selves Luk. â— â—8 Christ as man the object of Gods love and predestination as well as we 1 Pet. 1. 4. How God is Christs God God our God in the state of grace 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. The Covenant of grace founded on Christ By vertue of Christs resurrection God is not only our Father but our God God our God in covenant with Christ Interest in God great comfort Even afflictions Satan himself conspires to make us happy Eccles 1. 2. Eccles 2. 17. Never rest till God be made our portion God our joy our comfort our Rock our all Examine our hearts what we make our God It is of eternalconcernment to make God our God Exo. 20. 2. Do all for God in obedience God gives us our being and wel being and doth all for us till we come to Heaven Humane nature nearer to Christ then the nature of the Angels Doct. What God is whâ—t he is able to do what he hath all is ours Answ Want it self is for the good of Gods people God all in all immediatly in Heaven Use Simile Pro. 18. 20 Go to God in things of extremity by faith and prayer Exo. 9. 28. The wicked outwardly make a shew to feaâ— God but hate him in their hearts A carnal man professes hiâ— own safety before the advancement of Religion Rom. 7. 8. The fearful condition of a wicked man at the hour of death Who are Gods enemiâ—t A Christian is a good man in his own particular Quest Answ The humble man more excellent then the proud Peace of conscience inward joy and comfort signs of love Mark 9. 24 Psal 73. 25. Arguments of Gods shining upon the soul Caution To call God our God when he is not so is an usurpation full of danger Psal 50. 16 17. Simile Propriety by â—itting our natures for communion with God Heb. 12. 29 Esa 33. 14 Comfort in our interest in God Particular exigencie supplyed by his all-sufficiency Religion is to know God â—nd to make use of him for good to honor him and to be thankful Sacrament seals God to be ours Man by some sins worse then the Devil Gods spirit both a severing spirit and an uniting spirit Friendship in mutual office of duty Doct. God to be apprehended as he offers himself Particular application of Christ how grounded Sacraments seal a particular faith Failings do not cut uâ— off from Christ If Christ hath satisfied for us notwithstanding our infirmities we may call God our God Heb. 12. 24. Mercy part of our mariage portion Object Answ Use Assurance Joy springs from knowledg Luk. 10. 20 Gods service must be performed with chearfulnesse No worldly comforts can satisfie the soul Assurance earnestly to be labored for 3 Col. 12. Grounds of assurance Assurance maintained to us on Gods part John 13. 1. Heb. 13. 20 Hos 2. 18. Ruleâ— to know how God is our God Simile God and Christ the Objects of faiâ—h and love Interest in God an argument against sin The flesh a Devil within us That God is our God â—nd our Father is ground of infinite comfort Assurance that God is our God wrought by the sealing of the spirit and the spirits sanctifying Conscience is a little God within us 1 Joh. 3. Respect with God preserved with much industry holiness 2 Pet. 1. 20 Psal 2. 11. The fearful condition of those that have not God to be their God The office of the Ministry is to prâ—ach life to all repentant sinners God preventeth us by his mercies God our comfort in the losse of all things 1. Glorie under hope of glory 2. Glory in affl ctions 3. Glory in God 2 Pet. 1. 10
himself as indeed she had Long deferring of a thing doth but inlarge the soule Want inlargeth the desire and capacity of the soul so doth love Now when we want that we love that emptieth the soul marvellously much it mortifieth affection When God keeps off a long time and we see it is God only must do it then the affection is taken off from earthly things and the heart inlarged to God by love and the want of the thing we love And therefore we set a price on the thing so that we are wonderfully pleasing to God It is very beneficiall to our selves What lost Mary by it so shall we lose nothing We have it at last more abundantly We have it as a mighty favour Mary taketh this as a new blessing all together When things are kept long from us God only must discover When the heart is kept from second causes the heart is inlarged Certainly this comes from God and God should have all the glory of it God is wise and therefore makes us to stay a long time for that we do desire We all of us are in Maries case in a spirituall sense sometimes or other we misse Christ I mean the sweet sense of Christ Lay this down for a râ—le that Christians ought to walk in sweet communion with God and Christ that it ought to be the life of a Christian to maintain the CoÌ„munion that Christ hath vouchsafed between us and himself Then certainly we lose Christ wonderfully and not against our minds but willingly by our own slighting of him and by our own undervaluing of him or by our negligence and presumption Christ though he be low yet he is great and he will have us to know his greatness There must be communion with due respect One way or other we deprive our selves of the sense sweetnesse of communion with Christ What must we do then we must do as this woman did turn over every stone use all kind of means leave not one till we find him and when all means are used wait still Persevere in waiting as Peter speaks Believers wait hold out in waiting for Christ in his time will come he cannot hold long As Joseph did suppresse his love and affection for politick ends a great while but his pitty towards his Brethren was such that his bowels would not suffer him to conceal himself longer his passion was above his policy I am Joseph And so let us in the use of all things seek Christ and the sweet sense of his love which is better then life it self And indeed what is all without Christ Christ is so full of compassion he will not long suffer us to be prolonged but will at length satisfie the hungry soul how many promises have vve to this end Take heed of such a temper of soul as cares not vvhether vve find Christ or no. Oh take heed of that if vve vvill seek him seek him as Mary she sought him early in the morning she brake her sleep and sought him vvith tears If any thing be to be sought vvith tears it is Christ and communion vvith him she sought him instantly and constantly she sought him so that no impediment could hinder her she vvas so full of grief and love She sought him vvith her vvhole heart she vvaited in seeking that is the vvay to find Christ Seek him early in our younger times in the morning of our years Oh that we could seek Christ as we seek our pleasures we should find more pleasure in Christ then in all the pleasures of the world if we could perswade our base hearts so much Seek him above all other things Awake with this resolution in our hearts to find Christ never to be quiet till we may say with some comfort I am Christs and Christ is mine When we have him we have all seek him with tears at length we are sure to find him He hath bound himself that if we knock he will open And if we seek we shall find If we seek wisdom early with our whole hearts intirely sincerely seek Christ for Christ and then we shall be sure to find him as she did Thus seek him in the word Sacraments wherein he discovers himself familiarly Seek him in the Temple Christ was found in the Temple and then we shall be sure to find him both here and hereafter Specially we shall find him in our hearts You see how familiarly he comes to us in the word speaks to us by a man like our selves And how familiarly by the Sacrament by common bread and common wine sanctified to do great matters above nature to strengthen faith He cometh to us through our faces into our souls in the Sacrament He cometh to us through our ears in hearing the word through our sight in seeing the bread broken He comes by familiar things and by a familiar manner of conveying as if he should name every one I come to thee and give thee my body Think with our selvs now Christ cometh to me when the Minister reacheth the bread and come to me think of heavenly bread of the gift of Christ to me by means can he do it more familiarly Is it not as if he should say Mary and that is the excellency of the Sacrament It conveyeth Christ to all the Saints and to every one in particular as if he named every one And what an incouragement is this to answer again to open our hearts to receive him together with the Elements to imbrace Christ joyn with Christ and then to keep him when we have him do not lose him he will not be so dealt withall remember the Covenant we have made to him I beseech you let these sweet considerations of Christ dwell in us and work on every one of our hearts If they do good on us here on earth if we by faith lay hold on him and have intercourse with him what will it be in the day of judgement How comfortable will it be to hear him say to every one in particular Come thou and thou stand on my right hand sit and judge the world with me Doth he know our names now on earth and giveth to every one particularly by himself if we come worthily and will not he know us then oh that is far more worth then the worlds good to know us then and to call us by our names Therefore I beseech you be acquainted with Christ Have intercourse all we can with him in the word and Sacraments and never rest till we find this sweet result in the use of the means That he is ours and we are his Take heed therefore in these times desperately addicted to formality and Popery I say take heed we do depend not upon any outward thing but look to Christ in all his Ordinances look to the spirit all Gods children the church of the first born they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such
go on in sinful desperate courses as the fashion of the world is speak what we can if we speak out our lungs many will not leave an oath nor their prophane base courses and filthy wayes ill they have been already and ill they will be till they come to Hell Some such there be but better we are to speak to whosoever thou art that are weary of thy prophane base godless courses be humbled for them When thou art humbled and broken-hearted then think of Christ as he offers himself think of nothing but love nothing but mercy Satan will picture him thus and thus but when thou beâ—st humbled and broken hearted he is readier to entertain thee then thou art to fly to him And therefore at such times consider how Christ offereth himself to thee He that dyed for his enemies and seeks them that never sought him that is found of them that sought him not will he refuse them that seek him If thou hast an heart humbled and hast a desire of favour will he refuse thee that receiveth many in the world therefore do not despair We as Ambassadors beseech you saith the Apostle Thou desirest Gods savour and Christs love thou desirest them and Christ intreateth thee and then thou art well met Thou wouldst fain have pardon and mercy so would Christ fain bestow it upon thee therefore joine not to Satan take heed of temptations in such a case as this is take heed of refusing our own mercies when God offers mercy in the bowels of his compassion râ—fuse it not Christ is ready to shew great kindnesse in our greatest unkindnesse if we be humbled for it But this belongeth to them that be broken hearted that can prize and value Christ They that go on in presumptuous courses shall find Christ in another manner of Majesty they shall find him as a Judge whom they despised as a Brother and they that will not come in and subject themselves to his mercy they shall find his justice If they will not come under this Scepter they shall find his rod of Iron to crush them to pieces And therefore let no corrupt carelesse person that will go on fortifie their presumption from hence It belongeth only to them that be humbled and abased with the sight of sin and consideration of their unkindness and unworthy dealings with Christ I know such are not subject to discouragement and Satan is most ready to close with them in strong temptations above all Oh but let them never despair but consider what the Apostle saith while sin aboundeth grace aboundeth much more If there be height depth and breadth of sin in us there is now more height and depth and breadth of mercy in Christ yea more then we can receive I have fallen from God saith the soul what if thou hast but God is not fallen from thee Peter denyed Christ but did Christ deny Pete no Christ hath not denyed thee What saith the Lord in Jeremy VVill the Husband take the VVife when she hath been naught no yet return to me O Israel But say thou hast been false and committed such and such sins whatsoever they be though Adultery yet return to me Quest Oh but is it possible God should do it Resol Yea it is possible with him His thoughts are not as thy thoughts his thoughts are as far above thine as Heaven is above Earth Obj. Why no man will do it Answ I but here is the mercy of a God I am God and not man therefore his comforts fail not If he were so he would not regard one that hath been so unkind but he is God and not man Go to my Brethren I come now to the matter of the Commission tell them I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God which is all included in Brethren for if we be Gods in Christ then God is our Father But we must not deal in few words with disconsolate souls but come again and again with the same words As how many times have you the comfort of the Mâ—ssiah in Isaiah and the rest of the Prophets again and again Our hearts are so prone to doubt of Gods mercy of Christs love especially after guilt that all is little enough and therefore our Saviour studieth to speak sweetly to the heart Go tell my Brethren that which a carnall heart and curious head would count Tautologie and superfluity of words a gracious heart thinks to be scantness oh more of that still I have not enough This is the pride of men that will have all things to satisfie a curious ear but a gracious heart hath never enough And therefore Christ addeth comfort to comfort Go tell my Brethren I ascend to my Father and their Father to my God and their God The Message it self is Christs ascension The place whither is to the Father a common Father to him and them every word hath comfort I ascend I ascend to the Father and to my Father and your Father too now I have quitted my self of death and sin imputed to me as a surety I am going to Heaven to make an end of all there I ascend to God to my God and to your God We have all one common Father and one common God First for his ascension he did not yet ascend Why then doth he speak for the present I ascend that is I am shortly so to do And it was in his mind it was certainly so to be and therefore he speaks of it in present It is the phrase of faith to speak of things to come as if they were present faith makes them so to the soul for it looketh on the word and all things as they are in that word who will make good whatsoever he saith And therefore it is the evidence of things that are not yet yet they be evident to a faithfull soul If we could learn this aright to make things to come present what kind of people should we be could we think of our Resurrection and ascension and glory to come as present they would be present to our faith the things present or sense could not withdraw us If we could set Hell before us could the pleasures of Hell bewitch us if the time to come were present could any thing in the world withdraw us it could not be And therefore it is an excellent skill of faith to set things to come before us as present He ascendeth he implyeth that he was risen that was past and therefore he nameth it not All Christs mind was on ascending Those that are risen together with Christ their mind is all on ascension all on Heaven And this is one main reason because where any thing is imperfect there the spirit resteth not till it attaineth to that perfection that it is destinated unto When any thing hath a proper element and place where it must rest it resteth not till it be in its proper
place and Element The perfection of the soul is in Heaven to see Christ face to face and God in Christ Heaven is the Element of a Christian it is his proper Region he is never well till there and there is his rest his solace and contentment and there all his desires are satiated to the utmost Till we be in Heaven we be under desires for we be under imperfections All the while we are in imperfections we are in an uncomfortable estate and while we be so we are not as we would be And therefore wheresoever any are partakers of Christs Resurrection they mind the ascension as present Where any grace is there the thoughts are for Heaven presently Let us take a scantling of our dispositions from hence There be many that think it good to be here alwayes they never think of ascending If they could live here alwayes they would with all their heart but it is not so with a Christian it is his desire to be where his happiness his Saviour his God and Father is where his Country and inheritance is and therefore he mindeth ascension and things to come When any thing is done he thinks that what is done is not yet enough As your great Conquerours in the world they forget what they have conquered and remember what they have yet to do So Christ having got conquest over death he thinks now of ascension to conquer in the eyes of all for it is not enough to conquer in the field but he will conquer in the City he will conquer to Heaven and make shew of his Conquest I ascend to lead captivity captive to make a shew as it is exprest Colos 2. 15. While any thing is to do or receive our souls should not be satisfied but still stretched out to desire further and further still more and more still till we be there where our souls shall be fill'd to the uttermost and there is no place of further deâ—ire as Heaven is the place to satiate and fill all the corners of the soul Quest But how shall we know whether we be risen with Christ or no Resol Partly we may know it by our former courses Christ when he was risen all the Clothes were laid together in the grave he left him behind and rose with an Earth-quake there was a commotion and after his Resurrection he minded Heaven So if ye be risen with Christ your former vile courses lie in the grave your Oaths are gone prophaness and wickedness of life gone Tell you me you are risen while you carry the bonds of your sins about you your prophane wretched swearing ungodly persons filthy speakers that have an heart more filthy vile in body and soul can they have any part in Christ where is that that bound you before you carry it about still therefore you be in the bonds of the Devill you be in the grave of sin there is no rising Resurrection is with commotion there was an Earth-quake when Christ arose and there is an heart-quake when the soul riseth can the soul rise from sin without commotion In the inward man there will be division between flesh and spirit without any adoe at all and therefore they that find nothing to do in their spirits where is their rising again But that which is proper to the occasion in hand is the third where grace is begun there will be an inward proceeding and ascending with Christ How shall I know therefore whether I ascend First by minding things above the Apostle telleth us directly Col. 3. 1. Mind things above be heavenly minded in some sort live the life that Christ did after his Resurrection all his discourse was after his Resurrection of the Kingdom of Heaven and his mind was on the place whither he was to go and so a true Christian indeed that is truly risen his thoughts and discourse is when he is himself heavenly Other things he useth as if he did not as while we be in the world we must deal with worldly things but we must deal with them as that which is not our proper Element 1 Cor. 7. 37. They used the world as if they used it not and they married as if they did not for they knew the fashion of this world passeth away And therefore they that affect earthly glory carnal affections and delights they cannot think of these things with any comfort They be moles which grovel in the Earth Some make a profession and they ascend higher as Kites do but they look lowe they make high professions but their aims are low The true Eagles that ascend to Christ as they ascend so they look upward and upward still they do not mind things below they do not take a high pitch and still continued arthly minded but they look high as well as ascend high therefore let us not deceive our selves 2. Yet more particularly those that ascend with Christ they that are in Heaven and they that are on earth do the same things though in different degrees and measure What do they in Heaven there they meddle not with defilements of the world and so though a Christian be on earth he defileth himself not with the world or ill Company He will converse with them but not defile himself with them They that be in Heaven are praysing of God and so be they much in praysing of God here They that be in Heaven love to see the face of God they joy in it And they that be heavenly-minded here joy in the presence of God in the world the Sacraments and his Children If they be ascended in any degree and measure this they will do And then they will joy in communion with God all they can as they do in Heaven you have some carnal dispositions that are never themselves but in carnal Company like themselves If ever we mean to be in Heaven we must joy in Heaven on Earth that is in them that be heavenly in their dispositions If we cannot indure them here how shall we ever live with them in Heaven What was Christ to ascend for what is the end of his ascension The end of his ascension was to take possession of Heaven in his body which had never been there before 1. And he was to take possession of Heaven in his body for his Church that is his mystical body So he ascended to Heaven carried his blessed body that he took in the Virgins womb with him 2. And likewise he ascended to Heaven to take up Heaven in behalf of his Spouse his Church as the Husband takes up Land in another Countrey in behalf of his Wife therefore he did ascend 3. And likewise he ascended to leave us his spirit that he might send the Comforter He taketh away himself that was the great Comforter while he was below He was the Bridegroom and while the Bride-groom was present they had not such a measure of the spirit Christs presence supplyed all