you have never seen look much upon his Picture and Image in the Scriptures The Scriptures are Christs Love letters In the second and third Chapters of Revelations Christ doth send Seven Epistles to the Seven Asian Churches there are many Epistles and Love-letters as it were in the Scriptures especially in the New Testament wherein Christ doth give most kind expressions of most endeared Love unto his People Read much and study Christ's Love letters especially those parts of the Scriptures wherein Christ doth express most of his kindness and love See how kindly Christ doth express himself Ioh. 14. v. 1 2 3 13 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 27. Chap. 1â— v. 9. 13 14 15 16. Chap. 16. v. 7. 22 24 26 27. 33. Chap. 17. v. 9 10 11 15 20 21 22 23 24. Chap. 20. v. 17. Read often and consider such places Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in you and his will feed and maintain your love to Christ this is a means to have Christ dwell in your hearts not onely by Faith but also by most endeared Love 3. Would you have much Love to Christ be much in Prayer unto God for this Love Eph. 6. 23. Peace be unto the Brethren and love with Faith from God the Father Not onely Peace is from God who is called the God of Peace and Faith from God who works it by his Almighty power but alos Love is from God who is the God of Love he circumciseth the heart to love himself and to love his Son This love of Christ is a Grace of the Spirit which God doth freely give and powerfully work the Beginnings of it the Increase of it all the Measures and Degrees of it are from him If you would attain high measures of love to Christ you must apply your selves unto God in Prayter and therein diligently seek to him for it If you would have much love to Christ in your hearts you must be often at the Throne of Grace upon your Knees and there humbly acknowledge if not the want yet the weakness of your love to Christ bewail your Sins which do damp your Affections and earnestly request that he would work your hearts unto a strong love be importunate in Prayer for this follow God day by day with the same requests plead with him for it fill your mouths with Arguments and fill your Arguments with Faith and â—ervent Desires Tell him whatever lovelinesse and love there be in Christ whatever attractives to draw forth your love yet of your selves you are utterly unable to put forth the least motion of true affection unto Christ. Tell him that this love to Christ though it be your Duty yet it is his Gift that you ought to act it but this you cannot do unless he works it Tell him how easily he can enkindle this Fire of Love to Christ in your bosoms and blow it up into a flame Tell him he hath bid you to ask and you shall have and whatever you ask according to his will he heareth and that it is his will you should love Christ not onely truely but also strongly Tell him you desire much love to Christ and that these desires do come from himself and therefore earnestly desire the fulfilling of them Tell him if you do not love Christ much you shall be apt to over-love the Creature which will be displeasing to him therefore request that you may have such a love to Christ as may overpower all other love and keep your hearts from all Inordinacy of affections to any thing beneath and besides the Lord Jesus Christ. Plead how much it will be for his Glory that you should have much love unto Christ that hereby you shall be enabled to honour him the more in the world Plead how much it will be for your good tell him if you asked Corn and Wine and Oyl if you asked Wealth and Honours and Creature-delights in abundance they might be a snare to you and for your hurt but a strong love to Christ is needfull and usefull and be sure will be for your good urge his Promise of Circumcising the heart to love him and plead his Faithfulness and if you be thus importunate in Prayer for much love to Christ and will not be denyed you shall not be denyed 4. Would you have much Love to Christ get much Faith Faith worketh Love both to the Father and to the Son According to the measure of your Faith so will the measure of your Love be Such as are without any Faith are without any Love such as have but a â—eeble faith have but a weak love and such as have the strongest faith have the strongest love The strongest faith giveth the clearest discovery of Christs infinite Excellencies and Perfections It is not the eye of Sense which doth discern Christ neither is it the eye of Reason which doth discern him whatever discoveries we have of Christ it is by Revelation and this is discernable onely by Faith Faith is the Evidence of things not seen and the unseen Christ is evident by Faith to be the most excellent Person and the most sutable Object of love and the more evident the Object of love is the stronger will the love be Moreover Faith is not onely the Eye of the Soul to discern Christ but also the Hand of the Soul not onely to take hold on him but also to receive from him of his Fulness Grace for Grace and by consequence more of this Grace of love to him Our Communion with Christ is by Faith the more intimate acquaintance and fellowship we have with those whom we love the more endeared will be our love the strongest Faith brings us unto the greatest intimacy fellowship and familiarity with Christ and therefore it is a means of the strongest Love Endeavour then to get a strong Faith and to live daily in the powerfull exercise thereof the more you live by Faith the more you will dwell in the Love of Christ. 5. Would you have much Love unto Christ labour for much of the Spirit labour for much of the Light of the Spirit There must be not onely the Glass of the Scriptures and the Eye of Faith but also the Light of the Spirit that you may have a clear discerning of this lovely Lord Jesus Labour for much of the Operation of the Spirit the Spirit is like Wind to blow up the Sparks of Love in your hearts into a flame Labour for the inhabitation of the Spirit and that the Promise may be made good to you which Christ giveth to his Disciples Ioh. 14. 16 17. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you 6. Would you have much Love unto Christ labour for clear Evidences of his Love unto you the
much forgiven have not your sins been very numerous and very heinous and hath Christ obtained the pardon of them all and will not you love Christ much 4. You have the Robes of Righteousness from Christ you are born naked of Original Righteousness and you could not work out any actual Righteousness for your selves that might cover your nakedness whatever you wrought your selves it was rags that could not cover you and it was filthy rags which did pollute and defile you Christ hath given you the Robes of his perfect Righteousness to cover and adorn you withall and therein you are accepted as perfectly Righteous in the sight of God O how should we love the Lord Jesus for this Garment if your Bodies were naked and one should give you clothes to cover you especially if they were rich clothes you would love such a person and will you not love the Lord Jesus Christ who hath given you a garment to cover your Souls and that a very rich one even the Robes of his most pure and unspotted Righteousness which by Faith is put upon you 5. You have peace of Conscience from Christ. This is that peace which the Scripture telleth us passeth all understanding Phil. 4. 7. It passeth all understanding to know the worth of it such as have this peace would not leave it upon any account they would part with Estate or Liberty or Life rather than part with their peace and those which have it noâ— but now do slight and neglect it yet if they be awakened by the sides of the Grave and when they are come to the confines of Eternity then they would value this peace and would give all the world were it at their dispose for it Thâ—â— Jewel of peace you have from Jesus Christ he hath purchased it for you the chastisement of your peace was upon him and he hath promised and bequeathed it in his last will and Testament unto you Iohn 14. 27. My Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you In his reconciling you unto God he hath laid a Foundation for this peace in all you that are true believers and if he have moreover spoken peace to you in giving you well grounded evidences of your Reconciliation if after raising a Storm he hath sent a calm into your Spirits and given a sweet fâ—renity unto you in the testimony of his Spirit to and with your Spirits that your peace is made with God O how should this draw sorth your love to Christ 6. You haâ—e the Joyes of the Holy Ghost from Christ. We read of the Thessalonians that they received the Word in much Affliction with Ioy of the Hâ—ly Ghost 1 Thess. 1. 6. Such are â—hose Joys spoken of in the Text which are unspeakable and full of Glory These are not Carnal joys but Spirâ—tual which are of a higher nature and sweeter relish that have a higher object and are the beginnings of Eternal Joys if you have these joys in any measure you have them from Chriâ—â— he sends the Holy Ghost from heaven to be your Comforter to fill your Hearts with Spiritual joys and shall not your hearts then be filâ—ed with love to the Lord Jesus who is the Author of them 7. You have the richeâ— of Grace from Christ if any of you were poor and ready to starve with hunger and cold and a rich man should give or send to you a chest full of Gold and Sâ—lver or a Câ—binet full of Jewels worth many thousand pounds would you not love such a Bâ—nefactor the Lord Jesus hath given you the riches of Grace the least measure of which is really of more worth than the vastest treasures of Gold Silver and precious Stones that ever was gathered together â—nd heaped up by the most wealthy man that ever lived upon the face of the Earth and will you not love Jesus Christ who hath given you these ineâ—timable riches 8. You have the Dignity of Children from Christ 1 Iohn 3. 1. Behold 〈◊〉 manner of Love the Father hath bestowâ—â— upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! this priviledge of Adoption is bestowed upon you not only by the Father but also by the Son Iohn 1. 12. But as many as received him to them gave he Power to be come the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name We read of some raised from the dust and lifted up from the dunghill to sit with Princes Psal. 113. 7 8. It is a far higher advancement to be lifted up from the dâ—ngâ—ill of sin and of slaves to luâ—ts and Children of the Devil to be made the Soâ—s and Daughters of the Lord Almighty This honour have all the Saints and it is Jesus Christ who hath conferred this honour upon you and will not this endear your love to Chriâ—t 8. You have the Spirit of Prayer from Christ being Sons the Spirit of the Son is sent down into your Hearts whereby you are enabled to say Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. through Christ you have access unto God by the Spirit Eph. 2. 18. It is the Spirit of Christ which helpeth your infirmities in Prayer that formeth your Petitions that enableth you to Pray with Faith and Life and Fervour Through Christ you have free Admittance to the Throne of Grace through Christ you have Assiâ—â—ance by his Spirit to Pray in Prayer through Christ you have Audience and Gracious Returns O how are you beholden unto Christ and how should you love him 10. You have a Title to the Kingdome of Heaven from Christ. Through Christ you are Children and through Christ you are Heirs It is Christ that gives the first Fruits of the Heavenly Canaan the earnest of the future Treasure and Inheritance which he hath promised and the foretastes sometimes of those Soul ravishing Pleasures which the Saints shall have in Fulness and to Eternity when they are received up into Glory And it is Christ that hereafter will give Possession unto you of the Kingdome of Heaven At the Day of His Glorious Appearance after he hath owned you before the whole World of Angels and Men and Honoured you to be His Assessors in His Judging and Condemning the Wicked he will receive you with Acclamations of Joy and Triumph into the Glorious Pallace of the New Ierusalâ—m where you shall have the Beatifical Vision and Fruition of the Glorious Iehovah and be made partakers of such Glorious Felicity as hath not now entred into your Hearts to conceive And will not the Consideration of all this set your hearts on fire with love to Christ Christiâ—â—s is there any Person like to Christ's Person is there any love like to Chriâ—â—'s love are there any benefits like to Christs benefitâ— No no he is imcomparable in all methinks then you should by this tâ—me â—eel your love to Christ like Fire to burn within with 〈◊〉 flame or methinks your love to Christ should be like water I mean the waters of the Sanctuary spoken of Ezeâ—
have interest in Christ and in all his Benefits If you ask me what this Faith is that gives an interest in Christ what it is to believe I answer out of Iohn 1. 12. that it is to receive Christ. But to as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God even to them that Believe in his Name Be perswaded then to receive Christ and accept of him upon the terms of the Gospel Receive and take hold of Christ by the hand of Faith And that you may do this 1. You must let go your hold of sin if your hugg sin in your bosom if you harbour base Lusts in your Hearts you cannot receive and give entertainment to Christ there you must thrust sin out if you would let Christ in 2. You must let go your hold on the World I don't say you must let it go out of your hands and throw away the estates which God hath given except it be to part with some proportion in a way of Mercy and Charity and except you be called to leave all rather than to forgo Christ or any of his Truths but you must let the World go out of your Hearts the World must not sit upon the Throne of your Hearts that seat must be reserved for Christ cheif love and inordinate love to the world and things in the world must be taken off 3. You must let go hold of self your own Righteousness and all self-confidences must be parted with you must be humbled and emptied of your selves if you would be prepared for the receiving of Jesus Christ and receiving of that fulness which there is in him And then 1. Receive Jesus Christ as your High-Priest to reconcile you unto God trusting alone in his Merits and Mediation 2. Receive Jesus Christ as your Prophet to instruct and lead you in all Truth by his Word and Spirit 3. Receive Jesus Christ as your Soveraign Lord and King to Rule you 4. Receive Jesus Christ as your Captain to tread down your Spiritual Enemies under your feet 5. Receive Jesus Christ in all his Relations of Shepherd Friend Brother and especially in the Relation of an Husband and joyn your selves to him and make over your selves to him dedicating and devoting your selves to him and giving up your selves to be guided guarded provided for and governed by him This is to receive Christ and this is to Believe this gives Union and Relation and interest in the Lord Jesus and if you do thus joyn your selves to Christ by Faith you will quickly feel love to Christ to spring forth to work and act and that vigorously and to bring forth such fruit in the life as shall evidently shew that love to Christ is rooted in the Heart 4. If you would attain Truth of love to Jesus Christ be diligent in the use of all those means which God hath appointed for the working of it I shall instance only in two means 1. Be diligent in Hearing the Word Preached as Faith cometh by Hearing so love to Christ is wrought by the same means Hear and your Souls shall live saith the Prophet Isa. 55. 3. and I may say hear that your Hearts may love that where the Eye cannot the Ears may affect the Heart with love to the Lord Jesus Whilst Lydia was hearing Paul Preach her Heart was opened Act. 16. 14. and whilst you are hearing Ministers Preach of Christ your Hearts may be opened to receive him and to embrace him in the arms of your dearest love See Act. 11. 15. As I began to speak the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning whilst Peter was Preaching and the Gentiles were hearing the Holy Ghost was sent down from Heaven and fell upon upon and so whilst you are hearing the Word God may give forth of his Spirit to work this Grace of love to Jesus Christ in your Hearts 2. Be diligent and earnest in Prayer unto God for this love confess and bewail before him your want of this love tell him you deserve a double Anathema because you do not love Christ and withall tell him you cannot of your selves love him that you can as easily lift a Mountain to Heaven as lift up your hearts unto Christ but desire that he would draw up your love to Christ by his Spirit Beg of him that he would put out the fire of Lust and all inordinate creature-love and that be would enkindle a fire of love in you to this most lovely Jesus which no corruption in your Hearts may be able extinguish And in your Prayers present your Hearts to the Lord Jesus offer them up freely to him and desire that he would accept of them that he would take hold of them and take possession of them and erect his Throne in them and an Everlasting habitation for himself Section XVI HAving given directions how you may attain the Truth of love to Christ where you are without it I come now to give directions how you may attain much of this love to Christ where you have it but in a low degree and weak measure Would you attain much love to Christ 1. Be much in Contemplation of Christ consider often what motives there are of love in him presse them upon your Spirits and labour to awaken and rouze up your Hearts unto the vigorous exercise of this love Spend time in secret retirement and there think and think again of the Superlative Excellencies and Perfections which are in Christ's Person how wonderfull and matchless his love is what heigths in it that cannot be reached what depths in it that cannot be fathomed what other dimensions which cannot be comprehended Meditate often of his benefits how incomparable his love-tokens be and whilst you you are musing you may feel the fire burning whilst you are looking you may feel your Hearts leaping whilst you are taking a view of him ere you are aware your Hearts like the Chariots of Aminadab may run to him O the ravishments of love the transports of Soul which some Believers have found in their retired thoughts and views of Christ. Get often into the Mount of Divine Contemplation and there look upwards unto Heaven and think with your selves Yonder Yonder above the shining Sun is the more Glorious Son of Righteousness there at the right hand of the Throne of God is my beloved Iesus the Son of God seated and though he be so high above me both in place and dignity yet he thinketh upon me and pleadeth for me and many a gift hath he thence sent by his Spirit conveyed unto me and I can ask nothing of the Father in his name but if it be really for my good I have it by his means O dear Iesus how lovely art thou in thy self the darling of heaven the Delight of the Father the Admiration of Angels O what brightness of Glory what shining lustre art thou arrayed with thou art clothed with most excellent Majesty and Honour thou art girded
to lawful things and it is of use to keep the Heart from unlawful and sinful loves if Christ have not your Hearts some base and foolish lusts will have them which will wound your Consciences with guilt and peirce your Hearts thorow with many sorrows 2. The love of Christ is useful in Adversity to bear up the Heart from sinking and being overwhelmed with the Winds and Waves of Trouble and Affliction it is of use to establish the Heart from being extraordinarily moved in the most Stormy times not only Faith but Love too is of a fixing nature to keep from amazing fears of evil tidings and the greatest perils and of a strengthning Nature to stay and support the Spirit and keep off pressing Griefs and despondencies in the darkest and most doleful days 3. The love of Christ is useful to quicken and excite unto duty this makes the yoke of Christ easie and will enable you to draw cheerfully therein this makes the burden of duâ—y so accounted by the most to be no burden in esteem if you have much love unto Christ you will account duty to be your priviledge and the Service of Christ to be freedome and none of his commands will be grievous but all of them joyous unto you if you have much love unto Chriâ—t your Hearts will be ensiamed hereby with zeal for your Masters Glory and you will never think you can do too much for him 4. The love of Christ is useful to arm you against Temptations If Faith be a Shield Love to Chriâ—t is a Breaâ—-plaâ—e against the sharpest Darts which the Devil can throw at you â—ove to Christ doth Garrison your Hearts against this Enemy and is a strong defence against any overtures which the Devil may make in his Temptations to draw you to sin how can I do this evil and offend my dear Lord will be the answer of love to repel temptations to sin whatever alluring proffers they be accompanied withal Temptations will have no force to prevail over you if this love of Christ be strong within you 5. The love of Christ is useful to fit you for the cross and the greatest sufferings which you may be called unto for the sake of Christ. If you have great love to Christ you will be ready to suffer for Christ with patience and with 〈…〉 the heaviest cross will seem light disgrace and shame will be accounted honour losses will be esteemed gains pains pleasures or at least priviledges prisons will seem Pallaces and death will be accounted life O how have some run to the stake and embraced the Flames of Fire kindled to burn them when they have felt the fire of love to Christ burning strongly within them thus this love is usefull in Life 6. The love of Christ is useful at death This love in its strength will put a beauty upon the Aspect of death which seems so grim and terrible unto the most If you have much love to Christ you will look upon death as Christs messenger sent for you to bring you out of the dark Prison of of the World and the Body and to convey you into the Mansions of Glory where your dear Lord is and you will not be unwilling to leave the World that you may live with Christ. 8. Consider the sweetness of this love unto Christ. If there be sweetness in the love of the Members there is much more sweetness in the love of the head if there be delight and comfort in the love of Christs disciples for their Masters sake there is much more delight and comfort in the love of Christ himself the Master for his own sake the Apostle telleth us of comfort in love Phillip 2. 1. that is in the love one of another but the consolations in the love of Christ are far exceeding there are no such sweet motions of Heart as those of the strong and fervent outgoings of it in its love to Christ especially when Christ doth draw near and manifest his love unto the Soul Christ doth rejoice in his love unto his Disciples and they may rejoice in their love to him and this joy in the love of Christ is a full joy Iohn 15. 11. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full in the former verse Christ speaketh of his love to them and here of his joy in them they were the objects of his joy as they were the objects of his love and according to the measure and strength of their love to Christ so is the fulness of their joy in Christ. Cant. 4. 9. Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my Heart with one of thine Eyes with one chain of thy neck they are the words of Christ the Beloved unto his Spouse the Church expressing the ravishing delight which he found in her Looks of Faith or glances of Love and the chain of Graces which she was adorned withall How then may your Hearts be ravished with unspeakable delight in looking upon Christs most amiable face and in the fervent actings of your love unto him when a glance of his Eye a smile a beam from his countenance doth enkindle a fire in the breast and this fire of love to Christ doth burn and flame O how sweet is this flame beyond what tongue is able to express 9 And lastly Consider the Attainableness of this love to Chrâ—â—t Bâ—uâ—ts are not capable of this love to Chriâ—t but you are capable as your minds are capable of knowing him so your hearts are capable of loving him Others have attained this love who were as much without it and as much averse unto it as any of you may be Here you are capable hereafter if you live and dye without it you will be utterly uncapabâ—e You have now the means of Grace and as of other Graces so of this Grace of love to Christ in the diligent use of the means you may attain there unto Thus I have done with the Motives to excite you unto the love of Christ. SECT XV. THe second thing propounded in the Prosecution of the use of Exhortation was to give Directions and the directions will be of two sorts 1. How to attain this love to Christ. 2. Wherein to show this love to Christ. First How to attain this love to Christ and here I shall 1. Direct you how you may attain this love to Christ in the truth of it where you are wholly without it 2. Direct you how to attain much of this love to Christ where you have it but in a low degree and weak measure The first directions then shall be how you that are Graceless and Christless and wholly withoâ—t this love to Christ may at-this love to Christ. 1. If you would attain this love unto Jesus Christ whom you have never seen you must get a thorow peâ—swasion that there is such a Person aâ— Jesus Christ and that he is such a Person indeed as the
you have nothing to do with it Procul ite Profani Avant all ye profane ones all ye unclean ones all ye ungodly ones all Unbelievers whatsoever who being without Faith are also without Love to Christ see that you come not neer to lay your unclean hands upon this most excellent Promise never look for any discovery of Christs love unto you whilest you go on in wayes of Sin whilest you are in your Natural Estate I believe some of you may be ready to say What if Christ doth not manifest himself unto us let us have our Honours and Dignity let us have our Wealth and Plenty let us have our Friends and Delights and let who will look after those aiery and fancifull Satisfactions in Christs Manifestations Sinners is this your language either of tongue or heart Let me tell you one day you will sing another tune you will be of another mind one day you will acknowledge that all the Happiness which you so eagerly pursued in the sweetest creature-enjoyments was but a Fancy that it was thin light and aiery that it was vain and empty when all is fled away and left nothing behind but Stings and bitter Grief but inward wounds gripes and dreads upon the sight of approaching Death and under apprehensions of approaching Wrath and eternal Torments in Hell Then what would you give for an Interest in Jesus Christ and a well-grounded Perswasion of his special Love unto your Souls Then the Manifestations of Christ will appear to be no aiery thing and that nothing besides this can rationally support your Souls when you come to the Borders of the Grave and to the Confines of Eternity And let me further tell you that have no love to Christ that although Christ whilest you are such will never manifest himself unto you in a way of Love yet there is a Day coming when he will Manifest himself unto you but this Manifestation will be with a Vengeance it will be in a way of most Furious anger I mean at the last day of Judgement when Christ will be revealed from Heaven not onely to those that Love him but also to those that Hate him for every eye shall then see him and he will come in flaming Fire to take Vengeance upon you that have not obeyed this Gospel-Precept to Love him The Consideration of this should awaken you to fear and fly from Sin which otherwise will be your ruine and eternal Perdition and O that withall you would be perswaded to apply your selves unto the Lord Jesus Christ by Faith that you may hereby have Interest in him and in that great Salvation which he hath purchased for you and which in the Gospel in freely tendred unto you and this Faith in Christ would work Love to Christ and put you in a capacity of these Manifestations of Christ's Love unto your Souls Sect. VII Vse 2. THe second Use concerneth such of you as have some Love unto Christ but are without these Manifestations and there are two sorts of such 1. Some of you never had these Manifestations 2. Some of you have had these Manifestations but have lost them 1. Some of you never had these Manifestations of Christ's Love It may be you are young and raw Christians a little while ago you were forward Scholars in the School of the Devil and served divers luâ—ts with all your might and strength the Lord hath lately hedg'd up your way with thorns hath opened your eyes to see your sins and made you sensible of your danger but as yet your eyes are not open as to any comfortable sight of your Saviour Indeed Christ hath been revealed unto you as able and willing to save you and you have been drawn by the Word and Spirit to take hold on him and to give up your selves unto him but as yet you are in the daâ—k as to your Spiritual Estate you are under doubts and fears of unsoundness and rottenness at heart that you are Hypocrites and shall fall away as other Professors like your selves have done you fear you shall one day perish by the hand of Saul that the Devil and your own Lusts will be too hard for you and prevail so far with you as to pull you back into wayes of Sâ—n and thereby to pull yoâ— down into the botâ—omless Pit of Hell This causeth a dread upon your spirits and fearfâ—ll apprehensions of Gods wrath and future Vengeance this fâ—tcheth many a sad and heavy sigh from your breasts many a brinish tear from your eyes you are troubled bowed down greatly and go mourning all the day Yet you are resolved to give your attendance still unto Ordinances and there to wait upon the Lord and for the Lord you are resolved notwithstanding all discouragements that you will be the Lords though you know not whether he be yours you are resolved that Christ shall have your hearts and you will venture your Souls upon him though you know not whether you are accepted by him This may be a Use of Encouragement unto you certainly you are such as love Christ and are beloved by Christ and Christ will manifest himself unto such as have such Love let me tell you that Christ is not far from you whatever you may apprehend though he be out of your sight yet you are not out of his his eye is upon you and his heart is towards you he hears all your sighs he sees all your tears he pities you and sympathizeth with you in all your Griefs he loves you and ere long will let you know it he is now preparing you for sweet discoveries of himself and ere long he will give you those discoveries If you follow on to seek him he will certainly and may suddenly be found of you And who knows but this may be the time of Christ's manifesting his Love It may be whilest you are Reading this Discourse you may have a glimpse of his face and hear his Voâ—ce saying unto you Be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you Lift up the Hands that hang down lift up the Heart that is cast down Look up then dejected Soul thy Saviour is before thee open thine Eyes and look look with the Eye of Faith canst thou not see a marvellous Beauty in his countenance dost thou not perceive some smiles in his Face some Smiles upon thy Soul Dost thou not feel his Spirit sweetly breathing upon thine heart perswading thee and giving thee a sweet sense of Christ's peculiar Love unto thee Dost thou not perceive some inward knocking 's at the door of thine heart and hear some inward callings Open to me and I will come in and sup with thee This is the Voice of thy Beloved make haste and open to him open all the Faculties of thy Soul lift up the Everlasting Gates to this King of Glory send forth the Handmaids of thy Desires to invite the Lord in let thy Faith take hold on him and usher him into thy Soul and then embrace him in