Eden and had all the creatures to serve him yet a Consort must be cast in as the Complement of his external Felicity Gen. 2.18 It is not good that man should be alone I will make an help meet for him But how near and dear soever Wives are 1 Cor 7.29 they must be died unto It remain that they who have wives be as though they had none Those actually Christs are to die unto religious Self A man must have a Righteousness of his own Mat. 5.20 Phil. 3.9 Except your Righteousness And yet this Righteousness must not be his own but Christs Paul dies to his own Righteousness Not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law Unto the World As those actually Christs are to die unto Self so unto the World Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Thus generally but now particularly Those actually Christs are to die to the Worship of the World The men of the world Joh. 4.24 Col. 2.8 20. if they worship not a false God yet they worship a true God falsly for He is a Spirit and must be worshiped in Spirit and in Truth According to the Truth of the Rule and in Truth of Heart Is is not connatural unto man to worship a God of his own making rather than the God that made him Those actually Christs are to die unto the Wisdom of the World As the Friendship of the World Job 28.28 is Enmity with God so the Wisdom of the World is Folly with God The fear of the Lord that 's wisdom and to depart from evil that 's understanding The men of the world think themselves very wise Prov. 26.12 but seest thou a man wise in his own eyes there is more hope of a fool than of him The men of the world think themselves and are thought by others Jer. 4.22 to be very wise but they are wise to do evil to do good they have no knowledge Worldy wisdom or the wisdom of the world is the greatest folly in the world To be witty in sinning to make a mock at sin and to make wickedness our work is the greatest folly in the world Those actually Christs are to die to the Mode of the World It is a profane Proverb as good out of the World as out of the Fashion But were there ever such Fashions in the World as are now in the world Do not Men look like Monsters Do not Women look like Harlots Are we not the Apes of the false French As obedient children not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance 1 Pet. 1.14 Those actually Christs are to die to the Manners of the World These must be daily dying to the Debauchery and Prophanity to the Adultery and Sodomy the Idolatry and Iniquity of the Times It was once sinfully said Act. 14.11 Gods are come down to us in the likeness of men but may it not now be said that Devils are come up unto us in the likeness of men Do not some men account Oaths their greatest Rhetorick Cheating the greatest Ingenuity Atheism their greatest Art Rebellion their greatest Religion Sin their greatest Safety He that departeth from Evil Isa 59.15 maketh himself a prey is accounted mad Margent Those actually Christs are to die to the pleasures of the world Ah! many spend and end their daies in sinful pleasures They spend their time in mirth Job 21.13 and in a moment go down to the grave That word If any man will not work neither let him eat seem to be vanishing now and most men seem to read it thus If any man will not play neither let him eat Gaming is much the Mode and as men live in their sins so they live upon their sins All the Income that many have is their Gaming Those actually Christs are to die to the profits of the world The men of the world make the world their Business Prov. 28.22 Jer. 17.11 it is their Element they make baste to be rich But he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his daies and at his end shall be a fool DIRECT III. ART actually in Christ Direct 3. Non mori sed damnari metuo Mortem optare malum timere pejus Jer. 20.3 be not surprized then with a Pannick Fear concerning the Arrests of the first Death I am not afraid to die but I am afraid to be damned I am not afraid of the pains of Death but I am afraid of the pains of Hell It was the word of Henry the fifth to wish death is not good but to fear death is worse No man should be afraid to die but he that is ashamed to live Thou art in Christ and dost thou fear death If a soul in Christ fear death what then may a soul out of Christ If a soul in Christ dread the shooting of this Gulf then a soul out of Christ may be a Magor-Missabib fear round about Shalt thou fear death when Christ is thine consider what he is He is a Father and a Friend a Foundation and a Fountain a God and a Guide a Guard and a Good a Rock and a Portion to these distinctly Fear not Death for Christ is thine and he is a Father He is stiled the Father of Eternity Isa 9.6 Whither should the Child go but to the Father Whither should the Christian go but to Christ But if Christ be a Father Quest what manner of Father then is Christ to his Children What good soever is in any Creature Sol. is more eminently in Christ All the dispersed Excellencies that are throughout the Vniverse meet in Christ Psal 94.9 and concenter in him He that planted the Ear shall not he hear and he that formed the Eye shall not he see He that gives Ears to others must needs be all Ear himself and he that gives Eyes to others must needs be all Eye himself Take now the Characters Properties and Properties of a natural Father and see how Christ infinitely out-bids and out-vies such a natural Father A natural Father pitieth the Child To be without natural affection is a sin against Nature 2 Sam. 18.5 A Father pitieth his Child yea then most pitieth him when he standeth in most need of pity The Father then take the greatest Care when there is the greatest Cause When the Child is sick and weak under amazing pains and amusing pangs when sickness and weakness are upon the Child then there is the greatest paternal pity and affection unto the Child Thus yea infinitely more than thus Christ as a Father pitieth his Children Though Christ as man had a Father yet Christ as God is a Father Psal 103.13 As a Father pitieth his Children so Jehovah pitieth them that fear him A natural Father provideth for
Absalom to live in Jerusalem if he might not see the face of the King It is not enough to a Christian of Christs making to live in a Church if he does not see the face of a Christ Divine withdrawings are Soul-troubles now Soul-troubles are the saddest and the sorest Troubles Psal 30.7 Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled What loss next the loss of the Soul to the loss of the Face of God and Christ Hath God forgotten to be gracious will he be favourable no more A Christian thorough Grace knows in some measure how to bear other losses but he knows not how to bear this loss a loss of the Face of God Is not that a strange strain Wherefore hidest thou thy face Job 13.24 and holdest me for thine enemy Is not now a time of Desertion a time of Need and do not those who are Christs stand now in need of fresh and full supplies from the God of Grace of the Grace of God A time of Duty is a time of Need. The chiefest and choicest Saints have no exemption from Duty Mercy exempts not from Duty Mercy is so far from giving a dispensation unto Duty as that it layeth under the greatest obligation for Duty Two things here fall under discussion the Duty to be performed and the indifferency of spirit to perform this Duty The Duty to be performed There are varieties of Duties incumbent upon those who are Christs there is meditating and mourning preaching and praying hearing and reading but I shall single out one Acts 9.11 and that is Prayer Go for behold he prayeth Prayer is natural worship and incumbent it is upon every creature to look unto the Creator Consider the indifferency of spirit to perform the duty Indifferency of spirit is a malignant disease a disease full of malignity where is the man or the woman that is not more or less at some time or other tainted with it The Church was not without this Plague-sore I have put off my coat Cant. 5.3 how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Had she not then too great indifferency of spirit whether she should open to Christ or no whether she should maintain a converse with Christ or no whether she should be found in a way of Duty or no Ye have said it is vain to serve God Mal. 3.14 and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance and that we walked in black before Jehovah of Hosts If persons be indifferent whether they meditate and pray or no whether they hear and read or no whether we keep up Family and Closet Duty or no it is very dangerous for if a person take leave of Duty he is like to take leave of Christ too The safety and mercy of a Soul are in a way of Duty Thy Safety is in a way of Duty He that hearkneth unto me shall dwell safely Prov. 1.33 and shall be quiet from fear of evil He shall not onely be quiet from the evil of fear but also quiet from the fear of evil Jonah was safe while he kept with God Thy Mercy is in a way of Duty Oh that thou hadst hearkned to my Commandments what then Isa 48.18 what not then Then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea Then there had been more Peace and more Grace too There is a twofold Obedience Active and Passive now Grace for both is laid under promise There is a twofold Obedience Active and Passive now Grace for both is laid under promise Grace for Action is laid under promise Oh that I could do more for a Christ is the Cry of every Soul in Christ Oh I tremble to think least my day should be at an end before my work be done Oh saith the Soul my Glass is almost out and little of my work is done But Soul Grace to do is laid under promise Verily Verily John 14.12 I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my Father Grace for Passion is also laid under promise As there must be doing so suffering according to the will of God Oh saith the Soul there may be a Storm at hand a Shower of Blood at hand and I know not how to weather it Oh saith the Soul for ought I see there may be a Rack for me a Stake for me and I know not how to weather these But Soul Grace to dye as well as do is laid under promise It is given unto you in the behalf of Christ Phi. 1.29 not onely to believe but also to suffer for his sake Are not now these times times of need and do not now those who are Christs stand in need of fresh and full supplies from the God of Grace of the Grace of God Thus of things present Those actually Christs are Heirs of things to come As Heirs of things present so there are things to come of which they shall be Heirs But Qu. what are those things to come of which those who are actually Christs shall be Heirs Those actually Christs Sol. 1. shall be indulged hereafter a perfect knowledge Knowledge is imperfect here it will be perfect hereafter Ignorance is so far from being a Virtue Multi multa sciunt se autem nome as that it is a Vice and so far from being the Mother of Devotion as that it is the Mother of Destruction whatever the blind and the bloody Papists say It was the usual Speech of Henry IV. That many know many things but no man himself It is deservedly accounted a piece of excellent knowledge to understand the Law of the Land and the Customs of a mans Countrey how much more to know the Statutes of Heaven and the Laws of Eternity It was the saying of One To know thy self is very difficult for as the Eye can see all things but it self Basil so some can discern all faults but their own We should be thankful for the little that we know and humble that we know so little We should use our knowledge as much as we can Nosce teipsum but know it as little as we can unless in the using of it To know for our Good is onely good knowledge To know God and our selves is the sum of all knowledge God doth not know him that knows not himself It is said of a holy and learned man that in the midst of his Learning Bishop Vsher he would still cry out of his ignorance of Christ. Empty Vessels sound most and shallow streams make the greatest noise in passage It was said by the Ancients That it is impossible to know God without God We must learn all that from God Ex puris negativis nihil concluditur which we know of God unless God be our Tutor we shall never be
object but of the Churches desire is evident beyond all modest contradiction For He is not thus in the eyes Of infernal Spirits Their cry was What have we to do with thee Mat. 8.29 Jesus of Nazareth Art thou come to torment us before the time Nor Of graceless persons Their cry was Depart from us Job 21.14 for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes But that Christ is without compare in a Christians eye and the object of the desire of the Church of the first-born Heb. 12.23 whose names are written in Heaven will appear to a believing and unprejudiced Reader by a reflection of his Person and of his Affection but of these suffer a distinct though concise discussion Reflect the Person of Christ. Was it said of a Joseph Gen. 41.38 Is there such a Man as this Man in whom the Spirit of God is What then may be said of a Jesus Was it said also of a Job there is none like him in all the earth Job 1.8 What then may be said of a Jesus Was it said of David Thou art worth ten thousand of us 2 Sam. 18.3 Marg. 1. or as ten thousand of us What then may be said of a Christ my Soul reflect his Person as Man and as God-Man Reflect his Person as Man Was there ever such a Narration of Genealogie as Christ hath It ends thus Luk. 3.38 Who was the Son of Adam who was the Son of God Now this Christ was the beloved and begotten Son of God Christ was the beloved Son of God This is my beloved Son Mark 9.7 in whom I acquiesoe Christ is so beloved of the Father that he loves none out of him Christ is the begotten Son of God He that believeth on him is not condemned Joh. 3.18 but he that believeth not is condemned already why because he believeth not in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God Here is the Son of God the begotten Son of God the onely begotten Son of God All the Sons of Men are the Sons of God by Creation some of the Sons of Men are the Sons of God by Grace but Christ is the Son of God by Nature Christ is so the Son of God as there never was any nor ever will be any Is not this Christ now a Person without compare in a Christians eye and the Object of the Churches desire Reflect the Person of Christ as God-Man Though Christ was true yet not meer Man Verus non merus Homo but God and Man God manifest in the flesh There have been many things wonderful in the world but the hypostatical Vnion the Vnion of Natures in Christ is the Wonder of Wonders 1 Tim. 3. ult That he who was with God that was from God yea that was God should be made flesh is the wonder of wonders That he who had eternity for his mansion and eternity for his measure should be an Infant of a day old is the Wonder of Wonders but thus it was Joh. 1.1 14. for the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us Is not this Christ now a Person without compare in a Christians eye and the Object of a Christians desire Reflect the Affection of Christ No person ever lived as Christ lived for he lived to love and no person ever loved as Christ loved for he loved to dye and dyed out of love But suffer me to reflect his Affection in the freeness of it in the fulness of it in the firmness of it To these distinctly Reflect the Affection of Christ in the freeness of it Christ is free in love is first in love 1 John 4.19 We love him because he first loved us Had not Christ first fallen in love with Vs we had never fallen in love with Him Had not Christ first fired our hearts with love we had never bestowed a spark of spiritual Affection upon Him Not that we loved God but that he loved us That is not that we loved God until we were loved of God The motive for Christs love to Vs was not in Vs but in Himself for we were in our blood I will heal their backsliding Hos 14.4 I will love them freely Reflect the Affection of Christ in the fulness of it As it is free so it is full love Is the Sun full of light Christ is fuller of love It pleased both the Father Col. 1.19 and the Spirit that in the Son should all fulness dwell Is the Ocean full of water Christ is fuller of love Christ must needs be fuller of love than these of light and of water for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead personally Col. 2.9 If thou beest a beloved one a believing one then Christ loves thee more than others can hate thee Doth the God of this world which now lieth in wickedness hate thee Do the Gods of this world given up to a judicial hardness hate thee And do the men of this world who appear like armed Furies and act like incarnate Devils hate thee yet Christ loves thee more than these can hate thee Reflect the Affection of Christ in the firmness of it As it is free and full so it is firm love The love will last as long as the loved or the lover Peter denies Christ but Christ doth not deny Peter Though Peter hath been denying yet Christ is loving Mark 16.7 Go tell the Disciples and Peter Peter is particularly and especially named not in point of superiority according to the ambition of the proud Pope as if he were above the rest but he is named after all the rest in point of inferiority as if he were below all the rest forsaking Christ yea denying Christ with cursing and swearing Though Peter hath been denying yet Christ will be looking Luk. 22.61 62. will be loving The Lord turned and looked upon Peter And Peter went out and wept bitterly As if Peter's tears had fallen first from Christ's eyes Shall not now this Christ be a Person without compare in a Christians eye and the Object of a Christians desire But suffer a superadding of four things in order to a greater endearing of Christ and crying up him as a Person without compare and the Object of a Christians desire Christ is the Churches mercy Christ is the Being of Beings as God the Beauty of Beauties as Man the Blessing of Blessings as God-Man There had been no mercy but misery without Christ All the Churches blessings and benefits come along with Christ he is the mercy of mercies God in giving Christ giveth all things Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son c. how shall he not with him also freely give unto us all things There had been no Glory but Wrath without Christ no Mercy but Misery without Christ no Heaven but Hell without Christ Every mercy enters in at this door The Law and the voice from Mount Sinai came along with Moses but