absence such a Spirit as shall teach them comfort them and be â—…ead of all to them give them such Joy Courage and 〈◊〉 as the world can neither give nor take away 27 vers Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you c. The abode of God and Christ with them Thirdly In the 23. verse in the Text We will come and makeour abode with him while you keep my words which is the great promise here If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him The words of the Text are an answer to the question of Judas not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Jesus Christ gives the answer If a man love me he will keep my words c. To him the promise is made That the Father will love him They love him that keep his words and to these he hath said he will manifest his love to them and make his abode with them In which words there are three parts considerable Parts of the Text. 3. First A Supposition If a man love me he c. Secondly A Position Which is the effect of that love He will keep my words Thirdly A Promise Which is twofold First Of the Fathers love My Father will love him Secondly The Co-habitation of the Father and Son with such a person We will come unto him and make our abode with him The Observations that I intend to insist upon are two Doct. 2 First That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ Secondly That God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words First Of the first of these That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ. If any man love me he will keep my words he will do my will walk in my wayes treasure up my truths and Counsells This Doctrine requires three things to be spoken to in their order First That Jesus Christ must be truly loved Secondly What it is to keep his words Thirdly Why it is both the duty and property of them that love him to keep his words First That Jesus Christ must be truly loved there is such an indispensible necessity of this that the Apostle sayes 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha let him be cursed But because every one pretends highly to love Jesus Christ and but few that love him indeed I shall shew two things more briefly First Who he is that truly loves him Secondly Why we should all truly love him First Who he is that truly loves Christ First He truly loves Jesus Christ who upon the discovery and tender of Jesus Christ in the Gospel as King Priest and Prophet can willingly deny all for him as the Merchant Mat. 13.45.46 sold all that he had for the goodly Pearl And so Paul Phil. 3.8 accounts all Dung his parts his righteousness by the Law his greatest excellencies He loves Christ in Deed and not in Shew only who can leave the world his dearest lusts his best righteousness for Christ This is a true conjugal love Psal 45.10 Hearken O daughter and confider and encline thine ear forget also thine own people c. When Christ sees that we have such a love to him that we will part with all for him then he sees a beauty in us that delights him Secondly He truly loves Jesus Christ who having received him will rather lose all than part with him again who accounts Jesus Christ better than his best things as he sayes in Mat. 10.37 He that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me c. therefore sayes the Spouse Cant. 8.6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart as a seal upon thine arm let me be so united to thee that I may never be sever'd from thee It is a very hard lesson and an irksom duty for the best of men to part with friends liberty peace life all these or either of these sweet mercies but to part with Christ nothing can perswade or enforce the Soul that truly loves him that 's a thought more cruel than the Grave witness the holy Martyrs a whole cloud of witnesses that notable and eminent Galeacius Marquess of Vâ—… c. Thirdly He that truly loves Jesus Christ takes abundance of delight in Communion with him No pleasure like the kisses of his mouth no sweetness like that of his bosom all his wayes are peace and his paths pleasantnesse Christ makes every condition Comfortable there is no comfort of life but in that little enjoyment of Christ that the Soul hath in his life 't is Communion with Christ converse with him that is all my comfort and pleasure in the world O how doth the Spouse take care that he be not disturbed in Cant. 2.7 I charge you O yee daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hinds of the field that ye stirr not up nor awake my Love till he please The words are an allusion to one that would not have her Friend disturbed and speaks to her Companions and charges them by all that is dear and pleasant to them not to break the rest of her best Beloved and shews the wonderful delight the Soul takes in Communion with Jesus Christ and the special care that it alwayes hath that no Tentation break in nor corruption break out to interrupt that sweet Communion or occasion Christs departure who will not for any profit commit any sin or cause Jesus Christ to depart from him Fourthly He that truly loves Jesus Christ having lost the sight of him is never satisfied till he come to the re-enjoyment of him is alwayes at losse and is never quiet till he enters into a fresh acquaintance and communion with him as in that of Joseph and Mary they having lost their Son went seeking till they found him So Cant. 3.1,2,3 c. By night on my Bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not I will rise now and go about the City in the Streets and in the broad wayes c. I said to the Watchmen Saw ye him whom my Soul loveth c. By all which is expressed the sedulous care and industry of a living Soul seeking after Christ First By night in her bed Jesus Christ hath her bed thoughts i. in her Closet and private duties of Prayer serious Meditations Spiritual Ejaculations and secret self Examinations in all these the Soul enquires As one that loves the World by night his Meditation is of the World so the man of pleasures and honours is pursuing his lusts in the night season The wicked man is contriving mischief upon his bed So the Soul that loves Christ his thoughts are still at
work after Christ Secondly I will rise now and go about the City c. i. I will betake my self to all publick Ordinances and shew more zeal and life in my duties and in these will I make enquiry Thirdly I asked the watch-men i. the Ministers of the Gospel which are or should be as faithful watch-men that watch for our Souls and be able to speak a word in season c. So nothing will satisfie the Soul that truly loves Christ without him and no means shall be neglected till she enjoy Him Secondly Why must he be thus beloved Reason 1 First Because he is lovely altogether lovely First Lovely in his life observing all the will of God there was a wonderful beauty upon him if we behold and can understand that hidden glory of an untainted Holinesse and exact conformity to the will of God Secondly Lovely in his death never more lovely and amiable to the believing Sinner then when he was most despicable in the eyes of Rebellious Sinners O then he appears most beautiful and desireable when he hangs on the Crosse there making our Peace procuring our Pardon obtaining Life and Glory for us by that shameful death Thirdly Lovely in all his Graces each Grace a matchlesse Jewel Rocks of Diamonds Mountains of Pearl not worthy to be mentioned with the least of his Excellencies If he put but a little of this Grace upon any Soul though he be never so vile cloath'd with corruption as in Ezek. 16. from the 9. to the 16 vers yet may be made beautiful by his Comelinesse Fourthly Lovely in all his Ordinances in which the more immediate sight the Soul hath of him the more he is taken with his Beauty No wonder he is call'd in Hag. 2.7 the desire of all Nations Reason 2 Secondly Because of his deserving love we loved him because he first loved us Consider in his love these four particulars First He laid down his life for us such a Love will deserve love and life too Joh. 15.13 Greater Love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friend Secondly He lives now in Heaven for us 7 Heb. 25. He ever liveth to make intercession for them He is there minding our necessities agitating our affairs by his sitting there we have Liberty of comming thither by his sitting there in glory we have our standing here in Grace Thirdly He accounts that as done to himself that is done to them that are his Zach. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of his eye and Mat. 10.40,41,42 c. He that receiveth you receiveth me and so he said to Saul Acts 9.4 why persecutest thou me when he was with Commission from the High Priest dragging the poor Professors of Jesus Christ to the Prison Fourthly He longs to have us with him Joh. 17.24 Father I will that where I am there they may be also to behold my Glory He is not q. d. satisfied without their company and is alwayes imparting his most secret Counsels to them Joh. 15.16 Henceforth I call you not Servants for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you Friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Reason 3 Thirdly Because otherwise we shall not regard his words which is intimated in the Text If we love him we shall keep his Words but if we love him not we will not keep his Words It is want of love to Christ that is the cause of the abounding of every sin for if we did love him we should keep his Commands which is the second particular Secondly What is it to keep the words of Christ First There is a Natural and Mental keeping of the words of Christ and so we must keep them that is Remember his Words his promises Counsels and Appointments The Memory is mans Storehouse or Cabinet that should be kept Sacred for the Truths of Christ So the Disciples kept the word of Christ when they remembred his sayings and David Psal 119.93 J will never forget thy Precepts for by them thou hast quickned me i. I will keep thy Precepts for what we forget we lose and what we remember we keep And thus as Friends take pleasure to look sometimes on the Love-tokens of their absent Friends So may we have singular comfort and refreshment to see the Heart of Christ in the Counsels Promises and Appointments left with us Secondly There is an Evangelical and Practical keeping of the words of Christ When we do believe promises and obey commands Promises not believed and Precepts not obeyed are as water spilt on the earth besides the vessel that should receive it Heb. 4.2 but when they are believed they be as liquor put into the vessel for its proper use Hence saies Christ Luke 11.28 Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it Then we keep the words of Christ when we believe his promises observe his precepts in all our conversation and walk by his appointments and institutions in all our duties Thirdly Why 't is their property and duty that love Jesus Christ to keep his words Reason 1 First Because true love is comprehensive He that love Christ truly loves all that is his He that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten The nearer any thing is to Christ the better it is beloved and then we love the word when we keep it as a special pledge of his love To have his word and a heart to keep it is a double blessing and indeed such a gift as the word of Christ is is worthy to be loved for it self and kept for the givers sake Reason 2 Secondly Because true love is Operative 't is the principle of Gospel obedience 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth us Where there is the disposition of a Son there will be obedience to the Fathers commands so where there is a spiritual love to Christ it will set the soul on work and quicken it to keep the words of Christ as is said of Faith Shew me thy Faith by thy works So shew thy love to Christ by thy works as Faith without works is dead so is love without obedience Reason 3 Thirdly Because keeping the words of Christ gives the clearest and surest testimony of the truth of our love to Jesus Christ. Probatio delectationis est exhibitio operis Greg. Hom. Obedience is the most lively testification of love as Christ said to Peter Lovest thou me c. shew it in this in doing thy duty Feed my sheep So Christ tells us in the Text Where the fire of love is in the breast there the flame of duty and service is in the hands Joh 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you In the 1 Joh. 5.3 In this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments Use 1 Use 1. For Exhortation First To a mental keeping of the words of Christ according
The Royal Presence OR GODS Tabernacle with MEN IN A FAREWELL SERMON Preached the 17. of August 1662. at Beere Regis in the County of Dorset By that painfull and faithfull Minister of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST Mr. PHILIP LAMBE And committed to publick view for the Instruction Support and comfort of others Isa 30.20 Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy Teachers John 10.27 My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me 2 Epist John ver 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son 1 John 2.5 Whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the Love of God perfected LONDON Printed in the Year 1662. To the Reader Courteous Reader WEe the Inhabitants of Beere and Kingstone in the County of Dorset who have lived under the Rich Droppings Plentiful Soul-searching Enlivening and Refreshing Dews of Heaven which HE who promised to be as the Dew unto Israel Hos 14.5 hath conveyed to us by one of his Eminent and Faithful Messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ thâ—… for many years amongst us hath endeavoured as the Apostle speaks of himself to be pure from the blood of all men and to declare All and Onely the Counsels of God Acts 20.26,27 And was instant in Season and out of Season diligent in the work of the Lord according as the same Apostle doth strictly exhort unto taking heed to himself and to the flock over the which the Holy Ghost made him Overseer See 2 Tim. 4.1,2 And of whom we can truly say and to which many can bear witnesse that he was and is an example of the Believers in Word in Conversation in Charity in Spirit in Faith in Purity 1 Tim. 4.12 His Life and Conversation adorns his Profession and Doctrine And having received much Benefit and Comfort by his Ministry have endeavoured to Communicate to thee some of those Spiritual advantages and Consolations we have enjoyed through the Blessing of God upon his diligent and faithful Labours in his last publick Exercise which he deliverod amongst us Wishing the like Benefit and Comfort to thee and more also than we have had Because of our Non-improvement of such choice Mercies and rich Priviledges which we have sufficient cause to be Humbled for And continually to lament that we are now deprived of them by his removal from us And had this following discourse been set sorth to publick view by the Author himself whose Modesty would conceal his worthy Labours It would have been more large and perfect and so render'd more acceptable We must therefore desire thee Christian Reader with a charitable Censure to cover over verbal or literal mistakes and in Love to Correct with thy pen what may be found amisse by thee in this following Treatise wherein are contained Things of the most weighty concernment and which are Exceeding useful at all time for Edification and Instruction to All and will Administer matter of sufficient Comfort under any Condition to them that have the Special Abode of God and Christ with them The Lord Jesus Christ by his Spirit lead thee into all Truth So Prayes Thine in Christ VINCENTI DABITUR The Royal Presence OR Gods Tabernacle with Men. JOHN XIV XXIII Jesus answered and said unto him If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our Abode with him THE Departure of Jesus Christ unto his Father from whose bosome he came into the World was very sadly resented by his Disciples whose mixt passions produce a very great disturbance and trouble upon their Spirits The inward Anxiety and unconcealed grief of the Disciples move the Bowels of their more affectionate Lord to pitty their case and provide for their relief and gives them instructions how to expresse their love unto him in his absence not so much in carrying bluber'd eyes and heavy hearts as by remembring and observing the Councels and Instructions that he had give to them while he was present with them So that this whole Chapter is fill'd up with Counsels and Comforts Directions and Consolations First Directions and Counsels especially in the 1 13 15. verses 1 Faith First To the exercise of Faith verse 1. Ye believe in God believe also in me And this is the life even a life of Faith which we must live till we come to enjoyment of Christ by which we fetch comforts in all troubles and strength against all tentations from Jesus Christ 2. Prayer Secondly To the duty of Prayer vers 13. which is the proper duty of an afflicted State as Jam. 5.13 Is any afflicted let hiâ— pray By prayer the Soul empties his complaints into Gods bosome and finds ease by telling him of all the trouble and grief that attends his state Prayer hath that Divine excellency that like a Heavenly Charm it speaks away trouble and speaks in comfort as 't is said of Hannah 1 Sam. 1.18 She prayed and went away and did eat and her Countenance was no more sad And thus our prayers alwayes speed when they be made by the help of the Spirit and offered up to God in the name of Christ 13 14. verses Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name that you shall receive 3. Obedience Thirdly To Obedience in the 15 vers to do the work committed to them If yee love me keep my Commandements You cannot better expresse your love to me then in keeping my words Nor is there a more certain way for men to find comfort than this 3 Prâ— 17. by keeping his Commands for then though they cannot enjoy his person yet they shall not misse his promise Secondly The Consolations which he gives them in the 2 vers c. the 16 vers c. and 23 vers c. 1. The place to which he goes First In the 2 3 4 verses c. From the place whether he was going To his Father and their Father his Home and their Home whence he did intend to come again to them So that his going from them was but a Recesse or withdrawing for a time untill he came for in the 3 vers I will come again and receive you to my self rendred in the Greek a Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the presentense I come again in the presentense to intimate the certainty of his coming to them again as if he were already come which in the 28 vers of this Chapter Christ tells them should be matter of great Joy to them If yee loved me yee would rejoyce because I said I go unto the Father The promise of his Spirit the Comforter Secondly From the 16 v. The promise of the Spirit which shall supply his
to that word Heb. 2.1 We ought therefore to give the more diligent heed to the things which we have received lest at any time we let them slip And that we may not forget but keep in our memories the words of Christ First consider That all the promises and counsells which Jesus Christ hath made known to us are not only for present but for future use Isa 42.23 Hearken and hear for the time to come We should hear as if we were to hear no more The Cordial which hath some time revived us must not be laid aside lest for want of it another time we faint quite away The reason why they were ready to faint under afflictions Heb. 13.5 was because they had forgotten the exhortation which speaketh to them as to Sons For this cause Jesus Christ often bids his Disciples remember the word he had spoken to them and knowing their frailty promises his spirit Joh. 14.26 and that sayes he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall bring to your remembrance Secondly consider Not to remember the words of Christ is a sad sign of our dis-esteem of Jesus Christ We usually remember Precepts Counsels and Sayings according to the authority which the person hath with us from whence they come It is a very great dishonour to Jesus Christ when we shall cast his words behind our backs Did we honour Jesus Christ as our King Lord and Lawgiver we should be more careful to remember what he hath spoken to us We often blame our heads as if the fault lay only there that we do not remember the words of Christ when indeed the fault lies most in the hearts that we have not more love and esteem of Christ there Thirdly The time will come when we shall dearly repent every truth forgotten that we did not endeavour to seal instruction upon our hearts First When God shall with-hold instruction from us because we have refused it the time may come when as Amos 8.12 Men shall run to and fro and seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it and then we shall see the worth of the word that now we prize not Secondly When God shall call us to an account for all the Sermons and Instructions we have received as he will certainly do though we forget yet he will remember and he will ask how we have kept and improved the Word he hath spoken to us To help us in keeping or remembring the words of Christ Directions First Let your hearts be affected with the worth and excellency of the word that it is more precious than Gold or Silver and then we shall keep it as choice treasure That which a man prizeth he will keep in safe custody and have often in his eyes as David sayes of the word Psal 119.97 O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day long It a man account the word as his treasure he will not forget it as Jerem. 2.32 Can a Maid forget her Ornaments or a Bride her Attires This they forget not Yet because we account not the word as excellent and necessary as these therefore it follows Yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number Secondly Apply every word of Christ to your own souls though men will not keep what is anothers yet usually they keep what is their own while men carve away the word to others as if it concern'd them not 't is no marvel if they keep it not but if we accounted every word as spoken to us and our portion we should hear and keep it Men remember the news which concerns themselves We should hear Christ speaking as Job 5.27 Hear thou this know it for thy good Thirdly Meditate often upon what you have received as Mary pondered the sayings which she heard in her heart The way to keep any thing safe is to have a constant eye upon it Meditation is the Souls serious retiring into it self to take a view of all that of God that is laid up within it self Fourthly Hasten to do all that you have heard and learned Psal 119.60 It is said by David I made hast and prolonged not the time to keep his Commandments A man will not easily forget his Trade so if we daily obey commands and believe promises we cannot easily forget the commands and promises given to us which last direction leads to the second exhortation Exh. 2 Secondly It may exhort us to keep the words of Christ with an Evangelical and Practical keeping Keep the word as a man keeps his Rule or the Souldier keeps his Weapon let not the word depart from thee and do not thou depart from it by forsaking the appointments and commands of Christ First consider That if we do not keep the words of Christ by obeying and a suitable walking we do but in vain pretend love to Jesus Christ as they that had no more of Christ but to call him Lord Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven c. So not every one that sayes he loves me but he that doth my word he is my friend Secondly consider what a sin it is to pretend love to Christ and not so truly to love him as to keep his words 't is Hypocrisie they be Christ's false friends an open enemy is less dangerous than they Ezek. 33.31 They hear thy words but they will not do them their heart goes after their covetousness They be false to themselves and delude their own souls with a bare profession and hearing Jam. 1.22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own souls Secondly consider what judgement they incurre and who can tell how great it is 't is call'd a beating with more stripes when the least stripe from that hand can break the loynes Luke 12.47 He that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Secondly consider This is the clearest evidence of our interest in Christ of his love to us that we keep his Commandments By this we know that we have him as our Christ when we do not only love him as a Jesus a Saviour but obey him as a Lord and follow his Law When God shall write his Law in our hearts Is not this an evidence that Christ is ours Thirdly Great and many are the encouragements which he hath promised to them that keep his words There be many blessings in the word but they only have the blessings for theirs who keep his word Jam. 1.15 Whoso looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed he shall ask what he will and have it Joh. 15.7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you ask what you will and it shall be done unto you Direct That we may do the words of Christ First Let it be the aim and intentions of our souls when we
these be continued in their power and purity there the Tabernacle of God is among men and when these are taken away I-chabod the Glory is departed We may say God hath forsaken us As the Ark was a Tipe and Token of God special presence with the Jews so the Gospel and Gospel Ordinances are a signal Token of Gods abode with us for in these we may see him in these we may enjoy him by these we may be made like to him as in the 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face behold as in a Glasse the Glory of God and are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Thirdly They make their abode with them in the Spirit which proceeds from the Father and the Son So they may both be said truly to abide with us while we have the Spirit the Comforter which proceeds from the Father and the Son as a pledge of their Love Joh. 15.20 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father I will send him sayes Christ even the Spirit of truth which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which proceeds from the Father there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son to the People that keep his word and thus Believers are said to hold fellowship with the Father and the Son in the 1 Epist of John 13. It is by the Spirit we are drawn being drawn we come being come we are enabled to walk with God and Christ It is this Spirit that doth all for us As in the Ecche The Ayre being moved by the voice returns the same sound by its own motion So in all our Communion with God and Christ the Soul being moved by the Spirit returns answer by vertue of the Spirits motion in us Come sayes the Spirit I come sayes the Soul being taught by the same Spirit All the works wrought on the Souls of men in order to Salvation are wrought of God and Christ in us but by the Spirit As in these three special particulars First By the Spirit they instruct and teach The Spirit is an enlightning Spirit a Spirit of Judgement and of burning The Spirit reveals the Counsels of God the great Misteries of the Kingdom Leads into all truth makes men wise to Salvation Secondly By this Spirit they quicken comfort the Souls of men Rom. 5.5 It is by the Spirit that the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts Our cold and frozen Spirits are warmed and made fit for action and by this Spirit we are awaken'd Hence the Church prayes for the breathings of this Spirit Cant. 4.16 Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out Thirdly By this Spirit they do strengthen and establish the hearts of men in the wayes of Holinesse thus they are made strong in the Lord and in the power of his might strong to resist tentations strong to suppesse corruptions strong to perform duties by this Spirit they are carryed through all difficulties by this Spirit their Infirmities are healed Rom. 8.26 they are made to persevere and kept stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord and Sealed up to the day of Redemption Thus God and Christ do make their abode with them that keep the words of Christ till they come to make an everlasting abode with them in Heaven And according to the workings of this Spirit more or lesse in the hearts of men God is said to be present or absent from his people Reasons Secondly The Reasons why God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words Reas 1 First Because of their special Love to and Care of them that keep his words Indeed all the Care of God in concerning his people that he hath in the World therefore in the Second Commandement he is said to shew mercy to thousands of them that fear him and keep his Commandements that do not cast his word behind their backs and forsaking his Appointments follow their own Inventions So that if we faithfully keep his word he will abide with us in our work And this is the Great Reason in the Text My Father will Love him Not but that he Loves his Elect from Eternity but he will manifest his Love to them and therefore he will make his abode with them as the People of his Love for in Deut. 32.9 The Lords Portion is his People and Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance and in Mal. 3.17 they are called his Jewels and men will abide with their Treasure Reas 2 Secondly Because of the near Relation that is between God and Christ and them that keep his word That is a very full place of Scripture for this purpose Mat. 12.50 Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother What nearer Relation can there be than this So near are they to Jesus Christ that keep his word observe his will and be true and faithful to his Appointments and sure such near Relations will desire Cohabitation on both sides First God and Christ are said to stand Related in a Paternal Relation Secondly They are said to stand Related in a Conjugal Relation First God and Christ stand in a Paternal Relation to his People First God is their Father and they are his Sons and Daughters And this the Church doth acknowledge in Isai 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not thou O Lord art our Father c. And with this the Lord comforted mourning Zion Isai 49.14,15 But Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me But God sayes Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have Compassion on the Son of her womb Yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee on the palms of my Hands c. My abode is with thee Secondly Jesus Christ is their Father Isai 9.6 The everlasting Father Therefore he promiseth his Disciples in this 14. Joh. 18. I will not leave you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orphans or Fatherlesse Children He is the most affectionate tender hearted Father Tam Pater nemo tam pius nemo None so good none such a Father as he 〈◊〉 Tertul. Secondly God and Christ stand related to them that keep his word in a Conjugal relation and God hath said a special command of co-habitation upon persons in this relation The man must dwell with his own Wife First God is related as a Husband And will not God dwell with his People whom he hath espoused to himself I have betrothed thee unto me for ever Hosea 2.19 Yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and in judgement and in loving kindness and in mercies I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness And
as Ursin sayes in the Preface to his Catechisme the cause of their present suffering was their former Barrennesse and Unprofitablenesse under the Gospel and a sad example of this is Jerusalem over whom Christ laments O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou c. if thou hadst known in this thy day c. but now they are hid from thine eyes and when once a people grow up to this heighth to reject the Gospel then expect some fearful Judgement Read the last Chapter of Chronicles the Second Book and at the 16 verse and then you will see when the wrath of God is like to break out upon a People without a remedy Dir. 6 Sixthly If you would have the continual abode of God and Christ with you Let God have all your Thoughts let Him be your meditation this is the way to have the best Company when you be alone David would meditate of him day and night and professed the meditation of him should be sweet to him Here consider two particulars First Consider that no Place State or Condition can hinder the Soul of this way of secret Communion with God and Christ This priviledge could not be denyed to a benighted Jacob to an Imprisoned Jeremiah to an Exilâ—d John in Patmos by this saies Jerom Solitudo fit Paradisas a man may turn a Wilderness into a Paradise and therefore we read in Cant. 11.12 how the Spouse invites Christ to go with her as Isaac did into the Fields to meditate Come let 's go into the Fields and lodge in the Villages Secondly Consider In these secret silent visits of the Soul God and Christ do take abundance of delight Our Night thoughts our Field thoughts our Closet thoughts are very welcom to Them yea when we can do no more but think of God our very thoughts shall be an accepted service Cant. 2.13 He loveth the Fig-tree that putteth forth her green Figs. The ripe fruit is in the â—…d so holy endeavours in pure breathings and desires God accepts when our Infirmity or the Iniquity of the Times may be such that we can do no more Direct 7 Seventhly If we will have God and Christ to make their constant abode with us then let us walk humbly with God He that beholds the proud afar off will be nigh to them that humble their souls under his mighty hand Isa 57.15 Thus saies the high and lofty one that inhabits Eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the High and Holy place with him also that is of an humble and contrite spirit God hath two Heavens in which he dwells First His Glory dwells in the high and holy place in Heaven above Secondly His Grace dwells in the humble and lowly spirit Here will I dwell saies God Dir. 8 Eighthly If you would have the constant abode of God and Christ with you be sure to look to your hearts that you walk in your uprightness be true to the Word of God be true to your profession There is not in the world a more lively representation and Image of God than the heart of the upright therefore God loves so much when he hath drawn his likeness upon them to walk with them therefore David resolves Psal 101.2 I will walk in the midst of mine house with a perfect heart O when wilt thou come unto me This was the comfort of the Apostle that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had his conversation in the world God will be with such and such shall be with God Psal 37.37 Mark the perfect man behold the upright the end of that man is peace And thus God appointed Abraham to walk that he might be with him a God in Covenant Gen 17. Walk before me be thou perfect and gives him this encouragement I am God All-sufficient Gods All sufficiency being sufficient to keep the Soul upright being rightly improved There be two things which usually Bias the Soul away from God and makes it warp from its holy principles 1. The Frowns 2. The Flatteries of the world Against both which there is a sufficient remedy in the All-sufficient God First That which often perverts the Soul from the truth is the fear of troubles and wants If I keep my integrity saies the Soul I shall be Undone I shall Lose my estate Embroyl my self in many Troubles perhaps a Prison Exile or Death comes next But what force is there in this Tentation If we hear on the other hand God saying if thou wilt be upright fear no troubles no wants I am a God All-sufficient as in Job 22.25 to the end of the Chapter The Almighty shall be thy defence then fear no force thou shalt have plenty of Silver thou shalt gather Gold as dust and the Gold of Ophir as the stones of the Brooks Then fear no wants Secondly There is another thing in the world that hath a very great influence upon the spirit of a man to pervert him and turn him from his integrity and that is The hopes of preferment and greatness of the world But this is but a poor bait if we look upon the All-sufficiency of God Doth the World promise thee Riches God will out-bid the world and gives Eternal Riches Will the World give Pleasures God will give better with him is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Will the World give Gold God will give Diamonds Will the World give all its Glory God will give thee the Glory of a better World rather than that shall be a snare unto thee Dir. 9 Ninthly Pray much pray continually God will be in the hearts and houses of his Praying people when he hath a Curse in store for Prayerless Families in Jerem. 10. the last verse First That God will abide with you and the Kingdom in his Gospel and pure Ordinances that you may dwell in Beth-el and not in Berl-aven a house of vanity and grief Pray that God will not remove his Candlestick from you nor utterly extinguish the light of the Kingdom Secondly Pray and I shall pray with you that God will give you a faithful Pastour after his own heart not according to your hearts that he may teach you by his Doctrine and his Life too A faithful Teacher to go in and out before you to shew you the Word of the Lord One that may be among you as it was said of Athanasius that he was Magnes Adamas 1. Magnes As a Load-stone to draw your Souls with a gentle hand and melting heart from your sins Heaven-ward 2. Adamas As an Adamant of an invincible courage and zeal against all sin and prophaness one that will not spare Sin That he may save your Souls Pray that God would give you a Star a Star out of his right hand not a Churlish Orion that brings a Cold Barren and Cloudy Winter but a Benevolent and Friendly Pleiades that there may be many Sons brought into God and your Souls may find a continual Spring and that you may be as Trees of Gods own planting and may flourish in the Courts of the house of our God and may bring forth more fruit in old age Dir. 10 Tenthly and Lastly If you would have the constant abode of God and Christ with you Conform Conform universally and fully to the Gospel of Christ Consent and Assent Unfeignedly to all the Truths and Doctrines thereof that you may walk worthy of God and all that Grace which hath been revealed to you for Christ hath said If a man keep his Word the Father will love him and both Father and Son will come to him and make their abode with him Wherefore I shall conclude this Exhortation with that of the Apostle in Philippians 1.2.7 Only Let your conversation be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent from you I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel And so shut up all with that in Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all them which are Sanctified FINIS