heaven, and I am bleffed of Chrift, when I am perfecuted for righteoufnefs fake. Or, fhall na kedness be the weapon? I had rather pafs naked out of this world to heaven, than to be clothed in purple, and to be ftript of it at death, and to be caft into hell; Adam's innocent nakedness, and Lazarus's rags were better than that Epicure's gay apparel.-Or, fhall famine be the means? Why, man liveth not by bread alone, I had rather my body had famifhed than my foul; I have meat to eat that ye know not of, even the bread of life, which whofo eats fhall live for ever. Or, will you affright me from Chrift by the fword of violence? I know that the Lord whom I believe in, and serve, is able to deliver me out of your hands; but if he will not, be it known to you I will not forfake him; your fword will only be the key to open the prifon doors, and let out my foul that hath long defired to be with Jefus Chrift. If ye tell me of peril, I know no danger fo great as of lofing Chrift and falvation; and of bearing his wrath that can kill both body and foul: do I not read in certain hiftories of that noble army of martyrs, who loved the Lord Jefus to the death, and gloried in tribulation, and would not by the flames of fire, or jaws of lions, be feparated from Jefus Chrift? Did not they pafs through the Red-fea, as on on dry ground, to the promised land, yea, though they were killed all the day long, and accounted as fheep to the flaughter? Did they not flick and cleave faft to the Lord, and to the captain of their falvation? Nay, were they not in all this conquerors, and more than conquerors, triumphing in flames, to the confufion of Satan, and all other enemies; as Chrift triumphed on the cross, deftroying by death the prince of death, Heb. ii. 14. Oh! what a blessed advantage is it against all temptations to have the imprefs of the gofpel of Chrift on our heart, and the witnefs in • ourselves?

ing us the fcripture, the fecond, by giving us a miniftry, and other occafional teachers; the third, by giving us the illumination of the Spirit, to help us to fee by the former means, and to make the word and minittry to us effectual. Now it were a mad thing for a man to fay, I have eyes to read in a book, and therefore I have no need of the light of candle or of fun; or I have eyes, and fun, and therefore I have no need of the light in the air, which cometh from the fun; or I have the light both of the eye, and fun, and air, and therefore I can read by it without a book; or I have a book, and therefore I can read it without a teacher: certainly if a man would read, he must have all these, or more than one of thefe; fo God hath appointed us three neceffary means for our illumination and direction, the word, the miniftry, and the Spirit; What God hath joined, let no man feparate; if any would foolishly go, and fet one of these against another, when God hath fet them altogether, and made them all neceffary, affigning to each a feveral part in the work of our illumination, they may abufe God and themselves, and go without the light, while they defpife the neceffary causes of it, God's evidences muft not be feparated, much lefs muft one be pleaded to the neglect of all the reft; as the work within us is not the first testimony, but a fecondary confirming teftimony, fo doth it not make the first unneceffary or void: befides that, by the external teftimony, we must convince other men, which by the witnefs within us we cannot do. But this only by the way.

2. For the encouragement of our faith to believe in Chrift as in reference to his afcenfion, feflion, and miffion of his Spirit.

But I answer, 1. There is more than one thing wanting to enwife us to falvation, as, firft, An outward word. And, 2dly, an outward teacher. And, 3dly, an inward light. And accordingly, God fupplies this threefold want, the firft, by giv

cy of Chrift in thefe refpects! verily they are enough to tire out men and angels with the only act of wondering and furveying of their vaftnefs. Here is gofpel-work for all eternity, to dig into this goldmine, to roll and turn this foul delighting precious ftone, to behold, enquire, and fearch into thefe depths and heights of Chrift exalted: and I believe

this is the fatiety, the top, and prince of heaven's glory to fee and wonder at the virtues of him that fits on the throne, at the right-hand of God; to be filled but never fatiate with the glory of Chrift? What, Chrift afcended? Christ set down in glory? And Chrift fending down his holy Spirit? Here's a compendium of all glories; here is one for an heart to be taken with, made up of nothing, but of feveral mysteries of glory.

2. Confider the power, virtue, and influence of this object into our fouls falvation; oh! what a ftately tower have we here erected to fee heaven on? faith may stand (as it were) on this mount, and fee itself in glory; oh! the flowings, the rich ema. nations of grace and glory that come from hence! come, let us draw, the well is deep; all the drops and dewings that fall on men or angels are but as chips in comparison of that huge and boundless body of the fainels of grace, that is in Chrift: one lily is nothing to a boundless and broad field of lilies; Chrift is in these refpects the mountain of roses; oh how high, how capacious, how full, how beautiful, how green? Could we but smell him who feeds among the lillies, till the day breaks, and the fhadows fly away?' Could we but dive into the golden veins of thefe unfearchable riches of Jefus Chrift, we should say, It is good to be here? Oh! it is good to gather up the fragments that fall from Chrift; his crown fhines with diamonds and pearls; oh! why do we toil ourselves in gathering sticks, when to-morrow we shall be out of this world and go to Chrift? Come, where is our mouth of faith? Let us lay it to here, let us fuck and be fatisfied ⚫ with these breafts of confolation, let us milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of his glory.' 3. Confider of the suitableness of these objects to our feveral conditions; you may remember the first cry, Was it not love enough for Chrift to ⚫ come down, and to vifit us here; but that he * must go up and take us with him?' No, no; his love was fo great and vaft, that for our fakes he moves up and down; this ravished the spouse, Behold he comes leaping upon the mountains, and fkipping upon the hills, Ca. ii. 8. Gregory that meafured his leaps, thus gives them; he first leaps from his Father's manfion to his mother's womb; from her womb to his cratch; from his cratch to his crofs; from his crofs to his grave; from his grave up again to heaven; great leaps indeed, that shew

ed both his readinefs to love, and willingness to fave: infinite love can never be out-tired with greateft actions. But another cries, How should I believe that Chrift is exalted, and that by virtue thereof thall be exalted, when I fee myself in a forlorn condition, forfaken of God, an object amongst men; Alas! man at his best is altogether vanity, yea, men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie; to be laid in the balance, I am altogether lighter than vanity; how then should I believe any fuch a condition? Is a worm a fit or a capable fubject to wear a crown? Pfal. lxii. 9, Yes, the Lord is great, and he can do great things, He raiseth up the poor out of the duft, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghil, to fet them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory; for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath fet the world upon them, he will keep the feet of his faints, 1 Sam. ii. 8, 9.- -Why, there is my fadnefs, cries another, He will keep the feet of his faints; if I were but a faint, I could believe his power; but alas! I am an unholy, an unfanctified piece of clay; I am a finner, a finner of the Gentiles, chief of finners; Ideferve to be thrown down to hell, rather than to be invested with glory, and to fit in heaven.' True, but yet the holy Ghoft is given to make thee holy; of thyfelf, thou art vile, and moft vile; but hath not the holy Ghost entred in, and taken poffeflion of thy Spirit? Hath he not washed thee

6

with water? Yea, thoroughly washed away thy • blood? Hath he not anointed thee with oil, and covered thee with filk, and decked thee with gold and filver, and made thee comely through his comeliness, which he put upon thee?' Why, this is the office of the holy Ghoft, and if thou haft but the indwelling of the Spirit, this is thy ftate: I know there is a part of thee unregenerate, and it will be fo whiles thou art on earth, but withal there is in thee a new nature, another nature; there is fomething else within thee which makes thee wrestle against fin, and fhall in time prevail over all fin, and this is the Spirit of Christ, fan&tis fying of thee, Being fanctified (faith the apostle) by the holy Ghoft, Rom. xv. 16.Other com plaints may be thus brought in, but if we under ftand the meaning, the defign of Chrift in his afcen fion, feflion, and miflion of his Spirit, How might a true faith answer all? Oh believe! belicye thy K kk 2

`part

part in Chrift's afcenfion, Chrift's feffion, Chrift's million of his holy Spirit, and thou mayft go finging to thy grave; a lively faith in fuch particulars would fet a foul in heaven, even whilft yet on

earth,

6.

L

SECT. VI.

Of loving Jefus in that respect.

1.

Et us love Jefus, as carrying on the great work of our falvation for us in these par-ticulars; much hath been faid already of Chrift's conception, birth, life, death, refurrection; fuch arguments of love, as are enough to fwallow up fouls in love to Chrift again; O! the treasures of love, and wifdom, and that have been opened in former paffages! but as if all those were not enough for God, fee here new gold-mines, new found-out jewels, never known to be in the world before, opened and unfolded in Jefus Chrift. Here are the incomes of the beams of light molt innacceffable; here are the veins of the unfearch. able glories of Jefus Chrift; as if we faw every moment a new heaven, a new treasure of love; the bofom of Chrift is yet more opened; the new breathings and fpirations of love, are yet more manifefted. See! Chrift for us, and for falvation is gone up to heaven, is fet down at God's right-hand, and hath fent down the holy Ghost into our hearts; in the pouring out of thefe fptings of heaven's love, how fhould our fouls but open the mouth wide and take in the ftreams of Chrift's nectar, honey and milk, I mean his sweet, and precious, and dear lovebreathings? We have heard of Christ's invitations, Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, Matth. xi. 28. But fuppofe Christ had never outed his love in fuch a love expreffion, Come to me, yet Christ himself in these glorious particulars is fuch a drawing object; (the very beauty of Chrift, the very smell of the garments of Chrift, the very capacious and wide heaven of Chrift's exaltation are intrinfically, and of themselves, fuch drawing, ravifhing, whinning objects) that upon the apprehenfion of them we cannot chufe but love Chrift: as gold that is dumb and cannot fpeak, yet the beauty and gain of it crieth aloud, Come hither poor creature, and be thou made rich;' fo if Chrift fhould never open his lips, if he should never gently move, Open to me my fifter, my love, my dove,

my undefiled, for my head is full of dew, andy locks with the drops of the night, Cant. v. 2. Yet the glory, the power, the fovereignty of Chrift, the exaltation of his perfon, and the magnificence of his gifts, fhould even change our fouls into a glob or mais of divine love and glory, as it were by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii. 18.

Two things I fhall inftance, which may be as the load-ftones of our love to Chrift; the first is his glory, and the fecond his bounty.

1. For his glory; no fooner was he ascended, and fet down at God's right-hand, but John the divine had a fight of him, and Oh! what a glorious fight! He was clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a gelden girdle; his head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as fnow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice as the found of many waters; and he had in his right-hand feven fars, and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged fword, and his countenance was as the fun that fineth in his ftrength, Re. i. 13, 14, 15, 16. When John faw him thus, he fwoons at his feet, but Chrift for all his glory, holds his head in his fwoon, faying, Fear not, I am the firft and the laft; I am he that liveth, and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell and of death, ver. 17, 18. A glorious Chrift, is good for fwooning, dying finners; would finners but draw near, and come and fee this king in the chariot of love, and come see his beauty, the uncreated white and red in his sweet countenance, he would certainly draw their fouls unto him. Nay, fay that all the damned in hell were brought up with their burning fiery chains to the utmost door of heaven; could we strike up a window, and let them look in, and behold the throne, and the Lamb, and the troops of glorified fpirits clothed in white, with crowns of gold on their heads, and palms in their hands, finging the eternal praises of their glorious king; Oh! how would they be fweetned in their pain, and convinced of their foolish choice, and ravished with the fulness of thofe joys and pleafures that are in Chrift's face for evermore? Surely much more may this glory of Chrift warm thy heart: O my foul! what an happiness were it to fee the king on his throne; to fee the Lamb, the fair tree of life, the branches which cannot, for the

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