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quer,' as ver. 4 of that 45th Psalm. And yet, then, 'meekness' is not far off, but is made one of his dispositions in his height of glory. So it follows in the fore-cited verse, In thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth and meekness,' &c. Therefore Peter says, Acts ii. 36, that that same Jesus whom you (Jews) have crucified,' and who was risen and ascended, 'God hath made both Lord and Christ:' Lord, that is, hath exalted him as King in heaven; and Christ, that is, hath also anointed him; and this oil is no other than the Holy Ghost, with whom, the same Peter tells us, he was anointed at his baptism, Acts x. 38. Yea, and because he then at once received the Spirit in the fullest measure that for ever he was to receive him, therefore it was that he shed him down on his apostles, and 'baptized them with him' (as in that 2d of the Acts we read). Now it is a certain rule, that whatsoever we receive from Christ, that he himself first receives in himself for us. And so one reason why this oil ran then so plentifully down on the skirts of this our High Priest, that is, on his members the apostles and saints, and so continues to do unto this day, is because our High Priest and Head himself was then afresh anointed with it. Therefore, ver. 33 of that 2d of the Acts, Peter, giving an account how it came to pass that they were so filled with the Holy Ghost, says, that Christ having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, had shed him forth on them;' which receiving is not to be only understood of his bare and single receiving the promise of the Holy Ghost for us, by having power then given him to shed him down upon them, as God had promised, though this is a true meaning of it; but further, that he had received him first as poured forth on himself, and so shed him forth on them, according to that rule, that whatever God doth unto us by Christ, he first doth it unto Christ. All promises are made and fulfilled unto him first, and so unto us in him; all that he bestows on us he receives in himself. And this may be one reason why (as John vii. 39) the Spirit was not as yet given, because Jesus was not as yet glorified.' But now he is in heaven, he is said to have the seven spirits;' so Rev. i. 3, which book sets him out as he is since he went to heaven. Now those seven spirits are the Holy Ghost, for so it must needs be meant, and not of any creature, as appears by the 4th verse of that chapter, where 'grace and peace are wished from the seven spirits;' so called, in respect of the various effects of him both in Christ and us, though but one in person. And seven is a number of perfection, and is therefore there mentioned, to shew, that now Christ hath the Spirit in the utmost measure that the human nature is capable of. And as his knowledge (which is a fruit of the Spirit) since his ascension is enlarged-for before he knew not when the day of judgment should be, but now when he wrote this book of the Revelation he did—so are his bowels (I speak of the human nature) extended; all the mercies that God means to bestow being now actually to run through his hands, and his particular notice, and he to bestow them, not on the Jews only, but on Gentiles also, who were to be converted after he went to heaven. And so he hath now an heart adequate to God's own heart, in the utmost extent of shewing mercy unto any whom God hath intended it unto.

And this is the third demonstration, from the Spirit's dwelling in him ; wherein you may help your faith, by an experiment of the Holy Ghost his dwelling in your own hearts, and there not only working in you meekness towards others, but pity towards yourselves, to get your souls saved; and to that end, stirring up in you incessant and unutterable groans' before the throne of grace, for grace and mercy. Now the same Spirit dwelling

in Christ's heart in heaven, that doth in yours here, and always working in his heart first for you, and then in yours by commission from him; rest assured, therefore, that that Spirit stirs up in him bowels of mercy infinitely larger towards you than you can have unto yourselves.

A second sort of demonstrations, from several engagements now lying upon Christ in heaven.

II. There are a second sort of demonstrations, which may be drawn from many other several engagements continuing and lying upon Christ now he is in heaven, which must needs incline his heart towards us as much, yea more, than ever. As,

1. The continuance of all those near and intimate relations and alliances unto us of all sorts, which no glory of his can make any alteration in, and therefore not in his heart and love, nor a declining any respects and offices of love, which such relations do call for at his hands. All relations that are natural, such as between father and child, husband and wife, brother and brother, &c., look what world they are made for, in that world they for ever hold, and can never be dissolved. These fleshly relations, indeed, do cease in that other world, because they were made only for this world; as, the wife is bound to her husband but so long as he lives,' Rom. vii. 1. But these relations of Christ unto us were made in order to the world to come,' as the Epistle to the Hebrews calls it; and therefore are in their full vigour and strength, and receive their completement therein. Wherefore it is that Christ is said to be the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever,' Heb. xiii. 8. To illustrate this by the constant and indissoluble tie of those relations of this world, whereto no difference of condition, whether of advancement or abasement, can give any discharge. We see in Joseph, when advanced, how as his relations continued, so his affections remained the same to his poor brethren, who yet had injured him, and also to his father. So Gen. xiv., where in the same speech he mentioneth both his own greatest dignities and advancement: God hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt; so ver. 8, and yet withal he forgetteth not his relations, I am Joseph, your brother,' ver. 4, even the same man still. And his affections appeared also to be the same; for he wept over them, and could not refrain himself,' as you have it, ver. 1, 2. And the like he expresseth to his father, 'Go to my father, and say, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord over all Egypt,' ver. 9 (and yet thy son Joseph still).

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Take another instance, wherein there was but the relation of being of the same country and alliance, in Esther, when advanced to be queen of an hundred, twenty, and seven provinces; who when she was in the arms of the greatest monarch on earth, and enjoyed highest favour with him, yet then she cries out, How can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people, or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred !' So chap. viii. 6. She considered but her relation, and how doth it work in her veins by a sympathy of blood! Now much more doth this hold good of husband and wife, for they are in a nearer relation yet. Let the wife have been one that was poor and mean, fallen into sickness, &c., and let the husband be as great and glorious as Solomon in all his royalty, all mankind would cry shame on such a man, if he should not now own his wife, and be a husband in all love and respect to her still. But beyond

all these relations, the relation of head and members, as it is most natural, so it obligeth most; No man ever yet hated his own flesh,' says the apostle, though diseased and leprous, but loveth and cherisheth it.' And it is the law of nature, that if one member be honoured, all the members are to rejoice with it,' 1 Cor. xii. 26; and if one member suffer, all the rest are to suffer with it.' Even so is Christ,' as ver. 12. And these relations are they that do move Christ to continue his love unto us. 'Jesus knowing that he was to depart out of this world, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end,' John xiii. 1. And the reason thereof is put upon his relation to them: they were his own,' and his own by virtue of all relations whatsoever, his own brethren, his own spouse, his own flesh; and the very world will love its own,' as himself speaks, much more will he himself love his own. He that provides not for his own family is worse than an infidel,' says the apostle. Now though Christ be in heaven, yet his people are his family still; they are retainers to him, though they be on earth, and this as truly as those that stand about his person now he is in his glory. So that speech evidently declares, ‘Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named;' they all together make up but one and the same family to him as their Lord. Christ is both the founder, the subject, and the most perfect exemplar and pattern to us, of the relations that are found on earth.

(1.) First, he is the founder of all relations and affections that accompany them both in nature and grace. As therefore the Psalmist argues— 'Shall he not see who made the eye ?-so do I. Shall not he who put all these affections into parents and brothers, suitable to their relations, shall not he have them much more in himself? Though our father Abraham, being in heaven, be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not, yet, O Lord, thou art our Father, and our Redeemer,' &c., Isa. xxxvi. 16. The prophet speaks it of Christ, as appears by verses 1 and 2, and in a prophecy of the Jews' call; and he speaks it of Christ, as supposed in heaven, for he adds, 'Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and thy glory.' There are but two things that should make him to neglect sinners: his holiness, as they are sinners, and his glory, as they are mean and low creatures. Now he there mentions both, to shew that notwithstanding either as they are sinners he rejects them not, and as they are base and mean, he despiseth them not.

(2.) He is the subject of all relations, which no creature is. If a man be a husband, yet not a father, or a brother; but Christ is all, no one relation being sufficient to express his love, wherewith he loveth and owneth us. And therefore he calls his church both sister and spouse, Cant. v. 1.

(3.) He is the pattern and exemplar of all these our relations, and they all are but the copies of his. Thus, in Eph. v., Christ is made the pattern of the relation and love of husbands. 6 Husbands,' says the apostle, love your wives, as Christ loved his church,' so ver. 25. Yea, verses 31, 32, 33, the marriage of Adam, and the very words he then spake of cleaving to a wife, are made but the types and shadows of Christ's marriage to his church. Herein I speak, says he, concerning Christ and the church, and this is a great mystery.' First, a mystery; that is, this marriage of Adam was ordained hiddenly, to represent and signify Christ's marriage with his church. And secondly, it is a great mystery, because the thing thereby signified is in itself so great, that this is but a shadow of it. And therefore all those relations, and the affections of them, and the effects of those affections, which you see and read to have been in men, are all, and were

ordained to be, as all things else in this world are, but shadows of what is in Christ, who alone is the truth and substance of all similitudes in nature, as well as the ceremonial types.

If, therefore, no advancement doth or ought to alter such relations in men, then not in Christ. He is not ashamed to call us brethren,' as Heb. ii. 11. And yet the apostle had just before said of him, ver. 9, 'We see Jesus crowned with glory and honour.' Yea, and as when one member suffers the rest are touched with a sympathy, so is it with Christ. Paul persecuted the saints, the members, and Why persecutest thou me?' cries the Head in heaven; the foot was trodden on, but the Head felt it, though 'crowned with glory and honour.' 'We are flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone,' Eph. v. 30; and therefore as Esther said, so says Christ, How can I endure to see the evil that befalls my people?' If a husband hath a wife that is mean, and he become a king, it were his glory, and not his shame, to advance her; yea, it were his shame to neglect her, especially if, when the betrothment was first made, she was then rich and glorious, and a king's daughter, but since that fallen into poverty and misery. Now, Christ's spouse, though now she be fallen into sin and misery, yet when she was first given to Christ by God the Father, who from all eternity made the match, she was looked upon as all glorious; for in election at first both Christ and we were by God considered in that glory which he means to bring him and us unto at last, that being first in God's intention, which is last in execution. For God at the beginning doth look at the end of his works, and at what he means to make them; and so he then, primitively intending to make us thus glorious, as we shall be, he brought and presented us to his Son in that glass of his decrees under that face of glory wherewith at last he meant to endow us. He shewed us to him as appareled with all those jewels of grace and glory which we shall wear in heaven. He did this then, even as he brought Eve unto Adam, whose marriage was in all the type of this; so that as this was the first idea that God took us up in, and that we appeared in before him, so also wherein he presented us then to Christ, and as it were said, Such a wife will I give thee; and as such did the second person marry us, and undertook to bring us to that estate. And that God ordained us thus to fall into sin and misery was but to illustrate the story of Christ's love, and thereby to render this our lover and husband the more glorious in his love to us, and to make this primitive condition whereunto God meant again to bring us the more eminently illustrious; and, therefore, we being married unto him, when we were thus glorious in God's first intention, although in his decrees about the execution of this, or the bringing us to this glory, we fall into meanness and misery before we attain to it, yet the marriage still holds. Christ took us to run the same fortune with us, and that we should do the like with him; and hence it was, that we being fallen into sin, and so our flesh become frail and subject to infirmities, that he therefore took part of the same,' as Heb. ii. 14. And answerably on the other side, he being now advanced to the glory ordained for him, he can never rest till he hath restored us to that beauty wherein at first we were presented to him, and till he hath purged and cleansed us, that so he may present us to himself a glorious church,' as you have it, Eph. v. 26, 27, even such as in God's first intention we were shewn to him to become, having that native and original beauty, and possessing that estate, wherein he looked upon us when he first took liking to us and married us. This is argued there from this very relation of his being our husband, ver. 25, 26 į

and, therefore, though Christ be now in glory, yet let not that discourage you, for he hath the heart of a husband towards you, being betrothed unto you for ever in faithfulness and in lovingkindness,' as Hos. ii. 19, and the idea of that beauty is so imprinted on his heart, which from everlasting was ordained you, that he will never cease to sanctify and to cleanse you till he hath restored you to that beauty which once he took such a liking of.

A second engagement. This love of his unto us is yet further increased by what he both did and suffered for us here on earth before he went to heaven. 'Having loved his own' so far as to die for them, he will certainly love them unto the end,' even to eternity. We shall find in all sorts of relations, both spiritual and natural, that the having done much for any beloved of us doth beget a further care and love towards them; and the like effect those eminent sufferings of Christ for us have certainly produced in him. We may see this in parents, for besides that natural affection planted in mothers towards their children, as they are theirs, the very pains, hard labour, and travail they were at in bringing them forth, increaseth their affections towards them, and that in a greater degree than fathers bear; and, therefore, the eminency of affection is attributed unto that of the mother towards her child, and put upon this, that it is the son of her womb,' Isa. xlix. 15. And then the performing of that office and work of nursing them themselves, which yet it is done with much trouble and disquietment, doth in experience yet more endear those their children unto them, which they so nurse to an apparent difference of bowels and love, in comparison of that which they put forth to others of their own children which they nursed not; and, therefore, in the same place of Isaiah, as the mother's affection to the son of her womb,' so to her 'sucking child' is mentioned as being the highest instance of such love. And as thus in paternal affection, so also in conjugal, in such mutual loves in the pursuing of which there have any difficulties or hardships been encountered; and the more those lovers have suffered the one for the other, the more is the edge of their desires whetted and their love increased, and the party for whom they suffered is thereby rendered the more dear unto them. And as it is thus in these natural relations, so also in spiritual. We may see it in holy men, as in Moses, who was a mediator for the Jews, as Christ is for us, Moses therein being but Christ's type and shadow, and therefore I the rather instance in him. He under God had been the deliverer of the people of Israel out of Egypt with the hazard of his own life, and had led them in the wilderness, and given them that good law that was their wisdom in the sight of all the nations, and by his prayers kept off God's wrath from them. And who ever, of all those heroes we read of, did so much for any nation, who yet were continually murmuring at him, and had like once to have stoned him? And yet what he had done for them did so mightily engage his heart, and so immovably point and fix it unto their good, that although God in his wrath against them offered to make of him alone a greater and mightier nation than they were, yet Moses refused that offer, the greatest that ever any son of Adam was tempted with, and still went on to intercede for them, and, among other, used this very argument to God, even the consideration of what he had already done for them, as with what great might and power he had brought them out of Egypt,' &c., thereby to move God to continue his goodness unto them; so Exod. xxxii. 11, and elsewhere. And this overcame God, as you may read in the 14th verse of the forenamed chapter. Yea, so set was Moses his heart upon them, that he not