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dren of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.)" Would not this affect? Would not the whole soul be taken up with this? Come, receive Christ into thy soul, or if that work be done, if Christ be formed in thee, O cherish him! (I speak of the spiritual birth) O keep him in thy heart! let him there bud, and blossom, and bear fruit; let him fill thy soul with his divine graces; O that thou couldst say it feelingly, “I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me," Gal. 2:20. O that this were the issue of thy meditation on Christ's birth! even while thou art going with the shepherds to Bethlehem, and there findest thy Saviour lying on a cratch, that thou wouldst bring him thence, and make thy heart to be his cradle! I would not give a farthing for a meditation merely on the history of Christ's birth; either draw virtue from him, by feeling him within, or thy meditation will be fruitless.

7. Consider those few consequents after Christ's birth; every action of Christ is our instruction; here are many particulars, but none in vain, Christ is considered under much variety of notion, but he is still sweet under all. Is it possible, O my soul, that thou shouldst tire thyself in the contemplation of Jesus Christ? If one flower yield thee not pleasure, or delight, go to a second, a third; observe how the bees gather honey, after a while that they have sucked one flower, they go to another; so for a while observe the circumcision of Jesus Christ, and suck there, and gather some honey out of that flower: Christ had never been circumcised, but that the same might be done to our souls, that was done to his body; O that the same Christ would do that in us that was done to him for us. Again, observe Christ's presentation in the temple; this was the law of those that first opened the womb; now Christ was the first-born of Mary, and indeed "the first-born of all creatures;" and he was consecrate unto God, that by him we might be consecrate and made holy, and that by him we might be accepted, when we were offered unto the Lord. Again, observe Christ's flight into Egypt; though the infancy is usually most quiet, and devoid of trouble, yet here life and toil began together: and see how speedily this comes after dedication unto God: alas! alas! we are no sooner born again, than we are persecuted; if the church travail, and bring forth a male, she is in danger of the dragon's streams. Again, observe Christ's return into Judea; he "was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," Matth. 15:24. With them alone he was personally to converse in his ministry, in which respect he was called, "a minister of circumcision," Rom. 15:8. And where should he be trained, and show himself, but amongst them to whom God had sent him? The gospel first began there, and as a preparation to it, Christ now in his childhood returns thither. Again, observe Christ disputing with the doctors in the temple; in his very non-age, Christ gives a taste of his future proof; see how early his divine graces put forth themselves, "In him were hid (saith the apostle) all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Col. 2:3. All the treasures were hid in him, and yet some of these treasures appeared very early betimes: his wisdom in his very infancy is admired at, nor is it without our profit; "For of God he is made wisdom unto us," 1 Cor. 1:30. Again, observe how he spent the remainder of his youth, in all his examples he meant our instructions, "He went down with his parents, and was subject to them;" he was not idly bred, but serves his generation in the poor way of a carpenter: "It is every way good for a man to bear God's yoke even from his infancy," Lam. 3:27. Christ is inured betimes to the hardship of life, and to the strict observation of the law both of God and nature.

See, O my soul, what a world of matter is before thee to consider of; here is Jesus under many a notion, here is the annunciation of Jesus, the conception of Jesus, the duplicity of natures in Jesus, the real distinction, the wonderful union, the nativity of Jesus, together with some consequents after it. Go over these with often and frequent thoughts, give not over till thou feelest thy heart begin to warm: true meditation is as the bel lows of the soul, that doth kindle and inflame holy affections, and by renewed, and more forcible thoughts, as by renewed and stronger blasts, it doth renew and increase the flame.

SECT. III. Of desiring after Jesus in that respect.

3. LET us desire after Jesus, carrying on the great work of our salvation at his first coming, or incarnation. It is not enough to know, and con sider, but we must desire. "Now, what is desire, but a certain notion of the appetite, by which the soul darts itself towards the absent good, purposely to draw near, and unite itself thereunto?" The incarnation of Christ according to the latter, was the desire of all nations; so the prophet, "I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come," Hag. 2:7. O how they that lived before Christ, desired after this coming! Abraham desired to see my day, two thousand years and more before it came: it was the expectation of all the patriarchs, "O when will that day come?" And surely the incarnation of Christ in the fruit, or efficacy, or applica tion, is, or should be the desire of all Christians. There is merit and vir tue in Jesus Christ, in every passage of Christ, in his conception, incarna⚫ tion, in his birth, and in those consequents after his birth; now to make these ours, that we may have our share, and part, and interest in them, we must here begin; O my soul, do thou desire, do thou seek to possess thy. self of Christ, set thy desire (as the needle point) aright, and all the rest will follow! never will union be with the absent good, but the soul by de sire must dart itself towards it: true it is, and pity it is, millions of souls stand at a distance from Jesus Christ; and why? They have no desire to wards him: but, O that my soul, and thy soul (whosoever thou art that readest) would desire! O that we could desire, and long after him until we languish, and be compelled to cry out, with the spouse, Stay me with flagons, and comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love," Sol. Song 2:5. Is there not good reason for it? What is there in Christ that is not de. sirable? View over all those excellencies of his conception; of his two na tures, really distinguished, and yet wonderfully united; of his birth, of those few consequents after his birth; but above all, see the fruit of all; he was conceived that our conceptions might be sanctified; he was the Son of man, that he might suffer for us, and the Son of God, that he might satisfy divine justice: he was God and man in one person, that we might be one with him, "Members of his body, and of his flesh, and of his bones," Ephes. 5:30. He was born of the virgin, that there might be a spiritual conception and birth of Christ in our virgin-hearts; or he was conceived and born, that we might conceive the grace of Christ in our hearts, and bring it forth in our lives! what! are not these desirable things? Never tell me of thy present enjoyments, for never was Christ so enjoyed in this life, but thou hast cause to desire yet more of Christ: it is worth thy observation, That "spiritual desires after Christ, do neither load nor cloy the heart, but rather open, and enlarge it for more and more." Who was better acquainted with God than Moses? And yet, who was more im. portunate to know him better? "I beseech thee, show me thy glory," Ex. 83:18. And who was more acquainted with Christ than Paul? And yet

who was more importunate to be with him nearer? "I desire to be dissolv. ed, and to be with Christ," Phil. 1:23. Further, and further union with Christ, and communion with Christ are most desirable things, and are not these the fruits of his incarnation? The effects of his hypostatical personal union? More and more peace, and love, and reconciliation betwixt God and us, are desirable things; and are not these the fruits of Christ's birth, the effects of his budding out of the earth? Was it not then, "That righte ousness looked down from heaven? That mercy and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other?" A higher degree of ho liness, sanctification, likeness to God and Christ are desirable things: and are not these the fruits of his circumcision, and presentation to the Lord? The effects of all those consequents that follow after his birth? Come, soul, and stir up thy desires, true desires are not wavering and dull, but resolute and full of quickness; observe how the nature of true desires in scrip ture is set forth by the most pathetical and strong similitudes of hunger, and thirst, and those not common neither, but by "the panting of a tired hart after the rivers of waters, and by the gaping of dry ground after some seasonable showers." O then how is it that the passages of thy desires are so narrow, and almost shut up: nay, how is it that thy vessels are so full of contrary qualities, that there is scarce any room in thy soul for Christ, and all his train? Will not the desires of the patriarchs witness against thee? How cried they after Christ's coming in the flesh. "Bow the heavens, O Lord, and come down," Psalm 144:5. "Oh that thou wouldst rend the heavens, that thou wouldst come down," Isa. 64:1. "Drop down, ye hea vens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness, let the earth open and bring forth salvation," Isa. 45:8. Is it possible that their desires should be more vehement after Christ than ours? They lived on the dark side of the cloud, but we on the bright side; the veil was upon their hearts, which veil is done away in Christ; they saw Christ afar off, and their sight was very dim and dark; "But we all, with open face, as in a glass, behold the glory of the Lord," 2 Cor. 3:18. One would think the less any thing is known, the less it should be desired; O my soul, either thou art more ignorant of Christ than the patriarchs of old, or thy heart is more out of frame than theirs; suspect the latter, and blame thy heart; may be thy turpid and sluggish nature hath laid thy desires asleep: if an hungry man will sleep, his hunger will sleep with him; but O stir up, and awake thy desires! present before them that glorious object, "the incarnation of Jesus Christ;" it is an object which the very angels desire to look into, and art not thou more concerned in it than the angels? Is not the fruit of the incarnation thine, more especially thine? Come then, stir up those motions of thy appetite, by which the soul darts itself towards the absent good, draw nearer, and nearer, till thou comest to union and enjoyment; cry af ter Christ, "Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?" Judges 5:28.

SECT. IV. Of hoping in Jesus in that respect.

4. LET us hope in Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation at his first coming, or incarnation: only here remember, I speak not of every hope, but only of such an hope, as is grounded on some certainty and knowledge: this is the main question, whether Christ's incarnation be longs unto me? The prophet tells, That "unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given," Isa. 9:6. But how may I hope that this child is born to me? And that this son is given to me? What ground for that? Out of these words of the prophet, I shall draw a double evidence, which

may be instead of all: our first evidence from the former words, " Unto us a child is born;" Our second evidence from the latter words, "Unto us a son is given." 1. From the former words, I lay down this proposition, "Unto us a child is born," if we are new born. The surest way to know our interest in the birth of Christ, is to know Christ born in us, or formed in us, as the apostle speaks, Gal. 4:19. The new birth is the effect of Christ's birth, and a sure sign that Christ is born to us. Say then, O my soul, art thou born anew? Is there in you a new nature, a new principle? Is the image of God and of Christ in my soul? So the apos tle styles it, "the bearing of the image of the heavenly," 1 Cor. 15:49. Why then was Christ incarnate for thee, if thy new birth be not clear enough? Thou mayest try it further by these following rules.

1. Where this new birth is, there is new desires, new comforts, new contentments. Sometimes with the prodigal thou wast content with husks; yet now nothing will satisfy thee but thy Father's mansion, and thy Father's feast; sometimes thou minded only earthly things, but now the favor of God, the light of his countenance, society with him, and enjoying of him, are thy chief desires; this is a good sign, David's heart and flesh, and all breathed after God: "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord, My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." Psal 84:2. Men truly regenerate do not judge it so happy to be wealthy, great and honored in the world, as to have the light of God's favor shine upon them. O my soul, dost thou see the glory of the world, and thou fallest down to worship it? Dost thou say in the increase of worldly comfort, it is good to be here? Then fear thyself; but if these things compared with Christ, ale vain, and light, and of poor, and of mean esteem, then hope well, and be assured that thou art born again, and that Christ is formed in thee.

2. Where this new birth is, there are new words, new works, new affections, a new conversation, "Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new," 2 Cor. 5:17. Paul once a persecutor, but " behold now he prayeth," Acts 9:11. And "such were some of you, but now ye are washed, now ye are sanctified, now ye are justified; in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God," 1 Cor. 6:11. As every man is, so he is affected, so he speaks, and so he lives; if thy life be supernatural, so are thy affections, so are thy words, so is thy conversation; Paul lived a life once of a bloody persecutor, he breathed out threatenings against all the professors of the Lord Jesus; but now it is otherwise, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Gal. 2:20. O my soul, hast thou the old conversation, the old affections, the old discourse, the old passions thou usedst to have? What! is thy heart a den of lusts, a cage of unclean imaginations? Then fear thyself, there cannot from a sweet fountain come forth bitter streams; there cannot from a refined spirit, as refined, come forth corrupted actions or imaginations; "A thorn cannot send forth grapes," saith Christ; so neither can a vine send forth thorns, say we. I know there is in the best something of flesh, as well as of the Spirit; but if thou art new born, then thou canst not but strive against it, and will endeavor to conquer it.

3. Where this new birth is, there is a new nature, a new principle, Peter calls it, "The hidden man of the heart, The divine nature," 1 Pet. 3:4. 2 Pet. 1:4. Paul calls it "the inward man, the new creature," Rom. 7:22. It is compared to a root, to a fountain, to a foundation, 2 Cor. 5:17. And for want of this foundation, we see now in these sad

times, so much inconstancy, and unsettledness in some professors themselves, many have got new and strange notions, but they have not new natures, new principles of grace: if grace were but rooted in their hearts, though the winds did blow, and storms arise, they would continue firm and stable, as being founded upon a rock. Never tell me of profession, show, outward action, outward conversation, outward duties of religion; all this may be, and yet no new creature: you have some brutes that can act many things like men, but because they have not a human nature, they are still brutish; so many things may be done in way of holiness, which yet come not from this inward principle of renovation; and therefore it is but copper and not gold: mistake not, O my soul, in this, which is thy best and surest evidence; though I call the new birth a new creature, my meaning is not, as if a new faculty were infused into him that is new born: a man when he is regenerate, hath no more faculties in his soul than he had before his regeneration, only in the work of regeneration, those abilities which the man had before, are now improved and made spiritual; and so they work now spiritually which before wrought naturally. As in the resurrection from the dead, our bodies shall have no more, nor other parts and members than they had before, only those parts and members which now are natural, shall then by the power of God be made spiritual. "It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body, there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body," 1 Cor. 15:44. So the same faculties, and the same abilities, which before regeneration were but natural, are now spiritual, and work spiritually; they are all brought under the government of the Spirit of Christ. A lively resemblance of this change in the faculties of the soul, we may discern in those natural and sensitive faculties, which we have common with beasts, as, to live, to move, to desire, to feel; the beasts having no higher principle than sense, use them sensually; but a man enjoying the same faculties under the command of a reasonable soul, he useth them rationally: so is it in a regenerate man, his understanding, will, and affections, when they had no other command but reason, he only used them rationally, but now being under the guiding of the Spirit of Christ, they work spiritually, and he useth them spiritually; and hence it is, that a regenerate man, is every where in scripture said to "walk after the Spirit," Rom. 8:1. "To be led by the Spirit, to walk in the Spirit," Gal. 5:18. 25. The Spirit, by way of infusing or shedding, gives power, and ability, a seed, a principle of spiritual life which the soul had not before; and from this principle of spiritual life planted in the soul, flows or springs those spiritual motions, and operations, (as the Spirit leads them out) according to the habit or principle of the new creature, the divine nature, the spiritual life infused. Come then, look to it, O my soul, what is thy pinciple within? Consider not so much the outward actions, the outward duties of religion, as that root from whence they grow, that principle from whence they come: are they fixed ones, settled ones by way of life in thee? Clocks have their motions, but they are not motions of life, because they have no principles of life within. Is there life within; then art thou born again, yea even unto thee a child is born. This is one evidence.

4. From the latter words, I lay down this position; "Unto us a son is given," if we are God's sons. The best way to know our interest in the Son of God, is to know ourselves to be God's sons by grace, as Christ was God's Son by nature; Christians, to whom Christ is given, are co-heirs with Christ, only Christ is the first-boin, and hath the pre-eminence in all things; our sonship is an effect of Christ's sonship, and a sure sign, that

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