Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of Jesus as carrying on the great work of mans salvation from first to last / by Isaac Ambrose ...

SECT. II. Of Considering Jesus in that Respect.

2. LEt us consider Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation during his Life. It is not enough to study and know, but we must muse and meditate, and consi∣der of it, till we bring it to some profitable issue. By meditating on Christ we may feel or find a kind of insensible change, we know not how; as those that stand in the sun for other purposes, they find themselves lightned and heated; so in holy meditation our souls may be altered and changed in a secret insencible way; there is a vertue goes along with a serious meditation; a changing, transforming vertue; and therefore look further, O my soul, have strong apprehensions of all those several passages of the Life of Christ.

1. Consider the Preaching of John Baptist, we talk of strictness, but shew me among all the Ministers or Saints of this Age, such a pattern of sanctity and singular austerity; the sum of his sermons was repentance, and dereliction of Sin, and bringeth forth fruits worthy of amendment of life. In the promoting of which Doctrine, he was a severe re∣prehender of the Pharisees, and Saduces, and Publicans, and Souldiers, and indeed of all men, but especially of those that remained in their impenitency; for against them he denounced judgment, and fire unquenchable; Oh, he had an excellent zeal, and a vehe∣ment Spirit in Preaching; and the Commentary upon all his Sermons was his own life; he was cloathed in Camels hair, his meat was locusts and wild honey; he contemned the world, resisted temptations, despised to assume false honours to himself, and in all pas∣sages was a rare example of self-denial, and mortification; and by this means he made an excellent, and apt preparation for the Lord's coming. O my Soul, that thou wouldst but sit a while under this Preacher; or that thou wouldst but ruminate, and chew the cud; think over his Sermons of repentance, and righteousness, and temperance, and of the judgment to come; and see what influence they have; when Paul preached such a Ser∣mon to Felix, it is said that he trembled; a Sermon of the chaffs burning with unquench∣able fire, is enough to make thy heart tremble, if Powerfully delivered, and affectio∣nately received; but see, what effect doth it work on thy heart and life? dost thou feel in thee a Spirit of mortification? dost thou with the Baptist die to the world? dost thou deny thy will of all its natural sinful desires; dost thou abstain from pleasures, and sen∣sual complacencies, that the Flesh being subdued to the Spirit, both may join in the service of God? dost thou kill the lusts of the flesh, by taking away the fuel and incen∣tives of Lusts? this is the work of meditation; it first employes the understanding in consideration of things, and then the will in the reception of things; and both these in order to Grace and a pious conversation: that meditation which determines in notions, or speculations of knowledg, is like the winter Sun that shines, but warms not: O my Soul, consider: and so long consider on the preaching of this prodromus, or fore∣runner of Christ, till thou feelest this consideration to have some warmth in thy heart, and influence on thy life in order to holiness, self-denial, and mortifi∣cation.

2. Consider of the Baptism of Christ; he that never sinned was made sin for us, and so it was proper enough for Christ to take upon him the Sacrament of sinners, or of repentance for sin; but especially he was baptised, that in the symbole he might purifie our nature, whose stains and guilt he had undertaken. Consider of this, O my soul, and bring it home to thy self, surely every soul that lives the life of Grace, is born of water, and the Spirit: and to this purpose Christ, who is our life, went down into the waters of Baptism, that we who descend after him might find the effects of it; as par∣don of Sin; adoption into the Covenant of Grace, and holiness of life. Had not Christ been Baptised, what vertue had there been in our Baptism? As it became him to fulfil all righteousness, and therefore he must needs be baptized; so he fulfilled it not for himself, but for us; Christ's obedience in fulfilling the Law, is imputed to all that believe unto righteousness, as if themselves had fulfilled; so that he was Baptized for us, and the vertue of his Baptism is derived unto us; O the sweet of this medita∣tion! Christ was Baptized; and when Baptized, the Heavens were opened, and the Holy Ghost descended, and a voice from Heaven proclaimed him to be the Son of God, and

one in whom the Father was well pleased; and the same ointment that was cast upon the head of our High Priest, went unto his beard, and thence fell to the borders of his gar∣ment; for as Christ our Head felt those effects in manifestation, so through Christ do we believe the like effects in our very Baptism; the Heavens then (as it were) open∣ed unto us, and the holy Ghost then descended upon us, and then were we consigned to the inheritance of Sons, in whom the Father through his Son is also well pleased. O my soul! what a blessing is there in the Baptism of Christ? and how mayest thou suck and be satisfied, if thou wilt put thy meditation to the right use? the Baptism of Christ is as a field of flowers, wherein is a world of priviledges, as justification, adoption, regeneration, sanctification, glorification; O then fix thy soul at least on some of these flowers, and leave them not without carrying some honey away with thee; if thou art in Christ thou art Baptised into his death, and Baptized into his Baptism; thou partakest of the fruit and efficacy both of his death and life, and baptism, and all.

3 Consider the fasting and temptation of Christ in the Wilderness. Now we see what manner of adversary we have, how he fights, how he is resisted, how overcome; in one assault Sathan moves Christ to doubt of his Fathers providence; in another to presume on his Fathers protection, and when neither diffidence nor presumption can fa∣sten upon Christ, he shall be tryed with honour: and thus he deales with us; if he cannot drive us down to despair, he labours to lift us up to presumption, and if neither of these prevail, then he brings out pleasures, profits, honours, temptations on the right hand, which are indeed most dangerous: O my soul, whilst thou art in this warfare, here's thy condition; temptations, like waves, break one in the neck of ano∣ther; if the devil was so busie with Christ, how shouldst thou hope to be free? how mayest thou account, that the repulse of one temptation will but invite to another? well, but here's thy comfort, thou hast such a Saviour as was in all things tempted in like sort, yet without sin; how boldly therefore mayst thou go to the Throne of Grace to re∣ceive mercy, and to find grace of help in time of need? Christ was tempted, that he might succour them that are tempted, never art thou tempted O my soul, but Christ is with thee in the temptation; he hath sent his Spirit into thy heart to make intercession for thee there, and he himself is in Heaven, making intercession, and praying for thee there; yea his own experience of temptations hath so wrought it in his heart, that his love and mercy is most of all at work when thou art tempted most. As dear parents are ever tender of their Children, but then especially when they are sick, and weak, and out of frame; so though Christ be alwayes tender of his People, yet then especially when their souls are sick, and under a temptation; O then his bowels yearn over them indeed.

4 Consider Christs first manifestations by his several Witnesses; we have heard of his Witnesses from Heaven, the Father, Son, and holy Ghost; and of his Witnesses on Earth, the Baptist, his Disciples, and the works that he did in his Fathers Name? and all these Witnesses being lively held forth in the preaching of the Gospel, they are Witnesses to us; even to this day is Christ manifested to us, yea and if we are Christs, even to this day is Christ manifested within us. O my soul, consider this above all the rest! O it is this manifestation within, that concerns thee most, because ye are Sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts; if Christ be not manifested in thy heart by his blessed Spirit, thou art no Son of God; and therefore the Apostles puts thee seriously on this tryal, Examine yourselves whether ye be in the Faith, prove your selves, know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ in you, except ye be repro∣bates? Is Christ manifested in thee? surely this is more than Christ manifested to thee; the bare history is the manifestation of Christ unto thee, but there's a mystery in the inward manifestation. The Apostle speaking of the Saints, he adds, To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is, Christ in you the hope of glory. O the Riches of the Glory of this mystery! consi∣der it, Oh my soul; God might have shut thee up in blindness with the world, or he might only have given thee parts and gifts; or at most he might hav enlightened thy reason, to have taken in the outward notions of the Gospel; but hath he revealed Christ in thee? hath he let thee see into the wonders of his Glory; hath he given thee the light of his Glory within? Oh this argues the witness of Christs Spirit! this only the experimental Christian feels: Chrysostom sometimes speaking of the more hidden, and choice principles of Christianity, he useth this phrase, Sciunt initiati quid dico, those that are initiated or admitted into our mysteries, know what I mean: so may the

Ministers of Christ Preaching of these inward Manifestations, say, Sciunt initiaty, &c. it is only the Spiritual man can know these things, for they are spiritually discerned. O my soul, meditate on this untill thou feelest Gods Spirit working in thy Spirit these in∣ward Gracious, Glorious manifestations. It is Christ in thee is the hope of Glory.

5. Consider Christs whipping the buyers and sellers out of the Temple. Sometimes O my soul, thou art in secret; and sometimes thou art in the Assemblies of Gods people; and if thou art in duty, wheresoever thou art, consider the especial presence of Christ; and what is that but the presence of his Spirit, and the presence of his An∣gels? 1. The presence of his Spirit; this we know by his working in us, certainly the Spirit doth not only hover over us, but worketh in us: How in us? I answer by his quickning, feeding, cherishing, healing, mollifying, melting, comforting. In this manner he works in us when we are in Ordinances. Why now is he (I hope) riding with triumph in the midst of the Assembly, now is he in his Chariot, in his Throne, in the hearts of his people, and therefore away, away with all buyers and sellers, out of that Temple of the holy Ghost. —2. The Presence of Christ is the presence of his Angels; as a King is where his Court is, so is Christ the King of Kings especially present where his blessed Angels pitch their Tents. And the presence of Angels is wor∣thy (O my soul) of thy consideration. Certainly they are ministring Spirits, that have a work to do upon thy inward man; I grant the Spirit of Christ can only en∣lighten the understanding, and determine the will effectually; it is he only can bend, and turn, and form the mind which way soever he pleaseth; but the Angels can speak also to thy spiritual parts, and though the spirit only determine, yet their speaking carries a Power with it.

By way of digression, it is a fine skill to know how the Angels can speak to us, and how we may know when they speak; and how we may discern what is spoken by the immediate inspiration of the spirit, and what by the mediation of the An∣gels.

1. How do the Angels speak to us? We must conceive if we understand this, first that the Images, or phantasms of things received by the outward senses, are kept, and preserved by the inward senses, as the species of sounds, of shapes, or whatsoever else. 2. That the images phantasms so kept, may be so moved by our spirits, or humours, or some extrinsecal things, as that they may move the fancy, and provoke it to represent, and conceive such things as neither appear, nor are at that time perceived by any outward sence at all. This appears, 1. In our ordinary course, as we can sit in the dark, where we hear and see nothing, and yet there we can multiply a fancy in infinitum, by an act of our own Will. 2. This appears in our dreams, when though we hear or see nothing, yet the humour can stir up the memory of things, and pro∣voke our fancies to the apprehension of this or that. 3. This appears also in sickness, which altering the body, and the humours, and so troubling the fancy, it begets strange fancies, and makes dreadful and fearfull representations unto us: now this we must know, that whatsoever an inferiour Power can do, that a superiour Power can do much more; whatsoever an act of our own Will, or natural Dreams, or pre∣ternatural sickness can do, that the Angels can do most orderly, and efficaciously; they know exactly how the Spirits and humors must be moved, that the images or phantasms may be applyed to such and such conceptions or apprehensions, most accom∣modate and fitted for the knowledg of what truth they would suggest. So that to me here is the difference between the converse of Men and Angels; Men can speak to our understandings by the mediation of our external senses, but Angels go a nearer way to work, and speak to the internals first of all: they do no more but come into the memory (the treasurer of all our phantasms and imaginations) and there make such and such com∣positions even as they please, and then the understanding takes them off, and reads what is written, without more ado.

2. How may we know when the Angels speak to us? I confess it is an hard question, and easily it cannot be solved; only some conjecture we may have; as in a case of evil; thou art in a way of sin, and near to fall into it, it may be on a sudden thou hearest within thee some contrary whisperings, which also are above the whisperings of a na∣tural conscience, common to the wicked; or in case of good, it may be on a sudden thou hearest within thee some independent, supernatural perswasions, and reasonings to this or that good, or to this or that object, which may more easily lead thee to chuse the good: in these cases thou mayest conjecturally think, that these whisperings or

motions are of the Angels of God. Bodin tells a story of one who desired of God a guidance, and assistance of an Angel; and accordingly he had sencible manifestations of a Spirit that assisted him, and followed him till his death; if in company he spake any unwary words, he was sure to be advertised, and reproved for it by a dream in the night; or if he read any Book that was not good, the Angel would strike upon the book, to cause him to leave it.

3. But how should we discern what is spoken by the immediate inspiration of the spirit, and what by the mediation of the Angels? here indeed we are at a stand; and therefore my best resolution is that of Calvin, That in such secrets we should keep one rule of modesty and sobriety; and that we should neither speak, nor think, nor yet desire to know any other thing than such as hath been taught us by Gods Word. I know not any great use there may be of this Question, and therefore I shall not amuse my self in giving any account of it; only these remain as sure truths. 1. That the things communicated to our inward man, (I mean those inward motions, and suggestions to holiness and obe∣dience) are frequently and usually by the administration of Angels. 2. That the same things communicated to our inward man, are ever originally and primarily from the Spirit of Christ; and hence it is that commonly we put them all on that score, we give them all to Christs Spirit. 3. That 'tis proper to the spirit to enlighten the, under∣standing and to determine the will effectually; the Angels are but Cisterns, the spirit is the fountain; the Angels may speak and move us to our duties, but the blessing, the efficacy is of the Spirit, and in this respect we leave to Christ and his Spirit the all in all. Well then, O my soul, consider (especially in Church assemblies, and in the enjoy∣ment of Ordinances) the especial presence of Christ, in the presence of his spirit, and in the presence of his Angels: What? dost thou feel any stirrings, actings, movings in thy spirit? dost thou feel any quickening, warming, feeding, cherishing, healing, mol∣lifying, melting, comforting, strengthening in thy inward parts? say then, Surely the Lord is in this place,—this is none other but the House of God, this is the gate of Heaven. O here is the Spirit, and here are the Angels ascending, and descending; and therefore avoid Sathan! avoid all prophane thoughts, and earthly-mindedness! avoid dulness, deadness, drousiness! avoid looseness, lasciviousness, and all irreverence, because of the Angels; and because of the Spirit; and because of the especial presence of Christ which encauses them both.

6. Consider the the Preaching of Christ. O the admirable Sermons of this great Pro∣phet! the Spouse tells us, His Lips like Lillies dropped sweet smelling Myrrh, his Do∣ctrine was sweet as the Lillies, and sound as the Myrrh; His Lipps were like Lillies, as cer∣tain odoriserous Lillies, that cast forth a sweet smelling savour; they were full of Hea∣venly Grace and sweetness; Grace, saith the Psalmist, was poured into his lips, and they dropped sweet-smelling Myrrh; the nature of this Herb is to keep from putrefaction, as it is sound it self, so it makes other things sound. Error is of a putrifying nature, cor∣rupting, and defiling the soul; but the Doctrine of Christ keeps the soul sound; it is the souls preservative, it keeps the soul free from all corruption and defilement. See here the prophetical office of Christ held forth in similitudes, his lips were ever drop∣ping, distilling, publishing sweet and sound truths.—Read and peruse those Sermons he hath left on record; yea ruminate and meditate on them, in order to piety and an holy life: How sweet was the first Sermon of Christ? Repent, for the Kingdom of Hea∣ven is at hand; And how Spiritual was that Sermon of Christ? Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God; It may be thou art a Doctor, a Master of Is∣rael, thou art a learned Schollar, thou art a man of parts and abilities in other things; it may be thou hast read so long in the Bible, thou hast heard so many, and so many Sermons, &c. but ah! miserable soul, it may be all the work is to do still within; Come, say this Sermon of Christ to thine own soul; Ʋnless I be born again, I cannot enter into Heaven; born again? O Lord what is that? was ever such a thing done upon me? was ever I cast into the pangs of a new birth? and continued I in those pangs untill Christ Jesus was formed in me? are old things done away, and are all things now become new? is the old man, the old lusts, the old conversation quite abandoned and left? are my principles new? my aims and ends new? my life and conversation new? Thus might I pa∣raphrase on all the Sermons: but I intend brevity; only consider O my soul; as if this Sermon, and all the rest had been preached to thee: Reallize Christ standing by thee, and opening his mouth, and teaching thee, thus and thus; surely there is a speak∣ing of Christ from Heaven; See that ye refuse not him (saith the Apostle) that speak∣eth

from Heaven. And besides, he hath his Ministers here on earth, and they are daily Preaching over these Sermons of Christ, again, and again; they Preach such things as were first spoken by the Lord himself, they beseech, and pray thee in Christ's stead. O then, meditate on these things, and give thy self wholly to them, that thy profitting may appear to all.

7. Consider the miracles of Christ in pursuance of the Doctrine delivered in his blessed Sermons. Here's a world of matter to run over; such miracles are done by Christ as never man did before. Moses indeed smote the Rock, and the waters gushed out, but he could not turn Water into Wine; Elisha raised a Child that was dead, to life, but Jesus raised one who had been dead four days, yea who was buried and cor∣rupted; Elias and Samuel, and all the Prophets, and the succession of the high Priests in both the Temples, put all together, never did so many, and so great miracles as Je∣sus did: he turned water into Wine; he healed the Noble-mans Son even at the point of death; he cured the Leaprous by his touch; he made the lame man to walk; and the crooked limbs to become straight; he made habitual diseases, and inveterate, of eigh∣teen years continuance (and once of thirty eight years) to disappear at his speaking, even as darkness at the brightness of the Sun; he fed thousands of People with two small fishes, and five loaves; he cast out Devils, and commanded them whithersoever he pleased; he restored sight to the blind; in a word, he did such miracles as no man else ever did; and the poor blind man proved it by instance of himself. It was never heard that any man opened the Eyes of one that was born blind. O my Soul, consider of these mi∣racles, and believe that Doctrine which was ratified with Arguments from above! how shouldst thou but assent to all those mysterious truths which were so strongly confirmed by an Almighty hand?—What? dost thou think a meditation needless in this re∣spect? art thou fully satisfied of the truth of Scriptures? It is well? I hope thou art; and yet who knows how soon thou mayst be put to it by an enemy, or a strong temp∣tation? One can tell us in print, Some are now talking of a tolleration of all Religions; and some desire that the Jews may have a free commerce amongst us: it is good therefore to be well armed at this point; and the best Argument to prove the verity of the Gospel, next to the inward testimony of the Spirit, is this demonstration, or common place of the miracles of Christ.

8. Consider Christs ordination of his Apostles. He chose twelve, whom he Named Apostles: and what was the office of these Apostles, but to Go and teach all Nations? The Gospel was first Preached in Jewry, but afterwards the sound of it came unto us. Out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Gildas affirms plainly, That Brittain received the Gospel in the time of Tiberius, under whom Christ suffered: and that Joseph of Arimathea, after the dispersion of the Jews, was sent of Philip the Apostle from France to Brittain, and here remained in this Land all his time. Nicephoras adds, That Simon Zelotes did spread the Gospel Christ to the West Ocean, and brought the same into the Isles of Brittain. Howsoever it was brought hi∣ther, of this we are sure; that Christ was first discovered to his Apostles, and from the Apostles was discovered to our fore-Fathers, and from them unto us, and from us will be the discovery to others to the end of the world. O the goodness of God in Christ! What? That repentance and remission of Sins, should be preached in his Name, beginning at Jerusalem; and afterwards among all Nations? Of what near concernment, O my soul, is this to thee? What art thou but a sinner of the Gentiles? Understand that term! When the Apostle would express the greatest sinners that the World had, he calls them Sinners of the Gentiles; Why? the Gentiles knew not God, the Gentiles were unac∣quainted with Christ, the Gentiles walked in nothing but sin; O then what a love is this, that God should ever have thought of good will towards thee? surely this is one of the great mysteries of Godliness, God manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles: What? that sinners, and the worst of sinners, should be made the subjects of the utmost discovery of Christ, and the Gospel of Christ? this is a mystery indeed; had Christ sent his Apostles to proclaim the riches of his Grace to some Jews only, or to some unspotted souls among the Gentiles (if any such were) whose hearts might presently have fallen down before it, this had been something suta∣ble; but, that sinners of the Gentiles, that Children of wrath should be the subject of this great design. O the Mystery! q. d. Go my Apostles into all the Nations of the world; and amongst them all, go into Brittain, into that corner of the world England, and there open the mystery of Christ, there preach life, and reconciliation, and redemption,

and Glorification to those poor Souls; lay you (or at least some of you) the foundation of the Christian Fath amongst those heathens, those sinners of the Gentiles; and after you, I will raise up some other Ministers of the Gospel to confirm the same: Yea in the last times I will raise up many Worthyes, as Juel, Ʋsher, Downham, Perkins, Hooker, Rogers, Shepheard, Bolton, Ash, Whittaker, &c. who shall be as bright Stars in the Firmament of that Church; and after them I will raise up others to discover this great design to their ge∣nerations, amongst whom shall live such and such men, such and such women (and here∣in O my soul think of thy self, and if thou wilt of thine own family and relations) for I owe a good will towards England, it shall be said of England, as sometimes of Zion, out of England the perfection of beauty, hath God shined. O my Soul! how shouldst thou be ravished in this one meditation? what? that Christ should cause the Sun of his Go∣spel to come into this Zodiack, and that now in these latter times (when the Sun is set in Zion, where it first arose) it should make a Noon with us, and shine more bright∣ly here (for ought I know, or c••n yet learn) than in any other Nation, Country, King∣dom, throughout all the World? O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and councel of God, how unsearchable are his judgments, and his wayes past finding out?

9. Consider Christ's reception of sinners. He sent forth his Apostles to call them in, and if they would but come, how ready was he to receive them? This was Christ's er∣rand from Heaven, this was the work he came to do; I came down from Heaven, not to do mine own Will, but the Will of him that sent me; and this is the Fathers Will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing. He must receive all his Father gives him, but he must lose none; Christ must give an account to God the Fa∣ther of all which he hath given him, and this will be his account; Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost. Ah poor Soul! why shouldst thou despair be∣cause of sin? look on Christ as spreading out both his armes to receive thee to him; look on the Gracious Nature and Disposition that is in Christ; look on the Office of Christ, it's an office of saving, and shewing mercy, that Christ hath undertaken; it's an Office to receive sinners; yea to seek, and to save that which was lost; to bring home straying souls to God; to be the great peace-maker between God and man; to reconcile God to man; and man to God, and so to be the Head, and Husband of his people, Certainly the Devil strangely wrongeth many a poor troubled Soul, that he can bring them to have hard thoughts, and suspicious thoughts of Jesus Christ, how can they more contradict the Office of Christ? how can they more contradict the Gospel-de∣scription of Christ, than to think him a destroyer of his Creatures; one that watcheth for their haltings, and one that hath more mind to hurt, than help them? Away, away with all prejudicate opinions! resolve O my soul to throw thy self on him for life and for Salvation; why, if thou wilt but come, he hath promised freely to make thee welcome; all the day long he stretcheth out his armes, and would fain gather thee, and all others into his sweet embraces.

10. Consider the easiness of his yoak, and the lightness of his burthen. Many a one is willing to take Jesus as their Saviour, but they are unwilling to take him on his own sweet terms; O they imagine it an hard task, and an heavy burthen, Who may indure it? it was otherwise with Christ, I do delight to do thy will O my God; and 'tis otherwise with Christians, for his Commandments are not grievous, saith John; and therefore Da∣vid calls on others to try this truth, Oh taste, and see how good the Lord is. It is said of Master Sanders, that a little before his death and martrydome he told his Wife, that he had no riches to leave her, but that treasure of tasting how sweet Christ is to hungry Consciences; And of that (said he) as I feel some part, and I would feel more, so I bequeath it unto thee, and to the rest of my beloved in Christ. O my soul if thou canst but taste, thou wilt find a world of sweetness in Christ's wayes; there is sweetness in the Word, How sweet are thy Words to my taste, yea sweeter than honey to my mouth? There is sweetness in prayer, hast thou not known the time that thou hast touched the hem of Christs gar∣ment, and tasted of the joyes of Heaven in prayer? hast thou not seen heaven cleft, and Christ sitting at Gods right Hand? surely the Lord is Rich to all them that call upon him. There is sweetness in meditation, some call this very duty, The Saints pastime, which recreates and perfumes the tired Spirits: Now O my soul thou art in the exercise of this duty, now thou art in the meditation of the easiness of Christ's burthen, and of the sweet∣ness

of his wayes, tell me, is there nothing of Heaven in this meditation? is it sweet? or is it bitter to thy Soul? thou mayest read in Scripture of many admirable effects of meditation, as that it confirms our knowledg; I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy Testimonies are my Meditations: that it inflames our love, Oh how love I thy Law? it is my Meditation all the day; that it casts a sweet influence on our lives, I will Meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy wayes; What? is it thus with thee? canst thou say with David, My Meditation of him shall be sweet? And in the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy Comforts exceedingly delight my soul? Why then thou hast truly, tasted of God's goodness, thou hast actual discoveries of the sweetness of Gods wayes; thou hast experienc'd this truth, that his yoak is easie, and his burthen is light; that his wayes are wayes of pleasantness, and all his paths are peace. Oh if men did but know what ravishing sweetness were in the wayes of God, they could not but imbrace them, and esteem one dayes society with Jesus Christ (as Caracciolus did) better than all the gold in the world

11. Consider the holiness of Christ's Nature, and the holiness of Christs Life. 1. For the holiness of his Nature; if thou couldst but clearly see it, what work would it make in thy Breast? Christ's inward beauty would ravish Love out of the Devils, if they had but Grace to see his beauty; yea, he would lead captive all hearts in Hell, if they had but eyes to behold his loveliness. O what a Flower? what a Rose of love and light is the Lord Jesus Christ? My Beloved is white and ruddy, said the Spouse, the chiefest of ten thousands. Summon before Christ, fair Angels, glorified Spirits, the azure Hea∣vens, the lightsome Stars, all the delicious Flowers, Gardens, Meadows, Forrests, Seas, Mountains, Birds, Beasts, yea and all the Sons of Men, as they should have been in the world of Innocency, and let them all stand in their highest excellency before Jesus Christ, and what are they? the Saints in Glory now see the face of Christ; (i.e.) they see all the dignity, beauty, that is in Christ; and they are so taken, with his sight, that they do nothing else but stare, and gaze, and behold his Face for Ages, and yet they are never satisfied with beholding; suppose they could wear out their eyes at the eye holes in beholding Christ, they should still desire to see more. O this loveliness of Christ ravishes the souls of the glorified; how is it, O my soul, that thou art not taken with this meditation? But, 2. Go from the holiness of his Nature, to the holiness of his Life, it may be that will make deep impressions on thy spirit; consider his charity, his self-denial, his contempt of the world, his mercy, his bounty, his meekness, his pity, his humility, his obedience to his Father. A fruitful meditation on these Particulars can∣not, cannot but cause some resemblance within, and make thee like Christ. O the wonder that any should disclaim the active obedience of Christ, as to his own Justification! Away, away with these cavils, and consider the obedience of Christ in relation to thy self. God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons. It is a sweet note of Doctor Andrews, Christ made under the Law, (i.e.) under the whole Law; the one half of the Law (which is the directive part) he was made under that, and satisfied it by the innocency of his Life, without breaking one jot or title of the Law, and so he answers that part, as it might be the prin∣cipal; the other half of the Law (which is the penalty) he was under that also, and sa∣tisfied it by suffering a wrongfull death, no way deserved or due by him, and so he answer∣ed that part as it might be the forfeiture. But if we come now to ask for whom is all this? it is only for us, that we might be redeemed und adopted; redeemed from all evil, and a∣dopted or interested into all good. If this be so, O who would for a world of Gold lose the influence, and the benefit of Christs active obedience? consider of this, O my soul! till thou feelest some vertue to come out of Christs life into thy self.

Notes

• Acts. 24.25.
• Matth. 3.15.
• Heb. 4.15, 16.
• Gal. 4.6.
• 2 Cor. 13.5.
• Col. 1.27.
• Gen. 28.16, 17
• 1 Cor. 11.10.
• Cant. 5.13.
• Psal. 45.2.
• Matth. 4.17. John 3.3.
• Heb. 12.25.
• Heb. 2.3. 2 Cor. 5.20. 1 Tim. 4.15.
• John. 9.23.
• Luke 6.13. Mat. 28.19.
• Mich. 4.2.
• Niceph. l. 2. c. 40.
• Luke 24.47.
• Gal. 2.15.
• 1 Tim. 3.16.
• Psal. 50.2.
• Rom. 11.33.
• John 6.38, 39.
• John 17.22.
• Luke 19.10.
• Psalm 40.8. 1 John 5.3. Psal. 34.8.
• Act. & Mon. fol. 1361.
• Psal. 119.10.3.
• Rom. 10.12.
• Psal. 119.99.
• Psal. 119.99. Ver. 97. Ver. 15.
• Psal. 104.34. Psal. 94.19.
• Matth. 11.3. Psal. 119.99.
• Cant. 5.10.
• Rev. 22.4.
• Gal. 4.4.