CHRIST'S COMMUNION WITH HIS Church Militant. First preached, and now published, for the good of God's Church in general. By. Nicholas Lockyer, Mr. of Arts. Cant. 1.13. A bundle of Myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me, he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. LONDON, Printed by E. G. for john Rot●w●ll, at the Sun in S. Paul's Churchyard. 1640. TO The virtuous Lady, Aunt SUSAN CECIL, Grace and peace be multiplied, by jesus Christ. MAdam: The sweet taste I have had, of your Ladyship's love to the best things, hath encouraged me, humbly to present this little tract unto you. What Solomon speaks from experience, that you upon trial have found true, That the most promising contents of this life, are vanity and vexation of Spirit. Our wise and merciful Father, doth usually thus embitter the sweetest things of this world to us, that we may the more cordially relish, and fervently seek after, that full satisfying and everlasting sweetness and comfort, which is in communion with Christ our heavenly Husband, in whom all fullness of consolation dwells. A drop of this transcendent fullness, your Ladyship (I hope) shall find, distilled into your soul, by reading this little work now come to your hands, which like Aqua Vitae, shall cheer and revive your sad spirit, when ready to faint. Fainting persons, carry little bottles of reviving liquids, always about them; if your Ladyship shall think fit, to make this little Tract, your pocket-companion, and peruse a little of it still, when you feel soule-qualmes to seize upon you, you shall find (I trust) through the blessing of Christ, much ease and comfort; and so spend and end your aged days, in more true solace of heart, than you have done your primest days of flourishing youth. The accomplishing of this, is the sincere and holy aim of your much obliged Nephew, in this his first offering to public view. Which simple aim, that the Lord may graciously answer, to your Ladyship's comfort here, and eternal happiness hereafter, I shall still continue my prayer, (though here I end my Epistle) that the Lord will still attend this my poor endeavour with his rich blessing, to all the partakers thereof, and in special to you. Your much obliged Nephew, Nicholas Lockyer. Christian Reader. COmmunion with Christ, is our happiness in this world, and in the world to come: that which makes every bitter thing sweet, and every sweet thing sweeter. With this sweet subject is this little tract, now come to thy hand, taken up. Poor fallen man is still complaining of one want or other; and when the thing is given which he longed for, yet his soul is as far from content, as before; like to a child that cries for this and that, and yet when he hath what he cried for, continueth crying still, and cannot tell well what he would have. All our want is this, the want of Communion with Christ: this is the cause of all complaints; the infelicity of the soul; the sum of man's misery, here and hereafter; but poor blindman sees it not, and therefore complains of twenty things, twenty miles a this side his disease; and so spends his days in labour and sorrow, and yet loses happiness, both here and hereafter too. A full fruition of Christ, is full felicity: a full fruition of any thing below Christ, without Christ, is but vanity and vexation of spirit. The more then, O fallen man, thou canst get into communion with thy God, the more will thy great loss be repaired, thy complaining soul satisfied, & thy tranquillity settled upon thee again. Hunt not then after riches, honours, pleasures, and suchlike low delights of the sons of men, with this deluded mistaken world, which lies in wickedness; for felicity is not in these: but study and strive after a nearer communion with Christ: the next way to get most in with him, is the speedy way unto all happiness: so much as thou canst get of his company, so much art thou in Heaven. How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God, (saith David?) how great is the sum of them? If I should count them, they are more in number then the sand: when I awake I am still with thee. Psal. 139.17,18. This is Heaven upon Earth; and that true nobility and honour, which we should all be ambitious after; to lose our spirits in God. What an unspeakable felicity is it, to be still with God in our thoughts? This ennobles the spirit of man, and makes it a companion to the King of Kings: this gives evenness and steadiness to a man's course; and makes him walk in all the ways of God blameless: this gives transcendent peace & tranquillity to a man's spirit; and makes him unmoveable in the midst of fears: this gives bread, in famine; drink in drought; peace, in war; health, in sickness; life, in death. Devote thyself therefore to Christ, that he may devote himself to thee: and as a poor medium of communion, make use (if you please) of this ensuing Treatise. If thou get any good, give glory to God; and make the poor Penman, a constant sharer in thy prayers. Thine in Christ. Theophilus Philanthropus. The Principal Heads handled in this Tract. THat the Church of Christ Militant, shall not be left comfortless, because Christ will come to her, Pag. 9 That Christ doth come to his Church Milit. pag, 10, 11. How Christ doth come to his Church Militant, to comfort her in all conditions, p. 18, 19 When Christ comes to his disconsolate Church, as a Comforter, pag. 41, 42, etc. Why Christ will come to his Church upon earth, as Comforter, pag. 51, 52, etc. Wicked men shall live and die comfortless, because Christ as a Comforter will never come to them, p. 57, 58, etc. Laughter is one thing, and spiritual consolation another, p. 59 How Christ doth come to the wicked in this life, p. 61 Christ will come to the wicked, neither in prosperity nor in adversity, as a Comforter, p. 62, 63, etc. How wicked men may get Christ as a Comforter, to come to them, p. 66, 67, etc. Useful instructions to strong men, and to babes in Christ, p. 68 Strong men in Christ that say Christ as a Comforter is come to them, should make it sure to themselves, that they are not deluded, p. 65. The great need of this, p 69 How a man may know that it is Christ indeed, and no spirit of delusion, which is come to him with consolation, p. 73, 74 Strong men in Christ, after they have made it sure to themselves, that the true Comforter is come to them, should so walk that they may ever enjoy his sweet company, p. 80 How Christians may so walk as to enjoy Christ as a Comforter continually, p. 81, 82, etc. Babes in Christ which never found Christ as a Comforter to come to them, should believe that Christ will come to them, p. 93 Their objections against Christ coming to them as a Comforter, answered, p. 93, 94 Babes in Christ that never found Christ as a Comforter come to them, should patiently wait till Christ thus come to them, p. 98 Several considerations very powerful, to make the soul to wait patiently, till Christ as a Comforter come to him, p. 98, 99, etc. Babes in Christ, which never yet found Christ as a Comforter come to them, should observe how Christ comes with comfort to the soul, and not put him off, p. 109, 110 Babes in Christ, which have found Christ as a Comforter to come to them, but now have lost him, should labour to be sensible of their loss, p. 112, 113, etc. Such should not blame Christ for departing as a Comforter from them, p. 116, 117, etc. Means how such babes in Christ, may get their Comforter to return again to them, p. 118, 119, etc. 2 Tim. 4. Vers. 22. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. To have the Lord jesus Christ with our spirits, is a prime and principal blessing, p. 126 There is a double presence of Christ with man, corporal and spiritual jointly, or merely spiritual, p. 127, 128, etc. The spiritual presence of Christ with man upon earth, is common or special, p. 129, 130, etc. To have Christ specially present with our spirits, is the ready way to all temporal good, p. 134 Objections to the contrary, answered, p. 135, 136, etc. To have Christ specially present with our spirits, is the ready way to all spiritual good, p. 143, 144, etc. To have Christ after a special manner with our spirits is the ready way to eternal good, p. 147 Not to have Christ specially present with our spirits is a great evil, p. 149 Wherein this grand evil doth principally consist, p. 149, 150, etc. How to know whether Christ be specially present with our spirits, p. 164, 165, etc. How to get Christ to be specially present with our spirits, p. 171, 172, etc. Men that find Christ specially present with their spirits, should thankfully acknowledge this great favour p. 176, 177, etc. Such should labour to keep Christ with their spirits, p. 180 According to what operations, a man may lose the presence of Christ, p. 181, 182, etc. Christian's should labour to get Christ as much present with their spirits as may be: and how this may be done: see page, 188, 189, etc. Comfort against the sword, plague, famine, persecution, and the like, ariseth to them which have Christ specially present with their spirits, p. 191, 192, etc. CHRIST'S COMMUNION with his Church Militant. John 14. vers. 18. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. CHRIST and his Church are dear each to other: the truth of this is at large manifest in this Chapter. Christ as a heavenly Husband, being to leave his earthly Spouse, to wit, his Church Militant, and to live with his Father at his right hand in glory, with his Church Triumphant; endeavoureth in various Verses of this Chapter, to comfort the sad Spirit of his beloved Spouse, which he perceived was much dejected. The Verse which I have chosen to insist on, is one of them: I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. In more words let me repeat this Verse again. Thou O my Love, my Dove, my fair one, art sad I see and disconsolate at my departure! As a Lily in the valley; nay, as a Lily (indeed) among thorns I shall leave thee: the Prince of darkness dwelling in the children of darkness, will endeavour to devour thee; Sons of Belial will beset thee, persecute and torment thee, as they have done me before thee: but be not at this, O fairest of women! dejected, as one without all consolation: for I will not leave thee comfortless, I will come to thee. What difference is there between a Prisonhouse and mine own house, if sweet friends continually come to me there? 'tis a Prison and no better, we abide in whilst we dwell in the body: fettered we are with many lusts; and groan we do, under the tyranny & oppression of a body of death; and O! wretched men that we are dwelling in these dungeons of Clay, if no friend from Heaven come to us? 'Tis true, O my Spouse, what thou sayest; and therefore that thy dweling in the body may not be comfortless, I will come to thee. I will not leave thee comfortless, I will come to thee. The body is a Prison to the soul, and the World is a Hell to both. The God of this world is a Devil, and the children of this world Devils, to the Spouse of Christ. The Father torments her spirit, and the Children torment her flesh: neither in body nor soul, whilst in this world, can the Spouse of Christ be quiet. We that are thus in Hell upon Earth, shall quickly be comfortless, if no friend from Heaven come to us. True, O my Spouse: but to prevent this, I will come to thee. From Heaven to Earth (indeed) is a long journey; but yet this I'll not stand on, rather than thou shalt be left comfortless, in any condition upon Earth, I will from Heaven come to thee. Let it be what weather 'twill; at what time 'twill; and be at midnight thou needest me, I will come to thee. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. Affliction hath made many friends upon Earth forsake me, O my Saviour! wilt not thou my heavenly friend so serve me? What if the Devil cast me into Prison? wilt thou come to me there? wilt thou visit me when I lie in a nasty room, amongst nasty wretches, that curse and swear, which thou canst not endure to hear? Yea, O fairest of Women! rather than thou shalt be comfortless in such a condition, I will come to thee. Thou wilt come to me O my Saviour one day; but what if the Devil keep me in such a Prison ten days? a long time? till the iron enter into my soul? wilt thou not wax weary at last, and leave coming to me? No my love, I am resolved to the contrary. [I will not] leave thee comfortless [I will] come to thee. Why, but what if Satan winnow me as wheat, and cast me into sin, which is more odious to thee then any prison; then any place, or any thing: wilt thou not then shake me off for ever, & never come to me more? This O fairest of Women, may make me cease coming to thee for a moment, but no longer; for I am resolved not to [leave] thee comfortless in any condition, either of sin or punishment. I will not [leave] thee comfortless, [I will] come to thee. My Text you see, is Christ's conjugal promise to his Spouse, of all kindness, during the time of his personal absence. The matter of this promise is consolatory; the form according to which our Saviour expresseth this consolatory language, is first negative, I will not leave you comfortless. Secondly affirmative, I will come to you. These latter words contain the reason of what is delivered in the former. We cannot be comfortless; [because] Christ still comes to us. And thus taking the words, you may read them thus, viz. I will not leave you comfortless, [for] I will come to you. No condition can be comfortless, if Christ come to us. I will not leave you comfortless,] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I will not leave you fatherless and motherless, I will not leave you Orphans, saith the Original, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the word comes from, that is here translated comfortless, which signifies, to be made fatherless and motherless; which because it is usually a condition very comfortless, therefore is the word thus rendered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comfortless. Thus the children of Christ shall not be left. They are no Orphans which have Christ for their Father. They are never totally bereft of all comfort, to whom Christ comes: and thus he will still do to his Church militant Christ will never leave coming from Heaven to Earth, although it be a very long journey, as long as he hath any one child upon Earth. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you,] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I return to you saith the Original; spoken in the Present tense, and not in the Future, [I will] return to you, as we have it translated. Ac si diceret Christus (saith one) se licèt nondum profectum, jam esse inreditu As if Christ had said, although I am not yet gone from you, yet am I returning to you. Christ though not actually in person departed, yet was ready in Spirit to be present with his Spouse to the end of the world. Thus having Paraphrastically gone over these words, I will put the plain meaning of them into this Thesis in divinity. That the Church of Christ Militant, shall not be left comfortless, because Christ will come to her. Or thus, No Child of Christ upon Earth, shall be left comfortless, for Christ will come to him. What Christ spoke at his departure to his Disciples, was not for them only, but for the comfort of all his people to the end of the world. In his Disciples he spoke thus to all his children, that are or ever shall be upon the face of the Earth, I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. This comfortable doctrine, that I may fully and methodically handle, I will lay open unto you these four things: First, that Christ doth come to his children upon Earth. Secondly, how Christ doth come to his children upon Earth. Thirdly, when Christ doth come to his children upon Earth. Lastly, why Christ will take so much pains, as to come to his children on Earth? I begin with the first of these, to wit, that Christ doth come to his Church and children upon Earth. The truth of this is evident by our Saviour's own language, and by each godly man's evidence. Our Saviour not only in my Text, but in many other places promised to come to his Church Militant, and therefore surely he doth come to his people on Earth: for Christ is God, and God cannot lie nor repent. What Christ hath said, he will do, that he will faithfully perform to a tittle: for faithful is he that hath promised, saith the Apostle. Go therefore & teach all Nations, etc. Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the world, Amen. Matth. 28.19,10. This place shows plainly that Christ doth come to his children upon Earth; and that he will do this to the end of the world. For Ministers (of all men) to walk faithfully in their places, teaching their flock to observe [all] things, that Christ hath given them in charge, will cost them hot water, especially living in corrupt places. This our Saviour tenderly considered; and therefore that his Disciples might not be disheartened, he assures them of his company unto the last, to support and comfort them. Lo I am with you to the end of the world Christ by this phrase of speech, doth hint us, that what he then spoke, should reach further than unto those to whom he then appeared: namely, to all Ministers and people to the end of the world, that shall faithfully discharge their places and callings to his honour. I might here tell you, that not only Christ's word, but also Christ's name sets forth the truth of this, that Christ is with his Church Militant, and so consequently, that he doth come to her. He was called Emmanuel, which being interpreted, Is God with us. Mat. 1.23. Which name was not only to note Christ, as then corporally present with his Church, but to note Christ as one having actually assumed our nature, and so to be more gloriously present with his Church to the end of the world, than ever before from the beginning after Adam's fall. Now as she said of her Husband, as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: so may the Spouse speak of her Husband Christ; as his name is, so is he. Emmanuel is his name; which signifies God with us, and so indeed, is Christ. He is continually with us. What David said of himself, in respect of Christ, that may we truly say of Christ, in respect of us. Nevertheless (saith he) I am continually with thee; thou hast holden me by my right hand. Though Christ dwell in Heaven, and we on Earth, yet nevertheless he is continually coming to us, and abiding with us. The godly have and do find the truth of this by blessed experience, which is the second thing; and that which I rather insist on, for the confirmation of the truth in hand: because against experience there is no disputation. Peter found the truth of this, that Christ comes to his children upon Earth, that their condition may not be comfortless. Herod cast Peter into Prison, and thought to have made him comfortless; but Christ came to him, as you may see. And behold (saith the Text) the Angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the Prison, and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly, and his chains fell off from his hands. Acts 12.7. The Jews by a storm of Stones, thought to have made Steven comfortless, but Christ's coming to him prevented. Christ so gloriously came to him in that deadly storm, that he found more comfort than (I believe) then ever he did before in his life: for he looked up steadfastly into Heaven, and saw the glory of God, and jesus standing at the right hand of God: he saw the Heavens opened ready to receive him, which transcendantly revived him which glorious vision he could never have seen, had not Christ come to him. Paul likewise found the truth of this point, when he had left Athens, and came to preach to the Gentiles at Corinth. He was very fearful, what success he should find in his Ministry, amongst the barbarous Gentiles. Now our tender Saviour, that Paul might not be overborne with fear, and made heartless and comfortless, graciously comes to him in a vision, as you may read. Then spoke the Lord to Paul by night in a vision, Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace; for I am with thee; and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this City. Acts 18.9 Thus at another time Christ came to Paul, that he might not be left comfortless, when he was pleading his cause before Anomias, and like to be pulled in pieces. And the night following (saith the Text) the Lord stood by him, and said, be of good cheer Paul, for as thou hast testified of me in jerusalem so must thou also bear witness at Rome. Acts 23.11 At another time Paul and Silas together had experience of this truth, that Christ comes to his Church Militant. As they were pouring out their souls together in prayer, Christ wonderfully came to them: he came in an Earthquake, and made the foundations of the prison shake, and so opened all the prison doors, and loosed every prisoners bonds. Comfortable was Christ's coming to Paul and Silas, but terrible to the Gaoler; for he seeing in what manner Christ broke in and rescued his servant, would have killed himself; but Christ came graciously to his soul also, and rescued it out of the hands of the Devil. Happy was it for this man, that Christ did finish two works in one journey; to wit, come to Paul and Silas and deliver their bodies out of Prison, and withal come to their Gaoler and deliver his soul out of Prison too. In an Earthquake Christ came both to Prisoners & Goaler: for the Gaoler came trembling to the Prisoners of hope, as a man in despair; and fell down, saith the Text, before Paul and Silas. 'Tis no matter how Christ come to us, so he comfort us before he leave us. Thus I have showed to you, that Christ doth come to his Church Militant. The second thing that I am to show you, for the opening of the point, is, how Christ doth come to his Church Militant. To this I will answer, First, more generally, and briefly: Secondly, more particularly and fully. More generally and briefly, I answer thus; Christ visits his Church Militant, as David visited & comforted Hanun, to wit, mediately by his spirit, as David did mediately by his servants. And I will pray the Father, & he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the [Spirit of truth,] etc. john 14.16,17. Peter found the truth of this, that Christ by his Spirit comes now to his Church Militant. While Peter thought on the vision, [the Spirit] said unto him, behold three men seek thee. But in the second place, that I may more particularly and fully answer to this question, to wit, how Christ doth come to his Church Militant to comfort her in all conditions; I will lay before you the general conditions of mankind, and show you how Christ by his Spirit, as a Comforter, comes to us in them. The general conditions of mankind are two, prosperity and adversity. Prosperity would soon bring the souls of God's people, to a comfortless condition, did not Christ by his Spirit come to them. Satan, that evil Spirit is so busy, coming to the children of God, when in prosperity, that did not Christ also come to them by his Almighty Spirit, to quench all his fiery darts, their souls would soon be comfortless, the Lord knows. When Peter was warm in the High Priests Hall, than the Devil by a Damsel came to him, and so far he prevailed on him, that had not Christ looked back upon him, and by his Spirit come to him, he had been in a comfortless condition indeed. And thus would the condition of good men now be, which are warm in their nests with outward things, did not Christ come to them: when the sons of God be honourable, and great amongst the sons of men, as David and Solomon, job▪ jacob, and Abraham were; then the Devil in point of polity, though not out of love, visits them often; and by often coming to them then, draws their precious souls into many sins, as pride, ambition, malice, sensuality, and the like; which like Cankers, quickly fret and eat out all divine consolation in the soul, and leave it like the Prodigal feeding upon husks; solacing itself with no other joy & content, than what the bare creature dipped in sin, will afford the sense; which you must needs say, is of all comfortless conditions, the most and worst comfortless. Now that these may not be left in this comfortless state, to perish eternally, Christ by his Spirit, thus comes to them. First in a sweet still voice behind them, as the Prophet speaks, saying, sometimes, in the midst of their sensuality; this is not the way to eternal joy: no, this is the way, O sensual soul! walk in it. This still voice strikes a damp in the merry sensual foul of a Christian, & makes his heart, in the midst of vain laughter, sad. If this be not prevalent enough to turn him, but on again he will in his sinful way; then Christ comes with a witness, in thundering and lightning, to convince and sting the conscience, as he did to the Israelites, to bring them to see their wickedness in choosing a King. Until God thundered and lightened from Heaven fearfully, they laid not to heart their rejecting God as their King, but went on strongly and unaffectedly in their way. And just thus oft times it is, with many of the Sons of God in prosperity: the still voice of Christ sweetly suggesting, and mildly checking for fin, is not strong enough to stop and turn them; until the Angel of the Covenant come down into the conscience, and stand with a flaming Sword, threatening nothing but Hell and Death, if they make on a step further, they stop nor turn not; which though not Christ's natural carriage to his children, yet he will in tender love, deny himself thus fare, as to put on an affrighting Vizard upon his smiling countenance, and come terribly, and save violently, by plucking his children out of the fire, rather than he will leave any of his so comfortless, as to perish remediless. Christ will speak out and speak plain, as he did to David by Nathan, when a still voice, and secret silent hints and becks will not do. He will come and lay his mouth to a man's ear and cry aloud, when he perceives that the pleasure or profit of sin, hath made him very deaf: he will never leave crying and calling, striking and knocking, till he hath made the deaf soul hear, and humble himself with Peter and David, and then he pulls off the terrible Vizard from his countenance, and looks upon the mourning penitent, with a countenance like Lebanon, and his lips drop sweet smelling myrrh, into his broken spirit, and so is not left comfortless, according to Christ's promise, I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. But suppose Satan should not be busy, coming to the sons of God in prosperity; yet would worldly prosperity be a comfortless condition, should not Christ by his Spirit come to them. Riches and honours, together with all other delights of the Sons of Men, they are as the white of an Egg, things without savour, unless Christ come along with them to us: they tire and weary, prick, distract and vex a man: they rob him of his sleep, and many times of his wits, nay, of his precious life: they drown men's souls in pride, voluptuousness, security, and so set them in the next way to Hell. This snare waits at every ungodly man's table, which makes prosperity to him comfortless. This Snare that it may not catch the godly, Christ comes to them by his Spirit, and sanctifies prosperity to them; he teaches them how to a bound; that is, how so to use the creature, as to enjoy service and comfort from it, and to bring honour and glory to God by it. The creature is empty of what it promiseth; and enticing with what it hath: and this makes prosperity to every carnal man, a comfortless condition. Now to take off both these, Christ comes to his children which enjoy the creature plenteously: he comes in the creature, and so cures the emptiness of it: that is, by his blessing he makes it satisfiable and contentful to the enjoyer, which it is not of itself: this is the peculiar gain that attends the godly; Christ comes in the creature to them, and so cures the emptiness of it, and puts such a supernatural virtue and sweetness in it, that they are therewith contented. And as Christ comes [in] the creature to cure the emptiness of it, so he comes [with] the creature, to cure the enticing of it. He doth by the creature lead the souls of his children to the Creator: by the sweet of the one, he lifts up their souls to Heaven, to admire the sweetness of the other: so that, that which others are enticed and besotted with, and rest in, that they take wing from to flee to Heaven, from whence comes every good and perfect gift, which is that indeed that makes prosperity a comfortable condition; which otherwise is comfortless enough, the Lord knows. Secondly, adversity would be a comfortless condition to the godly, if Christ by his Spirit did not come to them: This I suppose none will deny; for no affliction in itself is comfortable or joyful, but comfort less, if Christ by his Spirit do not come to us. Corporal affliction is a comfortless condition, unless Christ come to us, and be our Physician. Spiritual affliction is a more comfortless condition, if Christ do not come to us. Here these two questions are necessary to be answered: First, how doth Christ come to us in corporal affliction? Secondly, how doth Christ come to us in spiritual affliction? To these questions both together I thus answer: Christ the Physician of soul and body, comes to both with comfort in one way; and that is by helping the soul to apply the promises of God, which are suitable to his distress. If a child of God be sad and sorrowful, because of corporal affliction, Christ comes to him by his Spirit, with this comfortable language, I am all-sufficient. Christ by his Spirit, spreads abroad this Cardinal promise before the sad soul, and shows him what a depth of mercy is folded up in it. There is a sufficiency of wisdom in me, to find out ways and means to deliver thee, though never so low brought. There is likewise a sufficiency of power, to prosecute right means to accomplish their right end. Nay, there is a sufficiency of power in me, to work about good for thee, O sad soul, without means. There's a sufficiency of affection and will, to declare power and wisdom, with every Attribute else, for thy good. If for all this application and amplification of a general promise, the soul still droop under some corporal calamity; Christ doth then in such a soul, as jacobs' sons and daughters did for him, They all rose up (saith the Text) and comforted him: Gen. 37.35. so Christ by his Spirit after a lively manner indeed, rises up in such a soul to comfort him: and now he leads this mourning Christian, to some particular promise; that is, such a promise as speaks not of deliverance in general, but of deliverance in particular, out of this or that kind of distress, which he groans under. As to give you an instance, suppose a Christian be sad & take thought as Christ saith, what he shall eat, what he shall drink, and wherewithal he shall be clothed: then the Comforter comes with this particular promise, which speaks of deliverance out of this particular distress. First, seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you: take therefore no thought for to morrow, for to morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Mat. 6.33,34. If yet for all this, the spirit of a Christian still complain, as one fearing he shall want daily bread for him and his; then the Comforter comes, and persuades the soul to rest quietly upon the promise of God. He speaks now to the complaining Christian, as the Levits father in law did to him, Comfort thyself I pray thee, with a morsel of bread. judges 19 Comfort thyself O mourning soul, I pray thee, with this particular promise, which is but a morsel of that bread, which came down from Heaven, one of the least favours that Christ hath procured for thee, to wit, a right and interest in the creature: with this persuasive language, doth Christ follow the complaining soul, until he hath persuaded him, to own his own mercy and so he keeps his children in poverty, from being comfortless. As Christ in corporal afflictions comes to his children, and keeps them from being comfortless; so likewise he comes to them in spiritual afflictions, that they may not be left comfortless. If a child of God be sad and sorrowful, because of this or that strong temptation, the Comforter than comes to him with this sweet language, My grace is sufficient for thee. Thou prayest, and Satan tempts thee; thou dost fast and pray, and yet Satan and thy lusts are more violent upon thee: thou dost all this with bitter tears, and Satan is the more bitterly bend against thee, and thou art foiled every moment. By this, O winnowed soul! Christ would show thee, that thou wilt be comfortless, in the midst of all thy sore soule-labour, unless he come to thee. This same shall comfort us, concerning the work and toil of our hands, said Lamech of Noah: so may we say of Christ; this same must comfort us, concerning the labour and toil of our souls with any temptation, or else we shall be comfortless, though we labour never so much: and this Christ doth and will do, I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. If a Christian lie languishing, because of Satan's prevailing upon him by temptation; that he may not be comfortless in this condition, Christ by his Spirit comes to him, and shows him the fountain of his blood, how deep it is, & how free it is. 1 joh. 1.7. How deep it is, that it will drown all sin. 1 john 1.7. Sins after conversion, as well as before: sins often repeated, as well as sins once only committed. And then he shows the wounded soul, how free this fountain is, for any that hunger and thirst for it, for any that are weary and heavy laden, and desire to be eased by it; and so by degrees draws the wounded soul, to wash his wounds in it by faith, and so Christ heals and comforts him. As the brethren of Ephraim comforted him, when he mourned because the men of Gath had slain his sons. I Chro. 7.22. So Christ comes to us, and comforts us, when the Devil by his temptations hath almost slain our souls, he like the good Samaritan, powers in oil and wine into our wounds, and cures us. Though Satan pass by, and his limbs pass by, and leave us comfortless, in the day of our wounds and bleeding, yet Christ cannot, so full of bowels is he, nor will not, I will not leave you comfortless, etc. If a Christian lie languishing, because of often and frequent relapses, after promises and purposes to do better; If this Christian in the anguish of his spirit speak to every godly friend, as the Prophet did to his, Therefore said I, look away from me, I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the Daughter of my people; Isay 12.4. Look away from me O ye my Christian friends! yea, and you my faithful Minister; for I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of my soul, by so often sinning, against vows and promises, favours and blessings: Christ comes to this soul, and will not leave him comfortless in this condition, (though it be indeed a very desperate condition.) The Comforter usually takes this course, with this comfortless soul, to pour in some oil into his deep wounds: he reasoneth with him from the mercy of man, to the mercy of God; from a drop to the Ocean; and it may be, fastens upon his own language once delivered to Peter. Peter came to our Saviour and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven. Matth. 18.21,22, From this speech, the Comforter thus reasoneth, with this said and sore wounded soul, viz If Christ would have Peter, a sinful man, show so much mercy to one, so often offending him; surely Christ a holy God, and infinite in love, is ready to show much more compassion himself, to those that are penitent, though they have sinned times without number against him. Thus the Comforter leads this desperate Christian, as a weak wounded man by the hand, from the mercy of man, to the mercy of God, and enables him this way, after some space of time, to take in comfort: for Christ is resolved, he will not leave this Christian comfortless. Christ will never leave coming to this comfort less soul, with this speech of his to Peter, and others of like nature (as Christ is well furnished for a Comforter) until he hath brought him to drink willingly (for Christ forceth no Physic upon any Patient) of the cup of consolation more or less; and the longer sick souls turn away their heads from this cup, the more (many times) he persuades them to drink, at last. If Christ tentandi gratiâ for trials sake, hid himself from a Christian, & so set him a mourning. I shall show you by and by, how he comes to him. This is a condition (though of all deserted conditions, the best) which will make a Christian heart comfortless indeed. Thou didst hid thy face, and I was troubled. Psal. 30.7. God's hiding his face, though but for trials sake, will so trouble a Christian, that he will quickly be a burden to himself, and fear round about, as 'tis said of Pashur. 'Twill make him weary of the night, and weary of the day; weary of his own house, & weary of God's house; weary of mirth, and account it madness; weary of riches, honours, yea life itself, and wish for death. O that I might have my request, and that God would grant me the thing that I long for, even that it would please God to destroy me, that he would let his hand lose and cut me off, then should I ●et have comfort: then should I see the face of God, which I long like Moses to see; then would he lift up the light of his loving countenance, and cause his face to shine gloriously upon me, whereas now I walk in the valley and shadow of death; dark days are all that go over my head; the glorious Sun of righteousness shines not upon my soul, from morning to night. To this sad soul thus bemoaning himself for want of his beloved, Christ his well beloved thus comfortably comes. There hath no temptation taken hold on thee yet, O mourning soul, but that which is common to man: and be assured of this, that God is faithful by whom thou art tempted, and will not try thee above that which thou art able: but with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Cor. 10.19. For a moment O fairest of Women; I say, just cause to hid my face from thee, to try the truth of thy love to me; but know, that with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee. Thy dulness also in my serice, and thy low-prising my company, did something trouble me; but know, that the mountains shall departed, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall never departed from thee: for this is as the waters of Noah unto me; as I have sworn that the waters of Noah, should no more go over the Earth; so have I sworn that I will not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. O thou afflicted, and tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with Saphires, and I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of Carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant Saphires. Isay 45.8,9. Out of this sweet language of the Prophet to the natural branch, the Comforter will fetch such precious water of life, to revive this deserted soul: with these kisses of his lips will he so comfort him, that he shall be constrained to say with David, Thou which hast showed me great troubles, hast quickened me again, and hast brought me up again from the depths of the Earth; thou hast increased my joy and comforted me on every side. Psal. 71.6. I could hitherto O my God, see thy backparts; some sad attributes of power and justice, which did terrify my soul to look on; but lo now I see thy glory, thou hast caused it gloriously to pass by me, nay, to shine upon me: I see thy face like Lebanon, comely as the Cedars; and herewith is my longing soul satisfied, as with marrow and fatness. This is my comfort, in mine affliction, for thy Spirit O Christ, by thy word hath revived me. So that this soul, though very sorrowful, yet is not left comfortless, neither. Thus I have answered the second Quaere to wit, how Christ comes to us. The third thing that I am to show you, is, when Christ comes to us. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. But when, O my Saviour, wilt thou come to us? To this I answer first more generally, then more particularly and determinately. More generally and briefly, I answer thus, Christ is already come, and is present with his Church Militant, and will be to the end of the world, as hath been already proved. I am come into my garden, my Sister, my Spouse, I have gathered my Myrrh with my Spice; I have eaten my honey comb with my honey: I have drunk my wine with my milk. Cant. 5.1. Christ we see by this sweet language, is come, and is with us already. I am come, etc. But when will he come to me in particular, as a Comforter? this is the question. To this I answer first negatively, then positively. Negatively I answer thus: viz. Christ doth not come to us in this valley of tears, as Aaron was commanded to come into the holy place: Let him not come at all times, saith the Lord, lest he die. Levit. 16.2 If Christ should not come to us at all times of our distress, we should die under our burden, so comfortless would be our condition. When my body is afflicted, I shall be comfortless, if Christ do not come to me. When my soul is afflicted, I shall be more comfortless, if Christ do not graciously come to me. When my head aches, teeth aches, back aches, or belly aches: yea, when my least finger, or joint in my body aches, I shall be comfortless, unless Christ come to me, so dolorous and comfortless a creature is man. Wherefore as a positive answer, to the question erewhile proposed, know, that Christ comes to his Church militant, at all times: as long as his people live in this valley of tears, and are in any distress of soul or body. He comes to them in prosperity, to sweeten that, or else there would be but a little comfort and sweetness in it: but he comes to them in all adversity, after a more special manner to sweeten that, being of itself very bitter; bitterness in the abstract: my meaning is, altogether bitter, without the least sweetness or pleasure in it, to soul or body: for no affliction is in the least manner or measure joyous, but as Christ, by his kind coming to us then, makes it so. But here I shall be thus questioned: viz, if Christ as a Comforter comes to his Church Militant, in every distress of soul and body; how is it that many of God's children, in corporal and spiritual afflictions, utter comfortless and hopeless language, as those that find no Comforter come to them? Is thy mercy clean gone, and hast thou forgotten to be gracious, saith David, hast thou shut up thy loving kindness in displeasure, and wilt thou be no more entreated, etc. Many such like sad and dolorous complaints are still uttered by some of God's dear children: now if Christ as a Comforter, come to his in every distress, why is it thus with these? To this I will give answer first more indirectly thus. Possibly that soul which thus complains, cannot but confess that Christ hath come and tendered comfort to him, though he through anguish and unbelief refused it. Now if our soule-Physitian come from Heaven to us and brings Cordials for us, and we will not take them, but cast them behind ourbacks; shall our Physician be blamed for unfaithfulness and negligence towards his Patients, as one that did not visit them? Again, possibly too, this soul which thus complains, must confess that Christ came to him, at the very beginning of his untractablenes towards God, and told him that this would quickly bring him into a comfortless condition, if not timely looked unto; and bid him again and again, by a sweet still voice behind him, to be more pliable to God, as he tendered his favour, and his own comfort. Christ came to his Spouse, saying, Open to me my Sister, my Love, my Dove, my fair one, for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. But though Christ thus kindly came to his Spouse, yet she unkindly put him off, and upon the matter no better than slighted him. I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? etc. Because of this untractable carriage, Christ departed from his Spouse, and then she made many complaints: I opened to my Beloved, but he had withdrawn himself and was gone. The Spouse could not now truly say, that Christ had not come to her; but she might truly say, that he did come to her, but she slighted him, and therefore he was forced to leave her. Thus 'tis with many now. They mourn like Rachel in their misery, and are not comforted, because none from Heaven comes to them: such as these, cannot challenge Christ, for not making good his promise, to come to them, if formerly he have come to them, and they have slighted him. If my Physician, observing my intemperancy in this or that, come to me and tell me, unless you refrain such and such things, you will certainly fall into such and such diseases, which are very dangerous; if I slight him in this, and afterward fall into those diseases, and lie groaning under them, I cannot blame my Physician, for not coming to me, but blame myself that did so slight him. So 'tis between Christ and many a mourning soul. Christ hath come to them and told them, that if they go on in this sinful course and that, that it will rob them quite of their heavenly comforts; but he in this friendly way hath been slighted, the soul hath been so far taken with the sweetness of something below Christ, and so at last hath found the evil of his own way, according to Christ's prediction, and yet complains of Christ not coming to him; but how justly, judge you. Again, as this soul possibly cannot justly complain, that Christ hath not come to him: so possibly he cannot justly complain, that Christ is not come to him. That soul which complains after Christ, cannot truly say, that Christ is not come to him: for we can never truly desire to come to Christ, or that Christ should come to us, unless he were already with us, and we with him. Christ I conclude then is come to this complaining soul, though not in that manner and measure as he desires him. The thought of that I long for, if I have the least hope of attaining it, is a degree of consolation. Finally and more directly, I answer to this complaining soul thus, Christ as a sensible and satisfactory Comforter, comes to us at his time, and not at ours. Now Christ's time to come to comfort mourners, is then, when mourners will make him most welcome; and that is usually when the soul is brought to the greatest extremity, that it is capable of, and not utterly miscarry. When Peter was ready to sink on the Sea, and cried out, Master save me or I perish, than Christ came to him, and catcht him by the hand: thus doth Christ usually come with sensible and satisfactory consolations, when poor souls are almost quite spent with temptations, and soul anguish, and look every hour when they shall die and drop into Hell. He shall come to us, as the latter and former rain unto the Earth, saith the Prophet. Hos. 6.3. That is, at the seasonablest time, when the soul will make him most welcome; and that is, when burnt and scorched with Satan's fiery darts, as the Earth with the fervent heat of the Sun; when parched and chapped, gaping for some heavenly showers: then Christ's visits will be kindness indeed: and Christ's consolations, sweet indeed. This still remember, O mourning soul, that Christ keeps his word, if he do not leave us comfortless: and this be assured he will not do, I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. But why wilt thou come to me O my Saviour? To this I answer first thus, viz. Christ will come to his Church Militant to be a Comforter to fulfil his Fathers will. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, saith Christ, because the Lord hath anointed me, to preach good tidings to the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the , to proclaim liberty to the Captive, and the opening of Prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, to comfort all that mourn, etc. Esay 61.1,2,3. By this Text we see, that Christ is anointed for this end, to come to us and be our Comforter, whilst we live here below mourning in Zion. What is said of the three friends of job, that may I say of the blessed Trinity. They made an appointment together, to come to comfort him. So the blessed Trinity, have made an appointment together to come to us by Christ, and in all distresses, sweetly to comfort us. Secondly Christ will come as a Comforter to his Church Militant, because he hath promised it. As Christ promised this in my Text, so in many other Texts. john. 2.11. And if I go away, I will prepare a place for you, and will come again: and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that may abide with you for ever. By these promises Christ hath obliged himself, to come as a Comforter to us: let therefore our deservings of comfort be what they will, Christ will come to us, because he hath promised he will. Christ stands much upon his word: Christ is God, and God cannot lie. Tit. 1.2. Though we believe not, yet he abideth faithful, and cannot deny himself. 2 Tim 2 A Christian is ready to say to Christ as jephtha to the Elders of Gilead: did not ye hate me? and expel me out of my Father's house? and why are ye come to me now, when ye are in distress? said jephtha. So saith a Christian, did not I hate thee O my Saviour, and did not I do what in me lay to expel thee from my soul, by my sinning again and again against thy Spirit? And why art thou come to me now, to comfort me in my distress? Why, this that was foresad, said, may suffice, O sinful soul, as an answer▪ Christ looks not at what thou hast done, but at what he hath promised; and his word he will keep, though we change as the Heavens: Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but not one jot of his word shall fall to the ground. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. These I conceive are the principal grounds, why Christ comes as a Comforter to his Church Militant: two grounds more may be alleged, as Causae minus principales, less principal causes; the first whereof is this, Christ comes to us in our distresses as a Comforter, that we may not stretch out our hands unto iniquity. Man in distress is so desirous of ease, that if Christ do not come to him and comfort him, he'll go to Sin and Satan for ease. Cain was disconsolate, and because Christ did not come to him as a Comforter, he ran like a vagabond up and down the world, to find ease in any thing. judas was disconsolate, and because Christ as a Comforter did not come to him, he made a halter his Comforter. Saul being in distress by the Philistines, because Christ did not come to him by Urim, nor by Vision, nor by Prophets, he went to the Devil for comfort. Now that Christ's children may not thus do, Christ will not leave them comfortless, but will come to them. The second ground why Christ will come to his Church Militant as a Comforter, is this, That he may stop the mouths of all ungodly wretches, who say of the godly when in great distresses, Persecute and ●ak● them for there is none to deliver them, A wicked man looking upon a wounded soul with a carnal eye, breaks cut into some such language as Achish did concerning David, Lo you see the man is mad, 1 Sam. 21.14. This man is a distracted person, fit for Bedlam, then for God's house: an idle crackt-braine fellow, unfit to come into solemn assemblies. Now that Christ may silence such black mouthed men as these, he graciously comes to such wounded souls, and heals their broken hearts, & binds up their wounds; he pours the Spirit of consolation upon such as went mourning all the day long, and makes them walk with joy and strong consolation, so that such as censured them for this and that, are forced to lay their hand upon their mouth, and to condemn themselves as blind Bats, and not able to discern the ways of God towards his children. Having thus opened the point in hand, I will in the next place show you how useful it is, to the wicked and to the godly. Will not Christ leave any of his children upon Earth comfortless, but still as a Comforter come to them? Then you which live in your sins, and so consequently none of Christ's children may collect the unhappiness of your condition from this point. You shall live and die comfortless, for Christ will not come to you as a Comforter; thus he comes only to his children. Christ will not come to you in prosperity as a Comforter; and therefore in the midst of sensual laughter, your hearts will be sad: in the midst of all thy worldly contents, thy spirit will at times gnaw and beat within thee, and never will all thou enjoyest give any complacency of comfort to thee, because Christ as a Comforter comes not to thee. All outward comforts, without the inward consolations of Christ, they are as good broth unseasoned, which rather cloys than contents the appetite; they weary, distract, and vex, and not revive the owner. Be it, that thou art as wise as Achitophel, as eloquent as Herod, as learned as Gamaliel, as rich as Nabal, as honourable as Haman, as great in the Church as judas; why, yet shalt thou live comfortless; that is, utterly destitute of Celestial consolation, one drop whereof hath more soule-reviving sweetness in it, than all the things of this life can afford. Alas! what is learning? what is wit, wealth, honour, or any other worldly thing to comfort me, if Christ do not come to me? A man may have all that this world can afford, and yet hang himself for want of comfort, if Christ come not to him, as Achitophel, judas, and others have done. Ob. No men laugh louder, nor laugh oftener than wicked men in prosperity: no man merrier in an Alehouse, Playhouse, Tavern, Fair, or Market, than they: and are not these then the only comfortable men in this world? Sol. To this I answer first thus; laughter is one thing, and spiritual consolation another thing. Every one that laughs hath not a cheerful spirit within: for in the midst of laughter a man's heart may be sad, saith Solomon. And so on the other hand, every one who hath a comfortable spirit, hath not a laughing face: we do not read that Christ ever and yet had more comfort in his Spirit, than all the merry men of this world. Secondly I answer thus, some men's spirits are so left of God to levity and vanity, that they will laugh at the wagging of a straw (as we say.) This is a great judgement of God upon the spirit, and not to be accounted a comfortable and happy condition? 'Tis a pastime to fools to do wickedly, saith Solomon. This is not properly called mirth (saith he) but madness. You shall see mad men laugh sometimes exceedingly, and hoop and hollow, as if their spirits were as full of joy as they could hold: what shall we conclude now, that these forlorn creatures are in a comfortable condition? Alas! say we, if they were but sensible of their condition, they would soon cease laughing, and begin lamenting. And so may I say to you of all that laugh and rejoice, and yet live in their sins, and so consequently have no Comforter from Heaven come to them, they are mad men: were their eyes open to see their forlorn condition, they would quickly change their note, and turn their mirth into mourning as james saith. Quest. Why, but doth not Christ come to the wicked in prosperity? Answ. Yes, no doubt to be made of of it. Christ came to Belshazzar whilst he was quaffing in the golden vessels of the Temple, and wrote down his wickedness in the wall. And thus he comes to all ungodly persons in prosperity, to write down all their ungodly deeds, that so he may exactly judge them at the great day of account. Quest. Why, but doth not Christ come as a Comforter, to wicked men that are great and wealthy? Answ. Christ regards no man for his wealth, or for any external greatness. If a man be never so rich, or never so honourable, yet if he have not denied his lusts, and given up himself to Christ, to be ruled by him, Christ will never come to comfort him, if he would give him all he hath for his pains; he will not step a foot out a doors to a Prince, if he be wicked. Ob. Why, but though he will not come to ungodly men as a Comforter in prosperity, when they can make some shift without him, yet he will come to them as a Comforter in adversity, when all other comforters fail. Sol. No he will not. Christ will not know thy soul in adversity, which art a disobeyer of him. As he would not let Dives have a drop of water to cool his tongue, though in unutterable torments, where many oceans would not in the least measure have quenched the flames; so neither will he afford thee the least drop of consolation in thy greatest extremity; though thou cry Lord, Lord, and cut thy flesh in the fervency of thy spirit, like Baal's Priests to prevail, yet shalt thou be sent empty away. Nay Christ will be so far from being a Comforter to ungodly men when in misery, that he will add to their outward misery, inward misery. When thy body is in distress, Christ will awaken thy soul, that now lies asleep, and set thy conscience a gnawing within thee, which will be greater torture than if thou wert racked in every limb. Thou mayst send for godly Ministers & godly friends to comfort thee then, and they possibly may deliver very comfortable things, but they shall be of no more savour to thy soul, than the white of an Egg, because Christ as a Comforter will not speak those sweet things to thy soul, which thy friends do to thy ears. As the Lord bewails the miserable condition of jerusalem, so may I bewail the miserable condition of all ungodly men. These two things are come unto thee, who shall be sorry for thee? desolation and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee? Isay. 51.19 So say I to all ungodly persons, misery upon misery will first or last seize upon you, and who then will be sorry for you? Famine, and sword, and pestilence; sickness, and death, and judgement; and by whom will you be comforted? your honours cannot comfort you: your riches & friends cannot comfort you: your father the Devil he will not then comfort you: your conscience which you have often sinned against, shall not comfort you, but torture you, because Christ will not come to you, to sprinkle it with his blood, and pacify it. So that I conclude all thus: you will live comfortless, die comfortless, and abide in Hell after death everlastingly comfortless. 'Tis true all that you say Sir: man is a comfortless Creature indeed, unless Christ come to him, I find it by woeful experience. I have much wealth in my purse, and yet but little peace in my spirit. I see the Devil (me thinks) now & then sit a stride upon top of my money-bags waiting for me, when I come to comfort myself in the beholding of them; and to what this will come at the last, I cannot tell. Sin I am sure I do; and comfortless because of sin I am; and more comfortless every day I look to be, unless Christ come to me; and yet how to get him to come to me, I know not. Wouldst thou, O comfortless creature, have Christ to come to thee? Do then to Christ as Lydia did to Paul, lovingly invite him to come to thee. Make known thy comfortless condition to Christ, and then earnestly entreat him to visit thy poor soul. The ground why I exhort thee O sinner thus to do, is, because God hath promised to give his holy Spirit to them that ask it. Luk. 11.13. If therefore thou wouldst have Christ by his Spirit to come to thee, invite him, ask him, beg, and entreat him to come and dwell in thy soul; and tell him that he shall have every room in thy heart at command. As Rebeckahs brother said to Abraham's servant, So do thou say to Christ. Come in thou blessed of the Lord, wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the Camels, etc. Gen. 24.31 Come in thou blessed of the Lord, wherefore standest thou without? here is room for thee and all thy glorious train. Here's an understanding, will, memory, affections, they shall be all at thy use and service O Christ, wherefore come in thou blessed of the Lord, & make thy abode with me. Thus continue crying to Christ, and longing for him, and by this thou wilt declare thy great love unto him, and so make thyself capable of that sweet promise, which saith, If a man love me, the Father loveth him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. john 14.12 Then will thy condition be comfortable indeed, when thou hast got such glorious inmates as these to dwell with thee. Having thus spoken what I thought fit to the wicked, by way of application from this point, I will now address myself to speak unto the godly, and show them how useful this point may be unto them. I shall first speak to strong men, and then unto Babes in Christ: to such as can tell me, that Christ as a Comforter is come to them. Secondly to such as can tell me they never yet found Christ as a Comforter come to them: and lastly to such who can tell me that they have found Christ as a Comforter come to them, but now they have lost him. To you that tell me you find the truth of this doctrine by blessed experience, that Christ is come to you; I have only two things to say: first this, Make it sure to thyself that Christ indeed as a Comforter is come to thee, and that thy soul is not deluded in thy joy & consolation. Secondly, strive so to walk, that thy Comforter which is come to thee may never departed from thee. First strive to make it sure that Christ is indeed come to thee: that the comfort which thou hast is from the Comforter, to wit, the Spirit of Christ, and not from the spirit of delusion. There is great need that I should press this instruction upon you, because the spirit of delusion is plentifully poured out in these latter days. The hypocrite hath his joy; and he judges that this his joy, is the joy of the Holy Ghost, and as good as need to be, whereas it is a joy that shall perish (saith the Scripture) a joy that will end in desperate sorrow. He thinks that Christ as a Comforter is come to him, whereas 'tis only the Devil transformed into an Angel of light. And thus indeed are many thousands gulled and cheated in their comfort. Sadness would overshadow the smiling face of many a man, if he did but discern how groundless his joy and comfort is; and what a vain shadow instead of a true substance, his poor soul is deluded withal. Wherefore my brethren it concerns you, that tell me, you are sensible that the Comforter is come to you, to take pains to make it sure to yourselves, that your souls are not deluded. When the Spirit of God came upon Saul that he prophesied, the people that knew him before said, What is come to the Son of Kish? is Saul amongst the Prophets? 1 Sam. 10.11. Thus do thou say to thy soul who art so merry and comfortable, viz. What is come to thee O my soul! that thou art now so joyful and cheerful? Once I am sure thou wentest mourning all the day long: is Christ as a Comforter come to thee? If Christ by his Spirit have brought glad tidings to thee, why then O my glory, continue in thy mirth: but if not, why art thou so merry O my soul? thy mirth is but madness. As David questioned his soul for sadness, saying, Why art thou so sad O my soul? and why art thou so cast down within me? So mayst thou do well to question thy mirth, saying, why art thou so merry O my soul? and why art thou so much lifted up within me? Is thy Comforter our Lord Jesus Christ indeed come to thee? O than my glory cease not to declare thy comfort, by any comely posture and gesture: but if not, a house of mourning, O my soul, is fit for thee then a house of mirth; garments of Sackcloth and sadness, would better become thee, than garments of joy and gladness. You know how Isaac once spoke to his son, Art thou (said he) my very Son Esau? Gen. 27.24 So do thou humbly question thy Comforter. Art thou my very Comforter indeed? Art thou the very Christ the Son of God, which speakest consolation to my soul? You know how john questioned Christ much after this manner, that he might not be deceived concerning him. Mat. 11.3 Art thou he that should come, or do we not look for another? So do thou say, Art thou he that should come and comfort my soul? or should not I look for another? There be many false Christ's, and false comforters now in the world, and they deceive many: wherefore I beseech thee speak out, and speak plainly to my soul, whether thou be he that should come and comfort me yea or not, that if I have obtained the true Comforter, I may give God the glory of his great kindness; if not, I may seek out for another. How should I know (may the strong man in Christ say to me) whether he that is come to my soul with consolation, be he that should come, or not? How should I be able to make it sure to my soul, that the consolation which I have is from the Spirit of Christ, and not from a spirit of delusion? To this I thus answer, viz. If he that is come to thy soul be he that should come, to wit, Christ; thou shalt find that he doth more works than one in thy soul: he doth not only comfort thee, but he doth many great works besides this. Christ doth many great works in a man's soul before he comforts him; and he doth many great works in his soul, after he hath comforted him. Christ doth many great works in the soul of man, before he comforts him: he doth break the heart before he binds it up: he first wounds the heart, before he will heal it: he casts down the soul for sin, before he will raise it up. Now to break the heart of man, which the Scripture compares to an Adamant for hardness, Zech. 7.12. is a great work; and yet this doth Christ throughly, before he comforts throughly. The breaking of the hard heart of man, hath many great works about it, ere it be effected. The convincing the soul of sin, which self-conceited man is not easily brought unto. The making of sin out of measure sinful, in the soul's apprehension, which blind man is not easily brought to see. The making of man to loathe himself, for the evils which he hath committed against God, which man full of self-love is not easily wrought unto. The making of man to long for peace and reconciliation with God, as the greatest happiness in the world, and to beg this blessing with tears, as a soul that sees he shall die and perish eternally without it; which man that naturally hates God, is not easily won unto. Yet all these difficult works doth Christ do in the soul of man, before he comes as a Comforter to him. Which Christ confirms where he saith, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Now wouldst thou know whether he that is come to thy soul, be he that should come or not? why then tell me, What did precede thy comfort which now thou hast? Did Christ lead thee to the Wells of Consolation by the waters of Marah? Did he bring thee to sow in tears, ere he gave thee to reap thy great harvest of joy? Wast thou ever in the house of mourning? Did the spirit of heaviness for sin ever take hold on thee? Was thy hard heart first broken, and after this bound up? First wounded, and after this healed? Didst thou go mourning for dishonouring God all the day long, and after many dolorous days thus spent, did thy Comforter come to thee? Surely then he that is come, is he that should come, and do not look for another: but if otherwise, thou hast just cause to be jealous of thy joy. Again, Christ as he doth great works in the soul before he comforts it, so he doth great works in the soul after he hath comforted it. That soul which Christ comforts, he makes a very fruitful soul in all grace to his glory. No waters make the soul of a Christian grow in grace, like the waters of consolation. The comforting Spirit of Christ is to a Christian in the ways of obedience, as wind and tide to a Ship: that which makes him run the ways of God's Commandments. That Christian which is comforted by Christ, prays fervently, and prays frequently. Consolation gives wings to supplication. That Christian which is comforted by Christ, praiseth God with strong affection. A soul comforted by Christ, is as an instrument well tuned by a skilful Musician: he will, upon every occasion, make sweet me lody in the ears of the Almighty. True consolation is from Heaven, and it carries that soul strongly to Heaven, in which it is. True consolation is from Christ, and it will make a Christian live wholly to Christ. To whom much is forgiven they love much: and this love constrains them to deny themselves, and to follow Christ unto death. Wouldst thou know then for certain O strong man in Christ, that he which is come to thy soul, is he which should come? Why then look what activity is in thy soul to duty. Is thy soul as a Giant refreshed after wine? strong and vigorous to the practice of all good duties? Art thou abundant in the work of the Lord? Art thou a sweet Singer in Israel of the praises of the Lord? Is thy heart at thy mouth leaping within thee, like the Babe in Elizabeth's womb when thou art telling what God hath done for thy soul? Art thou (in a word) a holy & heavenly man, as one comforted by a holy and heavenly God? Doth thy joy transcend the joys that this world affords, in sweetness? Doth it raise thy spirit to admire the love of God? and doth it make thee dead to secular delights? and to account naked carnal mirth madness? empty husks for brutes to feed on? Then mayest thou comfortably conclude, that he which is come to thy soul, is he which should come, and do not look for another: but if thou art merry and cheerful, but not holy and heavenly, he that is come to thy soul, is not he that should come, wherefore I beseech thee to look for another. A second instruction which I would commend to strong men in Christ is this: after thou hast made it sure to thy soul, that Christ as a Comforter is indeed come to thee, then strive so to walk, that he may never departed from thee. So a man may walk, that Christ as a Comforter may forsake his soul. David had woeful experience of this truth, and so doubtless have many else of the godly. So a man may walk that Christ as a Comforter never departed from him. But how should I thus walk, saith the comforted soul, that I might enjoy this heaven below, till I come to that above, and so go from joy to joy; from joy unspeakable and full of glory, to joy that cannot enter into any mortal heart to conceive of? To this I thus answer, Do not grieve Christ that is come to thee: Secondly, do all that thou canst to delight him, if thou wouldst have him continually abide with thee. Do not sit down and rest, as one that hath a licence to be lazy, and as if all thy work were done, now thy Comforter is come to thee; this will grieve him, and quickly make him leave thee. Thou hast obtained Christ to come a Comforter to thee, well: yet let me tell thee as Moses did the Israelites, You are not (said he) as yet come to the rest, and to the inheritance which the Lord your God giveth you. So say I to thee O comforted soul, thou art not yet come to those degrees of consolation, which thou mayest attain unto in this life, if thou continue to be thrifty. The joy of the Holy Ghost is a bottomless Well, which thou canst never draw dry: and the more thou drawest, the fresher and sweeter still shalt thou find it. The joy of the Holy Ghost is no surfeiting thing, as some earthly sweets are: and therefore thou mayest safely say, Lord ever more give me of this bread: fill my soul with Flagons of this precious liquor: let thy love be shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost: let my soul delight herself in this fatness. Secondly, now Christ as a Comforter is come to thee, do not wax wanton against him, this also will grieve him, and make him quickly forsake thy soul as a Comforter Let all the manifestations of thy comfort be suitable to thy Comforter; holy as he is holy; spiritual and heavenly, as he is. When ye are come into the good land, take heed that ye do not forget the Lord (said Moses to Israel.) So say I to you that find Christ with you as a Comforter, which are come to the fellowship of the Spirit, and to the participation of that transcendent comfort which is by him: take heed that you grow not giddy headed, and forget God and yourselves. The waters of consolation are strong waters, and man's weak head and heart cannot bear much of them steadily, but are ready to reel to one side or other. When the clouds of heaven have well watered the Earth, then do weeds as well as good herbs spring apace: so when Christ by his Spirit, sweetly waters the soul with consolation, than levity and vanity, as well as Christian mirth and cheerfulness spring amain; If a Christian be not very watchful over his soul, to pluck up such weeds by the roots, as soon as they begin to show themselves. I conclude this thus: thou that art comforted by the Spirit, let not the manifestations of thy comfort grieve the Spirit. This remember, that Satan hath an art to bring evil out of the greatest good, as God hath an art to bring good out of the greatest evil: and therefore beg that thou mayest not be ignorant of any of his devices, nor unable to resist them, if thou wouldst not lose thy Comforter. Secondly, if thou wouldst have thy Comforter to abide still with thee; as thou must not grieve him, so thou must do all that thou canst to delight him. Let it be thy meat and drink to follow all the motions of the Spirit of Christ: whithersoever Christ would have thee go, or whatsoever Christ would have thee do, cheerfully obey him; this will delight thy Comforter exceedingly, and make him to rejoice to continue with thee. If Christ say unto thee as to the Fishermen, Fellow me: Mat. 4 19 do thou readily reply as the Scribe, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. Mat. 8 19 This is to declare the genuine disposition of Christ's people, which Christ is exceedingly taken withal. Christ's people are a willing people in their obedience, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, etc. Psal. 110 3 2 Humbly and compassionately tell disconsolate souls, what Christ hath done for thy soul: this will delight thy Comforter much, and make him rejoice to continue with thee. Christ delights to see his children communicative of the sweet meats which he gives them. And therefore as jael said to Barak, so do thou O comforted soul, to such as yet go mourning all the day long: Come (said she) and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest. judg. 4.22. Come O sad soul, that canst not find him whom thy soul loveth, I will show thee the man whom thou seekest; the manner of his coming to my poor soul; and how long he made me wait upon him, ere he would come to me; and how well he hath now made me amends for all his staying. And therefore Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgement is before him, therefore trust thou in him. job 35.14. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Hab. 2.3. The more imparting of experiments of love we are, to the glory of Christ, the more still will Christ graciously give us to our further comfort. And this indeed is God's end in comforting some of his children, that they may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith they themselves are comforted of God: 2 Cor. 1.4. as the Apostle sweetly affirms. 3 Thank Christ humbly and hearty for his coming to thee; if thou would●st have him abide still with thee. The Israelites when they came into the promised Land which flowed with milk and honey, they were to take the first of all the fruits of the Earth, and put them in a basket, and so present them to the Priest saying, viz. And now behold, I have brought the first fruits of the Land, which thou the Lord hast given me: thus were they to set their first fruits before the Lord, and to worship before him, as you may see at large. Deut. 26. Why you that enjoy Christ as a Comforter, you have received the first fruits of that good land, which Canaan typified, which flows with Milk and Honey. Bring therefore these first fruits, and set them before God and worship: bring the sweet comforts of the Holy Ghost in your hearts, before the Lord and say, Behold o Christ, these and these are the sweet consolations of thy spirit: and lo for them all I humbly render praise to thy name. Such mighty enemies of my peace, hast thou conquered: such doubts which so long troubled me, hast thou answered: such wants which so long time kept me exceeding low, hast thou supplied: to thee O God be the glory of thine own goodness. You have great cause thus to magnify the Lord for his mercy, which find Christ as a Comforter come to you. You enjoy that blessing which exceedeth all outward blessings. The light of God's countenance lifted up, upon a poor mourning soul, 'tis of fare greater value than Corn, Wine, Oil; then Coral, Rubies, or any choice thing that this world can afford. The naked revelation of Christ in the soul of man, is of more worth than all these, saith Solomon: the most glorious revelation of Christ then to the soul, which the soul of man is capable of in this life, must needs be of much more transcendent worth. You enjoy that blessing which exceedeth many inward blessings. It exceedeth knowledge: for what is knowledge in the head, to the joy of the Holy Ghost in the heart? One beam of light in the understanding, is of more worth than all the Silver and Gold, Gems, and Jewels in the world; and yet one beam of the light of God's countenance, shining upon the heart, though but by reflection from the face of Jesus Christ, is of more worth than all knowledge which humane study can attain unto. I cannot say that this blessing, exceedeth the least saving grace in the soul: but this I can safely say, that consolation 'tis the gloss and glory of every grace: every grace shines in its full lustre where the Comforter dwells. This I can further say, that you enjoy that blessing which makes Heaven a Heaven, and which makes Earth a Heaven to you: and therefore you have great reason to magnify the Lord for his mercy. The more of Heaven we enjoy upon Earth, the more should we set ourselves to do the work of them which are in Heaven, whilst on Earth. 4 Finally let Christ's mediate coming to thee by his Spirit, make thee long earnestly for his immediate coming to thee in his own person: this delights Christ, that his Spouse should say, Come, as the Spirit doth. Rev. 22.17 That she should long for the wedding day, as he doth. When good old Simeon had embraced the consolation of Israel, for which he so long waited, he then desired presently to be dissolved: so thou that hast embraced the consolation of Israel, shouldst in a holy manner with Simeon, job, and Paul, desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all. You whom Christ hath kissed with the kisses of his lips, should long earnestly to lie between his breasts all night; my meaning is, to have a full enjoyment of Christ. Thus have I done speaking to such, who can tell me that Christ as a Comforter is come to them. In the next place I address myself to speak to such of the godly, who can tell me that they never yet found Christ as a Comforter come to them. Two or three things I have to say to you from this sweet doctrine. 1. First, I would have you to labour to believe this doctrine, that Christ will not leave you comfortless, but will certainly (at last) come to you. Christ hath repeated his promise, which is as a bond with many seals; and therefore thou hast just ground to believe, o comfortless soul, that Christ will not leave thee comfortless, but will come to thee. Object. What just ground have I to believe, that Christ will come to me, seeing he is holy, and I am unholy: he is glorious in holiness, and I am abominable in sin and wickedness, saith the weak comfortless soul. Sol. Art thou more vile than Manasseh? Christ came to him and comforted him. Art thou more muddy and earthy than Zacheus? Christ came to him and comforted him. Art thou more devilish than Mary Magdalen, out of whom were cast seven Devils? Christ came to her, and filled her soul with strong consolation. Why shouldst not thou believe, that Christ will come to thee too, and quiet and comfort thy mourning spirit? Sol. But secondly I answer thus: viz. Christ doth not so much lock how thou art qualified, as at what he hath promised: Christ hath promised he will come to thee, and he is faithful and will do it. If thy soul were never so poor, never so blind, never so wretched, never so naked, yet Christ having promised to come to thee, he will make good his word; though he come backward, with a mantle to cover thy nakednesie, as Shem and japhet did to Noah. If thy soul were full of wounds; if thy soul were full of running putrifying sores; if thou wert as black with sin as an Ethiopian; if thou wert as spotted with sin as a Leopard; nay, if thy soul did stink within thee, as Lazarus body after taken out of the Earth again, yet Christ having promised to come to thee and comfort thee, he will do it, though he hold his nose while he be comforting thy stinking nasty soul. Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but not a jot or tittle of Christ's promise shall fail. The voice of my Beloved, behold he cometh leaping upon the Mountains, and skipping upon the Hills. Cant. 2.8. Though there be mountains and hills of sin in thy soul, yet Christ will come skipping over all these with comfort to thy soul, rather than thou shalt be left comfortless. Wherefore, O weak, comfortless soul, say not of thy Saviour and Comforter as Balaam did, I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh. Num. 24.17. I shall see Christ come with a witness: nay with many thousand witnesses, at the great day, when every eye shall see him: but I shall not see him come to me now, in this soul dolour, as a Comforter. I shall behold him peradventure, as Moses beheld the Holy Land, afar off: he will never come nigh my poor soul, to stay it with those comforts which it needs. Cease, O weak soul, this incredulous language; and strive to believe, and this sweet promise I treat of shall be made good unto thee. No sin so mighty to keep thy Comforter from thee, as unbelief. Say then O mourning Christian to thy comfortless soul. Yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Heb. 10.37 He that hath said he will come as a Comforter to thee, will come, and will satisfy thy soul with consolation, as with marrow and fatness. Say to thy sad soul, with the Psalmist, My God will come, and will not keep silence: he will speak consolation so plainly, that my ignorant soul shall understand; so powerfully, that my incredulous soul shall believe, and own her own mercies. Thou art now tossed and almost drowned, O my soul, with restless waves of misery; but the Spirit will move upon these waters; thou shalt see Christ coming towards thee, upon these troublesome waves anon, and say, be not afraid, it is I: I that have loved thee, and given myself for thee, and none shall pluck thee out of my hand. Secondly, as I would have thee to strive firmly to believe this truth, so I would have thee endeavour patiently to wait the accomplishment of it. Believe that Christ will come to thee, and wait patiently until he do come. There is good ground why every soul should patiently wait for Christ, coming to him, whither we consider ourselves which are to be visited, or Christ our visitor. If thou O comfortless soul consider thyself which art to be visited, there is great reason thou shouldst wait patiently till Christ come to thee, how long soever he stay. First, thou art a creature, and Christ is thy Creator; and should not a creature wait on his Creator? Thou art a servant, and Christ is thy Lord: and should not a servant wait on his Lord? Consider thee in thy highest relations, and they all call for waiting. Thou art a Son, and Christ is thy Father: and should not a Son wait on his Father? Thou art a Wife, and Christ is thy Husband: and should not a Wife wait on her Husband? Secondly, consider that thou hast deserved, that Christ should never come to thee, and yet for ●ll this, seeing he will come to ●hee, hast not thou just cause ●o wait patiently till he do come, how long so ever it be first? Before thy calling thou didst reject Christ; and since ●hy calling, thou hast often grieved Christ; and hast not thou ●hen deserved that Christ should never come to thee? Thou hast quenched many a sweet motion of the Spirit of Christ: thou hast ●urned the deaf ear, to the sweet still voice that hath spoken behind thee, times without out number, and so slighted the Spirit of Christ; and hast not thou then justly deserved, that Christ as a Comforter should never come to thee? yet seeing he will come, for all this unkindness; hast not thou just cause to wait patiently for him, how long soever he stay? Thou hast many weeks, many months, nay many years, gone along in a course of grieving Christ; and dost thou think much of waiting a few weeks, a few months, a few years, for Christ to come to comfort thee? Take this in another form: thou didst make Christ wait a long time upon thee, ere thou wouldst let him abide with thee as a spirit of reformation: and is there not just cause then, that thou shouldst wait patiently a long time upon him, if he will have it so, ere he abide with thee as a Spirit of consolation? how many knocks did Christ give at thy stubborn heart, ere thou wouldst open to him? how much dew of the night distilled upon his locks, ere thou wouldst give him house room in thy heart? how many mercies? how many corrections, were all spilt upon thee, ere Christ could win thee to respect him? canst thou tell? if thou canst not, think not much, if Christ make thee shed a few tears, and breathe out a few groans, ere he bring glad tidings of peace unto thee. Secondly, if thou consider Christ thy visitor, there is all the reason that can be, that thou shouldst wait patiently, till he come to thee. Christ will certainly come to thee: Christ will come to thee at the fittest time: Christ will come richly when he doth come; which are all special grounds of patience. Christ will certainly come to thee, O comfortless soul, though it may seem to thee, something long first. Thou dost not wait for one that will not come at all, as the Turk waiteth for Mahomet: nay, thou dost not wait for one that will frivolously delay the time of his coming. Thou dost not wait for one that will deceive thee. Christ hath promised to come to thee, and he is faithful, and cannot deny himself. There is two things in faithfulness: first, that a man should own what he hath said; & then secondly, that he should make it good. Now both these will Christ do: Christ will not eat his words, as we say: what he hath promised he will confess, and will make good; whatsoever labour or loss he be at to do it. Christ is not mutable as we are, to promise one thing to day, and recall it again to morrow: he is immutable and changeth not, therefore we are not consumed. Thou dost not wait for one that will frivolously delay the time of his coming. Christ will not deal with thy comfortless soul, as those sorry guests dealt with Christ, make excuses: one had bought a yoke of Oxen, and therefore could not come: an other a Farm, etc. Christ will not tell thee, as Abraham Dives in hell, between thy soul & him is a great gulf, so that there can be no intercourse between them. Nor, that from Heaven to Earth, is too long a journey for him to make: He will not tell thee, that the place where thy sick comfortless soul lies, is filthy, and altogether unfit for him to come to. He will not tell thee that thy soul is so far gone in grief and desperate sorrow, that 'tis in vain for him to come to thee. Christ puts none of these delays upon any of his patients. No, the ground why Christ stays is, that he may come at the fittest time; and then he will come with healing in his wings, if all the Devils in Hell should oppose him, which me thinks should be a satisfactory ground of patience, to any disconsolate soul. If a Physician yet apply this and that for further evacuation, rather than cordials, as knowing the body not yet fit for cordials, will not any wise man submit patiently to his way? so if Christ for bear giving thy sick soul cordials, as he that well knows thy soul not fit yet, for such luscious things, wilt not thou with much thankfulness acknowledge his great care over thy soul, and with all patience wait his leisure? I patiently undergo the pain of drawing plasters, when I know my sore is not fit for healing: thus should it be in spiritual distresses: we should patiently undergo grief and sorrow, until our souls be fit for consolation, and then we shall be sure to have it. Finally, be sure of this, O mourning soul, that Christ will come richly, when he doth come; and therefore methinks thou shouldst wait patiently for him: what Merchant but would wait patiently, the return of his Ship in the longest voyage, if he were sure that it would richly return at last, Christ will come very richly furnished, with the comforts of the Holy Ghost, which are unspeakable and glorious, to your souls that mourn after him, and wait for him. What the Apostle once spoke of himself in relation to the Romans, that may I truly say of Christ, in relation to all that mourn after him And I am sure that when I come unto you, I shall come (saith he) in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. Rom 15.29. Christ I am sure O mourning soul, when he doth come unto thee, he wilt come in the fullness of the blessing of the Holy Ghost: thou shalt have joy in the Holy Ghost unspeakable and glorious. Thou by long waiting art made a more vast Vessel, to hold the precious waters of consolation; and Christ by long staying doth (as I may say) the more furnish himself, with these waters of life, to refresh, fill, and satisfy thy thirsty soul, when he comes to thee. Christ will heal throughly thy broken heart, and bind up all thy wounds: he will answer all thy doubts, and clear all thy scruples: he will quiet thy quarrelling conscience, and still thy complaining Spirit: he will fill thy sad soul with joy and gladness, and thy dejected spirit with Songs of thanks giving. If these things, O mourning soul, will not make thee wait patiently, till thy Comforter come to thee, but thou wilt murmur and repine, and fall upon indirect ways to get consolation, know that by this practice thou wilt make thy condition more miserable, then at present it is. Thou wilt grieve him that should come as a comforter to thee: and if thou by sin make Christ grieve, how can Christ by his Spirit make thee rejoice? and if thou set him a mourning that can only comfort thee, by whom wilt thou be comforted? Dost thou think to win Christ to thee, by a dogged disposition? Christ may pity, and cure thy humours, but 'twill never be by consolation. He will bring thee to be lowly and meek ere thou shalt find rest to thy soul; he will make thee willing to lie under his Feet; glad of crumbs of comfort; and willing to wait for them till Christ hath dined, and every Child served. If thy corrupt soul hanker after the pleasure of sin again, because Christ as a comforter doth not come to thee, and thou be resolved to pick and choose, amongst all the sins thy soul knows, to find out one that thy soul most loves, to make a comforter to thee, as the Israelites in their dogged humour made them a Captain to return to Egypt again, know this, that what sin thou pitchest upon to make a comforter, that sin will Christ make a Devil to torture thee: Christ will make thee know by woeful experience that the sweetest sin, is a bitter and miserable comforter: that the least sin, is too great an evil, truly to comfort the soul: that to go to the Devil for consolation, is to make faster haste for comfort, then good speed: that neither sin, nor any thing in the world beside sin shall comfort thy soul, when he himself will not. The last Instruction that I have to commend to thee, O comfortless soul, that didst never yet find Christ as a comforter come to thee, is this, observe how Christ comes, and do not put him off. Christ comes to comfortless souls with comfort, in a promise; as I have at large shown you. 'tis with many Christians in their minority, as 'twas with Samuel, the● do not know the voice of the Lord, speaking ●n a promise, & therefore I thought good to note this last instruction. The promise Christ opens before the soul, that he may see the blessing wrapped up in it, which he needs: and then often repeats it to the soul, that he may rely upon it: instances to illustrate this way of Christ, I have given you, things must not be here again repeated. That which here I would press by way of application, is, that you which are comfortless souls, would observe this secret way of the comforter, and meet him. Art thou tempted? and dost thou now hear a sweet still voice, as it were behind thee saying, My grace shall be sufficient for thee? Why this is the voice of thy beloved, that is come to thee, embrace what he saith, rest upon it, turn not thy comforter away now, by unbelief, and peevish pettish humours. Hast thou fallen into sin, by the strength of temptation, and thine own corruption? and dost thou hear such a sweet voice behind thee as this, The blood of jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin? 1 joh 1.7. Why this is the language of thy beloved, he is come to comfort thee, O mourning soul, do not thrust him away by unkind language of unbelief and passion. Hear what he saith, for it is sweet: strive to believe what he saith, for it is sure. As Isaac said unto Jacob his Son, after he had had some discourse at a distance with him, Come near now and kiss me my Son: Gen. 27.26. So should such comfortless souls say to Christ, when they hear Christ speaking, as it were at a distance, softly and coldly to them, the sweet promises of his word; come here now, O my beloved, and kiss me with these kisses of thy lips for thy love is better than Wine: what thou sayest to my soul, say it with such life, that my heart may no longer be faithless, but believe, and give glory to thee. I have now done speaking to you, who never yet had the comforter come to you. I come now in the last place to speak a word or two particularly, to such of GOD'S people, who can tell me that they have found Christ as a comforter come to them, but now have lost Him. Three things I have to say to these. First, labour to be sensible of thy loss. Secondly, blame not Christ for departing from thee. Thirdly, use all holy means to get him to return to thee again. First I would have thee, O deserted soul, to labour to be truly sensible of thy loss Though it be that some are deeply sensible of this great loss, yet others are as deeply stupid, which moves me to note this instruction. For a man to be stupid and senseless under corporal afflictions, argues a very ill temper of spirit; but for a man to be stupid and senseless under spiritual affliction, under such a spiritual affliction as this, the loss of the Sun, the loss of Christ as a comforter, argues a very ill temper of spirit indeed. Strive therefore, O deserted stupid soul, to affect thine heart throughly with thy loss. Thou hast lost more than job: when he had lost Children; substance, health, honours, and friends: nay thou hast lost more, then if thou hadst lost this World; nay, thou hast lost more than if thou hadst lost thy life, which is of more worth than the World: thou hast lost Christ, which is richer than this World, and sweeter than thy life. What an infinite loss were it to this World, to lose the Sun? 'twere at once to lose all: Pereunte solep, ereunt omnia. for all things serviceable for the use of man, depend upon the motion and influence of that glorious Body. What a loss than is it to the lesser World, to lose Christ the Sun of Righteousness? 'Tis to lose all good at once, for soul and body. All graces close and whither when Christ departs, as all fragrant flowers when the Sun withdraws his influence. And when these flowers whither in the soul, a man is a moving Dunghill, that stinks in the Nostrils of God and man, where ever he comes. A man that hath lost Christ, may truly say as she when the Ark was lost, that his glory is departed. As the Sun is the glory of the greater World: so Christ the Sun of righteousness, is the glory of the lesser World, to wit, man. Thou hast lost that in the world, that is more worth than the world, and which all the world can never help thee to. Thou hast lost that which would have made the worst condition in this life, a Heaven; whereas the best without it, is but a hell. Thou hast lost that which would have been to thy soul, a continual feast; whereas now thy soul is in a continual famine and leanness. Thou hast lost thy spirits, and thy soul is in a dead Palsy, so that thou art a living dead man, fit for no spiritual service. Thou hast lost thy head, thou hast lost thy eyes, thou hast lost thy hands, thou hast lost thy feet, thou hast lost thy bread, thou hast lost thy clothing; nay, thou hast lost thy best father, thy best husband, thy best friend; all this and much more comfort is Christ to man. Thou hast great reason then O deserted soul, to lay to heart thy loss. 2. Lay to heart thy loss, this is comely, but do not blame Christ for departing from thee, this is uncomely, and unrighteous. Uncomely; for it doth not suit with wisdom's children, to lay folly to their Maker. Unrighteous, for thou constrainst him to departed from thee, otherwise he had never left thee: thou didst sin again and again of weakness, and yet Christ as a Comforter did not departed from thee: until thou beganst to take pleasure in unrighteousness, and to make sin a custom, a right eye, a very serviceable thing unto thee, Christ did not leave thee. Thou beganst to wax wanton against Christ, and then Christ cast thee off. Thou beganst to play the Apostate, and to backslide in heart from Christ; and then he fell off from thee, and filled thee with thine own ways. Now these things seriously considered, hast thou any cause to blame Christ for departing from thee? It is a comely and a very righteous thing for Wisdoms children to justify wisdom in all his ways, as to others, so to ourselves. Wherefore thus do, O deserted soul; say, righteous art thou, O Christ in departing from me, and righteous mayst thou be, if thou never return to me, so unkindly have I dealt with thee. 3. Then set thyself seriously to the use of all holy means, whereby thou mayst get thy Comforter to return to thee. Examine thy soul throughly thou must, to find out what evil deprived thee of so great a good; and in serious soul searching, God will speak to thy conscience, and conscience will speak plainly to thee, and tell thee wherein thou didst give distaste to thy Comforter, and what was the cause he forsook thy soul. And when thou hast found out that evil, which conscience tells thee, deprived thee of so great a good, thou must fall very foul with it, how sweet soever it hath been unto thee. Thy great work must be, to bring thy heart to a holy revenge upon this sin: to abhor it, and thyself because of it: and to become very vile, as job saith, and very low in thine own eyes. Bring thy heart to admire the infinite patience and mercy of God, that things are no worse with thy soul. That God had not cut thee off, in the acting of that sin for which he deserted thee: that he hath left any place for repentance, and given the least desire to set about this work. And when thou art come thus fare, possibly the light of God's countenance may begin now and then, to glance into thy soul, as at some little cranny: or at least some more than ordinary lightsomness, may appear in thy dark dull soul, as there doth in the dark morning, some space of time before the Sun appears, that had left this Horizon. Now this beam of light, or this little lightsomeness of soul, thou must much admire; and acknowledge an unfathomed depth of love in it; that God should so much as once stoop, to cast an eye after thee more, to give thy soul the least refreshing, that did abuse flagons of love. By this glimpse of light, or glimmering light, you are to strengthen your faith, in the belief of this, that light will more and more appear, as the light of the morning unto the perfect day: and so consequently to follow God with so much the more fervency of prayer, for the return of his wont kindness. Toseph, you know, carried himself very roughly to his brethren which had abused him, for some space of time; and put them in great fear of the loss of their lives; told them they were Spies, and many harsh words he gave them, and harsh looks: but at last, when his Brethren had brought to him Benjamin, and discoursed a while, josephs' bowels began to work, and he could no longer withhold his brotherly love, Come near to me. I pray you, I am joseph your brother, etc. Gen. 45.4. Thus Christ our elder Brother deals with us, who do unkindly & unbrotherly use him: he will handle us very roughly, and put us in fear of the loss of our best lives: he will make our consciences speak bitter things against us; and let lose the Devil to tell us that we are Spies, hypocrites, and false friends to Christ: in this distracted, affrighted, perplexed state, he may hold us many days, many weeks, many months; but he cannot hold in his brotherly love always, if we patiently bear his frowns, and kindly entreat him, and bring Benjamin to him, his own blood and merits; this will make his bowels work, and make him unmask himself and say, come near to me, O mourning souls, tossed and not comforted; I am Christ your elder brother, whom ye unkindly used: in a little wrath I hide my face from you, but now with everlasting kindness will I embrace you. Trinuni Deo gloria. FINIS. CHRIST'S COMMUNION with his Church Militant. 2. Tim. 4. verse 22. The Lord jesus Christ be with thy spirit. THis Text is Paul's sweet affectionate farewell to Timothy. Many grave and gracious instructions Paul had given Timothy; but 'tis not so much what man saith to the ear, as as what Christ saith to the heart that works effectually, to set man about his duty; and therefore doth Paul in the conclusion of all his Christian counsel to Timothy pathetically pray, That the Lord jesus Christ would be with his Spirit. The best teaching of man, is but as water spilt on the ground, unless Christ inwardly teach the spirit. If I am taught my duty by a Paul, one in gifts not inferior to the chiefest Apostles, yet unless Christ be with my spirit, to make things take root there; all will die and whither, like good seed cast into bad ground. And therefore Paul saw it but needful, as to teach the ear, so to entreat the Lord to teach and strengthen the spirit. The Lord jesus Christ be with thy Spirit. There is a great distance (you know) between the ear and the heart: it is an easy thing for man to bring home things unto the one, but no less than the Almighty power of Christ, will bring home things unto the other. There is an incomparable hardness, upon the heart of man naturally: it is harder than an Adamant: now though a child with his little finger, may make a dint upon dough, yet a Giant with all his strength, cannot make dints upon an Adamant; much less can all created strength, make divine impressions upon the spirit of man; and therefore it is, that Paul doth implore an Almighty strength to do this, The Lord jesus Christ be with thy Spirit. Why doth not Paul here, wish riches and honours & pleasures unto Timothy? Is the bare presence of Christ with a man's spirit such a blessing? To this I answer, riches and honours, etc. they are bona, but not optima: good things, but not the best things. Earthly things though good in themselves, yet are no further forth good to me, then as the Lord Jesus Christ is with my spirit, to guide it to use them; and therefore Paul as one truly wise, prayed for the prime good for Timothy; for that good which makes all other things work together for good, to wit, That the Lord jesus Christ would be with his Spirit. The point I intent to stand on, is this, That to have the Lord jesus Christ with our spirits, is a prime and principal blessing. Paul here wisheth it to Timothy, as a cardinal blessing, The Lord jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Enucleatio propositionis To have Christ with our spirits, etc. How can Christ be present with man upon Earth, who is now ascended, and sitteth at the right Hand of his Father in Heaven? The Apostle doth hint an answer to this question, in the form of his Prayer, if you observe it. The Lord jesus Christ saith he, be with thy spirit. He speaks of such a presence, as will fitly yield Communion and fellowship, to the spirit of man. There is a double presence of Christ with man, corporal and spiritual jointly; or merely spiritual. With just men made perfect in glory, Christ is corporally present; they behold his wounded Body made a glorious Body, as a continual assurance of the Resurrection of their own vile bodies, unto the same similitude. And with them Christ is present, spiritually filling them with those joys, the taste of which upon Earth, is called unspeakable and full of glory. Of this communion speaks Christ himself. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. john 17.23 As the soul is tota in toto, & tota in qualibet parte: according to the whole, in that whole which is less noble than itself: according to the whole, that is, according to that full force and energy which the soul hath, it actuates and organizeth, every member of the body, the least as well as the greatest; So Christ in the mystical body of Saints glorified, is as I may say, Totus in toto, & totus in qualibet parte. Whole Christ, doth wholly exercise dominion in every glorified soul; hence it is, that all such souls, are wholly holy, and wholly happy; that is perfectly holy, and perfectly happy, for as much as Christ who is the fullness of his Father's glory, is fully present with them. Secondly, there is a presence of Christ with man, merely spiritual; that is, such a presence, as whereby not the person, but the providence of Christ may be seen. Such a presence as superiora have with inferiora, not a contiguall, but a virtual presence; a presence of influence and governance, as the Sun hath with us, by his rays and beams. And this presence is either common or special. The Commune presence of Christ with man, is that whereby man is upheld and guided, according to the being of a rational creature. Of this presence of Christ with man, speaks the Apostle, that they should seek the Lord, if happily they might feel after him and finde him, though he be not fare from every one of us, for in him we live, move, and have our being. Acts 17.27.28. Christ as an upholder of each creature, is not far from every one of us; that is, he is still present with us thus, and with all Nations of men, which he hath made of one blood, to dwell upon the face of the Earth. This presence of Christ with man therefore, cannot properly be called a prime and principal blessing, a choice and special favour, because it is Commune to mankind in general; yea Commune to all Creatures below man; for God is with all the works of his Hands, to uphold every Creature according to its proper species. Secondly, there is a special presence of Christ with man which is that efficacious working, of the Spirit of Christ in the spirit of man, whereby it is made one spirit, with the Spirit of Christ, in willing and nilling, according to that of the Apostle, He that is joined to the Lord, is one spirit. There is a special presence of Christ, with the bodies of men, for the good of them; which the Psalmist intimates where he saith, that he knows our frame, and remembers that we are but dust: and that the Angels of the Lord pitch their Tents about the righteous. And jacob found the truth of this by experience, when he fled before Esau, and slept so sweetly upon a stone. But this tender and special presence and providence of Christ, respecting the outward man, is comprehended under the other, which respects the inward man, as quid minus sub majori, a less blessing under a greater. For if God be in a special manner present with my spirit, to guide and order that unto all Holy ways, my spirit will command my body to walk in them too; and so consequently Christ cannot choose, but be tenderly present with my body also, for the good of that, whilst every member thereof, is actuated by a spirit of his own ordering, to his own honour, as weapons of Righteousness. And therefore doth Paul (pithily to speak much in few) silently pass over that, which is necessarily presupposed, praying that Christ would be with Timothy's spirit, and then he was sure, Christ would be after a special manner present, with his body too, for the good of that. The Lord jesus Christ be with thy spirit. That is, the Lord jesus Christ exercise a special dominion in thy spirit, for the guiding and ordering of it, unto the avoiding of all evil, and to the performing of all good, whereby Christ may have all the glory, due to his Name. Now that thus to have Christ present with a man's spirit, is a prime and principal blessing, I will plainly demonstrate to you, by a triple argument ab effectu. Thus to have Christ present with our spirits, is the ready way to all temporal, spiritual, and eternal good: and therefore must needs be a prime and principal blessing. Thus to have Christ present with a man's spirit, is the ready way unto all temporal good. Men whose spirits, Christ doth after a special manner order, to avoid sin, and to keep themselves pure, as Paul here useth the expression to Timothy, all temporal good things, so fare forth as may be good for them, belong unto them by promise; For godliness hath the promise of this life. It shall come to pass saith the Lord, if you walk in my ways, that I will bless you in the fruit of the Womb, in the fruit of the Field, in the basket and store, etc. If you walk in my ways I will do this, etc. Why, they with whose spirits Christ is after a special manner present, this is their high way (as Solomon saith) to departed from evil: that is, this is their daily endeavour, to walk in all the ways of the Lord; and so consequently, all temporal good of right belongs unto them. But you will say, how is it then, that those with whose spirits Christ is most present, to make most tender for his honour, have usually lest of all temporal good things? To this the answer is easy and manifold. Men with whose spirits Christ is most present, to make them most tender to avoid sin, and to keep themselves pure●, these the Devil doth most of all malign, and sets his limbs to spoil them of their goods, as the Author to the Hebrews saith, to keep them from that, which Christ would have them advanced to, or else to strip them of that, which Christ hath conferred on them, by imprisonment, banishment and the like; and so make such live in Dens, and Holes, and Caves of the Earth; to wander in Deserts and Wildernesses, wearing Sheepskins, and Goates-skins, of whom the World is not worthy. Where a spirit of malice and confusion rules, 'tis no marvel to see servants set on horseback, and Princes go on foot. Secondly, men with whose spirit Christ is after a special manner present, he takes special notice to what evil the spirit is most inclined, & so answerably gives of these outward things unto them. A wise Father hath his eye upon the disposition of his child, and to what exorbitancy he finds him inclined, he labours to prevent all occasions to it, and so keeps his child short of what he could otherwise liberally allow him. And thus 'tis with our heavenly Father, respecting his children: he eyes strictly their spirits, and if he see them inclined to pride, covetousness, or any other scandalous vice, he shortens them in that, which may foment these. At this (I think) james may point, where he saith, Let the rich rejoice in that he is made low. james 1.10 God out of tender love to his children, oft times makes them poor in purse, that they may become poor in spirit, and so capable of the Kingdom of Heaven. Which rightly weighed, is not matter of sorrow, but matter of joy, as james saith. Thirdly, those with whose spirits Christ is after a special manner present, to guide them to walk in his ways, and to keep themselves pure, Christ doth prove them by poverty, as by other things; and hence it may come to pass, that Christians very holy, may yet notwithstanding be very destitute of the things of this life. Thus you know the Lord dealt with job. Christ was after a special manner present with his Spirit, to guide him to walk uprightly above many in his time; now to make known this to the world, to his own glory, and jobs eternal honour, he stripped job of all, and set him upon a dunghill, who before sat with the chiefest in seats of honour. God will have the world know, that those with whose spirits he is after a special manner present, to guide and order them, are not as those with whose spirits the devil is in a special manner present, to guide and order; to wit, such as will wind and turn every way when put to it. Lastly, those with whose spirits Christ is after a special manner present, they desire but little of the things of this life; and therefore 'tis no marvel, to see Christians very holy, yet not very wealthy. Christians with whose spirit Christ is after a special manner present, they only desire daily bread; Agurs portion, food convenient; and this the Lord gives them, and with this they are contented, which is the only wealthy estate. Christians, with whose spirit Christ is after a special manner present, they hunger and thirst after righteousness, not after riches in the world: they covet the best gifts, the unsearchable riches of Christ, and not the fading riches of this life. Now Christ applies himself, to be most liberal in the distribution of that, which the spirits of men most bend after; in mercy, or in justice. Christians whose spirits most strongly bend after grace, to these Christ in mercy doth most bountifully apply himself, to give grace; according to that of Christ, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Christians whose spirits most strongly bend after worldly riches, to these oft times Christ in justice most liberally applies himself to give those, according to that of the Psalmist, Whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure. Psal. 17.14 According likewise to that of Solomon, There is a sore evil which I have seen under the Sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. Eccl. 5.13. The objection being thus answered, the argument is still of force. That to have Christ with our spirits, is the way to all temporal good, and so consequently, a prime and principal blessing. But that I may yet more fully speak in this argument, note that temporal good, is either positive, or privative; (if I may for illustrations sake so distinguish.) Temporal good in a positive sense, is that secular thing, which is in itself good; as bread and clothing, and the like, of which we have already spoken. Temporal good privatively so called, is affliction ordered to a man's good, which in itself is not so. Now all those with whose spirits Christ is present, are partakers of this temporal good. All outward losses and crosses, tend to their inward gain, because Christ is with their spirits. For all outward troubles, are heavier or lighter, more hurtful or more profitable still to a man, as Christ is pleased to order his Spirit under them. A little outward trouble, if Christ let it seize upon a man's spirit, he quickly sinks and dies under his burden, according to that of the Apostle, worldly sorrow causeth death. The loss of a wife or husband; nay the loss of a child or friend; nay the loss of the least outward content, if Christ stand aloof from a man's spirit, and let it fasten upon him, he will soon languish, and bleed inwardly to death; whereas all outward afflictions, meeting together upon the outward man, if Christ be with the spirit, to support and bear up that, a Christian sweetly submits, and keeps on his way, according to that of the Apostle, Rejoicing in hope, patiented in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer. Rom. 12.12 Now Christ tenderly watches, when outward troubles begin to take hold of that Spirit, with whom he is specially present, and then he quickly relieves and eases it; and not only so, but sanctifies it, to the drawing of such a spirit nearer to God in love; according to that of David, I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice, and my supplications, because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. Psal. 116.1,2. Add this to the former, that to have Christ with our spirits, is the ready way to all temporal good, whether positive, or privative; and you must needs grant it to be a prime and principal blessing. Secondly, those with whose spirits Christ is specially present, are in the ready way to all spiritual good; and therefore thus to have Christ present with our spirits, must needs be counted a prime and principal blessing. Christ is the Author and worker of all grace; and therefore such spirits must needs be very gracious with whom Christ is. The places are holy whereunto the Ark of the Lord hath come, saith Solomon. 2 Chron. 8.11. I may truly say it of Christ, which the Ark typified. The Spirits are holy with whom Christ is, and where holy Christ comes. They are at the Wellhead for holiness, which have holy Christ with their spirits. They that have Christ with their spirits, are in the ready way to the very height of heavenly wisdom; for there is no such teacher of wisdom as Christ is. With him are all the treasures of wisdom. He that lies in thy bosom, teaching thee wisdom secretly, came out of the very bosom of the Almighty, & knows all things; and he gives such an unction to that Spirit which he teaches, that he makes it know and discern all things too. They that have Christ with their spirits, are in the ready way to the very height of love, which is the glory of all graces, in the sight of God and man; for there is no such worker and winner of love, as Christ is. If he do but put in his finger by the hole of the door, he will make a man's bowels melt after him. If he do but reveal his love to our spirits a little, our spirits grow sick of love unto him. He will wound us with one of his eyes; so full of beauty is he. Let a man's spirit be never so cold, yet if Christ be with it, he is in the ready way to burn with love to Christ, as strong as death, which many waters cannot quench. They that have Christ with their spirits, are in the ready way to the very height of joy & consolation: they are in the ready way to joy unspeakable and full of glory. These things have I spoken unto you, that your joy may be full, said Christ to his Disciples. Christ speaks such things to the spirits of those with whom he is present, as fills their spirits with joy, to the very brim; and this oft times in the very depth of all outward extremity. The Church doth darkly hint this. The Comforter which should relieve my soul is far from me. Lam. 1.16. As if the Church had said, though my outward misery be exceeding great, yet if the Comforter did but keep close to my spirit, I should have as much consolation as my heart could hold, in the midst of all my misery; but this is my misery of miseries, that the Comforter which should relieve my soul is far from me: out of the hearing of sighs and groans: nay out of the hearing of strong cries; he is angry against my prayers. In a word a Christian which hath Christ with his spirit, is in the ready way to excel in virtue, as David says: to excel in all virtue; to be wiser than his teachers; more excellent in all grace, than his neighbours. And therefore, to have Christ present with our spirits, must needs be counted and called, A prime and principal blessing. Lastly, to have Christ with our spirits, is the ready way unto eternal good; and therefore a prime and principal blessing. As a stone carries with it, whatsoever light thing be fastened to it, unto its own centre; so Christ whose proper place of residence is Heaven, carries with him thither, all such spirits as to whom he is united on earth. If we have a special friend at Court, we count that we are in a ready way to see all the pomp of the Prince. Christ hath the Keys of Heaven and Hell; he opens and no man shuts; shuts, and no man can open: all with whose spirits he hath dwelled, and been kindly used upon earth, he knows; and when they shall knock at those everlasting gates, he will open and let them in to every room in his royal dwelling, and show them all the glory which he had with his Father before the world was. 'Tis between Christ and that spirit with whom he lives, as between Naomi and Ruth: where the one lives the other will. Whilst such spirits live in the body, Christ will live with them there; when they remove out of the body, Christ will not leave them (death cannot separate) but commands his Angels, to bring them to eternal mansions, with himself. Christ which is lifted up to glory himself, will draw all such unto him, as in whose spirits he dwells, and no strength shall be able to withstand him; none shall pluck such out of his hand. Vnio cum Christo, est unio inunibilis. If to have Christ with our spirits be a grand favour, not to have him with our spirits, must needs be a grand evil. A spirit without Christ is naked, as a body without . Many things may make clothing and defence for the body, but only Christ that best garment, as the Father of the Prodigal calls him, can make clothing and munition for the soul. A man's spirit without Christ is as a naked body amongst thorns, every thorn pierceth, and every briar scratcheth, and fetcheth blood from such a body; so worldly cares and worldly fears, when strong, will pierce such a naked spirit thorough and thorough, and make him run mad, if God (unsought) do not seasonably step in and bridle the Bedlam. A man's spirit without Christ, is as a naked body amongst Serpents; every Serpent stings and venoms such a naked body to death; so every seed of the Serpent stings and poisons to death, such naked souls, by their threaten, flatteries, examples, and the like. A man's spirit without Christ, is as a naked body in great blasts of lightning; such bodies are suddenly scorched and consumed; so such naked souls are suddenly blasted, by the fiery darts of the Devil, and so suddenly oft times go from burning to burning; from burning in sin, to burning in hell. A man's spirit without Christ is not only naked, but blind too. A naked man having his sight, may make some shift, but a man naked and blind too, is in a miserable helpless state indeed: and just such is the state and condition of every man's spirit, that hath not Christ with it: for as the Sun in the Heavens, is the eye and light of the greater World; so the Sun of righteousness Christ, is the eye & light of the lesser world, man. Now do but imagine what a dark dolorous condition we should all be in, if the Sun were darkened, or had utterly forsaken our Horizon; or do but think of that darkness, which was upon the Egyptians for a little time, when no man could stir out of his place; and such and much worse is the dark dolorous condition, of a spirit without Christ; not able to see the least beam of saving light; not able to stir a step out of his place, in the way that leads to life. A man's spirit without Christ is not only blind, but dumb too. A man that is blind, yet if he can speak, can beg for that which he cannot see to work. But when a man is blind, and dumb too; that he can neither help himself, nor beg others, he is in a doleful condition indeed; and just such is the condition of every man's spirit, that hath not Christ with it. For as Christ is Eyes to the soul, so he is a Mouth and Tongue, enabling it to cry Abba Father. Unless the spirit of Christ be with our spirits, helping our infirmities, who are godly; we are dumb, and not able to speak to our own Father, as adopted children, for daily Bread; much more unable to beg for life, to the dreadful Judge of all the World, must all ungodly persons needs be, whose spirits are altogether without Christ, as an helper. I would have all men that live in their sins, think seriously of this; when Christ as the dreadful Judge of all the World, at the great day shall ask you, what you have to say for yourselves, that you should not eternally die for your sins, in which you have lived, you will be like that man which was without his wedding garment, dumb and not able to say a word for yourselves, because Christ is not with your spirits. 'Tis impossible that a man's own guilty spirit, should be able to look the terrible judge of men and devils in the face, much less speak a word for mercy, unless the Almighty spirit of Christ be with it, to aid it. Many ignorant wretches, sooth themselves with this, that they will at last cry, Lord Lord, and so prevail quickly for pardon, with him who is infinite in mercy. Why, but think on this O ignorant soul! No man can call jesus Lord but by the Holy-Ghost. Thou wilt not in thy greatest need, be able to cry Lord Lord, unless the Lord be with thy spirit. Death will sting thee, conscience will gnaw thee, Christ will condemn thee, Devils will tear thee; and yet wilt not thou be able to cry, Lord, Lord, have mercy on me, unless the Lord be with thy spirit: but instead of crying Lord, Lord, for mercy, thou wilt burn in malice against the Lord, and curse and blaspheme as Devils and damned wretches do. Hast thou never seen condemned wretches, not only dumb, but withal desperate too, and leap off the ladder themselves, without either ask God or man forgiveness? thus in a spiritual sense, and much worse, wilt thou do in the great day of judgement, for as much as Christ is not with thy spirit. Fourthly, a man's spirit without Christ, is not only blind and dumb, but deaf too. And if a man be blind and dumb, yet if he can hear, he may make some shift to help himself: we follow a thing (you know) sometimes by the sound, when we cannot see it, nor speak what it is: but when a man is naked, blind, dumb, and deaf too, he is in a helpless condition indeed; and just such is the state of a man's spirit without Christ. For Christ as he is Eyes and Tongue, so he is ears also to the soul of man. Hence it is that john speaks so frequently of spiritual hearing, after a hypothetical manner: He that hath an ear, etc. That is, if any man have spiritual discerning, let him hear what the spirit saith to the Churches. Intimating that a spiritual ear, is a very rare thing to be found; that which no man hath, but he which hath Christ with his Spirit; that hath had his ears boared by the Spirit of Christ, as the Scripture speaks; all others are as deaf as Adders, and cannot hear the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely. I would have all that live in their sins, seriously consider this too, as a further degree of unhappiness. You tell us that you will turn from your sins hereafter, and obey the call of God in the Ministry of his Word: but let me ask you this; have you not hither unto turned the deaf ear upon God? yes: I and so you will do for the time to come; and the reason of both, the same; because Christ is not with your spirits. Let mercies call, corrections call; let friends call, father call, mother call; husband call, wife call; let Ministers call, conscience call; nay let Christ himself call, in what voice he will, still voice, or loud voice, in words never so pleasing, or never so piercing, yet wilt not thou hear; because Christ is not with thy spirit; but with salomon's fool, wilt on in thy sins, and be eternally punished. Fifthly, a man's spirit without Christ, is without feeling; in a dead Palsy all over, which how dolorous such a state is, in a corporal sense, you know; much more dolorous in a spiritual sense, I am sure. As the spirit of man can neither see, speak nor hear, so neither can it feel, without the spirit of Christ. The spirit of man without the spirit of God, is dead. Christ is to our spirits, as our spirits are unto our bodies, their life; and life is the principle of feeling: for the dead feel nothing. When Christ which is our [life] shall appear, etc. Where there is no Christ, there is no life; and where there is no life, there is no feeling. You know the Apostle speaks of some that were past feeling, having given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. Ephes. 4.9. There the Apostle speaks of such a senselessness, as lies upon the soul by a second act of divine justice. All humane spirits by the first act of divine justice upon Adam, are naturally past feeling, and would give up themselves unto all wickedness with greediness, did not God restrain. To be past feeling in this latter sense, notes principally a want of divine affection; when sin doth not kindly affect the soul with sorrow; as in the former sense, when sin doth not at all affect the soul with sorrow: when holy ways and works do not kindly affect the soul with joy; as in the other sense, when they do not affect the soul with joy at all; but rather disturb and provoke to passion and malice. I would have all that live in their sins, seriously think on this also, as a further degree of unhappiness. You have heard many powerful Sermons, which you have seen work admirably upon others, & yet they have made no impressions upon your spirits; & many hundred more may you hear, and no divine impression at last be made; and the reason of both, one and the same; because Christ is not with your spirits; and by reason of this, your hearts are as Adamants, which every stroke hardens, but not breaks it. Let the master smite and the man smite; let God smite, and his Ministers smite, and conscience smite; nay, let every member of the body be smitten with punishment, to affect the soul with sin, yet will it not stir and complain, unless Christ be with it. Finally a man's spirit without Christ, is without tasting or smelling: to these senses also (you know) the Scripture doth allude, and therefore fitly here may, I to set forth fully, the unhappy condition of every spirit without Christ. You know the Apostle speaks of some, that savoured not the things of God; which is a term applied in Scripture, to the sense of smelling as well as to the sense of tasting, and therefore for brevity sake do I here join both senses together, in a spiritull way of allusion. Why all that have not Christ with their spirits, are such as cannot rightly savour spiritual things; such put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. I would have all you that live in your sins, seriously think on this too, as a further degree of unhappiness. You come oft times to Wisdoms house, and though she prepare you all spiritual dainties, yet you can relish nothing, but some by things, that lie about the dish, rather for ornament, then for food. And would you know the reason of this? 'tis because Christ is not with your spirits. If Christ were with you, you would feed on every dish at wisdom's table, on promises, yea & on threaten too: To the hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet, saith Solomon. All that is good and wholesome goes down well, where Christ is with the Spirit. You come frequently to Wisdoms house, who keeps a Table here and 'twere for a King, and yet you have lean shrivelled souls, like men in a Consumption: every one tells you, that you look as if you were starved, speak and live, as if you never heard a good Sermon from year's end, to year's end: they tell you that you are so lean and feeble, that you need the benefit of all the spirits, that every dish at wisdom's table can yield, to strengthen you, and recover you, and yet every dish almost goes against your stomaches; and that you do eat, is without savour or any other virtue, and so you languish with all dainties before you; and thus you will go on languishing, until you quite consume & perish eternally, unless Christ be with your spirits. You see (I suppose) plainly by this time, that as it is a prime and principal happiness to have Christ with our spirits, so it is a prime and principal evil and unhappiness, not to have Christ with our spirits. Wherefore having laid open both before you, let me entreat you all to look in upon your spirits, and see who keeps company with them, Christ or the devil; one of these two is with all our spirits. If Christ be not with our spirits, the divelliss and will be. If Christ be with your spirits, according to the sense and meaning of the Apostle in my text, you shall find it by these two things, the body is dead because of sin; and the spirit is life because of righteousness. 'Tis Paul's Character of Christ's special presence in the soul of man upon earth, and therefore of strong authority. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of Righteousness. Rom. 8.10 The body is dead because of sin: that is, the body of corruption is destroyed, as in respect of the guilt of it, so in respect of the dominion of it. And the spirit is life because of righteousness: that is, the regenerate part is vigerous, in reference to all righteous ways. And if therefore you would know whether Christ be with your spirits, see whether your bodies be dead because of sin: whether you labour to bring every thought into subjection to Christ; or whether you do not allow yourselves liberty to some evil, out of love to some pleasure or profit; which is that principally, wherein the dominion of sin consisteth; as Paul hints unto us, where he saith, the evil which I do, I allow not. That is, I do not approve of it in my heart, nor plead for it with my tongue; but strive against it with all my strength; and it would be more joy to me, to be rid of it, then if I had a Kingdom conferred on me. This is the language right, of one that hath Christ with his spirit. Secondly, see whether your spirits be alive because of righteousness, if you would know whether Christ be with your spirits, or not. See whether holy ways do hearty affect you. I rejoiced when they said, come let us go to the house of the Lord, saith the Psalmist. He spoke like a man, having Christ indeed with his spirit: his spirit leapt within him, like the Babe in Elizabeth's Womb, when they spoke of drawing near to God, in the duties of his worship. A Christian that hath Christ with his spirit, sees a taking transcendent beauty in all wisdom's ways; they are all ways of pleasure, and paths of peace; which is spoken in reference to such as have Christ with their spirits: for others find no such thing in them. And his spirit opens in them like flowers in the Sun, and smells fragrantly: he bends and cleaves to them, in love to that soul sweetness, which he finds in them. And if you find these things in you, I think I may safely tell you to your comfort, that Christ is with your spirits. I may turn this Character into another form, as Paul doth, and tell you in his words, that he which is joined to the Lord is one spirit. 1 Cor. 6.17. They that have Christ with their spirits, are one spirit with Christ. This expression (I conceive) is something explained by these following words; And the multitude of them that believed, were of one heart and one soul: 4 Acts v. 32. or as the original hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heart and soul one. They that have Christ with their spirits, are heart and soul one with Christ. They do idem velle & idem nolle. What Christ loves, they love; and what Christ hates they hate. Christ loves righteousness, and hates iniquity: Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity, etc. Psal. 45.7. They that have Christ with their spirits, are heart and soul one with Christ in this. They love righteousness, that is, all righteous ways: and hate iniquity; that is all that God's Word condemns. 'Twas Christ's meat and drink, to do his Father's Will; they that have Christ with their spirits, are one spirit with Christ in this: 'Tis joy to the just to do judgement, saith Solomon. Christ was tender about keeping the least Commandment,, as well as about keeping the greatest. Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments, and teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. Mat. 5.19 They that have Christ with their spirits, are heart and soul one with Christ in this; they are tender to keep all God's Commandments, lest, as well as greatest. So shall I not be confounded, whilst I have refpect unto all thy Commandments, saith David. I do conceive the place forecited so, as if Christ did account of one part of his Father's will above another: I rather think that he there speaks Pharisaeorum more, in the Pharises dialect, who would make the world believe, that they mightily laboured to keep some precepts, but others they thought, as many of us now do, that they need not to be so strict about. Now Christ's tender Spirit for his Father's honour, could not brook this halting in religion; and they that have Christ with their spirits, are heart and soul one with Christ in this. That Commandment which the most say is one of the least, and may be dispensed with all; or at least need not be so strictly looked unto; that, as well as any other, whilst a precious part of Christ's will, a man that hath Christ with his spirit, will be tender to observe. David's spirit smote him, for cutting off the lap of saul's garment, as well as for cutting off the life of Vrijah: which plainly shows, that men which have Christ with their spirits, are tender about the avoiding of small sins, as well as great. Now possibly some of you by what hath been said, may see, that as yet you have not Christ with your spirits; I shall address myself in the first place, particularly to speak to you; and then in the second place, I shall address myself, particularly to speak to such of you, as have by what hath been said discerned, that Christ is indeed with your spirits. To you which by what hath been said, see, that as yet Christ is not with your spirits, I have only these two things to say, labour to bewail your great want, as persons deeply sensible of it; and then labour to get this grant speedily supplied. First, labour to bewail your great want, as persons deeply affected with it. 'Tis the greatest want in the World, to want Christ to be with a man's spirit. Other wants may be afflicting wants, but this is a damning want. Other wants may make thee despised of men, but this want will make thee for ever to be abhorred of God. Thou were better want riches, thou were better want honours; nay, thou were better want bread to put in thy head, than want Christ to be in thy heart. Thou were better want thy dear Husband, thy sweet Wife, to lie in thy bosom, than want Christ to lie there. Nay, thy soul were better to be without thy body, them without Christ. If there be any want under Heaven, that makes a hell to a man, upon Earth, it is this, to want Christ to be with his spirit. For what is it that makes hell, 〈…〉 place full of sin, and full of misery but this, that Christ is not with those spirits: they are spirits everlastingly excluded, from all communion with Christ. Now whereas great wanes, make you complain heavily, and mourn bitterly, beg the Lord to make these things sink into your spirits, that you may be sensible of this great want of wants, that your spirits are without Christ, and so without God in this world; that so all sorrow for other wants, may meet and run in one channel, to bewa●…e this great want. saul's speech to his servant, I may here ●…ly allude to, Come let us return (said he) lest my Father lea●… caring for the Asses, and take thought for us. 1 Sam. 1 5 If you that mourn for this want, and that want, did but feel the want of Christ with your spirits, you would with Kish quickly leave mourning for trifles and begin to mourn for things of weight. Come, O my soul! cease mourning for Father, and Mother; cease mourning for Husband and Wife, for Children and substance; and begin to mourn for this, that thou yet livest Christlesse, and art in the ready way to die and perish remediless. When you have got your hearts to bleed inwardly, under your great want; then cry mightily to the Lord, to supply it. And to make your prayers prevalent, urge the promise of God, wherein he hath engaged himself to do good in Christ, to them that are afar off. Thy soul thou findest far off from Christ: why, the promise (saith the Apostle) of Christ, and salvation by him, is to such. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all that are [afar off.] Acts 2.39. This Peter spoke by way of comfort, as now I do, to such as felt their spirits without Christ; without grace and hope of glory. Christ you see is under promise, under a general promise, and therefore no soul should despair of obtaining him. He is promised to the Jews, and not only to them, but to us Gentiles, who sometimes were afar off; not to this Gentile or that, but to all that are pricked in heart for the want of him. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all that are afar off. Let every one therefore upon this ground, that feels his spirit pricked and wounded, for want of Christ, take words to himself, and go unto God, and say. O God, my soul is a poor Christlesse soul. I finde by woeful experience, that the Lord Jesus is not with my spirit, by reason of which I live wickedly to thy dishonour, and shall, I know not how soon, die miserably, to mine own eternal undoing, if thou do not show mercy upon me, according to thy promise. Thou hast said that thou wilt bestow Christ, grace and salvation, upon them that are afar off; make good thy gracious promise to me, whose spirit is far from Christ, grace and all good; so shalt thou oblige me for ever unto thee; and I shall tell of thy goodness as long as I live. Having thus spoken what I thought fit, to such as find by what was formerly delivered, that Christ is not with their spirits; I shall in the next place speak unto you, that by what was formerly delivered, find, that Christ is indeed with your spirits. Something by way of counsel, and some thing by way of consolation, I have to deliver unto you. Three things by way of counsel, I would commend unto you: thankfully acknowledge this great favour; carefully preserve it; and industriously labour to augment it. First, thankfully acknowledge this great favour. 'Tis a pearl of great price, that God hath cast into thy bosom, to give Christ to be with thy spirit: and for great favours, every one will acknowledge it very fit, and just, that they should be thankful. 'Tis a Jewel that Christ scarce gives to one of ten-thousand: and for rare gifts, every one will readily confess it to be great ingratitude, not thankfully to acknowledge them. Dost thou not hear some swear, some curse, some lie, like their father the Devil? Why thou wouldst have been such an one, had not God given Christ to be with thy spirit. Dost thou not see some drunkards, some whoremasters, some murderers, some persecutors of the Saints? Why thou wouldst have been such in one, if God had not given Christ to be with thy spirit. Dost thou not see some make a God of their belly, some make a God of their wealth, some proud, some mad, some putting far from them the evil day, living as if they should never die? Why, thou wouldst have been such an one, had not God given Christ to be with thy spirit. Dost thou not see some Nabals, some jezabels, some Caines, some Demases, some judases? Why, amongst the number of these wouldst thou have been, had not God given Christ to be with thy spirit. Wherefore magnify the Lord with all thy might, and let all that is within thee praise his holy Name. Think but how it was with thee, when thy spirit was without Christ. How foolish thou wast serving divers lusts: how the God of this world which rules mightily in the children of disobedience, did rule mightily in thee. How weak thy spirit was, and easily overcome and carried captive of every lust. How drunken thy spirit was, and reeled from one opinion to another; one day thou thoughtst thus, and thus, and another day thou thoughtst quite contrary. I say, do but think of these things, and how the Lord might justly have left thee still, to have gone on thus, until thou hadst perished, as he hath done many thousands; and then be unthankful, for the communion of Christ with thy spirit, if thou canst. It was this consideration that set Paul a wondering at the goodness of the lord I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, etc. yet I obtained mercy. He circumflexes this term [I] yet [I] obtained mercy, etc. It was wonderful in his eye, that God should give Christ, to dwell with such a bloody blaspheming spirit, as he had. In this way let us go to work, to raise our dull spirits, to magnify the free goodness of the Lord: for 'tis a work of all works, that God loves. I was a man of a very proud, passionate, malicious, unclean spirit; and yet I obtained mercy. God hath given Christ to be with this depraved spirit, and in a little time he hath done very much, and made a manifest change in my spirit; of very proud, he hath made it in some measure humble; of very passionate, in some measure patiented; of very malicious, in some measure loving; of very unclean, in some measure continent. O! the riches of his love; how unsearchable is his mercy, and his love past finding out. Secondly, as I would have you thankfully acknowledge this great favour, so I would have you carefully labour to preserve it. You find that you have Christ with your spirits, take heed you do not lose him. Thou wert better lose thy life, then lose the special presence of Christ with thy spirit. 'Tis a prime and prinpall blessing, as thou hast heard; a blessing of more worth than this world; nay of more worth than thy soul, which Christ values above the world. Now choice things, we are usually very careful of, and keep them choicely. Christ totally (I know) can not man lose, which hath him after a special manner, present with his spirit: but according to some prime & principal operations, he may: according to others, very far, though not totally. A man may lose the presence of Christ with his spirit totally, as a Comforter. The Comforter, which should relieve my soul is far from me, saith jeremiah, in the person of the afflicted Church. Lam. 1.16 'Tis probable enough, that David's spirit, was thus stripped of Christ, by his dolorous complaints, which frequently we read of. Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Psal. 77.7,8,9. Some carriages in Christians towards Christ, make Christ totally alter his carriage towards them; though for his promise sake, he will never totally remove himself from them. As when Christians do not keep their watch strictly against sin, in all the occasions of it; then Christ instead of being a Comforter, becomes a convincer; and instead of speaking sweet things, he speaks very bitter unto the soul. This was the case of David and Peter. Or when Christians are careless, and sluggish, to maintain and increase their sweet Communion with Christ; unyielding to the sweet motions of the spirit of Christ, and turning oft times the deaf ear, against the still voice behind them, which saith, this is the way, walk in it. Then Christ draws a curtain between the spirit of man, and himself, and leaves the spirit of man in the dark, and full of fears. This is notably illustrated, by that language of the Spouse, It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, open to me, my Sister, my Love, my Dove, my underfiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. The Church was convinced of this, that it was her beloved, seeking nearer communion with her, and yet observe how she replies. I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone; my soul failed when he spoke; I sought him, but I could not find him: I called him, but he gave me no answer. Cant. 5. You that find the presence of Christ with your spirits, as a Comforter, make Christian use of what I have said, that you may still enjoy so great a mercy. And if you lose the Lord Jesus Christ, as a Comforter to your spirits, miserable comforters will all other things prove unto you. You will mourn, and none will be able to comfort you, if Christ as a Comforter forsake your spirits. Secondly, as a leader, a man may very far lose the communion of Christ with his spirit. As if a Christian take liberty to sin against that light, which Christ hath set up in his spirit; this will make Christ first or last (if not timely looked unto) leave a man to his own understanding, to steer his course; and then will such a man declare himself quickly, to be a fool, and a beast, in many points, as David saith. Have you not seen Christians of great light, err injudgement, and err in practice? Whence comes this weakness, but from hence, that Christ as a leader stands aloof from their spirits? which is a plain demonstration that a man may lose the presence of Christ with his spirit, as a leader. David (I believe) found the truth of this, as well as of the former, by woeful experience. A man may collect so much clearly, from his own words. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me. Psal. 51.11 The Spirit of God is therefore called by David a holy Spirit, because holy in himself (the Spirit of the holy God, as he said to Daniel) but principally here, as I conceive, Abofficio: because the worker of holiness in us. David doubtless by his fall, found an exceeding weakness in his Spirit, unto all good, over what formerly he did; and a strong propensity again to err; as every act of sin leaves seed and spawn upon the spirit, to bring forth more, to cover the first, or to commit the like again. But more than all this, he found Christ to stand aloof from his spirit; not exercising that special dominion in his spirit, as before, for the subduing of lust, and suggesting of holy motions and desires, but leaving him as it were to himself, as one with whom he would have no more to do. And therefore doth David so dolefully complain, Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy [holy] Spirit from me: you therefore which find Christ with your spirits, as a tender leader, take heed of sinning against any part of that light, which he sets up in your understandings, or against any motions of his spirit, which he suggests unto you; lest he leave you to your own light, and to your own strength, and then will you run from less sins to greater, from one sin to another, like David and Peter, to the scandalising of the Gospel, and the desperate wounding of your own souls. The third and last thing that I would commend unto you, by way of counsel, is this, labour to augment this great favour. You find Christ with your spirits, labour industriously, to have Christ more and more with your spirits. 'Tis a prime and principal blessing, as you have heard, to have Christ with your spirits; therefore labour to get as much of this favour & happiness as possibly you can. Thou hast Christ with thy spirit as a teacher; why thou mayst have him yet more intimate with thee, and open unto thee, in imparting divine mysteries, if thou follow on to know, as the Prophet speaks, if thou humbly forget, & look over all thou hast, & press hard after more: the things thou knowest not, Christ will teach thy spirit, morning by morning, as by the learned. Christ hath taught thy spirit many truths; why, he will lead thy spirit into all truth, if thou urge his promise and believe. He will fill thee with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, If thou pray for it as Paul did for the Colossians. Thou findest Christ with thy spirit as a Comforter; why thou mayst have yet much more consolation from him, if thou study to be more pliable to him. Thou hast Christ distilling drops of consolation into thy spirit, now and then; why thou mayst have Christ pouring in flagons of love into thy soul, filling thee with joy unspeakable and full of glory, if thou bring thy spirit to be more lowly and meek; for such find most rest to their souls: if thou carefully keep coming to Christ still, in every pressure of spirit; for such find most ease: that is renewing faith still, as thou renewest thy sins. Thou findest Christ with thy spirit, as a quickener & strengthner to duty; why thou mayst find him yet more mighty with thy spirit this way, if thou pour out thy spirit often with David for quickening grace; and if thou more deny thine own strength, and cast thyself more upon his. Can we but attain Paul's height in self-denial, to be nothing in our selves (though I am nothing, saith he) 2 Cor. 12.11. we should find Christ gloriously present still with our spirits, and be more constant in zeal & strength to every good work, than we are. I conclude this thus, be so tractable to Christ, that thou mayst with Mary, win upon Christ still; and think that thou canst never be near enough to him, nor intimate enough with him; and this is the ready way, to have a heaven upon earth: for the more we get Christ to be with our spirits, the more truly may we be said to be in Heaven. The last thing that I have to say to you, that find Christ with your spirits, is matter of consolation. Here is comfort for you against famine. When thy body wants food, Christ that is with thy spirit, will give that meat to eat, which the world knows not off; so that when others repine, and curse God and their King in their extremity, as the Prophet speaks; thou shalt be patiented in this tribulation, and instant in prayer to him, who can command Ravens to bring thee bread and flesh to feed on; and will, rather than thou shalt starve, if thy life may be more to his glory, than thy death. Here's comfort for you against the sword. In the midst of all troubles and fears, Christ that is with thy spirit will bear thee up admirably. What is the face of an enemy to terrify, if Christ be with thy spirit. What is the spoiling of thy goods? nay what is the spoiling of thy body? if Christ be with thy soul. A Mountain of misery, is but as a Molehill, if Christ support the spirit. To think of the Sword is a naked reference to flesh and blood, and so nothing is more terrible: but let us that fear the Loro think of it, in reference to Christ that is with our spirits, & then we shall not be troubled, though we hear of wars and rumours of wars, no more then at the rumours of any other calamity. Here is comfort for you against the Plague, which is here and there scattered in the Kingdom. What is any disease to the body, if Christ be with thy soul? As the outward man decayeth, the inward man shall be renewed daily, because Christ is with thy spirit. When thy body is full of pain, thy soul shall be full of comfort, because Christ is with thy spirit. When thy body is sealed with spots for death, thy soul shall be sealed with the Holy Ghost unto eternal life, because Christ is with thy spirit. The plague of the body is nothing, if this plague of plagues be not upon the spirit, to wit, destitute of Christ. Here is comfort for you against persecution. When men frown upon thee without, Christ will smile upon thy spirit within: when men lad thy outward man with reproaches, Christ will fill thy inward man with comforts: when men shut up thy body from the communion of Saints, Christ will give thy spirit a large freedom of communion with himself. When men strike thy body, Christ will struck thy soul: when men kill thy body, Christ will save thy soul. In a word, as the afflictions of Christ abound in thy body, so the consolations of Christ shall abound in thy soul, because Christ is with thy spirit. Name any misery that is incident to man, and here's comfort to be sucked out of this point, to oppose unto it. Finally in life, in death, & eternally after death, Christ that is with thy spirit will be gain unto thee. Thy life he will make comfortable; thy death hopeful; and thy being after death eternally joyful. Wherefore I will conclude my Sermon for the good of you, as S. Paul doth his Epistle for the good of Timothy, The Lord jesus Christ be with your spirits. Trinuni Deo gloria. Errata. Pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, leg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. pag. 7. For say, read saw, p. 39 l. 6. pro pereunte solep, e●…nt omnia, lege, pereunte sole pereunt omnia. p. 114. Marg. For I do conceive, r. I do not conceive. p. 169. l. 7. FINIS.