182 Book IV.· jl,ootitng unto jjefu.s. Chap 1. Seer,6. in every Sermon ( It is the Commiflion which Chrift hath given us of the Mioil\ry, Go !.latk 16. t;. preach the Gofpel to every Crcntt<re.Obforve but how open Chrift's heart is towardsyou. h~ canuotcontain his Love and Grace within himfelf, he oonnot keep his own counfels ;hat are for .rhe g~od of y~ur fouls, but all mul\ be manifeft, aad that i~ the openeft way, by preaclung and procla•mmg them to the world, Cbnft muI\ be laid our to open view: Chrift will have nothing of his Love kept back; be wilh and .commands us of tb.e Mi– niftry, in !lead of all thofe former wirncffes, to make all known what he is, and what h• bath done andfufferedforyou. Oh Cbriflians! bow cheap are the myfleriesof the Gofpel to you-ward? you may know them, if you will but lend an ear, and @en to dtem: the Word is,nigh you, even in your mouths; Chrift is proclaimed in your very Ha. 5 ,. ,, llreets; you may have him if you will, without money or money-worth: Come, buy wme, andmtlk_, wuho~~tmo-aey, and wtthout pncc: Do you nor hear? Chnft Is laid open for ev~ry man's good and profit: Chrill: deals not under-band with you; he muft be man~elted, that you may fee what you buy: if I ll10uld tell you the meaning of the CommiJlton which Chrift hatb put into- our bands , he bids me J:ay thus to your fouls, Come pofl'rcreawrcs, youthatftand inmedof JejiuChrift, here u Chr.ift for yo11; takf h•m, anddo with h;m in an holy manner 1vhat )'Ott will, he u of infinite 1ije for wi(dum, righteoJ{nc[s, fanE/ifir;ation, and.redemprion. ·what is our preaching but a mani(efiing of Chnft In this manner? what IS the fum of all Ot<r Sermons, but a difco•ery of this, that life and light is in Chrift for you, that eternal lov.e waits and attends on you, that whatever may do you good, is provided and made ready for yoa ~ Oh will fouls now refufe Chrifl, when thus and thus manifefied? God forbid. 2. Chrifl mufl be m~nifefled in us by his holy Spirit. Chrifliansl look ro your hearts; what manifel\ations of Chrifl are there? When Paut fpeaks of the Gofpd in Gal. 1 · t6. general, be adds in particular, that it pleafed God to reverd Chrift in me. And: whell ~\=~:·;;,',~: Peter fpeaks of the Word of Ged, he adds that we taks heed thoreunto,-- umil the · day dmwz, and thcday-jfar (that is., Chrift, Rev. 2.::. 16.) ari(e in our hearts; till then, though we be circled with Cofpel-difcoveries, our hearts wiO be full of darknefs; but Mal.·4,1, when Chrifr, whom the Prophet calls the Son of righteoufnefs, and Peter the dAy-fiar, Rlallarife within us, welhallbe (ull of light. Sometimes, I confefs, I wonder that in thefe dayes there ll10uld be {uch glorious difcoveries of thr brauties, and fweet~efs, and excellenciesof Jefus Chrilt, and yet that mens hearts are generally10 full of darknefs : but this takes off the wonder•. hearts are carnal, light.Jizines jn darknefs, but dark_ne{s John 1 · 5: ~omprehendeth it not : Lead a bhnd man through a glonous Cny, and though there be fuch and fuch things in it, yet he tells you, he cannot prize them; he fees rbem not: Rev. 21 ' 1 ' though [erufalem Jlzou/d chle do'tPnfromGod 91tt of huwen (as John faw it in his Vifion) prepared & a Bride adorned for her Hmband; yet the natural man fees neither walls, nor gates, nor lheets. you may tell him, all u 6o/d, and Jafyer, andpreciou;Stones, but for all rhis, he cannot'prize them . alas, he fees them not: how many glorious Objects do the unregenerate flight? they'fee no beauty !n Jefus Cbrifi; they feel no fw~et io <;>rdi– nances, the Sabbath is a trouble, ·and no dehghr 10 them 1 and whence all this? It Is be– caufe there is no light, no 'manifeftation of Chrifl: within them; the Spirit of Cbrill: bath not ~tneffed Cbrifl, bath nor manifefl:ed Chrilt within their fouls, and therefore they remain in d~rknefs. SECT. VI. Of t:hrift 's whipping, the Buyers amlSe.llers out of the T<mple. ~·cOncerning Chrilt's whipping the Buyers and Sellers our of the Temple: we rea~ in the Gofpel, that the Jews Pafsover bemg at ha~~, }ef"'. went 11p to [mifatem' Thither, if we follow him, the firfl place tbar we fin<llumm, ts the Temple ;, where, by the occalion of the National Alfembly, was an Oj>poctune s.cene for Chnfl s tranf– actiom of his Fathers bulinefs. ·In that Temple Chn!t fir!! efpm a Mart; there were divers Merchants and Exchangers of money, that brought Beafts thither to lie f~ld for facrifice againQ that great Solemnity; at the ~ght of whicl1~ J efys being moved Wllh zeal and indignation he makes a whip of cords, and accordmg to the cuftom· of the ' l' h Offi f · · BB · of puniJIJzeal•rt of the Nation he takes upon um t e ce o. a pnvate In ' or d menr he drives them ~11 out of the Temple, he overthrows the accounting TaWes, a.n com~~nds them that ~old the Doves, to t~ke them from thence;and being required to giv~
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