Serm.9. Chrift, and wifely and feriouflyconfidering the horrour of that punifh- ment, which Quill there indured ; for we never know as we ought the evil of fin, and our mifery thereby, until! we knowwhat he indured to make an Expiation for ir. Do this, and do it faithfully : They that never knew themfelves, they are moll certainly without love to Chrift : And it is enough toprove it,becaufe unlefs this foundation be firft laid,they c:n fee no fufacient reafon for it. 3. Direttlion. Get a true Cenvitlion concerning thy own ultimate endand happinefs, Where it lies ? viznot in the objetls offenfe, but in the Beatifical v f on ofGod ; pofIefs thy foul by Scripture light, of thegrand importance of Mat. x6.16. fecuring thy Intereí therein ; while you think your happinefs lies any where elfe than in God, is will be irrational to love Chrii, beaaufe his purpofe and,defign is to take our hearts from the purfuit of all but God : And until! you know God to beyour happinef?, youwill never underffand the heft reafons (chat I may not fay, the only ) that you have to love him. That man loves Chrift belt, that mot' fully knows Gdd to be his eternal ref' and bíe f fedn (3 and laves him asfach. 4. Direelion. Get a Gofpel-knowledge of Chrift; both what he was originally, and what he bath {looped and humbled himfeif to be for thy fake ; why he came into the world, how he lived anddyed, and what was the Cov:- rant between the Father and him ? how he is exAced and honoured by God ? and what great things arepromifed both by Father andSon to all that in Chr ftfincerely draw nigh to Gad. Oh the fweet gales of affe& - on,which by fpiritual Meditation upon Chrill will begin to blowwith- in us :We cannot mufeuponChrifis dying, and rifing agars and inviting us to leve him, bur the fire will burn : fl confidering Faith in Chrif'rya naturally bud and bleffome into love. 5. Direllion. Believe the reality of bis love to thee ; I mean, that he. did all that ever he did for theeout of a hearty and real afeítion ro thee ; 4'4 that he Rill delires to have the match made up betwixt thy foul and hirnfelf : This fondprejudice, wherebyfouls put difcouragements upon themlelves, is that which fpoils many a match : Do not weaken thy foul bymaking difficulties where thereare none;. if chou heareli Chrift inviting, air up thy Pelf (oh thou convinced foul) as if thou heardc(t him even calling to thee by Name; Believe it,that Chrift is never better pleafed, than when he is loved, and that he came no lefs to procure thy love, than to teftifie his own. Theway to lave Chrifl ingood earref', sodhow to inflame it. 213
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