bo SERMONS upon the SERM.VIM haft given me, may be where I am, and behold mm Glory. And his Will and Teltament is made good, nowwe are in the outer Court ; done day in the Houle of God , be bet- ter than a Thoufand elfewhere, Oh whit is it to be brought home to God ! In thefe blessed Mansions there we (hall abide for ever, and never to part more. 5. Everlafting Cohabitation , and living with him : We fhall be ever with the Lord, i TheJ. 4. r 7. not get a Glimpfe and away, but for ever to enjoy his prefence. Chrifts Prefence for a time upon Earth, was very fweet to his Difciples ; 'twas bitter to them to think of his going from them , though it were'Expedient for them ; but now remain in an everla ing State of Intimacy, and Familiarity with him. Now we have a taste of Chrift, but then our Communion (hall be without Intermission, or Interruption ; we fhall be out of the Croud and preis of Troubles, and Tempta- tions, and Sins , and study Divinity in the. Lambs Face , and he will communicate himfelf to us according to the vafteft Extent of our Capacity. 4J S E , Oh then be Efpoufed to Chrift l Otherwife he will not come as a Bride- groom, but as a Judge. For Motives, r. Confider your Necety ; there is a deep necessity lyeth upon you, you are un- done for ever if you are not married to Chrift : The Apoille faith, t Cor. 7. if a Wo- man can live without an Husband, the doth well, if the marryeth not ; But now you are undone for ever, if you have him not ; you are liable to the Wrath of the Eternal God. The Apoftle faith, Rom. 7.4. That all thofe are dead to the Law, who are marryed to Chrift : that muff be done neceffarily. Firlt now, What is it to be dead to the Law, but to fee our felves miferable, and undone for ever , and Impotent, and no way able to help our felves ? The Láw which is writtenupon every mans Confcience, is there reprefented as an hard and cruel Husband, that requireth an hard task to do, but afsordeth no strength at all to do it : Therefore it bindeth us over to Death and the Curfe. The Stole of the Law being in -bred in the Confcience, and Natural to us, cannot be extinguished ; but will return with the more Violence : Well then the Law fuggefteth what we Mould do, threatneth us if we do it not ; and Confcience telling us we have not done it , this is a continual Grief and Vexation to us , and a man is kept under fear of Death and Hell all his days. 2. Confider the Excellency of Chrift, who is altogether Lovely, as to his Perfon and Offices, and every way fuited to your neceffities : As to his Perfon, he is God - man, able and willing to do you good ; for what cannot God do ? and furely he will not be ftrange to his own flesh : You are condemned by the Law, lie is a Prieft to make Atonement for you : You are ignorant of the way to true HappineCs, he is a Prophet to teach and guide you ; you have many Enemies and Difficulties to over- come in that way, he points it out to you ;' and your own flesh is weak , but he is a King to vanquifh your Enemies, and to affrft you with the Powerful Succours of his Spirit ; he will help you to performyour Duty, in the midit of all Temptations to the contrary ; For we are to ferve him in Newness of Spirit, Rom. 7. 5, 6. a. Confider the `Utility, and Profit of it. t Cor. ;. 22, 2 3. All things are yours, and you are Chr /s, and Chrift is Gods. If you could as heartily devote your felves to the Service of Chrift, as Chrift as Mediatour did to the work of Redemption, nothing would be wanting to you, to promote your prefent Holinefs and future Happi- nefs. 4. 'Tis no Prefumption to afpire to this Marriage, for God maketh the firft Mo- tion ; God hath made Love to you, and Wooed you by all manner of ingaging Ex- preflions, that he may win your Hearts, and ingage your confent : 'Oh do not re- fufe the Lords kindnefs, or neglea to bellow your Hearts upon him, or to give up your felves to him. Chrift hath imployed Spokes-men, fends his tokens, as prefents of Love ; Mat. 23. 37. I would, but you would not. All Marriages are brought about by eariieft Suit on the one fide, and Confent on the other :' fo it is here. Oh there- fore confider, and fay as Rehecka, I can fay no more, nor no lets, the thing is the Lords. 5. Confider how ill Chrift will take it, to be refuted; Nov. 1. 29, 30. They would none of my Counsel, and defp fed all my Reproofs: And Pfal. Si. i t. But my People would not hearken to myVoice ; Ifrael wouldnone of me : Defpifing of kindnefs is very provoking. Oh then give Chrift a free, and a full, and firm confent, and all is ended. Firft, A free Consent, not Extorted. When men are a little frighted into a good Con-
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