6o Meditations and Difcourfes _any time : Co the Apoftle informs us, Rom. I o. 6, 7,8. Say Hot in thine heart, who jhall a{cend into_ heaven ( that is to bring Chr~fo down from sbove) or who jhall defcend into the deep ;· thai is, to bring up Chrift agai'?1from the dead; for the 'vord is nigh . t"bee, even in thy mouth and in thy fheart . The things that Chrift did, were done at a diftance fi·om us, and they are long fince pafr. But faith the Apofrle,:" the Word of the Gofpel wherein thefe things are revealed, and whereby an Application is made of them unto our fouls,is nigh unto us,even in our hearts; that i~, if we are true believers, and have mixed the word with faith : and fo it ex.. hibireth Chrifr and all the Benefits of his Mediation unto us. If therefore this \\1 ord is in our hearts, Chrift is nigh unto us. If we turn at any time into our felves' to converfe with the word that abiderh in us, there we 1ha1l find him ready to receive us into Communion with'himfelf , that is, in the light of the knowledg of Chrift whicb. we have by the word, we may have fudden · occa._ fionallthoughts of him continually ; and where our Minds and AffeCtions are fo filled wirh other things, that we are not ready for converfe with him who is thus nigh unto us by the word, we are fpi· ritually indifpofed. SO to manifeft how nigh he is unto us, it' is faid that he ftands at the door, and knocks, Rev. 3· 2.o, in the continual tender that he makes ofhim.. felf and his Grace unto our fouls. For he is always accompanied with the glorious train of his Graces , and if they are not received, he himfelf is not fo. It is to no purpofe to boaft of Chrift, if we have not an evidence of his graces in our . hearts
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