each P E R S O N difinaly: 309 [2.] As to confolation ; this is the.fecond great end for which Chrift gives and fends his fpirit to.us, who from thence by the way ofeminency is called the comforter, to this end he fears us, anoints us, eftablifhes us, and gives uspeaceand joy, of all which I Ihall afterwards fpeak at large. Now there be two ways, whereby.he may be grieved as to this end Of his miffion, and our chaílity to Jefus Chrift thereby violated: t,) Byplacing our comforts and joys in other things,,and not being filled with joy in the holy ghoff. Whenwe make creatures or creature comforts, any thing whatever, but what we receive by the fpirit of Chrift, to be our joy and our delight, we are falfe with Chrift. So was it with Demos, who loved the prefent world (a). When die ways of the fpirit of God are grie- vous and burthenfome to us, when we fay, When. will the fabbath be pall, that we may exalt all our labours ? When our delight and refrefhment lies in earthly things, we are unfuitable to Chrift. May not his fpirit fay, Why do I frill abide with there poor fouls ? I provide them joys unfpeaka- ble and glorious, but they refufe them forperifhing things ; I provide them. fpiritual, eternal, abiding confolations, and it is all rejefted for a thing-of nought. This Chrift cannot bear l wherefore believers are exceeding care- ful in this, not to place their joy and confolation in any thing, but what is adminiflred by the fpirit. Their daily work is to get their hearts crucified to the world and the things of it; and the world to their hearts, that theq may not have living affections to dying things ; they would fain look oh the world as a crucified; dead thing, that bath neither form nor beauty.; and ifat any times they have been intangled with creatures and inferiour contentments, and have loft their better joys, they cry out to Chrift, O to us the joys of thy fpirit t a.) He is grieved when through darknefs, and unbelief we will not, do riot receive thofe confolations, which he tenders to us, and which he is abundantly willing that we fhould receive ; but of this I Ihall have occafion to fpeak afterward, in handling our communionwith the Holy Ghofl. (3.) In his inftitutions or matter and manner of his worfhip, Chrift mar- rying his Church to himfelf, taking it to that relation, frill expreffeth the main of their chatte and choice affeftions to him, to lie in their keeping his inftitutions and his worfhip according to his appointment. The breach of this he calls adultery every where, and whoredom ; he is a jealous God, and he gives himfelf that title only in refpeft of his inftitutions. And the whole apoftacy of the chriftian church unto falfe worfhip is called (h) for- .nication, and the church that lead the others tò falfe worship, the mother of harlots. On this account thofe believers who really attend to communionwith Jefus Chrift, do labour to keep their hearts chatte to him in his ordinal-jut, inftitutions and worfhip, and that two ways: [a.] They will receive nothing, praftife nothing, own nothing in his worfhip, but what is of his appointment. They know that from the foun- dation of the world he never did allow, not ever will that in any thing the will of the creatures thould be the meafure of his Honour, or the prin- ciple of his worfhip, either as to matter or manner. It was a witty and true fenfe that one gave of the fecond commandment ; Non imago, non fimula- tbrum prohibetur ; fed, non fäcies Obi, it is a making to our (elves, an in- venting, a finding out ways of worfhip, or means of honouring God, not (a) s Tim. iv. Eo. (6)
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