'J- I o8 I:------=-~-h--:-e _'l_:-1 a_r_ab_l_e_..:of::._th_e___ ~ he looks not on all Co~ 'Uands as part of the fecrer ofJefus, if he receive affeClions, and by them behold not the Lord Jefus, he doth not at th,lt time enjoy the Lord Jefus. For he now indeed en;oyes his gifts, but by rhefe he dorh noren- ;oy him : And therefore then a m:m may be faid to have fellow/l,ip wirh Chrifl: in an Ordinance, when by all rhe light and life and comfort there, he comes to fee him, and fc:es them all i~ him, and fe.eing a tranfcen~em Glory in him, fees and beholds a btdden Glory m them. Tbts Command 1s a fecret of Jefus, this Promife the fweet voice of Jefus, there Confolations the comforijs of Jefus, thefe Mefrenger~tbe Mini1l:ers of Jefus, thefe Orditunces the Kingdom ofJefus. And therefore look throughout all the Scriptures, you !lull fee our Fe!Iowfhip with Cbrifl: both in He,wen and here, ' tis exprefl: by feeing ofthe Lord, J•hn 17.24. Pfnl.6j.2. & 27+ I haveoftfaid to my friends, the great fin ofChrifliansis to fee Scriptures , Ordinances, Truths, Commands, Blowes, Kindnefles, as not flowing from and abiding in the Lord Jefus, to fee them feparate from Chrifl:, and not Cbrift and rbem together. And hence Promifes comfort not, becaufe you receive them not as fpoken by jefus : Commands awe not, becaufe not as the \To ice of Jefus : Every Truth is not dear, becaufe you fee it not as the Bride"rooms voice. Parents rhat have had rude children, have turned them out of do~r s, rbey themfelves h,we fenr them money and cloatbs in pity, but themfelves have not been feen, that thay might feek for aFathers face at !aft : So when God is angry with fame of his people, be doth fend ro rhem in his Providences and Ordinances, becaufe he pities them, but bimfelf is not feen. Why? .0!_eft. Anfw. I That at !aft they might come home, and feek to fee his face again, and fay, What good does all this do me, if! fee: no God? I confeffe he that receives gifts from anorher, ought eo be thankful; but a heart that loves and longs after the Lord,. will fay, here is Blefling, Means, Truth, Warmth, but Lord when wilt thou come thy felf? Oh labour for this ! z. Whenamanfeels thepowerGftheLord Jefus in his Ordinances; this is the fecond part of Davids dellre, Pfal.6 3. 2,3. That I mal fee not.milythy Glory, bur thy powu, f0r there is nev<lr achild of God but feels a firong party within him againtl: Chrift, fo that be cannot fee k Cbrift, cleave eo Chrifi, live ta Chrift, now youwillfindin fome Ordinances your hems fhaken ~nd troubled for Gn, and fo:ne deGres and confolations fiirr~d up, and hopes ne"<>er to be as you have been : But Beloved all dies and falls down again: Now I confeffe there is fomwhac 0f Chrift in ail this ; hue yet conrem not your felves with this, becauf~ you want a power, or until you find a mighty power of Cbrift by little and little fubduing Gn, for when Chri!l: comes into the heart indeed, he comes with his power, Pfal.24-7 ,8. The Lord ofHofts mit,hty in Battel. His jlefh is meat indetd, C.t.r. 29. Chrifts power works in aman mightily. If you en;oy never fuch comfort, but find nor apower pulling down thy !uHs, there is no ChriH. If a man be flck, and he eats his mea~, and great care be had to.t~nd him, but the difeafe is ftronger than the ltrength ofnature and food; ask htm, Do you eat? Yes, bur it dorh me no good; So here: Such comforc, _fuch aChrift doth.yo11 no good, !lnleffe you feel a power. Oh long eo meet Chnll:, and en;oy Cbn!t rhus! How Jhnlll do this ? . r. Mourn bitterly for the Lordi abfence as for one of the greateR evtls that ea!'! befall thee. For Chriftsprefencewill never befweettohim that can Iivewtth~ut him, and can you look for him then? John I 6.2 7· YoH hfiVe now forrow, wh1ch ne faid,filledtheirhenrtJ, but lwillfeeyouagain, V!Gtyou, come ~own royou by q1y Spirit again, and you fhall re)oyce, and n0ne fhall u ke 1t away: And therefore its noted, the firft that had comfort was MarJ, when fhe fate at the Sepulcber weepino 'John zo.n, &c. And therefore do but obferve your own hearts, when yo';;r hearts have h:en foak:d in grief, for wan~ of or ~or the abfencc: of Chri!l:, Oh I have lived wnhout him, and prayed wnhout hul'l, and .heard wtthout. ~----------------------------------------
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