176 1 _ The 'Parable ofthe --------~------~-----~--------------1 ttfe I, and my people, that we l11ou!d offer willingly : So here. SECT. I I. SEE hence What caufe of thankfulnefs to all the people of God, that the Lord !hould make their fouls the Ve!fels (which he might eaiil y and ;uHJy have da!he~ in peece;) to receive and l:?referve this eternal anointing ; I do be!eeve there 1s no man that knows the bmernefs of fin, the plague of his own heart but when he fees Chrill: is his, yec it makes him mourn that there !hould be f~ little fuicablenefs becwee~che Lordanclhlm, folictle likenefs benveen his life and Chrifls; what though the Lord love rr.e, and yec my heart weary of him? what though the Lord blefs me, and my heart abwfe him? and hence this makes it thankful, Rom. 7. 24, z 5. This is fo far from di!honouring grace, as chat the Apofl:le makes this che matter of admiration of Gods grace, Eph. 2.3 4· God wl:o u rich inmere;, when dead j, fns hmh quic~ed m : Not only quick~ed our head, for hence is caufe of c;rernal praife, but us ; and hence he haeh fet us up i" heavenlJ places i• him : This is the flare of all men, they cannot do one fpiricual ·a cl: ; now chat che Lord l11ould help when all creatures lefc us, is wonderful, but that it ihould be wich fuch a life, even the life of Cbrlll: Jefus himfelf, for che fame Spirit that raifed him from the dead dwells in us, and the fame Spirit that is now in glory wirh him, is in us, I Pet. 5. x. This is mer~y indeed .; that be fuould not only die for us, and live in heaven for us, bur chat be l11ould lovefodearly as to come and live in us, that when our fins had f1ain him, he /hould not onely come and dwell in our houfes, nor onely lay his head in our bofome, but live in our hearts, where he finds fuch poor welcome, and ill entertainment ac our bands , I tell you this is wonderful, to make his habitation in us, that before 1ve go to live with him, he fuou!d live in us: Let rhen:i that nt!Ver knew what ehis meant refufe to be thankful, but if you find it fo, forget not this love, John I4. I 7 .Ile fend the Spirit whom theWorld cannot recei'llt, be·caufo it ~ows him not. The Lord !ends the Spirit in common groces, and the World doth receive chat alfo in prophetical a11d miraculous gifts, and it dorh receive drat; but this Spirit which God pours on the thirlly, this Spirit with which God fill~ the empty, they cannot receive this. Oh chat you fuould have it, when as they know it nor. I. Hence therefore take heed of not owning the Spirit in this his prefepce. Do you rhus requite the Lord, oh un rha11.kful world! not fo much as to OIV,ll the prefenceof fuch a friend, neicl:Jerin yourfelves, nor yet in others. How like the· world is it to chink that there is no fucb thing? , 2. Take heed therefore of nor efleeminghighly of ir. If ever God broke thy heart, thou wile efleem this life, this principle as the grearell: piece of love; and lay, Lord I fuall account this as the greareH pm of love in the world, Pf,d. I I 9· 68. Thotl art good, oh teach me thy StiltHJes: N01v to undervalue this, and to account it common, and hence as no iign of love, •cis a pare of umhankfulnefs. 3· Take heed of imprifoning the Spiricof grace, common truth, Ram. I. IS, It was fearful eo imprifon and iilence that, much more this. Ic was the complaint of the Church in rhofe days, None flirs up himfl!f, Ifai. 64. 7• What firength che Lord gives, let me ufe; what! want, rhe Lord bath enough to help me 1vithal ; put it to exercife, or elfe affiiction will. 4· Take heed of enfeebling this Principle, weakning of it : The Chu:ch of Sttrdis thiRgs were ready to die in it, you l11ould flrengchen this inner man, not weaken it, either by ROt feedin" it wirh Chrifi, or wounding it wich known fins again~ Chrifl. Therefore le~ all the Churches kno1v this, and take heed that you
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