CHRIST and his Church are deare each to other: the truth of this is at large manifest in this Chapter. Christ as a hea­venly Husband, being to leave [Page 2]his earthly Spouse, to wit, his Church Militant, and to live with his Father at his right hand in glory, with his Church Tri­umphant; endeavoureth in va­rious Verses of this Chapter, to comfort the sad Spirit of his be­loved Spouse, which he percei­ved was much dejected. The Verse which I have chosen to insist on, is one of them: I will not leave you comfortlesse, I will come to you. In more words let me repeate this Verse againe. Thou O my Love, my Dove, my faire one, art sad I see and disconsolate at my departure! As a Lily in the val­ley; nay, as a Lily (indeed) among thornes I shall leave thee: the Prince of darknesse dwelling in the children of darknesse, will endeavour to de­voure thee; Sons of Belial will beset thee, persecute and torment thee, as they have done me before thee: but be not at this, O fairest of women! [Page 3]dejected, as one without all consola­tion: for I will not leave thee com­fortlesse, I will come to thee.

What difference is there be­tweene a Prison-house and mine own house, if sweet friends con­tinually come to me there? Tis a Prison and no better, we abide in whilest we dwell in the body: fetter'd we are with many lusts; and groane we doe, under the tyranny & oppression of a body of death; and O! wretched men that wee are dwelling in these dungeons of Clay, if no friend from Heaven come to us? 'Tis true, O my Spouse, what thou sayest; and therefore that thy dweling in the body may not be comfortlesse, I will come to thee. I will not leave thee comfortlesse, I will come to thee.

The body is a Prison to the soule, and the World is a Hell to both. The God of this world [Page 4]is a Devill, and the children of this world Devils, to the Spouse of Christ. The Father torments her spirit, and the Children tor­ment her flesh: neither in body nor soule, whilest in this world, can the Spouse of Christ be quiet. We that are thus in Hell up­on Earth, shall quickly be com­fortlesse, if no friend from Hea­ven come to us. True, O my Spouse: but to prevent this, I will come to thee. From Heaven to Earth (indeed) is a long jour­ney; but yet this I'le not stand on, rather then thou shalt be left comfortlesse, in any condition upon Earth, I will from Heaven come to thee. Let it bee what weather 'twill; at what time 'twill; and be at midnight thou need'st me, I will come to thee. I will not leave you comfortlesse, I will come to you.

Affliction hath made many [Page 5]friends upon Earth forsake me, O my Saviour! wilt not thou my heavenly friend so serve mee? What if the Devill cast me into Prison? wilt thou come to mee there? wilt thou visit me when I lye in a nasty roome, amongst nasty wretches, that curse and swear, which thou canst not en­dure to heare? Yea, O fairest of Women! rather then thou shalt be comfortlesse in such a condi­tion, I will come to thee.

Thou wilt come to me O my Saviour one day; but what if the Devill keepe mee in such a Prison ten dayes? a long time? till the iron enter into my soule? wilt thou not wax weary at last, and leave comming to me? No my love, I am resolved to the contrary. [I will not] leave thee comfortlesse [I will] come to thee.

Why, but what if Satan win­now me as wheat, and cast me [Page 6]into sinne, which is more odious to thee then any prison; then any place, or any thing: wilt thou not then shake me off for ever, & never come to me more? This O fairest of Women, may make me cease comming to thee for a moment, but no longer; for I am resolved not to [leave] thee comfortlesse in any condition, ei­ther of sin or punishment. I will not [leave] thee comfortlesse, [I will] come to thee.

My Text you see, is Christs conjugall promise to his Spouse, of all kindnesse, during the time of his personall absence. The matter of this promise is conso­latory; the forme according to which our Saviour expresseth this consolatory language, is first negative, I will not leave you com­fortlesse. Secondly affirmative, I will come to you. These latter words containe the reason of [Page 7]what is delivered in the former. Wee cannot bee comfortlesse; [because] Christ still comes to us. And thus taking the words, you may reade them thus, viz. I will not leave you comfortlesse, [for] I will come to you. No condition can bee comfortlesse, if Christ come to us.

I will not leave you comfortlesse,] [...], I will not leave you fatherlesse and motherlesse, I wil not leave you Orphants, saith the Originall, [...], the word comes from, that is here transla­ted comfortlesse, which signifies, to be made fatherlesse and mo­therless; which because it is usu­ally a condition very comfort­lesse, therefore is the word thus rendered [...] comfortlesse. Thus the children of Christ shall not be left. They are no Orphans which have Christ for their Fa­ther. They are never totally be­reft [Page 8]of all comfort, to whom Christ comes: and thus he will still do to his Church Millitant Christ will never leave com­ming from Heaven to Earth, al­though it bee a very long jour­ney, as long as he hath any one childe upon Earth. I will not leave you comfortlesse.

I will come to you,] [...], I returne to you saith the Originall; spoken in the Pre­sent tense, and not in the Fu­ture, [I will] returne to you, as we have it translated. Ac si diceret Christus (saith one) se licèt non­dum profectum, jam esse inreditu As if Christ had said, although I am not yet gone from you, yet am I returning to you. Christ though not actually in person departed, yet was ready in Spi­rit to be present with his Spouse to the end of the world.

Thus having Paraphrastical­ly [Page 9]gone over these words, I will put the plaine meaning of them into this Thesis in divinity. That the Church of Christ Militant, shall not bee left comfortlesse, because Christ will come to her. Or thus, No Childe of Christ upon Earth, shall be left comfortlesse, for Christ will come to him. What Christ spake at his departure to his Disciples, was not for them only, but for the comfort of all his people to the end of the world. In his Dis­ciples hee spake thus to all his children, that are or ever shall be upon the face of the Earth, I will not leave you comfortlesse, I will come to you.

This comfortable doctrine, that I may fully and methodi­cally handle, I will lay open un­to you these foure things: First, that Christ doth come to his children upon Earth. Secondly, how Christ doth come to his [Page 10]children upon Earth. Thirdly, when Christ doth come to his children upon Earth. Lastly, why Christ will take so much paines, as to come to his chil­dren on Earth? I begin with the first of these, to wit, that Christ doth come to his Church and children upon Earth. The truth of this is evident by our Savi­ours own language, and by each godly mans evidence.

Our Saviour not only in my Text, but in many other places promised to come to his Church Militant, and therefore surely he doth come to his people on Earth: for Christ is God, and God cannot lye nor repent. What Christ hath said, he will do, that he will faithfully performe to a tittle: for faithfull is he that hath promised, saith the Apostle. Go therefore & teach all Nations, &c. Teaching them to observe all things, [Page 11]whatsoever I have commanded you; and loe I am with you alwayes, even to the end of the world, Amen. Matth. 28.19,10. This place shewes plainly that Christ doth come to his children upon Earth; and that he will do this to the end of the world. For Mi­nisters (of all men) to walke faithfully in their places, teach­ing their flock to observe [all] things, that Christ hath given them in charge, will cost them hot wa­ter, especially living in corrupt places. This our Saviour tender­ly consider'd; and therefore that his Disciples might not be dis­heartn'd, he assures them of his company unto the last, to sup­port and comfort them. Loe I am with you to the end of the world Christ by this phrase of speech, doth hint us, that what he then spake, should reach further then unto those to whom he then ap­peared: namely, to all Ministers [Page 12]and people to the end of the world, that shall faithfully discharge their places and callings to his honour.

I might here tell you, that not only Christs word, but also Christs name sets forth the truth of this, that Christ is with his Church Militant, and so conse­quently, that he doth come to her. He was called Emmanuel, which being interpreted, Is God with us. Mat. 1.23. Which name was not only to note Christ, as then cor­porally present with his Church, but to note Christ as one ha­ving actually assumed our na­ture, and so to be more glorious­ly present with his Church to the end of the world, then ever before from the beginning after Adams fall. Now as she said of her Husband, as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: so may the Spouse [Page 13]speak of her Husband Christ; as his name is, so is he. Emmanuel is his name; which signifies God with us, and so indeed, is Christ. He is continually with us. What David said of himselfe, in respect of Christ, that may we truly say of Christ, in respect of us. Ne­verthelesse (saith he) I am conti­nually with thee; thou hast holden me by my right hand. Though Christ dwell in Heaven, and wee on Earth, yet neverthelesse hee is continually comming to us, and abiding with us.

The godly have and do finde the truth of this by blessed ex­perience, which is the second thing; and that which I rather insist on, for the confirmation of the truth in hand: because a­gainst experience there is no disputation. Peter found the truth of this, that Christ comes to his children upon Earth, that [Page 14]their condition may not be com­fortlesse. Herod cast Peter into Prison, and thought to have made him comfortlesse; but Christ came to him, as you may see. And behold (saith the Text) the Angell of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the Pri­son, and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly, and his chaines fell off from his hands. Acts 12.7. The Jewes by a storme of Stones, thought to have made Steven comfortlesse, but Christs comming to him prevented. Christ so gloriously came to him in that deadly storme, that he found more comfort then (I beleeve) then ever hee did be­fore in his life: for he looked up stedfastly into Heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Iesus standing at the right hand of God: he saw the Heavens opened ready to re­ceive him, which transcendant­ly [Page 15]revived him which glorious vision he could never have seen, had not Christ come to him. Paul likewise found the truth of this point, when he had left Athens, and came to preach to the Gen­tiles at Corinth. He was very fearfull, what successe he should finde in his Ministery, amongst the barbarous Gentiles. Now our tender Saviour, that Paul might not bee overborne with feare, and made heartlesse and comfortlesse, graciously comes to him in a vision, as you may read. Then spake the Lord to Paul by night in a vision, Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace; for I am with thee; and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this City. Acts 18.9 Thus at ano­ther time Christ came to Paul, that he might not be left com­fortlesse, when he was pleading his cause before Anomias, and [Page 16]like to be pull'd in pieces. And the night following (saith the Text) the Lord stood by him, and said, bee of good cheere Paul, for as thou hast testified of me in Ierusa­lem so must thou also beare witnesse at Rome. Acts 23.11 At another time Paul and Silas together had experi­ence of this truth, that Christ comes to his Church Militant. As they were powring out their soules together in prayer, Christ wonderfully came to them: he came in an Earthquake, and made the foundations of the pri­son shake, and so opened all the pri­son doores, and loosed every priso­ners bonds. Comfortable was Christs comming to Paul and Si­las, but terrible to the Goaler; for he seeing in what manner Christ broke in and rescued his servant, would have killed him­selfe; but Christ came gracious­ly to his soule also, and rescu'd [Page 17]it out of the hands of the Devill. Happy was it for this man, that Christ did finish two workes in one journey; to wit, come to Paul and Silas and deliver their bodies out of Prison, and with­all come to their Goaler and deliver his soule out of Prison too. In an Earthquake Christ came both to Prisoners & Goa­ler: for the Goaler came trem­bling to the Prisoners of hope, as a man in despaire; and fell downe, saith the Text, before Paul and Silas. 'Tis no matter how Christ come to us, so he comfort us be­fore hee leave us. Thus I have shewed to you, that Christ doth come to his Church Militant.

The second thing that I am to shew you, for the opening of the point, is, how Christ doth come to his Church Militant. To this I will answer, First, more generally, and briefly: Second­ly, [Page 18]more particularly and fully. More generally and briefly, I answer thus; Christ visits his Church Militant, as David visi­ted & comforted Hanun, to wit, mediately by his spirit, as David did mediately by his servants. And I wil pray the Father, & he shal give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the [Spirit of truth,] &c. Iohn 14.16,17. Peter found the truth of this, that Christ by his Spirit comes now to his Church Militant. While Peter thought on the vision, [the Spirit] said unto him, behold three men seek thee.

But in the second place, that I may more particularly and fully answer to this question, to wit, how Christ doth come to his Church Militant to comfort her in all conditions; I will lay before you the generall condi­tions of mankinde, and shew you [Page 19]how Christ by his Spirit, as a Comforter, comes to us in them. The general conditions of man­kinde are two, prosperity and adversity.

Prosperity would soon bring the soules of Gods people, to a comfortlesse condition, did not Christ by his Spirit come to them. Satan, that evill Spirit is so busie, comming to the chil­dren of God, when in prosperi­ty, that did not Christ also come to them by his Almighty Spirit, to quench all his fiery darts, their soules would soone be comfort­lesse, the Lord knowes. When Peter was warme in the High Priests Hall, then the Devill by a Damosell came to him, and so far he prevail'd on him, that had not Christ lookt back upon him, and by his Spirit come to him, he had beene in a comfortlesse condition indeed. And thus [Page 20]would the condition of good men now be, which are warme in their nests with outward things, did not Christ come to them: when the sons of God be honourable, and great amongst the sons of men, as David and Solomon, Iob▪ Iacob, and Abraham were; then the Devill in point of polity, though not out of love, visits them often; and by often comming to them then, drawes their precious soules in­to many sins, as pride, ambition, malice, sensuality, and the like; which like Cankers, quickly fret and eat out all divine consolati­on in the soule, and leave it like the Prodigall feeding upon husks; solacing it selfe with no other joy & content, then what the bare creature dipt in sin, will afford the sense; which you must needs say, is of all comfortlesse conditions, the most and worst [Page 21]comfortlesse. Now that these may not be left in this comfort­lesse state, to perish eternally, Christ by his Spirit, thus comes to them. First in a sweet still voice behinde them, as the Pro­phet speaks, saying, sometimes, in the midst of their sensuality; this is not the way to eternall joy: no, this is the way, O sen­suall soule! walk in it. This still voice strikes a damp in the mer­ry sensuall foule of a Christian, & makes his heart, in the midst of vaine laughter, sad. If this be not prevalent enough to turne him, but on againe he will in his sinfull way; then Christ comes with a witnesse, in thundering and lightning, to convince and sting the conscience, as he did to the Israelites, to bring them to see their wickednesse in chu­sing a King. Untill God thun­der'd and lighten'd from Hea­ven [Page 22]fearfully, they layd not to heart their rejecting God as their King, but went on strongly and unaffectedly in their way. And just thus oft times it is, with many of the Sonnes of God in prosperity: the still voice of Christ sweetly suggesting, and mildely checking for fin, is not strong enough to stop and turne them; untill the Angell of the Covenant come downe into the conscience, and stand with a fla­ming Sword, threatning no­thing but Hell and Death, if they make on a steppe further, they stop nor turne not; which though not Christs naturall car­riage to his children, yet he will in tender love, deny himselfe thus farre, as to put on an af­frighting Vizard upon his smi­ling countenance, and come ter­ribly, and save violently, by plucking his children out of the [Page 23]fire, rather then hee will leave any of his so comfortlesse, as to perish remedilesse. Christ will speak out and speak plaine, as he did to David by Nathan, when a still voice, and secret silent hints and becks will not do. He will come and lay his mouth to a mans eare and cry aloud, when he perceives that the pleasure or profit of sin, hath made him very deafe: he will never leave crying and calling, striking and knocking, till he hath made the deafe soule heare, and humble himselfe with Peter and David, and then he puls off the terrible Vizard from his countenance, and lookes upon the mourning penitent, with a countenance like Lebanon, and his lips drop sweet smelling myrrh, into his broken spirit, and so is not left cōfortlesse, according to Christs promise, I will not leave you com­fortlesse, [Page 24]I will come to you.

But suppose Satan should not be busie, comming to the sons of God in prosperity; yet would worldly prosperity be a com­fortlesse condition, should not Christ by his Spirit come to them. Riches and honours, to­gether with all other delights of the Sonnes of Men, they are as the white of an Egge, things without savour, unlesse Christ come along with them to us: they tyre and weary, prick, dis­tract and vex a man: they rob him of his sleepe, and many times of his wits, nay, of his pre­cious life: they drowne mens soules in pride, voluptuousnesse, security, and so set them in the next way to Hell. This snare waits at every ungodly mans ta­ble, which makes prosperity to him comfortlesse. This Snare that it may not catch the godly, [Page 25]Christ comes to them by his Spi­rit, and sanctifies prosperity to them; he teaches them how to a bound; that is, how so to use the creature, as to enjoy service and comfort from it, and to bring honour and glory to God by it.

The creature is empty of what it promiseth; and entising with what it hath: and this makes prospe­rity to every carnall man, a com­fortlesse condition. Now to take off both these, Christ comes to his children which enjoy the creature plenteously: he comes in the creature, and so cures the emptinesse of it: that is, by his blessing he makes it satisfiable and contentfull to the enjoyer, which it is not of it selfe: this is the peculiar gaine that attends the godly; Christ comes in the creature to them, and so cures the emptinesse of it, and puts such a supernaturall vertue and [Page 26]sweetnesse in it, that they are therewith contented. And as Christ comes [in] the creature to cure the emptinesse of it, so hee comes [with] the creature, to cure the entising of it. He doth by the creature leade the soules of his children to the Creator: by the sweet of the one, he lifts up their soules to Heaven, to ad­mire the sweetness of the other: so that, that which others are entised and besotted with, and rest in, that they take wing from to flee to Heaven, from whence comes every good and perfect gift, which is that indeed that makes prosperity a comfortable condition; which otherwise is comfortlesse enough, the Lord knowes.

Secondly, adversity would be a comfortlesse condition to the godly, if Christ by his Spirit did not come to them: This I sup­pose [Page 27]none will deny; for no affli­ction in it selfe is comfortable or joyfull, but comfort lesse, if Christ by his Spirit do not come to us. Corporall affliction is a com­fortlesse condition, unlesse Christ come to us, and be our Physitian. Spirituall affliction is a more comfortlesse conditi­on, if Christ do not come to us.

Here these two questions are necessary to be answered: First, how doth Christ come to us in corporall affliction? Secondly, how doth Christ come to us in spirituall affliction?

To these questions both to­gether I thus answer: Christ the Physitian of soule and body, comes to both with comfort in one way; and that is by helping the soule to apply the promises of God, which are suitable to his distresse. If a childe of God be sad and sorrowfull, because [Page 28]of corporall affliction, Christ comes to him by his Spirit, with this comfortable language, I am all-sufficient. Christ by his Spirit, spreads abroad this Cardinall promise before the sad soule, and shewes him what a depth of mercy is foulded up in it. There is a sufficiency of wisdome in me, to find out wayes and means to deliver thee, though never so low brought. There is likewise a sufficiency of power, to prose­cute right meanes to accomplish their right end. Nay, there is a sufficiency of power in me, to work about good for thee, O sad soule, without meanes. There's a sufficiency of affecti­on and will, to declare power and wisdome, with every Attri­bute else, for thy good. If for all this application and amplifica­tion of a generall promise, the soule still droope under some [Page 29]corporall calamity; Christ doth then in such a soule, as Iacobs sons and daughters did for him, They all rose up (saith the Text) and comforted him: Gen. 37.35. so Christ by his Spirit after a lively manner indeed, rises up in such a soule to comfort him: and now hee leads this mourning Christian, to some particular promise; that is, such a promise as speaks not of deliverance in generall, but of deliverance in particular, out of this or that kinde of distresse, which he groanes under. As to give you an instance, suppose a Christian be sad & take thought as Christ saith, what he shall eat, what he shall drinke, and where­withall he shall be cloathed: then the Comforter comes with this particular promise, w^ch speakes of deliverance out of this parti­cular distresse. First, seeke the Kingdome of God and his righte­ousnesse [Page 30]and all these things shall be added unto you: take therefore no thought for to morrow, for to mor­row shall take thought for the things of it selfe. Mat. 6.33,34. If yet for all this, the spirit of a Christian still com­plaine, as one fearing he shall want daily bread for him and his; then the Comforter comes, and perswades the soule to rest quietly upon the promise of God. Hee speakes now to the complaining Christian, as the Levits father in law did to him, Comfort thy selfe I pray thee, with a morsell of bread. Iudges 19. Comfort thy selfe O mourning soule, I pray thee, with this particular pro­mise, which is but a morsell of that bread, which came downe from Heaven, one of the least favours that Christ hath procu­red for thee, to wit, a right and interest in the creature: with this perswasive language, doth [Page 31]Christ follow the complaining soule, untill he hath perswaded him, to own his own mercy and so he keeps his children in po­verty, from being comfortlesse.

As Christ in corporall affli­ctions comes to his children, and keeps them from being com­fortlesse; so likewise he comes to them in spirituall afflictions, that they may not be left com­fortlesse. If a childe of God be sad and sorrowfull, because of this or that strong temptation, the Comforter then comes to him with this sweet language, My grace is sufficient for thee. Thou prayest, and Satan tempts thee; thou doest fast and pray, and yet Satan and thy lusts are more violent upon thee: thou doest all this with bitter teares, and Satan is the more bitterly bent against thee, and thou art foil'd every moment. By this, O [Page 32]winnowed soule! Christ would shew thee, that thou wilt bee comfortlesse, in the midst of all thy sore soule-labour, unlesse he come to thee. This same shall com­fort us, concerning the work and toile of our hands, said Lamech of Noah: so may we say of Christ; this same must comfort us, con­cerning the labour and toile of our soules with any temptati­on, or else we shall be comfort­lesse, though we labour never so much: and this Christ doth and will do, I will not leave you com­fortlesse, I will come to you.

If a Christian lye languishing, because of Satans prevailing up­on him by temptation; that hee may not be comfortlesse in this condition, Christ by his Spirit comes to him, and shews him the fountaine of his blood, how deep it is, & how free it is. 1 Ioh. 1.7. How deepe it is, that it will drowne [Page 33]all sin. 1 Iohn 1.7. Sins after conversion, as well as before: sinnes often re­peated, as well as sins once only committed. And then he shewes the wounded soule, how free this fountaine is, for any that hun­ger and thirst for it, for any that are weary and heavie laden, and desire to be eased by it; and so by degrees drawes the woun­ded soule, to wash his wounds in it by faith, and so Christ heales and comforts him. As the bre­thren of Ephraim comforted him, when he mourned because the men of Gath had slaine his sons.I Chro. 7.22. So Christ comes to us, and comforts us, when the Devill by his temptations hath almost slaine our soules, hee like the good Samaritan, powres in oyle and wine into our wounds, and cures us. Though Satan passe by, and his limmes passe by, and leave us comfortlesse, in the day [Page 34]of our wounds and bleeding, yet Christ cannot, so full of bowels is he, nor will not, I will not leave you comfortlesse, &c.

If a Christian lye languishing, because of often and frequent relapses, after promises and pur­poses to do better; If this Chri­stian in the anguish of his spirit speak to every godly friend, as the Prophet did to his, Therefore said I, look away from me, I will weepe bitterly, labour not to com­fort me, because of the spoiling of the Daughter of my people; Isay 12.4. Looke away from me O ye my Christi­an friends! yea, and you my faithfull Minister; for I will weepe bitterly, labour not to comfort mee, because of the spoiling of my soule, by so of­ten sinning, against vowes and promises, favours and blessings: Christ comes to this soule, and will not leave him comfortlesse [Page 35]in this condition, (though it be indeed a very desperate condi­tion.) The Comforter usually takes this course, with this com­fortlesse soule, to powre in some oyle into his deepe wounds: he reasoneth with him from the mercy of man, to the mercy of God; from a drop to the Ocean; and it may be, fastens upon his own language once delivered to Peter. Peter came to our Saviour and said, Lord, how oft shall my bro­ther sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Iesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee untill seven times, but untill seventy times seven. Matth. 18.21,22, From this speech, the Comforter thus reasoneth, with this said and sore wounded soule, viz If Christ would have Peter, a sinfull man, shew so much mercy to one, so often of­fending him; surely Christ a ho­ly God, and infinite in love, is [Page 36]ready to shew much more com­passion himselfe, to those that are penitent, though they have sinned times without number against him. Thus the Comfor­ter leades this desperate Christi­an, as a weak wounded man by the hand, from the mercy of man, to the mercy of God, and enables him this way, after some space of time, to take in com­fort: for Christ is resolved, he will not leave this Christian comfortlesse. Christ will never leave comming to this comfort lesse soule, with this speech of his to Peter, and others of like nature (as Christ is well furnisht for a Comforter) untill he hath brought him to drink willingly (for Christ forceth no Physick upon any Patient) of the cup of consolation more or lesse; and the longer sick soules turn away their heads from this cup, the [Page 37]more (many times) he perswades them to drink, at last.

If Christ tentandi gratiâ for trials sake, hide himselfe from a Christian, & so set him a mourn­ing. I shall shew you by and by, how he comes to him. This is a condition (though of all deser­ted conditions, the best) which will make a Christian heart comfortlesse indeed. Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. Psal. 30.7. Gods hiding his face, though but for trials sake, will so trou­ble a Christian, that hee will quickly be a burthen to himself, and feare round about, as 'tis said of Pashur. 'Twill make him weary of the night, and weary of the day; weary of his owne house, & weary of Gods house; weary of mirth, and account it madnesse; weary of riches, ho­nours, yea life it selfe, and wish for death. O that I might have my [Page 38]request, and that God would grant me the thing that I long for, even that it would please God to destroy me, that he would let his hand loose and cut mee off, then should I [...]et have comfort: then should I see the face of God, which I long like Moses to see; then would he lift up the light of his loving countenance, and cause his face to shine gloriously upon me, whereas now I walke in the val­ly and shadow of death; dark dayes are all that goe over my head; the glorious Sunne of righteousnesse shines not upon my soul, from morning to night. To this sad soule thus bemoan­ing himselfe for want of his be­loved, Christ his well beloved thus comfortably comes. There hath no temptation taken hold on thee yet, O mourning soule, but that which is common to man: and be assured of this, that God is faithfull [Page 39]by whom thou art tempted, and will not try thee above that which thou art able: but with the tempta­tion also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to beare it. 1 Cor. 10.19. For a moment O fairest of Women; I say, just cause to hide my face from thee, to try the truth of thy love to me; but know, that with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee. Thy dulnesse al­so in my serice, and thy low-prising my company, did some­thing trouble me; but know, that the mountaines shall depart, and the hils bee removed, but my kindnesse shall never depart from thee: for this is as the waters of Noah unto me; as I have sworne that the waters of Noah, should no more go over the Earth; so have I sworne that I will not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. O thou affli­cted, and tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold I will lay thy [Page 40]stones with faire colours, and lay thy foundations with Saphirs, and I will make thy windowes of Agats, and thy gates of Carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant Saphirs. Isay 45.8,9. Out of this sweet language of the Prophet to the naturall branch, the Comforter will fetch such precious water of life, to revive this deserted soule: with these kisses of his lips will he so com­fort him, that he shall be con­strained to say with David, Thou which hast shewed me great trou­bles, hast quickned me againe, and hast brought me up againe from the depths of the Earth; thou hast in­creased my joy and comforted me on every side. Psal. 71.6. I could hitherto O my God, see thy back-parts; some sad attributes of power and ju­stice, which did terrifie my soul to look on; but loe now I see thy glory, thou hast caused it gloriously to passe by me, nay, [Page 41]to shine upon me: I see thy face like Lebanon, comely as the Cedars; and herewith is my longing soule satisfied, as with marrow and fatnesse. This is my comfort, in mine affliction, for thy Spirit O Christ, by thy word hath revived mee. So that this soule, though very sorrowfull, yet is not left comfortlesse, nei­ther. Thus I have answered the second Quaere to wit, how Christ comes to us.

The third thing that I am to shew you, is, when Christ comes to us. I will not leave you comfort­lesse, I will come to you. But when, O my Saviour, wilt thou come to us? To this I answer first more generally, then more par­ticularly and determinately. More generally and briefly, I answer thus, Christ is already come, and is present with his Church Militant, and will be to [Page 42]the end of the world, as hath beene already proved. I am come into my garden, my Sister, my Spouse, I have gathered my Mirrh with my Spice; I have eaten my ho­ney combe with my honey: I have drunke my wine with my milke. Cant. 5.1. Christ we see by this sweet lan­guage, is come, and is with us already. I am come, &c.

But when will he come to me in particular, as a Comforter? this is the question. To this I answer first negatively, then po­sitively. Negatively I answer thus: viz. Christ doth not come to us in this valley of teares, as Aaron was commanded to come into the holy place: Let him not come at all times, saith the Lord, lest he die. Levit. 16.2 If Christ should not come to us at all times of our di­stresse, we should die under our burthen, so comfortlesse would be our condition. When my bo­dy [Page 43]is afflicted, I shall be comfort­lesse, if Christ doe not come to me. When my soule is afflicted, I shall be more comfortlesse, if Christ doe not graciously come to mee. When my head akes, teeth akes, back akes, or belly akes: yea, when my least finger, or joynt in my body akes, I shall be comfortlesse, unlesse Christ come to me, so dolorous and comfortlesse a creature is man.

Wherefore as a positive an­swer, to the question ere-while proposed, know, that Christ comes to his Church militant, at all times: as long as his people live in this valley of teares, and are in any distresse of soule or body. He comes to them in prosperity, to sweeten that, or else there would be but a little comfort and sweetness in it: but he comes to them in all adver­sity, after a more speciall man­ner [Page 44]to sweeten that, being of it selfe very bitter; bitternesse in the abstract: my meaning is, al­together bitter, without the least sweetnesse or pleasure in it, to soule or body: for no afflicti­on is in the least manner or mea­sure joyous, but as Christ, by his kind comming to us then, makes it so.

But here I shall be thus que­stioned: viz, if Christ as a Com­forter comes to his Church Mi­litant, in every distresse of soule and body; how is it that many of Gods children, in corporall and spirituall afflictions, utter comfortlesse and hopelesse lan­guage, as those that finde no Comforter come to them? Is thy mercy cleane gone, and hast thou forgotten to be gracious, saith David, hast thou shut up thy loving kindnesse in displeasure, and wilt thou be no more intreated, &c. Ma­ny [Page 45]such like sad and dolorous complaints are still uttered by some of Gods deare children: now if Christ as a Comforter, come to his in every distresse, why is it thus with these?

To this I will give answer first more indirectly thus. Possi­bly that soule which thus com­plaines, cannot but confesse that Christ hath come and tender'd comfort to him, though hee through anguish and unbeliefe refus'd it. Now if our soule-Physitian come from Heaven to us and brings Cordials for us, and we will not take them, but cast them behinde ourbacks; shall our Physitian bee blamed for unfaithfulnesse and negli­gence towards his Patients, as one that did not visit them?

Againe, possibly too, this soul which thus complaines, must confesse that Christ came to [Page 46]him, at the very beginning of his untractablenes towards God, and told him that this would quickly bring him into a com­fortlesse condition, if not timely lookt unto; and bid him againe and againe, by a sweet still voice behinde him, to be more pliable to God, as hee tendered his fa­vour, and his owne comfort. Christ came to his Spouse, say­ing, Open to me my Sister, my Love, my Dove, my faire one, for my head is filled with dew, and my lockes with the drops of the night. But though Christ thus kindly came to his Spouse, yet she unkindly put him off, and upon the mat­ter no better then slighted him. I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? &c. Be­cause of this untractable carri­age, Christ departed from his Spouse, and then she made many [Page 47]complaints: I opened to my Belo­ved, but he had withdrawne him­selfe and was gone. The Spouse could not now truly say, that Christ had not come to her; but she might truly say, that he did come to her, but shee slighted him, and therefore he was forc'd to leave her. Thus 'tis with ma­ny now. They mourne like Ra­chel in their misery, and are not comforted, because none from Heaven comes to them: such as these, cannot challenge Christ, for not making good his pro­mise, to come to them, if for­merly hee have come to them, and they have slighted him. If my Physitian, observing my in­temperancy in this or that, come to me and tell me, unlesse you refraine such and such things, you will certainly fall into such and such diseases, which are ve­ry dangerous; if I slight him in [Page 48]this, and afterward fall into those diseases, and lye groaning under them, I cannot blame my Physitian, for not comming to me, but blame my selfe that did so slight him. So 'tis betweene Christ and many a mourning soule. Christ hath come to them and told them, that if they go on in this sinfull course and that, that it will rob them quite of their heavenly comforts; but he in this friendly way hath beene slighted, the soule hath beene so far taken with the sweetnesse of something below Christ, and so at last hath found the evill of his owne way, according to Christs prediction, and yet com­plaines of Christ not comming to him; but how justly, judge you.

Againe, as this soule possibly cannot justly complaine, that Christ hath not come to him: so [Page 49]possibly hee cannot justly com­plaine, that Christ is not come to him. That soule which com­plaines after Christ, cannot tru­ly say, that Christ is not come to him: for we can never truly de­sire to come to Christ, or that Christ should come to us, unless he were already with us, and we with him. Christ I conclude then is come to this complaining soule, though not in that man­ner and measure as hee desires him. The thought of that I long for, if I have the least hope of attaining it, is a degree of consolation.

Finally and more directly, I answer to this complaining soul thus, Christ as a sensible and sa­tisfactory Comforter, comes to us at his time, and not at ours. Now Christs time to come to comfort mourners, is then, when mourners will make him most [Page 50]welcome; and that is usually when the soule is brought to the greatest extremity, that it is ca­pable of, and not utterly mis­carry. When Peter was ready to sink on the Sea, and cryed out, Master save mee or I perish, then Christ came to him, and catcht him by the hand: thus doth Christ usually come with sensi­ble and satisfactory consolati­ons, when poore soules are al­most quite spent with temptati­ons, and soule anguish, and look every houre when they shall die and drop into Hell. He shall come to us, as the latter and former raine unto the Earth, saith the Prophet.Hos. 6.3. That is, at the seasonablest time, when the soule will make him most welcome; and that is, when burnt and scorcht with Satans fiery darts, as the Earth with the fervent heat of the Sunne; when parcht and chapt, gaping for [Page 51]some heavenly showers: then Christs visits will be kindnesse indeed: and Christs consolati­ons, sweet indeed. This still re­member, O mourning soul, that Christ keeps his word, if he doe not leave us comfortlesse: and this be assured he will not do, I will not leave you comfortlesse, I will come to you.

But why wilt thou come to me O my Saviour? To this I answer first thus, viz. Christ will come to his Church Militant to be a Comforter to fulfill his Fa­thers will. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, saith Christ, because the Lord hath anointed me, to preach good tydings to the meeke, he hath sent mee to binde up the broken-hearted, to proclaime liberty to the Captive, and the opening of Prison to them that are bound, to pro­claime the acceptable yeare of the Lord, to comfort all that mourne, [Page 52]&c. Esay 61.1,2,3. By this Text we see, that Christ is anointed for this end, to come to us and be our Com­forter, whilest we live here be­low mourning in Zion. What is said of the three friends of Iob, that may I say of the blessed Trinity. They made an appointment together, to come to comfort him. So the blessed Trinity, have made an appointment together to come to us by Christ, and in all distresses, sweetly to comfort us.

Secondly Christ will come as a Comforter to his Church Mi­litant, because he hath promi­sed it. As Christ promised this in my Text, so in many other Texts. Iohn. 2.11. And if I goe away, I will prepare a place for you, and will come againe: and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you ano­ther Comforter, that may abide with you for ever. By these promises [Page 53]Christ hath obliged himselfe, to come as a Comforter to us: let therefore our deservings of comfort bee what they will, Christ will come to us, because he hath promised he will. Christ stands much upon his word: Christ is God, and God cannot lye. Tit. 1.2. Though we beleeve not, yet he abideth faithfull, and cannot deny himselfe. 2 Tim 2 A Christian is ready to say to Christ as Iephtha to the Elders of Gilead: did not ye hate me? and expell mee out of my Fa­thers house? and why are ye come to me now, when yee are in distresse? said Iephtha. So saith a Christi­an, did not I hate thee O my Saviour, and did not I doe what in mee lay to expell thee from my soule, by my sinning againe and againe against thy Spirit? And why art thou come to mee now, to comfort mee in my di­stresse? Why, this that was fore­sad, [Page 54]said, may suffice, O sinfull soul, as an answer▪ Christ looks not at what thou hast done, but at what he hath promised; and his word he will keepe, though we change as the Heavens: Heaven and Earth shall passe away, but not one jot of his word shall fall to the ground. I will not leave you comfortlesse, I will come to you.

These I conceive are the prin­cipall grounds, why Christ comes as a Comforter to his Church Militant: two grounds more may be alledged, as Causae minus principales, lesse principall causes; the first whereof is this, Christ comes to us in our di­stresses as a Comforter, that we may not stretch out our hands unto iniquity. Man in distresse is so desirous of ease, that if Christ do not come to him and comfort him, he'll go to Sin and Satan for ease. Cain was discon­solate, [Page 55]and because Christ did not come to him as a Comfor­ter, he ran like a vagabond up and downe the world, to finde ease in any thing. Iudas was dis­consolate, and because Christ as a Comforter did not come to him, he made a halter his Com­forter. Saul being in distresse by the Philistines, because Christ did not come to him by Urim, nor by Vision, nor by Prophets, he went to the Devill for com­fort. Now that Christs children may not thus do, Christ will not leave them comfortlesse, but will come to them.

The second ground why Christ will come to his Church Militant as a Comforter, is this, That he may stop the mouthes of all ungodly wretches, who say of the godly when in great distresses, Persecute and [...]ak [...] them for there is none to deliver them, A [Page 56]wicked man looking upon a wounded soul with a carnal eie, breaks cut into some such lan­guage as Achish did concerning David, Loe you see the man is mad, 1 Sam. 21.14. This man is a distracted person, fitter for Bedlam, then for Gods house: an idle crackt-braine fellow, unfit to come into so­lemne assemblies. Now that Christ may silence such black mouth'd men as these, he graci­ously comes to such wounded soules, and heales their broken hearts, & binds up their wounds; he powres the Spirit of consola­tion upon such as went mourn­ing all the day long, and makes them walke with joy and strong consolation, so that such as cen­sured them for this and that, are forc'd to lay their hand upon their mouth, and to condemne themselves as blinde Bats, and not able to discerne the wayes [Page 57]of God towards his children.

Having thus opened the point in hand, I will in the next place shew you how usefull it is, to the wicked and to the godly. Will not Christ leave any of his chil­dren upon Earth comfortlesse, but still as a Comforter come to them? Then you which live in your sins, and so consequently none of Christs children may collect the unhappinesse of your condition from this point. You shall live and dye comfortlesse, for Christ will not come to you as a Comforter; thus he comes only to his children. Christ will not come to you in prosperity as a Comforter; and therfore in the midst of sensuall laughter, your hearts will be sad: in the midst of all thy worldly con­tents, thy spirit will at times gnaw and beat within thee, and never will all thou enjoyest give [Page 58]any complacency of comfort to thee, because Christ as a Com­forter comes not to thee. All outward comforts, without the inward consolations of Christ, they are as good broath unsea­soned, which rather cloys then contents the appetite; they wea­ry, distract, and vex, and not re­vive the owner. Be it, that thou art as wise as Achitophel, as elo­quent as Herod, as learned as Gamaliel, as rich as Nabal, as ho­nourable as Haman, as great in the Church as Iudas; why, yet shalt thou live comfortlesse; that is, utterly destitute of Cele­stiall consolation, one droppe whereof hath more soule-revi­ving sweetnesse in it, then all the things of this life can afford. Alas! what is learning? what is wit, wealth, honour, or any o­ther worldly thing to comfort me, if Christ do not come to me? [Page 59]A man may have all that this world can afford, and yet hang himselfe for want of comfort, if Christ come not to him, as Achi­tophel, Iudas, and others have done.

Ob.No men laugh lowder, nor laugh oftner then wicked men in prosperity: no man merrier in an Alehouse, Playhouse, Ta­verne, Faire, or Market, then they: and are not these then the only comfortable men in this world?

Sol.To this I answer first thus; laughter is one thing, and spiri­tuall consolation another thing. Every one that laughs hath not a cheerefull spirit within: for in the midst of laughter a mans heart may be sad, saith Solomon. And so on the other hand, every one who hath a comfortable spirit, hath not a laughing face: we do not reade that Christ ever [Page 60]and yet had more comfort in his Spirit, then all the merry men of this world.

Secondly I answer thus, some mens spirits are so left of God to levity and vanity, that they will laugh at the wagging of a straw (as wee say.) This is a great judgement of God upon the spirit, and not to be accounted a comfortable and happy condi­tion? 'Tis a pastime to fooles to do wickedly, saith Solomon. This is not properly called mirth (saith he) but madnesse. You shall see mad men laugh sometimes ex­ceedingly, and hoope and hal­low, as if their spirits were as full of joy as they could hold: what shall wee conclude now, that these forlorne creatures are in a comfortable condition? Alas! say we, if they were but sensible of their condition, they would soon cease laughing, and [Page 61]begin lamenting. And so may I say to you of all that laugh and rejoyce, and yet live in their sins, and so consequently have no Comforter from Heaven come to them, they are mad men: were their eyes open to see their for­lorne condition, they would quickly change their note, and turne their mirth into mourning as Iames saith.

Quest.Why, but doth not Christ come to the wicked in prospe­rity?

Answ.Yes, no doubt to be made of of it. Christ came to Belshazzar whilst hee was quaffing in the golden vessels of the Temple, and wrote downe his wicked­nesse in the wall. And thus hee comes to all ungodly persons in prosperity, to write downe all their ungodly deeds, that so he may exactly judge them at the great day of account.

[Page 62] Quest.Why, but doth not Christ come as a Comforter, to wicked men that are great and wealthy?

Answ.Christ regards no man for his wealth, or for any externall greatnesse. If a man be never so rich, or never so honourable, yet if hee have not denyed his lusts, and given up himselfe to Christ, to be ruled by him, Christ will never come to comfort him, if hee would give him all hee hath for his paines; he will not steppe a foot out a doores to a Prince, if he be wicked.

Ob.Why, but though hee will not come to ungodly men as a Comforter in prosperity, when they can make some shift with­out him, yet hee will come to them as a Comforter in adversi­ty, when all other comforters faile.

Sol.No hee will not. Christ will not know thy soule in adversity, [Page 63]which art a disobeyer of him. As he would not let Dives have a droppe of water to coole his tongue, though in unutterable torments, where many oceans would not in the least mea­sure have quenched the flames; so neither will hee afford thee the least drop of consolation in thy greatest extremity; though thou cry Lord, Lord, and cut thy flesh in the fervency of thy spi­rit, like Baals Priests to prevaile, yet shalt thou be sent empty a­way. Nay Christ will be so far from being a Comforter to un­godly men when in misery, that hee will adde to their outward misery, inward misery. When thy body is in distresse, Christ will awaken thy soule, that now lyes asleepe, and set thy consci­ence a gnawing within thee, which will bee greater torture then if thou wert rackt in every [Page 64]limbe. Thou maist send for godly Ministers & godly friends to comfort thee then, and they possibly may deliver very com­fortable things, but they shall be of no more savour to thy soule, then the white of an Egge, be­cause Christ as a Comforter will not speak those sweet things to thy soule, which thy friends do to thy eares. As the Lord be­wailes the miserable condition of Ierusalem, so may I bewaile the miserable condition of all ungodly men. These two things are come unto thee, who shall be sor­ry for thee? desolation and destru­ction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee? Isay. 51.19 So say I to all ungodly per­sons, misery upon misery will first or last seize upon you, and who then will be sorry for you? Famine, and sword, and pesti­lence; sicknesse, and death, and [Page 65]judgement; and by whom will you bee comforted? your ho­nours cannot comfort you: your riches & friends cannot comfort you: your father the Devill hee will not then comfort you: your conscience which you have of­ten sinned against, shall not comfort you, but torture you, because Christ will not come to you, to sprinkle it with his blood, and pacifie it. So that I conclude all thus: you will live comfortlesse, dye comfortlesse, and abide in Hell after death everlastingly comfortlesse.

'Tis true all that you say Sir: man is a comfortlesse Creature indeed, unlesse Christ come to him, I finde it by wofull experi­ence. I have much wealth in my purse, and yet but little peace in my spirit. I see the Devill (mee thinkes) now & then sit a stride upon top of my money-bags [Page 66]waiting for me, when I come to comfort my selfe in the behold­ing of them; and to what this will come at the last, I cannot tell. Sinne I am sure I do; and comfortlesse because of sinne I am; and more comfortlesse eve­ry day I look to be, unlesse Christ come to mee; and yet how to get him to come to me, I know not.

Would'st thou, O comfort­lesse creature, have Christ to come to thee? Do then to Christ as Lydia did to Paul, lovingly in­vite him to come to thee. Make knowne thy comfortlesse con­dition to Christ, and then ear­nestly entreat him to visit thy poore soule. The ground why I exhort thee O sinner thus to doe, is, because God hath pro­mised to give his holy Spirit to them that ask it.Luk. 11.13. If therefore thou wouldst have Christ by his [Page 67]Spirit to come to thee, invite him, aske him, beg, and intreat him to come and dwell in thy soule; and tell him that he shall have every roome in thy heart at command. As Rebeckahs bro­ther said to Abrahams servant, So do thou say to Christ. Come in thou blessed of the Lord, wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and roome for the Camels, &c. Gen. 24.31 Come in thou blessed of the Lord, wherefore standest thou without? here is roome for thee and all thy glo­rious traine. Here's an under­standing, will, memory, affecti­ons, they shall be all at thy use and service O Christ, wherefore come in thou blessed of the Lord, & make thy aboade with me. Thus continue crying to Christ, and longing for him, and by this thou wilt declare thy great love unto him, and so [Page 68]make thy selfe capable of that sweet promise, which saith, If a man love mee, the Father loveth him, and wee will come unto him, and make our aboade with him. Iohn 14.12 Then will thy condition bee comfortable indeed, when thou hast got such glorious in-mates as these to dwell with thee.

Having thus spoken what I thought fit to the wicked, by way of application from this point, I will now addresse my selfe to speake unto the godly, and shew them how usefull this point may be unto them. I shall first speake to strong men, and then unto Babes in Christ: to such as can tell me, that Christ as a Comforter is come to them. Secondly to such as can tell mee they never yet found Christ as a Comforter come to them: and lastly to such who can tell mee that they have found Christ as a [Page 69]Comforter come to them, but now they have lost him. To you that tell mee you finde the truth of this doctrine by blessed ex­perience, that Christ is come to you; I have only two things to say: first this, Make it sure to thy selfe that Christ indeed as a Comforter is come to thee, and that thy soule is not deluded in thy joy & consolation. Second­ly, strive so to walke, that thy Comforter which is come to thee may never depart from thee. First strive to make it sure that Christ is indeed come to thee: that the comfort which thou hast is from the Comforter, to wit, the Spirit of Christ, and not from the spirit of delusion.

There is great need that I should presse this instruction up­on you, because the spirit of de­lusion is plentifully powred out in these latter dayes. The hypo­crite [Page 70]hath his joy; and he judges that this his joy, is the joy of the Holy Ghost, and as good as need to bee, whereas it is a joy that shall perish (saith the Scripture) a joy that will end in desperate sorrow. He thinks that Christ as a Comforter is come to him, whereas 'tis onely the Devill transformed into an Angell of light. And thus indeed are ma­ny thousands gulled and cheat­ed in their comfort. Sadnesse would overshadow the smiling face of many a man, if he did but discerne how groundlesse his joy and comfort is; and what a vaine shadow instead of a true substance, his poore soule is de­luded withall. Wherefore my brethren it concernes you, that tell me, you are sensible that the Comforter is come to you, to take paines to make it sure to your selves, that your soules are not deluded.

[Page 71]When the Spirit of God came upon Saul that hee prophesied, the people that knew him be­fore said, What is come to the Son of Kish? is Saul amongst the Pro­phets? 1 Sam. 10.11. Thus doe thou say to thy soul who art so merry and com­fortable, viz. What is come to thee O my soule! that thou art now so joyfull and cheerefull? Once I am sure thou went'st mourning all the day long: is Christ as a Comforter come to thee? If Christ by his Spirit have brought glad tydings to thee, why then O my glory, continue in thy mirth: but if not, why art thou so merry O my soule? thy mirth is but madnesse. As Da­vid questioned his soule for sad­nesse, saying, Why art thou so sad O my soule? and why art thou so cast downe within me? So maist thou doe well to question thy mirth, saying, why art thou so merry [Page 72]O my soule? and why art thou so much lifted up within me? Is thy Comforter our Lord Jesus Christ indeed come to thee? O then my glory cease not to de­clare thy comfort, by any come­ly posture and gesture: but if not, a house of mourning, O my soule, is fitter for thee then a house of mirth; garments of Sackcloth and sadnesse, would better become thee, then gar­ments of joy and gladnesse. You know how Isaac once spake to his sonne, Art thou (said he) my very Sonne Esau? Gen. 27.24 So doe thou humbly question thy Comfor­ter. Art thou my very Comfor­ter indeed? Art thou the very Christ the Sonne of God, which speakest consolation to my soul? You know how Iohn questioned Christ much after this manner, that hee might not be deceived concerning him. Mat. 11.3 Art thou he that [Page 73]should come, or do wee not looke for another? So do thou say, Art thou hee that should come and com­fort my soule? or should not I look for another? There be ma­ny false Christs, and false com­forters now in the world, and they deceive many: wherefore I beseech thee speak out, and speak plainly to my soule, whe­ther thou bee hee that should come and comfort mee yea or not, that if I have obtained the true Comforter, I may give God the glory of his great kindnesse; if not, I may seeke out for ano­ther.

How should I know (may the strong man in Christ say to me) whether hee that is come to my soule with consolation, bee hee that should come, or not? How should I be able to make it sure to my soule, that the consolati­on which I have is from the Spi­rit [Page 74]of Christ, and not from a spi­rit of delusion?

To this I thus answer, viz. If he that is come to thy soule bee hee that should come, to wit, Christ; thou shalt finde that hee doth more workes then one in thy soule: he doth not only com­fort thee, but hee doth many great works besides this. Christ doth many great workes in a mans soule before he comforts him; and hee doth many great workes in his soul, after he hath comforted him. Christ doth ma­ny great workes in the soule of man, before he comforts him: he doth break the heart before he bindes it up: he first wounds the heart, before he will heale it: he casts downe the soule for sinne, before he will raise it up. Now to break the heart of man, which the Scripture compares to an Adamant for hardnesse,Zech. 7.12. is [Page 75]a great work; and yet this doth Christ throughly, before hee comforts throughly. The break­ing of the hard heart of man, hath many great works about it, ere it be effected. The convin­cing the soule of sinne, which selfe-conceited man is not easily brought unto. The making of sin out of measure sinfull, in the soules apprehension, which blinde man is not easily brought to see. The making of man to loathe himselfe, for the evils which hee hath committed a­gainst God, which man full of selfe-love is not easily wrought unto. The making of man to long for peace and reconciliati­on with God, as the greatest happinesse in the world, and to beg this blessing with teares, as a soule that sees hee shall dye and perish eternally without it; which man that naturally hates [Page 76]God, is not easily wonne unto. Yet all these difficult workes doth Christ doe in the soule of man, before he comes as a Com­forter to him. Which Christ confirmes where he saith, Bles­sed are they that mourne, for they shall be comforted.

Now would'st thou know whether he that is come to thy soule, bee hee that should come or not? why then tell me, What did precede thy comfort which now thou hast? Did Christ leade thee to the Wels of Consolation by the waters of Marah? Did hee bring thee to sowe in teares, ere he gave thee to reape thy great harvest of joy? Wast thou ever in the house of mourning? Did the spirit of heavinesse for sin ever take hold on thee? Was thy hard heart first broken, and af­ter this bound up? First woun­ded, [Page 77]and after this healed? Didst thou goe mourning for dishonouring God all the day long, and after many dolorous dayes thus spent, did thy Com­forter come to thee? Surely then he that is come, is he that should come, and do not looke for another: but if otherwise, thou hast just cause to bee jea­lous of thy joy.

Againe, Christ as hee doth great workes in the soule before he comforts it, so he doth great workes in the soule after hee hath comforted it. That soule which Christ comforts, he makes a very fruitfull soule in all grace to his glory. No waters make the soule of a Christian grow in grace, like the waters of conso­lation. The comforting Spirit of Christ is to a Christian in the wayes of obedience, as winde and tide to a Ship: that which [Page 78]makes him runne the wayes of Gods Commandements. That Christian which is comforted by Christ, prayes fervently, and prayes frequently. Consolation gives winges to supplication. That Christian which is com­forted by Christ, prayseth God with strong affection. A soule comforted by Christ, is as an in­strument well tuned by a skil­full Musitian: hee will, upon every occasion, make sweet me lody in the eares of the Almigh­ty. True consolation is from Heaven, and it carries that soule strongly to Heaven, in which it is. True consolation is from Christ, and it will make a Chri­stian live wholly to Christ. To whom much is forgiven they love much: and this love con­straines them to deny them­selves, and to follow Christ un­to death.

[Page 79]Would'st thou know then for certaine O strong man in Christ, that hee which is come to thy soule, is he which should come? Why then look what activity is in thy soule to duty. Is thy soule as a Gyant refreshed after wine? strong and vigorous to the pra­ctise of all good duties? Art thou abundant in the worke of the Lord? Art thou a sweet Singer in Israel of the prayses of the Lord? Is thy heart at thy mouth leaping within thee, like the Babe in Elizabeths wombe when thou art telling what God hath done for thy soule? Art thou (in a word) a holy & heavenly man, as one comforted by a holy and heavenly God? Doth thy joy transcend the joyes that this world affords, in sweetnesse? Doth it raise thy spirit to admire the love of God? and doth it make thee dead to secular de­lights? [Page 80]and to account naked carnall mirth madnesse? empty huskes for brutes to feed on? Then mayest thou comfortably conclude, that he which is come to thy soule, is he which should come, and do not look for ano­ther: but if thou art merry and cheerfull, but not holy and hea­venly, hee that is come to thy soul, is not he that should come, wherefore I beseech thee to look for another.

A second instruction which I would commend to strong men in Christ is this: after thou hast made it sure to thy soule, that Christ as a Comforter is indeed come to thee, then strive so to walke, that he may never depart from thee. So a man may walk, that Christ as a Comforter may forsake his soule. David had wo­full experience of this truth, and so doubtlesse have many else of [Page 81]the godly. So a man may walke that Christ as a Comforter never depart frō him. But how should I thus walk, saith the comfor­ted soule, that I might enjoy this heaven below, till I come to that above, and so go from joy to joy; from joy unspeakable and full of glory, to joy that cannot enter into any mortall heart to conceive of?

To this I thus answer, Do not grieve Christ that is come to thee: Secondly, do all that thou canst to delight him, if thou would'st have him continually abide with thee. Doe not sit downe and rest, as one that hath a licence to be lazie, and as if all thy work were done, now thy Comforter is come to thee; this will grieve him, and quickly make him leave thee. Thou hast obtained Christ to come a Com­forter to thee, well: yet let mee [Page 82]tell thee as Moses did the Israe­lites, You are not (said he) as yet come to the rest, and to the inheri­tance which the Lord your God gi­veth you. So say I to thee O com­forted soule, thou art not yet come to those degrees of conso­lation, which thou mayest at­taine unto in this life, if thou continue to be thrifty. The joy of the Holy Ghost is a bottome­lesse Well, which thou canst ne­ver draw dry: and the more thou drawest, the fresher and sweet­er still shalt thou finde it. The joy of the Holy Ghost is no sur­feting thing, as some earthly sweets are: and therefore thou mayest safely say, Lord ever more give me of this bread: fill my soule with Flagons of this precious liquour: let thy love bee shead abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost: let my soule delight her selfe in this fatnesse.

[Page 83]Secondly, now Christ as a Comforter is come to thee, doe not wax wanton against him, this also will grieve him, and make him quickly forsake thy soule as a Comforter Let all the manifestations of thy com­fort be suitable to thy Comfor­ter; holy as he is holy; spirituall and heavenly, as he is. When yee are come into the good land, take heed that ye doe not forget the Lord (said Moses to Israel.) So say I to you that finde Christ with you as a Comforter, which are come to the fellowship of the Spirit, and to the participation of that transcendant comfort which is by him: take heed that you grow not giddy headed, and forget God and your selves. The waters of consolation are strong waters, and mans weake head and heart cannot beare much of them steadily, but are ready to [Page 84]reele to one side or other. When the clouds of heaven have well watered the Earth, then doe weeds as well as good hearbes spring apace: so when Christ by his Spirit, sweetly waters the soul w^th consolation, then levity and vanity, as well as Christian mirth and cheerfulnesse spring amaine; If a Christian bee not very watchfull over his soule, to pluck up such weedes by the rootes, as soone as they begin to shew themselves. I conclude this thus: thou that art comfor­ted by the Spirit, let not the ma­nifestations of thy comfort grieve the Spirit. This remem­ber, that Satan hath an art to bring evill out of the greatest good, as God hath an art to bring good out of the greatest evill: and therefore beg that thou mayest not be ignorant of any of his devices, nor unable [Page 85]to resist them, if thou would'st not loose thy Comforter.

Secondly, if thou would'st have thy Comforter to abide still with thee; as thou must not grieve him, so thou must doe all that thou canst to delight him. Let it be thy meat and drink to follow all the motions of the Spirit of Christ: whithersoever Christ would have thee go, or whatsoever Christ would have thee do, cheerefully obey him; this will delight thy Comforter exceedingly, and make him to rejoyce to continue with thee. If Christ say unto thee as to the Fishermen, Follow me: Mat. 4 19. do thou readily reply as the Scribe, Ma­ster, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. Mat. 8 19. This is to declare the genuine disposition of Christs people, which Christ is exceed­ingly taken withall. Christs people are a willing people in [Page 86]their obedience, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, &c. Psal. 110 3

2 Humbly and compassionate­ly tell disconsolate soules, what Christ hath done for thy soule: this will delight thy Comforter much, and make him rejoyce to continue with thee. Christ de­lights to see his children com­municative of the sweet meates which hee gives them. And therefore as Iael said to Barak, so do thou O comforted soule, to such as yet go mourning all the day long: Come (said she) and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. Iudg. 4.22. Come O sad soule, that canst not finde him whom thy soule loveth, I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest; the manner of his comming to my poore soule; and how long hee made me waite upon him, ere he would come to me; and how [Page 87]well hee hath now made mee a­mends for all his staying. And therfore Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgement is before him, therefore trust thou in him. Iob 35.14. For the vision is yet for an ap­pointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lye: though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Hab. 2.3. The more imparting of experiments of love wee are, to the glory of Christ, the more still will Christ graciously give us to our further comfort. And this indeed is Gods end in comforting some of his children, that they may bee able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort where­with they themselves are comforted of God: 2 Cor. 1.4. as the Apostle sweetly affirmes.

3 Thank Christ humbly and heartily for his comming to thee; if thou would [...]st have him [Page 88]abide still with thee. The Israe­lites when they came into the promised Land which flowed with milk and honey, they were to take the first of all the fruits of the Earth, and put them in a basket, and so present them to the Priest saying, viz. And now behold, I have brought the first fruits of the Land, which thou the Lord hast given me: thus were they to set their first fruits before the Lord, and to worship before him, as you may see at large.Deut. 26. Why you that enjoy Christ as a Comforter, you have received the first fruits of that good land, which Canaan typified, which flowes with Milke and Honey. Bring therefore these first fruits, and set them before God and worship: bring the sweet com­forts of the Holy Ghost in your hearts, before the Lord and say, Behold ô Christ, these and these [Page 89]are the sweet consolations of thy spirit: and loe for them all I humbly render praise to thy name. Such mighty enemies of my peace, hast thou conquered: such doubts which so long trou­bled me, hast thou answered: such wants which so long time kept mee exceeding low, hast thou supplyed: to thee O God be the glory of thine own good­nesse.

You have great cause thus to magnifie the Lord for his mer­cy, which finde Christ as a Com­forter come to you. You enjoy that blessing which exceedeth all outward blessings. The light of Gods countenance lifted up, upon a poore mourning soule, 'tis of farre greater value then Corne, Wine, Oyle; then Cor­rall, Rubies, or any choice thing that this world can afford. The naked revelation of Christ in the [Page 90]soule of man, is of more worth then all these, saith Solomon: the most glorious revelation of Christ then to the soule, which the soule of man is capable of in this life, must needs be of much more transcendant worth. You enjoy that blessing which ex­ceedeth many inward blessings. It exceedeth knowledge: for what is knowledge in the head, to the joy of the Holy Ghost in the heart? One beame of light in the understanding, is of more worth then all the Silver and Gold, Gemmes, and Jewels in the world; and yet one beame of the light of Gods counte­nance, shining upon the heart, though but by reflexion from the face of Jesus Christ, is of more worth then all knowledge which humane study can at­taine unto. I cannot say that this blessing, exceedeth the least sa­ving [Page 91]grace in the soule: but this I can safely say, that consolation 'tis the glosse and glory of every grace: every grace shines in its full lustre where the Comforter dwels. This I can further say, that you enjoy that blessing which makes Heaven a Heaven, and which makes Earth a Hea­ven to you: and therefore you have great reason to magnifie the Lord for his mercy. The more of Heaven we enjoy upon Earth, the more should we set our selves to doe the worke of them which are in Heaven, whilest on Earth.

4 Finally let Christs mediate comming to thee by his Spirit, make thee long earnestly for his immediate comming to thee in his owne person: this delights Christ, that his Spouse should say, Come, as the Spirit doth.Rev. 22.17 That shee should long for the [Page 92]wedding day, as he doth. When good old Simeon had imbraced the consolation of Israel, for which hee so long waited, hee then desired presently to be dis­solved: so thou that hast imbra­ced the consolation of Israel, should'st in a holy manner with Simeon, Iob, and Paul, desire to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ which is best of all. You whom Christ hath kissed with the kisses of his lips, should long earnestly to lye betweene his breasts all night; my meaning is, to have a full enjoyment of Christ. Thus have I done speak­ing to such, who can tell me that Christ as a Comforter is come to them.

In the next place I addresse my selfe to speak to such of the godly, who can tell me that they never yet found Christ as a Comforter come to them. Two [Page 93]or three things I have to say to you from this sweet doctrine. 1.First, I would have you to labour to beleeve this doctrine, that Christ will not leave you comfort­lesse, but will certainly (at last) come to you. Christ hath repeat­ed his promise, which is as a bond with many seales; and therefore thou hast just ground to beleeve, ô comfortlesse soule, that Christ will not leave thee com­fortlesse, but will come to thee.

Object.What just ground have I to beleeve, that Christ will come to me, seeing he is holy, and I am unholy: hee is glorious in holinesse, and I am abominable in sin and wickednesse, saith the weake comfortlesse soule.

Sol.Art thou more vile then Ma­nasseh? Christ came to him and comforted him. Art thou more muddie and earthy then Zache­us? Christ came to him and com­forted [Page 94]him. Art thou more di­velish then Mary Magdalen, out of whom were cast seven Devils? Christ came to her, and filled her soule with strong consolati­on. Why should'st not thou be­leeve, that Christ will come to thee too, and quiet and comfort thy mourning spirit?

Sol.But secondly I answer thus: viz. Christ doth not so much lock how thou art qualified, as at what hee hath promised: Christ hath promised hee will come to thee, and he is faithfull and will doe it. If thy soule were never so poore, never so blinde, never so wretched, never so na­ked, yet Christ having promised to come to thee, hee will make good his word; though he come backward, with a mantle to co­ver thy nakednesie, as Shem and Iaphet did to Noah. If thy soule were full of wounds; if thy soule [Page 95]were full of running putrifying sores; if thou wert as black with sin as an Ethiopian; if thou wert as spotted with sin as a Leopard; nay, if thy soule did stink with­in thee, as Lazarus body after ta­ken out of the Earth againe, yet Christ having promised to come to thee and comfort thee, he will doe it, though he hold his nose while hee bee comforting thy stinking nasty soule. Heaven and Earth shall passe away, but not a jot or tittle of Christs pro­mise shall faile. The voice of my Beloved, behold he commeth leaping upon the Mountaines, and skipping upon the Hils. Cant. 2.8. Though there bee mountaines and hils of sin in thy soule, yet Christ will come skip­ping over all these with com­fort to thy soule, rather then thou shalt be left comfortlesse.

Wherefore, O weake, com­fortlesse soule, say not of thy Sa­viour [Page 96]and Comforter as Balaam did, I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh. Num. 24.17. I shall see Christ come with a wit­nesse: nay with many thousand witnesses, at the great day, when every eye shall see him: but I shall not see him come to me now, in this soule dolour, as a Comfor­ter. I shall behold him perad­venture, as Moses beheld the Ho­ly Land, afar off: he will never come nigh my poore soule, to stay it with those comforts w^ch it needs. Cease, O weak soule, this incredulous language; and strive to beleeve, and this sweet promise I treat of shall be made good unto thee. No sinne so mighty to keepe thy Comforter from thee, as unbeliefe. Say then O mourning Christian to thy comfortlesse soule. Yet a lit­tle while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Heb. 10.37 He that [Page 97]hath said he will come as a Com­forter to thee, will come, and will satisfie thy soule with con­solation, as with marrow and fatnesse. Say to thy sad soule, with the Psalmist, My God will come, and will not keepe silence: he will speak consolation so plain­ly, that my ignorant soule shall understand; so powerfully, that my incredulous soule shall be­leeve, and owne her own mer­cies. Thou art now tossed and almost drowned, O my soule, with restlesse waves of misery; but the Spirit will move upon these waters; thou shalt see Christ comming towards thee, upon these troublesome waves anon, and say, be not afraid, it is I: I that have loved thee, and given my selfe for thee, and none shall pluck thee out of my hand.

Secondly, as I would have [Page 98]thee to strive firmely to beleeve this truth, so I would have thee endeavour patiently to waite the accomplishment of it. Be­leeve that Christ will come to thee, and waite patiently untill hee doe come. There is good ground why every soule should patiently waite for Christ, com­ming to him, whither we consi­der our selves which are to bee visited, or Christ our visitour. If thou O comfortlesse soule con­sider thy selfe which art to bee visited, there is great reason thou should'st waite patiently till Christ come to thee, how long soever he stay. First, thou art a creature, and Christ is thy Creator; and should not a crea­ture wait on his Creator? Thou art a servant, and Christ is thy Lord: and should not a servant waite on his Lord? Consider thee in thy highest relations, and [Page 99]they all call for waiting. Thou art a Sonne, and Christ is thy Fa­ther: and should not a Sonne wait on his Father? Thou art a Wife, and Christ is thy Hus­band: and should not a Wife wait on her Husband?

Secondly, consider that thou hast deserved, that Christ should never come to thee, and yet for [...]ll this, seeing hee will come to [...]hee, hast not thou just cause [...]o wait patiently till hee doe come, how long so ever it bee first? Before thy calling thou didst reject Christ; and since [...]hy calling, thou hast often grie­ved Christ; and hast not thou [...]hen deserved that Christ should never come to thee? Thou hast quenched many a sweet motion of the Spirit of Christ: thou hast [...]urned the deafe eare, to the sweet still voice that hath spo­ken behinde thee, times with­out [Page 100]out number, and so slighted the Spirit of Christ; and hast not thou then justly deserved, that Christ as a Comforter should never come to thee? yet seeing he will come, for all this unkind­nesse; hast not thou just cause to wait patiently for him, how long soever he stay? Thou hast many weekes, many moneths, nay many yeeres, gone along in a course of grieving Christ; and doest thou think much of wait­ing a few weeks, a few moneths, a few yeeres, for Christ to come to comfort thee?

Take this in another forme: thou didst make Christ wait a long time upon thee, ere thou wouldst let him abide with thee as a spirit of reformation: and is there not just cause then, that thou shouldst wait patiently a long time upon him, if he will have it so, ere hee abide with [Page 101]thee as a Spirit of consolation? how many knocks did Christ give at thy stubborne heart, ere thou wouldst open to him? how much dew of the night distilled upon his locks, ere thou wouldst give him house roome in thy heart? how many mercies? how many corrections, were all spilt upon thee, ere Christ could win thee to respect him? canst thou tell? if thou canst not, think not much, if Christ make thee shed a few teares, and breathe out a few groanes, ere he bring glad tydings of peace unto thee.

Secondly, if thou consider Christ thy visitour, there is all the reason that can be, that thou shouldst wait patiently, till hee come to thee. Christ will cer­tainly come to thee: Christ will come to thee at the fittest time: Christ will come richly when he doth come; which are all speci­all [Page 102]grounds of patience. Christ will certainly come to thee, O comfortlesse soule, though it may seeme to thee, something long first. Thou doest not wait for one that will not come at all, as the Turk waiteth for Mahomet: nay, thou doest not wait for one that will frivolously delay the time of his comming. Thou doest not wait for one that will deceive thee. Christ hath pro­mised to come to thee, and he is faithfull, and cannot deny him­selfe. There is two things in faithfulnesse: first, that a man should own what he hath said; & then secondly, that he should make it good. Now both these will Christ do: Christ will not eat his words, as we say: what he hath promised he will con­fesse, and will make good; what­soever labour or losse he be at to do it. Christ is not mutable as [Page 103]we are, to promise one thing to day, and recall it againe to mor­row: he is immutable and changeth not, therfore we are not consumed.

Thou doest not wait for one that will frivolously delay the time of his comming. Christ will not deale with thy comfortlesse soule, as those sorry ghests dealt with Christ, make excuses: one had bought a yoke of Oxen, and therefore could not come: an other a Farm, &c. Christ will not tell thee, as Abrahā Dives in hell, between thy soul & him is a great gulfe, so that there can be no in­tercourse between them. Nor, that from Heaven to Earth, is too long a journey for him to make: He will not tell thee, that the place where thy sick com­fortlesse soule lyes, is filthy, and altogether unfit for him to come to. Hee will not tell thee that thy soule is so far gone in griefe [Page 104]and desperate sorrow, that 'tis in vain for him to come to thee. Christ puts none of these de­layes upon any of his patients.

No, the ground why Christ stayes is, that hee may come at the fittest time; and then he will come with healing in his wings, if all the Devils in Hell should oppose him, which me thinks should be a satisfactory ground of patience, to any disconsolate soule. If a Physitian yet apply this and that for further evacua­tion, rather then cordials, as knowing the body not yet fit for cordials, will not any wise man submit patiently to his way? so if Christ for bear giving thy sick soule cordials, as hee that well knowes thy soule not fit yet, for such luscious things, wilt not thou with much thankfulnesse acknowledge his great care over thy soule, and with all patience [Page 105]waite his leasure? I patiently undergoe the paine of drawing plaisters, when I know my sore is not fit for healing: thus should it be in spirituall distres­ses: wee should patiently un­dergoe griefe and sorrow, un­till our soules bee fit for con­solation, and then we shall bee sure to have it.

Finally, bee sure of this, O mourning soule, that Christ will come richly, when hee doth come; and therefore methinkes thou should'st waite patiently for him: what Merchant but would waite patiently, the returne of his Ship in the longest voiage, if hee were sure that it would richly returne at last, Christ will come very richly furnished, with the comforts of the Holy Ghost, which are unspeakable and glorious, to your soules that mourne after [Page 106]him, and waite for him. What the Apostle once spake of him­selfe in relation to the Romans, that may I truely say of Christ, in relation to all that mourne after him And I am sure that when I come unto you, I shall come (saith he) in the fulnesse of the blessing of the Gospell of Christ. Rom 15.29. Christ I am sure O mourning soule, when he doth come unto thee, hee wilt come in the fulnesse of the blessing of the Holy Ghost: thou shalt have joy in the Holy Ghost unspeakable and glori­ous. Thou by long waiting art made a more vast Vessell, to hold the precious waters of consolation; and Christ by long staying doth (as I may say) the more furnish himselfe, with these waters of life, to refresh, fill, and satisfy thy thirsty soule, when he comes to thee. Christ will heale throughly thy bro­ken [Page 107]heart, and binde up all thy woundes: he will answer all thy doubts, and cleare all thy scruples: hee will quiet thy quarrelling conscience, and still thy complaining Spirit: he will fill thy sadde soule with joy and gladnesse, and thy dejected spirit with Songs of thankes gi­ving.

If these things, O mourning soule, will not make thee waite patiently, till thy Comforter come to thee, but thou wilt murmure and repine, and fall upon indirect wayes to get con­solation, know that by this practice thou wilt make thy condition more miserable, then at present it is. Thou wilt grieve him that should come as a com­forter to thee: and if thou by sinne make Christ grieve, how can Christ by his Spirit make thee rejoyce? and if thou set [Page 108]him a mourning that can onely comfort thee, by whom wilt thou bee comforted? Dost thou thinke to winne Christ to thee, by a dogged disposition? Christ may pitty, and cure thy hu­mours, but t'will never bee by consolation. He will bring thee to bee lowly and meeke ere thou shalt find rest to thy soule; hee will make thee willing to lye under his Feete; glad of crummes of comfort; and wil­ling to waite for them till Christ hath dined, and every Child served.

If thy corrupt soule hanker after the pleasure of sinne a­gaine, because Christ as a com­forter doth not come to thee, and thou bee resolved to picke and chuse, amongst all the sins thy soule knowes, to finde out one that thy soule most loves, to make a comforter to thee, as [Page 109]the Israelites in their dogged hu­mour made them a Captaine to returne to Aegypt againe, know this, that what sinne thou pitchest upon to make a com­forter, that sinne will Christ make a Divell to torture thee: Christ will make thee know by woefull experience that the sweetest sinne, is a bitter and miserable comforter: that the least sinne, is too great an evill, truly to comfort the soule: that to goe to the Divell for conso­lation, is to make faster hast for comfort, then good speed: that neither sinne, nor any thing in the world beside sin shall com­fort thy soule, when he him­selfe will not.

The last Instruction that I have to commend to thee, O comfortlesse soule, that did'st never yet finde Christ as a com­forter come to thee, is this, ob­serve [Page 110]how Christ comes, and do not put him off. Christ comes to comfortlesse soules with comfort, in a promise; as I have at large shewed you.Tis with many Christians in their mi­nority, as twas with Samuel, the [...] doe not know the voyce of the Lord, spea­king [...]n a promise, & therefore I thought good to note this last instru­ction. The promise Christ opens before the soule, that hee may see the blessing wrapt up in it, which he needes: and then often repeates it to the soule, that he may rely upon it: instances to illustrate this way of Christ, I have given you, things must not bee here againe repeated. That which here I would presse by way of application, is, that you which are comfortlesse soules, would observe this secret way of the comforter, and meet him. Art thou tempted? and dost thou now heare a sweet still voyce, as it were behind thee saying, My grace shall bee sufficient for thee? Why this is the voyce of thy beloved, that is come to [Page 111]thee, embrace what hee saith, rest upon it, turne not thy com­forter away now, by unbeliefe, and peevish pettish humours. Hast thou fallen into sinne, by the strength of temptation, and thine owne corruption? and dost thou heare such a sweete voyce behind thee as this, The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne? 1 Ioh 1.7. Why this is the language of thy beloved, hee is come to comfort thee, O mourning soule, doe not thrust him away by unkinde language of unbeliefe and passion. Heare what he saith, for it is sweete: strive to believe what he saith, for it is sure. As Isaac said unto Jacob his Sonne, after hee had had some discourse at a distance with him, Come neere now and kisse mee my Sonne: Gen. 27.26. So should such comfortlesse soules say to Christ, when they heare Christ [Page 112]speaking, as it were at a dist­ance, softly and coldly to them, the sweet promises of his word; come heere now, O my belo­ved, and kisse mee with these kisses of thy lippes for thy love is better then Wine: what thou sayest to my soule, say it with such life, that my heart may no longer be faithlesse, but believe, and give glory to thee. I have now done speaking to you, who never yet had the comforter come to you.

I come now in the last place to speake a word or two par­ticularly, to such of GODS people, who can tell mee that they have found Christ as a comforter come to them, but now have lost Him. Three things I have to say to these. First, labour to bee sensible of thy losse. Secondly, blame not Christ for departing from thee. [Page 113]Thirdly, use all holy meanes to get him to returne to thee againe. First I would have thee, O deserted soule, to labour to bee truly sensible of thy losse Though it bee that some are deeply sensible of this great losse, yet others are as deeply stupid, which moves mee to note this instruction. For a man to bee stupid and senselesse un­der corporall afflictions, argues a very ill temper of spirit; but for a man to bee stupid and senselesse under spirituall affli­ction, under such a spirituall affliction as this, the losse of the Sunne, the losse of Christ as a comforter, argues a very ill temper of spirit indeed. Strive therefore, O deserted stupid soule, to affect thine heart throughly with thy losse. Thou hast lost more then Iob: when hee had lost Children; [Page 114]substance, health, honours, and friends: nay thou hast lost more, then if thou hadst lost this World; nay, thou hast lost more then if thou hadst lost thy life, which is of more worth then the World: thou hast lost Christ, which is richer then this World, and sweeter then thy life. What an infinite losse were it to this World, to lose the Sunne? 'twere at once to loose all: Pereunte solep, ereunt omnia. for all things servicea­ble for the use of man, depend upon the motion and influ­ence of that glorious Body. What a losse then is it to the lesser World, to loose Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse? 'Tis to loose all good at once, for soule and body. All graces close and wither when Christ departs, as all fragrant flowers when the Sunne withdrawes his influence. And when [Page 115]these flowers wither in the soul, a man is a moving Dung-hill, that stinkes in the Nostrils of God and man, where ever hee comes. A man that hath lost Christ, may truely say as shee when the Arke was lost, that his glory is departed. As the Sunne is the glory of the grea­ter World: so Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse, is the glory of the lesser World, to wit, man.

Thou hast lost that in the world, that is more worth then the world, and which all the world can never helpe thee to. Thou hast lost that which would have made the worst condition in this life, a Heaven; whereas the best without it, is but a hell. Thou hast lost that which would have beene to thy soule, a continuall feast; where­as now thy soul is in a continual [Page 116]famine and leannesse. Thou hast lost thy spirits, and thy soule is in a dead Palsie, so that thou art a living dead man, fit for no spi­rituall service. Thou hast lost thy head, thou hast lost thy eyes, thou hast lost thy hands, thou hast lost thy feet, thou hast lost thy bread, thou hast lost thy cloathing; nay, thou hast lost thy best father, thy best husband, thy best friend; all this and much more comfort is Christ to man. Thou hast great reason then O deserted soule, to lay to heart thy losse.

2.Lay to heart thy losse, this is comely, but do not blame Christ for departing from thee, this is uncomely, and unrighteous. Un­comely; for it doth not suit with wisdomes children, to lay folly to their Maker. Unrighteous, for thou constrainst him to depart from thee, otherwise he had ne­ver [Page 117]left thee: thou didst sin again and again of weaknesse, and yet Christ as a Comforter did not depart from thee: untill thou be­ganst to take pleasure in unrigh­teousnesse, and to make sin a cu­stome, a right eye, a very service­able thing unto thee, Christ did not leave thee. Thou beganst to wax wanton against Christ, and then Christ cast thee off. Thou beganst to play the Apo­state, and to backslide in heart from Christ; and then he fell off from thee, and filled thee with thine owne wayes. Now these things seriously considered, hast thou any cause to blame Christ for departing from thee? It is a comely and a very righteous thing for Wisdomes children to justifie wisdome in all his waies, as to others, so to our selves. Wherefore thus do, O deserted soule; say, righteous art thou, [Page 118]O Christ in departing from me, and righteous mayst thou be, if thou never returne to me, so un­kindly have I dealt with thee.

3.Then set thy selfe seriously to the use of all holy meanes, whereby thou maist get thy Comforter to returne to thee. Examine thy soule throughly thou must, to finde out what evill deprived thee of so great a good; and in serious soule searching, God will speak to thy conscience, and conscience will speak plainly to thee, and tell thee wherein thou didst give distaste to thy Comforter, and what was the cause he forsook thy soule.

And when thou hast found out that evill, which conscience tels thee, deprived thee of so great a good, thou must fall ve­ry foule with it, how sweet so­ever it hath been unto thee. Thy [Page 119]great worke must be, to bring thy heart to a holy revenge upon this sin: to abhorre it, and thy selfe because of it: and to be­come very vile, as Iob saith, and very low in thine owne eyes. Bring thy heart to admire the infinite patience and mercy of God, that things are no worse with thy soule. That God had not cut thee off, in the acting of that sinne for which he deserted thee: that he hath left any place for repentance, and given the least desire to set about this work.

And when thou art come thus farre, possibly the light of Gods countenance may begin now and then, to glance into thy soul, as at some little cranny: or at least some more then ordina­ry lightsomnesse, may appear in thy dark dull soul, as there doth in the dark morning, some space [Page 120]of time before the Sun appears, that had left this Horizon. Now this beame of light, or this little lightsomenesse of soule, thou must much admire; and ac­knowledge an unfathomed depth of love in it; that God should so much as once stoope, to cast an eye after thee more, to give thy soule the least refresh­ing, that did abuse flagons of love.

By this glimpse of light, or glimmering light, you are to strengthen your faith, in the be­liefe of this, that light will more and more appeare, as the light of the morning unto the perfect day: and so consequently to fol­low God with so much the more fervency of prayer, for the re­turne of his wonted kindnesse. To­seph, you know, carried himselfe very roughly to his brethren which had abused him, for some [Page 121]space of time; and put them in great feare of the losse of their lives; told them they were Spies, and many harsh words he gave them, and harsh looks: but at last, when his Brethren had brought to him Benjamin, and discoursed a while, Iosephs bow­els began to work, and he could no longer with-hold his bro­therly love, Come neare to me. I pray you, I am Ioseph your brother, &c. Gen. 45.4. Thus Christ our elder Bro­ther deales with us, who do un­kindly & unbrotherly use him: he will handle us very roughly, and put us in fear of the losse of our best lives: he will make our consciences speake bitter things against us; and let loose the De­vill to tell us that we are Spies, hypocrites, and false friends to Christ: in this distracted, af­frighted, perplexed state, hee may hold us many dayes, many [Page 122]weeks, many moneths; but hee cannot hold in his brotherly love alwayes, if wee patiently beare his frownes, and kindly intreat him, and bring Benjamin to him, his own blood and me­rits; this will make his bowels worke, and make him unmask himselfe and say, come neare to me, O mourning soules, tossed and not comforted; I am Christ your elder brother, whom yee unkindly used: in a little wrath I hid my face from you, but now with everlasting kindnesse will I em­brace you.

THis Text is Pauls sweet affectionate farwell to Timo­thy. Many grave and gracious in­structions Paul had given Ti­mothy; [Page 124]but 'tis not so much what man saith to the eare, as as what Christ saith to the heart that workes effectually, to set man about his duty; and there­fore doth Paul in the conclusion of all his Christian counsell to Timothy pathetically pray, That the Lord Iesus Christ would be with his Spirit.

The best teaching of man, is but as water spilt on the ground, unlesse Christ inward­ly teach the spirit. If I am taught my duty by a Paul, one in gifts not inferiour to the chiefest Apostles, yet unlesse Christ bee with my spirit, to make things take roote there; all will die and wither, like good seed cast into bad ground. And therefore Paul saw it but needfull, as to teach the eare, so to intreate the Lord to teach and strengthen the spirit. The [Page 125]Lord Iesus Christ bee with thy Spirit.

There is a great distance (you know) betweene the eare and the heart: it is an easie thing for man to bring home things unto the one, but no lesse then the Al-mighty power of Christ, will bring home things unto the other. There is an incom­parable hardnesse, upon the heart of man naturally: it is harder then an Adamant: now though a child with his little finger, may make a dint upon dow, yet a Gyant with all his strength, cannot make dints upon an Adamant; much lesse can all created strength, make divine impressions upon the spirit of man; and therefore it is, that Paul doth implore an Al­mighty strength to doe this, The Lord Iesus Christ bee with thy Spirit.

[Page 126]Why doth not Paul here, wish riches and honours & pleasures unto Timothy? Is the bare pre­sence of Christ with a mans spi­rit such a blessing?

To this I answer, riches and honours, &c. they are bona, but not optima: good things, but not the best things. Earthly things though good in them­selves, yet are no further forth good to mee, then as the Lord Jesus Christ is with my spirit, to guide it to use them; and there­fore Paul as one truly wise, prayed for the prime good for Timothy; for that good which makes all other things worke together for good, to wit, That the Lord Iesus Christ would bee with his Spirit. The point I intend to stand on, is this, That to have the Lord Iesus Christ with our spirits, is a prime and princi­pall blessing. Paul here wish­eth [Page 127]it to Timothy, as a cardinall blessing, The Lord Iesus Christ bee with thy spirit.

Enucleatio propositionis To have Christ with our spirits, &c. How can Christ bee pre­sent with man upon Earth, who is now ascended, and sitteth at the right Hand of his Father in Heaven?

The Apostle doth hint an answer to this question, in the forme of his Prayer, if you observe it. The Lord Iesus Christ saith hee, be with thy spirit. Hee speakes of such a presence, as will fitly yeeld Communion and fellowship, to the spirit of man. There is a double presence of Christ with man, corporall and spirituall joyntly; or meer­ly spirituall. With just men made perfect in glory, Christ is corporally present; they be­hold his wounded Body made a glorious Body, as a continuall [Page 128]assurance of the Resurrection of their owne vile bodies, unto the same similitude. And with them Christ is present, spiritu­ally filling them with those joyes, the tast of which upon Earth, is called unspeakable and full of glory. Of this communi­on speakes Christ himselfe. I in them, and thou in mee, that they may bee made perfect in one. Iohn 17.23 As the soule is tota in toto, & tota in qualibet parte: accor­ding to the whole, in that whole which is lesse noble then it selfe: according to the whole, that is, according to that full force and energy which the soule hath, it actuates and organizeth, every member of the body, the least as well as the greatest; So Christ in the mysticall body of Saints glorified, is as I may say, Totus in toto, & totus in qualibet parte. Whole Christ, [Page 129]doth wholy exercise dominion in every glorified soule; hence it is, that all such souls, are whol­ly holy, and wholy happy; that is perfectly holy, and perfectly happy, for as much as Christ who is the fulnesse of his Fa­thers glory, is fully present with them.

Secondly, there is a presence of Christ with man, meerly spi­rituall; that is, such a presence, as whereby not the person, but the providence of Christ may bee seene. Such a presence as superiora have with inferiora, not a contiguall, but a vertuall presence; a presence of influ­ence and governance, as the Sunne hath with us, by his rayes and beames. And this presence is either commune or speciall.

The Commune presence of Christ with man, is that wherby [Page 130]man is upheld and guided, ac­cording to the being of a ratio­nall creature. Of this presence of Christ with man, speakes the Apostle, that they should seeke the Lord, if happily they might feele after him and sinde him, though hee bee not farre from e­very one of us, for in him we live, move, and have our being. Acts 17.27.28. Christ as an upholder of each creature, is not far from every one of us; that is, hee is still present with us thus, and with all Nations of men, which hee hath made of one bloud, to dwell upon the face of the Earth. This presence of Christ with man therefore, can­not properly bee called a prime and principall blessing, a choise and speciall favour, because it is Commune to man-kinde in generall; yea Commune to all Creatures below man; for God is with all the workes of his [Page 131]Handes, to uphold every Crea­ture according to its proper species.

Secondly, there is a speciall presence of Christ with man which is that efficacious work­ing, of the Spirit of Christ in the spirit of man, whereby it is made one spirit, with the Spirit of Christ, in willing and nilling, according to that of the A­postle, Hee that is joyned to the Lord, is one spirit.

There is a speciall presence of Christ, with the bodies of men, for the good of them; which the Psalmist intimates where hee saith, that hee knowes our frame, and remembers that wee are but dust: and that the Angells of the Lord pitch their Tents about the righteous. And Iacob found the truth of this by experience, when hee fled before Esan, and slept so sweet­ly [Page 132]upon a stone. But this ten­der and speciall presence and providence of Christ, respecting the outward man, is compre­hended under the other, which respects the inward man, as quid minus sub majori, a lesse blessing under a greater. For if God bee in a speciall man­ner present with my spirit, to guide and order that unto all Holy wayes, my spirit will command my body to walke in them too; and so consequent­ly Christ cannot chuse, but be tenderly present with my body also, for the good of that, whilst every member thereof, is actuated by a spirit of his owne ordering, to his owne honour, as weapons of Righteousnesse. And therefore doth Paul (pithily to speake much in few) silent­ly passe over that, which is ne­cessarily presupposed, praying [Page 133]that Christ would bee with Ti­mothies spirit, and then he was sure, Christ would bee after a speciall manner present, with his body too, for the good of that. The Lord Iesus Christ bee with thy spirit. That is, the Lord Iesus Christ exercise a speciall do­minion in thy spirit, for the guid­ing and ordering of it, unto the avoyding of all evill, and to the performing of all good, whereby Christ may have all the glory, due to his Name.

Now that thus to have Christ present with a mans spirit, is a prime and principall blessing, I will plainely demonstrate to you, by a triple argument ab effectu.

Thus to have Christ present with our spirits, is the ready way to all temporall, spirituall, and eternall good: and there­fore must needes bee a prime [Page 134]and principall blessing. Thus to have Christ present with a mans spirit, is the ready way un­to all temporall good. Men whose spirits, Christ doth after a speciall manner order, to a­void sinne, and to keepe them­selves pure, as Paul here useth the expression to Timothy, all temporall good things, so farre forth as may be good for them, belong unto them by promise; For godlinesse hath the promise of this life. It shall come to passe saith the Lord, if you walke in my wayes, that I will blesse you in the fruite of the Wombe, in the fruit of the Field, in the basket and store, &c. If you walke in my wayes I will doe this, &c. Why, they with whose spirits Christ is after a speciall manner present, this is their high way (as Salomon saith) to depart from evill: that is, this is their daily endevour, to [Page 135]walke in all the wayes of the Lord; and so consequently, all temporall good of right be­longs unto them.

But you will say, how is it then, that those with whose spirits Christ is most present, to make most tender for his ho­nour, have usually least of all temporall good things?

To this the answer is easie and manifold. Men with whose spirits Christ is most present, to make them most tender to a­voide sinne, and to keepe them­selves pure [...], these the Divell doth most of all maligne, and sets his limmes to spoile them of their goods, as the Author to the Hebrewes saith, to keepe them from that, which Christ would have them advanced to, or else to strip them of that, which Christ hath conferred on them, by imprisonment, banishment [Page 136]and the like; and so make such live in Dens, and Holes, and Caves of the Earth; to wander in Deserts and Wildernesses, wearing Sheeps-skins, and Goates-skins, of whom the World is not worthy. Where a spirit of malice and confusion rules, tis no marvell to see ser­vants set on horse-back, and Princes goe on foote.

Secondly, men with whose spirit Christ is after a speciall manner present, he takes special notice to what evill the spirit is most enclined, & so answerably gives of these outward things unto them. A wise Father hath his eye upon the disposition of his child, and to what exorbi­tancy he finds him enclined, he labours to prevent all occasions to it, and so keeps his child short of what hee could otherwise liberally allow him. And thus [Page 137]'tis with our heavenly Father, respecting his children: he eyes strictly their spirits, and if he see them inclined to pride, cove­tousnesse, or any other scanda­lous vice, hee shortens them in that, which may foment these. At this (I thinke) Iames may point, where he saith, Let the rich rejoyce in that he is made low. Iames 1.10 God out of tender love to his children, oft times makes them poore in purse, that they may become poore in spirit, and so capable of the Kingdome of Heaven. Which rightly weigh­ed, is not matter of sorrow, but matter of joy, as Iames saith.

Thirdly, those with whose spirits Christ is after a speciall manner present, to guide them to walke in his wayes, and to keepe themselves pure, Christ doth prove them by poverty, as by other things; and hence it [Page 138]may come to passe, that Christi­ans very holy, may yet notwith­standing be very destitute of the things of this life. Thus you know the Lord dealt with Iob. Christ was after a speciall man­ner present with his Spirit, to guide him to walke uprightly above many in his time; now to make knowne this to the world, to his own glory, and Iobs eter­nall honour, he stript Iob of all, and set him upon a dunghill, who before sat with the chiefest in seats of honour. God will have the world know, that those with whose spirits hee is after a special manner present, to guide and order them, are not as those with whose spirits the devill is in a speciall manner present, to guide and order; to wit, such as will winde and turne every way when put to it.

Lastly, those with whose spi­rits [Page 139]Christ is after a speciall manner present, they desire but little of the things of this life; and therefore 'tis no marvell, to see Christians very holy, yet not very wealthy. Christians with whose spirit Christ is after a spe­ciall manner present, they only desire daily bread; Agurs porti­on, food convenient; and this the Lord gives them, and with this they are contented, which is the only wealthy estate. Chri­stians, with whose spirit Christ is after a speciall manner pre­sent, they hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, not after riches in the world: they covet the best gifts, the unsearchable riches of Christ, and not the fading riches of this life. Now Christ applyes himselfe, to be most liberall in the distribution of that, which the spirits of men most bend af­ter; in mercy, or in justice. Chri­stians [Page 140]whose spirits most strong­ly bend after grace, to these Christ in mercy doth most bountifully apply himselfe, to give grace; according to that of Christ, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, for they shall bee filled. Christians whose spirits most strongly bend after worldly riches, to these oft times Christ in justice most liberally applies himselfe to give those, according to that of the Psalmist, Whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure. Psal. 17.14 Accor­ding likewise to that of Solomon, There is a sore evill which I have seene under the Sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. Eccl. 5.13. The objection being thus answered, the argument is still of force. That to have Christ with our spirits, is the way to all temporall good, and so conse­quently, a prime and principall blessing.

[Page 141]But that I may yet more fully speak in this argument, note that temporall good, is either posi­tive, or privative; (if I may for illustrations sake so distinguish.) Temporall good in a positive sense, is that secular thing, which is in it selfe good; as bread and cloathing, and the like, of which we have already spoken.

Temporall good privatively so called, is affliction ordered to a mans good, which in it selfe is not so. Now all those with whose spirits Christ is present, are partakers of this temporall good. All outward losses and crosses, tend to their inward gaine, because Christ is with their spirits. For all outward troubles, are heavier or lighter, more hurtfull or more profita­ble still to a man, as Christ is pleased to order his Spirit under them. A little outward trouble, [Page 142]if Christ let it seize upon a mans spirit, he quickly sinks and dyes under his burthen, according to that of the Apostle, worldly sor­row causeth death. The losse of a wife or husband; nay the losse of a child or friend; nay the losse of the least outward content, if Christ stand aloofe from a mans spirit, and let it fasten upon him, hee will soone languish, and bleed inwardly to death; where­as all outward afflictions, meet­ing together upon the outward man, if Christ be with the spirit, to support and beare up that, a Christian sweetly submits, and keeps on his way, according to that of the Apostle, Rejoycing in hope, patient in tribulation, conti­nuing instant in prayer. Rom. 12.12 Now Christ tenderly watches, when outward troubles begin to take hold of that Spirit, with whom he is specially present, and then [Page 143]he quickly releeves and eases it; and not only so, but sanctifies it, to the drawing of such a spirit nearer to God in love; accord­ing to that of David, I love the Lord, because hee hath heard my voice, and my supplications, be­cause he hath inclined his eare unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. Psal. 116.1,2. Adde this to the former, that to have Christ with our spirits, is the ready way to all temporall good, whether positive, or privative; and you must needs grant it to be a prime and principall blessing.

Secondly, those with whose spirits Christ is specially present, are in the ready way to all spi­rituall good; and therefore thus to have Christ present with our spirits, must needs be counted a prime and principall blessing. Christ is the Author and worker of all grace; and therefore such [Page 144]spirits must needs be very graci­ous with whom Christ is. The places are holy whereunto the Ark of the Lord hath come, saith Solomon. 2 Chron. 8.11. I may truly say it of Christ, which the Ark typified. The Spirits are holy with whom Christ is, and where holy Christ comes. They are at the Well-head for holinesse, which have holy Christ with their spirits.

They that have Christ with their spirits, are in the ready way to the very heigth of hea­venly wisdome; for there is no such teacher of wisdome as Christ is. With him are all the treasures of wisdome. He that lyes in thy bosome, teaching thee wisdome secretly, came out of the very bosome of the Almighty, & knowes all things; and he gives such an unction to that Spirit w^ch he teaches, that he makes it know and discerne all things too.

[Page 145]They that have Christ with their spirits, are in the ready way to the very height of love, which is the glory of all graces, in the sight of God and man; for there is no such worker and winner of love, as Christ is. If he doe but put in his finger by the hole of the dore, hee will make a mans bowels melt after him. If hee doe but reveale his love to our spirits a little, our spirits grow sick of love unto him. He will wound us with one of his eyes; so full of beauty is he. Let a mans spirit bee never so cold, yet if Christ be with it, hee is in the ready way to burne with love to Christ, as strong as death, which many waters cannot quench.

They that have Christ with their spirits, are in the ready way to the very heigth of joy & consolation: they are in the rea­dy [Page 146]way to joy unspeakable and full of glory. These things have I spoken unto you, that your joy may be full, said Christ to his Disciples. Christ speaks such things to the spirits of those with whom hee is present, as fils their spirits with joy, to the very brim; and this oft times in the very depth of all outward extremity. The Church doth darkly hint this. The Comforter which should relieve my soule is far from me. Lam. 1.16. As if the Church had said, though my outward misery bee exceeding great, yet if the Comforter did but keepe close to my spirit, I should have as much consolati­on as my heart could hold, in the midst of all my misery; but this is my misery of miseries, that the Comforter w^ch should relieve my soule is far from me: out of the hearing of sighes and groanes: nay out of the hearing [Page 147]of strong cryes; he is angry against my prayers. In a word a Christi­an which hath Christ with his spirit, is in the ready way to ex­cell in vertue, as David sayes: to excell in all vertue; to be wiser then his teachers; more excel­lent in all grace, then his neigh­bours. And therefore, to have Christ present with our spirits, must needs be counted and cal­led, A prime and principall bles­sing.

Lastly, to have Christ with our spirits, is the ready way unto eternall good; and therefore a prime and principall blessing. As a stone carries with it, what­soever light thing be fastned to it, unto its own center; so Christ whose proper place of residence is Heaven, carries with him thi­ther, all such spirits as to whom he is united on earth. If we have a speciall friend at Court, wee [Page 148]count that wee are in a ready way to see all the pompe of the Prince. Christ hath the Keyes of Heaven and Hell; hee opens and no man shuts; shuts, and no man can open: all with whose spirits he hath dwelt, and beene kindly used upon earth, hee knowes; and when they shall knock at those everlasting gates, hee will open and let them in to every roome in his royall dwel­ling, and shew them all the glo­ry which he had with his Father before the world was. 'Tis be­tweene Christ and that spirit with whom he lives, as between Naomi and Ruth: where the one lives the other will. Whilest such spirits live in the body, Christ will live with them there; when they remove out of the body, Christ will not leave them (death cannot separate) but commands his Angels, to bring them to [Page 149]eternall mansions, with himself. Christ which is lifted up to glo­ry himselfe, will draw all such unto him, as in whose spirits he dwels, and no strength shall bee able to withstand him; none shall pluck such out of his hand. Ʋnio cum Christo, est unio inuni­bilis.

If to have Christ with our spi­rits bee a grand favour, not to have him with our spirits, must needs be a grand evill. A spirit without Christ is naked, as a bo­dy without cloathes. Many things may make cloathing and defence for the body, but only Christ that best garment, as the Father of the Prodigall cals him, can make cloathing and munition for the soule. A mans spirit without Christ is as a naked body amongst thorns, every thorne pierceth, and eve­ry bryer scratcheth, and fetch­eth [Page 150]blood from such a body; so worldly cares and worldly fears, when strong, will pierce such a naked spirit thorow and tho­row, and make him runne mad, if God (unsought) do not seaso­nably step in and bridle the Bed­lam. A mans spirit without Christ, is as a naked body a­mongst Serpents; every Serpent stings and venomes such a na­ked body to death; so every seed of the Serpent stings and poy­sons to death, such naked soules, by their threatnings, flatteries, examples, and the like. A mans spirit without Christ, is as a na­ked body in great blasts of light­ning; such bodies are suddenly scorcht and consumed; so such naked soules are suddenly blast­ed, by the fiery darts of the De­vill, and so suddenly oft times goe from burning to burning; from burning in sin, to burning in hell.

[Page 151]A mans spirit without Christ is not only naked, but blind too. A naked man having his sight, may make some shift, but a man naked and blind too, is in a miserable helpelesse state in­deed: and just such is the state and condition of every mans spirit, that hath not Christ with it: for as the Sunne in the Hea­vens, is the eye and light of the greater World; so the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ, is the eye & light of the lesser world, man. Now doe but imagine what a darke dolorous condi­tion wee should all bee in, if the Sunne were darkned, or had utterly forsaken our Horizon; or doe but thinke of that dark­nesse, which was upon the Aegyptians for a little time, when no man could stirre out of his place; and such and much worse is the darke dolorous conditi­on, [Page 352]of a spirit without Christ; not able to see the least beame of saving light; not able to stir a steppe out of his place, in the way that leads to life.

A mans spirit without Christ is not onely blind, but dumme too. A man that is blind, yet if he can speake, can begge for that which hee cannot see to worke. But when a man is blind, and dumme too; that hee can neither helpe himselfe, nor beg others, hee is in a dolefull con­dition indeed; and just such is the condition of every mans spi­rit, that hath not Christ with it. For as Christ is Eyes to the soule, so hee is a Mouth and Tongue, enabling it to cry Abba Father. Unlesse the spirit of Christ be with our spirits, help­ing our infirmities, who are god­ly; we are dumme, and not able to speake to our owne Father, [Page 153]as adopted children, for daily Bread; much more unable to begge for life, to the dreadfull Judge of all the World, must all ungodly persons needes bee, whose spirits are altogether without Christ, as an helper. I would have all men that live in their sinnes, thinke seriously of this; when Christ as the dread­full Judge of all the World, at the great day shall aske you, what you have to say for your selves, that you should not e­ternally die for your sinnes, in which you have lived, you will bee like that man which was without his wedding garment, dumme and not able to say a word for your selves, because Christ is not with your spirits. 'Tis impossible that a mans own guilty spirit, should bee able to looke the terrible judge of men and divells in the face, much [Page 154]lesse speake a word for mercy, unlesse the Al-mighty spirit of Christ be with it, to aid it. Many ignorant wretches, sooth them­selves with this, that they will at last cry, Lord Lord, and so prevaile quickly for pardon, with him who is infinite in mer­cy. Why, but thinke on this O ignorant soule! No man can call Iesus Lord but by the Holy-Ghost. Thou wilt not in thy greatest need, bee able to cry Lord Lord, unlesse the Lord bee with thy spirit. Death will sting thee, conscience will gnaw thee, Christ will condemne thee, Divels will teare thee; and yet wilt not thou bee able to cry, Lord, Lord, have mercy on me, unlesse the Lord bee with thy spirit: but instead of crying Lord, Lord, for mercy, thou wilt burne in malice against the Lord, and curse and blaspheme [Page 155]as Divels and damned wretches doe. Hast thou never seene con­demned wretches, not onely dumme, but withall desperate too, and leape off the ladder themselves, without either ask­ing God or man forgivenesse? thus in a spirituall sense, and much worse, wilt thou doe in the great day of judgement, for as much as Christ is not with thy spirit.

Fourthly, a mans spirit with­out Christ, is not onely blind and dumme, but deafe too. And if a man bee blind and dumme, yet if hee can heare, hee may make some shift to help him­selfe: wee follow a thing (you know) sometimes by the sound, when wee cannot see it, nor speake what it is: but when a man is naked, blind, dumme, and deafe too, hee is in a help­lesse condition indeed; and just [Page 156]such is the state of a mans spirit without Christ. For Christ as hee is Eyes and Tongue, so hee is eares also to the soule of man. Hence it is that Iohn speakes so frequently of spirituall hearing, after a Hypotheticall manner: Hee that hath an eare, &c. That is, if any man have spirituall dis­cerning, let him heare what the spirit saith to the Churches. In­timating that a spirituall eare, is a very rare thing to bee found; that which no man hath, but hee which hath Christ with his Spirit; that hath had his eares boared by the Spirit of Christ, as the Scripture speakes; all others are as deafe as Adders, and can­not heare the voyce of the charmer, charme hee never so wisely. I would have all that live in their sinnes, seriously consider this too, as a further degree of unhappinesse. You [Page 157]tell us that you will turne from your sinnes hereafter, and obey the call of God in the Ministry of his Word: but let mee aske you this; have you not hither unto turned the deafe eare upon God? yes: I and so you will doe for the time to come; and the reason of both, the same; because Christ is not with your spirits. Let mercies call, corrections call; let friends call, father call, mother call; husband call, wife call; let Mi­nisters call, conscience call; nay let Christ himselfe call, in what voyce hee will, still voyce, or lowd voyce, in words never so pleasing, or never so piercing, yet wilt not thou heare; because Christ is not with thy spirit; but with Salomons foole, wilt on in thy sins, and bee eternally pu­nished.

Fifthly, a mans spirit without [Page 158]Christ, is without feeling; in a dead Palsie all over, which how dolorous such a state is, in a cor­porall sense, you know; much more dolorous in a spirituall sense, I am sure. As the spirit of man can neither see, speake nor heare, so neither can it feele, without the spirit of Christ. The spirit of man without the spirit of God, is dead. Christ is to our spirits, as our spirits are unto our bodies, their life; and life is the principle of feeling: for the dead feele nothing. When Christ which is our [life] shall appeare, &c. Where there is no Christ, there is no life; and where there is no life, there is no feeling. You know the Apostle speakes of some that were past feeling, ha­ving given themselves over to las­civiousnesse, to worke all unclean­nesse with greedinesse. Ephes. 4.9. There the Apostle speakes of such a sense­lessenesse, [Page 159]as lyes upon the soule by a second act of divine justice. All humane spirits by the first act of divine justice upon Adam, are naturally past feeling, and would give up themselves unto all wickednesse with greedi­nesse, did not God restraine. To bee past feeling in this latter sense, notes principally a want of divine affection; when sinne doth not kindly affect the soule with sorrow; as in the former sense, when sinne doth not at all affect the soule with sorrow: when holy wayes and works do not kindly affect the soule with joy; as in the other sense, when they do not affect the soul with joy at all; but rather disturbe and provoke to passion and ma­lice.

I would have all that live in their sins, seriously think on this also, as a further degree of un­happinesse. [Page 160]You have heard ma­ny powerfull Sermons, w^ch you have seene work admirably up­on others, & yet they have made no impressions upō your spirits; & many hundred more may you heare, and no divine impressi­on at last be made; and the rea­son of both, one and the same; because Christ is not with your spirits; and by reason of this, your hearts are as Adamants, which every stroke hardens, but not breaks it. Let the master smite and the man smite; let God smite, and his Ministers smite, and conscience smite; nay, let every member of the body bee smitten with punish­ment, to affect the soule with sin, yet will it not stir and com­plaine, unlesse Christ be with it.

Finally a mans spirit without Christ, is without tasting or smelling: to these senses also [Page 161](you know) the Scripture doth allude, and therefore fitly here may, I to set forth fully, the un­happy condition of every spirit without Christ. You know the Apostle speaks of some, that sa­voured not the things of God; which is a terme applyed in Scripture, to the sense of smel­ling as well as to the sense of tasting, and therefore for brevi­ty sake do I here joyne both sen­ses together, in a spiritull way of allusion. Why all that have not Christ with their spirits, are such as cannot rightly savour spi­rituall things; such put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.

I would have all you that live in your sins, seriously thinke on this too, as a further degree of unhappinesse. You come oft times to Wisdomes house, and though shee prepare you all spi­rituall dainties, yet you can re­lish [Page 162]nothing, but some by things, that lye about the dish, rather for ornament, thē for food. And would you know the reason of this? 'tis because Christ is not with your spirits. If Christ were with you, you wold feed on eve­ry dish at wisdomes table, on promises, yea & on threatnings too: To the hungry soule, every bitter thing is sweet, saith Solo­mon. All that is good and whole­some goes downe well, where Christ is with the Spirit. You come frequently to Wisdomes house, who keeps a Table here and 'twere for a King, and yet you have leane shrivel'd soules, like men in a Consumption: eve­ry one tels you, that you look as if you were starved, speak and live, as if you never heard a good Sermon from yeares end, to yeares end: they tell you that you are so leane and feeble, that [Page 163]you need the benefit of all the spirits, that every dish at wisdoms table can yeeld, to strengthen you, and recover you, and yet every dish almost goes against your stomacks; and that you doe eat, is without savour or any o­ther vertue, and so you languish with al dainties before you; and thus you will goe on languish­ing, untill you quite consume & perish eternally, unlesse Christ be with your spirits.

You see (I suppose) plainly by this time, that as it is a prime and principall happinesse to have Christ with our spirits, so it is a prime and principall evill and unhappines, not to have Christ with our spirits. Wherefore ha­ving laid open both before you, let mee entreat you all to looke in upon your spirits, and see who keeps company with them, Christ or the divell; one of these [Page 164]two is with all our spirits. If Christ bee not with our spirits, the divellis and wil be. If Christ be with your spirits, according to the sense and meaning of the Apostle in my text, you shall find it by these two things, the body is dead because of sin; and the spirit is life because of righteousnes. 'Tis Pauls Character of Christs speciall presence in the soule of man upon earth, and therefore of strong authority. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sinne, but the spirit is life be­cause of Righteousnesse. Rom. 8.10 The body is dead because of sinne: that is, the body of corruption is destroyed, as in respect of the guilt of it, so in respect of the dominion of it. And the spirit is life because of righteousnesse: that is, the regenerate part is vige­rous, in reference to all righte­ous wayes.

[Page 165]And if therefore you would know whether Christ bee with your spirits, see whether your bodies bee dead because of sin: whether you labour to bring e­very thought into subjection to Christ; or whether you doe not allow your selves liberty to some evill, out of love to some plea­sure or profit; which is that prin­cipally, wherein the dominion of sinne consisteth; as Paul hints unto us, where he saith, the evill which I doe, I allow not. That is, I doe not approve of it in my heart, nor plead for it with my tongue; but strive against it with all my strength; and it would be more joy to me, to be rid of it, then if I had a King­dome conferred on me. This is the language right, of one that hath Christ with his spirit.

Secondly, see whether your spirits be alive because of righteous­nesse, [Page 166]if you would know whe­ther Christ be with your spirits, or not. See whether holy wayes doe heartily affect you. I re­joyced when they said, come let us goe to the house of the Lord, saith the Psalmist. He spake like a man, having Christ indeed with his spirit: his spirit leapt within him, like the Babe in Elizabeths Wombe, when they spake of drawing neere to God, in the duties of his worship. A Christian that hath Christ with his spirit, sees a taking transcen­dant beauty in all wisedomes wayes; they are all wayes of plea­sure, and pathes of peace; which is spoken in reference to such as have Christ with their spirits: for others finde no such thing in them. And his spirit opens in them like flowers in the Sunne, and smelles fragrantly: he bends and cleaves to them, in love to [Page 167]that soule sweetnesse, which he findes in them. And if you finde these things in you, I thinke I may safely tell you to your comfort, that Christ is with your spirits.

I may turne this Character into another forme, as Paul doth, and tell you in his words, that hee which is joyned to the Lord is one spirit. 1 Cor. 6.17. They that have Christ with their spirits, are one spirit with Christ. This ex­pression (I conceive) is some­thing explained by these follow­ing words; And the multitude of them that believed, were of one heart and one soule: 4 Acts v. 32. or as the ori­ginall hath it [...] heart and soule one. They that have Christ with their spirits, are heart and soule one with Christ. They doe idem velle & idem nolle. What Christ loves, they love; and what Christ hates [Page 168]they hate. Christ loves righte­ousnesse, and hates iniquity: Thou hast loved righteousnesse and hated iniquity, &c. Psal. 45.7. They that have Christ with their spi­rits, are heart and soule one with Christ in this. They love righte­ousnesse, that is, all righteous wayes: and hate iniquity; that is all that Gods Word con­demnes. 'Twas Christs meate and drinke, to doe his Fathers Will; they that have Christ with their spirits, are one spirit with Christ in this: 'Tis joy to the just to doe judgement, saith Sa­lomon. Christ was tender about keeping the least Commande­ment,, as well as about keeping the greatest. Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandements, and teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of Hea­ven. Mat. 5.19 They that have Christ with their spirits, are heart and soule [Page 169]one with Christ in this; they are tender to keepe all Gods Com­mandements, least, as well as greatest. So shall I not be confoun­ded, whil'st I have refpect unto all thy Commandements, saith David. I doe conceive the place fore­cited so, as if Christ did account of one part of his Fathers wil a­bove another: I rather thinke that hee there speakes Pharisaeo­rum more, in the Pharises dia­lect, who would make the world believe, that they mightily la­boured to keepe some precepts, but others they thought, as many of us now doe, that they need not to bee so strict about. Now Christs tender Spirit for his Fathers honour, could not brooke this halting in religion; and they that have Christ with their spirits, are heart and soule one with Christ in this. That Commandement which the [Page 170]most say is one of the least, and may be dispensed with all; or at least need not bee so strictly look't unto; that, as well as any other, whil'st a precious part of Christs will, a man that hath Christ with his spirit, will bee tender to observe. Davids spirit smote him, for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment, as wel as for cut­ting off the life of Ʋrijah: which plainly shewes, that men which have Christ with their spirits, are tender about the avoiding of small sins, as well as great.

Now possibly some of you by what hath beene said, may see, that as yet you have not Christ with your spirits; I shall addresse my selfe in the first place, par­ticularly to speake to you; and then in the second place, I shall addresse my selfe, particularly to speake to such of you, as have by what hath beene said discer­ned, [Page 171]that Christ is indeed with your spirits. To you which by what hath been said, see, that as yet Christ is not with your spi­rits, I have only these two things to say, labour to bewaile your great want, as persons deeply sensible of it; and then labour to get this grant speedily sup­plyed.

First, labour to bewaile your great want, as persons deeply affected with it. 'Tis the greatest want in the World, to want Christ to bee with a mans spirit. Other wants may bee afflicting wants, but this is a damning want. Other wants may make thee despised of men, but this want will make thee for ever to be abhorr'd of God. Thou were better want riches, thou were better want honours; nay, thou were better want bread to put in thy head, then want Christ to [Page 172]bee in thy heart. Thou were better want thy deere Husband, thy sweete Wife, to lye in thy besome, then want Christ to lye there. Nay, thy soule were better to bee without thy body, them without Christ. If there bee any want under Heaven, that makes a hell to a man, up­on Earth, it is this, to want Christ to bee with his spirit. For what is it that makes hell, [...] place full of sin, and full of misery but this, that Christ is not with those spirits: they are spirits everlastingly excluded, from all communion with Christ. Now whereas great wanes, make you complaine heavily, and mourne bitterly, begge the Lord to make these things sinke into your spirits, that you may bee sensible of this great want of wants, that your spirits are without Christ, [Page 173]and so without God in this world; that so all sorrow for o­ther wants, may meete and run in one channell, to bewa [...]e this great want. Sauls speech to his servant, I may here [...]ly allude to, Come let us returne (said he) least my Father lea [...] caring for the Asses, and take thought for us. 1 Sam. 1 5 If you that mourne for this want, and that want, did but feele the want of Christ with your spirits, you would with Kish quickely leave mourning for trifles and begin to mourne for things of waight. Come, O my soule! cease mourning for Father, and Mother; cease mourning for Husband and Wife, for Children and sub­stance; and begin to mourne for this, that thou yet livest Christlesse, and art in the ready way to die and perish remedi­lesse.

[Page 174]When you have got your hearts to bleed inwardly, under your great want; thē cry mighti­ly to the Lord, to supply it. And to make your prayers prevalent, urge the promise of God, wher­in hee hath engaged himselfe to do good in Christ, to them that are afar off. Thy soule thou fin­dest far off from Christ: why, the promise (saith the Apostle) of Christ, and salvation by him, is to such. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all that are [afar off.] Acts 2.39. This Peter spake by way of comfort, as now I do, to such as felt their spirits with­out Christ; without grace and hope of glory. Christ you see is under promise, under a generall promise, and therefore no soule should despaire of obtaining him. Hee is promised to the Jewes, and not only to them, but to us Gentiles, who sometimes [Page 175]were afar off; not to this Gentile or that, but to all that are prickt in heart for the want of him. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all that are afar off. Let every one therefore upon this ground, that feels his spirit prickt and wounded, for want of Christ, take words to him­selfe, and go unto God, and say. O God, my soule is a poore Christlesse soule. I sinde by wo­full experience, that the Lord Jesus is not with my spirit, by reason of which I live wickedly to thy dishonour, and shall, I know not how soone, die mise­rably, to mine own eternall un­doing, if thou do not shew mer­cy upon me, according to thy promise. Thou hast said that thou wilt bestow Christ, grace and salvation, upon them that are afar off; make good thy gra­cious promise to mee, whose [Page 176]spirit is far from Christ, grace and all good; so shalt thou ob­lige me for ever unto thee; and I shall tell of thy goodnesse as long as I live.

Having thus spoken what I thought fit, to such as finde by what was formerly delivered, that Christ is not with their spi­rits; I shall in the next place speak unto you, that by what was formerly delivered, finde, that Christ is indeed with your spirits. Something by way of counsell, and some thing by way of consolation, I have to deliver unto you. Three things by way of counsell, I would commend unto you: thankefully acknow­ledge this great favour; carefully preserve it; and industriously la­bour to augment it.

First, thankfully acknow­ledge this great favour. 'Tis a pearle of great price, that God [Page 177]hath cast into thy bosome, to give Christ to bee with thy spi­rit: and for great favours, every one will acknowledge it very fit, and just, that they should bee thankfull. 'Tis a Jewell that Christ scarce gives to one of ten-thousand: and for rare gifts, every one will readily confesse it to bee great ingratitude, not thankefully to acknowledge them. Doest thou not heare some sweare, some curse, some lye, like their father the Devill? Why thou wouldst have beene such an one, had not God given Christ to be with thy spirit. Doest thou not see some drun­kards, some whoremasters, some murderers, some perse­cutors of the Saints? Why thou would'st have beene such in one, if God had not given Christ to be with thy spirit. Do­est thou not see some make a [Page 178]God of their belly, some make a God of their wealth, some proud, some mad, some putting far from them the evill day, li­ving as if they should never dye? Why, thou wouldest have been such an one, had not God given Christ to be with thy spirit. Do­est thou not see some Nabals, some Iezabels, some Caines, some Demases, some Iudases? Why, amongst the number of these wouldest thou have beene, had not God given Christ to be with thy spirit. Wherefore magnifie the Lord with all thy might, and let all that is within thee praise his holy Name. Think but how it was with thee, when thy spirit was without Christ. How foolish thou wast serving divers lusts: how the God of this world which rules mightily in the children of disobedience, did rule mightily in thee. How weak thy spirit [Page 179]was, and easily overcome and carried captive of every lust. How drunken thy spirit was, and reeld from one opinion to ano­ther; one day thou thoughtst thus, and thus, and another day thou thoughtst quite contrary. I say, do but think of these things, and how the Lord might justly have left thee still, to have gone on thus, untill thou hadst peri­shed, as he hath done many thou­sands; and then be unthankfull, for the communion of Christ with thy spirit, if thou canst. It was this consideration that set Paul a wondring at the goodness of the Lord. I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, &c. yet I obtained mercy. He circumflexes this term [I] yet [I] obtained mercy, &c. It was wonderfull in his eye, that God should give Christ, to dwell with such a bloody blaspheming spirit, as he had. In this way let [Page 180]us go to work, to raise our dull spirits, to magnifie the free goodnesse of the Lord: for 'tis a worke of all workes, that God loves. I was a man of a very proud, passionate, malicious, un­cleane spirit; and yet I obtained mercy. God hath given Christ to be with this depraved spirit, and in a little time he hath done very much, and made a manifest change in my spirit; of very proud, he hath made it in some measure humble; of very passi­onate, in some measure patient; of very malicious, in some mea­sure loving; of very uncleane, in some measure continent. O! the riches of his love; how un­searchable is his mercy, and his love past finding out.

Secondly, as I would have you thankfully acknowledge this great favour, so I would have you carefully labour to preserve [Page 181]it. You find that you have Christ with your spirits, take heed you do not lose him. Thou wert bet­ter lose thy life, then lose the speciall presence of Christ with thy spirit. 'Tis a prime and prin­pall blessing, as thou hast heard; a blessing of more worth then this world; nay of more worth then thy soule, which Christ va­lues above the world. Now choice things, we are usually ve­ry carefull of, and keepe them choicely. Christ totally (I know) can no man lose, which hath him after a speciall manner, pre­sent with his spirit: but accord­ing to some prime & principall operations, he may: according to others, very far, though not totally. A man may lose the pre­sence of Christ with his spirit to­tally, as a Comforter. The Com­forter, which should relieve my soule is far frō me, saith Ieremiah, in the [Page 182]person of the afflicted Church.Lam. 1.16 'Tis probable enough, that Da­vids spirit, was thus stript of Christ, by his dolorous com­plaints, which frequently wee reade of. Is his mercy cleane gone for ever? doth his promise faile for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Psal. 77.7,8,9. Some carri­ages in Christians towards Christ, make Christ totally alter his carriage towards thē; though for his promise sake, he will ne­ver totally remove himselfe from them.

As when Christians doe not keep their watch strictly against sinne, in all the occasions of it; then Christ instead of being a Comforter, becomes a convin­cer; and instead of speaking sweet things, hee speakes very [Page 183]bitter unto the soule. This was the case of David and Peter. Or when Christians are carelesse, and sluggish, to maintaine and encrease their sweet Communi­on with Christ; unyeelding to the sweet motions of the spirit of Christ, and turning oft times the deafe eare, against the still voice behind them, which saith, this is the way, walke in it. Then Christ drawes a curtaine be­tweene the spirit of man, and himselfe, and leaves the spirit of man in the darke, and full of feares. This is notably illustra­ted, by that language of the Spouse, It is the voyce of my be­loved that knocketh, saying, open to me, my Sister, my Love, my Dove, my underfiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. The Church was convinced of this, that it was her beloved, seeking neerer [Page 184]communion with her, and yet observe how she replyes. I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawne himselfe and was gone; my soule failed when he spake; I sought him, but I could not finde him: I called him, but he gave me no answer. Cant. 5. You that finde the presence of Christ with your spirits, as a Comfor­ter, make Christian use of what I have said, that you may still enjoy so great a mercy. And if you lose the Lord Jesus Christ, as a Comforter to your spirits, miserable comforters will all o­ther things prove unto you. You will mourne, and none will bee able to comfort you, if Christ as a Comforter forsake your spirits.

Secondly, as a leader, a man may very far lose the communi­on of Christ with his spirit. As if [Page 185]a Christian take liberty to sinne against that light, which Christ hath set up in his spirit; this will make Christ first or last (if not timely lookt unto) leave a man to his owne understanding, to steare his course; and then will such a man declare himselfe quickly, to be a foole, and a beast, in many points, as David saith. Have you not seene Christians of great light, erre injudgement, and erre in practise? Whence comes this weaknesse, but from hence, that Christ as a leader stands aloofe from their spirits? which is a plaine demonstration that a man may lose the pre­sence of Christ with his spirit, as a leader. David (I beleeve) found the truth of this, as well as of the former, by wo­full experience. A man may col­lect so much cleerely, from his owne words. Cast mee not away [Page 186]from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me. Psal. 51.11 The Spirit of God is therefore called by Da­vid a holy Spirit, because holy in himselfe (the Spirit of the holy God, as hee said to Daniel) but principally here, as I conceive, Abofficio: because the worker of holinesse in us. David doubtlesse by his fall, found an exceeding weaknesse in his Spirit, unto all good, over what formerly hee did; and a strong propensity a­gaine to erre; as every act of sin leaves seed and spawn upon the spirit, to bring forth more, to co­ver the first, or to commit the like againe. But more then all this, he found Christ to stand a­loofe from his spirit; not exer­cising that speciall dominion in his spirit, as before, for the sub­duing of lust, and suggesting of holy motions and desires, but leaving him as it were to him­selfe, [Page 187]as one with whom hee would have no more to do. And therefore doth David so dole­fully complaine, Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy [holy] Spirit from me: you there­fore which finde Christ with your spirits, as a tender leader, take heed of sinning against any part of that light, which he sets up in your understandings, or against any motions of his spirit, which he suggests unto you; lest he leave you to your own light, and to your own strength, and then will you run from lesse sins to greater, from one sin to ano­ther, like David and Peter, to the scandalizing of the Gospell, and the desperate wounding of your own soules.

The third and last thing that I would commend unto you, by way of counsell, is this, labour to augment this great favour. [Page 188]You finde Christ with your spi­rits, labour industriously, to have Christ more and more with your spirits. 'Tis a prime and principall blessing, as you have heard, to have Christ with your spirits; therefore labour to get as much of this favour & happi­nesse as possibly you can. Thou hast Christ with thy spirit as a teacher; why thou maist have him yet more intimate with thee, and open unto thee, in im­parting divine mysteries, if thou follow on to know, as the Prophet speaks, if thou humbly forget, & look over all thou hast, & presse hard after more: the things thou knowest not, Christ will teach thy spirit, morning by morning, as by the learned. Christ hath taught thy spirit many truths; why, he will leade thy spirit into all truth, if thou urge his promise and beleeve. He will fill thee with [Page 189]the knowledge of his will in all wis­dome and spirituall understanding, If thou pray for it as Paul did for the Colossians.

Thou findest Christ with thy spirit as a Comforter; why thou maist have yet much more con­solation from him, if thou study to be more pliable to him. Thou hast Christ distilling drops of consolation into thy spirit, now and then; why thou maist have Christ powring in flagons of love into thy soule, filling thee with joy unspeakable and full of glory, if thou bring thy spirit to bee more lowly and meek; for such find most rest to their soules: if thou carefully keep comming to Christ still, in every pressure of spirit; for such finde most ease: that is renewing faith still, as thou renewest thy sins.

Thou findest Christ with thy spirit, as a quickner & strength­ner [Page 190]to duty; why thou maist find him yet more mighty with thy spirit this way, if thou powre out thy spirit often with David for quickning grace; and if thou more deny thine own strength, and cast thy self more upon his. Could we but attain Pauls height in selfe-denyall, to bee nothing in our selvs (though I am nothing, saith he)2 Cor. 12.11. we should finde Christ gloriously present still with our spirits, and be more constant in zeale & strength to every good work, then we are. I conclude this thus, bee so tractable to Christ, that thou maist with Ma­ry, winne upon Christ still; and think that thou canst never bee neere enough to him, nor inti­mate enough with him; and this is the ready way, to have a hea­ven upon earth: for the more we get Christ to be with our spi­rits, the more truly may wee bee said to be in Heaven.

[Page 191]The last thing that I have to say to you, that find Christ with your spirits, is matter of conso­lation. Here is comfort for you against famine. When thy body wants food, Christ that is with thy spirit, will give that meat to eat, which the world knowes not off; so that when others re­pine, and curse God and their King in their extremity, as the Prophet speaks; thou shalt bee patient in this tribulation, and instant in prayer to him, who can command Ravens to bring thee bread and flesh to feed on; and will, rather then thou shalt starve, if thy life may bee more to his glory, then thy death.

Here's comfort for you against the sword. In the midst of all troubles and fears, Christ that is with thy spirit will beare thee up admirably. What is the face of an enemy to terrifie, if Christ [Page 192]be with thy spirit. What is the spoiling of thy goods? nay what is the spoiling of thy body? if Christ bee with thy soule. A Mountaine of misery, is but as a Mole-hill, if Christ support the spirit. To think of the Sword is a naked reference to flesh and blood, and so nothing is more terrible: but let us that feare the Loro think of it, in reference to Christ that is with our spirits, & then wee shall not be troubled, though we heare of warres and rumours of warres, no more then at the rumours of any o­ther calamity.

Here is cōfort for you against the Plague, which is here and there scatterd in the Kingdome. What is any disease to the body, if Christ bee with thy soule? As the outward man decayeth, the inward man shall be renew­ed daily, because Christ is with [Page 193]thy spirit. When thy body is full of paine, thy soule shall be full of com­fort, because Christ is with thy spi­rit. When thy body is sealed with spots for death, thy soule shall be sea­led with the Holy Ghost unto eter­nall life, because Christ is with thy spirit. The plague of the body is no­thing, if this plague of plagues bee not upon the spirit, to wit, destitute of Christ.

Here is comfort for you against persecution. When men frowne up­on thee without, Christ will smile upon thy spirit within: when men lade thy outward man w^th reproach­es, Christ will fill thy inward man with comforts: when men shut up thy body from the communion of Saints, Christ will give thy spirit a large freedome of communion with himself. When men strike thy body, Christ will stroke thy soule: when men kill thy body, Christ will save thy soule. In a word, as the afflictions [Page 194]of Christ abound in thy body, so the consolations of Christ shall abound in thy soule, because Christ is with thy spirit. Name any misery that is incident to man, and here's comfort to be suckt out of this point, to op­pose unto it. Finally in life, in death, & eternally after death, Christ that is with thy spirit will be gaine unto thee. Thy life he will make comfor­table; thy death hopefull; and thy being after death eternally joyfull. Wherefore I will conclude my Ser­mon for the good of you, as S. Paul doth his Epistle for the good of Ti­mothy, The Lord Iesus Christ bee with your spirits.