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Show . The qijfirence 6etrPew the spoufe ofchrifl aml other 8ol(h. and think of thefe things, what hindreth ? ,Tbe word if ,nigb him <'vm i11 hi• · morllb; he can rea!l wh~t inhere faid. ·Of thcfe things, and he can undcrlland · what he reads, and by verrue of that imJginative power wl)ich his Soul hath, he can as well meditate o·n th(fe things as upon any other rational and intellectual obje<!fs.Ah! _but he talles no [weetne[t i11 tbem,he feels no joy, no refrefhings in his Soul at the meditation of thefe things; wbat is th~ reafon of this> I. H: h~tb no qui<b.,./ivrly fen[< of his need of CbriJr. 2. IJ, hath no fJitb in Chrift. I f1y, I. He bath no quick_, lively, fenfo of hit Hrtd of Chrijf. Our Saviour tells us; The whole need not the Phyfician, but the fick._. It is as true; Thofc who judg themfdvcs whole, fee no need ?f the Phyiiciao, only the lick : "the nature of all good lies In fame fidtablcnefs in the thing which we fo call to our na. ture or llate ; now our nature requires, that that which we ~elirc, ( when we want it ) or_ d e!ight in it, while we have it, It fhould be good : So that it is impollible that the Soul of a man fhould judg any thing good, or fweet, in which he doth nor fee fame fuitablenef:;. to his .nature, or to his flare and conditiog. Now Chrill':S being' a Redeemer, a Saviour, rebtes to perfons that are, in a loll miferable condition : ,And all that goodnefs aod excellency which is in Chrill conlidered a.s a Saviour, lieth in .his SuitableAt(s to the flare and coljdi- - t,1on. of undone l,otl Souls; -~nd urril 1he Soul comes to_ have a fenfe of this loll and undQne llare, he fees no fweetnefs, no' !x~dlency~t.all .in Chrill; no ,more rha!J: the whole man feerh 'n the ,Phyhmn: Now the natural man, hath .Qo ferrfc ·ar all. of a loll undone llate, or at !call no quick and (~vel~ fenfe. of it. It is true, men and women that live in the days and p'aces wherein w~e live, and hear it continually iqculcat~d in, our Sermqns, that all men and \f!)merr ar~ by. aalt\(e r Cpil· dren .of )Yrarh; rhat all are 1born in ~a loll , fllate, &.:, they cannot. bt>t have a notional knowledg of rhefe truths :. but . there .ts a great deal of dilference, betwixt a brain-knowledg o~ .. tht~, ~nd a f~eling expcrimcptal knowledg of this. The Cntld , of God hath not only a Superfi~ial Brain-knowledg, but ;~e feels it .with an aking. heart, and qcing fen~ble ofir as the, ~reMelf ~r.t,l that l)e can pofiibly be fubje<!f to,_ ;w~ atfoe ve~ ;s.a filve lOr this fore, and reprefented to h"im und<r the Monon of a Cure andsemed.y, , mull needs !>e .exceedingfweet and. Pfe~ous co his Sot1IL· - · 2 . The 'Thediffimue /;et~ee?t the Sp~Hfe ofChrifland other Sou7J; 2. The NatUral man hath no ]faith in. Chrift. I have often noted to you a double Faith mrntioned in Scripture : The lirtl refpect~ng the PrQpolition, and called by Divines faith of affint; the fecond ref peering the ptr{im of tbe Mediator, and calkd fait h of Relw1ce or Jollifying Fai th : Now both rhc(e Faiths contribute much, to make the fruit of Chriflofw ect to the Eelievers rafle; an.i the want of til efe is the caufe why another man hath no talle at all in them; Suppofe any thing in it felf to be good and fweet , yet if I do not believe the thing which ( fuppofed to be true) is fo fweet, it is iropotTible my Soul Chould have any fweet~ nt fs in it. It is true a natural man may have [orne faith in the Pro.· pofition of the Gofpel: It is faid by Saint 'famet that the ,Devils btTieve and ttmrble. The Dovils do believe that the eternal Son of God ( Clnill Jeti.•s) did comedown fr<>m Heaven,•alfume our natures,.was tempted, fulfilled rhe Law, fuffered upon the Crofs, was buried, afcended to heaven &c. I mull confefs I am apt to believe that the Devils believe ;hefe thi'ngs beiter than the moll: of men; having a more clcar -Knowlcdg they give. a more fi•ll, cl< ar, firln and fixed a !Tent : But no'w the <Child of God believes thefc ihings with a m<;>re full, 'clear, firm and fixad. Alfen·r _., and this makes . tHem •·more . fwect •. for J.take: no.w any , intellectual notion, as fuppofe this, Tbat there it a bl,ffid: <ternity: prepared for my Soul : The more .full and ·firm and 'nx~·~ d my ralfennbf to the-· \(mrh- of thei Propofirion , the more: IS ~h·~ f-w.eetners, JOY a~d ·~ali~ht•whith my• Soul fu~keth from. itoi an<!· on the contrary,rr:ne morlllaior,weakand lnfirm·my arrent bel ro-che Propo6tlon; tihe more ·weak and -faint tlia~joy mutt needs be which my ~oul hath frbrri the notion; ' ·Now the a !Tent which the unli'e!ie.ver gi-ves rei the Pr,.pofition of tlle"Gofpel is ·very+anguid, faint,.aod infirm; and. ro:his joyand.d.elfght lljtrll ' nee,ds bo,• becaufeit isimpo"ffible that the ftml.tain fhould.,ifc higher than rlurl fpring.which feecfs it. · '' ,, • 1 ·j IJ " , -, n r. ,_ H 1lut this is not all, the Child' of God..l\atHi a further fajthjt ( which the holy Scripture calls the faith of Gods elect;) Jc is a power created in the Soul, by which it is inabled ro re(l and teJy, tipon the pe•fowofthe Lord Jofus Chril:l,as its M:diator and Sa-vi;.. our .4, ~hich faith uniteth the Soul unto Chrifr, and appropriateth• Chnft,tb .. thC' Soul ; •and giveth to. rhe Soul a: peculiar .!hare, and mtereflln the ·L.ord Jefus Chrill:and hence the talle of Chrill5 · fruit.•bed)lll€th.f.wa~r to the Soul. ' You !hall obferve this in nature, · K a That |