Didst thou ever (oh my soul) seriously consider, what Christ hath undertaken in thy behalf with the jealous God, whose face thou couldst not see, and live? wast thou ever convinced, that all thy prayers, duties, outward privileges, and devotions were little worth, and could not have ought availed thee,1 unless by his own blood he had first entered within the veil, and made atonement for thee? And then with the same blood went afterwards to the right hand of God, and put him in mind of his Covenant, to procure actual Grace, and Peace, and Adoption for thee? And is it a pleasure to thee, as well as thy admiration, to be always musing, and searching what such an Abyss of grace and goodness should mean? And in the midst of thy musings was it, that thy affections first took this holy fire, and were even surprised into love?2 Is it by his Mediation that thou findest thy expectations from God, and thy delight in him supported? And dost thou rejoice in him, as one whose goodness thou adorest, and whose favour with God, purchased by his own merit, thou admirest? And therefore art most willing to trust all thy concernments in his hands? and in all thy addresses to God comest leaning upon the Arms of him, 3as thy Beloved ⟨p. 230⟩Mediator and Intercessor? why thus to renounce our own Righteousness, and ••••el our hearts warmed into a further estimation of his; to attribut•••l our acceptance with God to him: Briefly, to be intensively willing of Christ, and to look upon him with full satisfaction of spirit in all his priestly Administrations, This is sincerely to love Christ as our High-Priest. And on the contrary, to undervalue his blood, either, as needless by presumption, or as worthless by desperation; to be ascribing to our selves, when we receive any kindness or favour from God; to dote upon our own worth, and righteousness, as that which is sufficient without either Christs Righteousness, Satisfaction or Intercession:4 This is interpretatively to reject him from being our High-Priest, and to hate the person of our Lord. Thus try your selves whether ye love Christ in his Priestly Office; and when you have done with that, take thy soul to his Prophetical Office, and make a further trial, by bespeaking thy self after the same manner.
Didst thou ever (oh my soul) seriously consider, what Christ hath undertaken in thy behalf with the jealous God, whose face thou couldst not see, and live? wast thou ever convinced, that all thy prayers, duties, outward priviledges, and devotions were little worth, and could not have ought availed thee,1 unless by his own blood hee had first entred within the vail, and made attonement for thee? And then with the same blood went afterwards to the right hand of God, and put him in minde of his Covenant, to procure actual Grace, and Peace, and Adoption for thee? And is it a pleasure to thee, as well as thy admiration, to be alwaies musing, and searching what such an Abysse of grace and goodness should mean? And in the midst of thy musings was it, that thy affections first took this holy fire, and were even surprized into love?2 Is it by his Mediation that thou findest thy expectations from God, and thy delight in him supported? And dost thou rejoyce in him, as one whose goodness thou adorest, and whose favour with God, purchased by his own merit, thou admirest? And therefore art most willing to trust all thy concernments in his hands? and in all thy addresses to God comest leaning upon the Arms of him, 3as thy Beloved ⟨p. 230⟩Mediatour and Intercessor? why thus to renounce our own Righteousness, and ••••el our hearts warmed into a further estimation of his; to attribut•••l our acceptance with God to him: Briefly, to be intensively willing of Christ, and to look upon him with full satisfaction of spirit in all his priestly Administrations, This is sincerely to love Christ as our High-Priest. And on the contrary, to undervalue his blood, either, as needless by presumption, or as worthless by desperation; to be ascribing to our selves, when wee receive any kindness or favour from God; to doate upon our own worth, and righteousness, as that which is sufficient without either Christs Righteousness, Satisfaction or Intercession:4 This is interpretatively to reject him from being our High-Priest, and to hate the person of our Lord. Thus try your selves whether yee love Christ in his Priestly Office; and when you have done with that, take thy soul to his Prophetical Office, and make a further trial, by bespeaking thy self after the same manner.
- 1Heb. 10.10.12. 1 Cor. 2.2.
- 2Rom. 8.34. Phil. 3.7, 8.
- 3Cant. 8.5.
- 4Heb. 10.28.
