Now what is this preparation? Isa. 40.3, 4.

1. Mountains must be pulled down, that is, the lofty spirits of man must be pulled down, and that is, when we subject our selves at his feet, willing to be disposed and framed which way he pleaseth, and to do what he would have us do; if we would have Christ come into our hearts, he must not find high craggy rocky ways; but all must be laid level and even.

1. Mountains must be puld down, that is, the lofty spirits of man must be puld down, and that is, when we subject our selves at his feet, willing to be disposed and framed which way he pleaseth, and to do what he would have us do; if we would have Christ come into our hearts, he must not find high craggy rocky wayes; but all must be laid level and even.

2. Every valley shall be filled, that is, every base earthly heart shall be lifted up to the high ways of the Lord, to mind life and heavenly things, raised up above earthliness and low things of the world, Psal. 24.7. to 10. Lift up your heads O ye Gates, and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in; Christ will not descend into pits, but if your hearts be set on heavenly things, on Gods favour and his heavenly Kingdom, then you are fit for Christ, 2. A mans heart may be too low through despair, many a poor soul, after his high thoughts are pulled down, he sinks down so low into despair, that he thinks no promise or mercy belongs to him; Why, this heart is too low for Christ, therefore it behoves a christian to believe there is an hope in Israel concerning this; Christ hath had mercy on as bad as me, and therefore we will lay our mouths in the dust, till he shall have mercy on us; and if he offer grace, we are willing to receive it,

2. Every valley shall be filled, that is, every base eatthly heart shall be lifted up to the high wayes of the Lord, to mind life and heavenly things, raised up above earthlinesse and low things of the world, Psal. 24.7. to 10. Lift up your heads O ye Gates, and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doores, that the King of glory may come in; Christ will not descend into pits, but if your hearts be set on heavenly things, on Gods favour and his heavenly Kingdome, then you are fit for Christ, 2. A mans heart may be too low through despair, many a poor soul, after his high thoughts are puld down, he sinks down so low into despair, that he thinks no promise or mercy belongs to him; Why, this heart is too low for Christ, therefore it behoves a christian to beleeve there is an hope in Israel concerning this; Christ hath had mercy on as bad as me, and therefore we will lay our mouths in the dust, till he shall have mercy on us; and if he offer grace, we are willing to receive it,

4. Rough places must be made smooth, many a mans heart is rough and harsh, and bitter; why, God will have this frame of heart laid down, all bitterness and wrath put away, and the heart made loving and meek; the Lamb Christ will not rest in Lyons dens, therefore rhe Apostle bids us lay aside all wrath and malice; when our rough hearts are made smooth end amiable; why, then undoubtedly Christ will come into his Temple. 2. When Christ is come into our hearts, if we would look to keep him there, we must look to it, that there be no common and unclean thing found there, 2 Cor. 6.16, 17, 18. This Temple is an holy place, therefore put away not only unclean, but common things; all your affairs must be dedicated to the Lord, all your wealth and store, all your household and children must be consecrate to the Lord, Christ loves to lye clean, he dislikes even bodily slovenliness, much more spiritual defilements. 3. To receive Christ into his Temple, is to look well to the charge of Gods holy offerings; God would have every man in particular to take the charge of his holy things on himself, and not put it off to others; let every one keep his charge, every one offer up his daily sacrifice, and his service for the Sabbath; all Gods offerings must be looked to, and if we do thus, God will rest in his holy Temple for ever, Exod. 15.2. consider therefore whether you have thus received Christ, have you found your proud hearts humbled, your base earthly hearts lifted up to Gods ways, all crooked by-paths of hypocrisy and shifting put away; do you find your rough spirits made smooth and amiable? Why, if it be so, then Christ is come, and when he is come, do you strive to keep your hearts clean, and undefiled, and dedicate your selves and yours to God, you keep the charge of Gods holy offerings, and set up his Ordinances amongst you; why, then we have received Christ: è contra, if we find it not thus, we have no Christ, and so no life. Hitherto we have heard what it is to have Christ; the second thing to be inquired after, is, What it is to have the Son, He that hath the Son hath life, it is not enough to have Christ, but if we would have life, we must have Christ as the Son.

4. Rough places must be made smooth, many a mans heart is rough and harsh, and bitter; why, God will have this frame of heart laid down, all bitternesse and wrath put away, and the heart made loving and meek; the Lamb Christ will not rest in Lyons dens, therefore rhe Apostle bids us lay aside all wrath and malice; when our rough hearts are made smooth end amiable; why, then undoubtedly Christ will come into his Temple. 2. When Christ is come into our hearts, if we would look to keep him there, we must look to it, that there be no common and unclean thing found there,

Quest. What then is it to have the Son?

Answ. There are three things implied in having the Son. 1. That such a have Christ in truth, do not rest so much in having any of the benefits of Christ, but they do chiefly affect to have the Son himself: many professors sought after Christ for the loaves sake, John 16.26, 27. But Christ bids them ⟨p. 389⟩not to labour for the meat that perisheth, but to labour for Christ himself, the bread of life: hereby Peter discovered hypocrisy of Simon Magus, in that he desired the gift of Christ, but not Christ himself, and such gifts as might tend to profit; but Peter tell him, Thy money perish with thee, Act. 8.18, 19. So Balaam wished, O that I might dye the death of the righteous, Numb. 23.10. but he desired not Christ, but own happiness and freedom from hell and misery, and therefore what ever gift he had besides, as indeed he had a goodly gift of prophecy, he never sought Christ in any of them. Nay further, a true christian that affects Christ himself seeks him, not only without respect to profit or gain, or happiness hereafter, but even here in this life, in the Ordinances of God, wherein he seeks for help against his lusts, for increase of grace, for supply of comfort, he doth not so affect them, as to find Christ in them: When David fled from Absalom, and the Priests carried the Ark after him, as knowing, they should never meet with a Prince that more favoured and upheld Gods worship, then he; David bad the Priests carry back the Ark again, If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back again, and show me both it and his habitation; but if he say, I have no delight in thee, here I am, let him do what seemeth him good, as if he had said, the Church shall not be so much prejudiced as to be deprived of the Ark of God for my sake, without which they cannot offer their solemn Sacrifices, nor find the presence of God, therefore he considers, that thereby Gods Name should be dishonoured, and the Church wronged, and rather then he would do that, he would part with the very Ark, the presence of God, and his Ordinances, which yet was his greatest care and desire, Psal. 27.4. Now this is an argument of grace in sincerity, to be willing to part with the Ordinances, rather then have God dishonoured, and the Church prejudiced.

This was Moses care, rather then God should be dishonoured by the Heathen, he would have God blot his name out of the book of life, Exod. 32.32, 33. A true christian prefers Gods honour, above the pardon of sin, above the best graces, yea above salvation it self; if a christian desire the Ordinances, it is that he may find the beauty and loving kindness of the Lord in them, Psal. 63.1, 2, 3. if he desire the subduing of his lusts, it's not so much for his own comfort, as that the power of Christ might he magnified in him; he desired, salvation, if he desires gifts and graces, it is not that he might be made excellent, but that the grace of Christ might be magnified in him; if he desire salvation, it not so much for his own joy and happiness, as that he may be with Christ, Phil. 1.28. having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better, Cant. 5.10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand, not only of persons, but the chiefest of ten thousand benefits and privileges which God gives, pardon of sin, and grace, and comfort, and salvation it self, Christ is better then all these, and he that thus affects Christ, hath the Son, and so hath life. Grounds of this.

This was Moses care, rather then God should be dishonoured by the Heathen, he would have God blot his name out of the book of life, Exod. 32.32, 33. A true christian perfers Gods honour, above the pardon of sin, above the best graces, yea above salvation it self; if a christian desire the Ordinances, it is that he may find the beauty and loving kindnesse of the Lord in them, Psal. 63.1, 2, 3. if he desire the subduing of his lusts, it's not so much for his own comfort, as that the power of Christ might he magnified in him; he desired, salvation, if he desires gifts and graces, it is not that he might be made excellent, but that the grace of Christ might be magnified in him; if he desire salvation, it not so much for his own joy and happinesse, as that he may be with Christ,

1 Christ must be so received as God gives him, but God gives us Christ first, in every Ordinance: when Philip preached to the Eunuch, it's said he preached Jesus to him, Act. 8.35. So in the Sacrament, you must first take and eat his flesh, and drink his blood, and then you have remission of sins, Mat. 26.26. No gift of grace but is given through Christ, if it be lively and true. Herod received joy, Jehu zeal, Ahab humiliation, but none of these received life, because they received the shell and not the kernel, the casket, and not the Pearl, the gift, but not Christ; and therefore their graces were not lively. Simon Magus believed yet had no lively faith, because Christ wanting: except we find Christ, we find no true grace, Hos. 4.8. in me is thy fruit found, without me you can do nothing, Joh. 15.5. Hence let us gather an estimate of our selves, whether we have life or not, If you have the Son, you have life, try therefore whether you labour not more for the loaves, for the benefits of Christ, then for Christ himself; if thou findest thou comest to the Ordinances rather to find Christ, then the pardon of sin, and comfort, and happiness, and salvation; if with the Church in the Canticles, thou seekest Christ and not the loaves, if thou with her inquirest ⟨p. 390⟩of the watchmen, where thou mayst find him whom thy soul loveth, if we thus affect Christ, we have the Son, we could never have sought him thus, if he had not first sought us: but è contra, if we have longing desires after pardon of sin, and after grace and salvation, those desires indeed are ordinarily sincere, but there may be an Harlots affection in them; as an Harlot seeks her an husband not for his persons sake, but for his goods sake, that her debts may be paid, and that she may be a sharer in his wealth, now she seeks him not for his ends, but for her own: so if a man shall desire Christ, that he may have his sins pardoned, and his conscience pacified, and seek not Christ himself; why, this is but an whorish affection; whereas one that loves her husband, she will have him though she have but the bare man, though she beg with him; so one that truly loves Christ, he would be glad and think himself happy to have him, though he should never see good day after, never find peace or quiet after, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is nothing on earth, that I desire in comparison of thee.

This will exclude from having of Christ.

1. All such as are so far from seeking Christ himself, that they do not seek the benefits of Christ, they look at grace and christian duties as melancholy wearisome things, for pardon of sins, they never look after it, and for heaven they hope they shall do as well as others; why, these men they will neither have Christ nor any thing of his.

1. All such as are so far from seeking Christ himselfe, that they doe not seek the benefits of Christ, they look at grace and christian duties as melancholly wearisome things, for pardon of sins, they never look after it, and for heaven they hope they shall doe as well as others; why, these men they will neither have Christ nor any thing of his.

2. This excludes such from having Christ, as have more desire of his benefits then Christ himself, pardon of sin, and grace, and peace of conscience, and comfort that they look after, but Christ they forget; why, as yet our seeking is not sincere: if a woman perceive that her love seeks more for wealth and dowry, then her person, no wonder, if she hold off; so if Christ find we come to him, and seek for pardon of sin, and grace, and peace, more then for himself, no wonder if he keep off and hide himself from us, because this may come from self-love, from respect to our own good, and yet nature teacheth us not to seek such things, and those desires are ordinarily good beginnings; for indeed christians at first are full of self-love, but yet Christ will never fully reveal himself, till we seek his person rather then his gifts, therefore first labour to get Christ and he will bring all these privileges with him, Rom. 6.32. seek him chiefly and not his gifts; you must first know Christ will be more loved for his own sake then his gifts, before he say to you as to the church, Cant. 2.14. O my Dove, let me see thy Countenance, let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance lovely, before he thus manifest himself to thee, he will make thee willing to seek thee as thy head and husband, as the most wise, the most beautiful, the chiefest among ten thousand; and let but thy desire be towards him, and his desire will be towards thee, Hos. 3.3. Stand not upon dowries, take him without Feoffments, for better, for worse: and if you thus take Christ, and choose his person in the first place, then all his benefits and privileges become yours, 2 Cor. 3.22, 23. 2. A child of God is said to have the Son, when he hath the Spirit of the Son, 2 Cor. 3.17. Having spoken before of a Spirit of ministration and grace; why, saith he, the Lord is that Spirit, not only because he is the giver of it, but there is a secret union betwixt Christ and his Spirit, so that if you have the one, you have the other, Rom. 8.9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, Gal. 4.6. he that hath the Son, hath the Spirit of the Son, and is made conformable to his Image.

There is a twofold Spirit whereby we are knit to Christ, and Christ to us 1. A Spirit of union. 2. A Spirit of liberty.

1. He that hath fellowship with Christ, hath a Spirit of union, whereby he is made one with him, Joh. 17.21. It's the prayer of our Saviour for all believers, that they all may be one, As thou father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, thou in me by thy Spirit, and I in them by the same Spirit, hence it is, that of his fullness we shall receive grace for grace, Joh. 1.16. Rom. 8.29. We are predestinate to be made like to the Image of Christ. There is a threefold conformity ⟨p. 391⟩and likeness betwixt Christ and us, that is wrought by the Spirit.

1. He that hath fellowship with Christ, hath a Spirit of union, whereby he is made one with him, Joh. 17.21. It's the prayer of our Saviour for all believers, that they al may be one, As thou father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, thou in me by thy Spirit, and I in them by the same Spirit, hence it is, that of his fulnesse we shall receive grace for grace, Joh. 1.16. Rom. 8.29. We are predestinate to be made like to the Image of Christ. There is a threefold conformity ⟨p. 391⟩and likenesse betwixt Christ and us, that is wrought by the Spirit.

1. We are like him in his nature, 2 Pet. 1.4 by the precious promises, we are made partakers of the divine Nature, so that we are meek as he was, lowly as he was, innocent and harmless as he was the Spirit of God stamp• the same Image on us that was in Christ, Joh. 1.16. Hence it is, that the e that have Christ, they reason from Christs nature to theirs, and from their nature to Christs, 2 Cor. 1.17, 18, 19. Paul had sometimes sent to them, that he would come to them as he passed by into Macedonia, but neither in his going not his return did he come to them, therefore they accuse him of levity and inconstancy; Paul excuseth this, and he pleads from the nature of Christ; for the Son of God, Jesus Christ that was preached among you by us, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea; Why, what's that to him? Yes, look as Christ is yea and amen, the faithful witness, that what he speaks, he will perform, •o make account that Christ hath poured the same Spirit on us, that our words likewise are yea and amen, had not Gods providence hindered it; there is such a participation of the divine nature, that the nature of Christ, the nature of the Gospel, and the nature of a Christian, all of them answer one another; the same Spirit that made Christ yea and amen, faithful and true, hath made the Gospel, and so the same Spirit in Gods people makes them true and faithful, so that look what they say, their hearts go with it, and if Gods providence hinders not, they will perform their word.

1. We are like him in his nature, 2 Pet. 1.4 by the precious promises, we are made partakers of the divine Nature, so that we are meek as he was, lowly as he was, innocent and harmlesse as he was the Spirit of God stamp• the same Image on us that was in Christ, Joh. 1.16. Hence it is, that the e that have Christ, they reason from Christs nature to theirs, and from their nature to Christs,

2. There is a conformity in his offices, he hath made us Priests, Kings and Prophets to his Father, Rev. 1.6. Kings to over-rule our lusts, to overcome the world, anointed with a royal Spirit, although not yet invested with full glory; Priests, to offer sacrifices of prayer, of a broken spirit, Psal. 51.12. Sacrifices of righteousness, Psal. 4.5. and to sacrifice our lives for Christ, Phil. 2.17. so he hath made us Prophets of God, Act. 2.17. he hath poured on us the Spirit of prophecy, poured, not dropped sparingly, but poured on us abundantly, hence it is that a christian understands many secrets of Gods will, Psal. 25. 14. many hidden mysteries of the Scripture, so that he is bound to see a secret providence of God, guiding him in his way.

2. There is a conformity in his offices, he hath made us Priests, Kings and Prophets to his Father, Rev. 1.6. Kings to over-rule our lusts, to overcome the world, anoynted with a royal Spirit, although not yet invested with full glory; Priests, to offer sacrifices of prayer, of a broken spirit, Psal. 51.12. Sacrifices of righteousnesse, Psal. 4.5. and to sacrifice our lives for Christ, Phil. 2.17. so he hath made us Prophets of God, Act. 2.17. he hath poured on us the Spirit of prophesie, poured, not dropped sparingly, but poured on us aboundantly, hence it is that a christian understands many secrets of Gods will,