1. Some of you never had these Manifestations of Christ's Love. It may be you are young and raw Christians, a little ⟨p. 192⟩while ago you were forward Scholars in the School of the Devil, and served divers lusts with all your might and strength; the Lord hath lately hedged up your way with thorns, hath opened your eyes to see your sins, and made you sensible of your danger, but as yet your eyes are not open as to any comfortable sight of your Saviour; Indeed Christ hath been revealed unto you as able and willing to save you, and you have been drawn by the Word and Spirit to take hold on him, and to give up your selves unto him; but as yet you are in the da•k as to your Spiritual Estate; you are under doubts and fears of unsoundness and rottenness at heart, that you are Hypocrites, and shall fall away, as other Professors like your selves have done; you fear you shall one day perish by the hand of Saul, that the Devil and your own Lusts will be too hard for you, and prevail so far with you, as to pull you back into ways of S•n, and thereby to pull yo• down into the bottomless Pit of Hell: This causeth a dread upon your spirits, and fearful apprehensions of Gods wrath and future Vengeance; this fetcheth many a sad and heavy sigh from your breasts, many a brinish tear from your eyes, you ⟨p. 193⟩are troubled, bowed down greatly, and go mourning all the day: Yet you are resolved to give your attendance still unto Ordinances, and there to wait upon the Lord, and for the Lord; you are resolved, notwithstanding all discouragements, that you will be the Lords, though you know not whether he be yours; you are resolved that Christ shall have your hearts, and you will venture your Souls upon him, though you know not whether you are accepted by him. This may be a Use of Encouragement unto you; certainly you are such as love Christ, and are beloved by Christ, and Christ will manifest himself unto such as have such Love; let me tell you, that Christ is not far from you, whatever you may apprehend, though he be out of your sight, yet you are not out of his, his eye is upon you, and his heart is towards you; he hears all your sighs, he sees all your tears, he pities you, and sympathizeth with you in all your Griefs; he loves you, and ere long will let you know it; he is now preparing you for sweet discoveries of himself, and ere long he will give you those discoveries.
1. Some of you never had these Manifestations of Christ's Love. It may be you are young and raw Christians, a little ⟨p. 192⟩while ago you were forward Scholars in the School of the Devil, and served divers lu•ts with all your might and strength; the Lord hath lately hedg'd up your way with thorns, hath opened your eyes to see your sins, and made you sensible of your danger, but as yet your eyes are not open as to any comfortable sight of your Saviour; Indeed Christ hath been revealed unto you as able and willing to save you, and you have been drawn by the Word and Spirit to take hold on him, and to give up your selves unto him; but as yet you are in the da•k as to your Spiritual Estate; you are under doubts and fears of unsoundness and rottenness at heart, that you are Hypocrites, and shall fall away, as other Professors like your selves have done; you fear you shall one day perish by the hand of Saul, that the Devil and your own Lusts will be too hard for you, and prevail so far with you, as to pull you back into wayes of S•n, and thereby to pull yo• down into the bot•omless Pit of Hell: This causeth a dread upon your spirits, and fearf•ll apprehensions of Gods wrath and future Vengeance; this f•tcheth many a sad and heavy sigh from your breasts, many a brinish tear from your eyes, you ⟨p. 193⟩are troubled, bowed down greatly, and go mourning all the day: Yet you are resolved to give your attendance still unto Ordinances, and there to wait upon the Lord, and for the Lord; you are resolved, notwithstanding all discouragements, that you will be the Lords, though you know not whether he be yours; you are resolved that Christ shall have your hearts, and you will venture your Souls upon him, though you know not whether you are accepted by him. This may be a Use of Encouragement unto you; certainly you are such as love Christ, and are beloved by Christ, and Christ will manifest himself unto such as have such Love; let me tell you, that Christ is not far from you, whatever you may apprehend, though he be out of your sight, yet you are not out of his, his eye is upon you, and his heart is towards you; he hears all your sighs, he sees all your tears, he pities you, and sympathizeth with you in all your Griefs; he loves you, and ere long will let you know it; he is now preparing you for sweet discoveries of himself, and ere long he will give you those discoveries.
