A77360:171
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation. : Gods return to the soul, or nation; together with his preventing mercy. : Delivered in ten sermons, (viz.) 1. Christs personal excellencies, the object of our love. 2. Christ crucified, the object of our faith. 3. The new covenant of grace opened. 4. Christ the mediator of the new covenant. 5. The way and spirit of the new covenant, or New Testament. 6. The blood of sprinkling. 7. The sweetness and profitableness of divine meditation. 8. The work and way of this meditation. 9. Gods return to the soul and nation. 10. Preventing mercy. / By W.B.
London: printed for N. Ranew, 1667
Sermons › Sermon 2: Christ Crucified the object of our Faith. SERMON II.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. Thereby you shall have your hearts drawn out and engaged to Jesus Christ: When I am lift up, I will draw all men after me. One would think that the scandal of the Cross should drive men from Christ; but there is wisdom and power in Christ crucified, which draws men unto Christ: — Wisdom draws; it drew the Queen of Sheba to behold Solomon: a greater then Solomon is here. — Love draws, it drew Rebecca unto Isaac; here is love indeed in Christ crucified, Christ crucified is the most drawing thing in the world, where Love, and Wisdom, and Power, and Strength, and all ⟨p. 40⟩meet; thereby I say, your hearts shall be drawn out and engaged to Jesus Christ.
2. Thereby you shall have your hearts drawn out and ingaged to Jesus Christ: When I am lift up, I will draw all men after me. One would think that the scandal of the Cross should drive men from Christ; but there is wisdome and power in Christ crucified, which draws men unto Christ: — Wisdome draws; it drew the Queen of Sheba to behold Solomon: a greater then Solomon is here. — Love draws, it drew Rebecca unto Isaac; here is love indeed in Christ crucified, Christ crucified is the most drawing thing in the world, where Love, and Wisdome, and Power, and Strength, and all ⟨p. 40⟩meet; thereby I say, your hearts shall be drawn out and ingaged to Jesus Christ.
3. Thereby also your lusts and temptations shall be fully mortified and subdued. There are three sorts of lusts, — the lusts of the eye, — the lusts of the flesh,— and the pride of life, that John speaks of: the Devil tempted Adam and Eve by all these, — by the lust of the eye, They saw th• Apple that it was fair to look on: — by the lus• of the flesh, that the Apple was good to eat, — and by the pride of life, The Devil told them, that i• they eat, they should be like unto God, and he prevailed with Adam and with Eve. And accordingly he sets upon the second Adam, and thought to have carried him too, he tempted him by all these. — He tempted him by the lusts of the flesh, Tur these stones into bread; — By the lusts of the eye He showed him all the Glory of the World; — He tempted him by the pride of life, All this will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me: but here he missed his prize, and so shall he do when he come and tempts you, if you do but keep close to a crucified Christ in the time of your temptations, for by faith we quench all the fiery darts of the Devil, and where are they quenched, but in the blood o Jesus? You blow out a candle, and it is easily light again; but if you quench it in blood, it is not so easily light again: if you blow out a temptation, or a sin by a Resolution, it is easily lighted again, but quench i in the blood of Jesus, and it is not so easily light again.