A heavenly conference between Christ and Mary after His resurrection. Wherein the intimate familiarity,…

¹Therefore beloved, let us make use of this, and let us take heed of sacrilegious usurpations, that we do not usurp upon Gods house, or God in a peculiar respect. Indeed we may come to God, as his Creatures, we are the workmanship of thy hands, and ²say the truth, though we be in a wicked course of life, but to say thou art my God in Christ, I am thine, thou hast chosen me for thine; when we have not chosen him for our God, nor loved him, nor his cause, nor sided with him, nor have any stamp of him on the soul, have nothing but common favour that castaways have, as well as we, and the ⟨p. 198⟩Devils as well as we, (for the Devil• go beyond all men in parts,) and yet to usurp the prerogative of being Gods in a peculiar manner, and to be bold with the holy things of God, as if we were of his family; this is a dangerous usurpation, take heed of it. And therefore they that live in courses of rebellion, and resolve not to mend, they take the holy things of God, as the Psalmist speaks, Psal 50. in an holy indignation, what art thou that takest my word in thy mouth, since ³thou hatest to be reformed. Thou art an enemy to God and goodness, and wilt be so; thou art in a course of rebellion, and wilt be so. The Devils works you do, and will do; can we not take the word of the Covenant into our mouths, and shall we take the seal of the Covenant? therefore resolve to amend, else have nothing to do with God, do not add one sin to another. It is Children's food, and not for Dogs, it belongeth to them of the family. If thou be none of the Family, what hast thou to do with them? If thou be of the Family, whatsoever thy infirmities are, thou ⟨p. 199⟩mayest come boldly; for the seals are to strengthen our weak faith. When ⁴the Father is Father of a Child, the Father will not cast away the Child for breaking out with deformity, or lameness; when God hath taken us into his Family, infirmities cannot discard us. But I speak of them, that in a wilful opposite course of sin show they never had to do with God in familiar intercourse, God never gave them a spirit to alter their natures. Propriety and proportion, and suitableness of disposition go together, propriety joineth with suitableness; where God owneth any man, he makes them like himself by his word and spirit, that their natures shall be even and agreeable to holy things, shall have a taste of holy things.