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

And so to know God in Christ, labour to see the face of God in Christ, for in him are all the beams of his love, as the beams of the Sun in a ¹glass are gathered, so the beams of all Gods love meet in Christ. So lovely is God in Christ, whatsoever we have in Christ, it is from God in Christ. And whatsoever we have from God, it is through Christ, therefore grow in the knowledge of Christ, in faith in Christ. To this end are the Sacraments, that we might grow up in ⟨p. 224⟩him, and be fed into Christ. And then we may make right use of it, as the Ordinance that God hath sanctified for this end. And as God doth take us out & set a stamp upon us, so labour to make choice of God more & more, & choice of God in Christ; for there be the 2. objects of our faith & love. Choose God ²for our God, & esteem him above all, and renounce all other, and resign our selves wholly to him, for all is ours, when God is ours. He setteth us apart from other men, taking us out, and appropriateth us to himself, chooseth us for his Jewels. I beseech you labour daily to choose God to be your God. If we say, we are Gods, let us make choice of him at the same time, and appropriate him with our choice. He is mine in particular, there is renunciation of all others. I have served other Gods heretofore, the world, and the flesh, and the favour of man have been my God, but they shall be my God no more: If we choose him not, and appropriate him as ours, and renounce all other, and give our selves to him, we cannot say he is our God: this we should practice every day: In the solicitation of sin, or despair ⟨p. 225⟩for sin, make use of this ³choice and appropriation, and resignation: If we be tempted to any sin, why I am not mine own, I am Gods, I have chosen him to be my God, I have appropriated my self to him, I have renounced all other, I have offered my self to him, therefore what have I to do with sin, with this temptation, I have taken the Sacrament on it, that God is mine, and Christ is mine, with all his benefits, therefore e if there be any solicitation to sin, make this use of it; & so we shall grow in assurance of our interest in God, when we can make use of it on all occasions.