The more the soul i.s conformable to Christ, the more confident it will be of its interest in Christ : 1 John iv. 17, ' Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.' ' As he, so are we.' The child is not more like the father than we are like our Saviour. The child is the father multiplied, the father of a second edition. Our summum honum consists in our full communion with Christ, and in our full conformity to Christ. Oh ! if men were more universally conformable to Christ in their affections, ends, designs, and actings, &c., they would have abun- dantly more clear, full, and glorious evidences of their interest in Christ. A more full conformity to Christ in heart and life will make your lives a very heaven, &c. As all good orators endeavour to be like Demos- thenes, so all good Christians should endeavour to be like Jesus Christ ; for therein lies their glory and perfection.
[4.] Fourthly, Interest Chnst in the glory of all you enjoy, and in the glory of all you do.
This is a precious way to have your interest in Christ more and more evidenced to your own souls, 1 Cor. x. 31. Such as are good at this, as are much in this, will find Christ every day a-clearing up more and more their interest in himself It is not usually long night with such souls. Oh Christians ! interest Christ more and more in the glory of all your graces, interest him in the glory of all your duties, interest him in the glory of all your abilities, as Christ doth interest you in himself, in his Spirit, in his graces, in his riches, in his titles, in his dignities, in his ojffices. Ah Christians ! did you interest Christ more in all you have, in all you are, and in all you do, you would never be so full of fears, and doubts, and questions about your interest in Christ as you are, John i. 16, Rev. i. 5, 6, 1 Peter ii. 9. Your interesting of Christ in all you have and do, will speak out not only the truth of your love, but also the strength and greatness of your love ; and where" men love much, where they love strongly, there they do not question the tmth of their love.^
The heathen gods were contented to divide their honours amongst themselves, and hence the senate of Rome rejected Christ, from taking him to be a god, after that they had consulted about it ; for, said they, if Christ come to be acknowledged a god, he will not share with the rest, he will have all himself; and so upon this reason they refused him.* Christians! Christ will not have any competitor ; he will rather part with anything than with his glory : Isa. xlii. 8, 'I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.' Christ will rather part with his life than with his honour; therefore, let every Christian say as David does : 1 Chron. xxix. 11-13, ' Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine ; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above aU. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reign- est over all ; and in thine hand is power and might, and in thine hand It is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now, therefore, our God we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.' And clearly, friends,
' The mother that strongly loves her child does not question the truth of her love to ler child. 2 Tertullian, Apolog., c. v. ; and of. Lardner.— G.
202 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
the more your hearts are led forth to interest Christ in all you enjoy, and in all you do, the more clear and glorious evidence you will have of your interest in Christ. Let his honour and glory he nearer and nearer to your hearts, and you shall see that he has set you as a seal upon his arm, as a seal upon his heart.
[5.] The fiffh means to gain the knowledge of your interest in Christ is, By cleaving to Christ, and luhatsoever is dear to Chnst, in the face of all miseries, dijjiculties, and dangers.
It is nothing to cleave to Christ in fair weather, when every one cleaves to Christ, when every one professes Christ ; but to cleave to him in a storm, when every one runs from him, this speaks out a child-like dis- position ; it speaks out a Jacob's spuit : Ps. xliv. ; Acts v. ; Heb. xi. ; Dan. iii. ; Acts xxi. 13. Surely he must needs hav^ much of Christ, that nothing can take off from cleaving to Christ. When the soul says to Christ, as Ruth said to Naomi, ' Whither thou goest I will go ; and where thou lodgest I will lodge : thy people shall be my people, and thy God shall be my God. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me,' Ruth i. 15-18. When neither the frowns of men, nor the reproach of men, nor the contempt of men, nor opposi- tions from men, can take the soul off from cleaving to Christ, it will not be long before Christ speaks peace to such a soul : Ps. Ixiii. 8, ' My soul followeth hard after thee, thy right hand upholds me.' In the Hebrew it is, ' My soul cleaveth to thee,' or ' is glued to thee,' as Jonathan's soul cleaved to David, and as Jacob's soul cleaved to Rachel, in the face of all difficulties and troubles. Doubtless, when the soul cleaves to Christ in the face of all afflictions and difficulties, this carries with it very much evidence of its interest in Christ. In temporals men cleave to persons and things, as their interest is in them ; and so it is in spirituals also. Christ cannot, Christ will not, throw such to hell that hang about him, that cleave to him.^
[6.] SixtJdif and lastly, If you luould know vjhether you have an in- terest in Christ, then be very much in observing ivhat interest Christ has in you.
Observe whether he has the interest of a head, a husband, a father, or no. Christ has a general interest in all creatures, as he is the Crea- tor and preserver of them ; and lie has a head's interest, a husband's interest, a father's interest, only in them that have a saving interest in him. The interest of the head, the husband, the father, is the greatest interest ; it is the sweetest interest, it is a commanding interest, it is a growing interest, it is a peculiar intei'est, it is a lasting interest ; and really, if the Lord Jesus hath such an interest in you, you may be as confident that you have a real and glorious interest in him, as you are confident that you live. And thus much for the means whereby you may come to know your interest in rich Jesus.
Before I close up this discourse, give me leave to speak a few words to poor sinners who, to this very day, are afar off from this Jesus, who is so ricli in all excellencies and glories. Ah poor hearts ! you have heard much of the riches of the Lord Jl-sus, and oh that I could per- suade with you to get an interest in this Christ ! Get this Christ, and you get all ; miss him, and you miss all. It is a matter of eternal con-