(6.) Again, let us labour to walk in the light of a sanctified knowledge to be attained by the gospel, for as it is, ' the end of all oiu: preaching is to assm-e Christ to the soul,' 1 John v. 13, that we may be able to say without deceiving our own souls, ' I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine.' All preaching, I say, is for this end. The terror of the law and the discovery of corruption is to diive us out of ourselves to him ; and then to provoke us to grow up into him more and more. Therefore saith John, ' All our preaching is that we may have fellowship with the Father and the Son, and they with us,' 1 John i. 7. And what doth he make an evidence of that fellowship? ' walking in the light, as he is light,' or else we are liars. He is bold in plain terms to give us the He, to say we are Christ's, and have communion with the Father and the Son, when yet we walk in darkness. In sins against conscience, in wilful ignorance, the darkness of an evil life, we have no communion with Christ. Therefore if we will have communion with him, let us walk in the light, and labour to be lightsome in our under- standings, to have a great deal of knowledge, and then to walk answerable to that light and revelation that we have.. Those that live in sins against conscience, and are friends to the darkness of ignorance, of an evil life, Oh they never think of the fellowship with Christ and with God ! These things are mere riddles to them ; they have no hope of them, or if any, their hope is in vain. They bar themselves of ever having comfortable communion with Christ here ; much less shall they enjoy him hereafter in heaven.
Therefore labour every day more and more to grow rich in knowledge, to get light, and to walk in that light ; to which end pray with the holy apostle, ' That you may have the Spirit of revelation,' Eph. i. 17, that excellent Spirit of God, to reveal the things of God, that we may have the light discovered to us.
What a world of comfort hath a Christian that hath light in him and walks in that light, above another man. Whether he live or die, the light brings him into fellowship with the Father of lights. He that hath this light knows his condition and his way, and whither he goeth. When he :dieth he knows in what condition he dieth, and upon what grounds. The very light of nature is comfortable, much more tlaat of grace. Therefore
Cant, \1. 3.] * my beloved is mike. 187
labour to grow daily more and more in the knowledge and obedience of tlie light.
All professors of the gospel are either such as are not Christ's, or such as are his. For such as are not yet, that you may be provoked to draw to fellowship ^v-ith Christ, do but consider you are as branches cut off, that wiU wither and die, and be cast into the fire, unless you be grafted into the Uving stock, Chi'ist. You ai-e as naked persons in a storm, not clothed with anything to stand against the storm of God's wTath. Let this force you to get into Christ.
Use 6. And next for encouragement consider, Christ offereih himself to all in the r/ospel; and that is the end of the ministry, to bring Chi'ist and our souls together, to make a spiritual marriage, to lay open his riches and to draw you to him, 1 John i. 9. If you confess your sins, he will forgive them, and you shall have mercy, ' He relieves those that are wearied and heavy laden,' Mat. xi. 28, and bids those come to him that are thirsty, Isa. Iv. 1, Chi'ist came to seek and to save that which was lost. Christ offers himself in mercy to the worst soul.
Therefore if there be any that have hved in evil courses, in former times, consider that upon repentance all shall be forgotten, and as a mist scattered away and cast into the bottom of the sea. Christ offers himself to you. These are the times, this is the hour of grace. Now the water is stirring for you to enter ; do but entertain Christ, and desire that he may be yours to rule you and guide you, and all wUl be well for the time to come.
Obj. Do not object, I am a loathsome creature, full of rebellions.
A)is. Christ doth not mateh with you, because you are good, but to make you fjood, Christ takes you not with any dowry. All that he requii'es is to confess yom* beggary and to come with emptiness. He takes us not be- cause we ai'e clean, but because he avQI pm-ge us. He takes us in our blood when he first takes us, Ezek. xvi. 9. Let none despair either for want of worth or of strength, Eph. v. 27. Christ seeth that for strength we are dead, and for worth we are enemies ; but he gives us both spiritual strength and worth, takes us near to himself and enricheth us. Let none therefore be discouraged. . It is om- office, thus to lay open and ofier the riches of Christ. If you will not come in, but love yom- sinful coui'ses more than Christ, then you perish in your blood, and we free our hands, and may free our souls from the guilt thereof. Therefore as you love your own souls, come in at length and stand out no longer.