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some cases we must labour to know how to vindicate the truth, but when it comes to our own particuhir), lay other things aside, let us do our duty in the use of means, and think of the end of the gospel, of the end of Christ's incarnation and death, namely, to reveal the bowels of God's mercy to sinners ; and then wo shall find the intendment of all working upon us, that God had an eternal purpose to save us.
(2.) Again, if wo would make good use of the example of Christ, ice mvst converse with those that have the Spirit of Christ in them, as Christ is in every good Christian, and see what lovely things the Spirit of Christ dis- covers in them. That will have a transforming power likewise. And cer- tainly next to the meditation of Christ, and the excellencies that are in him, I know no way more effectual than holy communion with those that are led with the Spirit of Christ, when we see the sweet fruit of it in others. It hath been a means sanctified to do a great deal of good to many ; and those that delight not in it, they never knew what the likeness of Christ meant ; for those that desire to be like to Christ, they love the shining of Christ in any. In these careless times, all companies are alike one with another. Indeed, when men's callings thrust them upon it, they must be allowed to converse with all men ; but in familiar and intimate society, those that do not make choice of those that find some work of grace on their hearts by the Spirit of God, they may well doubt of their condition ; for grace it will make us love the like. As we see creatures of the same kind, they love and company one with another ; doves with doves, and lambs with lambs ; so it must be with the children of God, or else we do not know what the communion of saints means, which indeed is a thing little understood in the world. These times of security are times of confusion. Affliction will make us know one another better.
(3.) Again, if we would make use of the example of Christ, let us put eases sometimes to ourselves, ivhat Christ ivould do or not do in such a case. I profess myself to be a member of Christ, to be one with him, and he one with me. Would Christ be cruel if he were on earth ? would he swear, and look scornfully upon others ? would he undermine others, and cover all with a pretence of justice ? Oh no ! It is the devil's work to do so. If we be not members of Christ, woe unto us ! And if we be, do such courses suit with such a nearness to Christ ? Either let us be reli- gious to purpose, or else disclaim all ; for it is better a great deal never to own religion, than to own it and to live graceless lives under the profession of Christ.
Now to stir us up to express Christ in our lives and conversations let us consider, the more like we are to Christ, the more he delights in us ; for every one delights in those that are like them. And what a sweet state is it for God and Christ to delight in us. God the Father will delight in us because we are like the Son of his delight. Whom doth God delight most in ? In his own blessed Son. And who come nearest in his delight to his Son ? Those that express him in their hves and conversations.
The more like we are to Christ, the more like we shall be one to another. As if there be one statue, or picture, or effigies, that is set for the first sample, the nearer the rest come to that, the more like they are one to another ; so I say, the nearer Christians come to the first pattern of goodness, Christ himself, who is God's master-piece as it were, that which he glories in, the more we come to be like one another, and love and joy one in another. What is the sweet communion that we shall have one with another for ever in heaven ? Is it not that the Spirit shall be all in
522 TUE church's riches.
all in every one, and each shall look upon another as perfect in grace and love, and so shall solace and delight themselves, first in God and Christ, and then in one another, admiring and reverencing the graces and sweetness one of another. This is the very joy of heaven itself, and it is the heaven upon earth, when we can joy and solace ourselves one in another as we are good. Now the nearer we come to Christ, who is the image of God, the more we shall attain this. Therefore let us labour that Christ may be all in ail in us ; that as the soul doth act the body, so the Spirit of Christ may act us, that Christ may speak in us, and think in us, and love in us by his Spirit ; that he may dwell in us, and joy, and hate in us by his Spirit ; that we may put ofi' ourselves, and our carnal ail'ections, and the spirit of the world, and that we may 'put on' Christ, and be clothed with him, that we may say with St Paul, * I live not, but Christ lives in me' by his Spirit. Whence was Paul stirred up to that ? Oh, saith he, ' Christ loved me, and gave himself for me,' Gal. ii. 20. The grace of Christ stirred him up, ' Christ loved me, and gave himself for me,' and by his Spirit he witnesseth to my soul that he did so. Therefore the life that I live is by the Spirit of Christ ; Christ lives in me.