2. Where Christ is, he will drive out all that is contrary. As when he entered into the temple, he drave out the money-changers, and whipped out those corrupt persons there. Mat. i. 12, so, as soon as ever he comes into the soul by his Spirit, out go those lusts, those desires that were there before, worldliness, profaneness, fury, and rage, wherewith the soul was transported before, that possessed the habitation that God should dwell in. When Christ comes in, he scourgeth out all. Where these there- fore are in any force, there certainly Christ is not.
3. Again, Where Christ is, he doth ride ; for he takes the keys of the house himself, and governs all in some measure. He gets into the heart, rules, and sets up a throne there. For I make account* if he go no deeper than the brain and tongue ; that is, to give him no better entertainment than he had when he was born, to be put in a manger. No ; where he is — I mean, where he is in the heart and affections — there he rules ; and where he takes not his lodging in the affections and in the heart, in the joy, desire, and delight, he is not at all to any purpose. To have him in the brain to talk, and in the tongue to discourse, and to keep the heart for worldly lusts and such things, I account not this an inbeing of Christ to any purpose, to any comfort. Where Christ is comfortably, he takes his throne and lodging in the heart, he dwells in it by faith. By heart, I mean, especially, the will and affections. He draws the will to cleave to him, to choose him for the best good. And therefore where (Jhrist dwells, there is an admiring of the excellencies, and of the good things that are in him, and contentment in him above all things in the world. For he dwells in the heart and affec- tions, especially in the will. The will chooseth him to be an head and husband. It cleaves to him as the chief good. The affection of joy, it
* Qu. ' no account ' ? — Ed.
404 THE MATCHLESS LO^'E AND INBEING.
joys in him above all tilings. The afTection of love and desire, of zeal in his cause, is strong against those that oppose him and his truth. Thus he takes up his seat and his throne in the heart wheresoever he is in truth.
4. And, therefore, this follows upon that too. Where Christ is in the heart by faith, and takes up the all'ections, there is a base esteem of all the excellencies in this tcorhl whatsoever. Moses did but see afar off the excel- lency that came by Christ, and he accounted all the pleasures of sin for a season to be nothing, Heb. xi. 27, and took upon him the rebuke of Christ rather. St Paul accounted all but dung and dross, Philip, iii. 8 ; all his former works, all his pharisaical excellency, and all things else ho accounted as nothing, and of no value, having in his heart and soul an admiration of the all-sufliciency and excellency in Christ. Zacchcus, as soon as ever Christ came once into his house —but he was in his heart before he was in his house, or else he had never done it — he grew liberal : ' Half my goods,' saith he, ' I give unto the poor,' Luke xix. 8. He loved extortion and base courses before, but now down they go, he will be no base dealer, no oppressor any more. No ; the half of his goods he gives to the poor, and he satisfies those whom he had wronged.
And so the disciples, howsoever they were busied before, when Christ once took up his lodging in their hearts, and opened their spirits by his Spirit, to see wherefore he came into the world ' to save sinners,' and opened their eyes to see the excellency that was in him, away goes all the trash that they were exercised in before, that they might follow Christ. Matthew follows him presently, Luke v. 27 ; and so the rest. It is impos- sible that the heart which entertains our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ into it, should have in over-much admiration any earthly excellency whatsoever. For it is the nature of the soul, upon the discovery of better things, to let the estimation of other things of less value to fall down presently. As we see in civil things, children, when they come to be men, they are ashamed of childish toys. So it is with a man that is converted : when Christ enters he so opens the understanding, and enlargeth the heart to see and admire better things, that presently it begins to care nothing for this world in com- parison. Thus we see how we may know whether Christ hath taken his scat and lodging in us or no.
5. To go on a little further. If Christ be in us, he doth frame its to him- self. He doth transform us to his own likeness, where he rules by the Spirit ; for he is such a head fts changeth his members, such an husband as changeth his spouse, 2 Cor. iii. 18. Moses could not change the com- plexion of his Ethiopian wife : she was black, and he left her black. But Christ renews and changeth his spouse. He is such a head as quickens his members ; such a vine as puts life in the branches. And therefore yoa may know by this altering, changing, transforming power, whether heb6 in you or not. He alters and changeth us to his own likeness, that as he is set down in the gospel in his life, conversation, and disposition, so, if we have entertained him and he be in us, we should have the same disposition, the same mind, and the same will with him ; for he will alter us to him- self, that ho may take the more delight in us. We shall judge of things as he judgeth of them, we shall judge meanly of outward things. There will be a delight to do our Father's will, as it was his meat and drink to do his Father's will, John iv. 3-1. AVe shall have a spirit of obedience, as he had, to look to our Father's glory, and to his commandment in all things. We shall have compassion and melting hearts to the misery of others, as he had bowels yearning to see sheep without a shepherd. We shall have humble