THE MATCHLESS LOVE AND INBEING. 405
and meek hearts, as he had. ' Come, learn of me, for I am humble and meek,' Mat. xi. 29. For where he dwells, I say, and takes up his throne, he alters and changes the disposition in all things to be like his own. For when he comes to the soul, he takes up all the parts thereof, and keeps out all that may hinder his work. He takes up the eyes, the ears, the under- standing, and the affections ; and even as we shut up the doors and windows against all that is contrary to us, so the Spirit of Christ, where he is, shuts the door of the senses both to Satan and all his suggestions, and whatso- ever else might hurt us.
6. Where he enters likewise, lie possesseth the whole inivard and outward man to hunsclf. He changeth it like to himself; he rules the eyes, the ears, the hands ; he renews all, that our delights are clean other than they were before. If there be such a" power in his truth, that, like a scion engraffed, it doth change us into itself, certainly where Christ dwells, he hath as much power as his word. His word is like leaven, which alters the whole lump to be like itself. For the word engraffed makes the soul that beheves it heavenly like itself, 1 Cor. v. 0. How is this ? Because Christ comes with his word, leavens, alters, changeth, and turns the soul. Christ by his Spirit and word is said to do it, because the Spirit of Christ comes with the word, which doth all. Those therefore whose dispositions are contrary to Christ, Christ is not begotten in them. For certainly he doth alter and change and fit his temple for himself, and drives out and chaseth thence, as I said before, all that is contrary ; and keeps the door of the senses, and possession against all. He useth every member as an instru- ment of the Spirit and weapon of defence.
7. Again, You may know who dwells within, hy what servants come out of the house, and icho comes in. Would you know who dwells in the soul ? See what comes from within the house : filthy thoughts, blasphemous words, oaths, rotten discourse ; eyes full of adultery, ears open to receive that which may taint the soul. Who dwells here ? Christ ? No ; where nothing but filth comes out, the devil dwells there. These two are imme- diate opposites ; there is no third ; either Christ or the devil dwells in us. Now when nothing comes out of a man but scorning of goodness, and that which is rotten and offensive — if there be other things, they come from the brain, and not from the heart ; they have no seat there — the devil is there ; Christ and his messengers are not there. There come no good thoughts, no good desires, no good speeches ; and is Christ there ? Is Christ in the heart, that drinks in corruption at all the senses ? that lets open all the senses to all that is naught,* to hear all kinds of things that may cherish corruption, that will be at these corrupting exercises, that will see all that may blow up the flesh ? What is this within that is thus cherished ? Is Christ fed with filthy discourse, with filthy spectacles ? Doth Christ, in us, delight in these things ? Oh no ! Who dwells there, then, that is thus fed ? Sure the spirit that is there fed is the devil. The devil dwells in our spirits, and in our corruptions, which are like the devil, in that pro- portion that he dwells in us, and stirs us up to feed him with these things, to the destruction of the soul. No, no, from the heart where Christ ia proceed often prayer, sighs, and groans to God, and fruitful discourses to others ; and all the senses and passages of the body arc open for good things. He hath desires to see that which is good, which may edify. He desires to speak, and to have others to speak, that which may feed the soul. The lips of the wise feed many,' saith Solomon, Prov. x. 21. So where
* That is, 'naughty,' wicked.— G.
406 THE MATCULTiSS LOVE AND INBEING.
Christ is, Christ's Spirit is thus fed. Thus familiarly have I discovered to you how you may know whether Christ he in you or no.
Quest. What if he be not ?
Sul. He must be, or else you are reprobates. So saith the apostle, 2 Cor. xiii. 5, * Ivnow you not that Christ is in you, except you be repro- bates ?' He means not eternal reprobates, but this, If Christ be not in you, the devil and cori'uption are. Anatomise a carnal man, and what is in him ? In his brain, a company of wicked plots and devices of the world ; in his heart, a deal of love of the world, and of money ; in his memory, matter of revenge ; in his conscience, that which will stare upon him at the day of death, and that which will damn him unless he repent. Examine yourselves, therefore. If Christ be not in you, you are reprobates ; and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. I beseech you, there- fore, take a trial, aud enlarge the point in your own meditations. Examine what spirit is in you. If we find the Spirit of Christ to be in us, as, indeed, he is in all his in some measure, what a comfortable state is this ! Ho is the best guest that ever we could entertain in this w^orld, for he doth that to the soul that the soul doth to the body. What doth the soul to the body ? Whence hath the body the beauty that it hath ? whence the vigour that it hath to work with ? to move from place to place ? whence hath it government to rule itself ? whence all that is excellent, good and useful ? From the guest that dwells in it, the soul — the reasonable, understanding soul. For as soon as the soul is out of the body, the body is an ugly, deformed thing, a dead creature, unfit for anything. It cannot stir itself, a loathsome thing ; it cannot rule itself, a mere lump of earth. Now, as the soul is to the body, so is Christ to the soul, if he dwell there. For he gives beauty and loveliness unto it. He transforms it to his own like- ness and image, that it may be the object of God's love ; that he may love us, not only because we are in his Son, but because his Son's image is in us. We have not only beauty from Christ dwelling in us, but where he is he w-orks and stirs us to all holy and heavenly duties.