Many love to walk in a very careless, unwise profession. So long as they can hold out in the performance of outward duties, they are very regardless of the greatest evangelical privileges, — of those things which are the marrow of divine promises, — ailreal endeavours of a vital communion with Christ. Such are spiritual peace, refreshing conso- lations, ineffable joys, and the blessed composure of assurance. With- out some taste and experience of these things, profession is heartless, lifeless, useless; and religion itself a dead carcase without an animat- ing soul. The peace which some enjoy is a mere stupidity. They judge not these things to be real which are the substance of Christ's present reward ; and a renunciation whereof would deprive the church of its principal supportments and encouragements in all its sufferings. It is a great evidence of the power of unbelief, when we can satisfy ourselves without an experience in our own hearts of the gi'eat things, in this kind of joy, peace, consolation, assurance, that are promised in the Gospel. For how can it be supposed that we do indeed believe the promises of things future, — namely, of heaven, immortality, and glory, the faith whereof is the foundation of all religion, — when we do not believe the promises of the present reward in these spiritual pri- vileges? And how shall we be thought to believe them, when we do not endeavour after an experience of the things themselves in our own souls, but are even contented without them? But herein men deceive themselves. They would very desirously have evangelical joy, peace, and assurance, to countenance them in their evil frames and careless walking. And some ha,ve attempted to reconcile these things, unto the ruin of their ^ouls. But it will not be. Without the diligent exercise of the grace of obedience, we shall never enjoy the grace of consolation. But we must speak somewhat of these things afterward.
It is peculiarly in the view of the glory of Christ, in his approaches unto us, and abiding with us, that we are made partakers of evan- gelical peace, consolation, joy, and assurance. These are a part of the
398 THE GLORY OF CHRIST.
royal train of his graces, of the reward wherewith he is accompanied. " His reward is with him." Wherever he is graciously present with any, these things are never wanting in a due measure and degree, unless it be by their own fault, or for their trial. In these things doth he give the church of his loves. Cant. vii. 12. " For if any man," saith he, " love me, I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him," John xiv. 21; — " yea, I and the Father will come unto him, and make our abode with him," verse 23 ; and that so as to " sup with him," Eev. iii. 20 ; — which, on his part, can be only by the communication of those spiritual refreshments. The only inquiry is, by what way and means we do receive them? Now, 1 say this is in and by our behold- ing of the glory of Christ by faith, 1 Peter i. 8, 9. Let that glory be rightly stated, as before laid down, — the glory of his person, his office, his condescension, exaltation, love, and grace ; let faith be fixed in a view and contemplation of it, mix itself with, it, as represented in the glass of the Gospel, meditate upon it, embrace it, — and virtue will proceed from Christ, communicating spiritual, supernatural refresh- ment and joy unto our souls. Yea, in ordinary cases, it is impossible that believers should have a real prospect of this glory at any time, but that it will in some measure affect their hearts with a sense of his love ; which is the spring of all consolation in them. In the exercise of faith on the discoveries of the glory of Christ made unto us in the Gospel, no man shall ever totally want such intimations of his love, yea, such effusions of it in his heart, as shall be a hving spring of those spiritual refreshments, John iv. 14 ; Rom. v. 5. When, therefore, we lose these things, as unto a sense of them in our souls, it is evident that the Lord Christ is withdra^vn, and that we do not behold his glory.
But I cannot here avoid another short digression. There are those by whom all these things are derided as distempered fancies and ima- ginations ; yea, such things have been spoken and written of them as contain a virtual renunciation of the Gospel, the powers of the world to come, and the whole work of the Holy Ghost as the com- forter of the church. And hereby all real intercourse between the person of Christ and the souls of them that do believe is utterly over- thrown ; — reducing all religion to an outward show, and a pageantry fitter for a stage than that temple of God which is in the minds of men. According unto the sentiments of these profane scoffers, there is no such thing as the shedding abroad of the love of God in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, nor as the witnessing of the Spirit of God luith our spirits that we are the children of God, from which these spiritual joys and refreshments are inseparable as their necessary effects ;— no such thing as the lifting up of the light of God's coun- tenance upon us, which will put gladness into our hearts, that glad-