15. Sin will hinder from glorying in the cross of Christ. And omitting little things against light may breed hell in the conscience, as well as committing the greatest sins. If thou hast been taken out of the belly of hell into Christ’s bosom, and made sit among princes in the houshold of God, Oh, how shouldest thou live as a pattern of mercy!――Redeemed, restored soul, what infinite sums dost thou owe Christ! With what zeal shouldst thou walk, and do every duty! Sabbaths, what praising days should they be to thee!――Church fellowship! What a heaven, a being with Christ, and angels, and saints! What a drowning of the soul in eternal love, as a burial with Christ, dying to all things besides him! Every time thou thinkest of Christ be astonished; and when thou seest sin, look at Christ’s grace, that did pardon it; and when thou art proud, look at Christ’s grace, that shall strike thee down in the dust.
*Remember Christ’s time of love. When thou wast naked, then he chose thee. Canst thou ever have a proud thought? Remember whose arms supported thee from sinking, and delivered thee from the lowest hell, and shout in the ears of angels and men, and for ever sing praise, praise! Grace, grace! Daily repent and pray; and walk in the sight of grace, as one that hath the anointings of grace upon thee. Remember thy sins, Christ’s pardonings; thy deserts, Christ’s merits; thy weakness, Christ’s strength; thy pride, Christ’s humility; thy guilts, Christ’s new application of his blood; thy wants, Christ’s fulness; thy temptations, Christ’s tenderness; thy vileness, Christ’s righteousness.
16. Trifle not with ordinances. Be much in meditation and prayer. Wait diligently upon all opportunities of hearing. We have need of doctrine, reproof, exhortation, consolation, as the tender herb and the grass hath of the rain, the dew, the small rain, and showers. Do all thou dost as unto Christ, as immediately dealing with Christ Jesus, as if he were looking on thee, and thou on him, and fetch all thy strength from him.
*Observe what holy motions you find in your souls to duties; prize the least good thought thou hast of Christ. The least good word thou speakest of him from the heart, is rich mercy: O bless God for it! Observe, if every day you have the Day-spring from on high, with his morning dews of mourning for sin, constantly visiting thee. Have you the bright morning star, with fresh influences of grace and peace constantly arising, and Christ sweetly greeting the soul in all duties? What duties make not more spiritual, will make more carnal; what do not quicken and humble, will deaden and harden.
17. _Judas_ had a sop: but _John_ leaned on Christ’s bosom; that’s the posture in which we should pray, and hear, and perform all duties. Nothing but lying in that bosom will dissolve all hardness of heart, and make thee to mourn kindly for sin. That will humble indeed, and make the soul cordial to Christ, and sin vile to the soul. Never think thou art as thou shouldst be, until thou come to this, always to see and feel thyself lying in the bosom of Christ, who is in the bosom of his Father. Come and move the Father for a sight of Christ, and you shall be sure to speed; you can come with no request that pleaseth him better; he gave him out of his own bosom for that very end, to be held up before the eyes of all sinners, as the everlasting monument of his Father’s love.
Looking at the natural sun weakeneth the eye. The more you look at Christ, the son of righteousness, the stronger and clearer will the eye of faith be. Look but at Christ, you will love him, and live on him. Think on him continually; keep the eye constantly upon Christ’s blood, or every blast of temptation will shake you. If you will see sin’s sinfulness, to loath it and mourn, do not stand looking on sin only, but look upon Christ as suffering and satisfying. If you would see your grace, your sanctification, do not stand gazing upon them, but look at Christ’s righteousness first; look at your grace in the second place.
18. *Have nothing to do with thy graces and sanctification till thou hast seen Christ first. He that looks upon Christ through his graces, is like one that sees the sun in water, which wavereth and moveth as the water doth. Look upon Christ as shining in the firmament of the Father’s love, and you will see him in his own glory. Pride and unbelief will put you upon seeing somewhat in yourself first; but faith will have to do with none but Christ, who must swallow up thy sanctification as well as thy sin. He that sets up his sanctification to look at first, he sets up the greatest idol, which will strengthen his doubts and fears. Do but look off Christ, and presently (like _Peter_) you sink in doubts.