Christ is present with believers, where he is not withdrawn for a season from them, where they live in the view of his glory by faith as it is proposed unto them in the gospel, he will give unto them, at his own seasons, such intimations of his love, such supplies of his Spirit, such holy joys and rejoicings, such repose of soul in assurance, as shall refresh their souls, fill them with joy, satisfy them with spiritual delight, and quicken them unto all acts of holy communion with himself.

Let no such dishonour be reflected on the gospel, that whereas the faith of it, and obedience unto it, are usually accompanied with outward troubles, afflictions, persecution, and reproaches, as we are foretold they should be; that it doth not by its inward consolations and divine refreshments, outbalance all those evils which we may undergo upon the account of it. So to suppose, is expressly contrary to the promise of Christ himself, who hath assured that even võv EV TÝ KAιρų TOVT even now in this life,' in this world, distinct from eternal life, in the world to come, we shall receive a hundred-fold recompense for all that we can lose or suffer for his sake; Matt. x. 30. as also unto the experience of them who in all ages have 'taken joyfully the spoiling of their goods, as knowing in themselves' (by the experience which they have of its first-fruits) that they have in heaven a better and more abiding substance;' Heb. x. 29, 30. If we come short in a participation of these things, if we are strangers unto them, the blame is to be laid on ourselves alone, as it shall be immediately declared.

Now the design of the Lord Christ in thus withdrawing himself from us, and hiding his glory from our view, being the exercise of our graces, and to stir us up unto diligence in our inquiries after him, here lieth our guidance and direction in this case. Do we find ourselves lifeless in the spiritual duties of religion? Are we strangers unto the heavenly visits of consolation and joys, those visitations of God whereby he preserves our souls? Do we seldom enjoy a sense of the shedding abroad of his love in our hearts by the Holy Ghost?" We have no way of recovery but this alone. To this 'strong tower' must we turn ourselves as 'prisoners of hope;' unto Christ must we look that we may be saved. It is a steady view or contemplation of his glory by

faith alone, that will bring in all these things in a lively experience into our hearts and souls.

Again, in the second place, it is from ourselves principally, if we lose the views of the glory of Christ, and the exercise of faith be obstructed therein. All our spiritual disadvantages do arise from ourselves. It is the remainder of lusts and corruptions in us, either indulged by sloth and negligence, or excited and inflamed by Satan's temptations, that do obstruct us in this duty. Whilst they are in any disorder or disturbance, it is in vain for us to expect any clear view of this glory.

That view of the glory of Christ, whereof we treat, consists in two things; namely, its especial nature, and its necessary adjunct, or effect. The first is, a spiritual perception or understanding of it as revealed in the Scriptures. For the revelation of the glory of his person, office, and grace, is the principal subject of them, and the principal object of our faith. And the other consists in multiplied thoughts about him, with actings of faith in love, trust, delight, and longing after the full enjoyment of him; 1 Pet. i. 8. If we satisfy ourselves in mere notions and speculations about the glory of Christ as doctrinally revealed unto us, we shall find no transforming power or efficacy communicated unto us thereby. But when under the conduct of that spiritual light our affections do cleave unto him with full purpose of heart, our minds are filled with the thoughts of him, and delight in him, and faith is kept up unto its constant exercise in trust and affiance on him, virtue will proceed from him to purify our hearts, increase our holiness, strengthen our graces, and to fill us sometimes with joy unspeakable and full of glory.' This is the just temperature of a state of spiritual health; namely, when our light of the knowledge of the glory of God in Christ doth answer the means of it which we enjoy; and when our affections unto Christ do hold proportion unto that light; and this according unto the various degrees of it; for some have more, and and some have less. Where light leaves the affections behind, it ends in formality or atheism: and where affections outrun light, they sink in the bog of superstition, doting on images and pictures, or the like. But where things go not into these excesses, it is better that our affections exceed

our light on the defect of our understandings, than that our light exceed our affections from the corruption of our wills. In both these is the exercise of faith frequently interrupted and obstructed by the remainder of corruption in us, especially if not kept constantly under the discipline of mortification, but some way indulged unto.

For,

1. The steam of their disorder will cloud and darken the understanding, that it shall not be able clearly to discern any spiritual object, least of all the greatest of them. There is nothing more acknowledged, even in things natural and moral, than that the disorder of the passions and affections will blind, darken, and deceive the mind in its operations. And it is much more so in things spiritual, wherein that disorder is an immediate rebellion against its proper conducting light; that is, against the light and rule of

grace.

There are three sorts of them unto whom the gospel is preached, in whom there are various obstructions of this view.

1. There is in obstinate unbelievers a darkness that is an effect of the power of Satan on their minds, in blinding of them, which makes it impossible for them to behold any thing of the glory of Christ. So the apostle declares it, 'If our gospel be hid, it is hid unto them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them;' 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. Of these we do not speak.

2. There is in all men, a corrupt natural darkness; or such a depravation of their minds by nature, as that they cannot discern this glory of Christ in a due manner. Hence 'the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not;' John i. 5. For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned ;' 1 Cor. ii. 14. Hence it is that although Christ be preached among us continually, yet there are very few who discern any glory or beauty in him, for which he should be desired, as the prophet complains, Isa. liii. 1, 2. But I speak not of this natural darkness in general. But even these persons have their minds filled with prejudices against the gospel, and darkened as unto the glory of Christ

according as corrupt lusts and affections are prevalent in them. See John i. 44. xii. 43. Hence is the difference that is among the common hearers of the word. For although no man can do any thing of himself for the receiving of Christ, and the beholding of his glory, without the especial aid of the grace of God, Matt. xi. 24. John vi. 44, 45, yet some may make more opposition unto believing, and lay more hinderances in their own way, than others; which is done by their lusts and corruptions.

3. There are those in whom both these evils are cured by faith, wherein the eyes of our understandings are enlightened' to perceive and discern spiritual things; Eph. i. 16-18. But this cure is wrought in this life but in part; 1 Cor. xiii. 12. And in this cure by a supply of a principle of saving light unto our minds, there are many degrees. For some have a clearer light than others, and thereby a more clear discerning of the mystery of the wisdom of God, and of the glory of Christ therein. But whatever be our attainments herein, that which obstructs this light, that hinders it from shining in a due manner, that obstructs and hinders faith in its view of the glory of Christ. And this is done by the remainders of corrupted nature in us, when they act in any prevalent degree. For they darken the mind, and weaken it in its spiritual operations. That is, where any corrupt and inordinate affections, as love of the world, cares about it, inclinations unto sensuality, or the like spiritual disorders do prevail, faith is weakened in its spiritual acts, especially in discerning and beholding the glory of Christ. For the mind is rendered unsteady in its inquiries after it, being continually distracted and diverted with vain thoughts and imaginations.

Persons under the power of such distempers may have the same doctrinal knowledge of the person of Christ, his office, and his grace, with other men, and the same evidence of its truth fixed on their minds; but when they endeavour a real intuition into the things themselves, all things are dark and confused unto them from the uncertainty and instability of their own minds.

This is the sum of what I do design. First, We have by faith a view of the glory of Christ. This view is weak and unsteady from the nature of faith itself, and the way of its pro

posal unto us as in a glass, in comparison of what by sight we shall attain unto. But moreover, where corrupt lusts or inordinate affections are indulged unto, where they are not continually mortified, where any one sin hath a perplexing prevalency in the mind, faith will be so far weakened thereby, as that it can neither see nor meditate upon this glory of Christ in a due manner. This is the reason why the most are so weak and unstable in the performance of this duty; yea, are almost utterly unacquainted with it. The light of faith in the minds of men being impaired, clouded, darkened, by the prevalency of unmortified lusts, it cannot make such discoveries of this glory, as otherwise it would do. And this makes the preaching of Christ unto many so unprofitable as it is.

Secondly, In the view of the glory of Christ which we have by faith, it will fill the mind with thoughts and meditations about him, whereon the affections will cleave unto him with delight. This, as was said, is inseparable from a spiritual view of his glory in its due exercise. Every one that hath it, must and will have many thoughts concerning, and great affections to, him. See the description of these things, Phil. iii. 8. 10. It is not possible, I say, that we should behold the glory of his person, office, and grace, with a due conviction of our concernment and interest therein, but that our minds will be greatly affected with it, and be filled with contemplations about it. Where it is not so with any, it is to be feared that they have not heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape,' whatever they profess. A spiritual sight of Christ will assuredly produce love unto him; and if any man love him not, he never saw him, he knows him not at all. And that is no love, which doth not beget in us many thoughts of the object beloved. He, therefore, who is partaker of this grace, will think much of what Christ is in himself, of what he hath done for us, of his love and condescension, of the manifestation of all the glorious excellencies of the divine nature in him, exerted in a way of infinite wisdom and goodness for the salvation of the church. Thoughts and meditations of these things will abound in us, if we are not wanting unto the due exercise of faith; and intense, inflamed affections unto him, will ensue thereon; at least they will be active unto our own refreshing experience. And where these things are not in reality (though in some they