IN a deep Sense of the unspeakable Love of GOD, through his dear Son Christ JESUS, are you often brought be­fore me, and in the lasting Fellowship and glorious Gospel of Life and Salvation, are you right dear and near unto me, and in true Humility of Soul there is many times a weighty Concern and Exercise upon my Spi­rit, that we may travel on all together, be­ing stedfast in the precious Faith of our Elect and Holy Head, glorious Advocate, and ever­living High Priest, who is for ever worthy to be dearly owned and reverently confessed unto, as being the Author of Eternal Salva­tion unto all them that do obey him.

And indeed, He is most worthy of all our Love, who with a victorious Patience en­dured from Sinners, those wicked Scoffings and reproachful Revilings; His most pure Head being crowned with a Crown of Thorns, His undefiled Hands and Feet nailed to the Cross, His lovely Face spit upon, and His precious Side pierced through with a Spear, bearing our Sins in His own Body, died the most reproachful and shameful Death His Ene­mies could either imagine or inflict; and so He that was wholly without Sin, and was, and is the immaculate Lamb of GOD, was made a Curse for our Sins, according as it's written, Cursed is every one that hangeth upon a Tree, Gal. 3.13. It is He who hath re­deemed [Page 3]us from the Curse of the Law, that we might receive the Adoption of Sons, which is by Faith in Him who laid down His precious Life for us: For, as said the Holy Apostle, Ye are all the Children of GOD by Faith in Christ Jesus: And the Scripture hath concluded all under Sin, that the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

And surely (we may well say with the Evangelical Prophet, Isa. 53.4, 5.) He hath born our Griefs, and carried our Sorrows; He was wounded for our Transgressions; He was bruised for our Iniquities, the Chastisement of our Peace was upon Him, and with His Stripes we are healed.

The living Commemoration of these things, in the opening Power and Spirit of GOD in the Soul, is truly very precious and comfort­able; and many times arises, in a daily re­newed Sense thereof, a holy Admiration of the unspeakable Height and Depth of the Riches of the Love of GOD in Christ Jesus, which Saints and Angels will admire to all Eternity.

And, dear Friends, it is my earnest Desire, that we may be an inward retired People to the Measure and Manifestation of the Spirit, the Apostle spoke of in his Day, which is given to all to profit with; and to keep in the daily Exercise of it, and so grow in the Grace of GOD, and in the experimental Knowledg of our blessed LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ, that [Page 4]our Understandings may be opened more and more, savingly to know and understand the great Mysteries of GOD and of CHRIST, as they are revealed and discovered by the Di­vine Light of the glorious Son of Righteous­ness, the great Enlightner of all Mankind: For it is in His Light we shall see more Light; and by a diligent keeping to it, and follow­ing of it, it will lead to the glorious Sun which is in Heaven, even as certainly as a Beam or Ray of the Natural Sun in the Fir­mament, if it be followed by the Light of the outward Eye, will lead naturally to the body of the Sun it self, which as it cannot be confined to any one particular Place here up­on Earth, but universally sends forth its In­thences of Light and Heat to all the World, so cannot this be contained in any one place. And as none can have a true discerning where the outward Sun is, but by his own Light, so none can have any true spiritual Sight of the Celestial Sun, but by a Divine Beam and Ray of his own Light, that shines into the Souls of all, and flows from that rich Fulness which is in the Man Christ, the one only Me­diator betwixt GOD and Men, who is gone into Heaven, and is on the right Hand of God in the glorified Nature of Man; Angels, Authorities and Powers being made subject unto Him, and by His Death and Sufferings, and shedding of His precious Blood without the Gates of Jerusalem, together with His most perfect Obedience, Patience and Resignation [Page 5]to the Will of GOD, and by His glorious Re­surrection, Ascension and Intercession, He hath both procured, and also doth dispense all Good unto us, and all Blessings spiritual and temporal, that we enjoy: It is for His sake, and through and by HIM, that we re­ceive them, and are conveyed to us; who is our great High-Priest that is passed into the Heavens, which is touched with the feeling of our Infirmities. And this Man, ( viz. Je­sus the Son of GOD) because He continueth for ever, Heb. 7.24, 25. hath an unchangeable Priesthood, wherefore He is able also to save us to the uttermost that come to GOD by Him, seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for us.

Therefore as He is the true and proper Ob­ject of Faith, He is most worthy to be owned and confessed unto; and it is those that confess Him before Men, that He will confess before His Father which is in Heaven. This was spoke by Him concerning those that should confess to Him as he was and is an undivided Christ, and reverently own Him as he was, and as He now is, and as He is to come, and daily do express their sincere Love towards Him, by keeping of His Commandments, which He doth injoin all his Disciples to, according to that Saying of His, If ye love me, keep my Commandments; and ye are my Disciples, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Telling them also, how they should be enabled to keep them, by the Comparison He made of the Branches abiding in the Vine, or else they could [Page 6]not bear Fruit; No more (said he) can you, unless ye abide in me. And it is plain as by many Scripture-Testimonies, so also the true Believers in Christ Jesus have Experience, that all Evangelical Fruits of Righteousness and Holiness are brought forth by the Virtue and Power of Christ, and that whatever Obe­dience any may bring forth [by the Light within] or be found in from a bare Con­viction of Sin, which is from GOD's Love and first Dispensation to all Mankind, and is a Preparative for the second and more glori­ous Ministration, yet it is all but legal, and as from the Servant's State; and it's said, The Servant abideth not in the House for ever, but the Son.

Wherefore (said the Apostle, Gal. 3.24, 25.) the Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by Faith. But after that Faith is come, we are no longer under a School-master. And the Law of old, altho it was truly observed and strictly kept, yet we know that made not the Comers thereunto perfect, as pertaining to the Conscience, but the bringing in of a better Hope did; which Hope is Christ, which was to the Antients as an Anchor, (Heb. 6.19.) most sure and sted­fast, and was the Ground and Foundation of the Faith of all the Generations of the Just, from rightcous Abel unto this very Day; and it was in this Faith Abel offered to GOD a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain. And when the Author to the Hebrews had men­tioned [Page 7]many of the Worthies of old, which Time would fail to mention; but, says he, They all died in the Faith, not having received the Promises, but having seen them afar off, and were perswaded of them, and embraced them with Joy, (Heb. 11.13.) as faithful Abraham did, who by the Eye of Faith saw the Day of the fulfilling of them, for it is said, that he re­joiced to see Christ's Day, and he saw it, and was glad. And says he, ver. 39, 40 All these ha­ving obtained a good Report through Faith, recei­ved not the Promise; GOD having (observe) provided or foreseen some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Which is to be witnessed in and by our blessed Redeemer Christ Jesus, and through the pow­erful Operations or his Divine Spirit in the Hearts of all sincere Believers.

And as it was of absolute Necessity, and of great Benefit and Comfort to all GOD's Peo­ple, that were before our Blessed Lord Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, to look for­ward to his outward Coming, Death and Suf­ferings for the Remission of Sins, Peace and Reconciliation, &c. So is it likewise now no less necessary for all true Believers to look back with the Eye of Faith, unto the blessed Day that the Lord Jesus Christ offered up him­self freely once for all, as a most acceptable and all-sufficient Sacrifice of Atonement un­to GOD for our Sins, and Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World, by which his Wrath was appeased, and divine Justice sa­tissied. [Page 8]For it was by his own Blood He ob­tained eternal Redemption, and having made Peace through the Blood of his Cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself, whether they be things in Heaven, or things in Earth; by which Blood He hath made us night to GOD who sometimes were afar off; and by the Merit and Virtue of which preci­ous Blood of the immaculate Lamb, even that which was shed without the Gates of Jerusalem, are we both justified and sanctified, as we come to have a living Faith therein; and as the divine Virtue and Efficacy thereof is open­ed and applied to us by the Holy Spirit: For GOD commended his Love towards us, in that while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us: Much more then being now justified by his Blood, we shall be saved from Wrath by HIM, Rom. 5.8, 9. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might san­ctify the People with his own Blood, suffered with­out the Gate, &c. Heb. 13.12.

It is indeed a Mercy greatly to be prized, that we have the Knowledg of these things, as they are left upon Record in the Holy Scriptures, which were written for our In­struction and Learning; the Spirit of the LORD also in our Hearts evidencing to the Verity thereof, by which they are made very useful and comfortable to us in our se­rious diligent reading of them, which ought to be preferr'd before all other Books what­soever.

Let us therefore, as with one Mouth, bless [Page 9]the LORD, and say with holy David, (Psal. 103.1, 2, 3.) O my Soul, bless the LORD, and all that is within me bless His Holy Name: Bless the LORD, O my Soul, and forget not all His Benefits, who forgiveth all thine Iniquities, who healeth all thy Diseases, &c. Let us remem­ber all His Mercies, and tender Dealings, and His manifold renewed Tokens of His Love and fresh Visitations, by which we have been encouraged to travel on towards that ever­lasting City of eternal Repose, where all Tears shall be wiped away, and all Sighing shall come to an end; there the Wicked cease from troubling, and there the Weary be at Rest, Job. 3.17. We have cause to say with his Servant of old, THOƲ hast granted me Life and Favour, and thy Visitation hath preserved my Spirit, Job 10.12.

We are under great Obligations to walk with all Circumspection before Him, adorn­ing the glorious Gospel of our Blessed LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ, in Holiness of Life and Conversation, that so none may have any just Occasion to speak evilly of us; but if they will through Prejudice or Malice, let it be for JESUS sake, who said, Blessed are ye when Men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of Evil of you falsly for my sake; rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your Reward in Heaven; for so perse­cuted they the Prophets which were before you.

And as He hath graciously promised, He will also faithfully perform it, to all His true [Page 10]Followers, who have no sinister or by-end in professing Him, but sincerely love Him, and have Him in their Hearts, and that in all Re­spects, in all his Offices, as He is King, Priest and Prophet in Heaven, without us, as well as he is within us; owns both his outward and inward Appearance; they dare not di­vide the one from the other, nor set the one in opposition to the other, which GOD in His insinite Wisdom hath so necessarily joined together as the great Means of the Salvation of Mankind.

And upon Christ, thus undivided, even upon the same Jesus of Nazareth, whom the Jews slew, and hanged on a Tree, and whom GOD by His mighty Power raised up again the third Day; even Him whom GOD hath exalted with His right Hand, to be a Prince and Saviour for to give Repentance unto Israel, and Forgiveness of Sins; I say, on this Jesus, who was crucisied for us, and is now sat on the right Hand of the Majesty on high in the Heavens, do they depend (as all sincere-hearted Christians do) for Life and Salva­tion, and not upon any Works of Righte­ousness, or even any Obedience, or the best Service we are enabled to do by the gracious Assistance of his Spirit; as He said (by way of Caution, lest they might imagine that they merited Life by their Service, or be too much self-conceited, &c.) Luke 17.10. When [...] shall have done all those things which are com­manded you, say, We are unprofitable Servants, [Page 11]we have done that which was our Duty to do. So here is all Vain-boasting excluded, and by all our Performances, there is to be no claiming a Right or Title, by way of Merit, to the Kingdom of God; for it is by Grace (free unmerited Grace) that we are saved through Faith, in our LORD JESUS, and that not of our selves, it is the Gift of GOD; not of Works, lest any Man should boast. Ephes. 2.8, 9.

Such, as before is said, who sincerely love our dear LORD JESƲS, and nobly confess Him, for His dear Names-sake, and can say, that they count all things, even all their own Righteousness, as the Apostle did, ( Phil. 3.9.) but as Dung and Dross in comparison of Christ, and to be found in him, not having our own Righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ, &c.

It is for you, Friends, that Christ is gone before to prepare a Place in the heavenly Mansions of Glory, whom He will own and confess (as you persevere faithful to the end) in that great and last Day of general Ac­count, when all Nations shall stand before Him, and He will separate one from another, as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats, set­ting the Sheep on his right Hand, and the Goats on his left Hand, and will say to the Sheep, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the King­dom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World.

With undaunted Courage therefore, and with a Holy Boldness, let us hold fast the [Page 12]Profession of our Faith, looking unto Jesus, who is the Author, and the Finisher thereof He will be, as we continue in his Word, (Heb. 12.2.) Who for the Joy that was set before Him, endured the Cross, despising the Shame, and is set down at the right Hand of the Throne of GOD: Whom altho we have not seen (with our bo­dily Eyes) we love, in whom tho now we see Him not, yet believing, we rejoice with Joy unspeak­able and full of Glory, (1 Pet. 1.8.) Who is not entred into the Holy Places made with Hands, which are the Figures of the true, but into Hea­ven it self, now to appear in the Presence of GOD for us, Heb. 9.24. And He hath made the same Jesus whom the Jews crucified, both Lord and Christ, Acts 2.36. And as said the Apo­stle to the believing Corinthians, unto whom he zealously preached Christ crucified: and among whom he determined not to know any thing (1 Cor. 2.2.) save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified: for says he in 2 Cor. 8.9. Ye know the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that tho He was rich, yet for your sake (and ours too) He became poor, that ye through His Poverty might be rich.

And when He shall change our vile Bodies, that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to Himself, Phil. 2.21. Then shall we and all Saints be compleatly rich, and everlastingly happy in all respects. And this Riches which our Blessed Lord Jesus will give unto all his faithful Followers and [Page 13]true Believers in Him (and which now in time doth give an Earnest of) is truly wor­thy our diligent seeking after, above all things visible: it being a Portion that none can deprive us of; and the real Enjoyment of it in any measure is very comfortable and supporting in the time of great need, when we shall leave this World, and launch into the boundless Ocean of Eternity: O then, no bare Profession of Religion, tho never so resined, will stand us in any stead, but only the real Possession of the Life thereof; as blessed be the LORD, I can speak something by Ex­perience, having been often much visited with bodily Weakness; which through Mer­cy I have been helped to bear, and esteem it as that which my heavenly Father saw best for me. And when I have been weak and low, not knowing whether the Lord would be pleased to restore me to bodily Health again, (which blessed be His Holy Name I now enjoy) far beyond what I have often ex­pected, I can truly say, that the inward Me­ditation of the unspeakable Love of GOD to the Children of Men, through His dear SON, hath very deeply affected my Soul: And I hope, without any Self-boasting at all, but to the Praise only of the most worthy Name of my dear LORD, be it spoken, He hath been pleased of late time, to reveal and de­monstrate to my Understanding, both imme­diately and instrumentally, divers weighty pre­cious Gospel-Truths, necessary to Salvation; [Page 14]and they are more clearly opened to me than formerly; tho the LORD knows I have in the Sincerity of my Heart desired, and that in the deep Humility of my Soul, the true and living Knowledg of those things which ap­pertain to our eternal Peace and everlasting Well-being with him for ever.

Now, Friends, being right sensible that the time hastens on apace upon us all, that nothing can stand in any stead, but a true In­terest in Christ, and a full Assurance through His Spirit in our Hearts, that we have a Right to that incorruptible Inheritance which is re­ceived through Faith in Him: And now, through his great Love and Mercy, He hath brought me truly to esteem HIM, His Do­ctrine and Truth, more than ever; I trust it shall be my greatest Concern, while I have a Being, through his divine Aid and Assi­stance, to exalt Him over all, and to confess Him, and to follow Him whithersoever he leads, whatsoever Oppositions or Discou­ragements I may meet with in the way.

So being, through the great Goodness of GOD, in a true Sense of these things, my Heart is opened in tender Love to the whole Flock and Family of Christ, where-ever dis­persed, and under what Denomination, or by what Profession soever distinguished, even all who sincerely love our blessed Lord Jesus, and truly believe in Him, and depend only upon Him for Life and Salvation, who are given up to honour Him in their Day, by a [Page 15]sober and Christian Life, in Faithfulness and Obedience to the Measure of Light and Dis­pensation of Grace, and Knowledg they have received, desiring to advance further, and come nearer to the LORD. Unto all such, without respect to Persons, is the Salutation of unfeigned Love universally extended in that never-dying Life of our blessed and on­ly supreme Head, and glorious Captain of our Salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ; in some measure of whose pure Life and heavenly Presence, I have felt a Concern upon me for some time to write these things, for the stir­ring up the pure Mind in all, by way of Re­membrance, of the many Obligations we are under, that so we all together may persevere to the end, and join together as one Man, in contending [...] for the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints, with holy Zeal, but truly qualified by the Spirit of LOVE and MEEKNESS; and so fight the good Fight of Faith, and finish our Course with Joy; and in the End receive the everlasting Crown of Life and Glory, which GOD hath laid up in store for all who truly believe in, and sincerely love the blessed Appearance of our dear LORD and Saviour JESUS CHRIST; to whom be Glory both now and for ever. Amen.