Sermon 23

The woman had no apparent evidences of believing; yet did she hang by one single thread of the word, of the mercies of the Son of David. Antanaclasis: the more that the word of promise has influence in believing, and the less of convincing reason and appearances, the greater the faith (Romans 4). Abraham had a promise of a son in whom the nations of the world should be blessed: but first, there was no appearance of this in nature. Abraham and Sarah at this time were between them two hundred years old lacking one, and so no natural hope of a child. He had but one promise for his faith; we have twenty, a hundred, yet (Romans 4:18): "He against hope, believed in hope." It is an elegant figure having a form of a contradiction — there was no hope, yet he had hope. Verse 19: not being weak in the faith — then he was strong in the faith, and gave glory to God, as it is in verse 20. He staggered not through unbelief — then it is an argument of a weak faith, to dispute according to the principles of natural logic with God; to go on upon God's naked word without reasoning is a strong faith, especially when the course of providence says the contrary. The word of promise is the mother and seed of faith (1 Peter 1:23); the more of the seed, the more of the birth: wine that is separated from the mother does sooner corrupt. That is strongest faith that has most of its seed and mother, that is, of the word of promise in it. Abraham had nothing on earth to sustain his faith in killing his son, but only a naked commandment of God; all other things were contrary to the fact; yet faith is strongest when it stands on its own bases and legs, and that is the word of omnipotency, the word of promise. Other pillars of faith are rotten and sandy foundations; inspirations beside and without the word are the natural faith's unwritten traditions. Every thing is strongest on its own pillars that God and nature has appointed for it: the earth hangs by God and nature's statute in the midst of the air; if the earth were up in the orb or sphere of the moon, it should not be so sure as it is now. And if the sea, fountains, and floods were up in the clouds, they should not be so free from perishing as they now are: faith is seated most firmly on a word of him, who is able to perform what he has said. Wicked men are seeking good in bloodshed, in wars, in the destruction of the Church, of the Reformation and Covenant of God; yet their actions are not seated on a word of promise, but on a threatening that destruction shall come on them as a whirlwind, therefore is not the wicked man's bread sure. When the child of God has bread, sleep, peace, immunity from the sword (in so far as the sword is a curse), that is by the Covenant of promise. This woman had one gospel-word: mercy from the Messiah, David's son.

6. That is a strong faith which can forgo much for Christ, and the hope of heaven. Moses was strong in the faith in this, who refused the treasures of Egypt, the honor of a princedom, and to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter (Hebrews 11:26). For he had an eagle's look and eye to heaven, to the recompense of reward. Abraham forgoes country and inheritances for God (Hebrews 11:9): by faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles. First, he sojourned; second, he played the pilgrim; third, he dwelt not in castles and cities, though the land was his by promise, and his grandson Jacob disposed of it in his testament (Genesis 49:10). For he looked for a city which has foundations — to the strong faith, all cities are bottomless except heaven — whose maker and builder is God. Now this woman's faith is great in this: she looked for a temporary deliverance from Satan's power to her daughter, under the notion of one of the sure mercies of David, and that by faith which inherits all the promises. Not to see beyond time and death, nor to see the gold at the race's end, faints the traveller; a sight of the fair city is as a draught of wine to the fainting traveller; it adds legs and strength to him. Heaven is downhill ground when faith sees it; it is (when sight fails us) toilsome and up the mount. When Stephen, at a near distance, heard the music of heaven, his countenance did shine; he did leap to be at it: "I see heaven open and Jesus," etc.

7. It is great faith to pray, and persevere, and watch to praying, as this woman did, when Christ seems to forbid praying. He both reproached this woman in her praying, as if it had been but the crying of a dog, and said he was not sent for her. When the promise and Christ seem to look away from you, and to refuse you — yea, to forbid you to believe — then to believe is great faith. Actions in nature going on in strength, when contrary actions does countermand them, must be carried with prevailing strength: it is strength of nature that the palm tree grows under great weights; it is prevalency of nature that mighty rivers when they swell over banks break over all oppositions. Satan has a commission to burn and slay; a strong faith quenches all his fiery darts (Ephesians 6:16). "Let me alone," says the Lord to Jacob (Genesis 32:25-26), "Pray no more." Jacob's strong faith meets with this commandment thus: "I will not let you alone, I must pray on till you bless me." Strong faith beats down misapprehensions of promises, or of Christ, and lays hold on Christ under his mask of wrath (Lamentations 3:9): "And covered with a cloud."

8. Great boldness in the faith argues great faith; there are three things in faith, in this notion. 1. An agony, and a wrestling of faith (Colossians 1:29), which is a heavenly violence in believing. 2. To be carried with a great measure of persuasion and Plerophory, with full and hoisted up sails in believing (Colossians 2:2). There is a rich assurance of faith. 2. Not that only, but in abstracto, there are the riches of assurance. 3. There are all riches of assurance. 4. All riches of the full assurance of faith: so strong prevailing light produces a strong faith; alas, it is but twilight of evidence that we have. 3. To be bold, and to put on a heavenly stoutness, and daring, in venturing with familiarity into the throne of grace, is a strong faith (Hebrews 10:22, and Hebrews 4:16). We are to come with liberty, and holy boldness to the throne, as children to their father, so the Church with heavenly familiarity, and the daring of grace and faith prays (Song of Solomon 1:1): Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. John's leaning on Christ's bosom is not familiarity of love only, but of faith also; in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by faith (Ephesians 3:12). Faith dares go into the throne, and (Hebrews 10:19) to the holy of holies; faith blushes not.

9. That which leads a man with Paul and Silas to sing psalms in the stocks, in prison, and in scourges, that is a strong faith; Job is known from this to be strong in the faith, because being made a most miserable man in regard of heavy afflictions, he could bless God. A strong faith prophesies glad tidings out of the fire, out at the window of the prison, and rejoices in bonds (Micah 7:8-9; Isaiah 52:1-2; and Isaiah 54:1-4). To glory in tribulation is an argument of one justified by faith (Romans 5:1-3). And the greater glorying in Christ's chains and cross is a stronger reason to conclude a strong faith.

10. To wait in patience for God all the day long is an argument of great faith (Isaiah 28:16). He that believes shall not make haste; he shall not be confounded with shame (so the Septuagint translates it, and Paul after them, Romans 9:33), as those who flee from the enemy out of hastiness, procured by base fear, which is a shame. I dare not say that the Septuagint reads [illegible] festinet instead of [illegible] confundatur: but it proves believing and a valorous keeping the field without flying, and so continued waiting on God, to be of kin to believing; and the longer the thread of hope is, though it were seventy years long, as (Habakkuk 2:1-2), or though it were as long as a cable going between the earth and the heaven, up within the veil (Hebrews 6:19), the stronger the faith must be; unbelief not being chained to Christ leaps overboard at first, as the wicked king said in the [reconstructed: midst] of unbelief (2 Kings 6:33): What should I wait any longer on the Lord? Faith is a grace for winter to give God leisure to bring summer in his own season; the reasons of our weakness are two. [illegible] We see Israel and their dough on their shoulders wearied and tired, lately come out of the [illegible] furnace, wandering without one foot of heritage, forty years in the wilderness, and four hundred years in Egypt (Acts 7:6). This [reconstructed: looks] like poverty, to believe the other mystery in the other side or page of Providence, [illegible] glory of dividing the Red Sea, and of giving seven mighty nations to his people, and their buildings, lands, vineyards, gardens, is a strong faith. 2. The furnace is a thing void of reason and art, and so knows little, that by it the goldsmith makes an excellent and comely vessel of gold: it is great faith to believe, that God by crooked instruments, and fire and sword shall refine a Church and erect a glorious building, and these malignant instruments are as ignorant of the art of divine Providence, as coals and fuel are of the art and intention of the goldsmith (Micah 4:12; Isaiah 10:5-7). The axe and the saw know nothing of art, nor the sword anything of justice. Prelates, Papists, malignants in the three kingdoms, understand nothing of God's deep counsel upon themselves, in that God by a fire of their kindling is burning themselves, and taking away the tin and brass, and reprobate metal, and refining the Spouse of Christ — they serve a great service, but know not the master of the work.

11. A humble faith, such as was in this woman, is a great faith: the more sins that are pardoned, as it infers the more love to Christ (Luke 7:47), so the more unworthy a soul is in itself to believe pardon in Christ, argues the greater faith; it must be a greater faith, to believe the pardon of ten thousand talents, than to believe the forgiveness of five hundred pence. Christ esteems it the greatest faith in Israel, that the Centurion abases himself, as one unworthy to come under one roof with him, and that he exalts Christ in his omnipotence to believe that he can command all diseases, at his nod (Matthew 8:8-10).

12. A strong desire of communion with Christ is an argument of strong faith (Revelation 22:20). Surely I come [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉]. Quickly, faith answers with a hearty desire: Amen, even so, Come Lord Jesus (2 Peter 3:12). These two are conjoined: the one is a word of faith, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] Looking for; the other a word of earnest desire, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] Hastening after (Stepha. votis accelerantes) the coming of the day of the Lord. Faith desires a union with Christ, and a marriage union. The reason is, strong faith comes from strong love, and strong love, and strong coals of desiring to be dissolved, and to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23), burns in at heaven's door; love-sickness for glory goes as high as the lowest step of the throne that the Lamb Christ sits on. And it is faith and love together that desires Christ to mend his pace, and says (Song of Solomon 8:14), Make haste, my beloved, and be as a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices. The fervor of love challenges time, and the slow-moving wheels of years and months, and reckons an hour for a day, and a day for a year (Psalm 101:2). O when will you come to me? So hope deferred is a childbirth pain, and a sickness of the soul (Proverbs 13:12). Faith with love cannot endure a morrow. Faith puts Christ to posting, and leaping over mountains, and skipping over hills (Song of Solomon 2:8), and adds wings to him, to flee more quickly. Yet there is a caution here most considerable: faith both walks leisurely and with leaden feet, and moves swiftly with eagle's wings. Faith, in regard of love and desire of union with God, is swift, and has strong motions for a union; indeed, a love-sickness to be at the top of the mount to be satiated with a feast of Christ's enjoyed face. But in regard of a wise assurance that God's time is fittest, it makes no haste. So to wait on, and to hasten may stand together (2 Peter 3:10).

13. Faith effectual by, or with child of love and good works is a strong Faith (1 Thessalonians 1:3). Remembering your work of Faith (Philemon 6). Faith effectual. There be bones in a strong Faith: indeed, sap and life. How many thousands of apples be there virtually in a tree that bears fruit, for thirty or forty years together? So it is said of Stephen, that he was full of faith and power (Acts 6:8). And Barnabas (Acts 11:24): full of the Holy Ghost, and of Faith. What is then a small Faith, or a weak Faith, is easily known. 1. A Faith void of all doubting is not a weak Faith: nor yet the strong Faith. Antinomians err many ways in this point. 1. After the revelation of the spirit, neither devil nor sin can make the soul to doubt (say they). Indeed, but the spirit of revelation was in Jeremiah, who doubted when he complained (Jeremiah 15:18) to God of God, 'Will you be to me altogether as a liar, and as waters that fail?' (Jeremiah 20:7-9, 14-16). Job doubted (Job 13:14) when he said, 'Why do you hide your face, and hold me for your enemy?' And Asaph (Psalm 73:13), Heman (Psalm 88:13-15), and the Church (Psalm 77). Yet all these were sealed by the spirit to the day of redemption. 2. This is like the foul error of the Arminians, who, with Socinians, hold that as there be three degrees of believers — 1. Some babes; 2. Some aged — so there is a third sort of truly perfect ones, who do not sin from the root of concupiscence, the combat between the flesh and the spirit now ceasing, only they sin through inadvertence or some error, or over-clouding of their light, as Adam and the Angels sinned, there being no inward principle of corruption in them. Hence some Libertines say, those that are in Christ can no more sin, and not walk with God, than the sun can leave off to give light, or fire to cast heat, or a fountain to send out streams, in regard that the spirit acts them to walk with God by such a necessary impulsion that destroys all freedom of will; and if they sin, they are not to be blamed, because the spirit moves them not to abstinence from sin, and to holy walking. But Paul, a chosen vessel, and a strong believer (Romans 7:14-17, etc.), complains of the in-dwelling of sin, of his carnality, and the flesh's lusting against the spirit, and of his captivity under sin, which must argue his imperfect Faith, liable to the distemper of sinful doubtings. It is also a great error to say, that to call in question, whether God be my Father after, or upon the commission of some heinous sins, as murder, incest, etc., does prove a man to be in the covenant of works. Now there be sundry sorts of doubtings opposite to Faith. In the renewed: there is 1. A natural doubting; and as all Popery is natural and carnal: so this strangeness of affection by which men are unkind to Christ, and never persuaded of God's favor in Jesus Christ, argues the party to be under the law, and not in Christ. This doubting may, and does in carnal men consist with presumption, and a moral false persuasion that natural men have all of them, while their conscience be wakened; that they shall be saved. Why? I am not a murderer, a sorcerer, etc. Why? Or how can God throw me into Hell? So it is made up of real lies and contradictions: yet they have no divine certainty of salvation. For ask a natural man, 'Have you a full assurance of salvation, as you say, that you always believe and doubt not?' He shall be there at a stand, and answer; 'Who can have a full assurance? But I hope well, I believe well night and day.' And so doubt Papists also, and they have a lie in their right hand, it cannot stand with God's mercy or justice; since I am not this and this, to throw me into hell. So is unbelief a lie (Isaiah 57:11). 'And of whom have you been afraid and feared, that you have lied and have not remembered me?' 2. There is an occasional doubting that rises by starts upon wicked men out of an evil conscience of sin, but it vanishes as a cloud: as in Pharaoh's confession, 'I and my people have sinned.' This argues a law-spirit, rising and falling asleep again. 3. There is a final doubting of despair, like the doom past on the condemned malefactor: as in Cain (Genesis 4:13-14), in Saul (1 Samuel 28:15-16). All these conclude men under the law, and the curse of it. But there is 4. A doubting in the believers, which though a sin, yet (if I might have leave to borrow the expression) is a godly sin: not because it is not a sin indeed, and so opposite to grace and godliness, but a gracious sin, Ratione subjecti, in regard of the person and adjuncts, it being a neighbor to saving Grace; and no reprobate can be capable of this sin, no more than Pagans, or flagitious and extremely wicked men can be capable of the sin against the Holy Ghost. So beggars are remotest from high and personal treason, because they have never that honor to come near the King's Person. So David's bones, not Saul's bones were broken (Psalm 51:10), humbled bones. (For a humbled heart is called [illegible] Nidcheh.) Broken and bruised with a fear of God's wrath for sin. And the converted soul's moisture is turned to the drought of summer (Psalm 32:3-4), and his bones grown old with roaring all the day, God withholding the joy of his salvation. This doubting befalls never any reprobate under the law or covenant of works, and so though it be an ill thing, yet it is a good sign, as out-breakings of boils in the body, are in themselves, diseases, infirmities, distempers and contrary to perfect health; yet they are often good signs and arguments of strength of life, and much vital heat and healthiness of constitution. That affections of the child of God, under incest, murder, or other heinous sins be stirred, that sorrow be wakened and rise, when our Father is offended, and when our Lord frowns and stands behind the wall, and goes away, is lawful; indeed it speaks tenderness of love, softness of heart, but that they be so far wakened as to doubt, and fear that the Lord be changed, that he has forgotten to be merciful, that is sinful doubting, but does no ways conclude, that the person is under the Covenant of Works; but the contrary rather, that Grace sits and borders with this doubting. And so that the person is under Grace, not under the Law. Even where Faith is strong, it is not ever in the same temper. Health most vigorous will vary in its degrees and decrease at times of [illegible] and yet be strong and have much of life in it. Take the strong and experienced Christian's life in its whole continued frame, and for the most part he has the better of all temptations; but take him in a certain stage, or nick of providence when he is not himself, and he is below his ordinary strength, even in that wherein he excels. If a gracious temper of meekness like Christ was not the predominant element of grace in Moses, yet it was in a great measure in him, he bearing the name with him, who best knows names, and things, of the meekest man in the earth: yet in that which was his best, he proved weaker than himself, and spoke unadvisedly with his lips. Our highest Graces may meet with an ill hour. Job by the testimony of the Holy Ghost is patient, 'You have heard of the patience of Job.' And, in Chapter 3, we have heard of the cursing passion of Job also. Believing is like sailing, which is not always equal, often strength of wind will blow the ship twenty miles backward. 2. The smallest measure of Faith. The minimum quod sic, is sincere adherence to Christ. Not that negative adherence simply, by which some one may say, 'I dare not for a world quit my part in Christ, or give up with him.' Natural spirits may have a natural tenderness, by which they dare not quit Christ, and give up with him. Yet there is no saving faith in natural spirits, but there is in the believer some positive adherence under, or with the negative, by which there is a power of love and kindness, making the soul to cleave to Christ: there may be great weakness with this, and great failings, and yet faith unfeigned. We have need of much charity to these that are weak in Faith. A reed, a broken reed may grow; and Christ will not break it. A buried believer is a believer; if Christ have a near relation of blood to a piece of blue clay, and the dead body of a believer; seeing in his flesh there is the seed and hope of a resurrection, as the seed and hope of harvest is in rotting, and dying grains of wheat, sown in the cold earth, as is clear (Psalm 16:9; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44). Much more the relation of mercy remains in Christ, toward the wrestling, deserted, and self-dead believer. Now this smallest measure of Faith, may consist, 1. With much ignorance of God, as it was with the believing Disciples, who continued with Christ in his temptations, confessed him, believed and adhered to him, when many went back, and departed from him (Luke 22:28-29; Matthew 16:16-17; John 6:66-69). And yet were ignorant of great points of Faith, as of his death (Matthew 16:21-22), of his resurrection (John 20:9). 2. So there be great faintings and doubtings, when a storm arises, and the soul is sinking (Matthew 8:25-27; Matthew 14:3). Yet a little Faith is Faith. As touching a fainting Faith, it is not always a weak Faith that faints; strong and healthy bodies may have fevers, and fainting spells. For the causes of fainting are, 1. The want of the influence of mercy, and of stirring or exciting Grace causes fainting (2 Corinthians 4:1). As we are mercied, [illegible], we faint not; we degenerate not. It is in the bosom of Christ, and lies about the bowels of our merciful high Priest that keeps from fainting: if our Intercessor prays not, we faint (Luke 22:32). 'I have prayed that your Faith, [illegible], may not be eclipsed.' The moon is in a certain death, and soon in an eclipse; so is Faith under fainting. 2. Fear of wrath may cause distraction and hanging of mind, and uncertainty, where there is strong Faith (Psalm 88:14-15, compared with verses 8-9). As apprehensions report of God, so are we affected in believing. Yet may it be collected from Matthew 10:19, in that hour it shall be given you, that Christ holds the head of a fainting believer. 3. The dependence of Faith will faint, when Christ withdraws love, though he inflict no anger. The ingenuity of Grace gathers fear from a cloud, though there be no storm. 3. A soul dead in himself, and that cannot put out Faith in acts, for want of light and comfort, is a weak Faith. A tree in winter is a living tree. There may be life where there is little stirring or motion. 4. That Faith that seemed smallest to the man himself, is sometime in itself greatest. 1. In sad desertions there is most of Faith, and least of sense of Faith (Psalm 22:1). 2. A suffering Faith may be small to the sufferer. Many of the Martyrs in their own sense were in a dead and unbelieving condition: yet Christ is more commended for a suffering faith than any (Hebrews 12:1-3), in that he did run, endure the cross for the glory that was before him. He saw heaven. And his Faith went through Hell, to be at Heaven. There is a high commendation put on the suffering Faith of these who were tried with bonds, imprisonment, sawn asunder, mocked, slain with the sword (Hebrews 11:37-38). Of whom the world was not worthy; this is not put upon the active and doing Faith, which is put upon the passive Faith, nor is so much said of these, who by Faith pulled down the walls of Jericho, of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and such as by Faith subdued kingdoms. The reason is, suffering is a loss of being, and well-being: those who by doing give away their evil being, for Christ, and crucify their lusts for him, are dear to him: but such as die for Christ, they give away both being, and well-being. Moses and Paul, who in a manner were content to go to hell, with believing that God's glory in saving the people of God was to be preferred to their eternal being, and well-being, must have had great Faith. 3. The Faith, that is weak, in regard of intention of degrees, may be a great faith in regard of extension: the children of God, whose life is the walk of Faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), may have but a small measure of Faith: yet it is a constant and well-breathed Faith, good at the long race, that carries a soul through: in, 1. His natural capacity to believe God will feed him: and, 2. In his civil relations, as a father, son, servant, magistrate. 3. In his spiritual condition, in the duties of the first table; in all which capacities we are to walk by Faith. Indeed to eat, drink, sleep, to laugh, to weep, as concerning the ordering of all these heaven-ward by Faith. All the saints that go to Heaven believing, and ordering all these conditions by Faith, have not always a Faith, as great as Abraham, as Moses. Weak legs carry some through the earth many thousand miles; a poor and small vessel in comparison of others, may sail about the globe of the whole earth. The wings of a sparrow or a dove can carry these little birds, through as much sea and land, as the wings of an eagle does carry the eagle. But before I go from this point, I crave leave to add somewhat of the least and smallest measure of Faith. 2. Of the condition of the child of God under it. Touching the former, I only say, there is a degree of fire, and a coal so small, that less cannot be, the thing remaining, fire having the nature, essence, and properties of fire. And when any is in a fainting spell or swoon, the man has life, but it is kept in narrow bounds, there is breathing only. 2. Some vital heat. 3. Some internal motion in the heart and vital and animal spirits, but no more to prove life almost than the man is a dead body, yet somewhat there is to difference him from dead clay: for friends will not bury a fainting man willingly and knowingly. So at the lowest condition of the weakest Faith that the believer is in, some fire and coal of love and Faith there is, and some smoking, though little fire, and possibly we cannot give it a name. Yet if the just live by Faith, there must be some measure of Faith. 2. Some smoking of love to Christ. 3. Some discerning of an ill condition. No man on earth in a sleep has a reflective act to know that he sleeps, no dead body knows itself to be dead. Never sleeping man could say, no, not Adam in his first sleep, when God formed the woman out of a rib of his side: 'Now I am sleeping.' No man naturally dead can say, 'Now am I dead, and I lie among the worms and corruption.' Death makes no report of death: but the believer can say at his lowest condition (Song of Solomon 5:1), 'I sleep but my heart wakes'; and he who says (Psalm 119), 'Lord quicken me,' must say, 'Lord, I am dead'; yet to say, 'Lord quicken me,' and to feel and know deadness, are acts of the life of Grace. A saint in this condition may love Christ through half a dream, and half sleeping, half waking, retain honorable thoughts of Christ (Job 13:15; Job 19:25-27). Some have said in hell they should love Christ. This truth is in it, that in such a pain and sad condition of suffering as the damned are in, (sin, despair, or God's hating of them excepted) saints can believe and love Christ (Psalm 22:1), at least desire to have leave to love Christ, for the evil of sin may, the evil of punishment cannot quench the love of Christ, which is stronger than death, than hell (Song of Solomon 8:6-7). The soul at the lowest condition is like the man who has engaged his lands for so great a sum, as may be a just price to buy the land, and so in effect he has sold the land, but with a reversion, he keeps the reversion, and so by law within such a time he may redeem his mortgaged inheritance. The weakest of believers at his lowest ebb, keeps the reversion of Christ: he may by some grievous sin, be under such a terrible desertion, as to put the inheritance of Heaven to a too great hazard of being lost; and in appearance and in his own sense, and in the sense of many, all is gone; yet then to say nothing of the invisible chain of God's unchangeable decree of Election, which the strongest arms of devils and Hell cannot break; there is fire under the embers, sap and life in the root of the oak tree: God says of the bud of this vine tree, though the man neither see nor hear it, 'destroy it not, for there is a blessing in it.'

As touching the second, the question may be: what remains for him in this condition, to know his condition, or what can he do? I answer: 1. When Christ has left his bed and is gone, he is to keep warm the seat that Christ was in. I do not say that the Church (Song of Solomon 5:6) was at the lowest ebb; yet a desertion there was, and a sad one. But in this condition, she opens her heart to Christ: "I rose up to open to my beloved" (Song of Solomon 5:5). 2. There are some droppings of myrrh from her hands, some sense of Christ. 3. "I called him, but he answered me not" — there remains a faculty of praying. 4. A lovesickness. Hence it is evident that in the lowest and most ebbing condition of a fainting faith, there is something answerable to this, and this is to love the smell of Christ that he has left behind him, when he himself is gone. It is to desire to behold with love and longing the print of his feet, the chair of love that he sat in. Hence, though you feel no work of sanctification, his seat is kept by some spiritual meditations — as to consider what a kind of love it is that Christ has bestowed on sinners, for that he loved his own before he died for them, his love being the cause why he died for them; and still after the purchased redemption, he loves them, and intercedes for them up at the right hand of God. And this is as much as to say, Christ has loved you, and does not repent of his love: love made him die for you, and if it were to do again, he would die over again for you (Romans 8:33-34; 1 Timothy 3:16). And suppose we that there were need that CHRIST should die twice, or four times, or a hundred or millions of times, and that he had ten thousand millions of lives, and that our sins should have required that he should first die for one believer, and then die again the second time for another, and then the third time for another: and so that he must for every several elect person have died a several death — love, love should have put him upon all these deaths willingly. And therefore if the believer had ten loves, as many loves in one as there are elected men and angels, all had been too little for Christ. And when the believer has been serving and praising up in the highest temple as many millions of ages of years (or a tract of eternity answerable to that duration of ages) as the number of the sand on all the coasts on earth, of all the stars in heaven, of all the flowers, herbs, plants, leaves of trees that have been, or shall be from the creation of God, to the taking down of the workmanship of heaven and earth — yet shall he be as much in Christ's debt for this infinite love when that time is ended, as when he first opened his mouth in the first breathing out of praises in the state of glory. 2. He may turn over in his mind all the promises, and the literal revolution of them in the mind, though it be but a deed or act of the understanding and memory, may cast fire on the affections in which there resides a habit of grace. Though there be no fire in the bellows, yet blowing with the bellows may awaken and kindle fire in the hearth where there is little. The habit of grace is often as sparks of fire on the hearth under the ashes, and may be kindled up and made a fire. 3. When faith is weakest, and the soul under a winter and a dead eclipse, it is fit to keep the heart in a passive frame of receiving him again — as to sorrow for sin, and to put to door unrepented sins; as when the king goes abroad, sweep the chamber for his return. Missing of Christ, longing for his return, inquisition for him — "Watchmen, have you seen him?" — lovesickness for him, puts the soul in a sweet passive capacity to receive him again (Song of Solomon 3:1-5). 4. When the Church is in bed sleeping, yet she is charged to open (Song of Solomon 5:2), to weep at the noise of Christ's knock. When you cannot rise, that is somewhat — a prisoner may stir his legs and cause the iron fetters to tinkle, though he cannot get out. There is some strength when we are told, "Lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees" (Hebrews 12:12). Motion will make fire. 5. Especially Christ sleeps least when his child is in a high fever: love watches then most at the bedside.