Section 4

4. When does Christ manifest himself to them that love him?

1. Sometimes Christ does quickly manifest himself, after a little seeking; some young converts have early and soon discoveries of Christ and his love; they are cast down for a little while, and Christ soon comes to them and lifts them up again; weeping endures but for a night, and that a short summer night, and joy comes early in the morning; they have the spirit of bondage who awakens them to fear, by and by the Spirit of Adoption does graciously visit them, and make discovery of their relation to the Father, the love of their Savior, and sheds abroad the sense of his love into their hearts.

2. Sometimes Christ is long before he manifests himself; it is long before some do seek Christ, and it is long before such do find him: Christ waits long to be gracious to them, and Christ does often make them wait long before he manifests to them his loving kindnesses; indeed sometimes early seekers are not early finders; Christ makes some wait a long time to try their faith and patience, their love and obedience, and that he may prepare them for more than ordinary comforts and sweetness which he intends to give in the discovery of himself to them.

3. Sometimes Christ does suddenly manifest himself to them that love him (Song of Solomon 6:12). Or ever I was aware my soul made me like the Chariots of Aminadab, or ever they are aware they see the Chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof, and the Lord Jesus does come to them in the Chariots of Salvation with such glory and luster as does transport and amaze them. Some Christians that truly love Christ, have sought him in this ordinance, and have not found him, and they have sought Christ in that ordinance, and have not found him; they have been looking and waiting and hoping that at this time Christ would discover himself, or at that time he would discover himself, and still he has hidden himself, still they have come off with disappointment; this has been their grief, this they have complained of before God, and they have been under fears lest they should never see him, never meet with him at all; at this point their spirits have been ready to fail and sink within them, and in discouragement they have been ready to say or think that all their labor would be in vain; and yet they have resolved to seek him to their death, and though he should kill them, to put their trust in him. And behold on a sudden, when they have had the least expectation, and their hope has been ready to give up the ghost, they have met with Christ, and found him whom their soul loves; on a sudden the veil of the Temple has been rent, and they have seen their beloved in the Holy of Holies; on a sudden the clouds have fled, their darkness has passed away, and the light has shined; the north wind of trouble has ceased, and the sweet southern gales have blown upon them; I mean they have been under such shinings and breathings of the Spirit, that they have seen and felt the presence of Christ; and such a sweet sense of his love, as has filled them with soul-ravishing joy.

4. Christ does manifest himself seasonably to them that love him. Though he does not always manifest himself when they most desire, yet he does manifest himself when they have most need, and then they have most need when they are most low, when they are most low in their spirits, most poor and mean in their own esteem, as well as most low in their condition through affliction and trouble; humility and patience under affliction, does make way for the experience of Christ's manifestation; Christ does many times reserve his cordials for the fainting fits, and the sweetest consolations in the discoveries of his love for the time of the greatest adversity; especially, when the trouble is for his sake, he is graciously present; John had his visions when he was banished for the sake of Christ to the Isle Patmos. And when all men forsook Paul at his answer before Nero, then the Lord came to him, stood by him and strengthened him.