deemer, and fit on the Throne with him, and to enjoy your Lord in Glory. Saith the Believer. But how comes all this to be mine? Why, you are Chrift's, and Chrift is God's: All Things are yours, the Crowns above, the Thrones above, the Saints above, the Angels above, Fulness of Joy above, Rivers of Pleasure above; and how comes all this to be yours in Chrift: Because Chrift is God's, and God hath poffeffed him with all Things; and made him Heir of all Things; therefore he enriches his Members with all Things: Then well may a Saint defire neither Life, nor any Thing in Life any further than he enjoys Chrift.

Thirdly, As Chrift repairs all your Loffes, and as you are enrich'd with the Treafures of Chrift, fo he enriches your Souls alfo: As you have Riches above, and Riches below, fo he enriches you within. When a Soul knows Chrift, what a glorious Knowledge of the Things above comes into the Soul? He enriches your poor, dark, beggarly Understandings; for while a Man is ignorant of Chrift, what poor, low Things does he ftudy and feek after; but when a Soul comes to have Chrift revealed to him, then the Soul comes to afpire and enquire after God and Chrift, and the Things above; he enlightens the Understanding, that before did lead on the Affections to grafp after a little vain Pleasures and Honours, and Profits in this World, and now caufes the Soul to purfue after higher Things; then he enriches the Will, I will make them a willing People in the Day of my Power, Pfal. cx. 3. It is a glorious Thing, to have the Will fubdued, the Will renewed; to have a perverfe, ftubborn Will, now to ferve in the Beauties of Holiness.

Secondly, He enriches the Affections with Joy and Peace, and Delight: O what a Glory is it, to have the Affections raised up! The Heart fet on Things above, on Jefus Chrift! The Soul is feeking after Glory, the Heart is feeking after Heavenly Things. When Jefus Chrift comes, he enriches all the Affections of the Soul; The King's Daughter is all glorious within; Chrift is fo rich a Pearl, fuch Riches in him, that he fets open Doors to all that come; whoever come fhall find Welcome; there is enough in him, for the Sinner to live upon, while he lives here and to all Eternity.

Thirdly, Chrift is an Heart-chearing Pearl: O faith the Soul, could I but have Chrift for mine, enjoy Chrift, how would my Heart rejoyce? Now when Chrift fhines with a Glimpfe of his Righteoufnefs into the Soul; O faith the Soul, that I could enjoy more of this Christ, more of his Grace, of his Love! Saith the Spouse, He brought me into the Banqueting-Houfe, and bis Banner over me was Love, Cant. ii. 4. Banners of Love, O what a chearful Feaft I have now! I think all the Afflictions and Temptations I have in the World can never caft me down, the Heart is cheared: What, is Chrift mine? What, is God mine? Is Grace mine? And Righteoufnefs mine? And Glory mine? This is an Heartchearing Pearl; O it is fuch a Pearl, drink it in all your Potions, and bring Chrift in every Duty! Then a Soul may take comfort and reafon thus with himself, though I am dead in Duty, Chrift lives; though I am finful, Chrift is righteous though my Corruption abound, Chrift's Grace doth much more abound: Take Chrift in every Portion, and in all Duties, let Chrift be there

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ftill: I have fet the Lord always before me, (faith David) fo fhould you fet Chrift always before you, and when Satan or Confcience accuses, fet Chrift before you as your perfect Righteoufnefs. Saith the Pfalmift, Pfalm xvi. 8. I have fet the Lord always before me; because he is at my Right-Hand, Ifhall not be moved. verfe 9. Therefore my Heart is glad, and my Glory rejoiceth, my Flefb alfo fball reft in Hope. verle 10. For thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, neither wilt thou fuffer thy boly one to fee Corruption. If Chrift fhall be raised up to Glory, then I will live in hope of being raised up to Glory with him: The Pfalmift fpeaks prophetically of Chrift: Neither wilt thou fuffer thy Holy one to fee Corruption. Now faith the Believer, if Chrift conquers Death, and Hell, and did not fee Corruption, I may well rejoyce, for I fet the Lord always before me, and whatever he enjoys I fhall have a glorious fhare in.

Fourthly, He is an Everlasting Pearl: Many have rich Pearls live on them, and spend them; but live on Chrift as long as you will, you will never waste Chrift's Stock: All the Sinners, that ever came to the Gate of Mercy, and have been fupplied with Mercy, ever fince the Drawbridge of Mercy hath been let down, never diminish'd or leffened Chrift's Mercy: No, he is an Everlafting Pearl; for he that believes in Chrift fhall have Everlasting Life: God fo loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son to die, that whofoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting Life, John iii. 16. There you fee is a Pearl that will last you for ever; when Friends fail you, and the World fail you, he will not fail

you,

you. For be that believes shall never perish, but bave Everlasting Life.

Fifthly, He is a moft glorious Pearl: If ever you would live a glorious Life, live on Chrift, who is the Brightness of his Father's Glory; We fee bis Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Son of God, full of Grace and Truth. He is a glorious Pearl, therefore fee to it; in all you enjoy, let Chrift be the prime principal Thing, to be the all in all, and more than all in every Thing you enjoy.

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The eighth Reafon A Believer defires not Life, nor any thing in Life, any further than he enjoys Chrift; for he knows that Chrift is better than Life, Pfal. Ixiii. O God thou art my God; early will I feek thee, my Soul thirfteth for thee, my Flefb lungeth for thee, in a dry and thirsty Land where no Water is; to fee thy Power and thy Glory, as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary. Because thy loving Kindness is better than Life, my Lips fball praife thee: Thus will I bless thee while ́ I live, I will lift up my Hands in thy Name. Thou fhalt be the Object of my Worship, thee alone will I truft in, thee alone will I reft on, because thy loving Kindness is better than Life; thy Grace and Mercy, and Love in Chrift is better than Life: God is very gracious to give us our Lives; he did not owe us one Moment of Time. When we came into the World, he might immediately have fent us to our Graves. First, God's Love in giving of Chrift is better than Life: How gracious is God to preferve us hitherto? But what an Act of Grace to give Chrift; when poor Sinners lay weltring in their Blood, for the Love of God, to pity them, and look on them, and beftow Chrift upon them. Secondly,

Secondly, Chrift is better than Life, because of the Wonder of God's Love; the Love of God in giving Chrift is more wonderful admirable than Life itself. This is a Wonder of Mercy; but the Wonder of God's Love in giving Chrift, that is a greater Wonder. O the heighth! O the depth! Ŏ the length and the breadth of the Love of God, in giving Jefus Chrift! O the Riches of his Grace! His Love is past finding out: In giving Jefus Chrift there's height of Love, depth of Love, length of Love, breadth of Love; it is higher than Heaven: Though our Sins have reached to Heaven, yet Chrift's Love is higher than our Sins; it is deeper than Hell; Hell fhall never prevail; all the Plots of Hell fhall never prevail against a Believer: Then as to the breadth of it; fpread our Thoughts as far as we can, we can never reach the Love of Chrift to poor Sinners, it paffeth Knowledge. Then as to the length of it; it is longer than Time, for it is everlafting.

Thirdly, It is better than Life, if we confider the Bounties of it: How bountiful is God to give us Means and Mercies in our Life? But Jefus Chrift is better than all, better than Silver or Gold, or all Things that can be defired; who with him can compare ?

Fourthly, He is better than Life, in regard of the Delights of Life; though we may enjoy all Comforts and Mercies of this Life, if we have not Peace with God, what good will they do us? A wounded Spirit who can bear? Who can ftand against a Sin-revenging God? Then is not Chrift better than Life?

Next, Chrift is better than Life, if we confider that the Believer will never be feparated

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