17. Judas had a sop: but John leaned on Christ’s bosom; that’s the posture in which we should pray, and hear, and perform all duties. Nothing but lying in that bosom will dissolve all hardness of heart, and make thee to mourn kindly for sin. That will humble indeed, and make the soul cordial to Christ, and sin vile to the soul. Never think thou art as thou shouldst be, until thou come to this, always to see and feel thyself lying in the bosom of Christ, who is in the bosom of his Father. Come and move the Father for a sight of Christ, and you shall be sure to speed; you can come with no request that pleaseth him better; he gave him out of his own bosom for that very end, to be held up before the eyes of all sinners, as the everlasting monument of his Father’s love.

Looking at the natural sun weakeneth the eye. The more you look at Christ, the son of righteousness, the stronger and clearer will the eye of faith be. Look but at Christ, you will love him, and live on him. Think on him continually; keep the eye constantly upon Christ’s blood, or every blast of temptation will shake you. If you will see sin’s sinfulness, to loath it and mourn, do not stand looking on sin only, but look upon Christ as suffering and satisfying. If you would see your grace, your sanctification, do not stand gazing upon them, but look at Christ’s righteousness first; look at your grace in the second place.

18. *Have nothing to do with thy graces and sanctification till thou hast seen Christ first. He that looks upon Christ through his graces, is like one that sees the sun in water, which wavereth and moveth as the water doth. Look upon Christ as shining in the firmament of the Father’s love, and you will see him in his own glory. Pride and unbelief will put you upon seeing somewhat in yourself first; but faith will have to do with none but Christ, who must swallow up thy sanctification as well as thy sin. He that sets up his sanctification to look at first, he sets up the greatest idol, which will strengthen his doubts and fears. Do but look off Christ, and presently (like Peter) you sink in doubts.

If you would pray and cannot, and so are discouraged, see Christ praying for you: if you are troubled, see Christ your peace leaving you peace when he went up into heaven, again and again charging you not to be troubled, so as to obstruct your comfort or your believing. He is now upon the throne, having spoiled upon his cross all whatsoever can hurt or annoy thee: he hath borne all thy sins, sorrows, troubles, temptations, and is gone to prepare mansions for thee.

19. *Thou who hast seen Christ all, and thyself absolutely nothing, who makest Christ all thy life, and art dead to all righteousness besides; do Christ this one favour for all his love to thee, love all his poor saints, (the meanest, the weakest, notwithstanding any difference in judgment) they are engraven on his heart, let them be so on thine. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee. Psalms cxxii. 6.

CHRISTIAN LETTERS.
By Mr. JOSEPH ALLEINE.

To the READER.

THE letters of Mr. Samuel Rutherford, have been generally admired by all the children of God, into whose hands they have fallen, for the vein of piety, trust in God, and holy zeal, which runs through them. The same piety, zeal, and confidence in God, shine through all the letters of Mr. Alleine: so that in this respect he may well be stiled, the English Rutherford. But yet there is a very discernible difference between them: in piety and fervour of spirit they are the same: but the fervour of the one more resembles that of St. Paul, of the other, that of St. John. They were both men of the most intrepid courage: but in love Mr. Alleine has the pre-eminence. He seems to excel in bowels of mercies, meekness, gentleness, in tenderness, mildness, and sweetness of spirit, even to his bitterest enemies. I do not therefore scruple to give these letters the preference, even to Mr. Rutherford’s: as expressing, in a still higher degree, the love that is long-suffering and kind, which is not provoked, which thinketh no evil, and which hopeth, believeth, and endureth all things.

JOHN WESLEY.