feed the inward man Those that have the fattest bodies have not alwayes the fattest soules But Christ is spiritual meat and drink He feeds the soul the conscience the spiritual part His blood purgeth the conscience Heb. 9. 14. it refreshes the conscience it chears the conscience his body strengthens the soul repaires the decayes of the inward man 2. Christ is heavenly meat and drink Joh. 6. 32. My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven Other meat and drink is terrene and earthly Your bread grows out of the bowels of the earth Your wine is the blood of an earthly grape The flesh you eat is fed of the tender grasie that springs out of the earth If the earth should prove barren you would soone feele a famine The King himself is served by the field Eccles 5. 9. 'T is true the blessing comes from heaven but all the materials of meat and drink are earthly But Jesus Christ is the bread of heaven and the wine of heaven The Manna came from the clouds onely but Christ from the beatifical heaven even from the bosome of the Father 3. Christ is incorruptible meat and drink All earthly meat and drink is of a fading perishing nature The best bread grows mouldy in a little time the best flesh in time putrifies and taints the best wine growes eager and sowre in a little time and becomes unfit for the body of man The very Manna it self when it was kept till the morning of the next day contrary to Gods command bred wormes and standk Exod. 16. 20. But Jesus Christ knows no corruption His flesh blood is now as sweet and pleasant after so many Ages as it was the first houre it was eaten and drank John 6. 27. And it will be as farre from corruption at the end of the world as now it is The Manna in the golden pot corrupted not though kept for many Generations Christ is Manna in that golden-pot the humanity in the golden pot of the Divinity shall see no corruption 4. Christ is such meat and drink as preserves from death Other meat and drink cannot keep man from the grave That rich man that fared deliciously every day was not made immortal The rich man died and was buried Luke 16. 22. All that Generation that fed on Manna and drank the water out of the rock died John 6. 49. But Christ preserves the soul from Death John 6. 50. This is the bread of God that came down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die It immortalizes the soule that feeds on it He that beleeveth on me hath eternal life ver 51. And then 5. Christ is soul-satisfying meat and drink He that beleeveth on me shall never hunger and he that cometh to me shall never thirst John 6. 35. There is a hunger of desire and a hunger and thirst of total emptinesse and want He that hath this meat and drink shall never totally want him It is not so with other meat and drink A man may have his belly filled with other meat and drink and may have a good quantity before-hand and yet may at last want a morsel and die for want of a draught of water But he that once hath this spiritual meat and drink though he eat but a little shall never be utterly destitute Jehn 7. 37 38. The widows handful of meal and spoonful of oyle was never spent till God sent raine upon the earth 1 Reg. 17. 16. He that hath but a handful of Christs flesh and a spoonful of his blood shall never see want but shall have enough to satisfie him to all eternity 6. Christ is such meat and drink as gives life to the Dead Other meat and drink cannot preserve a living body from death much lesse can it give life and restore breath to a dead body Put the most delicate meat the strongest drink into the mouth of a dead man and they will not give him life if the soul be quite departed They may recover from a swoon they cannot from death But the flesh and blood of Christ quicken the dead Christ by putting his flesh and blood into the mouth of the dead soul conveys life into it His flesh and blood make the lips of the dead to speak As the Father raiseth the dead and quickneth them so the Son quickneth whom he will John 5. 21. if thou hast any spiritual life in thee thou didst receive it from the enlivening vertue of Christs flesh and blood communicated to thee by the Spirit of life 7. Christ is such meat and drink as will never surset All other meat and drink if it be taken immoderately and unseasonably tends to sicknesse and suâ—fetting The more lushious and delicate they are the sooner do they surfet the body Hence is Solomons advice Prov. 25. 16. drunkennesse and surfeting bring more to their long home then pining famine But the flesh and blood of Christ never surfet A man cannot eat and drink too much of Christ nor can they eat and drink him unseasonably There is no killing no annoying vertue in Jesus Christ this meat and drink will never clog never cloy the stomack Christ is an occasion of death to none but to those that refuse him 8. Christ is such meat and drink as is suitable for all persons at all times Other meat and drink is not fit for all persons nor for the same person in all conditions That that will nourish a man may kill a childe That that strengthens a man in health may kill him in sicknesse There is meat for strong men milk for babes c. But Jesus Christ is meat and drink for all persons for all conditions He is meat for the strong man he is milk for the babe He is proper for the healthful person and he is fit for the sickly person He is the labouring mans food and he is the sick mans diet His blood is Physical drink to him that is sick cooling drink to him that is parched with heat he is strong cordial-drink to him that faints He is a suitable nourishment 9. Jesus Christ is meat and drink that is freely bestowed He is not purchased by our money nor procured by our industry but freely communicated Other meat and drink is procured at dear rates Men must Till and Plow and Sowe their land men must breed up cattel men must plant vines dig springs and fountaines otherwise they can expect neither meat nor drink The Egyptians in a time of famine pawn'd their lands for food they gave their cattel for bread and at last sold their land out-right that they might have food Gen. 47. 15 16 17 18 19 20. But Christ is meat and drink though the most costly in himselfe yet costlesse to us Nothing is required on our part but receiving of him If any should offer money Christ would say as Peter to Simon Magus Act. 8. 20. Thy money perish with thee He that will not take this meat and drink as an
being above the world the work of God might prosper better in their hearts If ye be rison with Christ c. v. 1 2. This he presseth by two cogent Arguments 1. They are dead to the world v. 3. for ye are dead By faith they are partakers of Christs death and by their profession they are under an obligation of dying more and more 2. Their life is hid with Christ in God v. 3. They are appointed to a higher kinde of life then that which other men live therefore they ought to seek after those things which appertaine to this life Now lest any should object if the life thou speakest of be a hidden life what advantage will it be to be so mindful of it the Apostle answers v. 4. though it be for the present an hidden life yet it shall be revealed and that perfectly When Christ who is our life shall appear c. In which we have these two Propositions viz. 1. Jesus Christ is a beleevers life 2. That Christ who is a Beleevers life shall appear Of these in Order Doct. 1. That Jesus Christ is a Beleevers life For the understanding of this we are to know that a Beleever hath a twofold life for I shall not speak here of the life of nature which a beleever enjoys not as a beleever but as a reasonable creature Jesus Christ is a beleevers life as he lives the life of nature Act. 17. 28. in him we live move and have our being 'T is from Christ that we live the life of men But to wave that a beleever as a beleever hath a double life 1. The life of grace which he lives after he is regenerated by vertue of the Spirit of Christ living in him and uniting him to God by Faith 2. The life of glory which he shall live in heaven to all eternity after this life The soul begins this life immediately upon its departure out of the body and the body shall enter into the possession of this life immediately after the resurrection and reunion of soul and body Both these kindes of life are a Beleevers as he is a beleever and Jesus Christ is a Beleevers life in reference to both these And because both of these are included in the Text the one of them the life of grace is but the inchoation of and a preparation to the life of glory I shall speak of both of them in the handling of the Doctrine Jesus Christ is a beleevers spiritual life He is so to a beleever in these foure respects 1. He is their life originally It is Jesus Christ that works this life in their soules He is the Creator and Former of life in them The second Adam was made a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. As the father raiseth the dead and quickneth them so the Sonne quickneth whom he will Joh. 5. 21. Thy soul had never fetched out spiritual breath had not Jesus Christ breathed into it the breath of life The time cometh and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Joh. 5. 25. The Ordinances are the instrumental cause but Jesus Christ is the efficient cause of the animating of the soul by a spiritual life 2. He is their life materially He is that principle by which they live Every living Creature hath some intrinsecal principle of that life which it lives Jesus Christ is the inward principle of a beleevers life He is the soule of their soule The Apostle speaks of this Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ lives in me It is only by vertue of the soules union with Christ that it comes to live the life of grace He is the foundation or form as I may say of their life 3. He is their life conservativè He it is that doth preserve this spiritual life in their soules by continual communication of himself he maintains and upholds the life of grace from dying and perishing When they are sleepy he awakeneth them when they languish and faint he recovers them He strengthens the things which remain that are ready to die He removes those inward distempers which waste this spiritual life and be blesseth those Ordinances which feed this life When David was going down the hill and in regard of this spiritual life was almost at the dust of death so weak that he could scarce fetch his breath Jesus Christ did restore and renew him again He restoreth my soul Psal 23. 3. he cast water upon the dying plant and made it green and vigorous again Of this the Apostle Col. 3. 3. our life is hid with Christ 4. He is their life exemplariter He is the example and pattern according to which they are to live Jesus Christ is the rule according to which they are to walk he is the copy according to which they are to write One end of the incarnation and life of Jesus in the flesh was to set us an exact and perfect pattern for our imitation 1 Pet. 2. 21. And by the diligent viewing and studying of his example is our spiritual life carried on to perfection The Uses of this point are these Use 1. That all those that are without Jesus Christ are spiritually dead The Scripture accounts all unregenerate sinners as dead men They are dead in sins they are dead unto God they are dead unto grace they are as truly without spiritual life as the body is without natural life from which the soul is departed This thy brother was dead and is alive againe Luk. 15. 32. conversion is called the quickning of the dead Mat. 11. 5. because all who are unconverted are as to all spiritual considerations in a dead condition And it cannot be otherwise because they have no interest in Jesus Christ who is the Authour and principle of spiritual life The Apostle asserts this clearly Eph. 2. 1 12. he tells them at the first verse That they were dead in sins and trespasses he gives them the reason v. 12. because at that time they were without Christ And so another Apostle tells us 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Sonne hath life but he that hath not the Sonne hath not life Till Christ be formed the soul is a dead thing without either life or motion And this is a very miserable condition for a dead soule is far worse then a dead body in as much as the soul is more excellent then the body Consider a few particulars 1. Dead souls are loathsome Nothing more noisome then a dead body By this time he stinketh Joh. 11. 39. Let me bury my dead out of my sight saith Abraham even his wife Gen. 23. 4. she that was the delight of his soul while she was alive became noisom to him when she was dead The soule that is spiritually dead is very loathsome both to God and man The Scripture compares them to stinking carrion Psal 14. 3. They are altogether become
stinking They defile all that comes neer them whatsoever they meddle with whatsoever toucheth them is defiled by them 2. They that are spiritually dead have no use of any of their spiritual senses The soul hath senses as well as the body but he that is dead cannot use any of these They cannot heare they cannot see they cannot taste they cannot smell they cannot feele they cannot heare Christs voice in the Gospel they cannot see the glory of Christ nor of grace they cannot feel the heavy weight of sinne they cannot taste the sweet and delicate pleasures of Jesus Christ they cannot smell the fragrancy of Christs sweet ointments They have no pleasure in those things that are most plesant in themselves and most desirable to such as are spiritually alive They are to all spiritual things and all spiritual things are to them as if they were not 3. This spiritual death if it be not removed is a certaine forerunner of eternal Death Blessed and happy is he that hath part in the first resurrection of him the second death shall have no power Rev. 20 6. but he that continues still in this spiritual death shall for ever be under the power of the second death the eternal death And this is the state of all such as want Jesus Christ Use 2. That that spiritual life which is in the soul of a beleever shall never totally and finally die It may be at deaths door it may be ready to die so it was with the Church of Sardis Rev. 3. 2. A Christian may be in regard of his spiritual life as a tree in the depth of winter no difference to all outward appearance between him and a dead plant but it is impossible that the spiritual life shall utterly be extinguished because Jesus Christ who is our spiritual life lives for ever Your life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. hid as in a root for safety and security Because I live ye shall live also John 14. 19. while the root liveth the plant cannot die while the fountaine runneth the streames cannot cease while the olive-trees convey their oyle through the pipes into the lamp the lamp cannot go out A living Christian may grow very weak but he cannot die Jesus Christ must cease to live before the life of grace in a Saint do utterly perish while the cause continueth the effect will Use 3. That there is a true spiritual union between Iesus Christ and a beleever This is one of the great mysteries of the Gospel that Christ and a beleever should be made one it s set out by many examples as of root and branches Iohn 15. init head and members Eph. 5. 3. foundation-stone and the superstructory stones Eph. 2. 20. meat and eaters Iohn 6 56. husband and wife Eph. 5. 32. This very doctrine makes it good He could not be our life if he were not united to us and we to him 'T is by vertue of our union with him that we come to draw life from him As the soul and body are united so are Christ and a beleever the whole mystical body is called by his name 1 Cor. 12. 12. so also is Christ speaking of the Church Use 4. Deadnesse of Spirit want of spiritual Activity is very inexcusable in a beleever The ground of this inference is very cleare Jesus Christ is his life Christ hath life enough in him and he is willing enough to communicate more and more of this spiritual life If the fountaine of this life were a meer creature something might be said for thy deadnesse and coldnesse but now seeing Jesus Christ is thy life thy deadnesse is inexcusable in thy self and it is also dishonourable to Christ The life and greennesse of the branches is an honour to the root by which they live Spiritual greennesse and fruitfulnesse is in a beleever an honour to Jesus Christ who is his life Psal 92. 12 13 14 15. The righteous shall flourish as a Palm-tree c. To shew that the Lord is upright c. The fulnesse of Christ is manifested by the fruitfulnesse of a Christian Use 5. It is the duty of a Christian to live comfortably on this Doctrine It affords very much comfort 1. Against the weaknesse of this life in our selves What Christian is there but finds this life very weak in him at some times well when it is weakest in thee it is then strong in Jesus Christ And God looks upon thy spiritual life not only as it is in thee but as it is in Christ 2. Against the fear of the wanting of the Ordinances of life 'T is a great losse to lose the Ordinances Lev. 26. 31. Well though thou lose these yet thou doest not lose thy life These are but the pipes Christ is the Olive-tree These are but the chanels Christ is the fountaine Man liveth not by bread alone but by the word of blessing Thy soul liveth by Christ not by Ordinances They are but the instrumental cause Christ is the efficient 3. Against the feare of Satans workings to destroy this spiritual life 'T is his great designe to take away this spiritual life He labours to stifle it by sinne he stirs up his instruments to remove the Ordinances Well he cannot prevaile He must destroy Christ before he can destroy our life He must either wither the root or he cannot kill the branches Use 6. Let beleevers be careful to carry themselves towards Christ as he who is their life 1. Acknowledge him the Authour of your life 2. Go to him when you want life 3. Strengthen your union with him Eph. 4. 15. 4. Live to him who is your life Rom. 14. 8. Use 7. It should invite all to lay hold on Christ All men are dead by nature There 's no other way to live a spiritual life If Christ be not thy life of grace he will never be thy life of glory COL 3. 4. When Christ our life shall appear then III. SERM. at Mary Wolnoth Lon. June 1. 1651. shall we also appeare with him in glory I Have handled the first Proposition as it relates to the life of grace viz. that Jesus Christ is a beleevers spiritual life I shall now consider of it as it refers to the life of glory and so summe it up into this conclusion viz. Doct. Jesus Christ is the eternal life of every beleever Christ is the everlasting life of all those that are eternally saved As he is their life of grace so he is also their life of glory He is often called in Scripture not only a Saviour but Salvation The salvation of God Luk. 3. 6. An horn of salvation Luk. 1. 69. And all because he is the salvation of all the Elect. I must here put in that Caution which I did before viz. That the Father and Holy Ghost are not to be excluded they are our life as well as Christ The Spirit and the Father are Saviours as well as the Sonne Opera Trinitatis ad
that long sickness how unlike himself was he he had no actual repentance till Nathan came to him with a message from God and quickned him Sinne quencheth the Spirit in Godly men as the water quencheth the fire Sinne takes off the edge of the soul deads the appetite and affection to the things of God It locks up the heart that it cannot act as it was wont to do 2 Sicknesse begets torment and anguish in the body When sicknesse is in extremity in the body how doth a man cry out of paine head and heart and every part is under torment What restlesse tossings are men under when diseases are violent heare how Job complaines Chap. 30. 16 17 18 Sinne is a Creator of torment and painfulnesse in the soule Felix his sinne made him tremble Acts 24. 25. Cains sinne put his spirit into such anguish that he cries out My punishment is greater then I can beare Gen. 4. 13 14. Judas his sinne did bring such despairing torment upon his soule that he takes away his life to end his misery Matth. 27. init And even Gods own people when they fall into this spiritual disease they are pained at the very heart till by pardon and remission they have obtained a healing from God How full of paine was Davids spirit by reason of his sinne He was as a man upon the rack for a long time if he did ever recover his former serenity Vid. Psalme 6. per totum Psalme 38. per tot Many of the deare children of God do by sinne fill their hearts with such anguish that they are never without much smart to the day of their death 3 Sicknesse doth bring uncomelinesse The most beautiful body in the world if pining sicknesses continue long upon it becomes like a garment that is moth-eaten the eyes sink the colour is lost the skin is shriveld the bones stick out c. Job observes this Chap. 16. 8. Thou hast filled me with wrinkles which is a witnesse against me and my leaâ—nesse rising up in me beareth witnesse to my face Sicknesse makes streight bodies how down beautiful faces look ghastly well-coloured cheeks look pale and oftentimes the more beautiful sicknesse findes us the more uncomely doth it leave us Sicknesse turnes youth into old age vid. Lam. 3. 4. My flesh and my skin hath he made old Sickness dries up the spirits Prov. 17. 22. A merry heart doth good like a medicine a broken spirit dries up the bones Sin takes away the comelinesse of the soule The first sinful sicknesse that ever entered into the world hath turned the soules and bodies of all mankinde into deformity and uglinesse Could we see the picture of Adams soule in the state of innocency and compare it with the soules that are diseased with sinne we would wonder at the sad change Sinne is a very deformed thing it turned Angels of light into ugly devils Those who were never healed by regeneration and remission of the disease of sin what deformed souls have they they have not one spot of beauty upon them Psal 14. 3. They are altogether become stinking A dead carrion a putrefied carcasse is as beautiful and as sweet an objâ—ct as a sinfully-diseased soul Yea even Gods own children by falling into sinne though but in one or two particular acts do lose much of their beauty They do not look with that grace they did before Every act of sin casts a dark thick shadow upon the soul As deep wounds leave skars upon the body so sinful acts leave some skarres of infamy upon the soul A Saint doth not look like the same man he was before he fell into sin 4 Sicknesse brings death Dorcas was sick and died Act. 9. 37. Long sicknesses if they be not removed will bring the strongest body to the dust of death Sicknesse is indeed Anteambulo mortis the forerunner of death The sick-bed is the direct way to the dark bed the grave Sinne doth bring death to the soule One disease of sinne if it be not healed by Christs bloud will certainly bring the soule to eternal death Rom. 6. 23. it hath brought many to hell and it will certainly bring all others to the same condition that live and die in it unhealed He that dies in his sinne shall die for ever II. For the nature of this sicknesse 'T is a more dreadfull sicknesse then any other sicknesse I shall set it out in a few particulars 1. It seizeth upon the most noble part of man All other sicknesses do infest the body onely but sinne is a disease in the soul Those sicknesses are most painful and most mortal which seize upon the vitals and inward parts A disease that feeds upon the spirits doth soone drink up the natural moisture and is not so easily cured Sinne is a disease that doth immediately reach the spirits 'T is the sicknesse of the heart O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saved Jer. 4. 14. The Apostle it 's true speaks of the filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. Some sins are onely acted by the brutish fleshly and sensitive part others rest in the spirit as pride vain-glory envy c. yet notwithstanding even those filthinesses of the flesh have their chief seat and residence in the heart according to that of our Saviour Matth. 15. 19. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts c. All sinne is spiritual wickednesse in regard of the fountaine and root of it As grace is seated in the heart so also is sin Ier. 4. 18. This is thy wickednesse because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart 2. Sinne is a sicknesse which God never made All bodily diseases are the handy work of God He created Plagues Feavers Consumptions c. Amos 3. 6. But sinne is a sicknesse of which God never was the Author 'T is true God sometimes punisheth sinne by sinne not by creating sinne but by suffering a sinful creature to fill up his sinne by withdrawing denying his grace which onely can preserve from sin 3. Sinne is a sicknesse which separates between God and men No other disease can divide between God and the soule Hezekiahs plague Asa's gout Iobs sores none of all these did make any division between God and them Some sicknesses do separate between the husband and the wife the father and the childe at least in regard of actual communion though not in regard of affection but no bodily sicknesse divides between God and men But sinne doth separate between God and the soule Esay 59. 2. It makes God stand at a distance from his own children to hide his face from them and to deale with them as with enemies 4. Sinne is the cause of all other sicknesses All bodily diseases come from this disease Hast thou not procured this thy unto self Thine own doings shall correct thee c. Jer. 2. 19. A distempered soul is the true cause of a distempered body Sinne was the first
's very like the Pharisee spake no more then what was true for they were generally men very inoffensive as to all such things For the discovering of this false foundation I shall lay down foure things viz. 1. 'T is a very great mercy to be freed from these scandalous sinnes If God have preserved you from these visible diseases that you have none of these botches of Egypt upon you it is to be acknowledged as a very great blessing The Pharisee did not amisse in blessing God that he was no Extortioner if he had done it upon a right ground if he had not gone on to censure the Publican he had not been blamed but commended for it David blesses God for preserving him from the sinne of murther upon Abigails perswasion Vid. 1 Samuel 25. 32 33. And there is very great reason for it For 1 Hereby we are delivered from much anguish and torment of conscience These scandalous sinnes as they do in an extraordinary manner waste the conscience so they do lay a foundation of much horrour and trouble in the soul every sinne creates much torment but these great abominations create exceeding much What horrour did Davids Adultery and Murther cast into his spirit Though God pardoned them both to him yet he was filled with anguish a long time after vid. Ps 6. Ps 38. Ps 50. 1. Now t is a great mercy when God prevents any anguish 2. Hereby we are delivered from being hurtful examples to other men Grosse scandalous offences are very prejudicial to others The hearts of those that are good are grieved and such as are wicked are caused to stumble oftentimes to their eternal ruine Davids sin gave great occasion of sin to others Now it 's a great mercy when God keeps a person from being an instrument of hurt to others especially of hurt to their soules 2. Such as expect salvation must keep themselves from such wickednesses Vid. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Heaven is not a place of common receipt for good and bad 'T is not like your ordinary Innes which lodge all kinde of passengers without difference such Lepers so living and dying must expect to go to another place Rev. 22. 15. Without shall be dogs c. 3. 'T is possible for a person to be free from these abominations and yet to be mortally sick of spiritual diseases Every sick man hath not the plague A man may die of a consumption as well as of a Fever A person may be in a damnable state that never committed murther or uncleannesse 1. The Pharisee was free from all these impieties and yet deadly sick in his soule Luke 18. 11. Paul when he was a Pharisee saith that he was blamelesse concerning all such enormities Phil. 3. 6. and yet at that time sick even unto death so he in Mat. 32. 11. so the five Virgins Mat. 25. 1. Those in 2 Pet. 2. 18 20. A natural conscience may keep men from such enormities The penalty of humane Lawes may preserâ—◠〈…〉 these great wickednesses Civil education may preserve a man from falling into these wickednesses A desire to keep our reputation in the world with men with whom we converse may keep us from these high impieties Meer restraint may do this 2. If freedome from these offences were enough to proclaime men to be spiritually whole then no hypocrite should be sick A man must be free from all these sinnes before he be advanced into the hypocrites forme Now we know that every hypocrite is spiritually and mortally sick Yea the Scripture tells us that hell is prepared for the hypocrites other sinners are said to have their portion with the hypocrites Mat. 2â— 51. The hypocrite is of all sinners the special proprietor of Hell and yet he is free from all these offences 3. It 's possible for one that hath no saving grace in his heart to be free from these offences Though every one that hath grace will abandon these sins yet every one that is free from these sins hath not grace The instances mentioned before will prove this But every one that wants saving grace is under the rage of spiritual sicknesses Yea he that is without true grace is not onely sick in sinne but dead in sin Eph. 2. 1. and yet those that are dead in sin may be free from these wickednesses 4. Although many be free from the actual commission of these sinnes yet they have the roots of these sinnes in their hearts Every sinne is in that bundle of sinne which we call original There is pride and murther and theft c Now the pollution of nature if it be not healed by justifying grace and pardoning mercy and sanctifying grace is enough to make the soule sick and that unto death Yea indeed the great sicknesse of the soul lies there There lies the strength of sinne and the heat of sinne David when he bewailes his murther goes to that as the root of it Psalme 51. 5. All a mans actual sinnes be they never so grosse might soone be healed if that were but healed This is the fountaine of blood This is the law of sin here is the devils magazine 5. Though thou art free from thâ—se foule sins yet thou mayest have some secret idol or other set up in thy heart Now the least sin a vaine thought is a mortal sicknesse in it selfe and if it be not healed will prove a soul-destroying sicknesse The Papists have devised a distinction of sinnes venial and sinnes mortal That there are some sinnes that in their own nature do not make a man liable to eternal death but onely to temporal chastisement so Bellarmine teaches The Scripture knows no such distinction nor can we allow it All sinnes are venial to true repentance except that one sinne against the holy Ghost He that commits that shall never be forgiven But there is no sin venial in its own nature the least is a mortal sicknesse and deserves eternal death So saith the Scripture Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 6. ult the Apostle speaks of all sinne that is opposed to legal righteousnesse and there is no sinne so small but it is a breach of the Law of God For of every idle word that a man shall speak he shall give an account at the day of judgement Mat. 12. 36. What is lesse then an idle word and yet that doth in its own nature deserve wrath By all these things it appeares that a man may be spiritually 〈…〉 thief nor drunkard c. 4. Yet may a person gather evideners of grace from his acting against sinne in some cases David argues so Ps 18. 23. And therefore for the winding up of this point I shall lay down some Rules whereby a person may know whether his acting against sinne be from a principle of saving grace or meerly from common restraint 1. He that forbears sinne from a principle of true grace doth act from the Authority and declaration of anaked truth When the immediate declaration of Gods Will in his Word
condition was discovered when anguish and horrour was upon their spirits then they were contented to do any thing Acts 2. 37. What shall we do to be saved Thus also it was with Saul Acts 9. 6. When Christ had created those tremblings and astonishments in his spirit then he comes off fully to Christ Lord what wilt thou have me to do So it was with the Jaylor when he had a true representation of his estate then he cries out Acts 16. 30. Sirs what must I do to be saved A man that is in extremity will do any thing to save his life When he sees that he must perish if he do not presently consent to what is proposed then he lingers not if he must throw all his goods overboard he is contented to cast them out presently because death is before him 4. That the mercy of the cure may be more highly valued Salvation from hell is a very great work which should be valued by all on whom it is bestowed The Prophet David calls upon his soule and all that is within his soule to praise God for such a mercy Psalme 103. init He that considers the worth of salvation the unworthinesse of the persons enjoying it the costlinesse of it the multitudes that shall never partake of it must needs acknowledge it a thing worthy to be esteemed But so unthankful a piece is the heart of man that he doth not value it at any considerable rate Jesus Christ therefore before he bring any into such a state will discover their misery to themselves that so he may provoke them to extraordinary thankfulnesse for it And the truth is nothing doth so much enhance the price of salvation in our hearts as a cleer manifestation of our wretched condition See how the Apostles heart is enlarged upon this very consideration 1 Tim. 1. 15. Had he not seen himself to be the chief of sinners he would never have thought salvation by Christ worthy of all acceptation as now he did 5. That the skill of the Physician may be more cleerly discovered Jesus Christ seeks to advance his own glory in all the works he does for the sonnes of men As in other his works so especially in this great work of conversion Therefore it is that he will not heale any till he have shewed them their sad estat◠〈…〉 may see his wisdome power goodnesse in their healing Men that think little or nothing ayles them do not halfe so much value the Physicians paines or skill as those that see themselves at the very brink of the grave when the Physician takes them in hand Jesus Christ therefore will shew them every sort that so they may publish his glory that wrought it for them I was brought low and he helped me saith David Ps 116. 6. See how the poor blind man proclaims the honour of Christ Joh. 9. 32. 4. Whether Jesus Christ observe the same method in this work of discovering the sinners estate to himselfe Whether all sinners have the same measure of humbling and terror and whether they continue for the same time under apprehensions of wrath Answ Jesus Christ is a free Agent He is not tyed to any certaine method nor doth he alwayes walk in the same way His dispensations in the work of convincing men of sinne are various and different The work is wrought on all so far as to make the soule sensible of sinnes bitternesse above all other bitternesse and to make it sensible of Christs excellency above all other excellent things But that it is done in the same violent manner in all or that it is of the same continuance cannot be affirmed Conviction and conversion may be wrought at the same Sermon as we see it was with those three thousand Acts 2. 37. 41. They were no sooner pricked in their hearts but they gladly received the word There was great difference between this work in Lydia and in the Jaylor Acts 16. 14. God shewed her hersicknesse in â— more milde way The Lord opined her heart that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul But the Jaylor he had an earthquake and great horrours in his conscience v. 27 29. 1. Some sinners have been more scandalous then others These are brought to Christ with greater troubles so it was with the Jaylor he had been a cruel bloody man God layes him under deep sorrow 2. God hath a greater work to do by some sinners then by others These he uses to deal with in a more rough way that he may prepare them for service the better This seems to be the reason of his so sharp dealing with Saul Act. 9. 15 16. 3. Some sinners are of a more rough turbulent nature then others These must be handled more severely Some men must be bound before they will be ruled So it is with some kinde of sinners Thus with Manasseh 2 Chr. 33. 11. 4. Some have been sinners of a longer standing then others These Christ useth to be more sharp withal in his way of curing 5. Some sinners have been more confident in their civil righteousnesse then others As Paul was in his Pharisaisme Phil. 3. These Christ uses to handle more sharply Jesus Christ is a wise Physician he observes the nature of all his Patients and accordingly prescribes medicines for them He that hath the least measure of this conviction hath so much as that he sees himself lost undone helplesse hopelesse in himself He sees the evil of sinne he sees Christ an excellent sutable al sufficient good for his soule This one thing 〈…〉 Where there is the least sorrow before 〈…〉 conâ—â—â—sion there is many times greater sorrow and morâ— troubles of Spirit after conversion The Uses of this Point 1. How sad is the condition of those that never yet were truly made sensible of their sick estate They never yet had a true lively sensible apprehension of their sick condition They were never so much as pricked in their hearts for sinne so as to make them loath it They were never taken from all their high conceits of their own natural estate c. These men have cause to suspect that sinne is not yet cured A person may have some conviction of his misery and not be healed but a man cannot be healed without some conviction The heart cannot be broken for sinne without the sight of sinne Ezek. 36. 31. There can be no self-loathing till there be a remembring of our wayes and doings that have not been good 2. How necessary the preaching of the Law is to true conversion A man will never be taken off from the opinion of his own healthfulnesse but by the preaching of the Law The Law shews men what they are what they may expect c. The fallow ground of the heart will never be broken up without the plough of the Law Jer. 4. 3. The plough of the Law must go and make deep furrows too before the seed of comfort be cast in Though the preaching of the
Law do not convert yet it helps forward conversion in as much as it works that preparatory work without which conversion ordinarily is not as the needle makes way for the threed so the Law makes way for conversion The spirit of bondage makes way for the Spirit of Adoption and that is wrought by the preaching of the Law 3. The mistake of those who are against all kinde of preparations to conversion They would have mercy held out to sinners as sinners not as sinners so and so qualified Surely the Scripture hath laid down qualifications for sinners to whom the Gospel is tendred They must be humbled sinners burdened sinners c. The mercy of the Gospel is not to be prostituted to sinners as sinners but to broken-hearted sinners to heart-wounded sinners to sinners that see themselves lost in themselves to hungring and thirsting sinners The brazen Serpent was onely for such to look upon as were stung with Serpents Such as are in some measure sensible of the stinging nature of sin are to be invited to lay hold on Christ As it is an undoing to wounded sinners to keep them from Christ so 't is an undoing to such sinners as are not in some measure pressed with sinne to apply the promises of the Gospel This was prefigured in the Leper The Lâ—per must cry uncleane c. every sinner is this Leper sight of sinne must go before healing of sinne 4. Let Ministers take the same way which Christ takes for the curing of sinners Jesus Christ is both an able and faithful Physician 'T is no disparagement to use his method yea 't is the greatest wisdome to prescribe the same receits which Jesus Christ prescribes he uses to take men off from the opinion they have of their own way His manner is to let men see they are sick to convince them of sinne befoâ—◠〈◊〉 apply healing medicines All those Minisâ—â—â— that desire to have their endeavours successeful must do so likewise People must be contenteâ— to suffer their condition to be known to suffer themselves to be made sick that so they may be cured This is Christs way this is a safe way this must be our way Though such kinde of preaching put you to some present trouble yet it will be to your eternal advantage Your sores cannot be healed comfortably till you see them to be sores and festred sores You must be contented to suffer the ploughings of the Law that you may be prepared for the comforts of the Gospel You must be contented to be cast down that you may be prepared for raising up You must be contented to be led to the gates of hell that you may be brought to the Kingdome of Heaven Better a great deale to go to Heaven through Hel then to saile through an imaginary Heaven and land at the dark staires of Hell in the end Doct. 5. Those that finde themselves to be spiritually sick shall finde Jesus Christ a Physician ready to heale them No Physician was ever so ready to heale a sick brother as Jesus Christ will be to cure a sin-sick sinner We finde in the Gospel that Christ was very willing to heal those that came to him sick of bodily infirmities We do not that I remember read of any one that was sent away uncured that earnestly begg'd his help either for themselves or any of theirs The Leprous the Paralytick the Demoniack the Lame the Blinde those that were sick of Feavers those that had bloody issnes Whatever sicknesses men had they obtained favour Matth. 4. 23. Christ ever valued the soule above the body therefore he will be much more ready to heale the sicknesses thereof He healed many of the sick Publicans when they saw their diseases As Zacheus Matthew c. And he will be to the end of the world ready to afford the same mercy to any that are or shall be in their condition Three things are here to be unfolded by way of Explication 1. What it is to be spiritually sick of sinne 2. That Christ will be ready to heale such 3. What are the reasons of this readinesse 1. To be sick of sin comprehends these six particulars First A true sight of our sinful condition That man who never yet had the sight of his sinful estate was never yet truly sick of sinne the soule must be convinced that it is in a sinful estate Thus it was with the Publican Luke 18 13. He acknowledged himselfe to be a sinner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nor is all sight of sinne sufficient but that sight of sinne which is an ingredient of spiritual sicknesse must have these two properties 1. It must arise from the Word of God This was the foundation of the Apostles sight of sinne Rom. 7. 9. When the Commandment 〈…〉 sinne reâ—ived and I died Thus 〈…〉 thâ—usand Acts 2. 37. 〈…〉 â—â—â—ked in their hearts The sense of sinne did arise from â—ouâ—â— thing which was delivered to them out of the Word of God No other light besides this divine light will discover sinne so as to make the soul sick of it 2. It must extend to sinne in the root as well as to sinne in the branches I mean original birth-sinne as well as actual sinne Possibly the sight of sinne may arise first from some actual transgression So it was with those Converts Acts 2. 37. that bloody act of theirs against Jesus Christ was the first sinne they saw Actual sinnes are more obvious to the eye then original sinne This is a sinne lying under ground more remote at a greater distance from the cognizance of a sinner therefore peradventure some actual offence first is set upon the conscience but sooner or later doth this actual sin bring to the sinners conscience the sight of that sinne which is the root both of this and of all other actual sinnes namely that body of death that law of the members as the Apostle calls it Rom. 7. 23. Which continually warreth against the Law of the minde Secondly A serious apprehension of the misery and danger the soule is in by reason of sinne discovered No man is sick of sinne till he see the danger which sinne hath and which it is likely further to plunge him into Thus it was with those Converts Acts 2. 37. The question they propound What shall we do to be saved doth inply clearly enough that they looked upon themselves as men in a state of damnation in their present condition And indeed the same Word of God which discovers sinne doth discover wrath also as the wages of sinne so that the sick sinner is one that lies under the apprehension of wrath which he expects suddenly to fall upon him Thirdly Compunction and contrition is wrought in the soule by reason of sinne The heart throbs and akes by reason of that miserable state which by sinne he is brought into Thus it was with those Converts Act. 2. 37. They were pricked in their hearts their spirits were full of grief and vexation
whom the birth of Christ was first preâ—ched Luke 2. 8. Jesus Christ is the desender of his sheep he preserves them carefully from them that would devoure them The Devil hath been way-laying them and attempting upon them ever since the fall of Adam and yet the eye o◠〈…〉 was so diligent and watchful 〈…〉 â—ver able to get the least lamb o◠〈…〉 shall he ever be able to gaine one o◠〈…〉 they be all folded up in heaven The sheep of Christ are all sealed in their foreheads so we reade Rev. 7. 3 4. Why are they sealed First they are sealed for distinction Secondly they are sealed for secrecy Thirdly they are sealed for security Neither men nor devils can break open this seale This similitude is used Cant. 4. 12. A garden enclosed a spring shut up a fountaine sealed under all those expressions is set out the fence which Christ makes about his sheep for their preservation Though Christ sometime suffer their bodies to be torne and devoured by men and though he suffer their soules to be assaulted yet he will not suffer their soules to be destroyed He did once lay down his life for them John 10. 11 15. and having died for them he will preserve them There is a six-fold defence which Christ sets upon every sheep for his preservation from Satan 1 His death The grave of Christ is a fold in which the sheep sleep safely his Sepâ—lcher is a hedge about the Church I mean the vertue and merit of his death Jesus Christ by his death hath overcome the Devil and all his Host Col. 2. 15. he hath taken him captive and delivered the sheep out of his hands Now so long as the death of Christ is in force and in force it shall be for ever and ever the sheep shall be defended The sea of Christs blood doth encompasse every sheep of the fold and Satan must either wade thorough or dry up 〈…〉 before he can annoy the sheep as 〈…〉 eternal salvation Roare and rage he may mine or teare in pieces he cannot the bottomlesse sea of Christs blood flows continually about them 2 His intercession The Scripture makes mention of the Advocateship of Christ for his people Heb. 7. 25. He lives for ever to make intercession therefore he is able to save 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Advocateship of Christ hath three properties First it is full Secondly 't is constant Thirdly 't is effectual This intercession is the sâ—eeps safe-guarâ— Christ must â—e outed from the work of mediation before any of his sheep can be eternally hurt and outed he cannot be for his Priest-hood is an everlasting Priest-hood Ps 110. 4. Thou art a Priest for ever c. 3 The presence of Christ We learn from Scripture that Jesus Christ is ever present with his sheep he is not one moment absent from the fold â—e by his spiritual presence lodgeth with them every night and walks with them all the day Of this presence of Christ the Holy Ghost speakâ— Rev. 14. 1. He stands on the Mount Sion he stands not in a running posture but in a watching posture The devil must drive Christ from his standing before he can snatch away any of the sheep for he stands there as a guard to them 4 The mystical union between him and the sheep The Scripture makes mention of this union John 17. 23. I in them and Thou in me Every sheep grows in the Shepherds side as a member of his body Now this union is an indissoluble union As the natural union between the Sonne and the Father can 〈…〉 so neither can the 〈…〉 Christ and the sheep 〈…〉 and mighty hedge about the sheep 〈…〉 must drag Christ to hell before he can 〈…〉 any of the sheep thither for they are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh 5 The promise of Christ Jesus Christ hath engaged his Word and this engagement is recorded in the Scriptures that the gates of Hell shal not prevaile against the Church Maâ— 16. 18. This promise is not a rash indiscreet but a deliberate sober advised promise 'T is not the promise of a fraudulâ—nt person but of a faithful Saviour for he is the Amen the faithful and tâ—ue witnesse Rev. 3. 14. This promise is the Churches safety Satan must disannul this before he can devour the sheep and disannulled it cannot be for his Word endureth for ever in heaven 6 His recommending of them to his Father Jesus Christ a little before his death made his last Will and Testament In this Testament amongst other things he did solemnly commâ—nd the tuition of his sheep to his Fathers care intreating him by all the dearnesse between them that he would preserve them from the devil and all his evil designes against them This is set down fully John 17. 11. 15. he had received them from the Father upon his recommendation v. 9. and he had kept them safe while he was with them now he intreats the Father that as he had kept them upon his recommendation so he would now likewise for his sake undertake the tuition of them v. 12. While I was in the world I kept them c. So long as Christs Testament is in force so long as God 〈…〉 of Christs bequeathment and accept of iâ— he will for ever the sheep shall be safe 4. A Shepherd gathers his sheep when they are sâ—attered When either by dogs or stormes or by their own voâ—untary wandring they have been dispersed the Shepherds work is to gather them againe Ezek 34. 12. Jesus Christ is a good Shepherd in this respect the sheep are wanton they wander and stray Christ reduceth them brings them to the fold How often doth every sheep wander so often as they wander doth Christ reduce them You know the parable Luke 15. 4 5 6 c. And he will never leave till he have gathered them into heaven where they shall scatter no more He gathers them from their first dispersion in unregeneracy when they wander upon the mounts of profanenesse and unbelief c. When they are scattered by persecution temptation c. he still gathers them He gathered them when they were scattered in Babylon in the dispersion in the Apostles dayes of which you read Acts 8. He hath Gentile sheep scattered Jewish sheep dispersed both these will he gather the Gentiles John 10. 16. the Jews 2 Chr. 16. 6 7 8 9. One end of the Ministery is to gather the scattered sheep who were never converted One end of the Minâ—stery and discipline is to gather them that wander after conversion See the office of Christ to this purpose Eph 1. 10. He is the Centre in which all things meet All are to be gathered together by him to him and in him his meaning is all the Elect are gathered to a head as the word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Christ who is the Head of the body and at theâ— day 〈…〉 he will gather them all 〈…〉 that they shall be
Vine I shall present you with four clusters by which you may judge of the rest First the fruits of his death There are many particulars in this cluster I name but six 1. The satisfaction of Divine Justice The appeasing of Gods anger towards the Elect Esay 53. 6. Christ by his death did as perfectly satisfie the demands of justice as though God had never been offended he made full payment 2. The reconciliation of beleevers to God He hath not onely paid what justice required but he hath perfectly made agreement between God and the sinâ—er that now thorough Christ God is as well appeased and is become as perfect a friend to the beleever as he was to Adam iâ— Paradise God hath not in his heart the least grâ—dge towards his person Of this the Apostle speaks Eph. 2. 14 15. and Col. 1. 21 22. 3. The working out of a compleat righteousness for the sinner Such a righteousnesse as that the sinner may with a holy boldnesse chalenge the Law of God to finde fault with it Of this the Apostle speaks Rom. 5. 17 18 19. This is called in divers respects righteousnesse of God Rom. 1. 17. The righteousnesse of faith Phil. 3. 9. Rom. 4. 13. The righteousnesse of Christ Rom. 5. 18. 4. The destroying of him that had the power of death Of this you may â—eade Col. 2. 15. and Heb. 2. 14. Saâ—ans supremacy over the soule is abolished and the captived soul made the Lords freeman 5. The sweetning and perâ—uming of the grave and the freedome of the sinner from the fear of death This fruit is mentioned by the Apostle Heb. 2. 15. 6. The killing of the power of sinne Christ by dying for sinne slew sinne so as that it can never damne any of the Elect. Of this you mâ—y read Rom. 6. 4 6. Secondly the â—ruits of his resurrection These are many I shall set a few before you these foure 1. Spiritual vivifiâ—ntion The soule of a beleever is raised up and empowred to walk in â—â—â—â—nesse of life This the Apostle applieth principally to the resuâ—â—◠〈…〉 2. 12 13. You being deâ—â— i◠〈…〉 He â—ath quickâ—ed together 〈…〉 2. An assured evidence 〈…〉 from sinne This the Apostle 〈…〉 resurrection of Christ Rom. 4. 25. He was 〈◊〉 again for our justification The resurrection of Christ from the grave is a full proof that all the debt is paid the discharge of the prisoner is a cleare testimony of the discharge of the debt The Prophet puts them together Esay 53. 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement And hence the Apostle argues against those that deny the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 17. If Christ be not raised we are yet in our sinnes 3. An Argument of the resurrection of our bodies at the last day If the Head be raised the body shall not lie for ever in the grave the Resurrection of Christ is a pledge of ours as the first fruits were unto the Jewes a pledge of the ensuing harvest The Apostle alludes to that 1 Cor. 15. 20. And therefore the Apostle saith that Beleevers are raised up together with Christ Ephes 2. 6. They did rise in their representative when Christ was raised 4. The Confirmation of our hope of heaven This fruit of Christs Resurrection the Apostle sets down 1 Pet. 1. 3. We are begotten againe to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead The Doctrine of Christs Resurrection is the nourishment of the grace of Hope Thirdly The fruits of his Ascension This is a very rich cluster I shall name a few these five 1. Leading captivity captive The Apostle mentions this Eph. 4. 8. By â—eturning to heâ—ven from whence he came he did publickly â—arâ—y his spoile with him he did declare that â—ll the enemies of our salvation were perfectly brought under As great Conquerours when they have subdued their enemies do lead captive those whom they have overcome so Christ the great Captaine of our salvation did by his Ascension let his people see that their spiritual enemies were all eternally vanquished 2. The conferring of Mâ—nisterial gifts yea of the office of Ministery on his Church Of this the Apostle speaks Eph. 4 8. The Ministery of the Church is a fruit of Christs Ascension And t is as possible to pull him out of Heaven as to destroy that which he so solemnly settled at his Ascension 3. The more pleâ—tiful effusion of his Spirit upon his Church Of this fruit of his Ascension our Saviour speaks John 16 7. If I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I go away I will send him Christ when he departed powred forth his Spirit in greater plenty then ever it was before to supply the want of his bodily presence And then 4. Preparations of Mansions for his members This fruit is mentioned John 14. 3. As a man when he hath espoused a wife provides a house for her abode against the day of marriage so Christ having espoused the Church goes to heaven before-hand to make all things ready for their entertainment against the marriage day 5. An assured evidence of their corporal Asâ—ension Christ ascended and 〈…〉 as the fore-runner of his Churâ—◠〈…〉 The Apostle tells us that Christ 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not onely for ou◠〈…〉 our stead to give us an undoubted 〈…〉 that weâ— also shall personally entertaine the ascension of the head is the praeludium of the glorification of the members Fourthly The fruits of his Intercession These are very many I shall name these four 1. Assurance of the Application of all his benefits Whatsoever Christ purchased by his death â—e doth actually apply to the Elect by his intercession The Prophet puts them together Esay 53. ult This is one fruit of Christs intercession beleevers are sure to be put into full possession of all that which Christ hath merited for them by his blood-shed This some make to be the meaning of that Scripture John 14 3. They refer it to his intercession Christ by his satisfaction obtained for the Elect a right to heaven and by his intercession he doth actually apply it to them 2. The superseding and stopping of all Accusations made against them The Law accuseth Satan pleads the Law against beleevers and hence accuseth them Christ is interceding continually at Gods right hand to invalidate all these accusations There can no sooner come in any complaint but Christ throws it out Of this fruit of his intercession the Apostle speaks Rom. 8. 33 34. 3. Manuduction into the presence of the Father with boldnesse Christ is at Gods right hand for this very purpose that when ever a beleever hath any request to preâ—er to God he may take them by the hand and bring theâ— to the Father with confidence This fruit of his interâ—ession is set down by the Apostle Heb. 4. 14. 16. 4. Assurance of the acceptance of our weakest services This fruit of his intercession is mentioned Rev. 8. 3 4. The ascending
Heb. 10. â— God appointed him for the work of Redemption It could never have entred into the heart of man nor into the understanding of Angels to have planted the Son of God as a Vine for the bearing and feeding of man-kind This is that which our Saviour himself declares v. 1. of this chapter I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman This order of grace that Christ should be the head of life and salvation that the Elect should be ingraffed into him and saved by him is appointed and set by God alone He is the author of this Divine husbandry Men wonder at it the Angels of heaven do to this very day admire it and shall admire it to eternity but God himself is the onely Inventor and Author of it It is a work of Gods doing and it is and will be and ought to be marvellous in our eyes Psal 118. 23. Behold I â—ay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tried stone c. Esay 28. 16. This foundation had never been laid this Vine had never been plaâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 selfe had not done 〈…〉 dry 2. Christ is a Vine that doth 〈…〉 â—â—rish Other vines are not alwayes 〈…〉 depth of Winter they have neither leaves noâ— fruit when the vintage is over they are empty vines But Christ is a Vine that iâ— continually green the vintage is never over with this Vine he knows noâ— winter Jesuâ— Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13. 8. He keeps his vigor and freshnesse from generationâ— to generation Jesus Christ flourishes now as gloriously as ever he did since the first day he was planted and he will be as green and lively to the end of the world as now he is A few yeares put an end to the life of all other vines they have their infancy a time when they do not bear and they have their full growth a time when they are in their height and they have their old age a time when they are past fruit but Christ knows no such changes he did beare fruit the very first moment of his planting and there will never be a time when he will cease bearing It is alwayes vintage-time with Jesus Christ Never did the eye of man see him empty never shall eye see him withering He is called a tree of life Rev. 22. 12. because neither mortality nor old age shall ever betide him 3. Christ is a Vine whose fruits never abate Go to the fullest vine that ever grew upon the earth and pluck off but one cluster and there is a clusteâ— lesse if you take away but one berry there is a diminution But Jesus Christ knows no abatement All the Patriachs all the Prophetâ— all the Apostles the Saâ—nts iâ— the Olâ— Testament ever since Adam the Saints in the New Testament to this day have been feeding upon him and yet there is not one clustâ—â— lesse then there was at first He hath not lost one berry since his first plantation The reason is that which the Apostle mentions Col. 2. 9. In him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily Fulnesse is in Christ all fulnesse is in him all fulnesse is in him bodily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is personally not onely in regard of efficacy and assistance as in the Saints but in regard of hypostatical and personal union and then all this fulnesse dwells in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dwells in him inseparably dwells in him undecayingly â—ather never so much fruit from this Vine and yet he still retains his fulnesse We beheld his glory saith the Evangelist full of grace and truth John 1. 14. All the old Saints had been eating of him since Adam to that day and yet he was still full of grace and so he continues as full as if his fruit had never been touched with hands nor tasted by any of his Elect. 4. Christ is a Vine of greater extâ—â—tion then other vines Earthly vines are but of a small compasse A few yards will measure both their length and breadth but Christ is a Vine of great dimension his Branches reach all the world over He hath some Branches in all Nations under heaven Rev. 7. 9. This Vine spreads it self into all the quarters of the world Asia and Europe and Africâ— and America this Vine grows in all these parts of the world The Universal Church is the Vine-yard this Church is dispersed thoroughout all Nations and every member of this Church is an 〈…〉 Vine 5. Christ is such a Vine as 〈…〉 of his Branches Other vines are often 〈…〉 their branches even of those branches thâ—â— were truly ingraffed every child can rob â—â— of its branches But this Vine can never lose a Branch some branches there are that are seemingly ingraffed they are ingraffed onely in regard of visible profession these may be broken off and burned yea they shall be ver 6. of this Chapter But for the Branches that are really implanted they can never be taken away All the strength of men and devils is not able to divide one Branch from the Vine Every Branch of the Vine doth tend to the mystical perfection of the Vine the Saints are the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Eph. 2. ult He cannot lose one of them without empaiting himself The devil hath been plucking and hewing but he was never yet able to break off the weakest Branch 6. Christ is a Vine whose fruit seeds the soule Other vines they onely bring forth fruit for the body The outward man is cheared and nourished by the grape and by the liquor of the grape But now Christ is a Vine whose fruits are for the soule Wine for the conscience for the soule comes out of the fruit of this Vine When the heart is cold by reason of inward fears this Wine warmes it when the heart is heated by reason of violent temptations this Wine will coole it when the soule is ready to die this Wine will revive it 7. Christ is a Vine whose fruits never surfet The fruit of all material vines if it be taken immoderately breeds distempers and sicknesses Noah drunk of the Wine of his vine yard and was drunk Gen. 9. 21. many bereave themselves of their health and of their wits too by the excessive use of the fruit of the vine we have too many examples of this But the fruits of this mystical Vine have no surfetting quality A man cannot take too much of them Eat O friend drink yea drink abundantly O beloved Cant. 5. 1. The sicknesse and the death of the soule ariseth not from the immoderate using but from the refusing of the fruits of this Vine â— 8. A Vine that never costs any of his fruits He brings all his fruits to perfection The Uses of this Point 1. This may help us to understand that speech of Christ when he saith This is my body and my flesh is meat indeed c. John 6. 53 54 55. The Papists understand it in
2. 10. To shew that this eternal 〈…〉 from him 1. He hath merited this salvation for the Elect 'T is his purchase 2. He keeps it for them and them 〈…〉 1 John 5. 11. 3. He will actually put them into full possession of it when he returnes from heaven in the latter end of the world of which he speaks John 14. 3. Thus much for the first particular namely the extent of that salvation of which Christ is said to be an Horn. He is the salvation of the Elect Privatively from all evil Positively to all good till he have brought them to heaven the place of eternal salvation 2. Why Christ is called an Horn of salvation That we may come to the full understanding of this let us consider how the word is used in Scripture Now we finde that this word doth Metaphorically denote two things especially 1. Glory and dignity So we finde it used Lam. 2. 3. where the Church complaining of the misery which had befallen her hath these expressions The Lord hath cut off in his fierce anger all the Horn of Israel That is whatsoever was glorious or excellent in Israel God hath now removed So we may see cleerly if we reade the first verse The Lord hath cast down from heaven unto earth the beauty of Israel he hath covered the daughter of Sion with a cloud c. and then it follows He hath cut off all the Horne of Israel The glory of God manifested in his appearings when he brought Israel out of Egypt is expressed by this Metaphor Hab. 3. 3 4. His glory covered the heavens c. His brightnesse was as the light He had hornes coming out of his hand c. So Psal 9â— 10. My Horn saith the Psalmist shalt thou exalt like the horn of an Vnicorn that is thou shalt encrease my glory and dignity 2. Serength and Power So 't is used Lam. 2. 17. He hath set up the horn of thine Adversaries saith the Church that is he hath encreased the power and strength of thine Adversaries So when God threatens to weaken the power of Moab he doth it by this Metaphor Jerem. 48. 25. The Horn of Moab is cut off and his arme is broken The breaking of the arme doth fully expound the cutting off of the Horn. And when God promiseth to give his people power to subdue their enemies he useth this expression Micah 4. 13. Arise and thresh c. for I will make thine horne Iron Now then when Christ is called an Horn of salvation the meaning of the Holy Ghost is 1. The glory of his salvation 2. The strength of his salvation First The glory of his salvation Jesus Christ is a glorious Saviour and the salvation which he brings to his people is a glorious salvation in three respects 1. Consider the person of Christ. God raised up many hornes of salvation for his people when they were in distresse The History mentions them Neh. 9. 27. According to thy manifold mercy thou gavest them Saviours which saved them Gideon and Jepthah and Sampson c. they are called Saviours because they saved instrumentally the people of God from their enemies But they were but mean Saviours in respect of Christ his person 〈…〉 They were but men He God 〈…〉 person Though his glory was 〈…〉 eyes of carnal men yet they that had spiritual eyes did behold it John â— 14. We 〈…〉 glory the glory as of the 〈◊〉 begotten of the Father If the person of Christ be compared with the persons of other saviours it will appeare that he is a glorious Saviour All other horns of salvation were but wooden horns Christ is a golden Horn of salvation 2. Consider the nature of the salvation it self 'T is spiritual salvation 't is eternal salvation All those hornes of salvation which were raised up in sundry ages for the defence of the Church were but horns of outward salvation and of temporary salvation They saved onely the outward man and that neither but for a time The Church was in as much peril after they had wrought salvation for them as ever they were before When Gideon was dead the children of Israel fell into as great danger as they were in before So after the death of Jepthah and after the death of Sampson they were overwhelmed with as great hazards as before as you may reade in the story in the book of Judges But now Christ is a Horn of salvation to their soules as well as to their bodies He saves them from their spiritual enemies Sinne Satan as well as from men He saves them from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1. 10. And then he saves them for ever The Church never can be never will be in that danger again as they were before this Horn of salvation was raised He hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. 3. Consider the glorious manner of the working of this salvation Never any salvation so glorious at this There are three things in it 1 He saved the Elect by his own power The power by which all other hornes of salvation delivered the Church was by a power one of themselves the strength they had was none of their own but the power by which Christ saved and still saves his Church is from himselfe the Divinity impowered the Humanity Psal 98. 1. His own right hand and his own holy Arme hath gotten him the victory 2 He saved the Elect solely Other horns of salvation had the concurrence of many besides themselves Gideon and Jepthah and Sampson c. They blew the trumpet and gathered multitudes to assist them in the battels which they fought for the salvation of the Church All Israel came after them But this Horn of salvation wrought the Churches deliverance alone Esay 63. 3 5. I have troden the wine-presse alone c. He had no other Horne to help him He entred the field and fought the battel alone and by himself obtained the victory 3. He saved the Church by his own death Other hornes of salvation delivered the Church by the death of the enemy Ehud slew Eglon but he himself did not die Iudges 3. 21 22. Gideon shew Zeha and Zalmunna the enemies of Israel Judges 8. 21. but he himself was not slain But now this Horn of salvation got the victory by dying his Crosse was his Conquest He triumphed over principalities and powers on the Crosse as the Apostle speaks Col. 2. 15. He subdued all the horne of the 〈…〉 of his blood 〈…〉 life his grave is our victory 〈…〉 do fully prove that Jesus 〈…〉 salvation that is a gloriouâ—â—â—lvation 〈…〉 first Secondly The strength of his 〈…〉 Christ is a strong Saviour the salvation 〈…〉 he works for his people hath strength in it He hath raised up a mighty salvation for us so some translations render this text To this agrees that of the Prophet Psal 89. 19. I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the