of grace ver 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you because ye are not under the Law but under Grace Now the dominion of sin may be taken away though sin be not wholly dead in the soul As it was with those beasts spoken of Dan. 7.12 Their dominion was taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time So the dominion of sin may be taken away in that soul where the life of it is prolonged for a little season But here some may say How may we know whether sin reigns in us or whether the dominion of sin be taken away I Answer When we yield willing obedience to the motions and dictates of sin then sin reigns in us Rom. 6.12 Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies that you should obey it in the lusts thereof and ver 16. Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness When it is a mans usual course to yield ready obedience to the motions and sollicitations of sin it is a plain case sin reigns in such a man and he is the servant of sin As it is an argument that a man is in Authority when his commands are obeyed Matth. 8.9 I am a man under authority having souldiers under me and I say to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my servant do this and he doth it So it is an argument that sin is in authority when the motions of sin are are obeyed when we go and come and do as we are moved and enclined by the lusts of our own hearts But where the motions and lusts of the flesh are resisted striven against suppressed there sin is not in dominion though it may still abide and dwell in us 6. If our doubtings of our interest in Christ arise from hence that we fear we have not Crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof let us set our selves more vigorously about this work to Mortifie and Crucifie the lusts and affections of the flesh and to that end let us make use of these helps 1. Let us walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 This I say then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh There will be lustings of the Flesh against the Spirit as long as we live in this world but if we walk in the Spirit we shall be thereby kept from the fulfilling of the lust of the flesh 2. Put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it that will be a means to mortifie the corruption of your natures Rom. 13.14 Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof 3. Meditate on the passion and sufferings of Christ and rest upon Christ for the grace that he hath purchased by his death to mortifie the flesh with the lusts and affections Gal. 6.14 Rom. 6.6 Tit. 2.14 4. Apply the promises which are effectual means to purge out our corrupt natures and to make us partakers of the divine nature and to help us to escape the corruptions that are in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption which is in the world through lust Promises of renewing our natures and purging out the corruption of our hearts you may see Ezek. 36.26 A new heart will I give you And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God shall Circumcise thine heart 6. Loving Christ above all things is a certain evidence of a saving interest in Christ If we can say of Christ with the Spouse he is my Beloved or as the Dutch render it my best Beloved then we may say he is mine and I am his It was the Spouses sincere love to Christ that caused her to say with confidence that Christ was hers and she was his My Beloved is mine and I am his As we may know that we are passed from Death to Life by our love to the Members of Christ 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the brethren So we may also know our translation into a state of life by our love to Jesus Christ and may say we know we are passed from Death to Life because we love the Lord Jesus Christ That a sincere love to Christ which is a loving Christ above all things is a sure evidence of a saving interest in Christ will appear hence because eternal life and all manner of blessings are promised to those that love Christ in sincerity Jam. 2.5 Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this World rich in Faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Eph. 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity But as for those that love any things or persons more than they love Jesus Christ though the dearest friends they have in all the world they shall not be owned of Christ for his Mat. 10.37 He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me See also Luk. 14.26 But how shall we know whether we love Christ above all Things and Persons in the World A. 1. By our valuing esteeming and preferring Christ above all things in the World What we love most that we esteem and value most 1 Thes 5.11 Esteem them very highly in love Now we may know that we have the highest esteem for Christ of all things and persons in the World 1. When we will part with any thing rather than part with Christ when we are willing to suffer the loss of any thing yea of all things so that we may win Christ Mat. 13.45 46. The wise Merchant shewed that he esteemed the Pearl that he had found to be of great price when he sold all that he had to purchase it Phil. 3.8 The Apostle Paul shewed his preferring Christ above all by his suffering the loss of all things for Christ and this turned to him for a Testimony that Christ was his yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things 2. When all other things are counted but as dross and dung in comparison of Christ Phil. 3.8 For whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ When other things are undervalued and
also come upon them to lay down their lives for Christ 2. The knowledge and belief of Gods infinite everlasting and unchangable love to us in Christ Jesus and of Christs love in laying down his Life for us will carry us chearfully through our greatest persecutions and make us to triumph over all manner of persecutions even at such a time as we are killed all the day long and counted as sheep for the slaughter As we may see it excellently set out Rom. 8.35 36 37 38 39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall Tribulation or Distress or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword As it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus Let us take notice in this Scripture of these things 1. The love of Christ and the love of God in Christ towards his people is so fixed so firm so unchangeable that no manner of troubles or persecutions no creature in Heaven or Earth is or shall be able to separate them from the love of Christ and the love of God which is in Christ Jesus that is which is grounded upon the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ 2. The apprehension and perswasion of Gods love to our Souls in Christ Jesus and the immutability of this love will help us to overcome and triumph over all manner of troubles and persecutions Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any other creature shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus In all these things that is all the forementioned tribulations and persecutions though we be flain by the Sword or are starved to Death by Famine we are conquerors yea more than conquerors and how not by our own strength but through him that loved us and how doth he give us the victory By giving us a firm perswasion of the unchangeable love of God in Christ For I am perswaded 3. Observe the time and season when the servants of Christ are made to triumph as conquerors over all their troubles and that is when it is noon day in respect of their persecutions when 't is the hottest time of persecution when they are not only deprived of their goods thrust into prisons but killed killed all the day long and counted as sheep for the slaughter And let us see what is implyed in these expressions 1. It is to be all the day long in hazard and danger of death When it is with us as it was with Hezekiah in his sickness Isa 38.13 So 't is with us in respect of our persecutors we reckon in the night they may come upon us before the morning and the morning may come before the night and rend and tear us in pieces or when 't is with us as it was with David Psal 119.109 My Soul is continually in my hand then we may be said to be killed all the day long 2. When we are put to a lingring death that it may be the more painfull that we are as it were all the day long in a dying condition this some persecutors endeavoured ut sentiant se mori then we may be said to be killed all the day long 3. When persecutors make no more of killing us than they do of killing sheep when the Saints are killed in abundance that it is a time of much blood-shed yea when they joy in the death of Gods Servants Isa 22.13 They are counted as Sheep for the slaughter Now the knowledge and belief of the love of Christ will help us to go through all persecutions chearfully several ways 1. As it leads to the filling our Souls with the graces and comforts of the Spirit of God Eph. 3.19 And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye may be filled with all the fulness of God The more we are filled with the graces and comforts of the Holy Ghost the stronger we shall be to suffer for Christ for the joy of the Lord is our strength 2. As it draws out our love to Christ 1 Joh. 3.16 17. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us Herein is our love made perfect And the more we love Christ the stronger we shall be to suffer for Christ Cant. 8.6 7. Love is strong as death Many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it 3. Get and keep a lively hope of eternal life and glory for this will be a wonderfull support to you in your greatest persecutions This caused our Lord Jesus to endure the pain and the shame of the Cross with much chearfulness Heb. 12.2 Who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the Right hand of the Throne of God The having the joys of Heaven in his thoughts caused him to endure the pain and make light of the shame of the cross This caused the Apostles to glory and triumph in the midst of their troubles Rom. 5.2 3. And rejoyce in hope of the glory of God And not only so but we glory in Tribulations also The respect which Moses had to the recompence of reward in the other World carryed him with chearfulness through his great sufferings Heb. 11.24 25 26. The hope of Salvation is by the Apostles called an helmet 1 Thes 5.8 Putting on the breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an helmet the hope of Salvation The helmet preserves the head in safety as long as we keep on this helmet as long as we keep our hope of Salvation we are in a safe condition 4. If you would go chearfully through all your persecutions get and exercise the graces of Faith and Patience for they are of singular use in an evil day Rev. 13.7 10. And it was given to him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints When the beast maketh war with the Saints and overcomes them that is God permits him to kill and slay as Conquerors those that they have overcome then is a time when there is great need great use of Faith and Patience I shall speak distinctly to both these graces 1. Get and exercise Faith Faith is the most usefull most necessary piece of the Spiritual Armour in an evil day and therefore we are called upon above all to take the shield of Faith because thereby we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one Eph. 6.16 Above all taking the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Fiery darts are
enter into Life blind and halt and maimed than to reserve the occasions of offence and stumbling and to be cast into Hell Fire Mark 9.43 to the 48. ver 2. If the work seem hard and difficult which Christ sets us about yet the wages he gives are exceeding great which he gives to them that serve him and obey him He gives no less Reward to all his Servants than a Kingdom Luk 12.32 Fear not little Flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom He gives his Servants the same Glorious Kingdom which he himself hath Joh. 12.26 If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be He gives an Eternal Kingdom to them that obey his Commandements Heb. 5.9 Joh. 12.50 I know that his Commandment is Life Everlasting This may reconcile our hearts to the Commandments of the Gospel there is no Commandment of Christ but it is in order to our obtaining Everlasting Life Now this consideration that Christ will give us a Kingdom an Everlasting Kingdom that cannot be removed should make us willing to engage in any difficult service for Christ and desirous to do him all the service we can and to serve him in a gracious and acceptable manner Heb. 12.28 Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom that cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear 3. You have a long time served and obeyed the lusts of your own heart And sin is a most cruel Master a Master that kills and murders all his Servants that do not forsake his service The wages that sin gives all his Servants is Death Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is Death And will you rather serve a Murderer a cruel Master that will kill than serve and obey Jesus Christ who is the Lord of Life and Glory who saves all his Servants from Eternal Misery 4. Though some duties of the Gospel seem hard to Flesh and Blood yet they bring rest to the Soul Math. 11.29 Take my Yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest for your Souls Rest is a desireable thing especially rest for our Souls Issachar underwent great burdens for the obtaining of rest Gen. 49.14 15. Issachar is a strong ass couching between two burdens and he saw that rest was good and the Land that it was pleasant and bowed his shoulders to bear and became a servant to tribute But rest for the Soul is much more desireable than outward rest and therefore we should be willing to submit to any burden that our Lord Jesus layeth upon us seeing he will give us rest for our Souls 5. Though Christs Yoak may seem hard and his burden heavy to Flesh and Blood yet in truth and reality it is easy and light Mat. 11.29 30. Take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easy und my burden is light Now Christ's yoke is easy and his burden light in several respects 1. Because he requireth nothing of us but what he by his Spirit will enable us to do Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes 2. Because he writes his laws in our hearts and when the law is written in the heart it makes the hardest service easy and delightfull Psal 40.8 I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart This will spoken of here was God's will concerning Christ that he should offer up himself a Sacrifice for our sins as appears from Heb. 10.6 7 8 9 10. which though it was difficult service Christ did with delight having the Law of God in his heart 3. Love to Christ makes all difficulties easie and his service delightful Joh. 5.3 This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous 4. His Yoke is easie because it is sweetned with the comforts of the Holy Ghost Our Lord Jesus sends the Spirit the Comforter into their hearts that keep his Commandments that dwell and abide with them for ever John 14 15 16 17. If you love me keep my Commandements and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth and by virtue of these comforts which they have from the Spirit of God they can go on singing in the ways of the Lord. Ps 138.5 Yea they shall sing in the ways of the Lord. 5. His Yoke is easie and burden light compared with the burden of the Law and the burden of sin The Law was a Yoak which was very hard to be born Act. 15.10 And the burden of sin is heavier than the burden of the Law it was such as David complained was too heavy for him Ps 38.4 §. 5. Loving and preferring other things above Christ and hindrance of our being partakers of Christ This Obstacle removed 5. Another hindrance of our receiving and accepting Christ is when there is something or other that lyeth nearer our heart than Christ which we love and prefer above Christ and are not willing to part with for Christ Now to such I would say these things 1. You can have no part in Christ unless you love and prefer him above all things in the world and be willing to forsake all things for him Math. 10.37 He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me Our Parents and our Children may and ought to be loved but not more than Christ for if we love the dearest Relations we have in the world more than Christ we shall not be partakers of Christ Luk. 14.33 Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple For if a man love any things or persons more than Christ when those things or persons come in competition with Christ he will forsake Christ rather than those things or persons which he loves above Christ 2. A man may go far in the profession and practice of Religious duties and may prefer Christ above many things and yet may have some one thingly nearer his heart than Christ and rather than part with that one thing he may chuse to part with Jesus Christ An example of this we have in the young man that came to Christ to enquire how he might obtain Eternal Life He spoke respectfully affectionately and understandingly to Christ Matth. 19.17 Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may have Eternal Life He shewed his respect to Christ in calling him Master his affection in calling him good Master his understanding in that he came to Christ about the weightiest matter in the whole world Eternal Life and his good inclinations that he desired to know what good thing he should do to have Eternal Life Moreover he had from his youth up addicted himself
when enlightned by the word and Spirit of God are able to discern and to give a judgment of our estate towards God and of the most inward workings both of Sin and Grace Pro. 20.27 The Spirit of a man is the Candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the Belly By the inward parts of the Belly we may undestand all the secrets of the heart the inclinations dispositions and motions of the heart both to good and evil These are all searched out and discovered by the Spirit of a man which is as the Candle of the Lord but to effect this searching of our inward parts this Candle of the Lord must be lighted by the Word and the Spirit of the Lord for till that be done it gives such a dim and uncertain light that we can discern but little of our own state Therefore besides Communing with our own hearts and making use of our own Spirits we must make use of the Word of God that we may discern the state of our own Souls towards God Prov. 6.23 The Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple ver 105. Thy word is a Lamp to my feet and a light to my path There are plain and clear Characters laid down in the Scriptures of such as are Christs the knowledge of these which I shall mention in the next Section are requisite for us to examine our selves by And besides making use of our own Spirits and having recourse to the light of Gods word it is needful that we should implore the illumination and assistance of the Holy Spirit because it is his enlightning our minds that gives us light Psal 36.9 In thy light shall we see light Job 32.8 But there is a Spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding The eyes of our underderstandings are shut till the Spirit of God doth open them Eph. 1.17 18. And as we need the Spirit to enlighten our understandings so also to witness to and with our Spirits or being the Children of God Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God Evidences of a saving interest in Christ. Seeing the knowledge of our interest in Christ tendeth so much to our Consolation both against all the troubles of this Life and the terrors of Death and seeing this knowledge is obtained by examining our selves by those Characters that the Scriptures give of those that are Christs I shall lay down several Characters out of the Scriptures of such as have a saving interest in Christ those that I shall mention and explain are these 1. Effectual calling 2. Recieving Christ as he is offered in the Gospel 3. They that are Christs have the Spirit of Christ given to them 4. They that are Christs are new Creatures 5. They that are Christs have Crucified the Flesh with the lusts and affections 6. They that are Christs do love Christ and prefer Christ above all things and persons in the World 7. They that are Christs live to Christ and dye to him 1. They that are effectually called are Christs and Christ with all his benefits are theirs 1 Cor. 1.26 compared with 1 Cor. 3.23 Ye see your calling Brethren ye are Christs Whom doth the Apostle mean when he saith ye are Christs he meaneth such as are effectually called And speaking of those that were called he tells them that God had united them to Christ and made them partakers of the benefits of Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1.26 30. Ye see your calling Brethren Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Eternal Life and all other saving benefits of Christ are promised to them that are effectually called Heb. 9.15 And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of Death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Covenant they which were called might recieve the promise of the eternal inheritance But Eternal Life and the saving benefits of Christ are given only to such as have an interest in Christ 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath not the Son of God hath not Life Now we may know that we are effectually called these ways 1. When the Lord calls a sinner effectually he calls him out of darkness into light whereas the mind and understanding was before full of ignorance and blindness the Lord enlightens the mind with saving knowledge when he calls a sinner effectually it is 1 Pet. 2.9 That ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light Now in this work of illumination we may consider these 3 or 4 things 1. God calls a man to see his sinful miserable undone estate by nature Jer. 2.19 Know and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord God of Hosts And his inability to help or recover himself out of his sinful and miserable estate Joh 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing 2. God calls a man to see and to know that remission of sins and Salvation is to be had in Christ and no where else but in and from Christ Jesus Act. 13.38 Through this man is preached unto you remission of sins Luke 19.10 The Son of Man is come to seek and save that which was lost There is Salvation for lost man to be had in Christ and in none but him Act. 4.12 Neither is their Salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved As the Lord gives us to understand that we have destroyed and undone our selves so also he causeth us to know that there is help for such as are in a perishing condition and also where this help is to be found namely in himself through Christ Hos 13.9 O If del thou hast destroved thy self but in me is thy help Thus is a material branch of saving illumination the giving as the knowledge of God and Christ 1 Cor. 4.6 Joh. 17.3 3 The Lord enlightens his People to see and to know which way they should obtain Salvation from Christ out of their sinful and miserable condition namely by Faith and Repentance For after a man is enlightned to see his lost estate then he is at a loss to know what he should do to be saved and the Lord shews him that Salvation is obtained by Christ through Faith and Repentance Act. 16.30 31. Sirs what must I do to be saved And they said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Ezek. 18.30 Repent and turn your selves from all your Transgressions and so iniquity shall not be your rutine 4. Where there is saving illumination the instruction the Lord gives is like that spoken of by the Prophet
may know that we are effectually called unto holiness when we adhere to the wayes of God in difficult and troublesom times when no persecutions no troubles will make us forsake the wayes of God and turn aside to crooked paths Psal 44.17 18. All this is come upon us that is all the forementioned troubles yet we have not forgotten thee nor dealt falsely in thy Covenant Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way Psal 119.109 110. My soul is continually in my hands yet do I not forget thy Law The wicked have laid a snare for me yet I erred not from thy Precepts 4. When God calls a man to Holiness he enclines his heart to be holy not only in some but in all things Holy in Body and in Spirit Holy in his Discourse and Holy in all manner of Conversation They that are Effectually called unto Holiness are like the Unmarried VVoman spoken of by the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.34 The Vnmarried Woman careth for the things of the Lord that she may be Holy both in Body and in Spirit This is the care of Gods called ones they care for the things of the Lord that they may be Holy in Body and in Spirit They are also careful to be Holy in their Discourse remembring that Exhortation of the Apostle Eph. 4.29 Let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your Mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister Grace unto the Hearers They are also carefull to be Holy in all manner of Conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation V. VVhen God calls a sinner Effectually he calls him to lay hold of Eternal Life he calls him unto the participation of his Heavenly and Glorious Kingdom 1 Pet. 5.10 The God of all Grace who hath called us into his Eternal Glory by Iesus Christ. 1 Thes 2.12 That ye walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory 2 Thes 2.14 Whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6.12 Lay hold on Eternal Life whereunto thou art called As it was with the carnal Jews they despised the Land of Canaan though it was a most pleasant and delightfull Land and would rather have enjoyed the Flesh-pots of Egypt than to go through difficulties to possess the Land of Canaan Psal 106.24 Yea they despised the pleasant Land So it is with carnal Christians before God calls them Effectually they despise they neglect Eternal Life they prefer this transitory vain VVorld before the Kingdom of Heaven As prophane Esau despised his Birth-right and sold it for a Morsel of Meat so do prophane men despise the means of Grace and Salvation and part with the Kingdom of Heaven for as inconsiderable things as a Morsel of Meat But when God calls a man effectually then Heaven and Heavenly things are the chief things he seeks after Now we may know whether God hath called us to lay hold on eternal life these ways 1. VVhen God calls a man to obtain eternal life and Salvation he gives hm the knowledge and belief of the truth reality and transcendant excellency of the Kingdom of Heaven that it infinitely surpasseth all the good things of this vain and transitory world 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens And as the truth of the Heavenly Kingdom is believed so it is esteemed and preferred above all things in this World Heb. 11.16 But now they desire a better country that is an Heavenly This World is a miserable world but Heaven is looked upon as a most blessed and glorious place by those that are Effectually called Tit. 2.13 Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour In Heaven they expect such things as eye never saw the ear never heard and better and greater things than the heart of man can concieve 1 Cor. 2.9 2. When God calls a sinner to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ he stirs up in his heart an earnest desire after Salvation and causeth him to make it his great care and main business to get to Heaven The great enquiry of such an one is what he should do to be saved and how he may get eternal life Act. 16.30 Sirs what must I do to be saved Matth. 19.16 And behold one came unto him and said good master what good thing shall I do that I may have Eternal Life And they enquire diligently after the way to life so they make it their main and chief care to get to heaven according to that command of Christ Mat. 6.33 But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness And that of the Apostle Phil. 2.12 Work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling 3. When God calls a man to obtain Salvation he discovers to him the way to Life and Salvation and bows his heart to walk in the path of life Psal 16.11 Thou wilt shew me the path of Life He sheweth them that Eternal Life and Salvation is to be had in Christ and no where else but in Christ 1 Joh. 5.11 And this is the record that God hath given to us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son Act. 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is no other name given under Heaven whereby men may be saved And he sheweth them that they that would have Salvation by Christ must believe in him and obey him and persevere in the Faith of Christ and in their obedience of the Gospel to the end of their lives Act. 16.31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Heb. 5.9 And being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithfull unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life 4. When God calls a man to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ he leaveth such impressions of the glory and excellency of the Kingdom of Heaven that he presseth more earnestly after the Kingdom of Heaven than he doth after any thing in this world Phil. 3.13.14 This one thing I do forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth unto those things that are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus It was the main thing the Apostle aimed at strove and contended for pressed after the obtaining the Crown of Glory and being found in that way that leadeth to life No oppositions from the world can beat off one effectually called from seeking eternal life but he uses an holy violence and doth as it were take it by force Matth. 11.12 From the dayes of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the
and conversing with Angels did not could not satisfie her as long as she wanted Christ 7. We may know that we are Christs when we make it our great care to live and dye to the Lord. For they are most certainly the Lords that live and dye to the Lord. Rom. 14.7 8. For none of us liveth to himself and no man dyeth to himself For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we dye we dye unto the Lord whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords But when may we be said to live unto the Lord and to dye unto the Lord. A. 1. VVhen we do not live according to our own minds and our own wills but we frame our lives by the will of God revealed in his word 1 Pet. 4.2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God They that live according to the will of God have no cause to doubt their interest in Christ For Christ owns loves and reckons upon them as his Brethren Mat. 12.50 Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Now we may discern that we live according to the will of God these ways 1. VVhen we are careful to know and find out the will of God They that live according to the will of God observe that command of Christ Eph. 5.17 Be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is And if they be in doubt which way to steer their course they are careful to find out the will of God they do not consult so much what will be for their profit what their own inclinations lead them to what others would have them to do but what God would have them to do Act. 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do And they are unwilling to engage in any business of moment till they have consulted the mind of God and found out what is his will They say to God as the Apostle did to Philemon Phil. 2.14 VVithout thy mind I would do nothing 2. VVhen we can and do resign up our wills to the will of God in cases of greatest moment and highest concernment when we deny our own wills and prefer the will of God before our own then we live according to the will of God Luk. 22.42 Father if thou be willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my will but thy will be done Our Lord Jesus was very earnest to have the cup removed and therefore prayed that if it were possible it might pass from him and it was a case of the greatest moment yet he resigned up his will to the will of God 3. Then we live according to the will of God when we make the will of God the rule and the ground of our actions By making the will of God the rule of our actions I mean this when we are carefull to do nothing but what is agreable to the will of God and shun those things that are contrary to his will By making the will of God the ground of our actions I mean this when we do this or that because it is the will of God We find David in all that service he did for his Generation had respect to the will of God Act. 13.36 David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep The Apostle Paul in the exercise of his Calling and Ministerial work as he was an Apostle had respect to the will of God 2 Tim. 1 1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God 2. Then we live unto the Lord when we do not live unto our selves and seek and carry on our own ends but seek the honour and pleasing and enjoying God 2 Cor. 5.15 He dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them They that live to the Lord do not in some one particular action seek the glory of God but they resolve by the help of Gods grace to shew forth his praise and seek his glory as long as they live Psal 146.2 VVhile I live I will praise the Lord I will sing praises unto my God while I have any Being 3. Then we live to the Lord when the great end why we desire life and the main design that we drive on in the whole course of our lives is to service for Christ in our Generation and to be fitted to live with Christ in Heaven This was the end the Apostle desired to live and the great design he drove on to do service for Christ Phil. 1.21 To me to live is Christ And the main thing the Psalmist had in his eye Psal 118.17 I shall not dye but live and declare the works of God And Learned VVhitaker upon his death-bed when he was told that Death was approaching replyed Vitam non expeto nisi ad promovendum honorem Dei ecclesiae inserviendum I do not desire life but for the promoting the glory of God and to be serviceable to his Church 4. Then we live and dye to the Lord when we are willing to be at the disposal of God for Life and Death both for the time manner and all other circumstances both of life and death When we are willing to live any kind of life that God shall call us to though it be a poor afflicted distressed life and when we are contented to dye such a death and at such a time as God shall call us to dye though it be a violent a painful a shameful death When a man is willing to lay down his life for Christ that is a good evidence that he liveth and dyeth to the Lord. Joh. 13.37 I will lay down my Life for thy sake Act. 24.13 I am ready not to be bound only but to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Doubts about a saving interest in Christ answered Having laid down several evidences of a saving interest in Christ I shall now resolve some doubts that hinder weaker Christians from being satisfied in their minds about their interest in Christ §. Imperfection in our obedience is consistent with a saving interst in Christ Obj. I hope Christ is mine and I am his but yet I have doubts and fears in this case because I come so short in my obedience to Christ May Christ be ours and yet the obedience that we yield be but imperfect obedience A. 1. Obeying Christ is a sure evidence of a saving interest in Christ for he is the Author not only of Temporal but Eternal Salvation not only to some but to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 And being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him 2. Though you come short in your obeying the Precepts of Christ yet can't you say you have sought his Precepts David concludes that he was the
Lords because he had sought his Precepts Psal 119.94 I am thine save me for I have sought thy Precepts Now when may we be said to have sought Gods Precepts A. 1. When we are desirous to know the Commandments of God in order to doing them and therefore when any doubtfull cases occurr we will do nothing rashly till we have considered whither it be agreeable to the Commandments of God and when we can't find out what the Lord hath commanded in this or the other thing we go to God to discover his will to us Psal 119.12 19. Teach me thy Statutes hide not thy Commandements from me When we thus seek to God to teach and reveal his will to us we may be said to seek his Precepts 2. We seek Gods Precepts when we seek to him for grace to keep his Precepts and say with David Psal 119.5 Oh that my ways were directed that I could keep thy Precepts Psal 143.10 Teach me to do thy will 3. It is an argument that we love Christ and so consequently that we have an interest in him when we set his Commandements before us as our rule and walk after them though we be not able to walk up to them 2 Ep. Joh. 6. And this is love that we walk after his Commandements 4. Though you can't obey Christ perfectly yet are you not willing and desirous to obey Christ better even to obey him in all things It is an argument that a man hath a good Conscience and is in a good estate when he is willing in all things to live Honestly Heb. 13.18 We trust we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly 5. If our obedience be sincere though it be imperfect obedience it is a sign that we have a saving interest in Christ and are his peculiar people Exod. 19.5 Now therefore if ye will obey my voice in deed then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people Grace that is the love of God and all those blessings which he is wont to give out of his love and free grace to the Children of men shall be unto all them that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity although they do not love him in perfection Eph. 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Grace be with all them that is shall be with them and continue with them for ever See more in the last Chapter of this Treatise CHAP. II. Of the Grounds of Consolation under natural troubles and desolations IF Interest in Christ be a ground of Consolation under all the troubles of this Life then let us seek comfort in Christ and from Christ under national troubles when ruin and desolation is coming upon the Nations either by Forreign Invasion or by Tumults Insurrections or Massacres at home when dreadful judgments as the Sword Pestilence or Famine are upon us in the worst times imaginable there is comfort to be had in Christ as you may see from such Scriptures as these Mich. 5.5 And this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into the Land The man spoken of here is the man Christ Jesus who being the Son of God became man for our sakes That the Prophet is here treating of Christ who was to be born at Bethlehem is evident from ver 2. And because what is said of this man that he shall be the peace is applyed to Christ Eph. 2.14 For he is our peace Now it is said of our Lord Jesus that he shall be the peace when a Forreign Enemy should invade the Land namely when the Assyrian should come into the land And what manner of People were these Assyrians The Assyrians were Idolaters 2 Chron. 28.23 And Idolaters are bitter enemies to the Worshippers of the true God They were great enemies to Israel and came with open mouth to devour the Israelites Isa 9.12 The Assyrians were the rod of Gods anger and the staff of his indignation who was sent by God to tread down a sinful people like mire in the streets Isa 10.5 6. Yet Christ was the peace of his people in such a dismal and bloody day when the Assyrian was sent into the land to tread down all ranks and degrees of men like mire in the streets Another Scripture that shews us there is comfort to be had in Christ in times of greatest confusion when all places and persons are in an uproar and all things are turned upside down and there is no peace to be had either at sea or land We have Psal 46.4 There is a River the Streams whereof make glad the City of God For opening this Scripture let us consider This River may signifie the Lord Jesus Christ For it is said of him Isa 32.2 He shall be as Rivers of water in a dry place Is is frequent with the Scriptures to set out Christ by a Fountain and Rivers of Waters As Isa 33.21 The glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad Rivers Zach. 13.1 In that day there shall be a Fountain opened Jer. 2.14 They have forsaken me the Fountain of Living VVaters All the gladness of the City of God comes from this River namely from Christ the consolation of Israel The streams that issue from this River are the benefits that we have from Christ as pardon of sin reconciliation with God hope of eternal life and the like and all those good things which God for Christs sake giveth to us and doth for us The fruits and benefits which we have by the death and intercession of Christ are a great refreshing to the people of God in their greatest troubles When the Spouse of Christ was under the scorching heat of persecution She found great delight and sweetness in meditating on those benefits she had by Christ Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet unto my tast The benefits we have by Christ comprehends all those great things which the Lord hath been wont to do for his People in all ages which puts great gladness into their hearts Psal 126.3 The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad The City of God which is made glad by the streams of this River are the people of God in all ages and all places of the world Now let us see what dismal times are pointed at what great calamities are mentioned in this Psalm under all which the City of God is made glad by the streams that issue from this River 1. He supposeth such times wherein the earth should be removed and carried into the midst of the Sea ver 2. which signifieth the utter and irrecoverable destruction of mighty Kingdoms for its usual with the Scripture to set out States and Kingdoms by Mountains and the destruction and desolation of Kingdoms by removing the earth and removing the mountains Isa 24.1 3 19 20. Jer. 51.25 The removing these mountains into the midst of the Sea may signifie their
THE BEST INTEREST Or a TREATISE Of a SAVING Interest in CHRIST Wherein is Shewed How a Man may know that he hath a saving Interest in Christ How they that have not yet an Interest in Christ may get a saving Interest in him How they that have an Interest in Christ may improve it for their Consolation under Personal and National Calamities and Persecutions of the Church How such as have an Interest in Christ may find Comfort in Christ under all Spiritual Troubles With several other Practical Cases By OWEN STOCKTON Late Minister of Jesus Christ at Colchester in Essex COR. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates London Printed for T. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chappel 1682. The Epistle Dedicatory To the worthily Honoured John Clarke Of Bury in Suffolk Esquire SIR PRopriety in Enjoyments adds a great Excellency to them unto us and the more the better they be in themselves Jesus Christ is the best of Enjoyments he is the gift of God such as he cannot vouchsafe a greater an unspeakable gift and therefore Interest in him is the best Interest To obtain that to have God and Christ ours is to have the great the principal blessing of the New Covenant ours grounded assurance thereof is not unfitly called by some a Heaven upon Earth and to promote this having two heavens is the design of this ensuing Treatise of which that Laborious and faithful Minister of Jesus Christ Mr. Owen Stockton is the Author The first part being directed to your self entituled Consolation in Life and Death I should offer an injury and not testifie my due Respects if I should not present this second and principal part also to you Entituled The Best Interest I here present it and doubt not but both will find favourable Acceptation with you If the Lord hath indulged clear Evidences of his Love and of your own Interest in Christ yet you will be glad to have this Confirmation thereof and that others even every Believer may have such a knowledge of it as to be able groundedly to say My Beloved is mine and I am his You know how disconsolate many real Christians are and how mournfully they walk every day under their unbelieving Doubtings and Questionings concerning it they are afraid to draw up that Conclusion and hereby they are greatly obstructed in their Duty towards God which is not hindred but promoted by a clear sight of propriety in him Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God what then early will I seek thee The most ardent seekings and thirstings after God issue and spring from a Soul 's being able to say my God Some in this particular are too like Scepticks though in other matters they are not alwayes doubting and complaining of their own Conditions ever enquiring how they may know their own estate and never determining or not duly Those that sit in such thick darkness that they can see no light they are concerned to trust in the Name of the Lord Isa 50.10 i. e. to trust in him as the Lord God Gracious and Merciful forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin Exod. 34.5 6 7 when they can draw up no Conclusion that Christ is theirs and they his and that their sins are pardoned yet they are to trust in that Name that he may be theirs and that their sins may be pardoned thus they may put the great question out of doubt by seeking more to get interest than to know it Others confidently yet ungroundedly conclude that Christ is theirs without seeking a real interest in him all which may be helped here That this Treatise may be blessed to your self and to all under whose eye it may come for its proper end shall be the prayer of Honoured Sir Your Servant in the Gospel Sam. Petto Nov. 2. 1681. Errata PAge 11. l. 30 dele at p. 20. l. 28. r. singing p. 23. l. 27. r. our p. 33 l 13 waters l. 17 dele is p 35. l. 14. after you add rest p. 46. l. 16. r. doubtful p. 52. l. 11. dele of p. 64. l. 1. r. to glorify p. 75. l. 19. dele he p. 92. l. 20. r. he delivers p. 106. l. 10. dele to p. 110. l 1. r national p. 117. l. 24. r. national p. 131. l. 20. r. As p. 135. l. 5. r. at p. 145 l. 10. dele â—ve p. 158. l. 12. read in the morning p. 176. l. 2. r. we p 200 l 16 r themselves p 214 l 14 dele and. p 215 l 12 r thou p 217 l 1 dele one p 225 l 17 r give p 242 l 8 r at all p 255 l 12 r World p 16â— l 4 r his life l biâ— l 15 r leave p 263 l 9 r Friends p 264 l 10 r my p 270 l 17 after saving add interest p 273 l 6 after but add they p 274 l 27 r upon p 289 l 2 r one p 29â— l â— 17 add down â—â— adds p 293 l 2 r this Ib. l 31 r as Ib l 31 r of Ib l 32 dele for â—â— r p 298 l 18 add vvould p 306 l 13 dele it p 309 l 24 dele the. p 322 l 12 r uncertain p 325 l 17 r it is a p 327 l â— r feasts p 333 l 32 r backslidden p 364 l 8. r. drought THE BEST INTEREST Cant. 2.16 My Beloved is mine and I am his CHAP. I. Containing the Doctrine and Evidences of saving Interest in Christ. IT is said of our Lord Jesus Christ Cant. 1.3 Thy name is as Oyntment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee Among the several names given to Christ to render him amiable and desireable to the Children of Men this is none of the meanest that he is stiled The Consolation of Israel Luk. 2.25 The hearing and believing that may cause us to love him and long after him on several accounts For 1. Comfort is greatly desired and sought after by all men we are all ready to pray with David Psal 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness Psal 86.4 Rejoyce the Soul of thy Servant We are so desirous of comfort that if it be with-held from us but a little while we scarce know how to bear the want of it but our Souls are ready to faint within us Psal 119.82 Mine eyes fail for thy word saying when wilt thou comfort me And if God grant us our desire in giving us comfort we rejoyce greatly and look upon our selves obliged to bless and praise God Act. 15.31 They rejoyced for the Consolation Isa 12.1 O Lord I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortedst me 2. And as all men desire so they have great need of comfort both in respect of the manifold troubles that they are exposed to while they live and the sorrows and terrors they are liable to when they dye The
Christs sake we are weak we are despised Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place we are made as the filth of the VVorld and are the off scouring of all things unto this day Now although the Apostle Paul met with abundance of afflictions and persecutions he was exceeding joyful in all his tribulations and as full of comfort as his heart could hold 2 Cor. 7.4 I am filled with comfort I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation And whence was it that the Apostle Paul had such exceeding joy in all his tribulations It was in Christ and from Christ as he himself tells us Phil. 3.3 VVe rejoyce in Christ Jesus Rom. 5.11 VVe joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ The Virgin Mary who was the Mother of Christ met with sore afflictions which pierced her as if she had a Sword run into her very Soul Luke 2.35 Yea a sword shall pierce through thine own Soul also Some understand this as a foretelling that she should suffer Death for Christ and be slain with the Sword others understood the words Metaphorically that she should be exposed to such sharp trials that should pierce her as if she had a Sword run into her for reproaches and many other afflictions are like the piercings of a Sword Psal 42.10 As with a sword in my bones mine enemies reproach me while they say daily unto me where is thy God Prov. 12.18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a Sword And the Virgin Mary's Consolation under all her afflictions was her interest in Christ her interest in him not so much as he was the Son of her Womb as the Son of God and the Saviour of her Soul Luke 1.47 48. And Mary said my Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour David found great Consolation in his interest in Christ and in God under all his troubles and sorrows of which I might give many instances but shall only mention that distress he was in at Ziglag 1 Sam. 30.6 David was greatly distressed But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God Observe here the greatness of Davids distress Ziglag his City of refuge was invaded by the Amalekites smitten and burnt with Fire ver 1. Davids Wives and the Wives and Children of the men that were with him were taken Captives and carried away by the enemies ver 2.3 All their Flocks also and their Herds were carried away in a Triumphing manner saying This is Davids spoil ver 20. Davids distress was so great That David and the People that were with him lift up their voice and wept till they had no more power to weep ver 4. And which added to his sorrows was this that he was now in danger of loosing and that by the hands of those that had fought for him to save his Life they were so enraged against David that they spake of stoning him to Death and that was an aggravation of his affliction that besides his other losses he was now like to loose his Life and that in a violent way and that by the hand of his Friends And David was greatly distressed for the People spake of stoning him ver 6. And what was his comfort and encouragement in this distress it was his interest in God But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God And how doth the Lord become our God it is in and through Jesus Christ that he becomes our God 2 Cor. 5.19 That we may not only Triumph over all the troubles of this Life but even over Death it self by virtue of our interest in Christ is evident from 1 Cor. 15.55 O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory the sting of Death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thuaks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ He speaks in a Triumphing manner as having no dread of Death but having overcome the fear of Death and the Grave O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory As if he should have said we are not afraid of thee O Death or thee O Grave thou hast lost thy sting O Death and thy victory O Grave And what is the ground of this Triumph over Death how came we by this victory this Triumph is grounded upon an interest in Christ this victory is given us of God through Christ as he is made ours Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Sect. 2. What is meant by an interest in Christ How Christ becomes ours How we become Christs There is a special saving interest in Christ as our Redeemer which is when a man is made a partaker of Christ united to Christ and hath a real and actual right to all the saving benefits of Christ Heb. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ How Christ becomes ours 1. By the Fathers giving him to be a propitiation for our sins and Christs giving himself to die for our sins Joh. 3.16 2. By an effectual calling 1 Cor. 1.9 3. By our recieving him Joh. 1.12 4. By our entring into Covenant with God Isa 55.3 How do we become Christs 1. By Donation of the Father Joh. 17.6 2. By Redemption 1 Cor. 6.19 20. 3. By the Spirits causing and enabling us to give our selves to him 2 Cor. 8.5 4. By virtue of the Covenant Ezek. 16.8 See the matters of this Section in a Book of this Author Entituled Consolation in Life and Death Sect. 3. Several grounds of Consolation against the troubles of Lsfe and the fears and terrors of Death arising from an interest in Christ 1. Jesus Christ hath fully perfectly and for ever reconciled unto God all that are his Col. 1.19 20. 2. Jesus Christ hath obtained for all that are his a free full perpetual pardon of all their sins 1 Cor. 15.3 1 Joh. 3.5 Joh. 1.29 These and many other grounds may be seen largely handled in the said Treatise by this Author Entituled Consolation in Life and Death Motives to examine our selves whether we have a saving interest in Jesus Christ If it be so that interest in Christ is a ground of strong Consolation under all the troubles of this Life and against the fears and terrors of Death then let us examine our selves whether we have a saving interest in Jesus Christ whether we have an actual right to and a propriety in Christ and his saving benefits can we say that Christ is ours and that we are his and can we say this upon good grounds Have we Evidences satisfactory and sure evidences out of Gods word that Christ is ours and we are his I shall here propose some motives to stir us up to examine our selves about our interest in Christ And then mention some sure evidences of a saving interest in Christ by which we may examine and prove our selves whether we have a real saving
interest in Christ 1. All men have not a saving interest in Christ Some men are Christs 1 Cor. 3.23 Ye are Christs and Christ is theirs Joh. 20.28 Thomas said unto him my Lord and my God But some men are none of Christs and Christ is none of theirs Rom. 8.9 Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his There are multitudes that live under the hearing of the Gospel of Christ that have not the Spirit of Christ and whosoever he be that hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Some men have a part in Christ some have no part in him or with him Joh. 13.8 Jesus answered him if I wash thee not thou hast no part with me 2. Such as make a profession of the Christian Religion but are Hypocrits and have not sound and sincere hearts in the sight of God they have no part nor portion in Jesus Christ or his saving benefits Act. 8.21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God Now there are multitudes that profess themselves to be the Disciples of Christ and are Baptized as Simon Magus was whose hearts are not right in the sight of God and so have no part in Christ and therefore we had need examine whether it be not so with us It is a reproach in the Christian World not to own Christ and therefore to take away the occasion of reproach many are content to give their names to Christ that deny him their hearts Many are desirous to be called Christians that will not walk in the ways of Christ Like those women spoken of Isa 4.1 We will eat our own Bread and wear our own Apparel only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach So there are many that desire to be called Christians to take away their reproach but they will walk in the way of their own hearts and follow their own wills and will not walk in the ways of God and fulfill the will of Christ 3. A man may have recieved great gifts from Christ and do many great things in the name of Christ he may prophesie in the name of Christ be able to cast out Divels and do such works as may cause those that behold them to wonder at them and yet not have a saving interest in Christ He may be one that Christ doth not will not own for one of his Mat. 7.22 23. Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderfull works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Here are great pretences fair plea's and there are many that will expect to be owned by Christ having so much to say for themselves yet Christ will say unto them I never knew you that I never owned you for mine I never approved you I do not nor ever did own you for mine 4. There is nothing in this World of higher and greater concernment to every one of us than to get an interest in Christ and to get the knowledge and assurance that we have an interest in Christ Our Eternal Life dependeth upon our having or not having Jesus Christ If we have Christ we shall most certainly have Eternal Life but if we have not Christ all that he or we ever did or suffered will avail us nothing we shall not have Eternal Life 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life but he that hath not the Son of God hath not Life There is nothing of higher concernment than to get Eternal Life and this obtained only in Christ and through an interest in him He and he only that hath the Son hath Life And as the getting an interest in Christ is of the highest concernment in order to our Eternal Welfare so the knowledge of our interest in Christ is of singular advantage for our comfort and well-being in this World This was a great comfort to Job in his great afflictions to know that Christ was his Redeemer and that he should after Death and the Resurrection from the dead live with him for ever Job 19.23 I know that my Redeemer liveth To know our interest in Christ and in God through Christ is a ground of the highest joy and of everlasting joy and gladness Psal 89.1 26. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever He shall cry unto me thou art my Father my God and the Rock of my Salvation Sing is an expression of the highest joy when a man can't contain his joy within his heart but it breaks forth into singing Isa 65.14 Behold my Servants shall sing for joy of heart Now among those mercies which caused him to sing for joy and for which he was so filled with joy that he resolved to sing for evermore this was a choice one the clearing of his interest in Christ and in God through Christ that he was enabled to cry Thou art my Father my God and the rock of my Salvation 5. We may attain to sure and satisfying evidences of our interest in Christ We may attain to this knowledge that Christ is ours and we are his Cant. 2.16 My Beloved is mine and I am his It is not spoken by way of desire Oh that my Beloved were mine and I were his nor by way of probability it may be I have some hope that he is mine and I am his but by way of Confidence my Beloved is mine and I am his So David could with much confidence appeal unto the Lord that he was his Psal 119.94 I am thine save me So 1 Joh. 2.5 We know we are in him 1 Joh. 5.19.20 We know that we are of God We are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ 6. Examining our selves by those Characters that are given in the Scriptures concerning such as have an interest in Christ is the ready way to come to the knowledge of our interest in Christ 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates The Apostle here pâ—ts a question Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you And gives them direction how they should attain this knowledge namely by examining themselves and tells what they should examine themselves about namely about their Faith because Faith is one evidence of an interest in Christ And it is observable when he puts this question know ye not how Jesus Christ is in you yea he addeth except ye be Reprobates that is except ye be blame-worthy they are justly blameable that neglect the making sure such a weighty point as this whether Christ be in them or not They that have Faith in their hearts have Christ dwelling in their hearts Eph. 3.17 Our Souls
no A. 1. By the illumination of our minds and understandings to know Christ and the free grace of God and those things which God hath freely given us for Christs sake By the light of nature we have some notions of good and evil of the punishment due to sin and a reward of Righteousness but the knowledge of Christ and the free grace of God and the mysteries of our Salvation proceedeth only from the Spirit of God Eph. 1.17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him Matth. 16.16 17. Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God and Jesus answered and said unto him blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Flesh and Blood that is all that man can attain to by his own wisdom and understanding without the help of the Spirit of God will not bring a man to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ And as we can't attain the knowledge of Christ so neither of the free grace of God but by the Spirit of Christ 1 Cor. 2.11 12. The things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God And the like may be said of the mysteries of our Salvation we do not know the way and means by which we should get to Heaven till the Spirit of God gives us the knowledge of the mysteries of the K. of Heaven Mat. 13.11 It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them it is not given But seeing some men are enlightned by the word and Spirit of God that have no saving knowledge it will not be amiss to shew how we may know saving illumination from that illumination which is found in those that perish 1. The saving knowledge of Christ is accompanied with Faith in Christ When a man hath such a knowledge of Christ as causeth him to believe in Christ he is then made wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus Though a man have never such a great measure of knowledge of the holy Scriptures yet if he remain without Faith in Christ Jesus he is not wise unto Salvation 2. Saving knowledge causeth a man to do those things which we know to be the will of God If our knowledge be accompanied with obedience we need not doubt but it is saving knowledge for such as know and do the will of God shall be Everlastingly happy John 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Mat. 7.22 3. Saving knowledge maketh a man to be pure and peaceable and mercifull and to be easy to be entreated to do good to others and to be without partiality and hypocrisie Jam. 3.17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easy to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie 2. We may know that we have the Spirit of Christ by those convictions which the Spirit works in the Consciences of those to whom he is given I will give instance in these two convictions of sin and convictions of Righteousness Joh. 16.7 8. When he is come he will reprove or as it is in the Margent convince the world of sin and of righteousness and judgment We may know that Christ hath sent his Spirit into our hearts by the convictions of sin and of righteousness and of judgment I shall speak only to the two first Where God giveth the Spirit of Christ he convinceth of sin But seeing natural Conscience may convince of sin as well as the Spirit of Christ how may we distinguish the convictions of the Spirit from the convictions of natural Conscience A. 1. Natural Conscience may convince of sins against the Law as Unrighteousness intemperance lying uncleanness c. But the Spirit convinceth of sins against the Gospel as not believing in Christ not loving Christ c. Joh. 16.8 9. He will reprove the world of sin of sin because they believe not in me Such as have the Spirit of Christ are troubled for and mourn over their unbelief as well as their sins against the Law Mark 9.24 The Father of the child cryed out and said with tears Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief 2. The Spirit of God convinceth a man of his evil heart and evil nature as well as of his evil actions Natural Conscience may convince a man of sinfull actions but doth not shew a man the evil root whence these proceed But the Spirit of God sheweth a man the plague of his heart and teacheth him to bemoan his Original as well as his Actual sin Psal 54.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me The Spirit of God sheweth a man his sinfull corrupt and wicked heart as well as his sinful life Jer. 17.9 The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it The Spirit of God teacheth a man to bewail the body of Sin and Death as well as the acts of sin Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this Death 3. When the Spirit convinceth a man of his sins he leadeth him to Christ and teacheth him to seek remission of his sins from the blood of Christ Psal 51.7 Purge me with hyssope and I shall be clean Hyssope was dipped in the blood of the Sacrifice and sprinkled upon the persons and things that were to be cleansed a Type of our being cleansed by the Blood of Christ 'T is as if he should have said Lord apply thy Sons Blood to my Soul and then I shall be cleansed from my sins So the Apostle when distressed with the sense of sin fetcheth his Consolation from Christ Jesus Rom. 7.24 25. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this Death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. But the convictions of natural Conscience either make a man desperate as we see in Judas who hanged himself or wear off by diverting to the pleasures and businesses of the world Saul when under trouble was quieted by Musick or else Conscience is eased by the doing some good works and doth fetch its ease from Christ And as the Spirit convinceth those to whom it is given of Sin so of Righteousness also Now where the Spirit convinceth of Righteousness he doth these things 1. He shews a man the imperfection of his own Righteousness that all the works of Righteousness which ever he did or is able to do are full of imperfections and so takes him off from resting in his
not good Eph. 4.19 3. If we find in our selves the grace of God as well as the remainders of Corruption we may conclude that notwithstanding our infirmities we are born again As for instance if we find that God hath given us hearts to love himself and to love one another this love is a grace of God and a manifest token that we are born again 1 Joh. 4.7 Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God 5. Crucifying the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof is a good evidence of a saving interest Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christs have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts For the understanding of this Scripture we must enquire what is meant by Flesh what by the affections of the flesh what by the lusts and what by Crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts By the flesh is not meant the body but the corruption of our natures the works of the flesh spoken of ver 19.20 21. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance c. They that are Christs Crucifie these works of the flesh By the affections are meant sinfull affections when we set our affections on things unlawfull and when we set our affections inordinately on things that are lawfull all inordinate affections are to be mortified Col. 3.5 Mortifie your Members which are on the earth inordinate affections As for natural affections when kept in due bounds they are not to be Crucified for it is no virtue but a great degree of degeneracy to be without natural affection Such as are without natural affection are not reckoned among the Saints but among the chief of Sinners Rom. 1.31 Without understanding Covenant breakers without natural affection By lusts understand the inclinations of the heart unto evil things 1 Cor. 10.6 Now these are our Examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted Now to Crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts is to mortifie our corrupt natures with the works that proceed from it and not only to mortifie the works of the flesh but all inordinate affections and all lustings after evil things it is opposed to living after the flesh which will bring eternal death and is inconsistent with the grace of God and an interest in Christ Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live To Crucifie the flesh with the lusts and affectious is to dye to sin to put all our sins to Death a Metaphor taken from the Jews putting Christ to Death let us therefore consider what the Jews did to Christ when they Crucified him and see whether we have done the like to our sins and thereby we shall know whether we have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts 1. When the Jews Crucified Christ they found him out and had a token given to them whereby they should know him Joh 18.2 Judas which betrayed him knew the place Mat. 26.48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign saying whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he hold him fast So they that have Crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections have gotten the knowledge of their sins they know the plague of their hearts They can say as the Jews Isa 58.12 As for our iniquities we know them This is one step towards Reformation to discover what is amiss in our hearts and ways Psal 119.59 I thought on my ways and I turned my feet unto thy Testimony But if a man go no farther than the getting the knowledge of our sins and do not forsake them this will make us the greater Sinners by sinning against light 2. When the Jews had found out Christ they went with him to Caiaphas the high Priest and took counsel against Christ to put him to death Matth. 26.56 27.1 So they that have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts when they have found out their sins they ask counsel of God how they may put them to death how and by what means they may be delivered from their sins Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death 3. When the Jews had taken counsel to put Christ to death they carry him to Pontius Pilate and there they accuse him and cry out to have him crucified Mark 15.3 The chief Priest accused him of many things ver 13. They cryed out crucifie him So they that have crucified the flesh and the lusts and affections accuse themselves before God for their sinful hearts and their vile affections and corrupt lusts Isa 64.6 We all are as an unclean thing Job 40.4 Behold I am vile And they cry out to God to Crucifie their lusts and to deliver them from all their Transgressions Psal 39.8 Deliver me from all my Transgressions 4. They judged and condemned Christ before Pilate and said that by their Law he ought to dye and would not let Pilate rest till he had condemned him and delivered him up to be crucified Joh. 19.7 We have a Law and by our Law he ought to dye Mark 14.64 They all condemned him to be guilty of death Luk. 23.24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required So they that have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts judge and condemn themselves in the presence of God as worthy to dye eternally And they judge and condemn their sins they are satisfied in their judgements that according to the Law of God they ought to put their sin to death and they will give God no rest till he hath sent his Spirit into their hearts to Crucifie the flesh with the lusts and affections 5. The Jews after Christ was Condemned hung him up on the Cross and made him fast with Nails to the Cross and would not suffer him to be taken down till he had given up the Ghost So they that have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts do lay hold on Christ Crucified for the Crucifying their flesh with all its corrupt lusts And it is the sixed purpose of their hearts by the help of Christ to suppress all sinfull lusts and inordinate affections and to refrain from all sinfull speeches and practices Thus David was carefull to suppress and keep down Pride in his heart Psal 131.1 Lord my heart is not haughty And to suppress the frowardness and discontent of his heart Psal 101.4 A froward heart shall depart from me If frowardness got into his heart under the disorders and crosses that were in his family he would not suffer it to abide with him it should quickly depart from him he was carefull also to suppress inordinate affections to the World Psal 119.36 Encline my heart to thy Testimonies and not unto Covetousness And all
paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth to such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies 5. The Lord hath wise and holy ends in the changes and desolations that he makes in the earth And the consideration of the Holiness and Wisdom of God in all his works may be a stay to our minds when he over-turns Kingdoms and Nations Psal 30.4 Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his give thanks at the remembrance of his Holiness Dan. 2.20.21 Blessed be the name of God for ever and for ever for wisdom and might are his and he changeth the times and the seasons he removeth Kings and he setteth up Kings 2. That special care which the Lord taketh of all his people at all times is a ground of great comfort in times of danger and Publick calamities The Lord taketh a special care of all his people at all times and this may quiet their minds and free them from perplexing fears and cares in times of greatest danger and distress 1 Pet 5.7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you The persons to whom this Epistle was written were in great distress they were scattered abroad into several Countries Chap. 1.2 To the strangers scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bythinia They were in heaviness through the manifold temptations they met with in their persecuted scattered condition ver 6. They were under great and sore afflictions not onely the hand but the mighty hand of God was upon them Ch. 5.6 yet in this scattered condition when they were in heaviness through manifold temptations when they were under the mighty hand of God the Apostle comforts them with this that they had a God that took care of them and therefore they needed not to perplex and disquiet their minds with any kind of cares but may cast them all upon God Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you That we may be the more comforted in time of danger by the care that the Lord taketh of us let us consider what manner of care it is wherewith the Lord careth for us 1. It is a special care which the Lord taketh of his people There is a common care which he taketh of all his creatures He feedeth the fowls of the Air he clotheth the grass of the field he satisfieth the desire of every living thing he preserveth man and beast But the care which God taketh of the children of men is far greater than what he takes of the beasts of the birds or any other creatures in this world The care that God hath of the sons of men so far exceeds his care of other creatures that it seems as no care compared with that care which he takes for mankind 1 Cor. 9.9 10. Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn Doth God take care for oxen Or saith he it altogether for our sakes for our sakes no doubt this is written And as God takes care of men above all other creatures so he takes a more special care of his own people than he doth of all other men They are to him as the apple of his eye Zech. 2.8 Het hat toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye They are his jewels Mal. 3.17 They shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him They are his peculiar treasure Exod. 19.5 Ye shall be unto me a peculiar treasure above all people for all the earth is mine They are his portion Deut. 32.9 The Lords portion is his people How careful are men of their portion their peculiar treasure their jewels the apple of their eye so and much more careful is the Lord of his people They are his children Gal. 3.26 And in times of danger men are very solicitous for their children The first question that David put to both those messengers that came with tydings from the battel was concerning the safety of his child Is the young man Absalom safe 2 Sam. 18.29 32. 2. It is a particular care The Lord doth not onely take care of his people in general but of every one of them in particular and of every thing that belongeth to them When God is destroying wicked men he taketh care for the preservation of every one of his people Psal 145.20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him but all the wicked will he destroy In times of greatest calamity when he breaks a kingdom in pieces and scatters the inhabitants thereof into all parts of the world he will take care of every one of the members of Christ even the least and meanest and most shiftless of all his servants Amos 9.9 For lo I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations like as corn is sifted in a sive yet shall not the least grain fall to the ground Say not in thy heart God hath so many to take care of he may forget me or I am such a mean creature he will not regard me For it is all one with God to take care of many as few and he takes care of the lowest as well as the highest Psal 138.6 Though the Lord be high yet he hath respect unto the lowly There are a great company of Sparrows and they are birds of but small value yet not one of the Sparrows is forgotten of God Luk. 12.6.7 Are not five Sparrows sold for two farthings and not one of them is forgotten before God Fear not therefore ye are of more value than many Sparrows In the 4th verse Christ saith to them Be not afraid of them that kill the body And gives two arguments to disswade them from fearing them that can only kill the body First that is the worst they can do after that they have no more that they can do And the other is they can't do this but by the permission of God for he that watcheth over every Sparrow doth much more watch over every man who is of more value than many Sparrows There are many devices to take away the lives of the Sparrows as Nets Snares Fowling-pieces c. besides the danger they are in by the greater birds who pray upon the lesser ones yet not one Sparrow is killed but by the providence of God Mat. 10.29 Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father Though we have many that lye in wait to take away our lives and the instruments of Death are prepared for us yet not one man woman or child shall fall to the ground and be cut off from the land of the living without our Heavenly Fathers appointment And as the Lord taketh a particular care of every Member of Christ so also of all the affairs and concernments of all the Members of Christ He sets the hedge of his providence not only about their persons but about all that
they have on every side Job 1.10 Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side His care extends even to the least of all their concernments to the very hairs of their heads Mat. 10.30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbred 3. It is a constant and continual care He takes care of them at all times both by night and by day and in all places when they go out and come in at home and abroad Isa 27.3 I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment least any hurt it I will keep it night and day This promise relates to the Lords Vineyard mentioned in the foregoing verse And by his Vineyard is meant all the members all that belong to Christ who is the true Vine Joh. 15.1 I am the vine Isa 5.7 The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel This vineyard being exposed to many adversaries if the hedge should be removed from the vineyard every one would be ready to pluck the vines Psal 80.12 13. Therefore the Lord himself doth and will keep it I the Lord do keep it I will keep it And see the extensiveness of Gods care for his vineyard both as to the persons and times he will keep it from being hurt by any person at any time Least any hurt it I will keep it night and day And consider the times to which this promise relates and they are times of greatest danger VVhen God is taking his sore and great and long Sword into his hand to punish his and his Churches Adversaries which are as subtle as Serpents as cruel as the Dragon as strong and potent as the Leviathan ver 1. It relates also to that day wherein God is rising out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquities Chap. 26. ver 21. In that day when he is punishing the inhabitants of the earth and sending sore judgments on such as are like the Serpents and Dragons he will keep his vineyard night and day least any hurt it Another Scripture that sets out the constancy of Gods care for his People's welfare VVe have Psal 121.5 6 7. Behold he that keepeth Israel will not slumber nor sleep The Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand The Sun shall not smite thee by day nor the Moon by night The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil How safe are they that have the Lord for their Keeper when we sleep and can take no care of our selves he that keepeth Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth He keepeth us from all evil by night and by day For that is the meaning of the Sun shall not smite thee by day nor the Moon by night For the Sun that ruleth the day and the Moon that ruleth the night Gen. 1.16 'T is as much as to say he will keep us from all harms he will keep us in safety day and night The care that the Lord taketh of his people is like the care that God took of the land of Canaan which was as Moses saith Deut. 11.12 A Land which the Lord thy God careth for the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year Such is the care that the Lord hath of his people his eyes are always upon them for good from the beginning of the year to the end of the year The Lord taketh care of all his people from the day of their birth yea from their being in the womb to their old age yea to the day of our death Isa 46.3 4. Psal 48. ult He will be our guide even untill death And as the Lord taketh the care of his people at all times both by night and by day so also in all places whithersoever they go he goeth with them to keep them in all places and to preserve their going out and their coming in Josh 1.9 The Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest Gen. 28.15 Behold I am with thee to keep thee in all places whither thou goest Psal 121.8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and even for evermore What a comfort is this when the way we are to pass through is full of danger either by reason of the Sword or Pestilence or any other evil that we have a God that will go along with us whithersoever we go 4. That care which the Lord taketh of his people is a wonderfull great care the Lord Jesus is so carefull of all his Members that they are never out of his eye Job 36.7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous whether they go into any parts of the earth still his eyes are upon them for good 2 Chron. 16.9 The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him And the greater their dangers are the more the eye of God is upon them Psal 33.18 19. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine The Lord would have us take notice for our comfort that when we are in danger of death by famine or other judgments his eye is upon us and therefore there is a note of attention prefixed Behold the eye of the Lord The Lord is so carefull of his people that they are never out of his thoughts Isa 442. O Israel thou shalt not be forgotten of me What the Lord said of Solomons temple 2 Chron. 7.16 Mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually The same may be said of all true Christians who are the temple of God 2 Cor. 6.16 Gods eyes and his heart are upon them perpetually The Lord is so careful of his people that they are never out of his arms Deut. 33.3 27. All his Saints are in thy hand The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting armes He is so carefull of his people that he layes his lambs and carries them in his bosom Isa 40.11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather his lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom When the Wolves are abroad the lambs are safe as long as they are in the shepherds bosom 5. Ans The Lord is exceeding carefull of all his people himself so also he hath sent forth all his Angels to minister to their necessities and given them a great charge to keep them in all their wayes and to enca up round about them and deliver them out of all their dangers Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them whoshall be heirs of salvation Psal 91.11 12. He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes they shall
To such as are ready to give over seeking after Christ I shall give these two encouragements to continue seeking after Christ 1. If you continue seeking after Christ and do seek him with our whole hearts we shall assuredly enjoy him 1 Chron. 28.9 If thou seek him he will be found of thee Believe this promise of God that if thou dost seek him he will be found of thee and go on in the strength of this promise to seek in hope that thou shalt find the Lord. Hos 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord By knowing here is meant such a knowledge as is accompanied with the enjoyment of God as the following words imply He will come unto us Jer. 29.13 And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your hearts 2. It will not be long before you find Christ if you go on to seek him Though you do not find him for the present yet you shall find him in a little while in his own due time Cant. 3 1 4. By night on my bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth and I found him not It was but a little and I found him whom my Soul loveth Isa 54.7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee § Motives to get a saving interest in Christ Most persons that live under the Gospel make light of Christ and neglect that great Salvation which he hath purchased with his blood and prefer their worldly concernments before seeking after Christ Mat. 22.5 They made light of it and went their way one to his farm another to his Merchandize Our Lord Jesus Christ offers Salvation to lost sinners he doth as it were stretch out his hands to them and offer them his help to save their Souls but scarce any man regards the offers of grace and mercy that he makes to them Prov. 1.24 I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded This stretching forth the hand implyeth the offers of Salvation that Christ maketh in the Gospel to perishing Sinners When Peter was in a boysterous Sea and was afraid of being drowned and began to sink he cryed out to Christ Lord save me And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him Mat. 14.30 31. Christless sinners are in a more dangerous condition than Peter was they are ready to sink down into Hell sentence is passed upon them by the great God The wicked shall be turned into Hell Psal 9.17 And Christ stretcheth forth his hand and offers to save them but most men are so stupified in their sins and so busied in this present world that they regard not the offers of Salvation made to them by Jesus Christ And therefore there is need of motives to stir men up to seek after an interest in Christ and to embrace that Salvation which is offered to them by Jesus Christ 1. Motive The excellency of Christ should stir us up to get an interest in him For we covet things that are excellent and there is nothing so excellent as Jesus Christ All the excellent things in the world are but loss and dross and dung compared with Christ Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Silver and Gold Jewels and Precious Stones and whatever a man can desire are not worthy to be compared with Christ Prov. 8.11 For Wisdom is better than Rubies and all things that may be desired are not to be compared to it And as Christ is more excellent than all things so than all persons in the world The wisest the holyest the best the greatest men that ever lived are not worthy to be compared with Christ Cant. 5.10 My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among Ten Thousand White and Red well mixed make a beautiful countenance white may signifie the holiness of his Life ruddy his bloody passion His holy life and his bloody death render him amiable to his people If Ten Thousand of the most excellent persons that ever lived were set by Christ he would be the chiefest of them all Among all the Angels of Heaven and all the Kings of the Earth there are none to be compared to our Lord Jesus Christ Psal 89.6 Who in Heaven can be compared unto the Lord who among the Sons of the Mighty can be likened unto the Lord. There are all the excellencies of the Godhead in our Lord Jesus Christ Col. 2.9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily And the excellencies that are in the Godhead are unspeakable and unconceivable Seeing then there is a greater excellency in Christ than in all the whole world we should labour more to get Christ than we did to get any thing in this world 2. Get Christ for yours and you shall get unsearchable Riches For there are unsearchable Riches in Christ Eph. 3.8 That I should preach among you the unsearchable Riches of Christ The Apostle had studied preached and enjoyed Christ many years and yet could not express or understand all the Riches that were treasured up in Christ but calls his Riches unsearchable Riches By these Riches of Christ which he calls unsearchable understand those benefits we have by Christ As Vatablus and others immensa Christi benefitia the incomprehensible benefits of Christ And though we can't search out all the Riches that are in Christ and that we have by Christ though we cannot fully comprehend in this life all the benefits we have by Christ I will briefly instance in some of these unspeakable benefits which we shall get if we get an interest in Christ 1. Get Christ and you shall get into the love and favour of God Prov. 8.35 Whoso findeth me findeth Life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. And the favour of God is an unspeakable blessing better than all things in this world For a man prefers his Life above all that he hath in the world Job 2.4 All that a man hath he will give for his Life But the favour of God is better than a mans Life Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than Life 2. Get Christ and you shall get the pardon of all your sins Eph. 1.7 In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of sins according to the Riches of his grace Though we be guilty of Hundreds of Thousands of Millions of sins if we get Christ for ours his Blood will cleanse us from them all 1 Joh. 1.7 The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 3. Get Christ and you shall get an interest in all the promises 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen And it is by and through Christ that we are pertakers of the promises Eph. 3.6 That the Gentiles should
particular graces as a broken heart or the like It is a blessed thing to hunger and thirst after Righteousness yet we should hunger more after Christ For 1. If we get Christ we shall have all the graces of his Spirit Joh. 1.16 Out of his fullness have all we received and grace for grace 2. We can't attain to any Grace but in Christ and from Christ Isa 54.17 Their Righteousness is of me saith the Lord. 5. We should labour more to get Christ then to be freed from Satans Temptations Some persons that are under vexatious temptations all their care is to be freed from their temptations but though we may be earnest with God to remove our temptations yet we should be more earnest to get Christ than to get freedom from temptations For 1. To be tempted and to be in Christ is better than to be free from temptation and to be under the power of the strong man keeping all in peace 2. A temptation may be removed and yet a man may be under the power of Satan The irksome temptation may be changed into a more pleasing temptation which is more dangerous though less troublesome Satan may keep a man Prisoner by silken cords as well as iron chains 3. Get Christ and then Satan shall never prevail over you to destroy you by his temptations The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head 6. We should be more sollicitous to get Christ then to get some particular promise For we can have no right to any of the promises if we live without Christ Eph. 2.12 And we shall gain an interest in all the promises if we get an interest in Christ in whom all the promises are yea and Amen 7. We should be more carefull to get Christ then to get parts and gifts as memory utterance c. For 1. A man may have excellent gifts and yet be a cast away as the gift of prophesying and working miracles Mat. 7.23 24. He may have excellent gifts and yet if he have no grace he is no better in Gods account than sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal 1 Cor. 13.12 Though a man could speak and pray and preach like an Angel yet all is nothing if he be void of the grace of God 2. Though a man have never such weak gifts and parts yet if he be found in Christ he is highly accepted of God through Christ even as well as those that have greater abilities Gal. 3.28 Col. 3 11. Barbarians and Scythians were far short of the Greeks and Jews for their accomplishments yet all are alike acceptable to God in Jesus Christ Now seeing it is a work of the highest concernment to get an interest in Christ of more and greater concernment than to get Riches or to get peace or comfort c. we should mind this above all other things Having propos'd these motives I shall in the next place lay down some helps for the getting a saving interest in Christ Sect. 2. Helps to get a saving interest in Christ Here some may say we see it is a business of the greatest concernment that we have to do in this world to get an interest in Christ it is of everlasting concernment but what shall we do to get a saving interest in Christ 1. Be sensible of and lay to heart your sinfull miserable lost and undone state whilst you remain without Christ For a due sence of our sin and misery will make us hasten to Christ and cause us with all thankfulness to accept of the Salvation that he hath purchased for us Mat. 8.25 His Disciples came to him and awoke him saying Master save us we perish If we saw our selves in a perishing condition we should be as forward and as earnest to go to Christ to save us as his Disciciples were when they were in danger to be drowned To be in danger of damnation is a greater awakening to a man then to be in danger of drowning For Hell is a worse place than the Sea A man that is drowned in the Sea is quickly dead their pain is soon over but such as go to Hell are in everlasting burnings And if the Disciples hastned to Christ to save them when they were in danger to be drowned how will poor distressed sinners hasten to Christ to save them when they see themselves in danger of being damned Luk. 15.17 18 19. I perish with hunger I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants When the prodigal Son saw his sins and saw himself in a perishing condition then he hastned to his Father confesseth and bewaileth his sin judgeth himself unworthy to be owned by his Father and was willing to accept of mercy on any terms so he might be admitted into his Fathers family he was content to submit to any thing though it were to be the meanest servant in his fathers house and to do the hardest work his father had for him to do And as the sense of a perishing condition so also a due sight of our sins will make us willing to accept of mercy on any terms willing to submit to any thing so we may be delivered from eternal death Job 7.20 I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men When Job was under the sense of sin he was willing to submit to any thing that God should require of him to get his sins pardoned As it was with the Israelites when they were under the sense of their sin and felt their misery by the oppression of their enemies they were willing God should do what he would with them so that he would deliver them from the Philistines Judg. 10.15 The children of Israel said unto the Lord we have sinned do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee deliver us only we pray thee this day So it will be with us when we have a through sight of our sins we shall be glad of mercy on any terms we shall be willing that God shall do to us whatsoever seemeth good in his sight so he will deliver us from wrath to come and will not cast us into Hell for our sins Now there are but few men even of such as live under the means of grace and hear the word of God often preached to them that have a through sight and sense of their sin and misery A man may be a Church Member yea a Church Officer a Teacher of others and yet not be under an heart affecting sight and sense of his sinfull and miserable condition out of Christ Rev. 3.17 Thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked This is spoken to the Church of the Laodiceans and more particularly to the Angel of that Church that is to such
him to us we shall have Union and Communion with Christ We shall become one with Christ and he will dwell with us and his blood shall be ours to wash away our sins and every benefit that he hath purchased with his blood shall be ours only let us consent to have him as God offers him to us in the Gospel There may be a treaty about Marriage a proposal of terms a woing a long time but 't is a mutual consenting and engaging each to other that makes the Marriage Union So it is in our Union with Christ there may be frequent offers an earnest woing but it is consenting that makes the match between us and Christ When we consent to accept of him he will bestow himself and all his benefits upon us Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come into him and sup with him and he with me Christ standing at the door and knocking signifieth the offers of grace that he makes to us in the Gospel He offereth himself to us to be our Saviour to save us from eternal misery and is very earnest with us to receive and embrace him when we accept of him for our Lord and Saviour and consent to the terms on which he offers Salvation to us then we hear his voice and open the door and then he will bestow himself and all his benefits upon us which is meant by his coming in and supping with us and taking us to sup with him But here some may say are not men willing to have Christ for their Lord and Saviour and to be saved by him in his own way Ans No all men are not willing to have Christ and Salvation by Christ on the terms of the Gospel There are very few that are willing to receive Christ on the terms of the Gospel Most men either neglect or reject him Isa 53.3 He is despised and rejected of men They are so few that regard the offers of grace in the Gospel that they seem as none at all compared to the multitude of those that neglect and reject thee Prov. 1.24 I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded Even among those that profess themselves the people of God and are accounted Gods Israel there are many that will not accept of Christ for their Lord and Saviour Psal 81.11 My people would not hearken to my voice Israel would none of me It had not been such matter of admiration to have heard the Lord say Moab would none of me or Egypt would none of me but here this charge brought in against Israel Israel would none of me that may startle us and make us look well to our selves that we be not found guilty of rejecting Christ as well as Israel Most men are so wedded to the world and to their lusts and own evil ways that though Christ offer them all the joys of Heaven if they will accept him for their Lord and Saviour yet they will not come to him though thereby they might have eternal life Joh. 5.40 And ye will not come to me that ye might have life And though most men would be willing to be saved by Christ when they dye if they might have Salvation in their own way namely if they might live in their envy enjoy their hearts lusts and be saved from hell torments when they dye yet they are not willing to accept of Christ and Salvation by Christ in his way and upon his terms They are unwilling to have him for their Lord to rule over them They say in their hearts Luk. 19.14 We will not have this man to reign over us They are unwilling to forsake their sins and turn from their evil ways though thereby through Christ they might escape Eternal Death and obtain Eternal Life Ezek. 33.11 I shall therefore add some motives to accept of Christ upon the terms offered in the Gospel 1. Jesus Christ and Salvation by Christ is worthy of all acceptation upon any terms whatsoever 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners This Salvation is worthy of all acceptation that is to be accepted by all men with all readiness of mind yea with all thankfulness without objecting against the terms on which this Salvation is offered to us How readily would a blind man accept of his sight a condemned man accept of a pardon a poor man accept of riches a dying man accept of life Christ is all these and more and yet shall we be unwilling to accept of Christ If we receive him he will open our blind eyes he will give unsearchable riches to those that are poor a pardon to them that are condemned life to them that are in a dying condition Salvation to them that are lost 2. The Lord thinks nothing to much nothing to great nothing to good to give to and do for those that accept of his Son If we will accept of his Son for our Lord and Saviour he will give us himself for our God and Father and will bestow this wonderfull priviledge upon us to be his Sons Joh. 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name And what a great what an amazing priviledge is this that such poor such worthless creatures such sinfull creatures as we are should be called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God If we accept of his Son for our Lord and Saviour he will bestow his Kingdom upon us Our Lord Jesus speaking to his little Flock that did accept him for their Shepherd and yield up themselves to be led ruled and governed by him tells them it was their Fathers good pleasure to give them his Kingdom Luk. 12.32 Fear not little Flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom And what a great unexpressible unconceivable gift is this that God should give us his Kingdom What greater what better things hath God to give than to give us Himself for our God and his Kingdom for our Inheritance If we will accept of Christ for our Lord and Saviour the Lord will with him give us all good things freely Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. All things are yours all are yours and ye are Christs 3. There is nothing in Christ but what is desireable and worthy of all acceptation Cant. 5.16 He is altogether lovely What the Apostle saith of every creature 1 Tim. 4.4 Every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with Thanks giving I may say of Christ Every thing of Christ is good
some time vve must never expect to have any comfort of our Lives after vve have refused to die for Christ 3. If we refuse to lay down our lives for Christ he can make our lives such a burden to us that we shall count it a great mercy to be rid of them The Lord can lay such troubles upon us that we shall be burdens to our selves and long exceedingly to be in our Graves Job speaks of some men that are in such misery that they seek for Death as for hid Treasures and rejoyce exceedingly when God will take away their lives Job 3.20 21 22. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life unto the bitter in Soul which long for Death but it cometh not and dig for it more than for hid treasures which rejoyce exceedingly and are glad when they can find a grave Yea it was Job's own condition to be a burden to himself Job 7.20 Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee so as I am a burden to my self He vvas in so much misery that he prayed earnestly to God that he might die Job 6.8 9. O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for Even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let lose his hand and cut me off He vvas in such distress that Life vvas loathsome to him and if it had been lavvful he would have strangled himself Job 7.15 16. My Soul chooseth strangling and death rather than life I loath it I would not live alway And vvho can tell but God may lay as heavy affliction upon us if vve refuse to die for Christ as he did to his Servant Job who was an upright man that feared God and eschewed evil Who can tell but God may deal with us as he did with Pashur Jer. 20.4 I will make thee a terrour to thy self and to all thy Friends Now is it not better to die for Christ than to live in such misery as to be a burden to our selves and to be a terrour to our selves and all our Frinds 4. If we will not lose our lives for Christ we shall lose that which is the life of our lives yea that which is better than life What is that which is the life of our lives and which is better than our lives I answer The love and favour of God Ps 30.5 In his favour is life Ps 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life Now if we draw back from Christ in a suffering day because we are not willing to lay down our lives for him we shall lose the love and favour of God Rebeccah was so concerned for Jacob that if he miscarried in his match she thought she should be weary of her life and her life would do her no good Gen. 27.46 I am weary of my life because of the Daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a Wife of the Daughters of Heth such as these which are the Daughters of the Land what good shall my life do me If the miscarriage of a Child in a match will make us weary of our lives what will the loss of the love and favour of God which is the fountain of all mercies May not such say I am weary of my life what good will my life do me seeing God hath taken away his loving kindness from me 5. Our Lord Jesus Christ laid down his life forus 1 John 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us His Enemies could not have taken his life from him if he had not been willing of himself to lay it down and his laying down his life was upon our account and for our sakes Joh. 10.15 18. I lay down my life for the sheep No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self And what the Israelites said of David 2 Sam. 18.3 Thou art worth ten thousand of us The same may be said of Christ he is worth ten thousand of us yea more worth than all the men that ever lived more worth than all the Angels of Heaven yet he laid down his life for us And shall we that are his Servants poor worms stick at the laying down our lives for him 6. It is a blessed thing to dye for Christ Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. The dead which die in the Lord and which die for the Lord are in a most blessed condition There is a peculiar honour promised to those that suffer Martyrdom for Christ Rev. 20.4 It may be some will say I could be willing to dye for Christ so I might dye an easy death but I can't tell how to endure such tortures and pains as some have met with for Christ I can't tell how to undergo burning at a Stake or how to bear tormenting pains A. It is true that tormenting pains are hard to be born yet we must be willing to undergo any kind of tortures for Christ not only to dye but to submit to the most painfull death if God shall call us to it and to perswade us to be willing to undergo torments for Christ Let us consider 1. Our Lord Jesus did not only dye for us but he suffered a most painfull shamefull accursed Death of the Cross for us Phil. 2.8 He humbled himself and became obedient to Death even the Death of the Cross What Death is more painfull than the Death of the Cross Our Lord Jesus was in such extremity of pain when he hung upon the Cross that he was like a man that had all his Bones out of joynt his heart melted like wax that is brought to the fire his strength and the moisture of his body was dryed up like a Potsheard his tongue cleaved to his Jaws as we may see Psal 22.14 15. I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joynt my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels My strength is dryed up like a potsheard and my tongue cleaveth unto my jaws and thou hast brought me into the dust of death That this relates to Christs sufferings on the Cross is evident from the last clause his bones were out of joynt his heart melted like wax c. when when he was upon the Cross Thou hast brought me into the dust of Death And from several other passages in the Psalm which relate to Christs sufferings on the Cross As ver 1.7 8 16 17. And besides that anguish which our Lord Jesus felt upon the Cross when he was in the Garden he was in such an agony as made him sweat drops of blood Luk. 22.24 Now seeing our Lord Jesus Christ endured such torments and pains for us seeing he suffered the painfull shamefull accursed Death of the Cross for us Shall not we be willing to suffer any shamefull or painfull Death for him Seeing he bore the wrath of God for us shall not we be willing to bear the
wrath of our Persecutors for his sake 2. If we refuse a painfull and tormenting Death for Christ God can inflict worse pains upon us for our sins than men can inflict upon us for our fidelity to Christ For 1. God can send racking and tormenting pains into our bones and bodies that shall be more grievous to us than any men can lay upon us Rev. 16 10 11. They gnawed their Tongues for pain and blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores These are worse pains then the pains of Martyrs for they have gone singing to the Stake and have glorified God in the fires but these sinners selt such anguish as made them gnaw their own Tongues and to blaspheme the God of Heaven We find greater disquietness in David through the pains he felt in his sickness than many of the Martyrs expressed in the Flames Psal 38.6 8. I go mourning all the day long I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart 2. God can wound our Spirits and the pains of the Soul when that is wounded are far greater then all the pains that can come upon the body Prov. 18.14 The Spirit of a man will sustein his infirmity but a wounded Spirit who can bear When God inflicts his terrours upon the Soul they are so insupportable that many times they cause men to fall into destruction Psal 88.15 While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted 3. If for fear of being tormented we forsake or deny Christ God can inflict on us the torments of Hell And all the torments that man can inflict are but Flea-bites compared to the torments of Hell We should fear offending God who hath power to cast us into Hell more than we should fear all the men of the World For the worst that they can do is to kill the body and after that is done they can do us no further hurt Luk. 12.4 5. And I say unto you my Friends be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him 3. We are willing to endure great pain for the preservation of our Temporal Life We are willing to let the Chirurgeon cut and lanch our Flesh yea to cut Legs and Arms or other Members when the whole body is in danger to perish And shall we be unwilling to go through a painfull Death for the obtaining Eternal Life Though the pains of Martyrdom are sharp yet they are but short and the joy that follows those short pains is Eternal and unspeakable What are a few Minutes of pain to an Eternity of Joy and Glory 4. The more torture and pain we endure for Christ here the greater glory we shall have in Heaven for ever hereafter Heb. 11.35 Others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection The more we are tortured the more glorious shall we be at the Resurrection for we shall have a full recompence for all our sufferings as well as our services 2 Cor. 4.17 For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 5. They that have been far better than me even such as the World hath been unworthy of them have gone through great torments for Christ Heb. 11.37 38. They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the Sword they wandered about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented of whom the World was not worthy How many Martyrs in all ages men of eminent piety have laid down their lives for Christ and endured all kind of torments cheerfully And why shall we then think much to endure a painfull and tormenting Death for Christ 6. The Lord will uphold us by his Divine power under all the pains and torments that we shall undergo for Christ If we were to go alone through fiery tryals we might be afraid lest we should sink and not be able to bear them But seeing God will be with us and strengthen and uphold us when we are to pass through fiery Tryals this may dispel all our fears and make us go willingly through any sufferings for Christ Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the Right-hand of my Righteousness Isa 43.1 2. Fear not thou art mine when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the Fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee God will proportion our strength to our troubles and when we meet with days of great trouble he will give in great strength Deut. 33.25 And as thy days so shall thy strength he And that weaker Christians may not be dismayed when they see great troubles coming he hath engaged his faithfullness that he will not suffer them to be tryed above their strength 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man But God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 3d. Hinderance of a saving in Christ is unwillingness to leave our sins either from the delight we have in them or some profit we have by them The hearts of Unregenerate men cleave fast to their sins and are exceeding unwilling to part with them Jer. 8.5 They hold fast Deceit they refuse to return Let me shew some instances of this how men love and cleave to their sins and how unwilling they are to part with them 1. Many men love their sins as they love their lives they will as soon part with their lives as part with their sins Ezek. 7.13 Neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his Life It is rendered in the Margent whose Life is in his iniquity That is who love their iniquities as they love their lives yea they love their sins above their lives for though God tell them if they live after the flesh they shall dye but if through the Spirit they mortifie the deeds of the body they shall live yet they choose to go on in their sins and dye rather than to turn and live 2. Many men do so cleave to their sins that no commands no threatnings no promises of God will prevail with men to leave their sins The Lord sent often by his Prophets to the Jews to command them to turn from their sins yet they would not leave their evil ways Jer. 25.4 5 7. The Lord hath sent unto you all his Servants the Prophets They said turn ye again every one from his evil way and
with Abraham and his Seed 430 years before the giving the law by Moses And therefore the law which given 430 years after God had revealed it to Abraham that he would justifie and save him and his Seed through Faith in Christ could not make void that way of righteousness and life which God had before confirmed by Covenant to Abraham and his Seed As you may see Gal. 3.6 7 8 9 11 16 17 18. 2. The law when given by Moses found man so weakned by the fall of Adam that it could not bring man to righteousness and life but notwithstanding the giving the law man would have perished Eternally had not God sent his Son Jesus Christ to dye for our sins Rom. 8.3 Gal. 3.21 But for what end then was the law given if not to a Covenant of life A. 1. To bring us to the knowledge of our sin and misery Rom. 3.20 By the law is the knowledge of sin Gal. 3.19 Wherefore then serveth the law It was added because of Transgressions 2. To be our School-Master to lead us to Christ that when we see we can't attain that Righteousness which the law requires we may seek for Justification and Salvation to Jesus Christ Gal. 3.24 The law was our School-Master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by Faith 3. The law was given to be a Rule of our lives to direct us how to carry our selves towards God and towards all men Prov. 6.23 The Commandment is a lamp and the law is light 3. Life and Righteousness is to be had in Christ and no where else but in and by Christ 1 Joh. 5.11 12. And this is the record that God hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not Life And as Eternal Life is to be had in Christ so also is that Righteousness whereby we are justified and accepted in the sight of God to be had in Christ Isa 45.24 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I Righteousness and Strength Jer. 23.6 This is the name whereby he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness For the better understanding of this that the Righteousness whereby we are justified and accepted before God is not any works of Righteousness which we have done in Conformity to the law but the righteousness which Christ hath wrought for us let us consider these 3 or 4 things 1. All our own righteousnesses are full of imperfections and therefore cannot justifie us in the sight of God who is a God of pure eyes that cannot behold iniquity Isa 64.8 VVe are all as an unclean thing and all our Righteousnesses are as filthy rags The Holyest men that ever lived that have been full of good works have been afraid to appear before God in their own righteousness Phil. 3.9 And be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the law 2. We not being able to bring unto God a righteousness of our own whereby we might be justified and accepted God provided a righteousness for us in and by his Son Jesus Christ whereby we might be justified and accepted in his sight 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Righteousness 2 Cor. 5.21 For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 3. This righteousness of Christ by and upon the account of which we are accepted and justified in the sight of God is his Active and Passive Obedience His Active Obedience in fullfilling all that righteousness which the law required Rom. 5.19 As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made Righteous And his Passive Obedience whereby he suffered Death for our sins Rom. 5.9 Being justified by his blood It was by his being made a Sacrifice for our sins that we are made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.20 4. This righteousness of Christ consisting of his active and passive obedience is made over or imputed to all that believe on him Rom. 10.4 For Christ is the end of the law for Righteousness to every one that believeth 4. A right understanding of the law would give us such a discovery of our sins and the imperfections of our best works as to take us off from resting in the works of the law for our justification before God Gal. 2.19 I through the law am dead to the law that I might live unto God I will mention two or three things concerning the law that may convince us there is no hope for any man whatever to at tain righteousness and life by the law 1. The law is Spiritual and forbids Spiritual sins and requireth Spiritual duties and that may convince the Holyest man on earth of much sin and make him cry out of himself that he is an undone sinner without the mercy of God and the mercies of Christ Rom. 7.14 We know that the law is Spiritual but I am Carnal sold under sin The Spirituality of the law convinceth the Apostle Paul that he had in himself much Carnality and by reason of the sad effects of Original Corruption he was not able to perform that Spiritual Obedience the law called for which is the meaning of that expression sold under sin 2. The law forbids all evil motions and sinfull inclinations of the heart The first motions of sin that arise in the heart and all evil lusts in the heart though not consented to though opposed are a Transgression of the law Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the law for I had not known lust except the law had said thou shalt not covet The Apostle did not understand the lustings and inordinate desires of the heart to be sin when not consented to till he considered that the first motions of sin were forbidden by the law and were Transgressions of that command thou shalt not covet If there be but a foolish thought in our minds though it be not allowed of though it be not suffered to lodge there it is a sin against the law of God Prov. 24.9 The thought of foolishness is sin 3. The least omission at any time of any duty that the law requireth and the commission of the least sin that the law forbids brings us under the curse of the law Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of tht law to do them If a man were able to keep the whole law and should offend but in one point he is guilty of Eternal Death by the law as well as if he had broken all the Commandments of God Jam. 2.10 Whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all So Grotius Non minus morte punitur quà m si omnia praecepta violasset And Capellus Aeque damnatur
Cor. 6.17 18. When Christ was on earth he received those that came to him though they had been great sinners and though he incurred the censures of the Pharisees thereby Luk. 15.2 The Pharisees and the Scribes murmured saying this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them And he is not less mercifull now he is in Heaven than he was while he was on Earth 3. The parable of the prodigal Son may satisfie us that our Lord Jesus will not only not reject penitent sinners though they have been the chiefest of sinners but will receive them willingly and joyfully Luk. 15 20 24 25. The Father received his Son with all joy when he returned home penitent and yet he had been a vile wretch he had spent all his estate on harlots and riotous living ver 13.30 And would have submitted to a base low employment rather than return to his Father It was pure want that drove him to go to his Father because he was ready to perish with hunger yet this vile wretch that was unworthy of the name of a Son was entertained and received with great joy CHAP. IV. Such as have an interest in Christ may find comfort in Christ under all Spiritual troubles I Have shewed how such as have an interest in Christ may find comfort in Christ under all personal and national troubles and under the persecutions of the Church I shall now shew that there is comfort to be had in Christ under all Spiritual troubles Cant. 2.5 Stay me with flaggons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love This being sick of love signifieth foul troubles and where doth the spouse seek for comfort under foul troubles but from Christ and the benefits we have by Christ Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples By flagons we are to understand wine which was wont to be distributed in flagons 2 Sam. 6.19 He dealt among all the people a cake of bread and a flagon of wine Now the benefits that we have by the death of Christ are compared to wine which makes glad the heart of man and are called in Scriptures by the name of wine Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters yea come buy wine Wine was appointed by Christ to be the representation and memorial of his blood and the benefits purchased by his blood namely remission of sins and confirmation of the new Covenant Christ speaking of the Wine which is drunk at his Table saith Mat. 26.28 This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins 1 Cor. 11.25 This cup is the New Testament in my Blood Under the law there was Wine offered with the dayly Sacrifice every Morning and Evening Exod. 29.38 40. Now Wine being that which makes glad the heart of man Psal 104.15 VVe may learn hence that all those comforts which make glad the heart of man they are the fruit and effect of Christs being made a Sacrifice for us Stay me with flaggons signifies support with those comforts and refreshments which are the purchase of Christ's Blood stay me with the discovery of the remission of my sins and the promises of the New Covenant Comfort me with Apples what are these Apples The fruits and benefits we have by Christs death who bore our sins in his own body upon the Tree 1 Pet. 2.24 In the foregoing verse our Lord Jesus Christ is likened to an Apple-tree As the Apple-tree among the trees of the Wood so is my beloved among the sons I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my tast Now the benefits which we have by the incarnation the Death and Intercession of Christ are the Fruit growing on this Apple tree which was sweet to the Spouses tast and are the Apples with which she desired to be comforted when she was sick of love That we are to seek our comfort in Christ and from Christ under all Soul troubles we may see from several other Scriptures As Psal 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance Countenance signifieth favour because a mans favour is discerned by a chearfull Countenance Prov. 16.15 God's favour is towards us in Christ Rom. 8.39 So that we see whence the Psalmist expected his Consolations when his Soul was in a perplexed disquieted condition it was from the help of God's Countenance that is from that relief and support which he should find from the manifestation of Gods love in Christ to his Soul Psal 61.2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. Our Lord Jesus in Scripture is resembled to a Rock 1 Cor. 10.4 That Rock was Christ VVhen David's heart was overwhelmed with grief and when he was in desolate places where he had none to comfort him he begs to be led to Christ who was the Rock that was higher than he for he knew there was support and comfort in Christ under the greatest inward troubles though such as overwhelmed the heart as appears from ver 2. compared with ver 7. Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I so will I sing praise unto thy name for ever VVhen David was in great heaviness through the hidings of Gods face and walked day by day with a sorrowfull heart he found joy and comfort in Christ Psal 13.1 2. How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever How long wilt thou hide thy face from me How long shall I take counsell in my Soul having sorrow in my heart dayly My heart shall rejoyce in thy Salvation By thy Salvation here we may understand the Lord Jesus Christ who is called the Salvation of God Luk. 2.30 Mine eyes have seen thy Salvation That is the Lord Jesus Christ ver 26. See also Isa 49.6 That thou mayest be my Salvation unto the ends of the Earth By thy Salvation we may also understand that Temporal and Eternal Salvation which he hoped that God for Christ's sake would bestow upon him So that it was from Christ and the benefits which come by Christ that David fetched his comfort in all his Soul troubles And therefore all of us that are under any soul troubles should repair to Christ for comfort It is said of David 1 Sam. 22.2 Every one that was in distress and every one that was in debt and every one that was discontent or as it is in the Margent bitter of Soul gathered themselves unto him and he became a Captain over them Let us do the like by Christ the Son of David let every one that is in distress and every one that is in debt our sins are debts to the justice of God Mat. 6.12 and every one that is bitter in Soul gather our selves to Christ who is the Consolation of Israel and he will be the
Captain of our Salvation and comfort us under all our troubles I shall farther prove this that there is comfort to be had in Christ in our Soul troubles by giving instance in several soul troubles and shew that there is comfort under all of them to be had in Christ Sect. 1. Comfort to be had in Christ against indwelling corruption In Regenerate persons there are remainders of Original Corruption The Apostle Paul complained of the indwelling of sin Rom. 7.17 Sin that dwelleth in me And he did not only find sin dwelling in him but warring against the law of his mind and leading him captive to the law of sin which was a very great trouble and burden to him ver 23.24 And what was Paul's comfort against the indwelling warring and captivating power of sin It was Christ Jesus Rom. 7.24 25. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. I will shew what comfort there is in Christ against the remainders of Original Corruption 1. Christ's blood is a Fountain set open on purpose for washing away the Fountain of sin and uncleanness that is in and issueth forth out of our hearts Zech. 13.1 In that day there shall be a Fountain opened to the house of David and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness This Fountain is the blood of Christ 1 Joh. 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sins There is no other Fountain under Heaven set open for the cleansing away of sin but the blood of Christ which is compared to a Fountain because of its sufficiency to supply all commers and the continual efficacy the Fountain runs night and day continually The day wherein this Fountain is set open is the day and time of the Gospel For under the law it was covered over with divers Types and Ceremonies it was vailed with the Ceremonies but now that vail that covering is done away It was a Fountain sealed and concealed from the Gentiles but now 't is a Fountain opened to the Jews and Gentiles for though only the house of David and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem are named yet the Gentiles are included in this promise for they are of the same body and fellow-heirs with the Jews of the promises of God Eph. 3.6 Observe farther for what end this Fountain is set open that is for sin and for uncleanness that is to wash away all sorts and all manner of sins our Original and Actual sins the uncleanness of our hearts and lives It may amaze us when we see and consider what a Fountain of sin and uncleanness is in our hearts but it may greatly comfort us when we consider that Christ's blood is a Fountain set open on purpose to wash away sin and uncleanness 2. Though sin doth and will dwell in us as long as we live yet this may comfort us it shall not have the dominion over us Rom. 6.14 For sin shall not have dominion over you because ye are not under the Law but under Grace For our Lord Jesus Christ hath by his death obtained deliverance from the reigning power of indwelling corruption so that though sin remain in us it shall not reign over us we shall not be the servants of sin Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is Crucisied with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin And therefore though we find sin not only dwelling in us but warring against the law of our minds and sometimes prevailing over us and leading us captive yet we should believe that God for Christ's sake will both pardon and subdue our sins Psal 65.3 Iniquities prevail against me as for our Transgressions thou shalt purge them away The purging away of sin implyes both the pardoning our sins by the blood of Christ Psal 51.7 Heb. 1.3 Heb. 9.22 and the mortification of sin or purging sin out of our hearts and conversations 2 Tim. 2.21 Isa 4.4 and 27.9 Now David did rest upon God for the purging away his Transgressions even when he found iniquities prevailing that is he did trust in God that for Christ's sake he would both pardon and subdue his sin 3. As it is a ground of trouble that sin dwelleth in us so it is a ground of great comfort that we have the Spirit of Christ to dwell in us as a Fountain of grace and holiness and that this Spirit of grace shall dwell in us for ever and as a Well of water springing up to Everlasting Life 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you And this Spirit of Christ which is given to us to dwell in our hearts shall dwell and abide with us for ever Joh. 14.16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth he dwelleth in you and shall be in you And he dwelleth in us as a Fountain of Grace and Holiness or as a VVell of water springing up to Everlasting Life Joh. 4.14 The water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of water springing up into Everlasting Life 4. Though sin dwell in those that are in the Members of Christ yet it shall not be imputed to them unto their Condemnation Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit He doth not say there is no sin in them that are in Christ Jesus but though their be sin in them there is no condemnation to them ver 34 Who shall condemn It is Christ that dyed Christs death hath made satisfaction for our sins and therefore such as are in Christ shall not come into Condemnation but are passed from death to life Sect. 2. Comfort in Christ for lapsed Christians that have fallen into heinous sins that have wounded their Conscience and broke their Peace Besides the great trouble that ariseth to the Servants of Christ from indwelling corruption they may through the Temptations of Satan and their own weakness and want of watchfullness fall into actual Transgressions of a very heinous nature that may break their Peace and wound their Consciences as Peter who denyed Christ and curse and swore he did not know the man which caused him when he came to himself to weep bitterly And David committed such heinous sins in the matter of Vriah and Bathsheba that caused such anguish of Spirit as if all his bones had been broken and therefore being in a joyless condition as full of anguish as a man that hath broken bones he prays thus to God Psal 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Now though this be matter of deep Humiliation for Christians to fall into heinous sins yet it is not a desperate case
of this death That our comforter against spiritual deadness is in Christ the following words shew I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Though there be cause of mourning when we look into our own dead hearts yet there is cause of thanksgiving and rejoycing when we look up to God in Christ And that on these grounds 1. The end of Christs assuming our nature and suffering death for our sins was to give us life not only eternal life hereafter but spiritual life here and that in a plentifull measure Joh. 10.10 I am come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly Joh. 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world 2. Though there be in us much deadness yet in Christ and with Christ there is a fountain of life Psal 36.9 For with thee is the fountain of life and in thy light shall we see light As it is with Fountains of water there is water to be had at all times and for all comers in the Fountain So it is with the Fountain of life there is life to be had constanly freely a sufficiency of life for all comers at all times to be had from this Fountain of life 3. The Lord hath given us many gracious and comfortable promises to encourage us to hope in him for quickning grace at such times as we find our selves under deadness as Joh. 11.25 Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet he shall live Joh. 6.57 He that eateth me even he shall live by me Psal 69.32 Your heart shall live that seek God Psal 22. They shall praise the Lord that seek him your heart shall live for ever Amos 5.4 Thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel seek ye me and ye shall live We see here that Spiritual and Eternal Life is promised to such as seek the Lord These promises may be a great comfort to us under our deadness 4. Jesus Christ hath provided us excellent helps against our deadness I will instance in two helps 1. His word that hath a quickning influence in it Psal 119.50 Thy word hath quickned me And ver 93. I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickned me And as the Precepts so the promises of the word have a quickning virtue in them We may say of the promises with Hezekiah Isa 38.16 O Lord by these things men live and in all these things is the life of my Spirit 2. His spirit is an excellent help against deadness Joh. 6.63 It is the spirit that quickneth The spirit of Christ is the spirit of life and this quickning spirit shall be given to those that ask it of God Luk. 11.13 5. When Christ who is our life shall appear we shall appear with him in glory and when we appear with Christ in glory we shall ive with him for evermore and shall never any more be troubled with deadness but shall be freed from the body of sin and death for ever Col. 3.3 4. Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Your Life is hid with Christ in God It may be understood of the life of Grace here and the life of Glory hereafter Our life of Grace is hid not only from the eyes of the VVorld but at sometimes and in part from themselves As Davenant observs Ex parte quoad quos sanctos quippe qui vitam hanc sentiant in se esse valdè infirmam obscuram dubiam obtentationes diaeboli carnis Yet the weakness of our Spiritual Life the deadness that is mixed with the life of grace shall not hinder our appearing with Christ in and if we appear with him in glory all our deadness and imperfections shall be done away for ever Sect. 7. There is comfort in Christ for such as are troubled for the weakness and imperfections of their services Many Christians finding their service they do for God and their Generations attended with very great weakness and many imperfections are much troubled and discouraged thereby But to such as go under this burden there is comfort to be had in Christ and that in these respects 1. Our persons and services are accepted of God not for the worthyness that is either in our persons or services but for the sake and upon the account of Jesus Christ Eph. 1.6 He hath made us accepted in the beloved And as our persons are accepted in Christ so are our services also 1 Pet 2.5 To offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ If any say how can imperfect services that have sin mixed with them be accepted of God I answer by the merits of Christ the imperfections and sins that are mingled with those holy services which we perform to God are done away and the services rendered acceptable to God Exod. 28.38 And it shall be upon Aarons Forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things of the children of Israel which the children of Israel shall hollow in all their holy gifts and it shall be alwayes on his Forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord. Aaron was a Type of Christ our great High Priest The Plate on his Forehead that had graven on it Holiness to the Lord was a Type of the merits of Christ who is the Lord our Righteousness As Aaron bare away the iniquities of the holy things Typically which being done they were accepted of God So Christ doth really and truly bear away the sins of all services and thereby they are accepted of God 2. Though our services have much weakness and many imperfections in them yet if they be performed with Upright hearts God will accept them 1 Chron. 29.17 I know also my God that thou tryest the heart and hast pleasure in Vprightness As little done by an Upright man is more acceptable to God than great services done by wicked men Pro. 15.8 The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the Prayer of the Vpright is his delight 3. VVould you serve God and your Generation in a better manner if you were able and is it your burden that you can serve God no better then know for your comfort that God through Christ will accept of your willing mind though you have not such abilities to serve him as others have or as you your selves desire to have 2 Cor. 8.12 If there he first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 4. It is a great comfort to those that mourn over their imperfections that how imperfect soever they are in themselves they are compleat in Christ Col.
2.10 Ye are compleat in him 5. Our imperfections shall not hinder us of the love of God here nor of the Kingdom of Heaven hereafter Psal 73.22 23 24. Sect. 8. There is comfort in Christ for such as are under the hidings of Gods face and are troubled because they can't enjoy Communion with God It is the lot of some Christians to be under the hidings of God's face and to want Communion with God and that is a great trouble to them Psal 30.7 Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Now there is comfort for such in Christ and that in these respects 1. It was one great end of Christ's death to bring us to the enjoyment of God 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that we might be brought unto God The great obstacle to our Communion with God is our sins For 't is sin that separates between God and us Isa 59.2 Behold your iniquities have sepparated between you and your God Now Christ's death hath taken away this obstacle of our Communion with God for whereas our sins had put us far from God and caused God to stand afar off from us by the blood of Christ we are made nigh to God Eph. 2.13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ 2. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself was under the hidings of Gods face and that in time of great distress when he was upon the Cross when nigh unto death he cryed out Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me But how doth this make for the comfort of a Soul under the hidings of Gods face that our Lord Jesus Christ himself was in a deserted condition A. 1. Hence we learn that the hidings of God's face is consistent with a state of adoption and the special love of God For Christ was the beloved Son of God in whom he was well pleased yet he was in a deserted condition in a time of trouble in a dying hour and therefore we should not question the Fatherly love of God because of the hidings of his face Isa 64.7 8. Thou hast hid thy face from us But now O Lord thou art our Father 2. Seeing our Lord Jesus hath been under the hidings of God's face he knoweth how to pity and succour those that are in this condition Heb. 2.18 3. We have gracious promises which are all yea and Amen in Christ Jesus that though the Lord be withdrawn from us yet if we return he for Christ's sake will return unto us 2 Chron. 30.9 The Lord your God is gracious and mercifull and will not turn away his face from you if ye return unto him Mal. 3.7 Even from the dayes of your Fathers ye are gone away from mine Ordinances and have not kept them Return unto me and I will return unto you saith the Lord of Hosts Jam. 4.8 Draw nigh to God and God will draw nigh to you 4. Though you want sensible influences from God yet if you be one that hath closed with Christ upon the terms of the Gospel God hath Communicated himself to you for your God and Father in Christ by Covenant and hath given you the priviledge to be one of his Sons Joh. 1.12 and that is a higher degree of Communion with God than the giving insensible influences to that you ought not to say you have no Communion with God because there is a suspension of influences when as the Lord hath given himself for your God by Covenant and hath taken you for his children Sect. 9. There is comfort in Christ for such as are troubled with fears of falling away What David said concerning Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 I shall now one day perish by the hand of Saul the like some Christians who have accepted Christ on the terms of the Gospel and have given themselves to Christ are ready to say in their hearts I shall one day fall away from Christ and perish for ever My heart is so treacherous and indwelling corruption so strong and Satan's Temptations so prevalent and the oppositions from the world may be so great that I fear I shall not hold out to the end but shall fall away and this is a great trouble to me Now there is comfort to be had from Christ against these fears of falling away and that on these grounds 1. The intercession of Christ is a ground of comfort to such Believers on Christ as are troubled with fears of fallingaway For he prayeth for us that our Faith may not fail Luk. 22.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not And he that prayed for Peter that his Faith might not fail he hath prayed for all that do and shall believe in him Joh 17.20 21. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also that shall believe on me through their word that they all may be one c. And what Christ prayed for was alwayes granted Joh. 11.41 42. Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me and I know that thou hearest me alwayes 2. The Members of Christ may be comforted against their fears of falling away from God's Everlasting Covenant For God is entered into an Everlasting Covenant with them that he will not turn away from them and that he will keep them from departing from him Jer. 32.40 And I will make an Everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good and I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me See Isa 54.10 3. The unchangeableness of Gods love is a good ground of comfort against fears of falling away Joh. 13.1 Jesus having loved his own that were in the World loved them unto the end It is not said having loved his own that are in glory but that are in the world where they are liable to temptations and corruptions and troubles he loved them to the end Rom. 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heigth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus God's love being unchangeable we may rest satisfied that the same love which called us to the knowledge and Faith of Christ will keep us from departing from Christ seeing the gifts and the callings of God are without Repentance The same love that quickned us when we were dead in sins and trespasses will also preserve us unto Eternal Life 4. The attributes of God may comfort weak Christians against their fears of falling away The name of the Lord is our strong Tower whether we may run and be safe against these fears as for instance 1. The power of God that is engaged to keep and preserve