saved For he comes in the Fathers and in the Sons name and authority to put the last hand to our Salvation work by bringing all the fruits of election and redemption home to our souls in this work of effectual vocation hence the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 2. noting the order of causes in their operations for the bringing about of our Salvation thus states it Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ here you find Gods election and Christs blood the two great causes of Salvation and yet neither of these alone nor both together can save us there must be added the Sanctification of the Spirit by which Gods decree is executed and the sprinkling i. e. the personal application of Christs blood as well as the shedding of it before we can have the saving benefit of either of the former causes Propos. 4. The application of Christ with his saving benefits is exactly of the same extent and latitude with the Fathers election and the Sons intention Propos. 4. in dying and cannot possibly be extended to one soul farther Whom he did predestinate them he also called Rom. 8. 30. And Acts 13. 48. as many as were ordained to eternal life believed 2 Tim. 1. 9. who hath saved and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world The Father Son and Spirit betwixt whom was the council of peace work out their design in a perfect harmony and consent as there was no jarr in their council so there can be none in the execution of it those whom the Father before all time did chuse they and they only are the persons whom the Son when the fulness of time for the execution of that decree was come dyed for John 17. 6. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them me and ver 19. for their sakes I sanctifie my self i. e. consecrate devote or set my self apart for a sacrifice for them And those for whom Christ died are the persons to whom the Spirit effectually applys the benefits and purchases of his blood 〈◊〉 comes in the name of the Father and Son but the world cannot receive him for it neither sees nor knows him Joh. 14. 17. they that are not of Christs sheep believe not Joh. 10. 26. Christ hath indeed a fulness of saving power but the dispensation thereof is limited by the Fathers will therefore he tells us Matth. 20. 23. it is not mine to give but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my father in which words he no way denies his authority to give glory as well as grace only shews that in the dispensation proper to him as mediator he was limited by his Fathers will and counsel And thus also are the dispensations of grace by the Spirit in like manner limited both by the counsel and will of the Father and Son For as he proceeds from them so he acts in the administration proper to him by commission from both Joh. 14. 26. The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name and as he comes forth into the world by this joynt Commission so his dispensations are limited in his Commission for it 's said John 16. 13. he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak i. e. he shall in all things act according to his Commission which the Father and I have given him The Son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do Joh. 5. 19. And the Spirit can do nothing of himself but what he hears from the Father and Son and it 's impossible it should be otherwise considering not only the Unity of their Nature but also of their will and design So that you see the applications of Christ and benefits by the Spirit are commensurable with the Fathers secret counsel and the Sons design in dying which are the rule model and pattern of the Spirits working Propos. 5. The Application of Christ to Souls by the regenerating work of the Spirit is that which makes the first internal difference and distinction Propos. 5. among men It is very true that in respect of Gods fore-knowledge and purpose there was a distinction betwixt one man and another before any man had a being one was taken another left and with respect to the death of Christ there is a great difference betwixt one and another he laid down his life for the sheep he pray'd for them and not for the world but all this while as to any relative change of state or real change of temper they are upon a level with the rest of the miserable world The Elect themselves are by nature children of wrath even as others Eph. 2. 3. and to the same purpose the Apostle tells the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6. 11. when he had given in that black bill describing the most Iewd profligate abominable wretches in the world men whose practices did stink in the very nostrils of nature and were able to make the more sober Heathens blush after this he tells the Corinthians And such were some of you but ye are washed c. q. d. look these were your Companions once as they are you lately were The work of the Spirit doth not only evidence and manifest that difference which Gods Election hath made between man and man as the Apostle speaks 1 Thes. 1. 4 5. but it also makes a twofold difference it self namely in state and temper whereby they visibly differ not only from other men but also from themselves after this work though a man be the who yet not the what he was This work of the spirit makes us new creatures namely for quality and temper 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new Propos. 6. The Application of Christ by the work of regeneration is that which yields unto men all the sensible sweetness and refreshing comforts Propos. 6. that they have in Christ and in all that he hath done suffered or purchased for sinners An unsanctified person may relish the natural sweetness of the creature as well as he that is sanctified he may also seem to relish and tast some sweetness in the delicious promises and discoveries of the Gospel by a misapplication of them to himself but this is like the joy of a beggar dreaming he is a King but he awakes and finds himself a beggar still but for the rational solid and genuine delights and comforts of religion no man tasts it till this work of the Spirit have first past upon his soul it is an enclosed pleasure a stranger intermeddles not with it The white stone and the new
others You know what the Law of God awards for striking a woman with Child so that her fruit go from her Exod. 21. 22 23. Oh shed not soul blood by stifling the hopeful desires of any after Christ. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ the desire of all Nations The Fourteenth SERMON Sermon 14. 1 COR. 2. 8. Text. Containing the fifth Motive to apply Christ drawn from another excellent Title of Christ. Which none of the Princes of this world have known for had they known him they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory IN this Chapter the Apostle discourses to the Corinthians the excellency of his Ministry both to obviate the contempt which some might cast upon it for want of humane Ornaments and to give the greater authority unto it among all and whereas the spiritual simplicity of his Ministry laid it under the contempt of some he removes that several ways by showing them First That it was not suitable to the design and end of his ministry his aim being to know nothing among them save Jesus Christ and him crucified vers 1 2. Secondly Neither was it for the advantage of their souls it might indeed tickle their fancies but could be no solid foundation to their faith and comfort vers 4 5. Thirdly Though his discourses seemed jejune and dry to carnal hearers yet it had a depth and an excellency in it which spiritual and judicious Christians saw and acknowledged vers 6 7. Fourthly Therefore this excellent wisdom which he preached far transcended all the natural wisdom of this world yea the most raised and improved understandings of those that were most renowned and admired in that age for wisdom vers 8. Which none of the Princes of this world knew In which words we have 1. A Negative Proposition 2. The proof of the Proposition First A Negative Proposition none of the Princes of this 1. world knew that Spiritual Wisdom which he taught By Princes of this world or rather principes seculi the Princes of that age he means as Camero well notes the learned Rabbies Scribes and Pharisees renowned for wisdom and learning among them and honoured upon that account as so many Princes but he adds a diminutive term which darkens all their glory They are but the Princes of this world utterly unacquainted with the wisdom of the other world To which he adds Secondly A clear and full proof for had they known it 2. they would not have crucified the Lord of glory In which words we find one of Christs glorious and royal Titles the Lord of glory upon which Title my present Discourse must fall The words being fitly rendred and nothing of ambiguity in them they give us this observation DOCT. That Christ Crucified is the Lord of Glory Doct. Great and excellent is the glory of Jesus Christ the Scriptures every where proclaim his glory Yea we may observe a notable Climax or gradation in those Scriptures that speak of his glory The Prophet Isaiah speaking of him calls him glorious Isai. 4. 2. In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious John speaking of his glory rises a step higher and ascribeth to him a glory as of the only begotton Son of the Father John 1. 14. i. e. a glory meet for and becoming the Son of God proper to him and incommunicable to any other The Apostle James rises yet higher and doth not only call him glorious or glorious as the only begotten of the Father but the glory Jam. 2. 1. glory in the abstract my brethren saith he have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the glory with respect of persons for the word Lord which is in our translation is a supplement Christ is glory it self yea the glory emphatically so stiled the glory of Heaven the glory of Sion the glory of our souls for ever The Author to the Hebrews goes yet higher and calls him not simply the glory but the brightness of his Fathers glory Heb. 1. 3. as who should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the radiancy sparkling or beaming forth of his Fathers glory the very splendor or refulgency of divine glory Oh what a glorious Lord is our Lord Jesus Christ the bright sparkling Diamond of Heaven who shines in glory there above the glory of Angels and Saints as the glory of the Sun excels the lesser twinkling Stars When he appeared to Paul in Acts 26. 13. I saw said he a light from Heaven above the brightness of the Sun shining round about me needs must the glory of Christ be unspeakable who reflects glory upon all that be with him John 17. 24. and stamps glory upon all that belongs to him His works on earth were glorious works Luk. 13. 17. The purchased liberty of his people a glorious liberty Rom. 8. 21. The Church his mystical body a glorious Church Eph. 5. 27. The Gospel which reveals him is a glorious Gospel 1 Tim. 1. 11. But more particularly let us consider the glory of Christ as it is distinguished into his either 1. Essential Glory 2. Mediatorial First The Essential Glory of Christ which he hath as God 1. from everlasting which is unspeakable and unconceivable glory for saith the Apostle Phil. 2. 6. He being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God i. e. he had a Peerage or equality with his Father in glory Joh. 10. 30. I and my Father are one and again Joh. 16. 15. All things that the Father hath are mine the same name the same nature the same essential properties the same will and the same glory Secondly The Mediatorial glory of Christ is exceeding 2. great this is proper to him as head of the Church which he hath purchased with his own blood Of this glory the Apostle speaks Phil. 2. 9 10. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exalted above all exaltation Now the mediatorial glory of our Lord Jesus Christ consisteth either 1. In the fulness of Grace inherent in him 2. Or in the Dignity and Authority put upon him First In the fulness of grace inherent in him the humanity of Christ is filled with grace as the Sun with light Joh. 1. 14. Full of grace and truth never any creature was so filled by the Spirit of Grace as the man Christ Jesus is filled for God gives not the spirit to him by measure Joh. 3. 34. By reason of this fulness of grace inherent in him he is sairer than the Children of men Psal. 45. 2. Excelling all the Saints in spiritual lustre and gracious excellencies Secondly In the Dignity and Authority put upon him he is crowned King in Sion all power in Heaven and earth is given unto him Mat. 28. 18. he is Lawgiver to the Church James 4. 12. All acts of worship are to be performed in his name Prayer Preaching Censures Sacraments
spiritualiter per ipsum regeneratos Sicut deâ—…ictum Ade non nocet nisi suis in eo quod sui sunt Sic nec gratia Christi prodest nisi suis in eo quod sui sunt as the Condemnation of the First Adam passeth not to us except as by generation we are his so grace and remission pass not from the Second Adam to us except as by regeneration we are his Adams Sin hurts none but those that are in him and Christs blood profits none but those that are in him how great a weight therefore doth there hang upon the effectual application of Christ to the Souls of men and what is there in the whole world so awfully solemn so greatly important as this is Such is the strong consolation resulting from it that the Apostle in this context offers it to the believing Corinthians as a superabundant recompence for the despicable meanness and baseness of their outward condition in this world of which he had just before spoken in ver 27 28. telling them though the world contemned them as vile foolish and weak yet of God Christ is made unto them wisdom and righteousness sanctification and redemption In which words we have an Enumeration of the chief priviledges of believers and an Account of the method whereby they come to be invested with them First Their priviledges are enumerated namely wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption mercies of 1. Quatuor Christo â—…logia hic adscribit quae totam ejus virtutem quicquid ab ipso bonorum recipimus complectuntur Calv. in loc inestimable value in themselves and such as respect a fourfold misery lying upon sinful manâ—… viz. Ignorance guilt pollution and the whole 〈◊〉 of miserable consequences and effects let in upon the nature of men yea the best and holiest of men by sin Lapsed man is not only in deep misery but grossly ignorant both that he is so and how to recover himself from it Sin hath left him at once senseless of his state and at a perfect loss about the true remedy To cure this Christ is made to him Wisdome not only by improvement of those treasures of wisdome that are in himself for the benefit of such souls as are united to him as an head consulting the good of his own members but also by imparting his wisdome to them by the Spirit of illumination whereby they come to discern both their sin and danger as also the true way of their recovery from both through the application of Christ to their souls by faith But alas Simple illumination doth but increase our burden and exasperate our misery as long as sin in the guilt of it is either imputed to our persons unto condemnation or reflected by our consciences in a way of accusation With design therefore to remedy and heal this sore evil Christ is made of God unto us righteousness compleat and perfect righteousness whereby our obligation to punishment is dissolved and thereby a solid foundation for a well settled peace of conscience firmly established Yea but although the removing of guilt from our persons and consciences be an inestimable mercy yet alone it cannot make us compleatly happy for though a man should never be damned for sin yet what is it less than an hell upon earth to be under the dominion and pollution of every base lust it's misery enough to be daily defiled by sin though a man should never be damned for it To compleat therefore the happiness of the redeemed Christ is not only made of God unto them Wisdome and righteousness the one curing our ignorance the other our guilt but he is made Sanctification also to relieve us against the dominion and pollution of our corruptions he comes both by water and by blood not by blood only but by water also 1 Joh. 5. 6. purging as well as pardoning how compleat and perfect a cure is Christ But yet something is required beyond all this to make our happiness perfect and entire wanting nothing and that is the removal of those doleful effects and consequents of sin which notwithstanding all the forementioned priviledges and mercies still lye upon the souls and bodies of illuminated justified and sanctified persons For even upon the best and holiest of men what swarms of vanity loads of deadness and fits of unbelief do daily appear in and oppress their souls to the imbittering of all the comforts of life to them And how many diseases deformities pains oppress their bodies which daily moulders away by them till they fall into the grave by death even as the bodies of other men do who never received such priviledges from Christ as they do For if Christ be in us as the Apostle speaks Rom. 8. 10. the body is dead because of sin Sanctification exempts us not from mortality But from all these and whatsoever else the fruits and consequences of sin Christ is Redemption to his people also this seals up the sum of mercies this so compleats the happiness of the Saints that it leaves nothing to desire These four wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption take up amongst them all that is necessary or desirable to make a soul truly and perfectly blessed Secondly we have here the method and way by which the Elect come to be invested with these excellent priviledges 2. the account whereof the Apostle gives us in these words Who of God is made unto us in which expression four things are remarkable First That Christ and his benefits go inseparably and undividedly together 't is Christ himself is made all this unto us we can have no saving benefit separate and apart from the person of Christ many would willingly receive his priviledges who will not receive his person but it cannot be if we will have one we must take the other too yea we must accept his person first and then his benefits as it is in the marriage Covenant so 't is here Secondly That Christ with his benefits must be personally and particularly applied to us before we can receive any actual saving priviledge by him he must be made unto us i. e. particularly applied to us as a sum of money becomes or is made the ransome and liberty of a Captive when it is not only promised but paid down in his name and legally applied for that use and end when Christ dyed the ransome was prepared the sum laid down but yet the elect continue still in sin and misery notwithstanding till by effectual calling it be actually applied to their persons and then they are made free Rom. 5. 10 11. reconciled by Christs death by whom we have now received the attonement Thirdly That this application of Christ is the work of God and not of man Of God he is made unto us the same hand that prepared it must also apply it or else we perish notwithstanding all that the father hath done in contriving and appointing and all that the son hath done in executing and accomplishing the
design thus far And this actual application is the work of the Spirit by a singular appropriation Fourthly and Lastly This expression imports the suitableness of Christ to the necessities of Sinners What they want he is made to them and indeed as money answers all things and is convertible into meat drink rayment physick or what else our bodily necessities do require so Christ is virtually and eminently all that the necessities of our souls require bread to the hungry soul and cloathing to the naked soul. In a word God prepared and furnished him on purpose to answer all our wants which fully hits the Apostles sense when he saith Who of God is made unto us wisdome and righteousness sanctification and redemption The sum of all is Doct. Doct. That the Lord Jesus Christ with all his precious benefits becomes ours by Gods special and effectual Application There is a twofold Application of our redemption one Primary the other Secondary the former is the Act of God the Father applying it to Christ our Surety and virtually to us in him the later is the Act of the holy Spirit personally and actually applying it to us in the work of conversion the former hath the respect and relation of an example model or pattern to this and this is produced and wrought by the vertue of that What was done upon the person of Christ was not only virtually done upon us considered in him as a common publick representative person in which sense we are said to dye with him and live with him to be crucified with him and buryed with him but it was also intended for a platform or Idea of what is to be done by the Spirit actually upon our souls and bodies in our single persons As he dyed for sin so the Spirit applying his death to us in the work of mortification causes us to dye to sin by the vertue of his death and as he was quickned by the Spirit and raised unto life so the Spirit applying unto us the life of Christ causeth us to live by spiritual vivification Now this personal secondary and actual application of redemption to us by the Spirit in his sanctifying work is that which I am engaged here to discuss and open Which I shall do in these following Propositions Propos. 1. The Application of Christ to us is not only Comprehensive of our Justification but of all those works of the Spirit which are known Propos. 1. to us in Scripture by the names of regeneration vocation sanctification and conversion Though all these terms have some small respective differences among themselves yet they are all included in this general the applying and putting on of Christ Rom. 13. 14. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. Regeneration expresses those supernatural divine new qualities infused by the Spirit into the Soul which are the principles of all holy actions Vocation expresseth the terms from which and to which the soul moves when the Spirit works savingly upon it under the Gospel call Sanctification notes that holy dedication of heart and life to God our becoming the Temples of the living God separate from all prophane sinful practices to the Lords only use and service Conversion denotes the great change it self which the Spirit causeth upon the soul turning it by a sweet irresistible efficacy from the power of Sin and Satan to God in Christ. Now all these are imported in and done by the Application of Christ to our souls for when once the efficacy of Christs death and the vertue of his resurrection come to take place upon the heart of any man he cannot but turn from Sin to God and become a new creature living and acting by new principles and rules So the Apostle observes 1 Thes. 1. 5 6. speaking of the effect of this work of the Spirit upon that people Our Gospel saith he came not to you in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost there was the effectual application of Christ to them And you became followers of us and of the Lord ver 6. there was their effectual call And ye turned from dumb Idols to serve the living and true God ver 9. there was their conversion So that ye were ensamples to all that believe ver 7. there was their life of Sanctification or dedication to God So that all these are comprehended in effectual application Propos. 2. The Application of Christ to the souls of men is that great project Propos. 2. and design of God in this world for the accomplishment whereof all the Ordinances and all the officers of the Gospel are appointed and continued in the world This the Gospel expressly declared to be its direct and great end and the great business of all its officers Eph. 4. 11 12. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some pastors and teachers till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ i. e. the great aim and scope of all Christs Ordinances and officers is to bring men into Union with Christ and so build them up to perfection in him or to unite them to and confirm them in Christ and when it shall have finished this design then shall the whole frame of Gospel Ordinances be taken down and all its officers disbanded The Kingdom i. e. this present oeconomy manner and form of Government shall be delivered up 1 Cor. 15. 24. what are Ministers but the Bridegrooms friends Ambassadors for God to beseech men to be reconciled when therefore all the elect are brought home in a reconciled state to Christ when the marriage of the Lamb is come our work and office expire together Propos. 3. Such is the Importance and great concernment of the personal application of Christ to us by the Spirit that whatsoever the father hath Propos. 3. done in the contrivement or the Son hath done in the accomplishment of our Redemption is all inavailable and ineffectual to our Salvation without this It is confessedly true that Gods good pleasure appointing us from eternity to Salvation is in its kind a most full and sufficient Impulsive cause of our Salvation and every way able for so much as it is concerned to produce its effect And Christs humiliation and sufferings are a most compleat and sufficient meritorious cause of our Salvation to which nothing can be added to make it more apt and able to procure our Salvation than it already is yet neither the one or other can actually save any Soul without the Spirits application of Christ to it for where there are divers social causes or concauses necessary to produce one effect there the effect cannot be produced until the last cause have wrought thus it is here The Father hath elected and the Son hath redeemed but until the Spirit who is the last cause have wrought his part also we cannot be
it appear that there is such a Union betwixt Christ and believers it is no Ens rationis 1. empty notion or cunningly devised fable but a most certain demonstrable truth which appears First From the Communion which is betwixt Christ and believers in this the Apostle is express 1 Joh. 1. 3. truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifies such fellowship or Copartnership as persons have by a joynt interest in one and the same enjoyment which is in common betwixt them So Heb. 3. 14. we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ipse venit in sortem nostrae mortalitatis ut in fortem nos adduceret suae immortalitatis clarum autem est hic agi de consortibus unctionis quales sunt omnes fideles qui unctionis participes fiunt Rivet partakers of Christ and Psal. 45. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here the Saints are called the companions consorts or fellows of Christ and that not only in respect of his assumption of our mortality and investing us with his immortality but it hath a special reference and respect to the Unction of the Holy Ghost or graces of the Spirit of which believers are partakers with him and through him Now this Communion of the Saints with Christ is entirely and necessarily dependant upon their Union with him even as much as the branches participation of the sap and juice depends upon its Union and coalition with the stock take away Union and there can be no communion or communications which is clear from 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. All is yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods where you see how all our participation of Christs benefits is built upon our Union with Christs person Secondly The reality of the believers Union with Christ is evident from the Imputation of Christs righteousness to him for his Justification That a believer is justified before God by a righteousness without himself is undeniable from Rom. 3. 24. being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus and that Christs righteousness becomes ours by Imputation is as clear from Rom. 4. 23 24. but it can never be imputed to us except we be united to him and become one with him which is also plainly asserted in 1 Con. 1. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdome and righteousness sanctification and redemption he communicates his merits unto none but those that are in him hence all those vain cavils of the Papists disputing against our Justification by the righteousness of Christ and asserting it to be by inherent righteousness are solidly answered When they demand how can we be justified by the righteousness of another can I be rich with another mans money or preferr'd by anothers honours Our answer is Yes if that other be my surety or husband indeed Peter cannot be justified by the righteousness of Paul but both may be justified by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them they being members joyntly knit to one common head principal and surety are one in obligation and construction of Law head and members are one body branch and stock are one tree and it 's no strange thing to see a graff live by the sap of another stock when once it is ingraffed into it Thirdly The Sympathy that is betwixt Christ and believers proves a Union betwixt them Christ and the Saints smile and sigh together St. Paul in Colos. 1. 2 4. tells us that he did fill up that which is behind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the remainders of the sufferings of Christ in his Flesh not as if Christs sufferings were imperfect for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. but in these two Scriptures Christ is consider'd in a twofold capacity he suffered once in Corpore proprio in his own person as mediator these sufferings are compleat and full and in that sense he suffers no more he suffers also in Corpore mâ—…tico in his Church and members thus he still suffers in the sufferings of every Saint for his sake and though these sufferings in his Mystical body are not equal to the other either pondere mensura in their weight and value nor yet designed ex officio for the same use and purpose to satisfie by their proper merit offended Justice nevertheless they are truly reckoned the sufferings of Christ because the head suffers when the members do and without this supposition that place Acts 9. 5. is never to be understood when Christ the head in Heaven crys out Saul Saul why persecutest thou me when the toe was trod upon on earth how doth Christ sensibly feel our sufferings or we his if there be not a Mystical Union betwixt him and us Fourthly and Lastly The way and manner in which the Saints shall be raised at the last day proves this Mystical Union betwixt Christ and them for they are not to be raised as others by the naked power of God without them but by the vertue of Christs resurrection as their head sending forth vital quickening influences into their dead bodies which are united to him as well as their souls For so we find it Rom. 8. 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you even as it is in our awakening out of natural sleep first the animal spirits in the head begin to rouze and play there and then the senses and members are loosed throughout the whole body Now it 's impossible the Saints should be raised in the last resurrection by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them if that Spirit did not knit and unite them to him as members to their head So then by all this it is proved that there is a real Union of the Saints with Christ. Next I shall endeavour to open the quality and nature of this Union and shew you what it is according to the weak 2. apprehensions we have of so sublime a Mystery and this I shall do in a General account of it and Particular First More generally it is an intimate conjunction of believers to Christ by the imparting of his Spirit to them whereby 1. they are enabled to believe and live in him All divine Spiritual life is originally in the Father and cometh not to us but by and through the son Joh. 5. 26. to him hath the Father given to have an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quickening enlivening power in himself but the Son communicates this life which is in him to none but by and through the Spirit Rom. 8. 2. the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death The Spirit must therefore first take hold of us before we can live in Christ and
with you no more when a gulph shall be fixed betwixt him and you for ever Luk. 13. 25. O what will you do when the season of mercy and all hopes of mercy shall end together When God shall become inaccessible inexorable and unreconcilable to you for evermore O what wilt thou do when thou shalt find thy self shut up under eternal wrath when thou shalt feel that misery thou art now warned of is this the place where I must be are these the torments I must endure what for ever Yea for ever will not God be satisfied with the sufferings of a thousand years No nor of Millions of years Ah sinners did you but clearly see the present and future misery of unreconciled ones and what that wrath of the great and terrible God is which is coming as fast as the wings of time can bring it upon you it would certainly drive you to Christ or drive you out of your wits O 't is a dreadful thing to have God for your eternal enemy to have the great and terrible God setting on work his infinite power to avenge the abuse of his grace and mercy Believe it friends it 's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God knowing the terrors of the Lord we perswade men an eternal weight hangs upon an inch of time O that you did know the time of your visitation That you would not dare to adventure and run the hazard of one day more in an unreconciled state Thirdly and Lastly This point speaks to those who 3. have believed our report who have taken hold of Gods strength and made peace with him who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy who once were afar off but now are made nigh by the blood of Christ with you I would leave a few words of exhortation and I have done First Admire and stand amaz'd at this mercy I will praise thee O Lord saith the Church Isai. 12. 1. though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me O how overwhelming a mercy is here before you God is at peace at peace with you that were enemies in your minds by wicked works Colos. 1. 21. at peace with you and at enmity with Millions as good by nature as you at peace with you that sought it not at peace for ever no dissolving this friendship for evermore O let this Consideration thaw your hearts before the Lord and make you cry What am I Lord that mercy should take in me and shut out fallen Angels and millions of men and women as capable of mercy as my self O the riches O the depths of the mercy and goodness of God! Secondly Beware of New breaches with God God will speak peace to his people and to his Saints but let not them return any more to folly Psal. 85. 8. What if this state of friendship can never be dissolved yet it is a dreadful thing to have it clouded you may lose the sense of peace and with it all the joy of your hearts and comforts of your lives in this world Thirdly Labour to reconcile others to God Especially those that are endeared to you by the bonds of Natural relation When Paul was reconciled to God himself his heart was full of heaviness for others that were not reconciled for his brethren and kinsinen according to the flesh Rom. 9. 2 3. When Abraham was become Gods friend himself then O that Ishmael might live before thee Gen. 17. 18. Fourthly and Lastly let your reconciliation with God relieve you under all burdens of affliction you shall meet with in your way to heaven let them that are at enmity with God droop under Crosses and afflictions but don't you do so Tranquillus deus tranquillat omnia Rom. 5. 1 2 3. Let the peace of God keep your hearts and minds As nothing can comfort a man that must to Hell at last so nothing should deject a man that shall through many troubles win heaven at last The Fourth SERMON Serm. 4. Joh. 6. 44. Explaining the work of the Spirit as the internal most effectual means of the Application of Christ. No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him OUR last discourse informed you of the usefulness influence of the preaching of the Gospel in order to the Application of Christ to the souls of men there must be in Gods Ordinary way the external ministerial offer of Christ before men can have Union with him But yet all the preaching in the world can never effect this Union with Christ in it self and in its own vertue except a supernatural and mighty power go forth with it for that end and purpose Let Boanerges and Barnabas try their strength let the Angels of heaven be the preachers till God draw the soul cannot come to Christ. No saving benefit is to be had by Christ without Union with his person no Union with his person without faith no faith ordinarily wrought without the preaching of the Gospel by Christs Ambassadors their preaching hath no saving efficacy without Gods drawings as will evidently appear by considering these words and the occasion of them The occasion of these words is found as Learned Cameron well observes in the 42. verse And they said Is not this Jesus Cameronis Myrothes p. 139. the son of Joseph whose Father and Mother we know Christ had been pressing upon them in his ministry the great and necessary duty of faith but notwithstanding the Authority of the preacher the holiness of his life the miracles by which he confirmed his doctrine they still objected against him is not this the Carpenters Son from whence Christ takes the occasion of these words No man can come unto me except my Father which hath sent me draw him q. d. In vain is the Authority of my person urged in vain are all the miracles wrought in your sight to confirm the doctrine preached to you till that secret almighty power of the Spirit be put forth upon your hearts you will not you cannot come unto me The words are a Negative proposition In which the Author and powerful manner of divine operation in working faith are contained there must be drawing before believing and that drawing must be the drawing of God every word hath its weight we will consider them in the order they lye in the Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No man not one let his Natural qualifications be what they will let his external advantages in respect of means and helps be never so great it is not in the power of any man all persons in all ages need the same power of God one as well as another every man is alike dead impotent and averse to faith in his Natural Capacity No man or not one among all the sons of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can or is able he speaks of impotency to special and saving actions such as believing in Christ is no act
that is saving can be done without the concurrence of special grace Other acts that have a remote tendency to it are performed by a more general concourse and common assistance so men may come to the word and attend what is spoken remember and consider what the word tells them but as to believing or coming to Christ that no man can do of himself or by a general and common assistance No man can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come unto me i. e. believe in me unto Salvation Coming to Christ and believing in him are terms aequipollent and are indifferently used to express the nature of saving faith as is plain from ver 35. he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst it notes the terms from which and to which the soul moves and the voluntariness of the motion notwithstanding that divine power by which the will is drawn to Christ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Except my Father not excluding the other two persons for every work of God relating to the Creatures is common to all the three persons nor only to note that the Father is the first in order of working but the reason is hinted in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who hath sent me God having entred into Covenant with the son and sent him stands obliged by that paction to bring the promised seed to him and that he doth by drawing them to Christ by faith so the next words tell us the Father doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 draw him that is powerfully and effectually incline his will to come to Christ not by a violent coaction Non violenta coactioâ—…mmediata sed voluntatis à deo aaversae henevola flectio Glas. Rhet Sacra p. 2â—…6 but by a benevolent bending of the will which was averse and as it is not in the way of force and compulsion so neither is it by a simple moral suasion by the bare proposal of an object to the will and so leaving the sinner to his own election but it is such a persuasion as hath a mighty overcoming efficacy accompanying it of which more anon The words thus opened the Observation will be this Doct. That it is utterly impossible for any man to come to Jesus Christ Doct. unless he be drawn unto him by the special and mighty power of God No man is compelled to come to Christ against his will he that cometh comes willingly but even that will and desire to come is the effect of grace Phil. 2. 13. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure If we desire the help and assistance of grace saith Fulgentius Ut ergo desideremus adjutorium hoc quoque est gratiae ipsa namque incipit effundi ut incipiat posci Fulgen. Epist. 6. ad Theod. even the desire is of grace grace must first be shed forth upon us before we can begin to desire it by grace are yâ—… saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. suppose the utmost degree of natural ability let a man be as much disposed and prepared as nature can dispose or prepare him and to all this add the proposal of the greatest arguments and motives to induce him to come let all these have the advantage of the fittest season to work upon his heart yet no man can come till God draw him we move as we are moved as Christs coming to us so our coming to him are the pure effects of grace Three things require Explication in this point before us First What the drawing of the Father imports Secondly In what manner he draws men to Christ. Thirdly How it appears that none can come till they be so drawn First What the drawing of the Father imports To open this let it be considered that drawing is usually 1. distinguisht into Physical and Moral The former is either by coaction force and compulsion or by a sweet congruous efficacy upon the will as to violence and compulsion it is none of Gods way and Method it being both against the nature of the will of man which cannot be forced and against the will of Jesus Christ who loves to reign over a free and willing people Psal. 110. 4. The people shall be willing in the day of thy power or as that word may be rendred they shall be voluntarinesses as willing as willingness it self it is not then by a forcible coaction but in a Moral way of perswasion that God the Father draws men to Jesus Christ he draws with the bands of a man as they are called Hosea 11. 14. i. e. in a way of rational conviction of the mind and Conscience and effectual perswasion of the will But yet by Moral perswasion we must not understand a simple and bare proposal or tender of Christ and grace leaving it still at the sinners choice whether he will comply with it or no * Non videmus deum concionautem scribentem docentem tamen ac si videmus credimus habet enim omn is veritas vim inclinativam major majorem maxima maximam sed cur ergo non omnes credunt evangelio Respondeo quod non omnes trahuntur a deo Baptist Mantuanus de patientia lib. 3. cap. 2. for though God do not force the will contrary to its nature yet there is a real internal efficiency implyed in this drawing or an immediate operation of the Spirit upon the heart and will which in a way Congruous and suitable to its nature takes away the rebellion and reluctance of it and of unwilling makes it willing to come to Christ and in this respect we own a physical as well as a Moral influence of the Spirit in this work and so the Scripture expresses it Eph. 1. 19 20. that we may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead here is much more than a naked proposal made to the will there is a power as well as a tender greatness of power and yet more the exceeding greatness of his power and this power hath an actual efficiency ascribed to it he works upon our hearts and wills according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead thus he fulfills in us all the good pleasure of his will and the work of faith with power 2 Thes. 1. 11. And this is that which the Schools call gratia efficax effectual grace and others victrix delectatio an overcoming conquering Coelestis qu edam ineffabilis suavitas Jansenius Aug. Lib. 4. cap. 1. delight thus the work is carried on with a most efficacious sweetness So that the liberty of the will is not infringed whilst the obstinacy of the will is effectually subdued and over-ruled for want of this
these discoveries Thus the Lord draws in our own way by rational Convictions of the understanding and allurements of the will And it 's possible this may be the reason why some poor souls mis-judge the workings of the Spirit of God upon them selves thinking they never had that wonderful and mighty power of God in conversion acting upon their hearts because they find all that is done upon their hearts that way is done in the ordinary course and method of Nature they consider compare are convinced and then resolve to choose Christ and his ways whereas they expect to feel some strange operations that shall have the visible Characters of the immediate power of God upon them and such a power they might discern if they would consider it as working in this way and method but they cannot distinguish Gods acts from their own and that puzzles them Thirdly The drawings of the Father are very powerful The arm of the Lord is revealed in this work Isa. 53. 1. It was a powerful word indeed that made the light at first shine out of darkness and no less power is required to make it shine into our hearts 2 Cor. 5. 14. That day in which the soul is made willing to come to Christ is call'd the day of his power Psal. 110. 3. The Scripture expresseth the work of conversion by a threefold Metaphor viz. That of a resurrection from the dead Rom. 6. 4. That of Creation Ephes. 2. 10. And That of Victory or Conquest 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. All these set forth the infinite power of God in this work for no less than almighty power is required to each of them and if you strictly examine the distinct notions you shall find the power of God more and more illustriously display'd in each of them To raise the dead is the effect of almighty power but then there surrection suppseth pre-existent matter In the work of creation there is no pre-existent matter but then there is no opposition that which is not rebels not against the power that gives it being But Victory and Conquest supposes opposition all the power of corrupt Nature arming it self and fighting against God but yet not able to frustrate his design Let the soul whom the father draws struggle and reluctate Sâ—…avis motus in verbo sortis tractus in Deo Est enim quaedam necessitas vuluntaria Moulin Anat. Arâ—…in as much as it can it shall come yea and come willingly too when the drawing power of God is upon it O the self-conflicts the contrary resolves with which the soul finds it self distracted and rent asunder the hopes and fears the incouragements and discouragements they will and they will not but victorious grace conquers all opposition at last We find an excellent example of this in blessed Augustine * Ita due voluntates 〈◊〉 una vetus alia novâ—… illa carnalis illa spiritualis confligibant inter se atque discordando dissipabant animam medan ibi enim magis jam non ego quia ex magna parte id patiebar invitus quodâ—… faciebam volens Aug. confess lib. 8. c. 5. who speaks of this very work the drawing of his soul to Christ and how he fâ—…lt in that day two wills in himself one old the other neâ—… one carnal the other spiritual and how in these their contrary motions and conflicts he was torn asunder in his own thoughts and resolutions suffering that unwillingly which he did willingly And certainly if we consider how deep the soul is rooted by natural inclination and long continued custome in sin how extreamly averse it is to the ways of strict godliness and mortification how Satan that invidious enemy that strong man armed fortifies the soul to defend his possession against Christ and intrenches himself in the understanding will and affections by deep rooted prejudices against Christ and holiness it is the wonder of wonders to see a soul quitting all its beloved lusts and fleshly interests and endearments and coming willingly under Christs yoak Fourthly The drawings of God are very effectual there is indeed a Common and ineffectual work upon hypocrites and Apostates call'd in Scripture a morning cloud an early dew Hosea 6. 4. these may believe for a time and fall away at last Luke 8. 13. their wills may be half won they may be drawn half way to Christ and return again So it was with Agrippa Acts 26. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within a very little Suadere est conantis persuadere efficientis suadet qui consulit persuadit qui quo vult inducit hominem Erasm. thou perswadest me to be a Christian but in Gods elected ones it is effectual their wills are not only almost but altogether perswaded to embrace Christ and quit the ways of sin how pleasant gainful and dear soever they have been to them the Lord not only draws but draws home those souls to Christ Joh. 6. 37. all that the Father hath given me shall come to me It is confessed that in the drawing home of the very elect to Christ there may be and frequently are many pauses stands and demurrs they have convictions affections and resolutions stirring in them which like early blossoms seem to be nipt and dye away again There is frequently in young ones especially an hopeful appearance of grace they make conscience of sins and duties they have sometimes notable rouzings and awakenings under the word they are observed to affect retirements for meditation and prayer and delight to be in the company of Christians and after all this youthful lusts and vanities are found to stifle and choak these hopeful beginnings and the work seems to stand it may be some years at a pause however at last the Lord makes it victorious over all opposition and sets it home with power upon their hearts Fifthly To conclude Those whom the Father draws to Christ he draws to him finally and for ever The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. They are so as to God the giver he never repents that he hath called his people into the fellowship of his Son Christ Jesus and they are so on the believers part he is never sorry whatever he afterwards meets with that he is come to Christ. There is a time when Christians are drawn to Christ but there shall never be a time in which they shall be drawn away from Christ Joh. 10. 29. there 's no plucking them out of the Fathers hand It was common to a Proverb in the Primitive times when they would express an impossibility you may as soon draw a Christian from Christ as do it when Christ asked that question of the disciples Will ye also go away Lord saith Peter in the name of them all to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life Joh. 6. 68. They that are thus drawn do with full purpose of heart cleave unto the Lord. And thus of the manner and quality of effectual drawing
believer doth not marry the portion first and then the person but to be found in him is the first and great care of a believer I deny not but it's lawful for any to have an eye to the benefits of Christ. Salvation from wrath is and lawfully may be intended and aimed at look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth Isa. 45. 22. Nor do I deny but there are many poor souls who being in deep distress and fear may and often do look mostly to their own safety at first and that there is much confusion as well in the actings of their faith as in their condition but sure I am it is the proper order in believing first to accept the person of the Lord Jesus heaven is no doubt very desirable but Christ is more whom have I in heaven but thee Psal. 73. 25. Union with Christ is in order of nature antecedent to the Communication of his priviledges therefore so it ought to be in the order and method of believing Sixthly Christ is Advisedly offered in the Gospel to sinners as the result of Gods eternal counsel a project of grace upon which his heart and thoughts have been much set Zech. 6. 13. 6. The counsel of peace was betwixt the Father and Son And so the believer receives him most deliberately weighing the matter in his most deep and serious thoughts for this is a time of much solitude and thoughtfulness The souls espousals are acts of judgement Hosea 2. 19. on our part as well as on Gods we are therefore bid to sit down and count the cost Luke 14. 28. Faith or the actual receiving of Christ is the result of many previous debates in the soul the matter hath been ponder'd over and over the objections and discouragements both from the self-denying terms of the Gospel and our own vileness and deep guilt have been ruminated and lain upon our hearts day and night and after all things have been ballanced in the most deep consideration the soul is determined to this conclusion I must have Christ be the terms never so hard be my sins never so great and many I will yet go to him and venture my soul upon him if I perish I periâ—…h I have thought out all my thoughts and this is the result union with Christ here or separation from God for ever must be my lot And thus doth the Lord open the hearts of his elect and win the consent of their wills to receive Jesus Christ upon the deepest consideration and debate of the matter in their own most solemn thoughts they understand and know that they must deeply deny themselves take up his cross and follow him Matth. 16. 24. renounce not only sinsul but religious self these are hard and difficult things but yet the necessity and excellency of Christ makes them appear eligible and rational by all which you see faith is another thing than what the sound of that word as it is generally understood signifies to the understandings of most men This is that fiducial receiving of Christ here to be opened Secondly Our next work will be to evince this receiving 2. of Christ as it hath been opened to be that special saving faith of Gods elect this is that faith of which such great and glorious things are spoken in the Gospel which whosoever hath shall be saved and he that hath it not shall be damned and this I shall evidently prove by the following Arguments or reasons Arg. 1. First That faith which gives the soul right and title to spiritual Adoption with all the priviledges and benefits thereof Arg. 1. is true saving Faith But such a receiving of Christ as hath been describ'd gives the soul right and title to spiritual Adoption with all the priviledges and benefits thereof Therefore such a receiving of Christ as hath been describ'd is true and saving faith The Major proposition is undeniable for our right and title to spiritual Adoption and the priviledges thereof rises from our Union with Jesus Christ we being united to the son of God are by vertue of that Union reckon'd or accounted sons Gal. 3. 26. You are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ the effect of saving faith is union with Christs person the consequent of that Union is Adoption or right to the inheritance The Minor is most plain in the Text To as many as received him to them gave he power or right to become the sons of God a false faith hath no such priviledges annexed to it no unbeliever is thus dignified no stranger entitled to this inheritance Arg. 2. Secondly That only is saving and justifying faith which is in all true believers in none but true believers and in all Arg. 2. true believers at all times But such a receiving of Christ as hath been described is in all true believers in none but true believers and in all true believers at all times Therefore such a receiving of Christ as hath been describ'd is the only saving and justifying faith The Major is undenyable that must needs contain the essence of saving faith which is proper to every true believer at all times and to no other The Minor will be as clear for there is no other act of faith but this of fiducial receiving Christ as he is offer'd that doth agree to all true believers to none but true believers and to all true believers at all times There be three Acts of faith Assent Acceptance and Assurance The Papists generally give the essence of saving faith Actus fidei consistit in assâ—â— quo quis assentitur alicui propositioni à deo revelatae propter authoritatem revelantis Becan Theol. Schol. Tom. 3. cap. 8. Q. 4. to the first viz. Assent The Lutherans and some of our own give it to the last viz. Assurance but it can neither be so nor so Assent doth not agree only to true believers or justified persons Assurance agrees to justified persons and them only but not to all justified persons and that at all times Assent is too low to contain the essence of saving faith it is found in the unregenerate as well as the regenerate yea in devils as well as men Jam. 2. 19. 't is supposed and included in justifying faith but it is not the justifying or saving act Assurance is as much too high being found only in some eminent believers Many new-born Christians live like the new-born babe vivit est vitae nescius ipse suae the whole stock of many a believer consists in the bare direct acts of faith and in them too but at some times there 's many a true believer to whom the joy and comfort of assurance is denyed they may say of their Union with Christ as Paul said of his vision whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell so they whether in Christ or out of Christ they cannot tell A true believer may walk in darkness and see no
spirit of holiness compared here with oyl of which there was a double use Oleum ipsum est limpidum pellucidum flammis fomentum alimoniam suppeditat inde sumpta metaphora ungere in scriptura saepe significat spiritu sancto intus aâ—…imum illustrare accendere in eo veram-agnitionem dei motus congruentes cum deo Mollerus in Loc. under the Law viz. a Civil and a Sacred use it had a sacred and solemn use in the inauguration and consecration of the Jewish Kings and High Priests it had also a civil and common use for the anointing their bodies to make their limbs more agile expedite and nimble To make the face shine for it gave a lustre freshness and liveliness to the countenance it was also used in Lamps to feed and maintain the fire and give them light these were the principal uses of oyl Now upon all these accounts it excellently expresseth and figuratively represents to us the Spirit of grace poured forth upon Christ and his people For First By the spirit poured out upon him he was prepared for and consecrated to his offices he was anointed with the holy Ghost and with power Acts 10. 38. Secondly As this precious oyl runs down from Christ the head to the borders of his garments I mean as it is shed upon believers so it exceedingly beautifies their faces and makes them shine with glory Thirdly It renders them apt expedite and ready to every good work non tar dat unctarota Fourthly It kindles and maintains the flame of divine love in their souls and like a lamp inlightens their minds in the knowledge of Spiritual things the anointing teaches them And this oyl is here call'd the oyl of gladness because it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur id quod causam dat summi gaudii Grotin Heb. 1. v. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OEcum the cause of all joy and gladness to them that are anointed with it oyl was used as you heard before at the instalment of soveraign Princes which was the day of the gladness of their hearts and among the common people it was liberally used at all their festivals but never upon their days of mourning whence it becomes excellently expressive of the nature and use of the Spirit of grace who is the cause and author of all joy in believers Joh. 17. 13. And with this oyl of gladness is Christ said to be anointed above his fellows i. e. to have a far greater share of the Spirit of grace than they for to every one of the Saints is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Eph. 4. 7. but to him the Spirit is not given by measure Joh. 3. 34. It hath pleased the father that in him should all fullness dwell Col. 1. 19. and of his fulness we all receive grace for grace Joh. 1. 16. The Saints partake with him and through him in the same Spirit of grace for which reason they are his fellows but all the grace poured out upon believers comes exceeding short of that which God hath poured out upon Jesus Christ. The words being thus opened give us this note Doct. That all true believers have a real communion or fellowship with Doct. the Lord Jesus Christ. From the Saints Union with Christ there doth naturally and immediately result a most sweet and blessed communion or fellowship with him in graces and spiritual priviledges Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places or things in Christ in giving us his Son he freely gives us all things Rom. 8. 32. so in 1 Cor. 1. 30. of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption and once more 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. all are yours and ye are Christs what Christ is and hath is theirs by communication to them or improvement for them and this is very evidently carried in all those excellent Scripture metaphors by which our Union with Christ is figured and shadowed out to us as the Marriage Union betwixt a man and his wife Eph. 5. 31 32. You know that this conjugal union â—…bi ego Cajus tu Caja Uxor clarescit in radiis mariti gives the wife interest in the estate and honour of the husband be she never so meanly descended in her self the natural Union betwixt the head and members of the body by which also the mystical union of Christ and believers is set forth 1 Cor. 12. 12. excellently illustrates this fellowship or communion betwixt them for from Christ the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body as the Apostle speaks Eph. 4. 16. The Union betwixt the graffe and the stock which is another embleme of our Union with Christ Joh. 15. 1. imports in like manner this communion or partnership betwixt Christ and the Saints For no sooner doth the graffe take hold of the stock but the vital sap of the stock is communicated to the graffe and both live by one and the same juice Now that the scope of this discourse be not mistaken let the Reader know that I am not here treating of the Saints communion or fellowship with God in duties as in prayer hearing Sacraments c. but of that interest which believers have in the good things of Christ by vertue of the Mystical Union betwixt them through faith there is a twofold communion of the Saints with Christ. The first is an Act. The second is a State There is an actual fellowship or communion the Saints have with Christ in holy duties wherein Christians let forth their hearts to God by desires and God lets forth his comforts and refreshments again into their hearts they open their mouths wide and he fills them this communion with God is the joy and comfort of a believers life but I am not to speak of that here It is not any act of communion but the State of communion from which all acts of communion flow and upon which they all depend that I am now to treat of which is nothing else but the joynt interest that Christ and the Saints have in the same things as when a ship an house or estate is among many partners or joynt-heirs every one of them hath right to it and interest in it though some of them have a greater and others a lesser part So is it betwixt Christ and his people there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a fellowship or joynt interest betwixt them upon which ground they are call'd co-heirs with Christ Rom. 8. 17. This communion or participation in Christs benefits depends upon the Hypostatical Union of our nature and the mystical union of our persons with the Son of God in the first he partakes with us in
that as the heathen said of moral vertue I may much more say of Christ That were he to be seen with mortal eyes he would compel love and admiration from all men for he is altogether lovely Cant. 5. 16. Infer 7. What delight and singular advantage must needs be in the communion of the Saints who have communion with Jesus Christ in all Infer 7. his graces and benefits That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1. 3. O 't is sweet to have fellowship with those that have fellowship with God in Jesus Christ. Christ hath communicated to the Saints varieties of graces in different measures and degrees and as they all receive from Christ the fountain so it 's sweet and most delightful to be improving themselves by spiritual communion one with another yea for that end one is furnisht with one grace more eminently than another that the weak may be assisted by the strong as a Modern Divine well observes Athanasius was prudent and active Basil of an heavenly Mr. Torsâ—…ell sweet temper Chrysostome laborious without affectation Ambrose resolv'd and grave Luther couragious and Calvin acute and judicious thus every one hath his proper gift from Christ the fountain of gifts and graces 1 Cor. 7. 7. One hath quickness of parts another solidity of judgement but not ready and presential one is zealous but ungrounded another well principled but timorous one is wary and prudent another open and plain one is trembling and melting another chearful and joyous one must impart his light another his heat the Eye the knowing man cannot say to the Hand the active man I have no need of thee And O how sweet would it be if gifts graces and experiences were frequently and humbly imparted but idle notions earthly-mindedness self-interests and want of more communion with Christ have almost destroyed the comfort of Christian fellowship every where in the world Infer 8. In a word those only have ground to claim interest in Infer 8. Christ who do really participate of his graces and in whom are found the effects and fruits of their Union and communion with him If you have interest in Christ you have communion in his graces and benefits and if you have such communion it will appear in your maintaining daily actual communion with God in duties whereby will be produced First The increase of your Sanctification by fresh participations from the Fountain as Cloth which is often dipt into the Fat receives the deeper dye and livelier tincture so will your souls by assiduous communion with God It will also be discerned Secondly In your deeper humiliation and spiritual sense of your own vileness the more any man partakes of God and is acquainted with him and assimilated to him the more base and vile in his own sight he still grows Job 42. 5 6. Isa. 6. 5. Thirdly It will appear in your more vehement longings after the full enjoyment of God in heaven 1 Pet. 1. 8. and Rom. 8. 23. you that have the first-fruits will groan within your selves after the full harvest and satisfying fruition you will not be so taken with things below as to be content with the best lot on earth for your everlasting portion O if hese communicated drops be so sweet what is there in Christ the fountain And thus I have opened the method of grace in bringing home Christ and his benefits to Gods elect by Union in order to communion with him Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ. The Ninth SERMON Serm. 9. MATTH 11. 28. Text. Containing the first general use of Exhortation inviting all men to apply Jesus Christ. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest THe Impetration of our Redemption by Jesus Christ being finished in the first part and the way and means by which Christ is applied to sinners in the foregoing part of this Treatise I am now orderly come to the general Use of the whole which in the first place shall be by way of Exhortation to invite and perswade all men to come unto Christ who in all the former Sermons hath been represented in his garments of salvation red in his apparel prepared and offered to sinners as their all-sufficient and only remedy and in the following Sermons will be represented in his perfumed garments coming out of his Ivory Palaces Psal. 45. 8. to allure and draw all men unto him For a general head to this Use which will be large I have chosen this Scripture Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest These words are the voice of our Lord Jesus Christ himself in which there is a vital ravishing sound 't is your mercy to have such a joyful sound in your ears this day and in them I will consider their dependance parts and scope As to their dependance it is manifest they have an immediate relation to the foregoing verse wherein Christ opens his Commission and declares the fulness of his authority and saving power and the impossibility of coming to God any other way all things are delivered to me of my Eather and no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him v. 27. This 28 verse is brought in proleptically to obviate the discouragements of any poor convinced and humbled soul who might thus object Lord I am fully satisfied of the fulness of thy saving power but greatly doubt whether ever I shall have the benefit thereof For I see so much sin and guilt in my self so great vileness andutter unworthiness that I am over-weighed and even sink under the burden of it my soul is discouraged because of sin This objection is prevented in the words of my Text Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden Q. d. let not the sense of your sin and misery drive you from your only remedy be your sins never so many and the sense and burthen of them never so heavy yet for all that come unto me you are the persons whom I invite and call I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance In the words three things are especially remarkable 1. The souls spiritual distress and burthen weary and heavy laden 2. It s invitation to Christ under that barthen come unto me 3. It s incouragement to that great duty I will give you rest First The souls spiritual distress and burthen exprest in 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui laboratis scil ad defatigationem usque hac enim Emphasi differt Tò 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod in genere significat laborare Piscator in Loc. i. e. Qui sentitis â—…nus peccatorum sub illo tantâ—…
with God is daily interrupted but it shall not be so in Heaven where the cure is perfect you shall not know love or delight in God as you do this day for you are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the Lord your God giveth you and so much as to the diseases of sin and Christs method of curing them Secondly As sin is the disease of the Saints so also is Sorrow The best of Saints must pass through the vally of 2â—… Bacha to Heaven How many tears fall from the Eyes of the Saints upon the account of outward as well as inward troubles even after their reconciliation with God Through much tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14. 22. It would be too great a digression in this place to note but the more general heads under which almost infinite particulars of troubles and afflictions are found It shall suffice only to shew that whatever distress or trouble any poor soul is in upon any account whatsoever if that soul belong to Jesus Christ he will take care of it for present and deliver it at last by a compleat cure First Christ cures troubles by sanctifying them to the souls of his that are under affliction and makes their very troubles medicinal and healing to them Trouble is a Scorpion and hath a deadly sting but Christ is a wise Physician and extracts a Soveraign Oyl out of this Scorpion that heals the wound it makes By affliction our wise Physician purges our corruptions and so prevents or cures greater troubles by lesser inward sorrows by outward ones Isai. 27. 9. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Secondly Christ cures outward troubles by inward consolations which are made to rise in the inner man as high as the waters of affliction do upon the outward man 2 Cor. 1. 5. One drop of spiritual comfort is sufficient to sweeten a whole Ocean of outward trouble It was an high expression of an Nihil Corpus sent it in nervâ—… cum Anima sit in Coelo afflicted Father whom God comforted just upon the death of his dear and only Son with some clearer manifestations of his love than was usual O said he might I but have such consolations as these I could be willing were it possible to lay an only Son into the grave every day I have to live in this world Thus all the troubles of the world are cured by Christ John 16. 33. In the world ye shall have trouble but in me ye shall have peace Thirdly Christ cures all outward sorrows and troubles in his people by death which is their removal from the place of sorrows to peace and rest for evermore Now God wipes all tears from their eyes and the days of their mourning are at an end they then put off the Garments and Spirit of mourning and enter into peace Isai. 57. 2. they come to that place and state where tears and sighs are things unknown to the Inhabitants one step beyond the state of this mortality brings us quite out of the sight and hearing of all troubles and lamentations These are the diseases of souls sin and sorrow and thus they are cured by Christ the Physician Secondly Next I shall shew you that Jesus Christ is the only Physician of souls none like him for a sick sinner and this will be evident in divers respects First None so wise and judicious as Jesus Christ to understand 2. and comprehend the nature depth and danger of soul diseases O how ignorant and unacquainted are men with the state and case of afflicted souls but Christ hath the tongue of the Learned that he should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary Isai. 50. 4. He only understands the weight of sin and depth of inward troubles for sin Secondly None so able to cure and heal the wounds of afflicted souls as Christ is he only hath those medicines that can cure a sick soul. The blood of Christ and nothing else in Heaven or Earth is able to cure the mortal wounds which guilt inflicts upon a trembling Conscience let men try all other receipts and costly experience shall convince them of their insufficiency Conscience may be benummed by stupefactive medicines prepared by the Devil for that end but pacified it can never be but by the blood of Christ Heb. 16. 22. Thirdly None so tender hearted and sympathizing with sick souls as Jesus Christ he is full of bowels and tender compassions to afflicted souls he is one that can have compassion because he hath had experience Heb. 5. 2. If I must come into the Chirurgeons hand with broken bones give me such a one to choose whose own bones have been broken who hath felt the anguish in himself Christ knows what it is by experience having felt the anguish of inward troubles the weight of Gods wrath and the terrors of a forsaking God more than any or all the sons of men this makes him tender over distressed souls Isai. 42. 3. A bruised reed he will not break and smoaking flax he shall not quench Fourthly None cures in so wonderful a method as Christ doth he heals us by his stripes Isai. 53. 5. The Physician dyes that the Patient may live his wounds must bleed that ours may be cured he feels the smart and pain that we might have the ease and comfort No Physician but Christ will cure others at this rate Fifthly None so ready to relieve a sick soul as Christ he is within the call of a distressed soul at all times Art thou sick for sin weary of sin and made truly willing to part with sin Lift up but thy sincere cry to the Lord Jesus for help and he will quickly be with thee when the Prodigal the embleme of a convinced humbled sinner said in himself I will return to my Father the Father ran to meet him Luke 15. 20. he can be with thee in a moment Sixthly none so willing to receive and undertake all distressed and afflicted souls as Jesus Christ is he refuses none that come to him Joh. 6. 37. He that cometh unto me I will in no wayes cast out whatever their sins have been or their sorrows are however they have wounded their own souls with the deepest gashes of guilt how desperate and helpless soever their case appears in their own or others Eyes he never puts them off or discourages them if they be but willing to come Isai. 1. 18 19. Seventhly None so happy and successful as Christ he never fails of performing a perfect cure upon those he undertakes never was it known that any soul miscarried in his hands John 3. 15 16. other Physicians by mistakes by ignorance or carelesness fill Church-yards and cast away the lives of men but Christ suffers none to perish that commit themselves to him Eighthly none so free and generous as
nature begins to recover ease and vigour again and shall we not much more rejoyce when our souls begin to mend and recover sensibly and all comfortable signs of life and health appear upon them particularly when the understanding which was ignorant and dark hath the light of life beginning to dawn into it such is that in 1 John 2. 27. When the will which was rebellious and inflexible to the will of God is brought to comply with that holy will saying Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. When the heart which was harder than an Adamant is now brought to contrition for sin and can mourn as heartily over it as ever a tender Father did for a dead Son a beloved and only Son When its aversations from God are gone at least have no such power as once they had but the thoughts are now fixed much upon God and spiritual things begin to grow pleasant to the soul when times of duty come to be longed for and the soul never better pleased than in such seasons When the Hypocrisie of the heart is purged out so that we begin to do all that we do heartily as unto the Lord and not unto men Coll. 3. 23. 1 Thess. 2. 4. when we begin to make Conscience of secret sins Psal. 119. 113. and of secret duties Mat. 6. 5 6. when we have an equal respect to all Gods Commandments Psal. 119. 6. and our hearts are under the holy and awful Eye of God which doth indeed over-awe our souls Gen. 17. 1. O what sweet signs of a recovering soul are these Surely such are in the skilful hand of the great Physician who will perfect what yet remains to be done Second Use for Direction In the last place this point yields us matter of advice and direction to poor souls that are under the disease of sin Use 2. and they are of two sorts which I will distinctly speak to viz. First Such as are under their first sickness or spiritual sorrow for sin and know not what course to take or Secondly such as have been longer in the hands of Christ the Physician but are troubled to see the cure advance so slowly upon them and fear the issue First As to those that are in their first troubles for sin 1. and know not what course to take for ease and safety I would address to them these following Counsels First Shut your Ears against the dangerous counsels of carnal persons or relations for as they themselves are unacquainted with these troubles so also are they with all proper memedies and it is very usual with the Devil to convey his temptations to distressed souls by such hands because by them he can do it with least suspicion It was Augustins complaint that his own Father took little care for his soul and many Parents act in this case as if they were imployed by Satan Secondly Be not too eager to get out of trouble but be content to take Gods way and wait his time no woman that is wise would desire to have her travail hastned one day before the due time nor will it be your interest to hasten too soon out of trouble 'T is true times of trouble are apt to seem tedious but a false peace will endanger you more than a long trouble a man may lengthen his own troubles to the loss of his own peace and he may shorten them to the hazard of his own soul. Thirdly Open your case to wise judicious and experienced Christians and especially the Ministers of Christ whose office it is to counsel and direct you in these difficulties and let not your troubles lye like a secret smothering fire always in your own breasts I know men are more ashamed to open their sins under convictions than they were to commit them before conviction but this is your interest and the true way to your rest and peace If there be with or near you an Interpreter one of a thousand to shew you your righteousness and remedy as it lies in Christ neglect not your own souls in a sinful concealment of your case it will be the joy of their hearts to be imployed in such work as this is Fourthly Be much with God in secret open your hearts to him and pour out your complaints into his Bosome The 102. Psalm bears a title very suitable to your case and duty yea you will find if your troubles work kindly and God intend a cure upon your souls that nothing will be able to keep God and your souls asunder whatever your incumbrances in the world be some time will be daily redeemed to be so spent betwixt you and God Fifthly Plead hard with God in prayer for help and healing Heal my soul saith David for I have sinned against thee Psal. 41. 4. tell him Christ hath his Commission sealed for such as you are he was sent to bind up the broken hearted Isai. 61. 1. tell him he came into the world to seek and save that which was lost and so are you now in your own account and apprehension Lord what profit is there in my bood Wilt thou pursue a dried leaf And why is my heart wounded with the sense of sin and mine eyes opened to see my danger and misery are not these the first dawnings of mercy upon sinners O let it appear that the time of mercy even the set time is now come Sixthly Understand your peace to be in Christ only and faith to be the only way to Christ and rest let the great enquiry of your souls be after Christ and faith study the nature and necessity of these and cry to God day and night for strength to carry you to Christ in the way of faith Secondly As to those that have been longer under the hands of Christ and yet are in troubles still and cannot 2. attain peace but their wounds bleed still and all they hear in Sermons or do in way of duty will not bring them to rest to such I only add two or three words for a close First Consider whether you ever rightly closed with Christ since your first awakening and whether there be not some way of sin in which you still live if so no wonder your wounds are kept open and your souls are strangers to peace Secondly If you be conscious of no such flaw in the foundation consider how much of this trouble may arise from your constitution and natural temper which being melancholy will be doubtful and suspicious you may find it so in other cases of less moment and be sure Satan will not be wanting to improve it Thirdly Acquaint your selves more with the nature of true justifying faith a mistake in that hath prolonged the troubles of many if you look for it in no other act but assurance you may easily overlook it as it lies in the mean time in your affiance or acceptance A true and proper conception of saving faith would go far in the cure of many
Sermon 13. HAGGAI 2. 7. Text. Alluring the hearts of men to come to Christ by a fourth motive contained in another Title of Christ. And the desire of all Nations shall come THe former Chapter is mainly spent in reproving the negligence of the Jews who being discouraged from time to time had delayed the rebuilding the Temple and in the mean time imployed their care and cost in building and adorning their own houses but at last being perswaded to set about the work they meet with this discouragement that such was the poverty of the present time that the second structure would no way answer the magnificence and splendor of the first In Solomons days the Nation was wealthy now drained so that there would be no proportion betwixt the second and the first To this grand discouragement the Prophet applies this relief that whatsoever should be wanting in external pomp and glory should be more than recompensed by the presence of Jesus Christ in this second Temple For Christ the desire of all Nations saith he shall come into it Which by the way may give us this useful note That the presence of Jesus Christ gives a more real and excellent glory to the places of his worship than any external beauty or outward ornaments whatsoever can bestow upon them Our eyes like the Disciples are apt to be dazled with the goodly stones of the Temple and in the mean time to neglect and overlook that which gives it its greatest honour and beauty But to return In these words we have both the description of Christ and an index pointing at the time of his incarnation he is called the desire of all Nations and the time of his coming in the flesh 't is plainly intimated to be while the second Temple should be standing where by the way we find just cause to admire and bemoan the blindness that is hapned to the Jews who owning the truth of this Prophecie and not able to deny the destruction of the second Temple many hundred years past will not yet be brought to acknowledge the incarnation of the true Messiah notwithstanding But to the point the character or description of Christ stiled the desire of all nations who was to come into the world in the time of the second Temple Mal. 3. 12. and that after grievous concussions and shakings of the world which were to make way for his coming for so our Prophet here speaks I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come to which the Apostle alludes in Heb. 12. 26. applying this prophecie to Jesus Christ here called the desire of all Nations putting the act for the object desire for the thing desired as in Ezec. 24. 16. the desire of thine eyes that is the desirable Wife of thy bosome So here the desire of all nations that is Christ the object of the desires of Gods elect in all nations of the world A Saviour infinitely desireable in himself and actually desired by all the people of God dispersed among all kindreds tongues and nations in the world From whence this note is DOCT. That the desires of Gods Elect in all Kingdoms and among Doct. all people of the earth are and shall be drawn out after and fixed upon the Lord Jesus Christ. The merciful God beholding the universal ruines of the world by sin hath provided an universal remedy for his own Elect in every part of the earth Christ is not impropriated to any one Kingdom or Nation in the world but intended to be Gods salvation to the ends of the earth and accordingly speaks the Apostle Col. 2. 11. There is neither Greek nor Jew Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is all and in all In the explication of this point two things must be enquired into 1. Why Christ is called the desire of all Nations 2. Upon what account the people of God in all Nations desire him First Why he is called the desire of all Nations and 1. what that Phrase may import and there are diverse things that are supposed or included in it First That God the Father hath appointed him as a common remedy for the sins and miseries of his people in all parts and quarters of the world So in the Covenant of Redemption betwixt the Father and the Son the Lord expresseth himself Isai. 49. 6. and he said It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou maist be my salvation to the end of the earth Suitable whereunto is that Prophecie Isai. 52. 15. He shall sprinkle many Nations If God had not appointed him for he could not be desired by all Nations And indeed herein the grace of God doth admirably shine forth in the freeness of it that even the most barbarous Nations are not excluded from the benefit of redemption by Christ. This is that the Apostle admires that Christ should be preached to the Gentiles 1 Tim. 3. 16. A people that seemed to be lost in the darkness of Idolatry yet even for them Christ was given by the Father Ask of me saith he and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Secondly Christ the desire of all Nations plainly notes the sufficiency that is in him to supply the wants of the whole world as the Sun in the Heavens suffices all Nations for light and influence so doth the Sun of Righteousness suffice for the Redemption Justification Sanctification and salvation of the people of God all the world over Isa. 45. 22. Look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth Thirdly It implies the reality that is in godliness it shews you that Religion is no fancy as the Atheistical world would perswade us and this evidently appears in the uniform effects of it upon the hearts of all men in all nations of the world that are truely religious all their desires like so many Needles touched by one and the same Loadstone move towards Jesus Christ and all meet together in one and the same blessed object Christ. Were it possible for the people of God to come out of all Nations Kindreds and Languages in the world into one place and there confer and compare the desires and workings of their hearts though they never saw each others face nor heard of each others name yet as face answers to face in a glass so would their desires after Christ answer to each other all hearts work after him in the same manner what one saith all say these are my troubles and burthens these my wants and miseries the same things my desires and fears one and the same Spirit harmonically works in all Believers through the world which could never be if Religion were but a fancie as some call it or a combination or confederacy as others
Believers are said to be made by Jesus Christ Kings and Priests unto God and his Father i. e. dignified favourites upon whom the special marks of honour are set by God In the opening of this point three things must be doctrinally discussed and opened viz. 1. What the acceptation of our persons with God is 2. How it appears that Believers are so accepted with God 3. How Christ the beloved procures this benefit for Believers First What the acceptation of our persons with God is 1. To open which we must remember that there is a twofold acceptance of persons noted in Scripture 1. One is the sinful act of a corrupt man 2. The other the gracious act of a merciful God First accepting of persons is noted in Scripture as the sinful act of a corrupt man a thing which God abhors being the corruption and abuse of that power and authority which men have in judgement overlooking the merit of the cause through sinful respect to the quality of the person whose cause it is So that the cause doth not commend the person but the person the cause this God every where brands in men as a vile perverting of judgement and utterly disclaims it himself Gal. 2. 6. God accepteth no mans person Rom. 2. 11. There is no respect of persons with God Secondly There is also an accepting of persons which is the gracious act of a merciful God whereby he receives both the persons and duties of Believers into special grace and favour for Christs sake and of this my Text speaks In which act of favour three things are supposed or included First It supposes an estate of alienation and enmity those only are accepted into favour that were out of favour and indeed so stood the case with us Ephes. 2. 12 13. Ye were aliens and strangers but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. So the Apostle Peter in 1 Pet. 2. 10. Which in time past were not a people but now are the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy The fall made a fearful breach betwixt God and man Sin like a thick cloud intercepted all the beams of divine favour from us the satisfaction of Christ dissolves that cloud Isai. 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins This dark cloud thus dissolved the face of God shines forth again with chearful beams of favour and love upon all who by faith are interested in Jesus Christ. Secondly It includes the removing of guilt from the persons of Believers by the imputation of Christs righteousness to them Rom. 5. 1 2. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand for the face of God cannot shine upon the wicked the person must be first made righteous before it can be made accepted Thirdly it includes the offering up or tendering of our persons and duties to God by Jesus Christ. Accepting implies presenting or tendring Believers indeed do present themselves to God Rom. 12. 1. but Christs presenting them makes their tender of themselves acceptable to the Lord Col. 1. 22. In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight Christ leads every Believer as it were by the hand into the gracious presence of God after this manner bespeaking acceptance for him Father here is a poor soul that was born in sin hath lived in Rebellion against thee all his days he hath broken all thy laws and deserved all thy wrath yet he is one of that number which thou gavest me before the world was I have made full payment by my blood for all his sins I have opened his eyes to see the sinfulness and misery of his condition broken his heart for his rebellions against thee bowed his will in obedience unto thy will united him to my self by faith as a living member of my body And now Lord since he is become mine by regeneration let him be thine also by special acceptation let the same love with which thou lovest me embrace him also who is now become mine And so much for the first particular viz. what acceptation with God is Secondly In the next place I must shew you how it appears 2. that Believers are thus ingratiated or brought into the special favour of God by Jesus Christ. And this will be evidenced divers ways First By the Titles of love and endearedness with which the Lord graceth and honoureth Believers who are sometimes called the houshold of God Ephes. 2. 19. the friends of God Jam. 2. 23. the dear Children of God Ephes. 5. 1. the peculiar people of God 1 Pet. 2. 9. A Crown of Glory and a Royal Diadem in the hand of their God Isai. 62. 3. the objects of his delight and pleasure Psal. 147. 10 11. Oh what tearms of endearedness doth God use towards his people Doth not all this speak them to be in special favour with him Which of all these alone doth not signifie a person highly in favour with God Secondly The gracious manner in which he treats them upon the throne of grace to which he allows them to come with boldness Heb. 4. 16. This also speaks them in the special favour of God he allows them to come to him in prayer with the liberty confidence and filial boldness of children to a Father Gal. 4. 6. Because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father the familiar voice of a dear child yea which is a wonderful dignation and condescension of the great God to poor worms of the earth he saith Isai. 45. 11. Thus saith the Lord the holy One of Israel and his Maker Ask me of things to come concerning my sons and concerning the work of my hands command ye me an expression so full of grace and special favour to Believers that it needs great caution in reading and understanding such an high and astonishing expression the meaning is that God hath as it were subjected the works of his hands to the prayers of his Saints and it is as if he had said If my glory and your necessity shall require it do but ask me in prayer and whatever my almighty power can do I will do it for you however let no favourite of Heaven forget the infinite distance betwixt himself and God Abraham was a great favourite of Heaven and was called the friend of God yet see with what humility of spirit and reverential awe he addresseth to God Gen. 18. 27. Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes So that you see the Titles of favour above mentioned are no empty Titles Thirdly Gods readiness to grant as well as their liberty to ask speaks them the special favourites of
freedom that is which comes in upon believing Fourthly Open the excellency of this state of spiritual freedom First What those things are from which Believers are 1. not made free in this world we must not think that our spiritual liberty by Christ presently brings us into an absolute liberty in all respects For First Christ doth not free Believers from obedience to the moral Law 'T is true we are no more under it as a Covenant for our justification but we are and must still be under it as a rule for our direction The matter of the moral law is unchangeable as the nature of good and evil is and cannot be abolished except that distinction could be destroyed Mat. 5. 17 18. The precepts of the Law are still urged under the Gospel to enforce duties upon us Eph. 6. 12. 'T is therefore a vain distinction invented by Libertines to say it binds us as Creatures not as Christians or that it binds the unregenerate part but not the regenerate but this is a sure truth that they who are freed from its penalties are still under its precepts though Believers are no more under its curse yet they are still under its conduct the Law sends us to Christ to be justified and Christ sends us to the Law to be regulated Let the heart of every Christian joyn therefore with Davids in that holy wish Psal. 119. 4 5. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently O that my heart were directed to keep thy Statutes 'T is excellent when Christians begin to obey the Law from life which others obey for life because they are justified not that they may be justified When duties are done in the strength and for the honour of Christ which is Evangelical not in our own strength and for our own ends which is servile and legal obedience had Christ freed us from obedience such a liberty had been to our loss Secondly Christ hath not freed Believers in this world from the temptations and assaults of Satan even those that are freed from his dominion are not free from his molestation 'T is said indeed Rom. 16. 20. God shall shortly bruise Satan under your feet but mean time he hath power to bruise and buffet us by his injections 2 Cor. 12. 7. he now bruiseth Christs heel Gen. 3. 15. i. e. bruiseth him in his tempted and afflicted members though he cannot kill them yet he can and doth afflict and fright them by shooting his fiery darts of temptation among them Eph. 6. 16. 'T is true when the Saints are got safe into Heaven they are out of Gun-shot there is perfect freedom from all temptation A Believer may then say O thou enemy temptations are come to a perpetual end I am now arrived there where none of thy fiery darts can reach me but this freedom is not yet Thirdly Christ hath not yet freed Believers in this world from the motions of indwelling sin these are continually acting and infesting the holiest of men Rom. 7. 21 23 24. Corruptions like Canaanites are still left in the Land to be thorns in our eyes and goads in our sides Those that boast most of freedom from the motions of sin have most cause to suspect themselves still under the dominion of sin All Christs freemen are troubled with the same complaint who among them complains not as the Apostle did Rom. 7. 24. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliever me from the body of this death Fourthly Jesus Christ doth not free Believers in this world from inward troubles and exercises of soul upon the account of sin God may let loose Satan and Conscience too in the way of terrible accusations which may greatly distress the soul of a Believer and wofully eclipse the light of Gods Countenance and break the peace of their souls Job Heman and David were all made free by Christ yet each of them hath left upon record his bitter complaint upon this account Job 7. 19 20. Psal. 88. 14 15 16. Psal. 38. unto vers 11. Fifthly Christ hath not freed Believers in this world from the rods of affliction God in giving us our liberty doth not abridge his own liberty Psal. 89. 32. all the Children of God are made free yet what Son is there whom the Father chastneth not Heb. 12. 8. Exemption from affliction is so far from being the mark of a Freeman that the Apostle there makes it the mark of a slave Bastards not Sons want the discipline and blessing of the Rod to be freed from affliction would be no benefit to Believers who receive so many benefits by affliction Sixthly No Believer is freed by Christ from the stroak of death though they are all freed from the sting of death Rom. 8. 10. The bodies of Believers are under the same Law of mortality with other men Heb. 9. 27. we must come to the Grave as well as others yea we must come to it through the same agonies pangs and dolours that other men do the foot of death treads as heavy upon the bodies of the redeemed as of other men Believers indeed are distinguished by mercy from others but the distinguishing mercy lies not here Thus you see what Believers are not freed from in this world if you shall now say what advantage then hath a Believer or what profit is there in regeneration I Answer Secondly That Believers are freed from many great and 2. sad miseries and evils by Jesus Christ notwithstanding all that hath been said For First All Believers are freed from the rigour and curse of the Law the rigorous yoak of the Law is broken off from their necks and the sweet and easie yoak of Jesus Christ put on Mat. 11. 28. The Law required perfect working under the pain of a curse Gal. 3. 10. accepted of no short endeavours admitted no repentance gave no strength it is not so now proportionable strength is given Phil 4. 13. Sincerity is reckoned perfection Job 1. 1. Transgression brings not under condemnation Rom. 8. 1. O blessed freedom when duty becomes delight and failings hinder not acceptance this is one part of the blessed freedom of believers Secondly All Believers are freed from the guilt of sin it may trouble but it cannot condemn them Rom. 8. 33. The hand writing which was against us is cancelled by Christ nailed to his Cross Colos. 2. 14. When the seal and hand-writing is torn off from the Bond the Debtor is made free thereby Believers are totally freed Acts 13. 39. Justified from all things and finally freed John 5. 24. They shall never come into condemnation O blessed freedom How sweet is it to lie down in our beds yea in our graves when guilt shall neither be our Bed fellow nor Grave fellow Thirdly Christ frees all Believers from the dominion as well as the guilt of sin Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace Rom. 6. 14. The law of the spirit of life
for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God Better ten thousand worlds should perish for ever than God should lose the honour of his justice This great Obex or bar to our enjoyment of God is effectually removed by the death of Christ whereby it is not only fully satisfied but highly honoured and glorified Rom. 3. 24. and so the way by which we are brought to God is again opened to the wonder and joy of all Believers by the blood and sufferings of Christ. Fifthly and lastly It shews us the peculiar happiness and 5. priviledge of Believers above all people in the world These only are they which shall be brought to God by Jesus Christ in a reconciled state others indeed shall be brought to God as a Judge to be condemned by him Believers only are brought to God in the Mediators hand as a reconciled Father to be made blessed for ever in the injoyment of him every Believer is brought singly to God at his death Luke 16. 22. and all Believers shall be jointly and solemnly presented to God in the great day Col. 1. 22. Jude v. 24. They shall be all presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Now the priviledge of Believers in that day will lie in diverse things First That they shall be all brought to God together this will be the general assembly mentioned Heb. 12. 22. there shall be a collection of all Believers in all ages of the world into one blessed assembly they shall come from the East and West and North and South and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God Luke 13. 29. O what a glorious train will be seen following the redeemer in that day Secondly As all the Saints shall be collected into one body so they shall be all brought or presented unto God faultless and without blemish Jude v. 24. A glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Ephes. 5. 27. For this is the general assembly of the spirits of just men that are made perfect Heb. 12. 23. All sin was perfectly separated from them when death had separated their souls and bodies Thirdly In this lies the priviledge of Believers that as they shall be all brought together and that in a state of absolute purity and perfection so they shall be all brought to God they shall see his face in the vision whereof is fulness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal. 16 11. The objective blessedness of the Saints consisteth in their fruition of God Psal. 73. 25. To see God in his word and works is the happiness of the Saints on earth but to see him face to face will be the fulness of their blessedness in Heaven 1 John 3. 2. This is that intuitive transforming and satisfying vision of which the Scripture frequently speaks Psal. 17. 15. 2 Cor. 15. 28. Rev. 7. 17. Fourthly to be brought unto God must needs imply a state of perfect joy and highest delight so speaks the Apostle Jude v. 14. Christ shall present or bring them to God with exceeding joy and more fully the joy of this day is expressed Psal. 45. 15. With joy and rejoycing shall they be brought they shall enter into the Kings Palace it will be a day of universal joy when all the Saints are brought home to God in a perfected state For 1. God the Father will rejoice when Christ brings home that precious number of his elect whom he redeemed by his blood he rejoyceth in them now though imperfect and under many distastful corruptions and weaknesses Zeph. 3. 17. How much more will he rejoyce in them when Christ presents them without spot or wrinkle to him Ephes. 5. 27. 2. Jesus Christ will exceedingly rejoyce 't will be the day of the gladness and satisfaction of his heart for now and not till now he receives his mystical fulness Col. 1. 24. beholds all the blessed issues of his death which cannot but give him unspeakable contentment Isai. 53. 11. He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied 3. The day in which Believers are brought home to God will be a day of unspeakable joy to the holy Spirit of God himself For unto this all his sanctifying designs in this world had respect to this day he sealed them after this day he stirred up desires and groanings that cannot be uttered in their hearts Ephes. 4. 30. Rom. 8. 26. Thus all the great and blessed persons Father Son and Spirit will rejoyce in the bringing home of the elect to God For as it is the greatest joy to a man to see the designs which his heart hath been long projecting and intently set upon by an orderly conduct at last brought to the happy issue he first aimed at much more will it be so here the counsel and hand of each person being deeply concerned in this blessed design 4. The Angels of God will rejoyce at the bringing home of Believers to him the spirits of just men made perfect will be united in one general assembly with an innumerable company of Angels Heb. 2. 22. Great is the affection and love of Angels to redeemed ones they greatly rejoyced at the incarnation of Christ for them Luke 2. 13. They greatly delighted to pry into the mysterie of their redemption 1 Pet. 1. 12. They were marvellously delighted at their conversion which was the day of their espousals to Christ Luke 15. 10. They have been tender and careful over them and very serviceable to them in this world Heb. 1. 14. and therefore cannot but rejoice exceedingly to see them all brought home in safety to their Fathers house 5. To Conclude Christs bringing home of all Believers unto God will be matter of unspeakable joy to themselves For whatever knowledge and acquaintance they had with God here whatever sights of faith they had of Heaven and the glory to come in this world yet the sight of God and Christ the Redeemer will be an unspeakable surprise to them in that day This will be the day of relieving all their wants the day of satisfaction to all their desires for now they are come where they would be arrived at the very desires of their souls Secondly In the last place let it be considered what influence the death of Christ hath upon this design and you 2. shall find it much every way In two things especially the death of Christ hath a blessed causality and influence in this matter viz. 1. It effectually removes all obstacles to it 2. It purchaseth as a price their title to it First The death of Christ removes all obstacles out of the way of this mercy such were the bars hindring our access to God as nothing but the death of Christ could remove and open a way for Believers to come to God The guilt of sin barred us from his gracious presence Rom. 5. 1 2 3. Hosea 14. 2. The filth of sin excluded us
to be led by the spirit ver 18. to be in the spirit and the spirit to dwell in them Rom. 8. 9. And so much of the first thing to be opened viz. what we are to understand by the giving of the spirit Secondly In the next place we are to enquire and satisfie 2. our selves how this giving of the spirit evidently proves and strongly concludes that souls interest in Christ unto whom he is given and this will evidently appear by the consideration of these five particulars First The spirit of God in believers is the very bond by which they are united unto Christ if therefore we find in our selves the bond of union we may warrantably conclude that we have union with Jesus Christ this is evidently held forth in those words of Christ Joh. 17. 22 23. The glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me 't is the glory of Christs humane nature to be united to the God-head this glory said Christ thou gavest me and the glory thou gavest me I have given them i. e. by me they are united unto thee and how this is done he sheweth us more particularly I in them there is Christ in us viz. mystically and thou in me there is God in Christ viz. Hypostatically so that in Christ God and believers meet in a blessed union 't is Christs glory to be one with God 't is our glory to be one with Christ and with God by him but how is this done certainly no other way but by the giving of his Spirit unto us for so much that phrase I in them must needs import Christ is in us by the sanctifying spirit which is the bond of our union with him Secondly The Scripture every where makes this giving or indwelling of the spirit the great mark and tryal of our interest in Christ concluding from the presence of it in us positively as in the Text and from the absence of it negatively as in Rom. 8. 9. now if any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Jude ver 19. sensual not having the spirit this mark therefore agreeing to all believers and to none but believers and that alwayes and at all times it must needs clearly inferr the souls union with Christ in whomsoever it is found Thirdly That which is a certain mark of our freedom from the Covenant of works and our title to the priviledges of the Covenant of grace must needs also inferr our Union with Christ and special interest in him but the giving or indwelling of the sanctifying spirit in us is a certain mark of our freedom from the first Covenant under which all Christless persons still stand and our title to the special priviledges of the second Covenant in which none but the members of Christ are interested and consequently it fully proves our Union with the Lord Jesus This is plain from the Apostles reasoning Gal. 4. 6 7. And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba father wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son and if a son then an heir of God through Christ. The spirit of the first Covenant was a servile spirit a spirit of fear and bondage and they that were under that Covenant were not Sons but Servants but the Spirit of the New Covenant is a free ingenuous spirit acting in the strength of God and those that do so are the Children of God and Children inherit the blessed priviledges and royal immunities contained in that great Charter the Covenant of Grace they are heirs of God and the evidence of this their inheritance by vertue of the second Covenant and of their freedom from the servitude and bondage of the first Covenant is the spirit of Christ in their hearts crying Abba father So Gal. 5. 18. if ye be led by the spirit ye are not under the Law Fourthly If the eternal decree of Gods electing love be executed and the vertues and benefits of the death of Christ applyed by the spirit unto every soul in whom he dwelleth as a spirit of sanctification then such a giving of the spirit unto us must needs be a certain mark and proof of our special interest in Christ but the decree of Gods electing love is executed and the benefits of the blood of Christ are applyed unto every soul in whom he dwelleth as a spirit of sanctification This is plain from 1 Pet. 1. 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ where you see both Gods election executed and the blood of Jesus sprinkled or applyed unto us by the spirit which is given to us as a spirit of sanctification There is a blessed order of working observed as proper to each person in the Godhead the Father electeth the Son redeemeth the spirit sanctifieth The spirit is the last efficient in the work of our salvation what the Father decreed and the Son purchased that the Spirit applyeth and so puts the last hand to the compleat salvation of believers And this some Divines give as the reason why the sin against the spirit is unpardonable because he being the last agent in order of working if the heart of a man be filled with enmity against the spirit there can be no remedy for such a sin there is no looking back to the death of Christ or to the Love of God for remedy this sin against the spirit is that obex infernalis the deadly stop and bar to the whole work of salvation oppositely where the spirit is received obeyed and dwelleth in the way of sanctification into that soul the eternal love of God and inestimable benefits of the blood of Christ run freely without stop or interruption and consequently the interest of such a soul in Jesus Christ is beyond all dispute Fifthly The giving of the spirit to us or his residing in us as a sanctifying spirit is every where in Scripture made the pledge and earnest of eternal salvation and consequently must abundantly confirm and prove the souls interest in Christ Eph. 1. 13 14. In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance c. So 2 Cor. 1. 22. who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts And thus you have the point opened and confirmed The Use of all followeth Use. Use. Now the only Use I shall make of this point shall be that which lyeth directly both in the eye of the Text and of the design for which it was chosen namely by it to try and examine the truth of our interest
of creatures spring out of this dark lump Surely it would have been very hard for a man to have imagined it It may be you see no dispositions or hopeful inclinations in your friends towards God and spiritual things nay possibly they are totally opposite and filled with enmity against them they deride and jeer all serious piety where-ever they behold it this indeed is very sad but yet remember the work of grace is creation work though there be no disposition at all in their wills no tenderness in their Consciences no light or knowledge in their minds yet God that commanded the light to shine out of darkness can shine into their hearts to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ he can say to the dry bones live to the proud and stubborn heart come down and yield thy self to the will of God and if he command the work is done God can make thee yet to rejoyce over thy most uncomfortable relations to say with the Father of the Prodigal Luke 15. 24. This my Son was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found and they began to be merry difficulties are for men but not for God he works in conversion by a power which is able to subdue all things unto it self Inference 5. If none but new creatures be in Christ how small a remnant Inference 5. among men belong to Christ in this world Among the multitude of rational creatures inhabiâ—…ing this world how few how very few are new creatures 'T is the observation of the learned Mr. Brierwood that if the world be divided into thirty parts nineteen parts are heathenish Idolaters six parts Mahumetans and only five out of thirty which may be in a large sense called Christians of which the far greater part is overspread with popish darkness separate from the remainder the multitudes of prophane meerly civil and hypocritical professors of Religion anâ—… how few will remain for Jesus Christ in this world Look over the Cities Towns and Parishes in this populous Kingdom and how few shall you find that speak the language or do the works of new creatures How few have ever had any awakening convictions on them And how many of those that have been convinced have miscarried and never come to the new birth The more cause have they whom God hath indeed regenerated to admire the riches of Gods distinguishing mercy to them Inference 6. If the change by grace be a new creation how universal and marvellous a change doth regeneration make upon men The new Inference 6. Creation speaks a marvellous and universal alteration both upon the state and tempers of men they come out of darkness gross hellish darkness into light a marvellous and heavenly light 1 Pet. 2. 9. Eph. 5. 8. their condition disposition and conversation as you have heard is all new and yet this marvellous change as great and universal as it is is not alike evident and clearly discernable in all new creatures and the reasons are First Because the work of grace is wrought in diverse methods and manners in the people of God Some are changed from a state of notorious prophaneness unto serious godliness there the change is conspicuous and very evident all the neighbourhood rings of it But in others it is more insensibly distilled in their tender years by the blessing of God upon religious education and there it is more indiscernable Secondly Though a great change be wrought yet much natural corruption â—…till remains for their humiliation and daily exercise and this is a ground of fear and doubtings they see not how such corruptions are consistent with the new Creature Thirdly In some the new Creature shews it self mostly in the affectionate part in desires and breathings after God and but little in the clearness of their understandings and strength of their judgements for want of which they are entangled and kept in darkness most of their dayes Fourthly Some Christians are more tryed and exercised by temptations from Satan than others are and these clouds darken the work of grace in them Fifthly There is great difference and variety found in the natural tempers and constitutions of the regenerate Some are of a more melancholy fearful and suspicious temper than others are and are therefore much longer held under doubtings and trouble of spirit Nevertheless what differences soever these things make the change made by grace is a marvellous change Inference 7. Lastly How incongruous are carnal wayes and courses to the spirit of Christians who being new creatures can never delight or Inference 7. find pleasure in their former sinful companions and practices Alas those things are now most unsuitable loathsom and detestable how pleasant soever they once were that which they counted their liberty would now be reckoned their greatest bondage that which was their glory is now their shame Rom. 6. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death they need not be pressed by others but will freely confess of themselves what fools and mad men they once were none can censure their former conversation more severely than themselves do 1 Tim. 1. 13 14. 2d Use for Conviction If none be in Christ but new creatures and the new creation Use 2. make such a châ—…nge as hath been described This may convince us how many of us deceive our selves and run into dangerous and fatall mistakes in the greatest concernment we have in this world But before I fall into this use I desire none may make a perverse and ill use of it Let not the wicked conclude from hence that there is no such thing as true religion in the world or that all who do profess it are but a pack of hypocrites neither let the godly injure themselves by that which is designed for their benefit let none conclude that seeing there are so many mistakes committed about this new creature that therefore assurance must needs be impossible as the Papists affirm it to be The proper use that should be made of this doctrine is to undeceive false pretenders and to awaken all to a more deep and thorough search of their own conditions which being precautioned let all men be convinced of the following truths First That the change made by civility upon such as were lewd and prophane is in its whole kind and nature a 1. different thing from the new creature the power and efficacy of moral vertue is one thing the influence of the regenerating Spirit is quite another thing however some have studied to confound them The heathens excelled in moral and homilitical vertues Plato Aristides Seneca and multitudes more have outvied many professed Christians in justice temperance patience c. yet were perfect strangers to the new creation A man may be very strict and temperate free from the gross pollutions of the world and yet a perfect
that God would follow it with his blessing God kills thy comforts out of no other design but to kill thy corruptions with them Wants are ordained to kill wantonness poverty is appointed to kill pride reproaches are permitted to pull down ambition Happy is the man who understands approves and heartily sets in with the design of God in such afflicting providences 8. Rule Bend the strength of your duties and endeavours against Rule 8. your proper and special sin 'T is in vain to lop off branches whilst this root of bitterness remains untouched This was Davids practice Psal. 18. 23. I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine iniquity We observe in natural men that one faculty is more vigorous than another We find in nature that our soil suits with this seed rather than another and every believer may find his nature and constitution inclining him to one sin rather than another As graces so corruptions excel one another even in the regenerate The power of special corruptions arises from our constitutions education company custom callings and such like occasions But from whencesoever it comes this is the sin that most endangers us most easily besets us and according to the progress of mortification in that fin we may safely estimate the degrees of mortification in other sins strike therefore at the life and root of your own iniquity 9. Rule Study the nature and great importance of those things Rule 9. which are to be won or lost according to the success and issue of this conflict your life is as a race eternal glory is the prize grace and corruption are the antagonists and according as either finally prevails eternal life is won or lost 1 Cor. 9. 24. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all but one receiveth the prize So run that ye may obtain This consideration will make mortification appear the most rational and necessary thing to you in the whole world Shall I lose heaven for indulging the flesh and humouring a wanton appetite God forbid I keep under my body saith Paul and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away 1 Cor. 9. 28. 10. Rule Accustom your thoughts to such meditations as are proper Rule 10. to mortifie sin in your affections else all endeavours to mortifie it will be but faint and languid To this purpose I shall recommend the following Meditations as proper means to destroy the interest of sin 1. Meditation Consider the evil that is in sin and how terrible the appearances Meditat. 1. of God will one day be against those that obey it in the lust thereof Rom. 1. 18. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men 1 Thes. 1. 7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Let your thoughts dwell much upon the consideration of the fruits and consequences of sin It showes its fairest side to you in the hour of temptation O but consider how it will look upon you in the day of affliction Numb 22. 23. In that day your sin will find you out think what its aspect will be in a dying hour 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of death is sin Think what the frightful remembrances of it will be at the bar of Judgment when Satan shall accuse conscience shall upbraid God shall condemn and everlasting burnings shall avenge the evil of it such thoughts as these are mortifying thoughts 2. Meditation Think what it cost the Lord Jesus Christ to expiate the guilt Meditat. 2. of sin by suffering the wrath of the great and terrible God for it in our room the meditations of a crucified Christ are very crucifying meditations unto sin Gal. 6. 14. He suffered unspeakable things for sin it was Divine wrath which lay upon his soul for it that wrath of which the prophet saith Nah. 1. 5 6. The mountains quake at him and the hills melt who can stand before his indignation and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger his fury is poured out like fire and the rocks are thrown down by him It was the unmixed and unallayed wrath poured out in the fulness of it even to the last drop and shall we be so easily drawn to the Commission of those sins which put Christ under such sufferings O do but read such scriptures as these Luke 22. 44. Mat. 26. 36 37. Mark 14. 33. And see what a plight sin put the Lord of glory into how the wrath of God put him into a sore amazement a bloody sweat and made his soul heavy even unto death 3. Med. Consider what a grief and wound the sins of believers are Med. 3. to the spirit of God Eph. 4. 30. Ezek. 16. 43. Isa. 63. 10. Oh how it vexes frets and grieves the holy Spirit of God! Nothing is more contrary to his nature Oh do not that abominable thing which I hate saith the Lord Jer. 44. 4. Nothing obstructs and crosses the sanctifying design of the Spirit as sin doth defacing and spoiling the most rare and admirable workmanship that ever God wrought in this world violating all the engagements laid upon us by the love of the Father by the death of his Son by the operations of his Spirit in all his illuminations convictions compunctions renovation preservation obsignation and manifold consolations Lay this meditation upon thy heart believer and say sicne rependis Dost thou thus requite the Lord O my ungrateful heart for all his goodness is this the fruit of his temporal spiritual common and peculiar mercies which are without number 4. Med. Consider with your selves that no real good either of profit Med. 4. or pleasure can result from sin you can have no pleasure in it whatever others may have it being against your new nature and as for that brutish pleasure and evanid joy which others have in sin it can be but for a moment for either they must repent or not repent if they do repent the pleasure of sin will be turned into the gall of Asps here if they do not repent it will terminate in everlasting howlings hereafter that 's a smart question Rom. 6. 21. What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death You that are believers must never expect any pleasure in sin for you can neither commit it without regret nor reflect upon it without shame and confusion Expect no better consequents of sin than the woundings of conscience and dismal cloudings of the face of God that is all the profit of sin O let these things sink into your heart 5.
only that which is first and best in every kind is the rule and measure of all the rest 'T is the height of Saints ambition to be made conformable to Christ Phil. 3. 10. Christ hath a double perfection a perfection of being and a perfection of working his life was a perfect rule no blot or error could be found therein for he was holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and such an High-Priest became us as the Apostle speaks Heb. 7. 26. The conformity of professors to Christs example is the test and measure of all their graces the nearer any man comes to this pattern the nearer he approaches towards perfection Seventhly The Christians imitation of Christ under penalty of losing his claim to Christ necessarily implies sanctification and obedience to be the evidences of our justification and interest in Christ assurance is unattainable without obedience we can never be comfortable Christians except we be strict and regular Christians Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God A loose and careless conversation can never be productive of true peace and consolation 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoicing the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world Let men talk what they will of the immediate sealings and comforts of the spirit without any regard to holiness or respect to obedience Sure I am whatever delusion they meet with in that way true peace and consolation is only to be expected and found here The fruit of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever We have it not for our holiness but we always have it in the way of holiness And so much of the first particular namely what the imitation of Christ implies and comprizes in it Secondly In the next place we are to enquire in what 2. things all that profess Christ are obliged to the imitation of him or what those excellent graces in the life of Christ were which are propounded as patterns to the Saints The life of Christ was a living law all the graces and Quid vobis cum virtutibus qui virtutem Christi ignoratis Ubinam quaeso vera prudentia nisi in Christi doctrina Ubi vera temperantia nisi in Christi vita Ubi vera fortitudo nisi in Christi passione Bernard vertues of the Spirit were represented in their glory and brightest luster in his conversation upon earth never man spake as he spake never any lived as he lived we beheld his glory saith the Evangelist as the glory of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth John 1. 14. But to descend to the particular imitable excellencies in the life of Christ which are high patterns and excellent rules for the conversations of his people we shall from among many others single out the ten following Particulars which we are obliged to imitate Pattern 1. And first of all the purity and holiness of the life of Christ is proposed as a glorious pattern for the Saints imitation 1 Pet. 1. 15. As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every creek and turning of your lives There is a twofold holiness in Christ the holiness of his nature and the holiness of his practice his holy being and his holy working this obligeth all that profess interest in him to a twofold holiness viz. holiness in actu primo in the principles of it in their hearts and holiness in actu secundo in the practice and exercise of it in their conversations 't is very true we cannot in all respects imitate the holiness of Christ for he is essentially holy proceeding by nature as a pure beam of holiness from the Father and when he was incarnate he came into the world immaculate and pure from the least stain of pollution therefore it was said Luke 1. 25. That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God in this we can never be like Christ in the way of our production for who can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean not one The Lord Jesus was also efficiently holy i. e. he makes others holy therefore his sufferings and blood are called a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness i. e. to cleanse other mens souls Zech. 13. 1. in this Christ also is inimitable no man can make himself or others holy That 's a great truth though it will hardly go down with proud nature minus est te fecisse hominem quam sanctum we may sooner make our selves to be men than to be Saints Beside Christ is infinitely holy as he is God and there are no stints or measures set to his holiness as Mediator John 3. 34. for God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him But notwithstanding these excepted respects the holiness of Christ is propounded as a pattern for our imitation six ways First He was truly and sincerely holy without fiction or simulation and this appeared in the greatest trial of the truth of holiness that ever was made in this world John 14. 30. The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me when he was agitated and shaken with the greatest temptations no Galaxia est maxima frequentia minimarum stellarum quae prae exiguitate ad nostrum aspectum distinctè pervenire nequâ—…unt ut caeterae stellae atque ita inter se lumen commiscent confundunt Conimb de Meteor cap 2. dregs appeared he was like pure fountain-water in a Crystal Glass The hypocrite makes shew of more holiness than he hath but there was more holiness in Christ than ever appeared to the view of men We may say of the way of Christ what the Philosopher saith of the milky way in the Heavens that those faint streams of light which we see there are nothing else but the reflection of innumerable Stars which shine there though they be invisible to us there was much inward beauty in him and so there ought to be in all his followers our holiness like Christs must be sincere and real Eph. 4. 24. shining with inward beauty towards God rather than towards men Secondly Christ was uniformly holy at one time as well as another in one place and company as well as another he was still like himself an holy Christ one and the same tenour of holiness ran thoughout his whole life from first to last so must it be with all his people holy in all manner of conversation Christians look to your copy and be sure to imitate Christ in this write fair after your Copy let there not be here a word and there a blot one part of your life heavenly and pure and another earthly and dreggy or as one expresses it
never be abused to this purpose by hypocrites as it is Thirdly According to this reasoning there can be no Religion in the world for name me that Religion which is not scandalized by the practices of some that profess it So that this practice hath a natural tendency to Atheism and is no doubt incouraged by the Devil for that end Inference 2. If all mem forfeit their claim to Christ who endeavour not to imitate Inference 2. him in the holiness of his life then how small a number of real Christians are there in the world Indeed if liberal talking without accurate walking if common profession without holy practices were enough to constitute a Christian then this quarter of the world would abound with Christians But if Christ owns none for such but those that tread in the steps of his example then the number of real Christians is very small The generality of men that live under the Christian name are such as walk after the flesh Rom. 8. 2. according to the course of this world they yield their members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin Rom. 6. 13. strict godliness is a meer bondage to them narrow is the way and few there be that walk therein Inference 3. What blessed times should we all see if true Religion did once generally obtain and prevail in the world How would it humble Inference 3. the proud weaken the passionate and spiritualize those that are carnal The perverse world charges Religion with all the tumults and disturbances that are in it whenas nothing in the world but Religion advanced in the power of it can heal and cure these Epidemical evils O if men were once brought under the power of Religion indeed to walk after Christ in holiness obedience meekness and self-denial no such miseries as these would be heard of among us Isa. 11. 8 9. The sucking child shall play upon the hole of the Asp and a weaned child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den they shall not burt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Inference 4. Hence it also follows That real Christians are the sweetest companions 'T is a comfortable thing to walk with them that walk Inference 4. after the example of Christ. The holiness heavenliness humility self-denial and diligence in obedience which was in Christ is in some measure to be found in all sincere Christians They shew forth the vertues of him that calleth them The graces of the spirit do more or less shine forth in them And Oh how endearing sweet and engaging are these things upon this very account the Apostle invited others into the fellowship of the saints 1 John 1. 3. That ye may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Christ Jesus And is it not sweet to have fellowship with them who have fellowship with Christ O let all your delights be in the Saints and in the excellent of the earth who excel in vertue Psal. 16. 3. Yet mistake not there is a great deal of difference betwixt one Christian and another and even the best of Christians are sanctified but in part If there be something sweet and engaging there is also something bitter and distastful in the best of men If there be something to draw forth your delight and love there is also something to exercise your pity and patience Yet this is most certain that notwithstanding all their infirmities and corruptions they are the best and sweetest company this world affords Inference 5. In a word if no mans claim to Christ be warranted but theirs that walk as he walked How vain and groundless then are the hopes Inference 5. and expectations of all unsanctified men who walk after their own lusts None are more forward to claim the priviledges of Religion than those that reject the duties of it multitudes hope to be saved by Christ who yet refuse to be governed by him But such hopes have no scripture warrant to support them Yea they have many scripture testimonies against them 1 Cor. 6. 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the king dom of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind Nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the king dom of God O how many thousand vain hopes are laid in the dust and how many thousand souls are sentenced to hell by this one scripture 2d Use for Exhortation If this be so it naturally presses all the professors of Christianity Use 2. to strict Godliness in their conversations as ever they expect benefit by Christ. O professors be ye not conformed unto this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds Set the example of Christ before you and labour to tread in his steps This is the great business of Religion the main scope of the Gospel give me leave therefore closely to press it upon your hearts by the following Motives 1. Motive Christ hath conformed himself to you by his abasing incarnation Motive 1. how reasonable therefore is it that you conform your selves to him in the way of obedience and sanctification He came as near to you as it was possible for him to do strive you therefore to come as near to Christ as it is possible for you to do He hath taken your nature upon him Heb. 2. 14. yea and with your nature he hath taken your weaknesses and infirmities Rom. 8. 3. and not only your natures and your infirmities but your condition also For he came under the law for your sakes Gal. 4. 4. He conformed himself to you though he was infinitely above you that was his abasement do you conform your selves to him who are infinitely beneath him that will be your advancement his conformity to you emptied him of his glory your conformity to him will fill you with glory He conformed himself to you though you had no obligation upon him will not you conform your selves to him who lie under infinite obligations so to do 2. Motive You shall be Conformed to Christ in glory how reasonable therefore is it you should now conform your selves to him in Motive 2. holiness The Apostle saith 1 John 3. 2. We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Yea not only your souls shall be like him but your very bodies even those vile bodies of yours shall be changed that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body How â—…cible a Motive is this to bring men into conformity with Christ here especially seeing our conformity to him in holiness is the evidence of our conformity to him in glory Rom. 6. 5. 2 Pet. 3. 11. O professors as ever you look to be with Christ in glory hereafter see that ye walk after Christs example in holiness
the soul from the body James 2. 26. The body without the spirit is dead Spiritual death is the privation of the principle of spiritual life or the want and absence of the quickening spirit of God in the foul the soul is the life of the body and Christ is the life of the soul the absence of the foul is death to the body and the absence or want of Christ is death to the soul. Eternal death is the separation both of body and soul from God which is the misery of the damned Now Christless and unregenerate men are not dead in the first sense they are naturally alive though they are dead while they live Nor are they yet dead in the last sense eternally separated from God by an irrevocable sentence as the damned are but they are dead in the second sense they are spiritually dead whilst they are naturally alive and this spiritual death is the fore-runner of eternal death Now spiritual death is put in scripture in opposition to a two-fold spiritual life Viz. 1. The life of Justification 2. The life of Sanctification Spiritual death in opposition to the life of Justification is nothing else but the guilt of sin bringing us under the sentence of death Spiritual death in opposition to the life of sanctification is the pollution or dominion of sin In both these fen ses unregenerate men are dead men but it is the last which I am properly concerned to speak to in this place and therefore Secondly Let us briefly consider what this spiritual death is which as before was hinted is the absence of the quickening 2. spirit of Christ from the soul of any man That soul is a dead soul into which the spirit of Christ is not infused in the work of regeneration and all its works are dead works as they are called Heb. 9. 14. For look how it is with the damned they live they have sense and motion and an immortality in all these yet because they are eternally separated from God the life which they live deserves not the name of life but is every where in scripture stiled death So the unregenerate they are naturally alive they eat and drink they buy and sell they talk and laugh they rejoyce in the creatures and many of them spend their days in pleasures and then go down to the grave This is the life they live but yet the scripture rather calls it death than life because though they live yet it is without God in the world Eph. 2. 12. Though they live yet it is a life alienated from the life of God Eph. 4. 18. And therefore while they remain naturally alive they are in scripture said to remain in death 1 John 3. 14. and to be dead while they live 1 Tim. 5. 6. And there is great reason why a Christless and unregenerate state should be represented in scripture under the notion of death for there is nothing in nature which more aptly represents that miserable state of the soul than natural death doth The dead see and discern nothing and the natural man perceiveth not the things that are of God The dead have no beauty or desirableness in them Bury my dead said Abraham out of my sight neither is there any spiritual loveliness in the unregenerate True it is some of them have sweet natural qualities and moral excellencies which are taking things but these are as so many flowers decking and adorning a dead corpse The dead are Objects of pity and great lamentation men use to mourn for the dead Eccles. 12. 5. Man goeth to his long home and the mourners go about the streets But unregenerate and Christless souls are much more the Objects of pity and lamentation How are all the people of God especially those that are naturally related to them concerned to mourn over them and for them as Abraham did for Ishmael Gen. 17. 18. O that Ishmael might live before thee Upon these and many other accounts the state of unregeneracy is represented to us in the notion of death Thirdly And that this is the state of all Christless and unsanctified persons will undeniably appear two ways 3. 1. The causes of spiritual life have not wrought upon them 2. The effects and signs of spiritual life do not appear in them and therefore they are in the state and under the power of spiritual death First The causes of spiritual life have not wrought upon them There are two causes of spiritual life 1. Principal and internal 2. Subordinate and external The principal internal cause of spiritual life is the regenerating spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 2. The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death 'T is the spirit as a regenerating spirit that unites us with Christ in whom all spiritual life originally is John 5. 25 26. Verily I say unto you that the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live for as the father hath life in himself so hath he given to the son to have life in himself As all the members of the natural body receive animation sense and motion by their Union with their natural head so all believers the members of Christ receive spiritual life and animation by their Union with Christ their mystical head Eph. 4. 15 16. Except we come to him and be united with him in the way of faith we can have no life in us John 5. 40. Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life Now the spirit of God hath yet exerted no regenerating quickening influences nor begotten any special saving faith in natural unsanctified men whatever he hath done for them in the way of natural or spiritual common gifts yet he hath not quickened them with the life of Christ. And as for the subordinate external means of life viz. the preaching of the Gospel which is the instrument of the spirit in this glorious work and is therefore called the word of life Phil. 2. 16. this word hath not yet been made a regenerating quickening word to their souls Possibly it hath enlightned them and convinced them it hath wrought upon their minds in the way of common illumination and upon their consciences in the way of conviction but not upon their hearts and wills by way of effectual conversion To this day the Lord hath not given them an heart opening it self in the way of faith to receive Jesus Christ. Secondly The effects and signs of spiritual life do not appear in them for First They have no feeling or sense of misery and danger I mean no such sense as throwly awakens them to apply Christ their remedy That spiritual judgment lies upon them Isa. 6. 9 10. And he said go and tell this people Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy and
his Tribunal to be solemnly sentenced They are as my Text speaks condemned already but then that dreadful sentence will be solemnly pronounced by Jesus Christ whom they have despised and rejected then shall that scripture be fulfilled Luke 19. 27. These mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me Inference 2. Hence be informed how great a mercy the least measure Inference 2. of saving faith is for the least measure of true faith unites the soul to Jesus Christ and then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. Not one sentence of God against them So Acts 13. 39. By him all that believe are justified from all things The weakest believer is as free from condemnation as the strongest the righteousness of Christ comes upon all believers without any difference Rom. 3. 22. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Christ Jesus unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference 'T is not in imputed as it is in inherent righteousness one man hath more holiness than another The faith that receives the righteousness of Christ may be very different in degrees of strength but the received righteousness is equal upon all believers A piece of gold is as much worth in the hand of a child as it is in the hand of a man O the exceeding preciousness of saving faith Inference 3. How dreadful a sin is the sin of unbelief which brings Inference 3. men under the condemnation of the great God! no sin startles less or damns surer 'T is a sin that doth not affright the conscience as some other sins do but it kills the soul more certainly than any of those sins could do for indeed other sins could not damn us were it not for unbelief which fixes the guilt of them all upon our persons This is the condemnation Unbelief is the sin of sins and when the spirit comes to convince men of sin he begins with this as the capital sin John 16. 9. But more particularly First Estimate the evil of unbelief from its Object It is the slighting and refusing of the most excellent and wonderful person in heaven or earth The fiducial vision of Christ is the joy of Saints on earth the facial vision of Christ is the happiness of Saints in heaven 'T is a despising of him who is altogether lovely in himself who hath loved us and given himself for us 'T is the rejecting of the only Mediator betwixt God and man after the rejecting of whom there remains no sacrifice for sin Secondly Let the evil of unbelief be valued by the offer of Christ to our souls in the Gospel 't is one part of the great mystery of godliness that Christ should be preached to the Gentiles 1 Tim. 3. 16. That the word of this salvation should be sent to us Acts 13. 26. A mercy denied to the fallen angels and the greatest part of mankind which aggravates the evil of this sin beyond all imagination So that in refusing or neglecting Jesus Christ is found vile ingratitude highest contempt of the grace and wisdom of God and in the event the loss of the only season and opportunity of salvation which is never more to be recovered to all eternity Inference 4. If this be the case of all unbelievers it is not to be admired Inference 4. that souls under the first convictions of their miserable condition are plunged into such deep distresses of Spirit It 's said of them Acts 2. 37. That they were pricked at the heart and cried out Men and brethren what shall we do And so the Jayler He came in trembling and astonished and said Sirs what must I do to be saved Certainly if souls apprehend themselves under the condemnation and sentence of the great God all their tears and tremblings their weary days and restless nights are not without just cause and reason Those that never saw their own miserable condition by the light of a clear and full conviction may wonder to see others so deeply distressed in Spirit They may misjudge the case and call it melancholy or madness but spiritual troubles do not exceed the cause and ground of them let them be as deep and great as they will and indeed it is one of the great mysteries of grace and providence a thing much unknown to men how such poor souls are supported from day to day under such fears and sorrows as are able in a few hours to break the stoutest Spirit in the world Luther was a man of great natural courage and yet when God let in spiritual troubles upon his soul it is noted of him ut nec vox nec calor nec sanguis superesset He had neither voyce nor heat nor blood appearing in him Inference 5. How groundless and irrational is the mirth and jollity of all carnal and unregenerate men they feast in their prison Inference 5. and dance in their fetters O the madness that is in the hearts of men If men did but see their mittimus made for hell or believe they are condemned already it were impossible for them to live at that rate of vanity they do and is their condition less dangerous because it is not understood Surely no but much more dangerous for that O poor sinners you have found out an effectual way to prevent your present troubles it were well if you could find out a way to prevent your eternal misery but 't is easier for a man to stifle conviction than prevent damnation Your mirth hath a twofold mischief in it it prevents repentance and encreaseth your future torment O what an hell will your hell be who drop into it out of all the sensitive and sinful pleasures of this world If ever a man may say of mirth that it is mad and of laughter what doth it he may say so in this case Inference 6. Lastly what cause have they to rejoyce admire and praise the Lord to Eternity who have a well grounded Inference 6. confidence that they are freed from Gods condemnation O give thanks to the Father who hath delivered you from the power of darkness and translated you into the Kingdom of his dear Son Col. 1. 13. Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for if you be freed from condemnation you are out of Satans power he hath no more any dominion over you The power of Satan over men comes in by vertue of their condemnation as the power of the Jayler or Executioner over the bodies of condemned prisoners doth Heb. 2. 14. If you be freed from condemnation the sting of death shall never touch you For the sting of death smites the souls of men with a deadly stroak only by vertue of Gods condemnatory sentence 1 Cor. 15. 55 56. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law If you be freed from condemnation now you shall stand with comfort and boldness