but for others So in the third place there is an infinite propension and willingness in Jesus Christ to communicate this grace unto the children of men Pray mark it There is an infinit propension and willingnesse in Jesus Christ to communicate and give out his grace unto the children of men Heb. 3.2 He is faithful saies the Apostle in all His house as Moses was Now if Jesus Christ should receive gifts for men for others and then run away with all and not be willing to give them out He could not be faithful but faithful He is Look I pray for this in the 16. Psal 2 v. Thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord my goodness not for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth and for the excellent in whom are all my delight You reade the words thus Thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord my goodnesse extendeth not to thee But in the Hebrew the word extendeth is not Thou art my Lord my goodnesse not for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth That these words are spoken of Christ Pray reade the Four last verses I have set the Lord alwayes before me at the 8. ver because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy One to see corruption Now compare these words with what the Apostle saies in Acts 2.25 David speaketh concerning him mark For I foresaw the Lord alwayes before my face he is on my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore did my heart rejoyce and my tongue was glad Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope Because thou will not leave my soul in hell the same viorde neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One to see corruption Mark what is said then at the 29. ver the Apostle proves That these words of the Psalm must needs be understood of Christ and not of David Men and brethren saies he let me freily speak unto you of the Patriarch David that he is both dead and buried and his Sepulcher is with us unto this day Therefore saies he these words cannot be understood of David but must be understood of Christ Now then this Psalm being thus to be understood of Christ saies Christ Lord Thomiâ—t my Lord my goodness is not for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth and for the excellent in whom is all my delight They are my delight and therefore what goodnesse I have from thee I am willing to give it out again unto them because al my delight is in them Do you not think that a man is willing to eat his meat when he is a hungry I ray look into the 4. chaptes of John and you shall see what was Christs meat verse the 34. Jesus faith unto them My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His Work My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me What is that Finish His Work What is that You reade before in the 61 Esay That the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him and God the Father had anointed Him to open the prison door Now therefore saith He look how willing a man is to eat his meat when he is a hungry So willing am I to releeve poor sinners to open the prison dore to poor captive souls Tender hearted Mothers are you willing to give your Children suck to have your breasts drawn Yes Why so Truly not only because of my child but the truth is unless my breasts be drawn 't is a pain to me not only for my child therefore but for my own ease also you will say Why brethren the Humanity of Jesus Christ is as I may so speak the breasts of the Deity by which we suck out all the holiness and grace which we have and if Jesus Christs breasts be not drawn He counts it a pain to Him And therefore He complains so in the Gospel Joh. 1.11 I came unto mine own and mine own received me not They will not draw My breasts He counts it a pain to Him Tell me are you willing to receive grace Yes If you be willing to receive grace Jesus Christ is willing to give it for you cannot be willing if He were not willing first your willingness does come from His. But I pray what grace are you willing to have Oh! saies one I am a poor ignorant creature I would fain I would fain have more knowledge Oh! saies one I am one of great Passions and of a disordered life and Oh! that I had my life better ordered Oh! saies another I am a poor guilty soul and I would have pardon I would have pardoning grace Now I 'le appeal to you Whether do you not think that an honest man is willing to do the work of his office Can a man be an honest man and not be willing to do the work of his office This is the Office of Jesus Christ He is a Prophet and therefore He must be willing to teach you you that complain that you are ignorant This is the Office of Jesus Christ to be a King and therefore He is willing to direct you and to order you You that complain of distemper and disorder This is the Office of Christ to be a Priest and therfore He is willing to satisfie for you and indeed if Jesus Christ were not willing to give out His grace unto the children of men He would never lay it upon such conditions as He does When a man is unwilling to do a thing for another He will put it upon hard conditions As Saul being unwilling to give his Daughter to David He put it upon hard conditions But now what does Jesus Christ require What does the Lord Jesus Christ require for the Communication of His grace But only this that you do receive it Mark only this that we do receive it a condition indeed that is no condition I say a condition that is no condition because he promises strength to receive also Oh! my beloved Why should we cumber the way to Heaven with Preparations and Qualifications and Precedaneous conditions There are no In-coms no In-coms to be paid at our coming in to Jesus Christ there are no Precedaneous conditions Grace is free and Mercy is free and Christ is free and His Love is free there is an infinite Propension in Jesus Christ to communicate this His Grace to the children of men This is the third Proposition Fourthly As Christ is infinitly willing So in the Fourth place there is nothing either in Heaven or in earth that can hinder Him from doing al. For now grant all the former Three That there is an infinite treasury of Grace in Christ That He hath not received it for Himself but others That He is infinitly willing to give it out unto the
Answ That mercy may be sure unto all His servants which they would soon spend if it were in their own keeping Mark I pray There are these Two or Three Reasons of Gods Proceeding this way That all Grace should be in a way of Receiving And the First is That all Boasting rejoycing 1. Rea. confidence in ones self may be taken away If Abraham saies Paul in the 4. of the Romans were justified by works he hath whereof to glory though not before God He hath whereof to glory But now when all is in a way of Receiving there 's no room for Boasting Mark therefore what is said in the 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it God cannot indure Boasting cannot indure Self-confidence God cannot indure that a man should glory in any thing in himself therefore all all is in a way of Receiving This is Gods Reasoning Again 2. Rea. God hath so ordered things in the dispensations of His Grace under the Gospel That Jesus Christ may be fully Honored Exalted No such way to Honor Christ as this that all should come out of His hands to be received from Him Pray Was it not a great Honor to Joseph in the time of the famine in Egypt that no bread but should come through his hands not a corn of grain but should come through his hands So here when no grace no strength no aid no assistance no supplies but all through the hand of Christ all in a way of Receiving does not this glorify Christ much What is it I pray that makes the Sun so glorious a creature above all the creatures in the world but this That all the creatures depend upon him for light and for warmth This is that that makes the Lord Jesus Christ glorious That all must be in a way of Receiving from Jesus Christ Thirdly 3. Rea. God hath so ordered things in the dispensations of His Grace under the Gospel That the Saints and Children of God may live by faith Good people mark it Some there are some creatures in the world that do live by Sence as the beasts and beastly men Some creatures there are that do live by Reason moral men But the Lord would have His Children to live by Faith That as the men of the world do live by Sence and Reason So the Lord would have all His Children to live by Faith What way or means to bring a soul off for to live by Faith Establish this Doctrine let this be a Statute made in the Churches All in a way of Receiving I saies a poor soul is it so indeed What all in a way of Receiving Then I fee a necessity of living by Faith Oh! Lord teach me now for to live by Faith Thus you see the Doctrine clearly proved by Reason to you I shall not be able to reach the Use of the point so as I intended The Doctrine is exceeding Useful ful of Spiritual Use yet though I shall not be able to do what I would give me leave for to make some Application of the point and so I will winde up all Is this Doctrine true 1 Applic. That all all is in a way of Receiving Then behold what infinite care the great God of Heaven and Earth hath of Beleevers of every beleeving soul though he be never so mean would you not think that if a mother were so tender of her child that she would not let her child eat a bit of bread but it should be of her own cutting that she would not let it drink a drop of drink but it should be of her own drawing would you not think this mother this woman were very careful of her child Beloved thus the case stands No Grace no Assistance no Help for duty no Help against sin but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will have the cutting of it the Lord Jesus Christ will have the giving of it out He will have the drawing of it all all in a way of Receiving Oh! what care Oh! what infinite care hath God of poor Beleevers When the Lord would commend His care of the Children of Israel unto them pray mark what an argument he uses in Deut. 11.10 11 12. For the Land whether thou goest in to possess it is not as the Land of Egypt from whence ye came out where thou sowedst thy seed and wateredst it with thy foot as a garden of herbs They fetch 't water out of the River Nilus and so they watered the Land of Egypt with their feet But saies he at the 11. verse the Land whither ye go to possess it is a Land of hills and valleys and drinketh water of the rain of Heaven Not taken out of the River and watered by mens feet as Egypt was A Land saies the Lord which the Lord thy God Careth for A Land which the Lord thy God Careth for He Cared not for Egypt How does he prove that the Lord Cared for it The eyes of the Lord thy God are alwaies on it from the begining of the yeer even unto the end of the yeer He giveth rain from Heaven and when your Land wants water 't is given from Heaven 't is not watered by mens feet 't is not watered as Egypt was watered which Land God Cared not for So now there are some people in the world that water themselves that go forth in their own strength that have moral vertues and they water their hearts with their own feet as I may say the Lord Cares not for those the Lord Cares not for such Oh! but give me a soul that hath rain from Heaven that lives in continual dependance that acknowledges that all is Received that lives upon Heaven the Lord Cares for such a soul Now this is the condition of all the Saints of every Beleever he hath all in a way of Receiving Oh! the infinite care that the Lord hath of every Beleever though he be never so mean Secondly Appli 2. Is this Doctrine true All in a way of Receiving Then behold what sweet and comfortable and pleasant lives the Saints live Beleevers have When you look upon a Godly man and consider what great works he does and what hard things he bears what great Afflictions he goes thorow You say Good Lord how is a man able to do or bear all this Paul and Silas â—â—nging in the stocks when they were whipt and scourg'd the blood running down their shoulders and yet singing How how are they able to do all to bear all To here here is the reason They have all in a way of Receiving When you see the little Child run by the father in his hand in a green meadow you say the Child hath a â—â—ne and a sweet time but when you see the Child coming at a high gate or stile to get over or dirty lane to passe
over now ye say how will the Child do now Why surely the Child will do as well and better now if the father takes the child up in his arms the dirty lane wil be the pleasantest place to the child when 't is taken up into the fathers armes Thus 't is with the Saints great works they do and hard things they go thorow Oh! but they are taken up into Christs Armes and they have all in a way of Receiving When you look upon a man that does keep a great Table hath many servants attending on him his Purse alwaies full of money you will say surely this man leads a fine and a sweet life if it do not cost him much for to receive it or get this money but if you hear that he hath all his Estate only for telling his money his great pains is all in receiving his money Oh! here 's a blessed man indeed and here 's a happy man you think presently Thus 't is the great pains of a Christian is to Receive from Christ and to spend for Christ Oh! what a sweet life does the Saints live that live by Faith in Jesus Christ Thirdly Appli 3. Is this Doctrine true Then what abundance are there in the world many that live under the Gospel that from hence are argued to have no saving interest in Jesus Christ Good people mark it that I say are not savingly united to Jesus Christ There is a Two-fold Vnion with Christ as Christ is considered Two waies He is either considered with His Church the Church and He making one body and so all together are called Christ In 1 Cor. 12. Or else He is considered as the great Mediator and Savior of Beleevers by Himself Accordingly men may be said to be Vnited to Him Either Outwardly in the Church tied and related to Him by outward Ordinances Or else Inwardly united to Him by saving faith When a man is Inwardly united to Jesus Christ by saving faith he hath all from Christ Strength unto every duty from Jesus Christ Praying strength and Hearing strength and Repenting strength and Confirming strength he hath from Christ in a way of Receiving But the other hath little or nothing from Christ Pray mark it I will express it thus A man takes a peice of bread or a loaf of bread he tyes it to his arm his arm hath no strength from that 't is but an outward tye to his arm it hath no strength from that and it argues that 't is but an outward tye it causes no strength by it But if a man take bread and eat it that there be an inward union then there is strength there is bread goes to all the parts you know my meaning Or thus I will expresse it thus Take a graft and tye it unto a Tree tye it unto a stock and it brings forth no fruit at all why Because 't is but outwardly tyed unto the root unto the stock of the Tree But take the branch and graft it into the Tree into the stock then it brings forth all that it brings forth by vertue of the stock that 't is grafted into So my beloved there are a company there are a generation of people that live here under the Gospel that are Outwardly tyed unto Christ they are Baptized they have the Name of Christ by profession and by the tye of the Ordinances they are outwardly tyed unto Christ but Oh! they receive nothing from Him nothing from Him pray what do they receive Suppose Christ had not come into the world suppose they had never heard Christ preacht they might have lived Civilly they might have lived Justly amongst their neighbors they might have abstained from Lying and Drunkenness why they do not thus much poor creatures nothing from Christ they receive nothing from Christ Oh! these are but outwardly tyed as a loaf of bread is tyed unto a mans arm so is the Lord Jesus in the Ordinances tyed unto them I but then There are another people that are Savingly united to Jesus Christ and these they have strength from Him they cannot Pray but as they have strength from Christ they cannot Confer and speak of good things but as they have strength from Christ they cannot go and hear a Sermon with any affection but as they have strength from Christ All all in a way of Receiving Oh! they stand in a way of dependance upon God in Him and they have all from Christ these are Savingly united to Christ But Oh! many that live among us that have not all from Christ Certainly therefore there are many that are not savingly united to Jesus Christ This is a Third I 'le adde but one more and so I have done Is this Doctrine true Appli 4. All in a way of Receiving Then surely Beloved All is from Grace from first to last Heaven Heaven is a Donative Salvation is a Donative every step in the Iadder to Heaven is Grace every link of the chain is Grace Oh! every beam of our day is Grace every stone of our building Grace Is all in a way of Receiving What Praying strength What Hearing strength What Suffering strength What is all al in a way of Receiving Oh then what glorious Grace is here Oh! rich Grace Oh! free Grace Oh! incomparable Riches of the freeness of Gods Grace in Christ Is the Lord Jesus the Alpha and the Omega Is He the Beginning the Middle the End of all our actions Oh! what Grace is here If there be ever a drooping soul If there be ever a poor hard heart a cold heart a frozen heart in all this Congregation Come O poor soul come and warm thine heart at this fire of Love Were our Heaven and our Salvation put to sale upon our Doing I say were Mercy set to sale at our doing then we were in a sad condition we were in a lamentable condition Well now Is al in a way of Receiving What then though I cannot Pray for the present What then though my heart be dead for the present yet notwithstanding I will wait upon the Lord in the way of His Ordinances it may be this day and this time I shall receive something that may put life into my poor dead soul Oh! you that never waited upon the Lord and upon free Grace wait now upon the Lord you that have waited waite still you that never waited wait now Beloved the more Dependant our condition is the more Depending should our spirits be What more Dependant condition can you think of All all in way of Receiving Oh! therefore now let us all labor to live by faith Go away with this in your bosomes I see a necessity of living in a continual Dependance on God in Christ Which that you may do think of all these things and the Lord bless them to you SERMON IV. JOHN 1.16 Preached at Margrets new fish-street Decem. 8 1645. And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace I Have made entrance
of God Page 206 7 It fils the soul with Gods infinitness Page 207 Application If Difficulties arise here is the way to grapple with them Page 207 Object How shall a man use his faith that be may break through all difficulties Answered 1 Exercise your faith in the promise before you speak with the difficulties Page 208 2 When you do look upon them look upon them as your trials many times as the Devils Engins to work your hearts off again Page 208 3 Set your selves now especially with al your might to venture upon Jesus Christ Page 209 4 The greater difficulties your graces are recovered out of the hands of the more sweet will they be unto you Page 210 5 Study Jesus Christ more ibid Object Suppose a man hath bin in Jesus Christ a great while and then discouragements arise to beat him out of the ways of Christ how shal he raise his faith to work through these Answered 1 Consider your call often Page 211 2 The more you beleeve in the ful of difficulty the more you please God ibid 3 Talke often one to another what great things God hath done that he hath promised Page 212 4 Consider what great difficulties Jesus Christ hath broke thorow to come to you ibid 5 Never speak with your difficulties apart from a promise ibid Matthew 3.2 SERMON I The text opened and explained Page 216 Doct. The kingdom of Grace mercy forgiveness comes to us before we com to that Page 211 Proved Page 218 Evidenced 1 From our own condition Lost sheep Page 228 2 From Christs willingness to save sinners Page 224 Objections answered Page 225 Reas 1 That God may be known to be God Page 229 Reas 2 That men may be made the more gracious ibid Reas 3 That no flesh may glory in it self nor any thing it doth Page 231 Application 1 Consider whether God have dealt thus by our souls or no Page 232 If so learn these duties 1 Be sooner at heaven gate with your duties hereafter than you were before Page 234 2 Labour to be like God in this particular ibid 3 Wait with long suffering for the conversion of others Page 235 4 Trust in God for ever Page 236 Application 2 You that have not received the Kingdome of Grace Take heed how ye neglect so great salvation Page 237 SERMON II Matth. 3.2 Doct. 2 The drawing nigh of the kingdom of grace is the greatest motive to true Repentance Page 240 Opened by considering the particulars of Repentance and you shall find the grace and love of God hath influence upon them all Viz. 1 Sight and knowledge of sin Page 242 2 Be humbled for it Page 243 3 Loath himself ibid 4 Be ashamed of it ibid 5 Acknowledge it Page 244 6 Labor to unsin it it ib. Reason 1 Because Repentance is a fruit of faith Page 245 Reas 2 Because it flows from love Page 246 Object Arguments drawn from Hell and the wrath of God seem to work Repentance more than the love of God Page 247 Answered by distinctions 1 It is one thing to be troubled in conscience and another thing to be humbled for sin Page 248 2 It 's one thing to be prickt at heart and another thing to repent ibid 3 It 's one thing to repent of sin in regard of the inconvenience of it and another thing to repent in regard of the morral evil of it ibid 4 It s one thing to be broken with the weight of sin and another to have the soul melted for it Page 249 5 Its one thing to have sorrow repentance in the Ore and another thing to have it refined ibid 5 It is one thing for repentance to be more in view another to be mort in spirit Page 250 7 It is one thing for our Repentance to affect our own heart much another thing for to affect the heart of God much Use 1 What a sad condition are those in to whom the kingdom of God hath come and yet they are not moved to repentance Page 251 Use 2 The reason why our hearts are no more humbled is because we do not labor to bring the kingdome of God neere to our souls Page 252 Use 3 What infinit cause we have to repent Page 254 1. The more evangelical our repentance is the more it will cure our souls and not hurt our bodies Page 255 2 The more you wil be grieved for sins against the Gossel Page 256 3 It is a friend to spiritual joy ibid 4 The more you hope your sin is pardoned the more you will grieve for it Page 257 5 The more your heart will be enlarged to and for Christ ibid 6 The more of the Gospel is in your repentance the more of the Gospel will be in your obedience Page 257 7 The more your hearts will be sweetned towards the Saints Page 258 FINIS Grace FOR Grace OR THE OVER-FLOVVINGS OF CHRISTS-FULNES Received by all SAINTS JOHN 1.16 And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace Preached at Dunstans in the East March 16. 1644 HERE in this Chapter are Two choice Spirits John the Baptist and John the Evangelist both agreeing in this To advance the Honor of Jesus Christ John the Baptist is brought in by John the Evangelist giving as you reade in this first Chapter Four great Testimonies of Jesus Christ The first begins at the 15. verse John bare Witness of Him and cryed saying This was He of whom I spake Wherein John the Baptist doth prefer Jesus Christ above himself both in regard of His Person and in regard of His Office In regard of His Person as you reade in the latter end of the 15th This was He of whom I spake He that cometh after me is preferred before me for He was before me In regard of His Office at the 16 the 17 and 18. verses And of His Fulness have al we received even Grace for Grace For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ c. I confess there are Learned Interpreters as Cyril and Chrysostome that do conceive the words of my Text to be the words of John the Evangelist the 15. verse having as they say relation unto Johns speech in the latter end of the 14. verse Full of Grace and Truth But Origen and others unto whom I rather incline think that they are the words of John the Baptist because they are knit unto the former by the copulative And And of His fulness have all we received Grace for Grace He therefore that spake the words of the former verse in all likelyhood spake these words He that spake the words of the former verse was John the Baptist and therfore these words being linked unto the former by the word And in all likelyhood are the words of John the Baptist The Words of themselves fall into these Three Propositions First That there is a fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Secondly That of this
fulness we have all received Thirdly That we have all received even Grace for Grace There is a great Controversy upon the latter Clause what should be meant by those Words Even grace for grace But because the Determination thereof fals properly within the compass of the Third Proposition and will have little influence upon the first which I intend God willing to speak unto at this time therefore I pass by that Controversy and come presently unto the First Proposition which is this Doct. That there is a fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Fulness is here attributed you see unto Jesus Christ The word in the Original sometimes is taken for Abundance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psa 24.1 The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof So here it is not taken here it is too narrow for there is not only Plenitudo abundantiae but Plenitudo redundantiae not only a fulness of Abundance but a fulnesse of Redundancy an over flowing of fulness in Jesus Christ Sometimes the word is used for Fulfilling and Perfecting of a thing So Love is said to be the Fulfilling of the Law So it is not taken here for though Christ be the end of the Law yet notwithstanding the Fulness spoken here is that which we do receive and that is the Fulness of grace The word Firstly and Properly is given unto Vessels that are brim-ful of liquor and so Metaphorically appli'd here unto our Lord Jesus Christ who is brim-ful of grace in whom there is no emptyness there is no evacuity While I speak of Jesus Christ I mean Christ as Mediator as God-man There is a Fulness in Christ as God That is not the fulness so Christ is not taken here by what is said in the verse before the Text the 14 verse And the Word was made flesh And of His Fulness we have all received So that it is the Fulness of Christ as Mediator there is a Fulness of grace in Christ as Mediator I shal keep me close unto the words The Fulness is here spoken of which we are said to receive of which we receive we receive grace for grace 't is the Fulness therefore of grace that is in Christ that I am now speaking of Now the word Grace sometimes it is taken for the Love and Favour of God We are saved by Grace That is Eph. 2.5 we are saved through the Love and Mercy of God Sometimes this word in the Original is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coll. 3.16 or put for Holiness Singing with grace in your hearts that is with Holiness in your hearts And sometimes 't is used for Excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Donum quodquis gratificatur for Gifts or Ability as in Ephes 4.7 and in al these respects there is a fulness of grace in Christ First of all Take grace for Love and Bounty and Mercy and so there is Plenitudo bonitatis there is a Fulness of Love in Christ The heart and love of Christ now in Heaven is the same toward poor sinners toward His Children toward Beleevers toward Men as it was when He was upon the earth when Christ was upon the earth First There was a fulness of Pardoning Love in Him Then He would pardon men before they did come for pardon Father Luk. 23.24 saies Christ Father forgive them they know not what they do Ye count it a great act of love where the fault is great to forgive a man upon his acknowledgment of the fault Our Lord Christ did not stay for their acknowledgment but whilst they were reeking in their sins He forgives Father forgive them forgive them they know not what they do Yea if you look into the Gospel ye shall find that when men were putting forth the highest acts of fin He was putting forth the highest acts of His love When Christ was suffering for Peter Peter was denying Christ Peter denying Christ and Christ suffering for Peter When He was upon the earth He did not only pardon once but He would pardon again and again if men sinned again He would pardon again The Disciples slept and Christ Pardon'd They slept again and Christ pardon'd again they slept again and Christ pardon'd again Yea and when He had pardon'd He would not upbraid them with their former sins or with His own mercy After His Resurrection not a word to Peter of all his denial or of Christ mercy Beloved Christ is the same in Heaven He is the same in Heaven now Again when Christ was upon the Earth His first and His great care was Matt. 5.3 4. for those that were weak in grace The first Sermon that He Preached Blessed are the poor in spirit and blessed are those that mourn He doth not say blessed are those that have assurance of the love of God and blessed are those that have the sence of His Love in their hearts but blessed are the Poor and blessed are they that mourn And when any poor doubting trembling soul came unto Him He would not cast away their service because it was accompanied with infirmity but He would rather passe by their infirmity because it was accompanied with some sincerity So the Woman that came behind Him So Nicodemus And when any poor soul could not come to Christ could not come to Christ in Christs way Christ would come down to him in his way Thomas saith He Thou sayest thou wilt not beleeve unless thou thrust thy hands into My side Thomas Thou wilt not honour Me by beleeving unless thou seest Thomas Thou wilt not come up to Me in My way Well I will come down to thee in thy way Come reach hither thy fingers and thrust thy hands into My side and be not faithless but beleeving Oh! the admirable condescention of the love of Jesus Christ Beloved He is the same now in Heaven Again When He was upon the Earth He professed that His heart and His love and affections was as much if I say not more unto one Saint Rev. 22.14 Matt. 12 47.50 as unto all His kindred that are such Blessed are those that keep Thy Commandements Bebold say they Thy Mother and Thy Brother and Sister are without to speak with Thee Saies He Whosoever shall do the Will of My Father which is in Heaven the same is My Brother Sister and Mother As if He should say You count My kindred happy because they are neer unto Me but do you see one poor beleeving trembling gracious soul I tel you the soul that keeps My Commandements is as much unto Me as all My kindred that are such Here is love And I say the Lord Jesus His heart is the same still in Heaven And therefore you shall observe that when He was risen and came amongst His Disciples the dore being shut He comes into the room and He saies unto them Luke 24.36 Peace be unto you Why Peace be unto you the ordinary way and manner of Salutation As if He would say thus much
the grosser the thicker the dirtier the more grosser part Thirdly The fulness of the earth is a fulness that runs into emptiness a fulness that hath an hole at the bottom Like unto an hour glasse if you turn it up the upper part of the glasse is full of sand but because it hath an hole at the bottom and there stands a glasse beneath it as big as it self it empties it self into that galsse Then you turn up the glasse again and that is full but because that hath an hole at the bottom it runs out having an empty glasse beneath it and this fulness runs into it So now t is with the worlds fulnes a man he hath a great estate he hath his glasse full of sand I but because his children and his family stands under him his sand runs into them and he is soon emptied he is soon emptied into them Then when the father is dead and gone and hath emptied out his fulness into his children the childrens glasse is turn'd up but they having children under them and house under them their sand also is soon run out it runs out into emptiness Thus all the fulness of the world 't is but a fulness that hath a hole at the bottom that runs into emptiness Oh! but the fulness of Jesus Christ the fulness of Jesus Christ it is a dwelling fulness His sulness runs out into Leleevers yet He is ful Himself In Him the fulnes of the God head dwels it dwelleththere Fourthly The fulness of the Earth it can never satisfie the better part of man the soul it can never satisfie that All satisfaction and contentment arises from the conjunction of a Convenient with a Convenient the conjunction of sutables If a man have never so great an Estate if his heart be not suted to it he hath no content If a man have never so small an Estate if his heart be suted to it he is content So that now all content arises from sutablenessm the conjunction of sutables What sutableness is there between the fulness of the earth and the better part of man the soul Mark Properly a thing is never said to be full till it be full of that for which it was made A mans Chest a Chest or Trunk is not said to be full of aire though it be ful of aire yet notwithstanding we say the Chest or Trunk is empty because 't is not fil'd with that for which it was made And so take one of these meeting Houses though the place be full of stooles yet notwithstanding though I say the place be full of stools or full of air yet we say the Church is empty because though it be full yet 't is not full of that for which it was made full of people So now take a man that hath all the fulness of the earthl because that his soul was never made his better part was never made for the fulness of the earth therefore he is said to be empty in the midst of all his fulness his heart is empty and the man is an empty man because his heart is not full of that for which he was made and that is Christ that is Christ the fulness of Christ in him he is an empty man all this while Oh but the fulness Jesus Christ is a soul-satisfying fulness He that drinks of the water that I shall give him saies He shall never thiest again Joh. 4.4 Psal 17.15 When I awake saies the Psalmist I shall be satisfied with thy likeness And that is a Fourth Fiftly The fulness of the earth cannot commend a man unto God or make him more lovely or beautiful in the eyes of God The poor vain foolish stage-player thinks himself brave and a jolly man-while he is in kings cloathes or while he is acting the part of a King but the wise spectator he saies And is he that does but act the Kings part or hath the Kings cloaths on so brave a man what is a King indeed Beloved the Lord He sees all we have and do stands by as a wise spectator and when men brave it out with the worlds fulness I what then is the man that acts the Fulnesse of Christ Is he so brave a man that hath a possession here land and house What is he then that hath an eternal inheritance If there fall but the least drop of the Rulness of Christ upon a soul it makes the soul lovely and beautiful in the eyes of God 1 Pet. 3.4 The Apostle speaking of the adorning of women saies he at the 3 verse Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of playting the hair and of wearing of gold or of putting on of apparrel but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is incorruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price As if he should say All other Ornaments plaiting of hair and gold and the like is of no price in the eyes of God Oh! but a quiet spirit and a meek spirit one drop of the Fulness of Christ falling upon the soul makes the soul lovely in the fight of God is of great price Sixtly The fulnesse of the Earth is a fulnesse that is mixt with poison sin the curse of God What pleasure or delight can a man take in drinking when he shall consider with himself that poison is mixt withal this is good or sweer liquor saies he indeed Oh! but there is poison in the Cup and therefore I wil not meddle with it Take all the Fulnesse of the world and if it be not mixt with the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ there is poison in it the Curse of God in it the wrath of God there and therefore what pleasure what contentment can a man take therein without the Fulnesse of Fulnesse of Jesus Christ Seventhly The Fulnesse of the Earth is a defiling Fulness When a thing is mixed with any thing that is worse than it self it is defiled thereby If silver be mingled with gold the silver is not defil'd thereby because gold is better than the silver but if silver be mingled with lead the silver is defil'd because 't is mingled with something that is worse than it self So now if a man be mingled with Spiritual and Heavenly things his heart is not defil'd thereby because they are better than himself but if a mans heart be mingled with the things of the world his heart is defil'd because 't is mingled with something that is worse than himself and the more a mans heart is mingled with the things of the earth the more defil'd it is As a dog that hath bemir'd himself the more he fawnes upon you the more he dirties you If you take a dog abroad with you into the fields and he run into a dirty ditch or the river after he is dirty you will not suffer him to come neer you and themore he fawns upon you and leaps
In a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the bed Then He openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction That He may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man When man least thinks of it then God comes in a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon a man and in slumbrings upon the bed Then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction What does all this argue then But that grace grace is infused grace is supernatural Oh! there is a supernaturallity in saving grace Surely therefore all is in a way of Receiving all is Received That is a Second Argument Thirdly This truth is also argued from the Shortness of the means of grace Much means of grace appointed but take the means as it is in it self without Gods appointment or institution upon it you wil find that all means are too short to reach the end For example In the old Testament when the Lord would take in Jericho and break down the walls of Jericho He Commands Josh 6.4 The Rams horns should be blown Take the blowing of the Rams-horns as lying under Gods appointment and so this action was sufficient for to break down the walls but take the action of blowing the Rams-horns by it self and so it was too short So the Lord commands Naaman 2 Kings 5.10 To go and wash himself in the water of Jordan take this action of Naaman washing himself in the water take it I say without Gods Commandement take it with Gods Commandement Gods Appointment so it was sufficient to reach his Cure and heale him of his Leprosy but now take the action as it was in it self without the Appointment and institution of God and so it was too short to reach his Cure So in the new Testament Joh. 9.6 our Savior Christ He takes spittle and clay for to cure a mans eyes Take this under Christs appointment and so it 's sufficient to reach the cure but take it without and so short So God did appoint in Baptisme a man should be washed in water and in the Sacrament we should eat bread and drink wine for the begetting and increasing of Faith Take these actions as they lie under Gods Appointment and Institution they are able to reach this end but take these actions as they are in themselves washing in water and eating bread and drinking wine they are all too short all too short either to beget or increase Grace Well now why does the Lord stil appoint such means as in themselves are too short for the end whereto appointed Surely not only for this reason that he might teach us that the thing done is rather by the appointment then by the use of means but also to show thus much That though we do use the means yet notwithstāding in the use of the means we do not attain the thing by the use thereof but that in the using of means and waiting there we shall receive strength from God to do it to attain the end Whensoever therefore you consider the shortness of the means appointed conclude thus That all is in a way of Receiving therefore God hath appointed the means that are in themselves short Fourthly This Doctrine is further argued From the work and nature of Faith There is no Grace that the Scripture puts more upon than Faith Mark I pray In the old Testament all the Victories are put on Faith In the new Testament all the Cures if thou canst but Beleeve saies Christ According to thy Faith be it unto thee Yea Beloved if you look into the new Testament you shal find that the same works that are given to Christ are given to Faith Jesus Christ He is said for to Sanctifie the soul So doth Faith Faith purifies the heart saies the Apostle Jesus Christ He is said for to justifie a sinner So does Faith too Being justified by Faith Romans the 5th Jesus Christ He is said for to save the soul He is called our Savior So doth Faith too By Faith ye are saved What 's the Reason now that the Lord does especially set the Crown upon the head of Faith Some think it is for this Reason Because that Faith doth unite the soul unto Jesus Christ But so does Love Love is an affection of Union and all Grace unites to Christ as every sin seperates so every Grace unites Others think 't is for this Reason Because that as Faith sets the Crown upon the head of Christ So God sets the Crown upon the head of Faith and this is true For as the Lord does honor those persons most that honor Him most So He wil honor those Graces most that honor Him most But besides this I conceive the great Reason is this why the Lord does thus set all over upon Faith I say because that Faith in the nature of it is a Receiving Grace And therefore John having said in this 1. Chap. of Joh. and the 12. verse To as many as received Him He gave power to be called the Sons of God Explains himself by this afterward in the same verse Even to them that Beleeve on His Name So that Beleeving is nothing else but Receiving the Grace of God the nature of Faith being to Receive the Truth or the Receiving of Jesus Christ the proper work and nature of Faith being to Receive Now therefore when the Lord does put al upon Faith and Faith in it's nature is a Receiving plainly it holds forth this Truth unto us That all is in a way a Receiving all Grace in a way of Receiving Fifthly and lastly This Truth is argued also From the posture and true behavior of Prayer Mark Prayer is nothing else but the souls begging or petitioning for something from Heaven A begger you know when he begs he holds forth or he stretches forth his hand noting a willingness to receive So you reade in Scripture that when the soul is put into a posture of Prayer it is put into this posture Reade therefore what is said in Job 11.13 If thou prepare thine heart or est ablish thine heart for so the word signifies if thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards Him That is if thou doest Pray unto Him thou stretchest out thine hands unto Him Now as one observes well As it were a derision or a mocking of God to praise God or to give God thanks for that which He doth not give but I have in my own power So it were also a mocking of God to pray to God for that which is not in His hands to give but in mine to do Now my Beloved What ever Grace or Holinesse a man hath he is to pray for pray for healing strength pray for quickning strength pray for confirming strength pray for strength to pray and seeing the posture of prayer is this to stretch forth the hands which notes receiving in that we are for to
from servants ordinarily But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son that we might receive the adoption of Sons And the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father They had the spirit of Bondage unto fear and we have the Spirit of Adoption unto Love to cry Abba Father They could not go to God but with many fears but there is none of all the Saints now but go with a Spirit of Love go to God as a Father Every Saint now may go to God and say Father Father I labor under such a temptation Oh! Father help me I want such a blessing or mercy Oh! Father give it me Again further Although they had many sprinklings of the Doctrins of Grace yet they fell but droppingly upon them now a drop and then a drop As you have it in the 1. Chap. of the Hebrews 1. verse God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by His Son God who by piece-meals drop by drop now a drop and then a drop spake unto our fore-fathers by the Prophets hath in these last times spoke unto us by His Son This being the opposition shews that God spake perfectly and spake al by His Son When this King came then all the Cocks run with wine Some observe that Jesus Christ preached the Gospel more plainly unto one poor ignorant sinful wicked woman that ye reade of in the 4. of John then He did unto al our fore-fathers under the Old Testament for unto which of all our fore-fathers did He say I am the Messiah Ask of Me the water of life and I will give it thee You know the great Doctrins of the Gospel Justification by Grace Free remission of sins and the like Now though these Doctrins be in the Old Testament yet take your Book and howmany leaves shal you reade over before you be able to reade this Doctrine cleerly But open your Book where you wil open in the New Testament and you shall meet with one everie where with this Doctrine this great Doctrine of Free-Grace every where Oh! much much of Jesus Christ and of His Grace that is now Discovered surely Abundance of Grace Abundance of Grace Discovered to the Saints now and to all the Saints But in the Second place As there is Abundance of Grace Discovered So there is Abundance of Grace Exhibited and Communicated to all the Saints Those that have the least measure of Grace now have Abundance of Grace That is the Thing that I would cleer up to you That those that have the least measure of Gospel-Grace they receive Grace for Grace they have abundance of Grace Is it not a great matter for an ungodly man to be Justified What man so godly but he was ungodly before Justified Is it not a great matter for a man to be the Son of God to be the Child of God All Gods Children shall be Portioned answerable to their Fathers Estate David counted it a great matter to be son-in-law to a King though but a wicked King and the Kingdom but small What is it then to be Adopted to be the Son of God the Daughter of God To as many as receive Him Joh 1.12 He gives power to be called the Sons of God And there is this difference between Gods Adoption and mans When man does Adopt one to be his son he may put his Name upon him he may give his Estate to him but he cannot make the person to be like himself he cannot communicate his nature to him But now when God does Adopt one to be His Child He does not only put His Name upon the Soul and give him a great Estate but He makes him to be like Himself and communicates His Nature to him So saies the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.4 We are made partakers of the Divine Nature Is it not a great matter To have the Image of Jesus Christ drawn upon a filthy soul To have ones heart inclin'd naturally inclin'd as it were unto all the Commandements of the Gospel I will write My Law in your heart Jer. 31.33 saies God in the Covenant of Grace That look as the Heathen having the law of nature written in their hearts are naturally inclin'd unto the works of Nature So will I write my Law of Grace in your hearts and you shall be naturally inclin'd unto the works of Grace and unto the works of the Gospel He that hath least of Christ he hath all Christ all Christ imputed unto all the Saints Beloved we have not so much of Christ in our lives as Peter and Paul and John had but wee have as much of Christs Righteousness imputed to us for our Justification as any of all the Apostles had and if our Faith be right 't is like precious with theirs Is it not a great matter for a man to be in Heaven before he comes there Joh 17.3 To have eternal life in this world This is eternal life to know thee and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ And that day that any soul begins to know Jesus Christ that day is the day-break of his eternity the Saints that are in Heaven they count from that day there began our eternity This is eternal life here it begins All the Saints and People of God they do know God in Jesus Christ And therefore surely There is an Abundance of Grace Grace for Grace an Abundance of Grace Communicated and given our unto all the Saints under the new Testament But you will say unto me Object We do not find this in experience do not see such an Abundance of Grace in the lives of those ye count godly those that are in Christ indeed we do not find that they have such an Abundance of Grace I but Ans Do you consider The Opposition of Grace The Retinue of Grace And the Mysiery of Grace First For the Opposition of Grace A little Grace may be much opposed and when the Opposition is great though Grace be small in the Bulk it may be great in the Work though little in the Quantity yet it may be much in Quality There 's no true Gospel-Grace but it is much opposed When Jesus Christ came into the world you know Herod raised all the County upon him And so when Christ comes into the heart the whol soul it is raised against Him because He comes as an enemy unto the soul As when an enemy Lands the Beacons are all fired and the Country all rises what do you say An enemy is landed an enemy is landed and all the Country rises So when Christ Lands upon a soule at the first He Lands as an enemy unto the â—â—n and soul and all the soul the Region the Continent it rises up against Him Then also as the Dragon â—ood before the woman which you reade of in that of the Revelations to out off the child as soon as it was born
So the Devil stands before the soul to cut off the souls birth Then also comes in the power of all Relations And the power of all Engagements And the power of all former Customs And the power of an Evil Nature Nay if you will go this way to work then farewel all Friends and farewell all your former Pleasures and farewel all Preferment Was it not a great matter for Job to be upright in the Land of Vz why Because there was much opposition in it Is it not a great matter for a little poor Barque or Vessel to live at Sea in the time of a storm for a little spark of fire to live in much water for a little light to live in a great wind You look upon such a poor gracious soul and you do not consider the wind that blows upon it the storms that beat upon it and you say 'T is not much Grace he hath or much good he does Oh! but consider if you would consider the great Opposition that the soul meets withal then you will say Oh! 't is much indeed there is Abundance of Grace there Secondly Consider the Retinue of Grace Grace hath a great Retinue Though it be very mean it hath rich Retinue If a man hath but a poor Cottage an Acre of Land an half-Acre of Land a Rood Yet if it be an Earnest of a great Inheritance 't is much Look upon the little Cottage in it self or the Rood of Land in it self 't is not much but consider it as an Earnest of a great Inheritance so 't is much Beloved whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it but as an Earnest Ye reade of the Testimony of the Spirit of the Earnest of the Spirit all the Grace that the Saints have on this side Heaven 't is all but the Earnest of what they shall have And the Apostle he blesses God for this as ye reade in the 1. of the Colossians 12. Giving thanks unto the Father which bath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Mark Here are Three things especially considerable in these words All the Children of God have an Inheritance You have but one Heir to your Estate all are not Heirs but all Gods Children have an Inheritance And the Inheritance called an Inheritance of Light It does not lie in a dark foggy and fenny and moorish place 't is a comfortable Inheritance 't is an Inheritance of light And the Apostle He does here give thanks unto God that had made them Meet to be the partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light He does not here give thanks unto God for the Inheritance but that they were meet to be partakers of the Inheritance that they had an Earnest till the Inheritance came I say all the Grace which a godly man hath on this side Heaven it is but an Earnest you look upon it as it is in it self and you say 'T is not much I but look upon it as an Earnest but as an Earnest and then you will say 'T is much indeed Oh! 't is much indeed But then Thirdly and specially Consider the Mystery of Grace Grace is a mystery Ye reade in Scripture of the mystery of iniquity and the mystery of godliness godliness is not only a mystery in the general but all the parts of godliness are mysterious there is a mystery in every part and if you would but a little consider the mystery of Grace I dare say you would lift up your hands and say then Oh! what Abundance of grace is here even in the weakest Saint For example to Instance Ye say 't is no great matter for a man or woman to tremble at the Word 'T is more then many a one does many come and fit out Sermons never tremble before the Word Well but you say 't is no great matter to tremble before the Word to tremble at the Word I but for a man to tremble at the Word and yet to count it as hony and the hony-comb to tremble at the Word yet to love it prize it then look upon it as the hony and the hony-comb this is much Now ye shall have a poor soul a poor Christian come and tremble before the Word and yet look upon the Word as the hony even as hony and the hony-combe for sweetnesse This is much Again You count it no great matter for one to love the Ordinances so to love the Ordinances above all the world as to be willing to part with all the world rather than to part with them This is a great matter But may be you will say this is no great matter Well but for a man or a woman to think so so to love the Ordinances yet notwithstanding at the same time to think that he don't Profit that he is barren and gets little or no good thereby this is much Now thus you shall have it with a poor Christian love and prize the Ordinances and would not part with the Ordinances for all the world and yet at the same time complain and say Oh! I get little good thereby Here 's a Mystery Put all together you take things asunder and therefore you think it is not much Again You think it is no great matter for a man to comfort himself in this That the Lord knows his heart I but for a man to comfort himself in that and yet say There is much hypocrisy there the same day it may be say Oh! I am an hypocrite Thus you shall have it with many a poor poor gracious drooping soul All is naught Oh! my heart it is full of hypocrisy and I am but an hypocrite and yet now let him be charg'd or accused by men of the world for such and such designes he comforts himself in this Oh! but blessed be the Lord the Lord knows my heart Put these things together Again You wil say 't is no great matter for a man To look into his own heart so to look into his own heart and so to be sencible of his sin as to think he shall perish for ever I but for the same person To professe he would not change his condition with another for all the world this is much Take many a poor drooping soul and thus it is I am afraid I shall go to Hell and perish to all eternity But now come lay his condition to a Drunkard to an Adulterer saies he I professe I would not change my condition with that man for all the world at the same time Here 's a mystery 't is strange but there 's a mystery in every piece of godliness and if you would but consider it would appear that there is much Grace in those that have the least Again You say 't is no great matter for a man To work out his salvation with fear and trembling I but for the same person To rely upon Jesus Christ only for salvation This is much Now thus it
And if you look into this first Chapter of John you find That those that are regenerate and borne again 't is said concerning them at the 13. verse that they are not borne of Bloods in the plural number your English hath it Blood in the singular You are not born of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Some there are and were that thought themselves to be the children of God because they came of godly parents because of their bloods because of their education Ioh. 8.33 So the Jews Wee are the Children of Abraham Some there are and were that think themselves the Children of God because of some Legal workings and monkish devotion all those legalities under the Gospel are called flesh Some there are that think themselves the children of God because of some more refined and raised and heroical actions That he might obviate all these saies he We are not born of bloods nor of the will of the flesh nor of the wil of man but of God You are for Free-will and you think Free-will hath a great stroke in mans Conversion but how can ye look this Scripture in the face No way of will not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man If it be any will it must be either the will of the flesh or the wil of man but I tel you saies he We are not borne of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man no way of will but of God To the like purpose you have in James 1.17 Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above In some of your books you reade thus Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above But it is rather to be read Every good giving Every good gift and every good giving is from above Not only the Thing given is from above but the very Donation the very Exhibition the very Giving out of the thing that is good it is from above Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above So that plainly then there is an utter Insufficiency in Nature unto what is good As for the Al-sufficiency of Jesu Christ Rom. 8.29 Rev. 1.17 He is the first born among many Brethren He is the first fruit that sanctifieth all the rest I am the first and the last saies he The first is the cause of the rest The Sun is the first and the great light so the cause of all other light Jesus Christ He is called the first in this same Chapter 15. verse This was He saies John of whom I spake He that cometh after me is preferred before me for He was before me So ye reade it but it is He was my first preferred before me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for He was my first and therefore the first giving a Being unto all that follows Jesus Christ He does give a Being unto all our graces I am the way the truth and the life saies He. Joh. 14.6 I am the Way Would you go to Heaven You cannot go thither but you must go in some Way A man cannot go unto a City but he must go some way or other if he go by water go by land this way or that way still he goes some Way or other Saies Christ if you would go to Heaven I am the Way This same word Way it notes the means unto a thing and when He saies I am the way 't is as if He should say That look what ever means you do use in order to Heaven all those means they have their vertue and their power and their efficacy from me I but a man may be in a way and in a right way and yet notwithstanding if he have not some guide he may lose his way True saies He therefore I am the Truth and 't is observable how Truth lies between Way Life as if the way to Life were thorough Truth as if Truth were the great road or the thorough-fare to life saies Jesus Christ I am that too I am the Way and the Truth too I but though a man be in the right Way and have a guide he may fall sick and die and never come to his journeyes end Therefore saies Christ I am the way and the Truth and the Life too I even I am He that gives life unto all your motions and actions for Heaven all Grace from Christ He it is even He alone that hath every mans heart and soul under lock and key There are Three great doors that must ordinarily be opened before converting-Grace can get into the soul of man 1 Cor. 16.9 Job 33.16 Acts. 16.14 Rev. 3.7 The door of a Powerful Ministry A large and an effectual door is opened The door of the Eare He openeth the eare and sealeth instruction The door of the Vnderstanding and of the heart Lydias heart was opened Now if you look into the Scripture you will find that Jesus Christ hath the opening of all these doors He hath the key of David He openeth and no man shuts and shutteth and no man openeth in the 1. of the Revelation and the 18. He saies That He hath the keyes of Hell and of death No man goes into the grave but He opens a door to let him in and no man goes to Hell but Jesus Christ He locks him up there He locks him up there unto all eternity if He did not lock him in he would not be there unto all eternity So that whatsoever Grace or holiness there is in any mans heart He opens the door He lets it in 't is by His ordering and His sending thither And Beloved if Jesus Christ were not the great Lord-Keeper of His Fathers wardrobe why should those Names and Titles be given to Him which you find so frequently in Scripture Cast your eyes where you wil you shal hardly look upon any thing but Jesus Christ hath taken the Name of that upon Himself If you cast your eyes up to Heaven in the day and behold the Sun He is called Mal. 4.2 Rev. 22.16 Col. 1.18 Rom. 13.14 Ioh. 6.35 Ioh. 10.9 Ioh. 10.11 Ioh. 1.29 Luk. 15.23 Zac. 13.1 Isa 28.16 Pro. 3.18 The Sun of righteousness If you cast your eyes in the night upon the Stars or in the morning upon the morning star He is called The bright morning star If you behold your own Body He is called the Head and the Church the Body If you look upon your own Clothes He is called your Rayment Put ye on the Lord Jesus If you behold your Meat He is called Bread The Bread of life If you look upon your Houses He is called a Door If you look abroad into the fields and behold the Cattel of the fields He is called The good Shepherd He is called The Lamb He is called The fatted Calf If you look upon the Waters He is called A Fountain The Blood of Christ a Fountain If you look upon the
Now though the Lord does give a Christian less grace in his hand for the present yet He hath laid it up in so safe a hand that though Satan a stronger than he does come down upon him he is not able to wrest it from him or beguile him of it because 't is in the hand of Christ that is a stronger than he And Jesus Christ by a Compact with the Father from all Eternity hath engaged Himselfe to do it to give forth Grace and Assistance to all the Elect according to all their needs So that I say now all Grace is from Jesus Christ in regard of fresh assistance Therfore the Psalmist prayes thus Lord open thou my lips Psal 51.15 and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Lord though thou hast given me habitual Grace yet if I have not fresh assistance from thee for to open my lips my mouth will not shew forth thy praise Psa 119.18 And so again Lord open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law And to this purpose 't is in the 17. Psalm and the 5. verse saies David Hold up my goings in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not Mark I pray David ye know was a godly man hee had a habit of grace Now Lord saies David as for the business that is between Saul and me thou knowest I am in thy way yet Lord saies he though I be in thy way and have a habit of Grace yet if thou dost not hold up my steps if thou dost not give me fresh assistance I shall fall I shall slip Hold up my going in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not Does not the Apostle say Phil. 2 13 The Will and the Deed is from God You may observe that the Graces of Gods People they are called in the new Testament Gal. 5.22 The fruits of the Spirit They are not called the fruits of a former habit but they are called The fruits of the Spirit And indeed if all grace were not from Jesus Christ in regard of fresh assistance truly then might a man have wherein to boast as Bradwardin reasons the case For saies he though a child have his being from his father his Education from his father Learning Military skill yet notwithstanding the valour of an action being his own he hath in opposition to his father wherin to boast True I confess indeed I had my being from my father I had my Nature from my father I had my Education from my father I had this Skill from my father But the prowess and the valour and the spirit of the action is all mine own and he hath wherein to boast So if he hath the Habit only from Christ he hath wherewith to boast True I had the Habit the Grace from God I but the spirit of the action that is mine own he had wherein to boast But there is no room for boasting and therefore all Grace is from Christ in regard of fresh assistance It will be yet said Obj. But if all Grace be from Christ in regard of fresh assistance too Why is it said that we Repent and we Beleeve and we Obey for if all Grace in regard of the very work be from Christ if Jesus Christ do work al our works Why is it not rather said That Christ does Repent and Christ does Beleeve and Christ does Obey I answer No. You know the Persons that are Responsal Ans If I owe a man a Thousand pounds and have never a penny to pay it and another man he comes and lends me the money and goes along with me to the Creditor the bond is taken up and acquittance made discharge made He is not said to have paid the money but I am said to pay the money that am Responsal So now you are Responsal and therefore though ye have all strength from Christ to do it yet you are said to Repent and Beleeve and Obey The Devil is not said to commit Adultery and commit Murder yet by his instigation 't is done The Sun does work with the Tree when the Tree does bring forth fruit and yet 't is not said that the Sun brings forth an apple or brings forth fruit because the Sun does work as a universal Cause and the Tree as a particular Cause So now though Jesus Christ does work in all your workings yet He is not said to Repent or Beleeve or to Obey because He works as a universal Cause and you work as a particular Cause Only behold here the mirrour of Grace All is of Christ and yet all is Ours all is ours in Denomination and al is Christs in Operation all is ours in regard of Incouragement and all is Christs in regard of Glory al is ours in regard of Reward and all is Christs in regard of Honor. Here 's Grace here 's the mystery of Grace but still all whatsoever Grace a man hath he hath it from Jesus Christ I but Quest will you say To what end is this Doctrine opened thus largely opened and prest What good is there that does come thereby What good Answ What good would you have What good would you do Would you have the Lord Jesus Christ to become your strength The way to have Him to become your strength is to count Him so Look I pray upon the 31. Psalm the 2. and 3. verse Be thou my strong Rock for an house of defence to save me for thou art my Rock and my Fortress Be thou my Rock for thou art my Rock What kinde of Argument is this Yes 't is a good argument The way to have Christ our Rock is to account Him our Rock My very resting upon the Promise does make it mine and your very resting upon Jesus Christ doth make Him yours and what will make you rest more upon Him then to see that all is from Him Again Would you have your hearts warmed with love unto Jesus Christ indeed our whol life should be nothing else but an expression of love to Christ as Christs life and death was nothing else but an expression of love to us Now saies a gracious soul Is this true indeed that all Grace is from Christ that whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ that there is not a good thought in my heart but runs through the heart of Jesus Christ before it does come at mine what infinit cause then have I to love Jesus Christ Again Would you live in Dependance upon Christ for Grace for Truth the serious consideration of this truth will help you to it I confesse indeed will some say when I look upon my self I am a man or woman of such poor gifts or parts that I have no hope I am afraid I shall never attain to the Truth of the time but is it so that all is from Jesus Christ whatever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ Why may not I know the Truth of the time as well as another I will
the fire it self So when the Lord Jesus Christ is united to a soul look what Excellencies there are in Christ what Graces in Christ the same are Communicated to it the soul shines with Christs shining and warms with His warming there is Grace Answerable for His Grace You know there was a blessed union between the second Person and our Nature our flesh the second Person takes our Nature upon him and being united to our flesh by vertue of the hypostatical union the idioms and properties of the one are given to the other God hath no flesh God hath no blood and yet we reade in the Acts of the Apostles of the blood of God because of the union the properties of the flesh and of mans nature are given to God Eph. 4.10 So saies the Apostle He that descended is the same also that ascended God does not descend for He is every where but by reason of the union what is proper to the flesh is given to God And so now in this mistical Vnion there being such a glorious and blessed union between Christ and a Christian whatsoever Grace or Excellency or property is in Christ Himself there is an Answerableness of Grace an excellency wrought in the heart of every Christian he hath Grace for Grace he hath stamp for stamp And again Secondly Rea. 2 The Lord Jesus Christ is our second Adam a Common person between God and us Now look as it was concerning our fore-father Adam being a Common person look what nature he had we have He was made up of soul and body and so are we His body had legs and arms and other members and we have member for member we have head for head and arms for arms and legs for legs And so he sinning we have sin for his sin pride for his pride and unbelief for his unbelief because he was a Common person So I say Jesus Christ being our Second Adam look what Grace he had the Saints have they have Grace for His Grace they have Holiness for His Holiness The Apostle saies in the 5. of the Romans That as by one mans offence death came So through the gift of Grace Grace hath abounded But not as the offence saies he at the 15. verse So also is the Free-gift For if through the offence of one man many be dead much more the Grace of God and the gift by Grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many Now if we should not have Grace for Grace from Christ as we had sin for sin from the first Adam how should Grace superabound Our Lord and Savior Christ saies himself I have life in my Self The Son hath life in Himself Joh. 5.26 which laid to that expression which you have in the 1. of Genesis speaks to our purpose the 11. and 12. verses God said Let the Earth bring forth grass the herb yeelding seed and the fruit-tree yeelding fruit after his kind whose seed is in it self And so again at the 12. verse Whose seed was in it self That is these Creatures had a power in themselves to bring forth their like And so saies Jesus Christ as other Creatures had seed in themselves to bring forth their like So have I life in my Self and am able to bring forth my like and so He does for He is our Second Adam and therefore as we had sin for sin from the First Adam we must have Grace for Grace from the Second Adam also Thirdly There is an incomparable and glorious Rea. 3 blessed love between Christ and a Christian Love loves to make a thing loved to be like it self Love in an Inferiour is of an Imitating Nature and love in a Superiour is of a Similitating Nature Now therefore if there be love between Christ and a Christian they must needs be very like and love there is Christ loves the Saints above all the world and the Saints love Christ above all the world Only Christs love exceeds for when the Spouse speaks of Christ in the Canticles she cals Him My beloved in the Concrete but when He speaks of her He cals her my love my dove in the Abstract Jesus Christ had loving thoughts towards the Saints before the world was as ye reade in the 8. of the Proverbs and the 29. verse Saies wisdom and so Christ there When He gave to the Sea His Decree that the waters should not pass His Commandement when He appointed the foundations of the earth Then I was by Him as one brought up with Him I was daily His delight verse the 31. Rejoycing in the habitable part of His earth and my delights were with the sons of men Jesus Christ was then in the bosom of His Father He had enough to take up His heart with full delight and yet notwithstanding before the Saints were His love was towards them and His delight was in them Surely if He loved them so much before they had a being when they have a being He will exercise and put forth that old and ancient love of His in more abundance towards them When a man loves a Maid or a Virgin while she is in her fathers house she is set a part for him but now afterward when she leaves her fathers house and all her kindred that she may only cleave unto him then his heart is drawn out more How am I ingaged saies he to love this woman that hath left all the world to come unto me So there was love in Christ towards the Saints while they were but set a part for Him in Gods Decree but now when they shall leave their fathers house for Him will He not then delight in them See what is said in the 45. Psalm Hearken O daughter at the 10. verse and consider and incline thine ear forget also thine own people and thy fathers house So shall the King greatly desire or delight in thy beauty But delight in them and love them he cannot unless they be like unto him for the lover loves to make a thing loved to be like himself or himself to be like to it The lover would if he could melt himself into a One-ness with the thing loved Indeed our love is scant and we cannot do it Moses of whom the Law is signified might chip and pare his wives nailes but he could not change her countenance A man may love his wife and bestow much upon her but he is not able to change her countenance to make her to be like himself But Jesus Christ hath this happiness above all the world His love hath this happiness above all other love that He is able to melt the person loved the soul loved into His own likeness and therefore wherever Jesus Christ sets His heart upon any soul to delight in any He draws His Image upon them makes the soul to be like unto Him what Grace He hath Himself He does communicate it unto that soul that there is an Answerableness of Grace Even Grace for
Grace Again There is the same Spirit in a Christian Rea. 4. Joh. 15 26. that is in Christ I will send saies He the Comforter the Spirit of truth and He shall come unto you The Spirit does not only come to them but is said to dwel in them and to be shed abroad upon their hearts Now if a Beast had the spirit and the soul of a man he would work like a man he would speak like a man and if a Plant if a Tree if an Herb had the life of a Beast it would tast like a Beast And if a Stone if that had the life of a Plant it would grow like a Plant. So now if a Christian have the Spirit of Christ he must work like Christ he must needs be like Christ Now the same Spirit He hath a Christian hath the same Spirit with Christ and therefore needs must be like unto Him and have Grace for His Grace Somewhat in a Christian Answerable to every Grace of Christ You will say unto me How can this be Object indeed it holds forth abundance of comfort unto the Saints and an incouragement to all to be so But how can this be There are some Incommunicable Properties Personal Excellencies of Christ Are all men Saviors Are all men Mediators Are all men Christs No Answ We must therefore so understand it in things that man is capable of We have member for member with Adam every man head for his head and legs for his legs but every man is not the first Adam that every man is not capable of So Jesus Christ He is made like to us but He is not a sinner that He was not capable of And so we have grace for grace Answerable Grace 't is to be understood in things that we are capable of We are not Saviors we are not Mediators we are not Christs In some of those things that we are not capable of yet there is somewhat in a Christian that in some other kind is Answerable thereunto As now for example When our Lord and Savior Christ was Baptized the Heavens opened and the holy-Ghost fell down upon Him in the shape of a Dove The holy-Ghost does not so fall down upon men now but yet 't is shed abroad in the hearts of all that are godly He is the great King and the Priest and the Prophet of his Church All the Saints are Kings and Priests and Prophets but not to that heighth as He was To open this a little that I may cleere the point Is our Lord and Savior Christ a Prophet and as a Prophet does He teach His people the Saints in that of the Revelation Rev. 11 3. The Two Witnesses are said to Prophesie in sackcloth They are said to Prophesie too Is our Lord and Savior Christ a King and as a King does He Over-come and subdue Satan and our lusts and the world 1 Joh. 5.4 So do the Saints too This is your Victory wherby ye Over-come the world even your Faith As a King Does he Over-come and sit down in His Throne So do they too In the 3. of the Revelations and the 21. verse To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with My Father in His Throne Mark I pray Christ hath a Throne on Earth Saies He As Lovercame and am set down with my Father in His Throne in Heaven So those that overcome shall sit down That is Matt. 8.11 have Communion Many shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac That is have Communion with them So here To him that overcomes wil I grant to sit down with me in my Throne They shal have Cōmunion with Jesus Christ in his Throne As a King does the Lord Jesus Christ Rule the Nations Psa 2.9 and break them in pieces with a rod of iron So shall the Saints do in their generation and in their way Look I pray into the 2d of the Revelation the 26. verse And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end To him will I give power over the Nations And he shall rule them with a rod of iron Mark And he shall rule them with a rod of iron As the vessel of a potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my Father He does not say Even as I received this Doctrine of my Father but as I which you reade of in the second Psalm received this Power from my Father they shall communicate with me in this Power Even as I received of my Father So shall they receive it they shall have Communion with Him in this Is Jesus Christ a Priest and as a Priest Does He Sacrifice So do the Saints too The Apostle Exhorts the Romans That they offer up themselves a reasonable sacrifice As a Priest Rom. 12.1 does He make Intercession So 't is said concerning the Saints in the 8. of the Romans The Spirit of God that is upon them makes Intercession with groans that cannot be exprest As a Priest does Jesus Christ as our great high-Priest Enter into the Holy of Holiest that you will say belonged unto the Priest alone and none might enter into the Holiest and the Holy of Holiest but the Priest So do the Saints too See I pray what Communion and fellowship the Saints have with Jesus Christ Saies he in the 10. of the Heb. and the 19. ver Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living way c. Is our high Priest entered into the Holy of Hollest as a high Priest You shall have Communion in His Priestly Office too and as He entered into the Holy of Holiest so shall you too Thus you see there is an Answerableness in the Saints with what is in Christ And indeed herein does our Spiritual Regeneration go beyond our Generation For though a child be like unto the father in this that he is a man like the father and he hath a head like the father and arms and legs like the father yet his feature may not be like the fathers lineaments not alike But now in our Spiritual Regeneration there is such a likeness as whatsoever Grace or Holiness is in Jesus Christ there is somewhat in all the Saints that is Answerable thereunto By way of Application then Applic. 1 If this be so That the Saints do receive from Christs Fulness Grace for Grace Grace Answerable to the Grace of Christ That whatsoever Grace or holiness there is in Christ there is somewhat in all the Saints that is Answerable thereunto Then what abundance of men and women are there even living under the Gospel that have no present share of saving interest in Jesus Christ Me thinks I hear this Doctrine crying aloud and saying stand by profane men stand by You that are meerly Civil and moral people stand by And all
Hypocrites stand by as having no share and interest in Jesus Christ As for Profane men they will be Drunk and Swear and commit Adultery and Lye and break the Sabbath But would Jesus Christ do so They count it the life of their life and the soul of their soul to be at a merry meeting a jovial meeting but would Jesus Christ do so When Jesus Christ was upon the earth He went up and down doing good and scattering good communicating good and they go up and down scattering their sins and is this Grace for Grace is this Answerable I appeal to you As for those that are meerly Civil Moral Though they will not swear great and gross Oathes yet swear by their faith and by their Troth but would Jesus Christ do so They carry a secret spleen and envy at the power of godliness and those that have it but would Jesus Christ do so They frame up their Religion and their Worship according to the Times if Authority comand it they will they will do it whatever it be but would Iesus Christ do so When Iesus Christ was upon the earth He was Zealous The Zeal of thine house hath eaten me up Ioh. 2.17 but they are formal and they are Luke-warm Oh! is this Grace for Grace is this your Answer ableness and are these in Iesus Christ As for those that are Hypocrites They have alwaies some secret sin or other some back-door or other that they may go out at but had lesus Christ so They lie contemplating and chewing of the Devils Cud and are indulgent to their base thoughts their sinful thoughts but was Iesus Christ so They savour gifts and expressions more then Graces but did jesus Christ do so They though they seem to be mortified and dead unto the grosser part of the world meat drink and clothes yet they are no way mortified and dead unto the finer part of the world their Names and their Credits Was it thus with Jesus Christ Indeed an Hypocrite through the strength of Education living under the Gospel may set himself to imitate Christ but there is an Artificial imitation and a Natural resemblance A father may have two sons The one that is unlike him but imitates him the other that does naturally resemble the father and imitate him too Such are the Saints being made partakers of the Divine Nature they naturally care for the things of Christ hypocrites do not so Behold here 's the Character of a Christian indeed he hath Grace for Grace whatever Grace there is in Christ he hath somewhat Answerable thereunto Oh! how few men and women are there in the world that have a saving share and interest in Jesus Christ Secondly If this Doctrine be true What a happy Appli 2. and blessed thing is it for a man to be in Christ Behold the Dignity of the Saints Beloved here 's glory on this side glory 't is the glory and the honor of a man to be like to God 't is the glory and honor of a Disciple to be like his Master 't is the glory and honor of a Child to be like his father 't is the glory and honor of a Christian to be like unto Jesus Christ Every Christian hath the Image of Christ drawn upon him Had our Lord Iesus the Great Mighty Potentate only come by a poor soul and cast His Skirt over him and said unto the soul wear thou my Livery it had bin a great honor to belong to Christ to wear His Livery But behold here 's more than so the Saints do not only wear His Livery but they have His Grace and their Grace is of the same nature with the very Grace of Christ as our Grace should a bin of the same nature with Adams if Adam had stood Yea not only their Grace is of the same nature but look what Grace Christ had they have Answerable to it Had this great and royal Loadstone that draws all mens hearts after him only touch't our hearts that we might have followed him what a Mercy had it bin But behold here is more than so the Saints they have Grace for Grace whatsoever Grace or holiness there is in Christ somewhat in a Christian Answerable thereunto Oh! Dignity Oh! Dignity how can a Christian but be welcome to God the Father that does not come only in the Name of Christ to Him but brings the Image of Christ too with him Grace for Grace Oh! who would not be Incouraged to get into Jesus Christ Oh! you that are in Christ do you know what priviledges you walk under every day You sometimes are ready to envy at the men of the world but I pray Would you now change your condition with them Such a one he hath passion for passion and pride for pride and sin for sin with the world and you have Grace for Grace with Jesus Christ Here 's Dignity here 's Priviledge indeed But you will say Quest All Dignity cals for Duty Suppose it be so That whatsoever Grace and holiness there is in Christ there is somewhat Answerable in my soul Oh! what is my Duty now that does flow from hence Surely Ans you cannot be proud of it for then you shal not be like to Christ Who though He thought it no robbery to be equal with God the Father He humbled Himself became of no reputation Beloved you know that all Talents lents are to be improved and the greater the Talent the more improvement is to be made and improvement is to be made of the same kind 'T is our wisedom to observe what work God is a doing upon our souls and to help forward that work If God be working Faith in our hearts it is our duty to help forward the work of Beleeving If God be working Patience in our hearts 't is our duty to help forward the work of Patience Look now what work that is that God is doing in our hearts and lives for us that work we are bound to help forward Now hath therfore God drawn the Image of Jesus Christ upon your hearts so that there is an habitual likeness in your souls unto Jesus Christ Then it is your duty to labor for an actual likeness to be like unto Him in all your working to live as He lived and to do as He did and to speak as He spake labor more and more to be like unto Him in your lives And if you say How should that be The Apostle tells you Whom beholding as in a glass 2 Cor. 3.18 we are changed from glory to glory according to His own Image The serious frequent beholding of Jesus Christ is the only way to be like unto Him Beloved your lives they are divided into two parts There is a Doing part and a Suffering part As Christs Obedience was divided into Active and Passive Obedience Would you in the Doing part of your life be like unto Christ Behold Him in His Doing Omnis Christi Actio est instructio Every
into his soule Answerable to that a chaine of gold is hung about his necke Joseph a poor stranger brought as low as ever man was Answerable to that he is made next in the Kingdome to Pharoah Beloved if the dead Mercy rise as your bodies when they rise they rise in glory So when the Mercy rises it will rise a glorious Mercy And as it shall be the greatest Mercy that ever you had so it shall be the surest That is most certain that is certain after uncertainty Whose assurance was like to Thomas's Oh! sayes Thomas My Lord and My God two My's My Lord and My God it came out of doubting A Tree that stands after shaking stands the most firmly Assurance after doubting is the strongest Assurance surest Assurance As 't is the greatest Mercy so I say it shall be the surest Mercy if ever the Mercy rise And then againe Lastly As the surest so it shall be the sweetest Mercy The children of Israel they had wholesome meat and water and drinke but the sweetest water was that which they had after no water water out of a rocke that was like hony And a Mercy that comes out of a rocke that comes from out of the sentence of death from under death it shall be the sweetest Mercy You know what the Father of the Prodigall sayes when his son was come home he cals his friends together Lak 15.32 Come sayes he and make merry with me for this my son was dead and is now alive Cals his friends together and speaks thus unto them So shall it be with the Soule when the Mercy lost is found when the Mercy dead is raised then the Soule shall call in his friends Come O my friends Come I le tell you what the Lord hath done for my Soule here here is a Mercy dead and 't is now alive Come make merry with me O my friends this my Assurance it was even dead and 't is now alive Oh! this Blessing this Blessing it was dead but 't is now alive Come and make merry with me O my friends for this Mercy was dead and 't is now alive Thus I say if this Mercy rise that hath the sentence of death upon it it shall be the greatest Mercy it shall be the surest and it shall be the sweetest Mercy that ever you had in all your dayes And therefore who would not waite upon the Lord who would not waite upon the Lord when the sentence of death is put upon the Mercy and upon all the manes that do lead unto it Oh! my beloved in the Lord that you would but possesse your hearts of this one Truth this Mercy how quiet would your Soules be under all the distempers and the troubles of the time Nationall distempers Personall distempers When you look upon the troubles that are abroad yet your hearts would be quiet and you would say well but yet notwithstanding we may be in the way to the greatest Mercy that ever England saw why should we be thus discouraged Oh! my Soule waite upon God this is Gods way he never gives any great Mercy to any of his people but first he does put a sentence of death upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it And therefore notwithstanding all yet we may be in Gods way Therefore Oh! my Soule waite on him Thus much for this time Rom. 4. vers 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe THe words as ye heard the last day are spoken concerning Abraham Preached-at Margarets New fishstreet March 2. 1645. And they hold forth three great Truths unto us The First is this That when God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any speciall blessing to the children of Abraham he does first put the sentence of death upon the blessing and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it Abrahams body is dead and Sarahs wombe is dead when God had promised him a great seed The Second is this When God is thus pleased to put the sentence of death upon a blessing or the meanes that do lead thereto Then and then especially 't is the duty and commendation of all the children of Abraham to beleeve in God and not to stand poring upon the meanes and the deadnesse thereof He considered not his own body being dead nor the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe The Third is this That no difficulty can stand before Faith true saving justifying Faith carries the Soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Jesus Christ Thus it was here with Abraham he being not weak in Faith he had an eye unto Jesus Christ I have done with the First and my desire is now at this time to dispatch the Second When God is pleased thus to put the sentence of death upon a blessing Doctr. or the meanes that do lead unto it it is the duty of the children of Abraham then to trust in God not to stand poring upon or considering of the meanes and the deadnesse thereof Thus it was here with Abraham God made Abraham a promise that his seed should be like the sand and like the starres for multitude But Abrahams body is dead and his wives body is dead Notwithstanding Abraham considered not the deadnesse of the meanes And in all this he is held forth for our Example as you heard the last day As he did therefore so must we do The Doctrine is somewhat large I shall break it asunder into three parts and endeavour to cleare up these three Propositions unto you for the proof of the whole First That a meere rationall considering of the meanes and the deadnesse thereof is a great and a speciall enemy to the work of beleeving Secondly That when all means faile 't is the duty and commendation of the children of Abraham then to beleeve Thirdly That so to do is exceeding pleasing to God and most acceptable First That a meere rationall considering of the meanes the straitnesse or scantinesse narrownesse or deadnesse of the meanes is a great and a speciall enemy to the work of beleeving Abraham being not weak in Faith considered not his own body being dead If he had considered he might have been hindered in his Faith Ye reade of Zacharias that good man Father of John the Baptist that when the Angell brought him tidings of a child in way of his speciall Mercy he would not beleeve it And in the 1. of Luke and the 20. verse ye reade how he was punished for it Behold thou shalt be dumbe and not able to speak untill the day that these things shall be performed because thou beleevest not my words But what hindred him what kept him off from this work of beleeving you shall find at the 18. verse too much attendance unto and considering of the meanes and the deadnesse thereof Zachary said unto the Angell Whereby shall I know
when you have no meanes Thus Abraham did he considered not his own body being dead nor Sarahs wombe being dead for this his faith is commended So shall you be Oh! that our faith were right Oh! that we could learn to live by faith at a higher rate then ever yet we have done Time yet may come for ought we know that you may find more use of this point But you will say unto me I am afraid I shall presume Obj. trust in God when all meanes faile meanes for my soule and meanes for my body and meanes for my family trust in God now I am afraid I shall presume presumption is a great sinne Marke I shall onely tell you what 't is to presume Answ in answer to this praesumo is to take a thing before 't is given or offered Mercy 't is alwayes offred to a poore sinner Jesus Christ came to save sinners and die for sinners thou canst not take mercy before 't is offred For a man to thinke that he shall fly in the ayre with wings like a bird this is to presume for a man to put God upon provision for his lust this is to presume for a man to put God upon extraordinary where ordinary may be had this is to presume But for a man to relie upon God for necessities in extraordinary cases when ordinary cannot be had this is no presumption but Faith Mark I say to put God upon extraordinary when ordinary may be had this is presumption But to rely upon God for necessities in an extraordinary case when it cannot be had in an ordinary this is no presumption at all Beloved 't is presumption in the highest degree for you and mee poore creatures to tye up the hands of God to labour to do it is dangerous As for example one poore Subject to go to his Prince and tye up his hands and feet or to go to his Pallace and nayle up all his doores and leave him but one little wicket to come out at this is presumption And so for a man to tye God to meanes to tye God to a time to tye God to this or that meanes to tye God to meanes in generall this is presumption Marke Some there are that tye God to a Time Oh! if mercy does not come by such a day or such a time I am undone for ever Others they won't tye God to a Time but they will tye God to this or that particular meanes Oh! if mercy come not that way or by that meanes I am gone I am lost for ever Others they won't tye God to time nor to particular meanes but they will tye God to meanes in generall they won't beleeve God a whit beyond meanes and so tye God to meanes in generall Ah what is this but ranke presumption for a poore creature to tye up the hands of his Creator the fin that you seeke and thinke to avoid you fall into This is presumption And beloved do you know how prejudiciall this is to your selves As a dishonour to God so a great hinderance to your selves to doe thus it turnes God out of the way of his mercy Nay sayes God seeing you will have no mercy but in a roade of meanes you shall have none but in a roade of meanes so mercy comes thinne and scant and by little drops whereas otherwise mercy would come thick and full and large Hereby you are put upon indirect meanes to get out of trouble pray what is the ground that causes men to use indirect meanes to get out of trouble is not this at the bottome you thinke meanes must be used this is at the bottome Beloved in the Lord as you do desire God may not be dishonoured that Mercy may come full and not scant unto you learne to beleeve at another rate then ever you have done when all meanes faile and seeme to lie dead before you then beleeve so for thy Soule so for thy Body so for thy Estate You will say How should I do this Quest to beleeve when all meanes faile and lie dead before me I have a great prospect in my sinnes the guilt of one sinne comes and that hath a blow at my conscience and the guilt of another sinne that comes and that gives a blow to my conscience and my conscience is all blacke and blue with blowes and they all cry out and say poor damn'd damn'd and undone creature and I see no way no meanes at all left for my salvation Ah! Lord what shall I do to beleeve now when all meanes faile I shall onely speake a word to it and so winde up all Answ thus Know that thou mayest trust God that thou mayest find Mercy that thou mayest beleeve in such a case as this is Beloved therefore thou hast not beleeved in such a case heretofore because thou didst think thou mightst not beleeve But now know from the Lord 't is no temptation 't is no presumption in such a case as this thou mayest leane thy poor guilty soule upon God this day I am loath to make comparisons between one duty and another but if there be any compares this act of beleeving when all meanes seeme to lie dead before us is more then all thy prayers and teares Thou criest out and sayest Oh! that I had teares in prayer Oh! that God would inlarge my heart in prayer Oh! that God would breake this hard heart and blessed be the Lord indeed when so it is But now art thou in such a case hast thou a prospect of all thy sins and all means seem to lie dead before thee and doest thou now go unto Jesus Christ saying to him Ah Lord I have been a great and a wretched sinner yet now hearing of thy free and rich grace I do throw my selfe upon thee Lord if thou killest mee yet I will trust in thee through thy grace I will never returne againe unto folly onely Lord I do leane my Soule upon thee as for comfort Lord give me comfort when thou wilt onely I leane my Soule upon thee I tell thee this act of thy Faith is more pleasing to God then thy twenty years teares then thy twenty years prayers if there be any compare But why then my Beloved should you look at this as a matter of presumption to trust upon God and upon Christ in this condition know 't is your way unto Jesus Christ when all meanes faile Oh! 't is the only way for your deliverance deliverance from your sinnes and the feare of your sinnes carry this rule home along with you deliverance is then nearest when Faith workes highest and Faith then workes highest when all means are lowest Do not stand poring then Christian don 't stand poring upon the deadnesse of the meanes or the deadnesse of thine owne heart As the sight beholding and gazing upon beauty is a snare and a temptation to those that are given to wantonnesse and the sight of much gold and silver and fine houses a temptation to those
in regard of a particular Family in a Town 't is said concerning the Jailors family that they were all baptized they all beleeved but how did the Jailors family come and seek after the Kingdom of Heaven before the Kingdom of Heaven was brought unto them No The Apostles were brought into prison God works a miracle the Kingdom of Heaven grace and free remission is brought to the prison and is brought to the Jaylors family before ever the Jailor did stir after it And so ye know it was with the family of Zacheus Luke 19 9. Zacheus saies our Saviour This day is salvation come to thine house Pray consider it a little did Zacheus's house go to seek for salvation or rather did not salvation come and seek for Zecheus's house Indeed Zecheus out of a curiosity ran and got up into a tree that he might see the out-side of Jesus Christ but our Lord and Saviour Christ cals him down Zacheus saies he I must dine with thee invites himself he carries salvation unto his family Thus God deals by Families He deals thus by the World He deals thus by Nations He deals thus by Towns He deals thus by Families And he deals thus by particular Persons also Was it not thus with Matthew the Publican He sate ye know in his Custome-house and Christ came and found him out there he did not first go and seek after Christ but Christ came first unto him and found him out in his trade and said unto him 1 Tim. 1.13 follow me And was it not thus with Paul Saies Paul I was a blasphemer and a persecutor But I obtained mercy I was breathing out threatenings against the Saints and against the Disciples of Jesus Christ but as I was breathing out threatenings against them the holy Ghost breath'd upon my heart and met me in the way and unhorst me and showed me mercy the Kingdom of Heaven did approach unto Paul before ever Paul sought after it And as 't is with a particular Person in regard of his first Conversion and first Repentance So in regard of his After-Repentance Peter sins and before ever Peter repents Christ looks back upon him that is the first then Peter wept bitterly Johah sin'd and sin'd greatly in running away from God before ever Johah could find in his heart for to seek unto God God works a miracle provides a chamber of preservation even in the belly of destruction in the Whales-belly for him God brought neer his pardoning mercy and grace to him before ever Jonah came neer to it And as 't is in regard of a mans first second and after Prepentance So 't is also in regardof a mans Comfort and Consolation O Lord saies David Make me to receive joy Psal 51.8 Psa 77.2 and comfort that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce My soul refuseth comfort saies he As if he should say thus Lord I have been a great Surgeon at other mens hearts and I have been able to set their bones that have been out of joynt but now mine own bones are broken I have fallen greatly and now my own bones are broken I cannot set mine own bones My soul refuseth comfort and the promise is to my heart-like a bank of Ice that my heart slips off and Lord if thou doest not uphold my heart with a promise I shall never have comfort Make me to see comfort O Lord. Thus you see where ever you look in the Scripture 't is full of the truth that is here before us namely That the Kingdome of Heaven grace mercy and free-remission does approach unto us before we draw neer to it Evidences of it The First is Taken from our own Condition Naturally we are lost sheep so we are called by Christ Man in his natural state is compared unto the lost son the lost groat and the lost sheep Now you know when a sheep is lost it does not lie where it is lost if you lose your purse or if you lose a ring it will lie where it was lost unless it be taken up but now if a sheep be lost the sheep wanders up and down and doth not lie where it was lost but wanders up and down over one mountain to another through one thicket to another through one dirty place to another and of all creatures the lost sheep does not seek the way home again A dog lost will seek the way home again a Cat and such like creatures lost will seek the way home again but a sheep lost does not seek the way home again Now we are all lost sheep wandring up and down One he wanders over the mountain of Pride another through the thicket of the World another through some unclean Slough but all wandring and no man able to find his home till he be first found Therefore saies our Saviour Christ Luke 19.10 I came to seek and to save those that are lost He does not say barely I came to save those that are lost but I came to seek and to save those that are lost And truely we must be sought all along Saies David in the 119. Psalme and the last Lord I have gone astray like a lost sheep O seek thy servant We have need of continual seeking as long as there is continual wandring we have need of such a shepheard as may seek us out But first of all the Kingdom of Heaven does seek us out before we do seek it when we are found then we seek but we never seek till we are first found A Second Evidence I take from Christs willingness for to save sinners There is an infinite willingness in our dear Saviour for to save poor sinners He came from Heaven for that end and purpose If a man come a thousand miles upon a business will ye not think he is willing to do it Jesus Christ came from Heaven for this business for to save sinners Is He not then willing to do it I may say that Jesus Christ is more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved by him The Prodigal goes home to his father but when the father sees him after off he runs the Prodigal goes and the father runs to meet him with mercy Yea and our Savior Christ seems to be most willing to save the greatest sinners the greatest Saints have bin made up out of the greatest sinners When the Lord Jesus Christ was upon the earth did he not carry his grace and mercy and the doctrin of free remission to the greatest finērs Peloved consider of it I pray you The greater the sinner is the more is Christ honored in getting out his Pardon and in satisfying for such a finner and so he will love Christ the more Look I pray into the 7 Chap. of Luke Simon saies Christ I 'le propound thee a parable Master say on saies he Then saies our Savior at the 41 vers There was be certain Creditor that had two Dobters the one ought five hundred pence and the
this than with the other And I pray what then Do but observe Paul who gracious he is how humble he is how thankful he is how ready to serve Christ how ready to serve the Churches for Christ how ready to suffer for Christ upon all occasions Oh! how gracious did this make him Thus 't is with a poor soul that hath tasted of the free-grace of God in Christ the heart is more taken herewithal than with the thoughts of Heaven Ah saies a poor soul I was going on in such a sinful way or I lay sleeping and snorting in my sins and I know not how before ever I was aware the Kingdom of Heaven did approach unto me and the Lord in his free-grace showed mercy to my family and to my poor soul Oh! therefore any thing for Jesus Christ Oh! I will spend and be spent Oh! any thing for Jesus Christ The sight of Gods grace does make one gracious and therefore Christ does take this way Causing the Kingdom of Heaven grace and free remission to approach first unto us before we do draw neer to it There is one Reason more I will but name it Christ does so order things in the dispensations of his grace that no flesh might glory in it selfe or in any thing that it hath or doth that no flesh might rest in any duty in any service in any suffering but only upon grace upon Christ alone Beloved we are very unwilling to come unto any duty and when we have done we are then as apt to rest upon it as ever we were unwilling to come unto it But what 's the reason that men are so apt to rest upon their duties but because there are these secret thoughts that they come to Christ before he does come to them Let the heart be possest with this truth That Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven and of free-grace does approach unto us and come neer to us before we draw neer to it And then he will not rest so much upon what he is doth or suffereth A man in this case is like unto a Silk-worme you know how 't is with that worme it makes a fine web a fine work and when it hath done it dies in it afterward it eats a hole through the work and it comes out with wings a quite other creature than it went into it So it is with a poor Christian he makes a fine work of duty and then he dies in it but through the manifestations of Gods free grace he does as it were eat a hole through all and he comes out with wings flying away from his duties not so as to neglect the performance of them but so as not to rest upon them flyes away from in regard of resting upon any duty and only upon this ground because saies he God did draw neer to me grace did draw neer to me mercy did draw neer to me before ever I drew neer to it and therefore why should I rest upon any duty performe it I will but through grace I will not rest upon it By way of Application Applic. 1 Let us I pray consider with our selves whether God hath dealt thus by our souls or no Hath the Kingdom of Heaven approch't and drawn neer unto us before we drew neer to it if not truly for ought that I know we are yet under the Law and all our mournings and walkings Heaven-ward they are but Legal If God love you indeed He shews kindness and mercy to you before you do come to him 'T is with Gods darlings as 't is with the worlds-darlings You have some men take a great deal of pains rise early and go to bed late and yet the world does not smile upon them these are the world's enemies Some take pains and grow rich thereby these are the worlds friends Others there are again that before ever they take any pains the Lord is upon them with the worlds blessings these are the worlds darlings So I say God hath his darlings and if thou art one of Gods darlings He does cause the Kingdom of Heaven Grace and Free-remission to appear and draw neer unto thy soul even before thou dost draw neer to it Hath God dealt thus by any of you Oh! contemplate consider seriously the sweetness of this grace Beloved preventing grace is sweet grace The Lord gave a Grown a Kingdom to David but the best Pearle in all the Crown that his eye was most upon was Gods preventing mercy Psa 21.3 Lord saies he thou hast prevented me with the goodness of thy blessing As if he had said thus Lord thou hast not only given me a kingdom made me a King over thy people but when I was a poor Shepheard keeping my fathers sheep thou diddest prevent me with thy love So may a poor soul say Ah Lord thou hast not only given me a kingdom but thou hast prevented me with thy love 'T is a great matter that the great God of Heaven and Earth should answer our prayers give us any mercy upon our request I but that the Lord should give us the greatest mercie before we come for it Pray good people mark it a little Ye shall observe that the greatest mercies that ye have ye have them and they are given unto you before you come for them There are some great mercies that a Christian hath as Conversion of his soul Justification Remission of sin Some lesser mercies as comfort and peace and outward plenty As for these lesser mercies God gives them when we do come for them but as for the great Mercies Remission of sin Justification of our persons Conversion of our souls God is upon us with these mercies before we come for them Oh! what grace is here Oh! what glorious rich grace is here What! shall be not stand and admire at the glory of this free grace of God in Jesus Christ You will say unto me Quest But suppose this that the Lord hath brought the Kingdom of Heaven neer to me and my family before I did come to it for I must confess that I have tasted and drunk deeply of Gods preventing love Oh! how graciously hath God dealt by our poor family wee were a poor ignorant family and the Lord shewed mercy to our family when we little thought of it to such a Child to such a Servant to such a Friend to mine own soul Indeed this is true That the Kingdom of Heaven hath approch't unto me drawn neer unto me before I drew neer to it Oh! what is my duty now that does flow from hence Let me tell you Ans 1 Duty First of all Be sooner at Heaven gate with your duties hereafter than ever you were before When as a Master comes into his servants Chamber in the morning and takes him abed if the servant have any ingenuity the servant saies this my Masters coming thus early is plainly a rebuke to my sloth and therfore God willing I will be up sooner another day So now
I say to you man or woman young man or old hath the Lord brought a gale upon thine heart at any time a gale of mercy made a tender of mercy and free remission to thee Oh! for the love of God and of thy own soul take heed how you lose this opportunity is the wind come about the Spirit blows where it listeth is the wind come about Up with thy sailes up with thy sailes take heed how you lose this opportunity that now you have Little do you think that the Kingdom of Heaven may be in such a motion as you despise the Kingdom of Heaven may be knocking at your door the door of your heart by such a hand as you little think of The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of musterd-seed Mat. 13 31 32. which indeed is the least of all seeds but it grows to that bigness that the fowles of the aire come and make there their nests When you see a little musterd-seed you will say 't is impossible can ever this musterd-seed grow to that bigness that the fowles of the aire should there make their nests The Kingdom of Heaven is like Christ himself Can this be the Messiah 't is the Carpenters son can this Carpenters son be the Messiah So the Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of musterd-seed comes with a small motion May be a Child makes a motion to his father Oh! father let there be prayer in our family Oh! let there be reading the Word in our family May be the servant comes and makes a motion to the Mistrisse Oh! Mistrisse let 's go to such a Sermon let us go to such a meeting let 's go to prayer The Kingdom of Heaven may come in such a motion by the hand of a Child by the hand of a servant take heed therefore if you have not submitted to this offer Oh! take heed take heed how you neglect so great salvation I say the Kingdom of heaven may come in such a small motion as you despise And therefore if ever the Lord breath upon any of your hearts if the wind come about man and woman up with thy sailes now for thy life now for thy Eternity if this gale be lost may be thou shalt never have such a gale again The Kingdom of heaven does approach and draw neer unto us before we draw neer unto it well therefore when it comes see that you accept of it SERMON II. MATTHEW 3.2 Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Preached at Margrets New-fishstreet March 16. 1645 Or hath approached THESE Words are part of that Sermon which John the Baptist preached when he first began for to preach the Gospel They contain ye see at the first view An Exhortation to Repentance with a motive or encouragment thereunto For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand I take it for granted that ye understand what is the notion of Repentance And my design is not to fall into the common place of Repentance but only to speak to it so far as it hath relation to this motive Some there are that think these words are to be understood of a Legal Repentance as if John the Baptist's Ministry were a legal Ministry and in that sense he himself a fore-runner to Jesus Christ This me thinks is to lowen the Ministry of John the Baptist And if you look into the 1. Chap. of Luke you will find that John's Ministry was not a Legal Ministry but a Gospel-Ministry the 76 and the 77. verses Thou Child shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins And if ye look into the following verse to the Text ye shall finde the interpretation of this Repentance Repent ye for this is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Esaias saying The voice of one crying in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight So that preparing the way of the Lord and making his paths straight is all one with that which is going befoe Now is any one able to make his paths straight before he do come to Christ why then do we come to Christ if we be able to make our paths straight before we do come unto him And besides As the Motive is such is the Repentance that is founded on it The motive here is Evangelical Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand The motive is Evangelical surely therefore the Repentance here required is not a Legal but an Evangelical Repentance But what is it then what is here meant by the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of Heaven being at hand or approaching In the language of the new Testament the Kingdom of Heaven is sometimes put for the Kingdom of Glory Sometimes it is put for the Church of Christ under the new Testament Sometimes it is put for the Gospel and the preaching of the Gospel Sometimes for the whole Kingdom of Grace I take it here for the whole state of the Messiah the Kingdom of grace the preaching of the Gospel and the dispensations thereof And he saies here That the Kingdom of Heaven hath approach't therefore do you turn therefore do ye repent There are these Two Notes that lie before ye First The Kingdom of Heaven does approach unto us before we do come unto it Repent ye or turn ye because the Kingdom of Heaven hath approach't unto you So in the beginning Secondly That the appropinquation approaching or drawing neer of the Kingdom of Heaven is the highest and the greatest motive in the world unto true Repentance I have spoken to the former in a Congregation not far distant and my desire is to speak unto the Second The appropinquation approaching Doct. or drawing neer of the Kingdom of Heaven is the highest and the greatest motive in the world unto true Repentance This is the Motive that John uses here thus John begins when he began for to preach the Gospel And if you look into the 4. the next Chapter ye shall find that our Saviour Christ begins to preach Repentance upon the same Motive verse the 17. from that time Jesus began to preach and say Repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand The same words And if ye look into the 10. Chapter of Matthew ye shall find that when he sent out his Apostles for to preach he put the like words into their mouthes also at the 7. verse And as ye go preach saying The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand There the word Repent is not you will say But if you look into the 6. of Mark and the 12. verse ye shall find that 't is said there Then they went out and preach't that men should repent It was part of their Commission and thus they were to preach Repentance upon this motive That the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand or the Kingdom
sins But I pray what works the heart over to this acknowledgment When David had Saul at a great advantage and spar'd him Saul breaks forth into this expression O my son David thou art more righteous than I O David thou art a righteous man but I am an unrighteous man So when the soul sees what infinite advantage the Lord hath it at and how the Lord spareth then the soul breaks forth and saies The Lord is righteous I am unrighteous I am unrighteous this works an acknowledgment Sixtly A Repenting person does not only acknowledge his sin as occasion serves but he labours to un-sin his sin and truely else it is no Repentance He does walk contrary unto himself and his former self he does labour to undo what he had done before sinfully he does labour to unsay what he had said before wickedly Before the Jaylor was converted he clap't up the Apostle into close prison and either he whipt him there or else being whipt he did not relieve him and wash his wounds But the Jaylor Repenting mark how he walks contrary to himself Repenting he opens the prison door he washes the Apostles wounds brings him into his own house sets meat before him Those Sorcerers Acts 19. repenting burnt their books which before they prized and studies much How did Manasses walk contrary to himself when he once Repented Well But what is that that will bring the soul to this disposition to walk contrary to ones former self If you look into the 116. Psalm ye shall find there how the Psalmist eats up his former words I said in my hast all men are lyers It was amiss in me I eat my words I am sorry for it what made him do it Saies he at the 3. verse The sorrows of death compassed me about and the pains of hell gate hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow Then called I upon the Name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver me at the 5. verse Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is mercisul Now having had a tast of Gods grace and God mercy now he eats his former words And so the good man Hezekiab I said saies he I am cut off from the land of the living Isa 38.11 He did eat his words I repent it was suddenly done How was he wrought off to this He had tasted of the love and grace and goodness of God and this made him do it So that now look into the bowels of Repentance and the several workings thereof and ye shall find there is no such way or means or motive to bring a soul unto Repentance as the approaching of the Kingdom of Heaven the word and work of Gods grace and love of God in Jesus Christ Would you know the Reason Briefly thus Repentance is a fruit of faith Ye have a notable expression of godly sorrow to the height in the 12. of Zachary the latter end of the 10 11 and 12. verses speaking of the Call and Conversion of the Jews They shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him the latter end of the 10. verse as one that is in bitterness for his first-born Bitterness upon bitterness and mourning And in that day at the 11. verse there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon And the land shall mourn every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart Here is great mourning and sorrow What caused this saies he at the 10. verse They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn They shall look upon me whom they have piercit This is the eye of faith and all true mourning and sorrow does come from thence All tears of Repentance flow from the eye of faith the more a man by faith is able to see a pierced Christ the more his heart is pierced for sin committed the more by faith a man is able to see a wounded Christ the more will his heart be wounded for sin committed Faith works Repentance but what worketh faith Surely the Gospel the preaching of the Gospel Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the preaching of faith He does not say by the preaching of the Gospel but by the preaching of faith The Gospel is called faith not only because 't is the Cbject of faith but that by which faith is wrought Again As Repentance is a fruit of faith So also it does flow from love Amor doloris causa Love is the cause of grief The more a man loves another or apprehends that he is loved of him the more he grieves if he hath any way injured him If you at un-awares do strike another and one tell you that he is your enemy ye grieve not ye are not troubled unless it be in regard of some mischief that may come to your self But if one tell you that he is a friend a specialfriend that grieves you So now if by my sins I have striken at God if I look upon God as an enemy I am not grieved much I am not troubled much But when I consider him as my father the best friend I have in the world and consider how by my sins I have stricken at him this makes me grieve Oh! that ever I should wound the name of him whom my soul loves She loved much saies our Saviour concerning the weeping woman she loved much for much was forgiven her He does not say she wept much for much was forgiven her there was no mention before of her love but only of her weeping and yet saies our Saviour she loved much because he would shew what it was that drew up the sluce of these tears it was her love And what causeth love Love causeth love The more a man sees and apprehends the love of Christ towards him the more his heart is drawn out in love towards Christ again And what greater act of love than this That the Kingdom of Heaven approaches that the Kingdom of Heaven should come and make it's approach to such a poor sinner as I am Surely therefore the approaching or drawing neer of the Kingdom of Heaven is the highest and greatest motive in the world unto true Repentance You will say Experience seems for to speak the contrary for arguments drawn from Hell and the wrath of God seem to be more powerful and efficacious in the working of Repentance I have will some say sometimes considered the wrath of God and let out my heart upon arguments drawn from thence and then I have bin much humbled broken been much affected yea the truth is I have been more humbled and more broken and more affected and more troubled for sin than when the Gospel the word of the Kingdom hath been preach'd and opened unto me How therefore is this true Experience seems to speak the contrary I answer Quicquid recipitur c.
Every thing is received according unto the receiver A legal spirit doth relish and savour most of those arguments which are drawn from Hell and from the wrath of God But an Evangelical Christian those that are drawn from love and mercy But for the more full Answer to this pray consider with me these Six or Seven Distinctions First It 's one thing for a man to be troubled in Conscience and another thing to be humbled for sin committed Those that are Damn'd in Hell and lie there despairing must needs be troubled in Conscience how could they despaire else Take a soul that hath the work of the Law upon him and a meer work of the Law and in some respects he may be more troubled in Conscience but a Christian that hath a work of the Gospel upon his heart is notwithstanding this more humbled for sin committed Again It 's one thing for a man to be prick't in heart and another thing for a man to Repent Ye shall find therefore that in the 2. of the Acts 't is said concerning divers That they were prick't in their heart and said What shall we do Peter said nnto them Repent They were prick't in their heart and said what shall we do and he said Repent Possibly then a man or woman may be prick't in the heart and yet not Repent Those that have the work of the Law upon them may have more legal prickings but those that have the work of the Gospel they Repent more Again It 's one thing for a man to Repent of sin considered in genere entis and another thing in genere moris Sin may be considered in regard of the mischief and inconvenience that does come thereby Or in regard of the moral evil of it 'T is said concerning Judas That when he saw what became of things he Repented And a Malefactor a murderer when he sees what shall become of him that he must die for his sin he may Repent of his sin in genere entis wishing that he had never done it and yet my be not Repent in genere moris Ye reade concerning Esau in the 12. of the Hebrews That he sought his birth-right with teares but found no room for his Repentance He Repented he Repented with Tears but found no room for his Repentance What Repentance was this Saies Austin He greived that he had lost his birth-right not that he had sold his birth-right So there was no room for such a Repentance And so now take a man that hath the work of the Law upon his soul and he may be much troubled he may Repent and he may have more Repentings in regard of the evil that does come by sin but the other more in regard of the evil that is in sin it self In the Fourth place It 's one thing for a man to be broken with the weight of sin and another thing to have his soul thawen and melted for it There is a great deal of difference you know between the breaking of the ice with your hands or with a staffe and the thawing of the ice melting by the thaw When you take a staffe and break the ice with your hands though you break it in one place it freezes in another but when there is a thaw then it melts then it breaks every where So now it is in regard of legal breakings Here 's a man hath a work of the Law upon his soul he breaks for his Drunkenness and he breaks for his Swearing and he breaks for his Wantonness Oh! but he freezes in Unbelief in another place he freezes in Unthankfulness But when a gospel-work comes it makes a general thaw a man is broken every where And this is more Again It is one thing for a man to have more sorrow griefe Repentance in the Ore and another thing to have a more sorrow griefe and Repentance that is well Refin'd As now suppose a man take a hand full of gold in the Ore it seems to be a great deal more than a twenty shilling-piece I but because much of that is to be taken away a great deal of Earth is to be taken away it is less in the worth Thus it is between Legal Repentance and Evangelical The Legal Repentance may seem to be more in bulk I but a great deal of that is to be taken away Much unbelief to be taken away many sad despairing conclusions to be taken away a great deal of Mercinariness to be taken away And therefore ye shall observe That when the father had kiss't the Prodigal he left out the Mercinary piece that he spoke of before he came home Saies he at the 18. verse I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants in the 15. Chapter the 18. and 19. verses verse the 20. He arose and came to his father his father saw him and ran and fell on his neck and kiss't him had compassion on him ran and fell on his neck and kiss't him And the son said unto him Father Now see whether he makes good his words that he said he would say when he came to his father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son But his Father said to his servants Bring forth the best robe He leaves out that Make me as one of thy hired servants One kisse from his father had fyled off all the mercinary disposition Oh! much much of the Legal-work is to be taken away In Evangelical Repentance there is much in little in Legal Repentance there is little in much Again It 's one thing for grief sorrow Repentance to be more in view sence and noise and another thing to be more in spirit and in profit As now for Example The rain does sometime fall in a storme and when it does so it makes a great noise the earth hath not time for to take it at the first into it's bosome it runs down the streets in great abandance and it stands in some places in great plashes of water At another time the rain fals by smal drops and makes no such noise but yet notwithstanding it fals to the root of the Corn and profits more for when the rain fals so in a storm it laies the Corn the Corn I say is laid by it So now sorrow and griefe sometimes fals in a storm as in Legal Repentance and it is great in view stands in great plashes of water Oh! but then it doth lay our Duties it laies our Assurance it laies our Faith Evangelical Repentance that makes no such noise but it fals to the root of the graces and don 't lay your comfort it don't lay your Assurance it don't lay your Duties And so it is more in profit Lastly This Sorrow grief and Repentance may take ones own heart much or the heart of
God much ones own heart may be much affected or the heart of God may be much affected Beloved we are apt to love our first-borne and though Legal repentance does not alwaies go before the work of the Gospel for what legal work was there in Matthew before he did come to Christ or what Legal work was there in Zacheus before he came to Christ yet often times it does I say yet often times it does and this being the first-born of our soul we go to God with both our Repentances Legal and Evangelical and we say Lord lay the hand Oh! lay the right-hand of thy blessing upon my first born oh let that inherite But the Lord deals here as old Jacob did when Joseph brought his two Children before him to be blest Jacob crost his hands and for Joseph's sake he laid the blessing upon the younger So now does God do you would have me to lay my blessing saies God upon your first-born upon your Elder upon your Legal Repentance No saies God I have said The Elder shal serve the Younger I wil cross my hands and for Joseph's sake because there is more of Christ in this younger therfore here will I lay the hand of my blessing Beloved the heart of a Christian a gracious man is never more drawn out in greif than upon the apprension of love in jured The greater love and the greater injury is presented the greater is the greif When the Kingdom of Heaven comes unto a poor soul there is the greatest love presented sin against that is the greatest injury when therefore a man is senfible of his sin under that notion then is his heart most affected and drawn forth in godly sorrow Surely therefore The approaching and the drawing neer of the Kingdom of Heaven is the greatest motive argument under Heaven unto true Repentance By way of Application If these things be so Vse 1 What a sad condition are those in whom the kingdom of Heaven the word of the kingdom the Doctrine of free-remission hath come unto and yet they are not stir'd nor moved for to turn to God or to repent It may be here is some Drunkard some Swearer some notorious Sabbath-breaker some wanton that is gotten into the Congregation I will not say to thee Friend how camest thou in hither Ah poor soul thou maiest hear that voice and those words too soon another day But this I say Friend the greatest motive under Heaven hath been used to move and turn thee and yet thou art nothing moved and stirred therewith O! whereby shall thy soul be brought unto Repentance Go saies our Saviour Christ unto his Disciples preach Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand if they receive ye your peace be upon them if not it shall be more easie for Sodom and Gomorah than for that City than for that people at that great day Oh for the Lords sake take heed when ye hear the Word of the Kingdom take heed that ye don't lose it Repent and then turn to God But if these things be so in the Second place Then here we see the reason Vse 2 why our hearts are no more broken are no more humbled no more Repentance no more melting heart no more softened because ye don't labour to bring the Kingdom of Heaven neer unto your souls I mean the Gospel and the Word of the Gospel free-remission of poor sinners When the Kingdom of Heaven comes neer unto a person he runs away from it from the Promise Oh! it belongs not to me I am not so and so qualified I am not so and so broken I am not so and so weary and heavy laden and therefore the promise belongs not to me But the approaching of the Kingdom of Heaven is the only means and motive to break thy heart and wilt not thou therefore come to it because thy heart is not broken Oh! but the Promise don't belong to me the Promise is made unto those that are weary and heavy laden and I am not so Mistake not good people The invitation is made to the weary and heavy laden but the promise is made to Coming There are Two things in that speech Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden Here 's an Invitation and here 's a Promise The Invitation is made indeed to those that are weary and heavy laden Oh! but the Promise is made to Coming the Promise is made to Comming But that is all one you will say for then it seems I am not invited if the invitation be made to such God does not speak every thing in every Scripture But man or woman art thou not invited by some other Scripture Pray what think ye of that in the 9. of the Proverbs Wisdom hath built her an house that is Christ compar'd with the former Chapter she hath kild her beasts she hath mingled her wine she hath furnisht her table She cries upon the high places of the City What does she cry reade the 4. verse Who so is simple let him come in hither as for him that wanteth understanding ye reade it 't is As for him that wanteth heart Come eat of my bread and drink of the wine which I have mingled The Invitation is made to simple ones who so is simple let him turn in hither Oh! But I have such an heart as never any had I want a heart unto all that is good Mark As for him that wanteth heart she saith to him Come eat of my bread How think ye is the Invitation here made only to those that are weary and heavy laden And if ye consider that place in the Gospel which ye know The Invitation to the great supper The servants are sent forth to call in those that were bidden and they excuse themselves But they were bidden they were invited were they weary and heavey laden think ye Well he sends out again and invites others Look upon the text were they weary and heavy laden too Go saies he Go Go to the high-waies and go to the hedges and compel them to come in were they weary and heavy laden too And if ye look into the 3. of the Revelations ye find there that our Saviour saies at the 20. verse Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in and sup with him and he with me Our Saviour Christ here stands knocking and offers the greatest mercies that can be fellowship and communion with a poor soul I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me What greater blessing or mercy can you desire than fellowship with Jesus Christ Saies Jesus Christ If any man will open I will come in and sup with him and he with me Here 's mutual fellowship Christ stands and offers this he stands knocking But I pray what door does he knock at whose door does he knock at Oh! my beloved 't is a Laodicean door Laodiceans what are
for Christ When the poor sinner the woman spoken of in the 7. of Luke had much forgiven her freely she came and brought her precious boxes and powred them out upon Jesus Christ So when a soul hath tasted of the free love of God in Christ then no boxes of ointment too precious to powre out upon the feet of Jesus Christ Further The more of the Gospel and the more of the Kingdom of Heaven is in your Repentance The more of the Gospel will be in your Obedience the more of the Gospel will be in your Assurance the more of the Gospel will be in your Performance in your prayers and other duties Beloved Repentance is foundation work it hath an influence upon all your service If your Repentance be Legal your Obedience Legal and your Performance Legal and your Assurance Legal ever tying God unto such conditions as he never tyed you to through the improvement of your own unbelief But now when as your Repentance hath the Gospel in it drawn up and raised upon such motives as these then your Obedience your Comforts your Duties your Assurance will have the impression of the Gospel also upon them And Seventhly The more of the Gospel the Kingdom of Heaven is in your Repentance The more your hearts and spirits will be meekned and sweetned towards the Saints towards your fellow Servants the people of God What is the Gospel but a dead Christ As Jesus Christ was a living Gospel So the Gospel is a dead Christ When the Gospel approaches when the kingdom of Heaven draws neer to a soul and Christ therein the heart is meekned and made like to Christ The Law is called a fiery Law the Law of fire Comapred unto Hagar And saies the Apostle The children of the bond-woman will persecute the children of the free-woman of Sarah And what 's the reason that there is so much bitterness among Professors but because there is no more of the Gospel and of the Kingdom of Heaven in our Profession Beloved in the Lord Ye see into what sad times of Discord and Bitterness we are now brought As ever you do desire to be free from this spirit of Bitterness as ye do desire that ye may not have a hand in opposing your fellow-servants and acting a spirit of bitterness towards the Children of God Oh! labour for more of the Gospel get more of it into your Repentance and into your Obedience Oh! let us labour to be more Evangelical than ever we have been I had need call upon my own heart for this and give me leave to measure your own hearts by mine Beloved I don't now come to call for Repentance barely but I come this night unto you calling for refined Repentance Gospel-Repentance these are refining times your publick Worship refin'd the Government refin'd Christians had need refine all their Duties and all their Graces and all their Comforts and all their Assurance we had need even take our whole garment and look into every seame brush every seame there is so much dust gotten into it Oh! labour labour to be more Evangelical to get more of the Gospel of Christ into all your Duties The Gospel is the Ministration of life And the Ministration of the Law is called the Ministration of death The Ministration of the Gospel called the Ministration of righteousness the Ministration of the Law is called the Ministration of Condemnation The Gospel is called a Glorious Gospel a Glorious Gospel as ye do desire that Glory may be upon you get more of this Glorious Gospel into you more of the Gospel into all your Duties into your Repentance Which that you may do Now even Repent that ever you have been so Legal in your Repentance A man will never be Evangelical in his Repentance that does not in some measure grieve that he hath been so Legal in his Repentance And to end all If at amy time Man or Woman thou dost find thy heart dead and dull and saiest thou canst not pray thou art unapt and thy heart 's hardened Then go go to the word of the Kingdom go to the Gospel go lay out thy soul before the word of the Gospel consider the Kingdom of Heaven the word of the Kingdom free remission unto poor sinners and this is the only way for to break your heart for certainly this is a truth that I have spread before you think of it The appropinquation approaching or drawing neer of the Kingdom of Heaven is the highest and the greatest motive in the world unto true Repentance FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE Of the Second VOLVMNE A Abundance ABundance of grace Page 71 Acknowledge see Forgive Adam Difference between the first and Second Adam 21. Page 117 Advance Several advances of grace since the begining of the world Page 71 Affliction Affliction in some measure shews sin Page 242 Alsufficiency God will have his alsufficiency seen Page 157 Alsufficiency in Christ Page 93 Answerable see Grace Appointment Things are rather done by Gods appointment than by the use of the means Page 50 Assistance Fresh Assistance comes from Christ Page 101 Assurance brings comfort and how Page 43 B Beholding Frequent beholding Christ makes us like to him Page 125 Beleevers Gods infinit care over Beleevers Page 62 Beleevers must trust in God Page 157 Beleevers must be conformable to Christ Page 158 Saints should beleeve when all means fail Page 179 To beleeve when all means fail is well pleasing to God Page 180 How to beleeve when means fail Page 189 All things are possible to him that beleeves Page 214 See Fear and Union Blessings Some blessings are more common than others Page 160 See God Boldness Saints may come with boldness to the throne of grace and why Page 24 C Care see Beleevers Christ Christs care over weak ones Page 4 Christ condescends to man Page 5 Christ as kind after death as before Page 6 Christ is above Moses Page 10 Christ hath paid all our debts Page 11 Christ is the desire of all nations Ibid Spending for Christ makes men receive from Christ Page 16 Why Christ put on our flesh Page 22 Christ gives freely Page 27 How Christ is fully honoured Page 61 All comes from Christ Page 63 Christ is Commissioned by his Father Page 97 Christs willingness to save sinners Page 224 Christ most willing to save the greatest sinners ibid Christ draws neer to those that are not sensible of their sins Page 226 Christ orders things so that no flesh my glory Page 230 See Love Holiness upbraid Want Glory Prophetical Priestly Kingly-office Union Grace Willingness Work Happiness Alsufficiency Grace Honour Spirit Throne Civil Meerly Civil men are not answerable to the grace of Christ Page 122 Christian see Spirit Comfort The Comforts of the Saints are sure Page 158 Comfort is brought in to men before they seek for it Page 223 Contention All Contention ariseth from scantiness Page 47 Conversion see moment Creator Men should comit themselves unto God
Oh! therefore you servants and People of God that have gon fearing and trembling up and down drooping under many fears without assurance of Gods love in Christ if there be such a fulnesse in Christ then trust unto Him yea trust and trust perfectly to Him If Satan come and tempt you and saies thus unto you Thou art a poor unworthy creatrue and dost thou think to have mercy Answer True Satan I am so indeed most unworthy but there is a fulnesse in Jesus Christ and I will trust in Him Does Satan tempt thee and say unto thee Thou art a poor guilty creature and dost thou think to find mercy Answer True Satan I confesse I am I have committed such and such sins but there is a fulnesse in Jesus Christ and I will trust in him Say say Satan what thou wilt against me I subscribe unto it I am poor I am empty I am unworthy I am guilty but Christ is Full Christ is Full there is Fulnesse in Jesus Christ I will trust unto Him Oh! you Servants of the Lord Live much by Faith there is a Fulnesse in Christ trust unto it And that 's the second Thirdly If there be such a fulness in Christ 3. Duty Then 't is our duty to draw forth this fulness Let all men draw forth this fulness That is done these Three waies First by a serious frequent solemn consideration and eyeing of Christs fulness 2 Cor. 3.18 For beholding as in a glass saies the Apostle we are changed from glory to glory The beholding of Christs glory changes us into glory 'T is drawn forth also by our resting upon it in a time of Temptation 'T is here in regard of Christs fulness as in regard of Gods mercy or promise pray mark it My very resting upon Gods promise in the time of a Temptation does make it mine my very resting upon His mercy in a time of Temptation does make His mercy mine and my resting also or your resting upon the fulness of Christ in the time of a Temptation does make it yours 'T is drawn forth also by giving forth As now the Conduit or Cistern receives more water into it by letting out the water which it hath Possibly there may be much water in the Conduit or much water in the Cistern and the fountain may be willing to furnish it with more but 't is full already therefore now turn the cock and let that run out which it hath received already and it draws more into the Cistern So here beloved our very spending for Christ receives from Christ the way to draw out His fulness is to lay out His fulness as you do receive from Him so to comunicate to other folk this draws it out Well then A fulness ye have heard there is in Christ This fulness is to be drawn out ye hear also how it is or may be drawn out Enter therefore into your Chamber and when you are all alone seriously frequently think much of this Fulness of Jesus Christ and in the time of your Temptation then rest upon it And as it pleaseth Jesus Christ to give out any of His Fulness unto you so let it run out again upon other folk And this is the third thing Fourthly 4 Duty If there be such a fulness of grace in Christ Then let us all labour to be like unto Him full of grace as Christ full of meekness full of humility full of Love especially for there is a fulness of love in Christ And yet alas when ever was there lesse love and more strife then now when ever lesse love among Professors when ever more strife then now Give me leave a little Beloved in the Lord you see and know what great divisions there are among us great strifes All strife and envy arises from an apprehension of scantiness and narrowness in the thing desired Now then that which we do strive for either it is more of the World Or more of Christ If it be more of the World that we sirive for who shall be most Rich who shall have most Honor if it be more of the world that we strive for Why Oh! why should we strive for that which may make us worser but cannot make us better why should we strive for that when as the very striving for it will deprive us of it If it be more of Christ that we strive for mark if it be more of Jesus Christ and more of Him that we strive for There is enough in Him there is enough in Jesus Christ for to serve us al. If two or three or six or twenty men be a thirst and they go to drink out of a Bottle while one is drinking the other envies because he thinks there will not be enough for him too But if now five six twenty a hundred be a thirst and go to the River while one is drinking the other envies not Why because there is enough to serve them all Beloved if it be more of Christ that we strive for if it be more of Jesus Christ that we strive for there is a fulness in Him there is enough in Christ there is enough in Jesus Christ ye have heard to serve all our turns Oh! therefore that there may be no more striving no more enuy no more contention no more division labor let us all labor to be more and more like unto Jesus Christ He was full of grace especially He was full of love let us labor to to be like unto Him In the fift and last place The fift Duty 5 Duty If there be such a fulness in Jesus Christ Then take heed how we do any thing that may rob Christ of the glory of His fulness Let all men take heed how they do any thing that may rob Jesus Christ of the glory of His fulness As now Suppose that I think and am perswaded that Jesus Christ hath not given a sufficient rule hath not laid down a perfect a sufficient rule in the Word for the Ordering and for the Governing of the Churches and therefore I will eek out what He hath done with my own prudence This robs Him of the glory of His Prophetical fulness Or suppose I think my sins are so great they can never be pardoned so great there is no hope for mercy This robs Him of the glory of His Priestly fulness Or suppose that I stint and limit Christ unto this or that particular means of delivering of the Church I know that God is able to deliver England and to deliver the Church but if He do not take this way if He do not take this course if this means fail then we are all undone then all all is lost if this means take not This is to rob Christ of the glory of His Kingly fulness to stint Him to one means to tie Him and limit Him to one means Or suppose that I set my heart upon any Creature fulness and say as the whore said in the 7 of the Proverbs
Come and let us take our fill of love Come friends come company let us go unto such a Tavern or such a place where we may be fully merry Come O my soul take thy contentment in creature fulness there is enough there This robs Christ of the glory of all His fulness To carry away the custom of my thoughts unto another Shop from Christ argues that there is not enough in Christ alone Then beloved to conclude all Are there any here as I fear there may be too many that have thus robbed Jesus Christ of the glory of His fulness I beseech you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ whose fulness I have bin now preaching to you I beseech you in the fear of God go into your Chamber and be alone awhile and fall down before the Lord and say thus unto Him or to this purpose Oh! Lord I confess it hath bin so w th me I have thought that there hath not bin a sufficient rule for the Government of the Churches and herein I have wronged Christ in His Prophetical fulness and the Lord pardon this unto me Lord I confess also I haue said many times that my fins are so great that there is no hope for mercy that there is no hope for pardon herein I have wronged the Priestly fulness of Jesus Christ now the Lord pardon this unto me I confess Lord I have stinted thee and I have limitted thee and I have said many times in my hast if this means fail then England is undone the Church undone thus I have limitted thee Lord Oh! herein I have wrong'd thee and robbed Christ in His Kingly fulness Yea Lord I do acknowledge and I do confess I have gone to creature-comforts and my heart hath taken a content and complacency as if there were enough there but now I see there is a fulness in Jesus Christ the Lord pardon me that ever I let out my heart upon any creature-comfort upon any thing but Jesus Christ You that have bin guilty fall down and humble your selves before the Lord and consider that there is a fulness in Jesus Christ and labor to draw out this fulness from Him Which that you may so do think on all these things and the Lord blesse them to you SERMON II. JOHN 1.16 Preached at Wapping Aug. 17. 1646. And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace I Have made entrance into these Words in a neighbouring Congregation and shal now desire to go on where I left there The Words hold forth Three Great Grand Propositions First That there is a Fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Secondly That of His Fulness all we do receive Thirdly That we do receive of His Fulness even Grace for Grace The former Proposition I have dispatched and desire at this time to speak unto the second All we do receive of His Fulness Of His Fulness have all we received The difficulty that lies upon the Proposition is this Who are meant here by this All Wee Some there are that conceive that by those words we are to understand all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth because 't is said before in the beginning of the Chapter That He is the light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world But though the thing be true that there is no Creature either in Heaven or Earth but more or lesse is beholding to Jesus Christ for if Christ had not stept in upon the fall Gods displeasure was so great against man that he would presently have broke up house and the sin of the fall was so heavie that it would have broken the very Axel-tree of the World if Jesus Christ had not put to His shoulder according to that of the Apostle Heb. 1.3 He bears up all with the Word of His Power yet notwithstanding all the Creatures in Heaven or Earth cannot be meant here by this All Wee for all the creatures in Heaven and Earth do not receive Grace they may be said to receive of the Fulnesse of Christ but not Grace for Grace But at the 12. verse 't is said as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the Sons of God euen to them that beleeve in his Name Now in Scripture phrase those are said to receive Christ Himself that do receive His Grace and those that receive His Grace receive Christ Himself Understand therefore by this All Wee those that receive Him as ye have it in the 12. verse which is explained to be Them that beleeve in His Name And then the Observation or Doctrine lies plain before us which is this That all the Saints and People of God Doct. do pertake of the Fulness of Christ in a way of receiving It falls a sunder into Two parts Thus First That there is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Secondly That whatsoever Grace or Holiness the Saints have from Christ they have it in a way of receiving I shall only speak unto the former at this time There is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Of His Fulness all we receive mark There is a communication of the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers He is the second Adam which the Apostle Paul speaks of in the 1 Cor. 15. Chapter and the 45. verse The first man Adam was made a living soul and the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit The whole world is divided into Two great Houses As once in this Kingdom There was the House of York And the House of Lancaster So now the whole world is divided into Two great Houses The House of the First Adam And the House of the Second Adam The first man Adam was made a living soul and the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit that is look as the first Adam did communicate life unto all his seed So the second Adam does communicate Spiritual life and grace unto all his people As by the first Adam sin and sorrow and death came into the world and so upon all man-kind So by the second Adam grace and life and eternal life unto all Beleevers There is a dealing out a giving out of the fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers This will appear First of all by the Union that there is between Christ 1 Reason and a Beleever there is a glorious a blessed an incomparable union between Christ and every Beleever though he be never so weak though he be never so poor There is a union between the Root and the Branches and by vertue of that union the Root sends forth life and strength into all the Branches but yet notwithstanding the Root is not in the Branches nor the Branches in the Root mutually There is a union between the Head and the Members and by vertue of that union the Head hath an influence upon all the Members but yet the Head is not in the Members nor the Members in the Head But
those Luke-warm I would thou wert hot or cold but seeing thou art Luke-warm I will vomit thee out of my mouth Luke-warm person worse than prophane and yet behold Jesus Christ stands at a luke-warm persons door knocking and tendering mercy to a luke-warme Laodicean person I but stay May be they were weary and heavy laden first before they were invited Reade the 17. verse Because thou saiest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wrethed and miserable and poor and blind and naked Were these weary and heavy laden think ye And yet at this door behold at this door the Lord Christ stands knocking Oh! grace Oh glorious rich grace Oh! you that have stood at a distance from the promise and dared not draw neer to the promise said it did not belong to you you were not invited to mercy Consider do you consider what great enemies ye are unto your own breakings and humblings that ye do so much desire The approaching of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Doctrine of grace and of free-remission unto a poor sinner is the greatest means and motive in the world to break ones heart Oh! therefore as ever you desire to have your hearts broken and to be humbled look much to the Kingdom of Heaven and the Doctrines thereof and never say it does not belong unto you But Thirdly Vse 3 If these things be so if there be a truth in this Doctrine what infinite cause have we all for to Repent to mend our lives and to turn to God The Kingdom of Heaven hath approach't Beloved hath not the Kingdom of Heaven approach't unto our Nation Take the Kingdom of Heaven for the Kingdom of Glory and in these dying times how hath the Kingdom of Heaven approach't in that sense Take the Kingdom of Heaven for the State of the Church and how many Church-truths hath broken out in these daies that were not known before Take the Kingdom of Heaven for the Gospel and the preaching of the Gospel how hath God gone up and down in these latter times even in these times of trouble preaching free-grace to poor England Witness all these Victories ye have had notwithstanding all your sins Oh! England England now Repent and turn unto the Lord Surely if ever the Kingdom of Heaven is come to you yea hath not the Kingdom of Heaven approach't unto many of your souls in particular are there not some here great sinners that have been invited to mercy are there not some here great sinners that have received mercy hath the Kingdom of Heaven approach't unto you and will not you Repent and will not you turn to God and will not you amend your lives You will say This work is not now to do we have Repented already But pray give me leave Have ye have ye Repented upon Gospel-Motives have ye Repented upon this ground because the Kingdom of Heaven hath approach't Oh! how many legal Professors are there among Professors As there are Two sorts of men in the world Some that live in dark places and prisons And others that walk up and down in the light So some there are among Professors some legal that woak up and down in the dark and see no light Others again that walk up and down in the light of the Gospel many many legal Professors Beloved The more Evangelical your Repentance is the more it will cure your souls and not hurt your body Legal Repentance soakes into the body and frets out the very strength of ones body Pray look a little into the 33. Chapter of Job See what the holy Ghost saies there God speaks once yea twice yet man percieves it not here is man in his natural pure natural state In a dream at the 15. verse in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in stumbrings upon the bed that is before a man is aware Then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction That he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man What then He is chastened also with pain upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong pain So that his life abhorreth bread and his soul dainty meat Verse the 21. His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen and his bones that were not seen stick out His soul draweth neer to the grave and his life to the destroyers Here 's Legal work Then comes the Gospel If there be a messenger with him an Interpreter one of a thousand to show unto man his uprightness Then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a ransome Then at the 25. verse His flesh shall be fresher than a childs he shall return to the daies of his youth His flesh shall be fresher than a childs Thus Evangelical Repentance is a friend both to soul and body Meer Legal Repentance eats out the strength of ones spirit even of ones very body Again The more Evangelical your Repentance is the more you will be humbled and grieved for sins against the Gospel I will send saies Christ the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin what sin of sin and of unbeliefe Oh! saies the soul that Repents Evangelically who more guilty of unbelief than I Oh! never any one more Ignorant of Christ than I Oh! the unkindness of my soul towards Christ Legal Repentance it pitches upon some breach of the Law and there it rests Again Enangelical Repentance complies with spirituall joy and is a friend unto it You grieve for sin and you rejoyce in God and when you rejoyce in God you grieve for sin I will send the Comforter saies our Saviour He does not say I will send the Spirit No but I will send the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin and of unbelief The Comforter because it shall be a work of Comfort unto the soul that is convinced of sin Gospel-wise and the more a man rejoyces in Christ the more he grieves for sin and the more he grieves for sin the more he rejoyceth in Christ again Again When your Repentance is Evangelical The more you apprehend or hope that your sin is pardoned the more you wil grieve for it Ye reade in the Psalms of one special Penitential Psalme of David the 51. Psalme But when was that made A Psalme of David when Nathan the Prophet came to him that is after the Prophet Nathan had been with him And what did Nathan the Prophet say to him Saies Nathan Thy sin is forgiven thee Upon that message David fals into a Penitential Psalme a Psalme of Humiliation and of Repentance The more a man hath assurance that his sin is pardoned the more he doth grieve for it And the more Evangelical your Repentance is the more your heart will be inlarged to and for Christ The sight of Gods free-love in Christ will make your heart free in love unto Christ and