a Relation that he bears to the Humane Nature It is not his Relation to Christ as the Second Person of the Trinity that is the glory of God in the Gospel but his Relation to Christ as God-man or as man That is the great Relation that God glories in in both Testaments The Relation that God stands in unto Christ as the second Person of the Trinity is natural It is a natural Relation But the Relation in which he stands to Christ as man this is the glory of God in the dispensation of the Gospel The Lord by his Spirit open it unto you I will endeavour to open it by opening of two Scriptures The first shall be a passage in the Old Testament in the 2 Psal After the Psalmist had given us an account of the monstrous rage of the Heathen and the Confederacy of the people with the Heathen in their Rage at the 1 verse Wherefore do the Heathen Rage and the people imagine a vain thing After he had stated the result of all their Counsels against him which is applied to him as man by the Apostle in the 4 Acts 25 verse and so on The Psalmist brings in the Lord glorying in this verse 6. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion and Christ solacing himself peculiarly in this Relation that he stands in to him as the Son of man verse 7. The Lord hath said unto me Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee That this has Relation to the Incarnation of Christ and to him as man I pray consider a passage there in Heb. 1.5 To which of the Angels said he at any time To which of the Angels said he No there is no reason why he should say so to them if we consider him as God as very God But if we consider him as the Son of man there is great reason that the Apostle should bring this in unto which of the Angels hath he said that he should pass by all the Angels in Heaven and never say unto them or any of them thou art my Son But upon the appearance of the Son of Mary the reputed Son of Joseph the Carpenters Son when he brings him into the World he saith in a way of glory Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee To which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son But to the only begotten Son this he saith that is the first illustration 2. The Second illustration of it is this That the God and Father of Jesus Christ considers himself as his Father for our sakes I pray observe it God had never been a Father to the man Jesus had it not been for our sakes I mean there had never been such a Relation in being had not Christians eternal blessedness lien at the bottom of it So that I may truly say Christians it was our Spiritual concern that gave being to this glorious mutual Relation between the Father and the Son of man what need he ever to have made him man had it not been for the Sons and Daughters of men whom he had an eternal and an everlasting kindness for I have sometimes with pleasure reviewed the passage that past between the Angel and the Virgin Mary about the birth of Christ give me leave to observe one or two things out of it in Luke 1.28 29. verses Mary she wonders at the salutation of the Angel and well she might a poor Woman fit for nothing but to make a Carpenters Wife of a poor Virgin espoused to Joseph who was of the house of David and that no meaner an Angel then Gabriel must be sent to her to declare the tidings and what were the tidings the tidings were that out of her Body and in her Womb should be begotten one that should be called the Son of God in the 35 verse And the Angel answered and said unto her the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God I pray what was the business of this holy thing and what was the Fundamental reason of this great and wonderful transaction and condescension of Christ The Fundamental reason was this God had an Eternal kindness for such sinners as you and I are and a design to make us Children of adoption when we had violated our Childship by nature When we had transgressed the Law of our Creation Childhood he was resolved to make us Children of Adoption and therefore it was that the Holy Ghost must come upon her and the power of the highest must overshadow her Christ as the Son of God became the Son of man was made the Son of man meerly and principally with a design of grace upon the Sons and Daughters of men and therefore Sirs if so no great wonder that God should bless us with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ 3. The third Reason is this He in whom we are blessed is our stated Lord he is our absolute our Soveraign our certain and our stated Lord and therefore you shall find the Apostle here expressing it blessed be the God and Father of Our Lord who hath blessed us Our Lord that is God hath given him to be our Lord an universal Lord unto Christians in all their Christian concerns and therefore when the Apostle preached the Gospel to Cornelius and his Friends at their Christian Conventicle as I may so call it at their Christian meeting in Cornelius's house do but observe how he expresses himself and introduces his discourse Acts. 10. vers◠36. The word which God sent unto the Children of Israel preaching peace by Jesus Christ he 〈◊〉 Lord of all here is the word which God sent unto Israel what is it It is a word of peace what is at the bottom of it Jesus Christ is Lord of all that is he is Lord of all that grace that concerns our peace he is Lord of all the pardons that concern our peace he is Lord of all the wisdom that concerns and relates to our peace he is Lord of all the relations which are relations of our peace and he is Lord of all things and of the blessings of all things in those Gospel relations preaching peace by Jesus Christ he is Lord of all Now Christians I pray do but Consider what is the Spiritual blessing that you stand in need of God hath made Christ the Lord of that blessing you want peace and you want comfort and you want Joy and you want this and that and the other God hath made Christ Lord of all and if he be Lord of all then my Friends no wonder that God hath blessed us with all in him But I will open this likewise in these two Branches 1. and the First is this God had a peculiar relation to Christs Lordship unto and over our persons when he did intrust him with all our blessings our Lord bears
are blessed with this in Christ Jesus 6. Another Spiritual Blessing is this A reserved Inheritance of all full and Spiritual and comprehensive blessednesses My friends here we have to allude to the people of Israel in the wilderness it may be some few Cottages or Tabernacles that are transitory as those People had some moving resting-places Here is a little grace planted a little faith and a little love and this grows up pretty likelily and pretty promisingly but what is this to the inheritance where that which is in part shall be done way where there is no such thing as grace in part no such thing as love in part no such thing as joy in part no such thing as communion in part for that which is in part shall be done away I think the Apostle speaks fully to our purpose where he tells us of an inheritance reserved 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ You see the Apostle mentions the same Relations that are here in the Text why what is the matter Blessed Peter Why says he the matter is this The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you verse 4. Why friends what is this inheritance Why there I shall inherit the Covenant in its fulness I shall not say that either I want any Law in my heart or in my Head in my inward or in my outward man I shall have no reason to complain that I want the least blessing of the least promise Why Christians this is your inheritance and are not here Spiritual Blessings that are the proper matter of this Inheritance Now the Apostle tells us that he hath blessed us with this in Christ verse 11. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to â—he purpose of him that worketh all things after the Counsel of his own will How far Christ is concerned in this Spiritual blessing â—ou may easily observe if so be that you â—ither consider the type or the antitype as â—o the type which was Joshua or Jesus Moâ—â—s must not bring the people into their Inheritance indeed in Moses's Time they might have some Bunches of the Grapes of the good land but Moses must not bring them in it must be Joshua that must bring them in So I say my Friends it is not this or that or the other but the Lord Jesus alone that must bring his people into the possession of this reserved inheritance here is indeed a Cluster of Spiritual Blessings infinitely exceeding all the capacities of the Sons and Daughters of men though most of all inlightned by the Spirit to comprehend in whom says he we have obtained an Inheritance who is this whom It is the Lord Jesus Christ to gather together in one all things in Christ in whom we have obtained an Inheritance As much as if the Apostle had said as the Apostle doth in Christs own case we see not yet all thingâ— put under him So I may say you have noâ— yet obtained the Inheritance no more had Paul no more had these Ephesians but yeâ— he speaks as one having full assurance in whom we have obtained answerable to that of our Lord in Joh. 14.2 I go to preparâ— a place for you And the Apostle takeâ— it up and otherwise phrases it Heb. 6 2â— Whither the forerunner is for us entred speaking of the Inheritance that is above whither cur forerunner is for us entered so that this another Spiritual Blessing wherewith we are blessed in Christ Jesus 7. But another spiritual blessing wherewith we are blessed in Christ Jesus is this The Seal and Earnest of what is to come and the very Spirit is made the very matter of this Blessing wherewith he hath blessed us in Christ Jesus I pray do but cast your eyes upon verse 13. In whom ye also trusted still he continues his discourse and fixes Christ at the bottom of all in whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your Salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise verse 14. which is the Earnest of our Inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory Here is a comprehensive spiritual blessing indeed which is the Seal of the eternal Inheritance and the Earnest of it as if the Lord should say when he sends forth his Spirit go my holy Spirit go and seize upon such a heart and seal up such a Soul for the eternal Inheritance and as if he should say to his Son Lo my Son I have given my Spirit to such a one whom thou hast shed thy blood for and lo I send him as the Earnest of the Inheritance that thou hast purchased as the Earnest of my eternal love to thee as the Earnest of my eternal Communion with thee as the earnest of my answering of thy prayer and the import of all thy blood Lo I have sent him and lo he is to them an Earnest Now Sirs this is a great blessing a very glorious blessing indeed God might have designed and kept the design in his own breast or he might have divulged it yet have given us no earnest or pledge of it what needed all that between God and us Christ might have taken his word and we had good reason to rest upon any report that the Lord Christ makes of his confidence in the Father but the Lord Christ and the Father did concur together in this that we should have the Blessing notwithstanding all notwithstandings and that it should be sure to all the seed Yet for our further satisfaction says the Lord behold I give my promise and I give the promised Spirit and that Spirit shall be my Seal upon their hearts and my seal upon their understandings so that look into your hearts and into your understandings and upon this inquiry whose are you Do but make a reflection whose Seal whose Image whose Superscription is this You shall find that the Spirit of the Lord is as it were Gods assuring Seal Ay but it may be you will say this is a great while to come It may be Ten or Twenty or Thirty or Forty years to come Well if those do not satisfy you that you are sealed the Spirit also shall be an Earnest of the Inheritance an Earnest of the future personal blessedness and glory which God hath blessed you with in Christ It is not only Heaven but the personal condition and state of Saints in Heaven that is the glory of their Inheritance and this is another thing 8. But then in the 8th place another Spiritual blessing wherewith the God and Father of Jesus Christ does bless Christians is this Practical experiences of the power of Gods grace
though it be to be made a curse Now Christians if the case be so is there not great reason then that the Blessings that we have we should be blessed with them in Christ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us in him 2. But then the Second Illustration of it is this Jesus as a Saviour must not only be a sufferer but a Surety He must be one that must undertake to respond to God for all and to satisfy the justice of God for all Now Sirs what are the Blessings that we receive by his Suretiship Why truly upon the account of that we receive all Spiritual Blessings Christ is Surety that I should live like a Child of Adoption for the substance and main that my heart should be in a frame becoming those that are the Lords Adopted ones O but where is he that hath undertaken it why it is Jesus and therefore you shall find the Apostle fix it upon this very title Heb. 7.22 by so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better Testament by so much was Jesus You see here is the very Title that is given him in the Text Jesus the Saviour and Jesus the Surety for all that are saved and therefore good reason that we should be Blessed with all Spiritual blessings in him And then 5. Lastly The 5th reason that is in the words is this he hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in him because he is the Christ I pray do but observe it he is the Christ And therefore good reason that all our Blessings should be lodged in him There is not another Christ in Heaven there was none of all the Angels of Heaven that were fit to make a Christ of all the Sons and Daughters of men put them all together were not fit to make a Christ of vain are the suppositions and presumptions of the Papists There is none but this Jesus that is fit to make a publick Christ of and this Jesus was anointed with all Spiritual Blessings to this end he was anointed with them in the fountain in the principle I will but turn you to one Scripture for the confirmamation of this that Jesus was anointed with all Spiritual blessings for this purpose I pray do but observe that passage there Isaiah 61.1 verse The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me I pray consider it Sirs The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for or wherewith he hath anointed me And this is the Oyl of gladness wherewith he was anointed above all his fellows Because the Lord hath anointed me To preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening the Prison to them that are bound c. I pray do but consider how he brings in the thing to my present purpose all Spiritual Blessings Thou art a poor creature a weak creature not worthy of the least crumb of Bread and yet my Friends all things are given in the Lord Christ because he was anointed with all for us therefore is it that we are blessed with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ SERMON IV. Ephesians 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ THe state and Condition of this Church of Christ at Ephesus we have in some measure opened The suitableness of this passage of the Apostle to that their state we have also discovered To be deprived of Temporal Blessings and exposed to Temporal Troubles and Trials as well as Spiritual Temptations is easily ballanced with the discovery the Apostle here makes of being Blessed with all Spiritual Blessings This universal word is not only applied to the kinds but also to the degrees of every kind of these Spiritual Blessings It is all for the kind and all also of every kind not only faith or only love but both not only pardon or only peace but both and not only so but all of all who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings Though you have but little in hand or as I may rather say little in your own hearts yet you have all Spiritual Blessings in the hand of Christ A Third inquiry is this Quest 3 Who is it that doth bless us with all Spiritual Blessings or under what consideration are we to look upon this great Blesser Ans And I pray mind it It is not God at large neither is it God as the Creator of all but here he is discovered as clothed with his principal Gospel relations and that not to us so much as to his Son our Lord Jesus Christ It is not said our God and Father in Jesus Christ the Lord but the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath blessed us Before I enter upon the particular resolve of this I will only premise this in general that both these Relations or Titles that are here attributed to God have an equal respect unto all the Relations under which Jesus Christ is here considered The God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ so that the resolve of this upon this hypothesâ—s will Issue it self in this general proposition or assertion viz. Doct. That God as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ doth bless Christians in Christ with all Spiritual Blessings I would speak these mysteries with all plainness But my Friends there is none of you those that have the greatest advantage of parts and gifts that can understand practically what I shall say without the Spirit of the Lord lead you into the truth which I shall discover to you I hope in the Spirit In the prosecution therefore of it I will only deliver my sense in these Four or Five Generals and then make improvement 1. The first is this when we say that God as the God and Father of Jesus Christ blesses us this seems to be implyed in it That all the advantages that any of the people of God in either Testament have by Gods being their God or that hangeth upon this relation they are all summ'd up in this that he as the God of our Lord Jesus blesses his people with all Spiritual blessings If so be that you reflect upon the Old Testament you shall find Abraham greatly glorying in this and the Lord laying it as a foundation of Abrahams glory Gen. 17.1 says he I am God all sufficient walk before me and be thou perfect and Chap 15. verse 1. you have another appearance of God to Abraham Says he I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward Now Sirs I pray Consider The man Jesus the Lord Jesus as betrusted with all our Spiritual blessings lies under the advantage of this relation to God if so be that God be the God of Abraham much more will he be an all sufficient God in the manage of the concerns of Abrahams seed as
the Lord Jesus who hath blessed me with all Spiritual blessings in Christ SERMON II. Ephesians 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ THE design of the Apostle in these words seems to be to set the Crown upon the head of Christ and to discover that it is the intendment of the Father in all his blessings that he bestows upon his Children to do so too the Father receives nothing from Christians but he receives it from them in Christ and the Father gives nothing to Christians but he gives it to them in Christ God was always in Christ reconciling the world to himself and he will be always in Christ a God and a Father to those that he hath chosen out of the world and reconciled Though he be the God and Father of our Lord yet he doth not look upon it as an act below his grace to bless those that he hath given to Christ 'T is not below him to avouch the relation to them also as he is the Father of our Lord Jesus he blesses all that are in Jesus with all Spiritual blessings in Jesus That Proposition which we insisted upon was this Doct. That God hath blessed every Christian in Christ with all Spiritual blessings Christians have more then the world is worth in possession but the reversions of a Christian are not to be compared they are not to be estimated with any thing that God can give in this present world It is not temporal blessings the blessings of the land of Canaan but it is Spiritual blessings the blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven that the God and Father of Jesus Christ hath stated upon all his Children in Christ Jesus Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ Because I intend this discourse only as occasional I shall therefore confine the resolve and the dispatch of the doctrinal part at present to this one inquiry Quest What are those Spiritual Blessings with which it hath pleased the Father to bless his people in Christ Ans In the opening of this I premised this in general that there is an universality annexed to every particular Spiritual blessing It is not only annexed to the sorts of blessings but to every blessing of every sort I could mention but Three The last that we mentioned was this an universal acceptation with the Father in all cases notwithstanding all disobligements O says a Poor Christian if I were but satisfied that God would accept me with all the disobliging notwithstandings of my heart and life and of my Duties how happy should I be and indeed so thou wouldst be if God would accept thee notwithstanding all thy unprofitableness notwithstanding all the treachery of thy heart notwithstanding all thy opposition to grievings of his blessed Spirit notwithstanding all the dishonour that thou hast done unto himself his Son and his blessed Spirit if the Lord would but accept thee thou wouldst be happy indeed why Christian here is thy spiritual blessedness at the 6th verse to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved Lord may every poor Christian say what am I I accepted in the beloved I accepted in the beloved Son In the beloved Saviour In the beloved high Priest Lord what manner of grace is this This is not the kindness of man Christians let me tell you it is Gods work of grace to make you accepted and it is your Priviledge in grace to be accepted he hath made us to be accepted in the beloved if there be any thing of unworthiness in you there is the blood of the beloved to ballance it if there be any thing of emptiness or Barrenness there is the fulness of the beloved to counterpoise that if there be any unworthiness discovered in any of your Relations or carriages to God there is the full import of all his Relations to God to make all even Though you do not always carry it as Children yet this Son of God always did and though you do not always live like Servants yet this Son of God did to a point and though you do not always carry it like friends to God and like the people of God yet behold the head of all he carries it like such a one God may have abundance 't is like to charge against you But this is not your business whether you have much grace or little grace or whether you exercise more or less The acceptance must be in the beloved Thus far we have proceeded 4. Another spiritual blessing wherewith God hath blessed Christians in Christ is the revelation of his secrets God may reveal the secrets of his Providence to others as I might instance in diverse but his saving secrets those are made manifest only in Christ Jesus to Christians many have a dogmatical discursive knowledge which God hath given them but here is the eclipse of the glory of all their knowledge It is not given them in Christ here is a poor Christian that is but broken and now and then hath a little glimmerings of the light of God and a little insight into the secrets of his grace Now my friends this little light and these little glimmerings that he hath into the mysteries of the will of God these are all given him in Christ Jesus he sees sin in Christ and he sees the beauty of grace and holiness in Christ The revelation of Gods Gospel will about sin and holiness The beauty of holiness and the exceeding sinfulness of sin is made manifest to him in Christ Jesus I pray do but observe how the Apostle expresses himself in the 9th verse Having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself The Apostle in the 18th verse makes it his particular supplication to God for these Christian Ephesians that says he the Eyes of your understandings being inlightned that ye may know what is the hope of your calling There is the mystery of his will manifested in particular in the hope of your calling You are called off from sin there is hope in that calling and you are called unto duty and there is hope in that calling and you are called off from all your Relations unto the world as you stand in the World and there is hope in that calling now says the Apostle I pray for you that your eyes may be inlightned that you may know what is the hope of your calling and my Friends you will find that the Apostle doth wrap up them together with himself in the 9th verse and tells us there that he hath made known unto us the mystery of his will and yet for all that he prays that the eyes of their understandings may be inlightned that they may know what is the hope of their calling and what is the
Riches of his inheritance in the Saints Now I shall shew you that all this is vouchsafed to Christians in Christ you shall find the Apostle Col. 2. v. 3. telling us that in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Why what wisdom and knowledge Why that wisdom and that knowledge that the eternal grace of God did design for Christians so that we are blessed with this wisdom and knowledg in Christ Look into your understandings and hearts alas there is but little there there is no treasures there but look into the Lord Jesus and there are all treasures even for foolish Christians hid and lodged there in him is hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge And that the Spirit of the Lord is alike concerned in this you shall observe if you do but consult the Apostles experience in 1 Cor. 2.9 Where he speaks of things that eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor ever entered into the heart of man to conceive But says he at the 10th verse God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit The revelation of the secrets of the heart of God is made manifest or is made known unto Christians by the Spirit of God The Apostle prosecutes illustrates this mystery by that which is commonly observ'd amongst men in v. 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of man which is in him I do not know the grace that is in another mans heart I do not know the secret purposes and devices that are in your hearts but your own Spirits are privy to them even so says the Apostle the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Christians let me tell you there is no saving secret in the heart of God the Father there is no saving secret in the heart of Christ the Son but the Lord hath blessed us with the knowledge and the Revelatioâ— of that in Christ for so the Apostle says in the 16 verse For who hath known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him but we have the mind of Christ Why Blessed Paul how camest thou a persecutor to know the mind of Christ An injurious and Blasphemous wretch how camest thou to be so intimate with that Jesus whom thou persecutedst even unto death in his members Why the Apostle tells you plainly not by any natural advantage of learning though he was a learned man not by any advantage of his parts though he was a man of clear natural understanding and apprehension but says he we have the mind of Christ and that by the Spirit of God by the Spirit of Jesus Christ So that you see here is another great Spiritual blessing a revelation of saving secrets 5. Another spiritual blessing that I shall superadd is this An Vniversal heading under Christ or incorporation with Jesus Christ One would think it a wonder that ever such a man that was a limb of the Devil should be made a member of the Body of Jesus A Notorious Drunkard a Notorious Blasphemer and a dreadful and implacable persecutor of Christ and his ways that ever such a one should be incorporated into and made a member of the Lord Jesus is not this a spiritual blessing indeed A blessing wherein the Spirit of God is principally concerned in the manage of this the Apostle takes notice of verse 10. That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven and which are on earth even in him And more plainly Ephes 4.12 Where he doth expresly give us an account of the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ and he tells us there that all the gifts that were given by Christ were for the edifying of his body Do but reflect upon a passage in the 2. Chapter and there you shall see the state of sinners discovered to be as desperate and as vile as you can possibly suppose a sinners state to be Dead in trespasses and sins Children of disobedience in whom the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit of Hell did effectually work Why Lord shall ever those be incorporated shall ever those be made members of so blessed a body as the Body of Jesus Nay this is not all but says he Ye were Children of wrath The Wrath of God smoaked against you and all the threatnings and denunciations of Gods wrath against sinners belonged to you just as an inheritance belongs to a proper and right Heir and that is not all neither but verse 12. Ye were without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the World Lord shall such as these be made members of such a blessed Body as the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ is Ay my Friends here is the great blessing that God hath Blessed us with in Christ Jesus that notwithstanding all this misery and notwithstanding the desperateness that doth attend this miserable Estate yet they are to be gathered together and headed all under one Jesus I pray take notice of one expression in the conclusion of this Chapter where he calls them all complexively considered his Body and his fulness verse 23. Which is his Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Now my Friends this is another Spiritual blessing that God hath blessed us withal and that is heading of us under or an incorporating us into the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ so that there can be no Blessing no priviledge belong to the Head but of necessity it falls naturally down upon the Body So the head anointed the Garments shall be drenched not only Aarons Beard but the very Skirts of his Garments shall be drenched throughout Is the Head advanced into glory I tell you the Head in glory will never rest till the members of his Body that are in a vile deplorable forlorn condition here be made like unto him Father says he I will John 17.24 that those also whom thou hast given me be with me c. One would wonder that God should cast off the seed of Abraham and implant Gentiles in their Room and yet you see in Rom. 11. the Lord does thus and the Apostle concludes with this verse 33. O the depth of the Riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God That the natural branches should be cut off and Idolatours that had no promises Idolatours that had no Relations at all but only of Creatures to God and who had done more to violate their Relations and forfeit all the Priviledges of their Relations then the very Beasts of the Field and the most venomous and poisonous Toad ever did yet says the Apostle The natural branches were cut off that you might be graffed in O the depth of the riches of Gods grace Surely Christians this is a great Spiritual Blessing that the Lord is pleased to vouchsafe to us to head us under Christ We
they would not yield up their members as instruments of unrighteousness unto Sin why so because the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in your mortal bodies and therefore says he don't yield your members don't yield your hands and don 't yield your tongues and don 't yield your ears nor don 't yield any of your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto Sin because the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in your mortal bodies and thus now I have taken notice of these diverse Spiritual blessings which the Apostle doth here instance in by way of illustration of this great Gospel mystery of grace and that is that God hath blessed every Christian with all Spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus I will wave the reasons and I will also wave the resolve of other inquiries that might be made and wrap up all in these three or four inferences VSE 1 First Is it so my friends that Christians are blessed with all Spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus Then Christians should be always Spiritual in Christ Jesus Shew me your blessings Sirs let it appear that your blessings are not like the blessings of the men of this world Nay nor only confined to the blessings that the hypocrites of this world have received from God don't shew me your gifts in prayer but let your graces be discovered in your praying Christians you should be Spiritual in all manner of conversation why because God hath blessed you in Christ Jesus with all Spiritual blessings for a man that pretends to this blessedness for such a one to be carnal for such a one to be earthly minded for such a one to be proud for such a one to be debauched in his Spirit and Principles and Practices how unbecoming is this to so great a pretence as you all make If I should come to you one by one and say to you friend don't you hope that God hath blessed you with all Spiritual blessings in Christ what means then this formality in duty this is not to be Spiritual What means this anger passion upon every provocation this does not argue that you are blessed with a Spirit of meekness why my friends if you be blessed with all Spiritual blessings then I pray let all your Spiritual blessings appear more or less in your whole conversation for a professor that pretends to be so blessed for him to be formal in his Prayer and for him to be dead and dull in Duty for him to be light and vain and frothy in his Conversation this is not like one that is blessed with all Spiritual blessings Christians the inference is natural if you be blessed with all Spiritual blessings then shew forth all your Spiritual blessings in all your duties be Spiritual in every thing The Apostle has a parallel expression to this wherein he gives us an account of his conversation in the 3 Phil. 20. For our conversation is in heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ that is the first inference VSE 2 The 2d is this Has God blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in Christ Then let those that pretend to a being thus blessed by the God and Father of Jesus Christ glorify the God Father of Jesus Christ with all their blessings Glorify him not only with what you have received but also upon the whole of the blessings that are to be received Christians you may rejoyce in what is in the hand of Christ for you as well as in what is in your own hearts I am persuaded that Adam was as perfect as God can make a creature out of Christ and yet you see no sooner doth the Woman come and tell him that the fruit is pleasant and fair but he takes it eats and so destroys all surely Christians you may rejoice in that little you have but you may more rejoice in that great deal that Christ hath for you you have received a little from and by Christ ay but Christ hath received a great deal more for you and therefore balance all your secular wants and secular troubles with this that you are blessed with unseen blessings It was Christs advice to his disciples to lay up treasure in Heaven it is the practice of the grace of God the grace of God hath done that which Jesus Christ advised his disciples and hearers to do What has he done Why he hath laid up treasure where neither moth can corrupt nor Thieves break through and steal And therefore rejoice glorify God for and in the view under the sense and apprehension of what you are blessed with in Christ I will freely say this one thing if I would choose of the two what to rejoice in I had rather rejoice in what I am blessed with in Christ Jesus then in all the gifts and graces that I have in my own heart and I think 't is safest to do so But then VSE 3 Thirdly Has God blessed you with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ Jesus Then never confine and limit your expectations from God or from Jesus Christ This naturally follows for why should a Christian that hath liberty to expect all content himself with less Christians should say upon every receipt Lord here is not all and be at him for more wait still upon Christ for more Cry still unto Christ for more and say Lord here is not all This is not all of the Spiritual Blessings that the Father have blessed me withal in thy self This is not all and therefore under your fullest receipts still Christians wait for more has the grace of God been so abundant as to bless you with all and will you shew so little grace as to be contented with a little I do not like neither I am perswaded does God like the tempers of most Professors which is a modest I call it a modest because 't is so generally apprehended but it is a sinful modest contentedness with a little if God give you any thing bless God for a little but never be satisfied with a little but ever and anon come to the Throne of grace and say Father here is not all in my heart that thou hast blessed me withal in Christ Come to the Lord Christ and say Lord here is not all the Father trusted thee withal for my Soul here is not all the faith all the love all the meekness c. But I am blessed with all Spiritual Blessings I say Christians having received a little be still pressing after more But then VSE 4 Fourthly and lastly Hath God blessed you with all Spiritual blessings in Christ Then Christians in the midst of all your wants and in the midst of all your straits be you still pressing after a more true and genuine improvement of all your Spiritual blessings If God hath blessed you with all Spiritual blessings in Christ then labour you under Christ to be Spiritual blessings unto others have you not
Neighbours have you not Children have you not Husbands or Wives Though they be Christian yet I appeal to you all may not you also be a greater Spiritual blessing unto them then you are May you not be a greater Spiritual blessing to your servants or to your Children then you are Great are the designs of many to lay up great things for their Children alas these parents are but temporal or temporary blessings to their Children whilest their hearts are set upon the world for them and truly it may be said of most Masters that they are but temporal blessings unto their servants they are but Family blessings to them O Sirs that we could make it more our business to be Spiritual blessings unto others hath God blessed you with all Spiritual blessings in Christ How do you know but he hath blessed your Children with some Spiritual blessing in you and blessed your Servants with some Spiritual blessing in you With-hold not that from your Children which is their right or at least for ought you know may be their right if you will not give it forth I tell you God hath other ways but you shall lose the glory and honour of it Let me tell you this when we say that God hath blessed such a child with a good Father we mean that he hath blessed that Father with Spiritual blessings for the good of the child and such a one is happy and blessed in such a Husband what do we mean but this that God hath blessed him with Spiritual blessings for the good of his Wife and so in all other relations what ever O blessed are that Church and that people and that family in whom there is a great Emulation who shall be the greatest Spiritual blessing each to other and this seems also to be a very natural inference If God hath blessed us in Christ Jesus with all Spiritual blessings then surely God may bless others in us with some Spiritual blessing and if God hath blessed others in us with some Spiritual blessings then why should we with-hold from them that which â—s their own God hath given them the â—ight God hath given them the blessing why should we with-hold the blessing from them Would you be so dealt withal by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I row not therefore Christians by the love you have to Christ by the hopes you have â—o receive out of the hands of Christ what â—s lodged there by the grace of the heart of God what ever grace God hath lodged in our hearts what ever Spiritual gifts God â—ath lodged in your heads improve it as a â—piritual blessing to others even to those â—or whom you are concerned and then â—y friends you may more comfortably exâ—ect the fulfilment the accomplishment â—nd the sealing up of this word every day more and more and the experience of it that you may come by frequent renewed experience to say and would it not be well with you if every day you could say and every evening you could say Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed me with all Spiritual blessings in Christ SERMON III. Ephesians 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of oâ—â— Lord Jesus Christ who hath blesseâ— us with all Spiritual Blessings Heavenly places in Christ WHat the present state of the Christian Ephesians were at thâ— time of the writing of this Epistle seeâ— to be uncertain It is probable it was a stâ—â—â— of affliction and the probability of it yâ—â— may found upon diverse passages in 〈◊〉 Scripture which I shall now wave It seeâ—â— most likely what ever their secular est … was that their Spiritual Estate was atten … with more than ordinary enjoyments and beautified with more then ordinary priviledges But Christians however it was with them you know how it is with us under secular and temporal discouragements it is the Christians wisdom to seek out for some Spiritual incouragements when there seems to be a confederacy on Earth to encroach upon the remains of our temporal blessings 't is the interest of Christians to look above and to consider what is the combination of Heaven and the concurrence of the blessed Trinity about their Spiritual blessings Christians I do not know all your Estates but this in general I may propose if you be Christians indeed however it is with you here below you are blessed with all beyond all possibility of reverse above for says the Apostle here Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ Three things lye wrapt up in the words The first is a discovery of the Saints state his Scripture Gospel state It is an unalterable and universal state of Blessedness It is not some singular or some single petty blessing that is annexed and affixed by an Irrevocable act of grace upon him but it is all blessings all Spiritual blessings 2. Secondly You have the security of this their blessed state discovered It is not a blessedness lodged upon or lodged in their own persons such was Adams blessedness and you know what little safety and security there was in that It is not a blessedness that is fixed here below but it is a blessedness that as to the principal Concerns of it is fixed above in Heavenly places in Christ not in Christians in an earthly Paradise but in Heavenly places in Christ 3. Thirdly You have in these words the author of all this blessedness and that is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ I have been discovering what those Spiritual blessings are wherewith the God and Father of Jesus Christ hath blessed every Christian my business at this time will lye in the resolve of this inquiry Qu. Why or whence is it that we are blessed with all Spiritual blessings in Christ An. With all plainness and brevity I shall endeavour to resolve this inquiry and improve it and in the resolve of it I shall not exceed not only the bounds of this Chapter but of the words that I have read unto you It is matter of wonder in Heaven that a poor Christian that hath an empty heart on Earth That a poor Christian whose conversation and whose duties are mostly empty of Spiritual service should be blessed with all Spiritual blessings Certainly Sirs the Angels in Heaven that are privy to this transaction of grace are filled with admiration that we that are senseless of that grace should yet notwithstanding be so blessed Those glorious Spirits that never offended that they should have but their measures proportioned to their practices and that we should have our measures pressed down and running over given unto us notwithstanding our general principles and practices are against the designs of Heaven It is matter of wonder to a serious Christian a Christian that makes it his business to inquire and examine his own frame both by Gospel promises and by Gospel priviledges
my God I have slighted Ay Christian thou mayest say so but it is Blasphemy for thee to say or think that ever Christ could say so in truth he never provoked his God he never dishonoured his God he never did any thing that might disoblige his God Christ never did He in whom thou art blessed it is God as the God of Christ that hath blessed thee and therefore Christian great encouragement there is unto thy Soul Secondly As he is Christs God all the promises were not only summed up in him that were made to Christians but the Blessedness of all the promises have a primary respect and relation unto him My meaning plainly is this God hath promised thee peace Ay but this peace hath reference unto the honouring and glorifying of the man Jesus Whose God hath Blessed thee with this peace in him Jesus hath the glory of all and God eyes the glory of Jesus in all the promises he makes to us and so my friends all the promises were not only designedly given for the advancement of him but all the promises were summed up in him When God made the promise of a seed to Abraham Abraham had enough he was under some discontent before but now says God I will not only give thee a Child one to be thine Heir but I will give thee a Son and that Son that I will give thee shall be my Heir One in whom all the Nations of the Earth shall be Blessed Now Abraham had enough you never find Abraham seeking any more Children at the hands of God no having an Isaac a seed in whom all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed Now Abraham is satisfyed and therefore the Lord in the prophesy of the Prophet Isaiah doth thus explain himself when he promiseth the Lord Jesus Christ Isa 55.4 Behold I have given him for a witness or a Covenant to the people I will give him Who I will give my Son Jesus for a Covenant to the people That is as much as if God should say I will give him for All he is as it were the Sums and Substance of all say but Christ and you say All. When God gives Christ to a poor Creature he gives all the Promises all the Covenants and all the Blessings of Earth and all the Blessings of Heaven all the Blessings of providence and all the Blessings that are reserved in the everlasting Mansions And thus now you see in these respects upon what account it is that the Apostle seems to lay the Emphasis upon this word Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings c. I shall give you but 3 or 4 inferences USE 1 Is it so my friends that God as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath Blessed Christians with all Spiritual Blessings Then In the first place Vain are the attempts of any of the enemies of Christians to interpose between them and their Blessings Though they may sometimes interpose between them and some of the means of their Blessings yet I say vain are the attempts of their enemies against their Blessings Why Because that God as the God and Father of Jesus Christ hath blessed them with all Blessings Now you may observe that the Devil hath been all along at it and he makes it his design business from time to time from age to age and from dispensation to dispensation to interpose between the Lords people and their Blessings but still in vain and therefore the Psalmist eyeing the Lord Jesus and eying by faith this blessedness wherewith the God of the man Jesus should bless Christians he cryes out in the 2 Psal 1. Why do the heathen Rage and the people imagine a vain thing Their great design was to keep the people of God from those Blessings that God had designed by promise to give to them There they were imagining and consulting and there they were designing well but observe it that very thing that they thought would be the compleatment of all their designes tending to this purpose was the greatest in-let to all these Blessings Certainly they were in great Joy and had much satisfaction upon their Spirits when they got Christ nailed upon the Cross but their very nailing and crucifying of him made way for all these Blessings It opened as it were all the treasures of grace it opened all the Relations that were discovered and the Blessings upon the death of the Lord Jesus Christ came flowing out of the promises and flowing out of Relations and the World was filled with these Blessings So that I say whatsoever devises the World hath to interpose between Christians and their Blessings they will be in vain if they take up one conduit God will lay many more And if they give an obstruction one way he will proceed other waies and manage it It is the God of Jesus Christ that hath blessed Christians and therefore Christians have their Blessings sure USE 2 Secondly Then methinks Christians you should look unto God as the God and Father of Christ under all the discouragements that arise upon your own Spirits from your own violations of the obligations of his Relation to you My meaning is this when you cannot comfortably go to God as your God for a blessing you may comfortably go to God as Christs God for any Blessing Why my friends here lay the case O saies thy conscience thou never comest to the word of God but thou despisest the God of the word and thy heart is shut against the word even from thy Child-hood and in thy Child-hood the Devil shuts up thy heart and the World shuts up thy heart and thy corruptions shut up thy heart but whatsoever it is that shuts up thy heart or whatsoever it is that gives being to any disobligement thou art guilty of be not discouraged though thou canst not go to him for a Blessing as thy God because thy conscience tell thee that thou hast sinned against thy God yet thou mayst go to him at that time as Christs God for God as the God of Christ Jesus hath Blessed thee with all Spiritual Blessings Therefore Christians under all your discouragements that arise from the sense of your own unworthiness let this be your way to look upon God as the God of Christ and go to God for Blessings as the God of Christ VSE 3 Doth God bless us with all Spiritual Blessings as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Then my friends you may here take occasion to magnify the Mystery of the Gospel And you may see great reason why you should glorify these persons that are principally concerned in the mysteries of the Gospel No wonder the Apostle breaks out Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus-Christ And can your hearts hold from breaking out in the praises of God O Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath Blessed us with
me feed my lambs O Christians the great care and the great provision that is made in both Testaments and the great injunctions that are laid upon those that are concerned in the administration of both Testaments is to look after the meanest Christians which must needs discover this great truth that the meanest Christian that is a Christian indeed shall not miscarry but I shall open this further to you in two branches 1. That the least grace in the least Christian is the product of the greatest grace that works in the Blessed Trinity There is nothing in the least Christian but the great and infinite grace of the Blessed Trinity concurred to the producing of it This I would only illustrate to you by a passage of our Lord in Matth. 13. v. 31. where he compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a grain of mustard seed why what is the Kingdom of Heaven but the Administration of the Gospel according to the Eternal Counsels of God that are past in Heaven Now saies he The Kingdom of Heaven is as a grain of mustard seed Why but Lord might they say here is a grain that hath brought forth and spread abundantly this is like the Kingdom of Heaven indeed ay but saies he the little grain though it be the least of all grains is a fit similitude and comparison for the Kingdom of Heaven To what shall I liken the Kingdom of Heaven The Kingdom of Heaven saies he is like a grain of mustardseed which a man took and sowed in his field So that there is the whole resemblance of the Kingdom of Heaven even in a little grain as soon as ever it is sown as much as when it is in its greatest flourish after its full growth there is a real and a comprehensive resemblance of it in the least seed of grace that is sown in thy heart there is the Grace of the Kingdom manifested in thee the Righteousness of the Kingdom is manifested in thee The offices of all persons concerned in the Kingdom they are all manifested in thee Jesus Christs mediation and the Spirits Sanctification and the Fathers Justification these are all manifested upon the least work of grace that is wrought in thee I tell you there is a substantial manifestation of all the blessednesses of the Kingdom of Heaven in the least work of grace that is wrought upon any Heart 2. The least work of grace upon the Heart of the least Christian is a manifestation not only of the Kingdom of Heaven but a real demonstration of the Kingdom of Glory A demonstration á priori as they call it a demonstration of that which is antecedent or anantecedent demonstration of the Kingdom of Glory as well as the greatest flourishes of grace I pray Christians consider you that are young in grace you have a demonstration in you an antecedent demonstration of the Kingdom of Glory I pray what is the Kingdom of Glory but the flourish of that love that I have now wrought in me in the Kingdom of grace It is the increase of my likeness to God and to Jesus Christ in Heaven that is now begun in me this is the Kingdom of Glory Now this little work of grace is an antecedent demonstration of an incomprehensible weight of Glory that is to be put upon the People of God when they come in Heaven and this you may see evidenced in the parable that I last mentioned and in the other parables that our Lord Jesus Christ doth make use of 3. A Third Proposition is this That the greatest and dreadfullest threatnings are denounced against discouraging carriages towards those that have least grace as well as towards those that have greatest Nay let me also tell you this that although they themselves be under the tokens of Gods displeasure yet their Relation to God doth heightenthem as aggravations of their enemies carriage towards them I find not a greater threatning ever came out of the mouth of Christ Jesus when he was on Earth then this It were better say's he for that man that he had a Milstone hanged about his neck and he cast into the midst of the Sea then he should offend one of these little ones that believeth on me he speaks not of little ones as to nature but of little ones as to grace The design of the Jews was to lay stumbling blocks before the little ones that is those that had a little love to Christ those that had a little Faith on Christ those whose hearts were engaged by that little fire of grace that was in them to follow the Lord Jesus Christ Says Christ If any man doth offend one of these little ones it were better for him that a Milstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the midst of the Sea But I shall open this likewise in these two branches 1. Gods severest execution of threatnings takes its rise from the adversaries carriage towards the least of those that belong to him As for instance you know God threatned that he would have perpetual War with Amaleck and why with Ameleck more then with Moab or with Edom or the other Nations that gave disturbance to his People you shall find the reason to be because they watched their opportunity and smote the hinmost of the People they did not march upon the front of the People but they watched their advantage and they smote the hinmost and feeblest of the People therefore says God I will have perpetual War with Amaleck and this lay as it were reserved in the Bosom of God till the first King that ever appeared upon the Throne of Israel Saul was not commanded to rally his Forces and go against Egypt that Old Enemy that Old Oppressor nor against Moab and those that inveigled them and inticed them in the matter of Baal Peor but go says God to Saul and utterly destroy Amalek 1 Sam. 15. from off the face of the Earth And Saul he did spare none but poor King Agag and God was so incensed against him that he sent Samuel his Prophet to him to tell him that God had rent the Kingdom of Israel from him at the 28. v. because he did not execute the fierceness of his wrath against Amalek for smiting the hindmost of the People and those that were feeble amongst them as they came out of Egypt And truly Friends this is the design and hath been all along the design of your spiritual adversaries they seldom march upon the Front but in the Spirit of Amalek they wait for their advantage upon those that are weak and feeble And for my part I do think that this will be one of the greatest aggravations of the sin of the Devils that they have Tempted the little ones that have followed Jesus Christ I pray take notice of another passage concerning the poor and weak condition the people of Israel were in the time of Obadiah you shall find in that Prophecy that the Assyrians came upon them and makes a
and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Now Christian I pray what is the discouragement that lieth upon thee thou sayest thou art feeble and thou art weak and thou art poor thou art empty thy heart is empty thy head empty and thy affections empty thy prayers are empty thy conversation empty all this is true God knows it is true whence comes all this O thou art fallen in the streets by reason of the feebleness of thy grace and the weakness that doth attend thy duties thou canst hardly set a step but thou fallest thou goest stumbling and stambling on to Heaven and thou hast not strength enough scarce to go through any discouragement Well friend though it be thus with thee yet consider here is the word of the Lord for thy encouragement The feeble amongst them shall be as David And I pray in whose hand is the custody or keeping of the Blessing that is wrapt up in this promise Is it not in the hand of Christ All this courage and all this strength and all these parts and all this grace that must make thee like David A man after Gods own heart to fulfil actually all his will all this is in the hands of Christ And the feeble shall be as David And therefore I pray Sirs though you see but little in your own hearts yet be not discouraged you do not see all that is in the heart and hand of Christ for you That is the first 2. You complain of your feebleness and littleness alas you are as Corn that is dwindled up as we say the least of grains Ay but consider there is the seminal vertue of more in you That little grace that is in you hath a seminal vertue in it God knoweth saith the Apostle who are his Those that are born of God that have the seed of God in them God knows them So that though thou doest not know by reason of thy littleness what thou art yet God knows notwithstanding thy littleness what thou art he knows that there is a seed of grace in thee and therefore I say be not discouraged 2. Secondly Is it so that the Lord Jesus Christ will look after his little ones and will not suffer the least grain to fall upon the Earth Then be you putting forth a little though it be but a little Thou complainest thou art but little truly I am affraid that many mens complaints are attended with as much formality as ever the Scribes and Pharisees Religion was Now I say if it be but a little thou hast reason the more to be putting forth that little And let me tell you Jesus Christ doth expect that you should be putting forth your little that it may appear that you are wheat indeed that you are Christians indeed And though you cannot do so much as another doth yet I beseech you consider if you be but a grain you may do more than others that are behind you that have not the least grain of grace wrought in them you may do more than they do I will urge this with two considerations 1. The first is this A little improvement made by us goeth a great way with God A little Gospel improvement made of a little on Earth goes a great way in Heaven And let me tell you this also further that there are no bounds that can possibly be supposed to be prescribed to the acceptance and to the reward of the improvment of a little grace You know not my friends but a weak one may become a Nation and a feeble one may be multiplyed by the Blessing of God into many Nations you know not how God may bless a little improvement Therefore my exhortation to you is to stir up your selves to be putting forth something if you have but a little faith let it appear that you have a little and if you haue but a little love to the Lord Jesus Christ to his person and Offices let that little appear Sirs and though it do appear but little on earth yet let me tell you it will go a great way in Heaven You may observe this by that poor Woman that had but one poor mite to cast into the treasury and Jesus Christ sat at the door observing how rich men came and cast into the treasury of the House of the Lord a great deal and this poor Woman comes that had but one mite she cast in all that she had I pray observe how far this goes with Christ Christ could not forbear but calls his disciples to him saith Verily I say unto you this Woman hath cast in more than they all Why my friends if you have but a mite cast it in though you can but sigh or groan though you can do but little yet do a little for the Lord Jesus Christ do a little for him in your hearts do a little for him in your families amongst yours Children and Servants It may be you have but little to be doing withal I pray be doing something with your little It is for the Lord Christ you know not how far in Heaven a little that is done on Earth may go 2. Hath the Lord taken such cae to preserve his little ones though they be the least grains and that in all the Commontions and Revolutions of affairs when God is sifting his people in the sieve of the Nations that he knows do hate them wh … perfect hatred then methinks This should speak encouragement unto the little ones not only to put forth a little for Christ but this also should lay an engagment upon them to be willing to suffer any thing rather than to part with the care and protection of God and Christ You have a little Sirs well here stands the case will you part with and for go that God and that Christ that have the care and the charge of your little grace or will you stick to him Methings you should be willing to suffer a little for Christ rather than to part with that great security that is betrusted with Christ for you The apostle had but little of the world yet he met with great sufferings it may be you have but little grace in the world and God calls you to little sufferings in comparison with those thut are truly and formally great sufferings Why now Sirs I pray be willing to part with something for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ suffer the loss of something I do not speak as to temporalls but I speak as to those things that your hearts are most addicted too suffer the loss of something You see a little grace hath a deal of care taken about it I pray Christians if there be any thing in you that is sinful do you part with it do not only suffer the loss of a little but suffer the loss of your All that is offensive to the Lord Jesus Christ because the Lord Jesus Christ hath said
that have tendered the grace of Jesus Christ and Christ with all his fulness to you all our Sermons and we shall be brought in as evidences against you Can you bear this You that have heard us with delight and have seemed to take pleasure in what we have spoken and preached to you what think you now to have us one after another with all the Sermons that have been preached in your hearing to be brought in as an evidence against you And not only so but for God to come in against you and say I offered you grace and for Christ to say I offered you my blood and the Spirit to say I strove with you to work a work oâ— grace in you I beseech you sirs consider 〈◊〉 do not speak these things to spend time buâ— this is that my Soul longs after that I might perswade every sinner to become a saint thatevery one that hath gotten a littlegrace might make it his business to get more grace For sinners you can never have grace too soon and Saints you can never have grace too much I shall only urge all that I have said with these 2 things First If sinners you will now come in and close with Christ to day while it is called to day Be you young or old I value it not be you what you will be whatsoever your condition be As soon as ever you come in and get the least grace all the Trinity that is concerned in the promise will according to their respective Relations pursue the design and intendment of the promise upon you and for you in all the succeeding circumstances of your lives Why is not this a thing that is desirable It may be a wicked man may make a promise to thee thou art his Child and he a wicked Father if thou wilt not do so and so he will not do this and that for thee Why I pray now is it not better for you to have the promise of one God for good and to be in the reach of one of the promises of the blessed Trinity than to be incompassed and invironed with all the promises of them that are enemies to God and also to you for Gods sake Here now is a promise yet shall not the least Grain fall to the Earth when God sifts the Nations I pray ballance this with all the promises of the Word when God comes a sifting either by Temptation or Persecution or afflictions when God comes a sifting I pray who can keep you in the Sieve Who can keep you out of Hell can all your rich friends and great friends can all the powers of the World keep you out of everlasting burnings No It is only God can do it yet shall not the least Grain fall upon the Earth For my part I think that one promise made by the Blessed God is better then to have a thousand promises though they were in a capacity to fulfil them made by the greatest Powers in the the World 2. The last thing that I shall leave upon you is this That the sooner you close with Christ the sooner you will be safe The sooner you get grace the sooner you will have the security of grace Great are the distractions of the minds of men under various apprehensions of approaching dangers and my friends in a time and hour wherein the Lord says come Christ says come and the Spirit says come and the Gospel says come and Ministers say come why do not you come Sirs to day while it is called to day For my part I think it is never too soon for a Soul to be safe for ever from everlasting burnings and therefore if you do believe the things that I have delivered you that are Saints of a little attainment carry it as becomes you You that are Saints of a greater attainment carry it as becomes you and you that have attained no grace at all carry it as becomes you And this is that that becomes you To come unto Jesus Christ and be restless till the Lord make you one of his graines though never so little A Catalogue of Books printed for and are to be sold by Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market Place SEveral Discourses concerning Actual Providence A Word in Season Defensive Armour against four of Satans most Fiery Darts Sermon upon the whole first and second Chapters of the Canticles 13 Sermons upon several useful Subjects all published by John Collings D. D. The way of the Spirit in bringing Souls to Christ The Glory of Christ sett forth with the necessity of Faith in several Sermons both by Mr. Thomas Allen late pastor of a Church at Norwich Enochs walk with God and Christ a Christians gain by Mr. Timothy Armitage late Minister in Norwich A Discourse of the preciousness of Precious promiseâ—s the portion of overcomers Faith and of the preciousness of Christ both by Mr. John Lougher Minister in Norfolk The Saints Ebenezer by Mr. Francis English late Minister in Norwich Directions to spell English right The History of the Protestant Reformation as it was begun by Luther The Dead Saint speaking being a Sermon Preached upon the Death of Mr. Newcome The English Presbyterian The ordinary matter of prayers drawn into Questions and Answers Two Treatises The first of rejoycing in the Lord Jesus in all cases and Conditions The second of a Christians hope in Heaven and Freedom from Condemnation by Christ both by Mr. Robert Asty late Minister of Jesus Christ in Norwich Obedience to Magistrates recommended by Jonathan Clapham Rector of Wramplingham Norfolk A Present for youth and Example for the Aged FINIS