without any Light lying under shame and dishonour under the guilt of sinne and not able to deliver it selfe this cannot but make it looke out for it selfe and seeke with great importunity for a Saviour The Dove could find no rest for the soale of her foot till she returned into the Arke It is a perfect hyeroghyphick or resemblance of a wounded Spirit as Solomon calls it when it is as the blessed Redeemer was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surrounded with sorrow and it is full of restlesse vexations fluctuating and tumbled up and downe in a whole Ocean of perplexities and feares and can see no shoare no Land no creek or haven of comfort then it must into the Arke then it uses the soliloquie of the Psalmist returne unto thy res◠ô my soule then it cries out with the blessed Martyr ô none but Christ none but Christ there 's my Arke ther 's my rest there 's my refuge there I shall find reliefe and refreshment or else no where Christ will be a calme to me after a storme he will dispell and drive away all these clouds he will hold my head above water and keep me from sinking he will be light and joy and unspeakable solace after all these distempers thus the poore afflâ—cted soule as a prisoner of hope as the Prophet speakes Zach. 9. 12. returnes unto Christ as to its strong hold The misâ—rable soule seeks for cure the whole need not the Physition saith Christ but the sick sin-sick sinners will enquire and seek after the Physition of soules The sense of misery is the primum mobile the first mover that sets us on seeking for Christ The more wee know our owne misery the more we know how to prise Christ and set a true value upon him Againe Beleevers are likewise convinced of the impotency and weaknesse of the creature in respect of any help or succour that it can afford None can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor givâ— to God a ransome for him Psal 49. 7. iâ— not redemption from temporall death much lesse from eternall Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rammes saith the Prophet or with ten thousand rivers of oyle shall I give my first borne for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule The truth is should all the Angels in Heaven and righteous men upon Earth joyne their goodnesse together and offer it up to God as a sacrifice it would not be sufficient to expiate so much as one sinne Now when the soule is sensible of this it crieth out as Peter in another case help Lord or else I perish Solomon saith that as good newes from a farre Country so is cold water to a thirsty soule Prov. 25. 25. So it is with a poore distressed soule when it seeth it selfe as it were in a farre Countrey farre from God farre from â—oy and farre from any deliverance in it selfe or in any other then if one bring him newes of a Saviour of a Redeemer this is welcome newes indeed this is as cold water to a thirsty soule An instance of this is seen in the Prodigall who when he came to himselfe that is when he saw what a wretched and helplesse creature he was he cast his thoughts upon his Fathers house he loathed any longer to feed upon the huskes and hogs meat of the world then he desires the bread of his Fathers hired servants Nothing but home will content him farewell feasting and revelling and all filthy pleasures that I have lived in I have gotten nothing by them but wounds and sorrowes and vexation of Spirit I will home to my Fathers house there is bread and durable cloathing there is whatsoever I can wish or desire here I starve and die there I shall live and sweetly enjoy my selfe here I want all things but there I shall lack nothing This is a lively pourtraiture of a thirsty and wearied soule flying unto Christ for ease and comfort This then is one reason why Christ is precious to Beleevers namely because they are in some measure convinced of their misery with him and of their owne impotency and utter inability to help themselves therefore Christ is precious unto them Secondly Beleevers are not onely Reas II convinced of their owne misery without Christ and of their impotency and inability to help themselves but also they see and apprehend an infinite treasure of good and happinesse that God hath treasured up in Christ and that to be joyned unto him is the onely way to obtaine these blessings Viz. the Fathers Love Pardon of sinne Manifestation of Gods face The love of God being infinite like himselfe cannot be conferred upon any creature for its owne sake the causa procuratrix or the procuring cause of this love must of necessity be infinitely meritorious now this is not found among the sonnes of men but onely in Christ the eternall Sonne of God onely in Christ who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-man as I may say Immanuel God with us or God in our flesh God that he might be a fit object for the infinite love of his Father and man that he might derive and bring that love to us God first loves his Sonne and then Beleivers through him It is impossible that the infinite love of the infinite God should bee drawne out but by an infinite motive and where is this motive but in the second person coe-eternall co-essentiall and co-equall with the Father were it not for his Sonne God should have no object for his love in the world Love is as fire which must have fewell to maintaine it Now let all the Creatures men and Angels be set before God yet they all with all their excellencies and lovely parts cannot deserve the least minute or tittle of his Love God loves himselfe in his Sonne and his creatures for his beloved Sonnes sake God will supply saith the Apostle all your need according to his riches in Glory by Jesus Christ Philip. 4. 9. The treasures of Gods love and riches are first in Christ and by our union with him wee come to enjoy them So Ephes 1. 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which he hath ingratiated us through that Beloved Gods love and his favour is undeserved on our parts wee finde grace in his sight through Christ Notable to this purpose is the order of the three persons which the Apostle sets Cor. the last and the last The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Ho-Ghost be with you all Amen You must know now that this is not a right naturall order for by order of nature the Father whom the Apostle cal's God in a personall sense as John 1. the word was with God that is with the Father I say by order of nature the Father is first of himselfe not begotten the Son is from the
drops of bloud which hee did sweat in his agony had nothing availed without death Death is the summe of the curse due to us in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Christ then dying for us here was the accomplishment of all his sufferings and the height of his love towards us Surely that bloud must needs be very precious which could not be let out but the vitall spirits must follow after it Those that professe skill in words doe derive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bloud from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to burne or to kindle whether this be a true etymologie or not I will not dispute the heate that is in the bloud of a living creature if at leastwise in good temper speakes for it sure I am that the bloud of Jesus Christ shed for our sinnes both testifies his ardent and burning love toward us and requires a like affection in us the kindling and fiering of our love toward him Fourthly the preciousnesse of Christs bloud appeares likewise from the personall union of his manhood with his God-head The Divine and humane natures of Christ subsisting together in one and the same person is called an hypostaticall union properly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a placing or standing under when the Godhead stands under the manhood and the manhood is taken into the same person with the God-head this is hypostaticall Now from this marvellous and wonderfull union floweth though not a reall communication of properties yet a promiscuous predication of them as if they were all alike common and naturall to both natures Hence the manhood is said to be in heaven even while it was circumscribed compassed with a place on earth John 3. 13. and on the other side the bloud of the humane nature is called the bloud of God Acts 20. 28. and else where by reason of this union God himselfe is said to be crucified Oh how precious was the bloud of Christ then doubtlesse it had more worth in it then all the creatures in Heaven and earth Angels and men and all the world beside The uniting and consequently the cooperation and compliance of the impassible Deity in the same person with that soule and body which suffered must needs put infinite dignity and preciousnesse beyond all account upon the bloud of Christ yet this was not thought too deare for his Saints Fiftly and lastly the blessed effects of Christs bloud is another strong Argument of the inestimable value and price of it It justifies our persons in the sight of God It frees us from the guilt from the punishment and from the power of all sinne It saves us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that wrath that is to come 1 Thessalonians 1. 10. Wicked people are Light and merry-hearted and never dreame of an after recoming but there is a thunder shower of Gods wrath to come which will light heavily upon the heads of unbeleeving ones Wee are all of us by nature obnoxious to and involved in this danger therefore the Apostle useth the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 snatching or pulling us out from the wrath to come even wee of the children of God wee of the Corporation and society of the Saints we Beleevers as well as others were liable to this wrath but Christ hath dâ—livered us this is his tender loving kindnesse and good will to his Elect. Againe the bloud of Christ obtaines eternall redemption for us Heb. 9. 12. whence it is that the Apostle opposes it to Gold and Silver though these be among the most precious things that the Earth affords yet being corruptible and transitory they cannot purchase incorruption and eternity for us The bloud of Christ is the price of our Redemption yee are bought with a price saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 23. and a like phrase he uses in the end of the precedent chapter yet there is neither a pleonasme in the words that is to say a fulnesse of speech though that sometimes be rhetoricall enough nor impropriety or unfitnesse of Language as if a thing could be bought without a price though I confesse the Scripture in some respects doth sometimes speake so neither is there an hebraisme whereby words of the same signification are itterated and repeated ob vehementiam to set the matter on with the greater vehemency and force but the word price is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew the superlative excellency and dignity of the price wherewith the Saints are bought so that ye are bought with a price is as much as to say yee are dearely bought 't was a price with a witnesse that was given for you a price of inestimable value a price past the number of a man it cannot be calculated or summed up it is so infinite such a rich and exceeding price is the bloud of Jesus Christ costly and chargeable were our soules that required such a ransome This is the price wherewith wee are bought from the earth bought out of Hell and bought into Heaven and everlasting glory This is the price that redeemeth us from condemnation and this is it that cleanseth us from the filth and staine of sinne This is it that purgeth our Consciences from dead workes to serve the living God Heb 9. 14. The Apostle in that place draweth an Argument â— minori ad majus as the Logician speakes If typicall rites and sacrifices as the bloud of Bulls and goates and the ashes of an Heifer sprinckled upon the uncleane availed for externall Sanctification namely for the purifying of the flesh legally and ceremonially how much more shall the bloud of Christ sprinkled upon our Consciences purge away the guilt of sinne and avayle to the internall spirituall and everlasting sanctifying of our persons Againe by this bloud it was that Christ as the high Priest of our profession that is of Christians entred into Heaven so saith the Apostle Heb. 9. 12. Christ entred â—y his owne bloud into the holy place hee did not enter into the presence of God as the high-priest of old did with the bloud of Goates and Calves what should those slender things doe in the Tabernacle made without hands there are no such meane and poore offerings there Neither did Christ enter to offer for himselfe as well as for his Family as Aaron did Levit. 16. 6. he had no need of expiation himselfe but he went into the holiest to offer for his people only whom he hath for ever washed justified and sanctified not with bloud of others as the Apostle speakes but with his owne bloud Lastly from the precious bloud of Christ we also that are so cleansed and purged have boldnesse to enter into the holiest Heb. 10. 19. 20. The bloud of Christ breeds us and begets us this confidence The Apostle in that place doth covertly oppose the liberty of Christians unto the restraint of them that lived under the Law The Jewes of old might not presse into the Holy of Holies it
were in our naturall filthinesse and uncleanenesse which we drew from our first Parents God loved us freely and not for our worth or merit not for our beautie or comelinesse wee had no worth in us nor no beauty upon us yet he loved us and said unto us live that is he made us to live spiritually he did put the life of grace into us he did breath into the nostrills of our soules as I may say the breath of heavenly life his saying in this new Creation was as his saying was in the first Creation of all things he did but speak the word and it was done Againe he addes in the forementioned Prophesie verse the eight I spread my skirt over thee He alludeth to a custome or Ceremony of the Jewes whereby at Mariages the Husband in token of his Interest and propriety and also as a pledge of his most tender love and endeared affection to his wife did cover her with a lappe or skirt of his garment now this matrimoniall rite was a figure of the merit of Christ who hath by his righteousnesse covered all our sinnes and transgressions veiled all our filthinesse and polutions and hid all our spirituall nakednesse and deformities and that most freely most graciously most undeservedly according to that Hosea 14. 4. I will heale their back-sliding I will love them freely Thirdly Christs love to his Saints is a liberall love a munificent a magnificent and bountifull love this appeares plainely by those hard and bitter things that he underwent for us Philip 2. 7. the Apostle saith that he made himselfe of no reputation he tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was made in the likenesse or habit of men The originall word in the place signifieth that he emptied himselfe or redegit se ad nihilum he brought himselfe as it were to nothing he devested and stript himselfe of the robes of Divine Majesty laying them his Throne his Crowne and his Scepter of Glory aside for a while Through the extremity of his agony his body did sweat drops of bloud he did exhaust such an infinitely rich and precious treasure as all Heaven and earth could not recompense and make up againe It is reported of the Pelioan that she openeth her breast with her bill and feedeth her young ones with the bloud distilling from her and therefore saith mine Author the Egyptians did make that kinde an hieroglyphick of Piety and pitie and upon that consideration they spared them at their Tables Now this creature is a lively picture and Embleme of Christ he parted with that which was most deare unto him the soule in his body the bloud in his veines and which was more then all the rest the sweet and ravishing apprehensions of his Fathers love eclipsed and darkned in his agonies and so totally eclipsed that he cryed out with a loud voyce my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And all this he did in his infinite pitie and love to us the Apostle saith that he loved his Church and gave himselfe for it Ephes 5. 25. Lastly Christs love is eternall and everlasting a love that never decayes or waxeth cold like the stone Asbestos of which I read in Solinus that being once hot it can * Iul. Solin polyhistor cap. 12. never be cooled again The love of Christ is like a Fountaine ever flowing and never dried up or like the sacred fire which never went out I have loved thee with an everlasting love saith he Jer. 31. 3. and in another place with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy upon thee Though the Saints offend Christ often yet he loves them still he onely purges them and heales them of their spirituall maladies which cannot be done without some smart but he doth not a whit lesson or detract his love from them Though his people come upon him every day for new favours and new supplies yet his good-will is never wearied or tired out yea though thousands millions of his Saints presse upon him at once yet hee hath for them all and the Fountaine of his love is never emptied I like the matter of the Poet very well although I confesse his verse be something jiggish and toying Sumit unus sumunt mille Quantum isti tantum iâ—e Neque sumpius absumitur One Beleever drawes water of life and supply of all needfull blessings out of this well of salvation and a thousand like gracious soules doe the like and the one drawes as much as the thousand and yet the well is never drawne drie Now then a little to recapitulate If the love of Christ unto his Saints be infinite boundlesse and unmeasurâ—ble if it be gracious free and undesâ—rved â—r it be liberall rich and bountifull Lastly if it be eternall everlasting and never decaying ô what a whetstone should this be to our affections what a spurre to our Spirits and what a bellowes to blow up and kindle the fire of our love to Christ nothing doth more conciliate and attract love then love it selfe it were horrible ingratefulnesse not to spend and be spent as the Apostle speakes for one that hath loved us so much as Christ hath done certainely if love doe not draw us unto him nothing will The acts of Christs love are the cords wherewith he drawes soules unto himselfe I drew them with the cords of a man with bands of love saith hee Hosea 11. 4. and in another place with Jer. 31. 3. loving kindnesse have I drawne thee* 'T is an Argument then that wee are not drawne at all if love doe not effect it Fiftly Christ bestowes upon Beleevers Mot. 5 his precious Spirit This is that which Christ promiseth to his Disciples Joh. 14. 26. The comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name saith Christ he shall teach you all things c. Now let us consider how excellent the Spirit is in all the workings of it upon our hearts and then we shall see what a precious and lovely gift this is The Spirit of Christ doth these things It illuminates our minds It sanctifies our natures It seales our adoption First of all the Spirit of Christ doth illuminate the mind and understanding it opens the windowes of the soule as I may say and sets up a new Light in it it brings in light upon light Even by nature men have some Light such as it is by Art and industry they acquire more but the saving Light of the Spirit of Christ farre excelleth all that of the naturall man as the Light of the Sunne doth the light the Moone or as the Light of seven dayes doth the light of one hence is that Spirit by an excellency called the Spirit of wisdome and understanding and it is said to lead us and to guide us into all truth Joh. 14. 16. I have many things saith Christ to say unto you but you cannot beare them now but when the spirit cometh he shall lead you into all truth
way If he finde not Christ present his spirit failes the soule is in a syncope or fit of swooning there is a swift and a sudden failing of strength But Christ being once found this is as life from the dead The Ordinances therfore in which Christ presents and offers himselfe are very precious to a Beleiver The soule that hath once felt the quickning power of those Ordinances will hardly or never be kept from them Secondly the true Beleiver seekes Christ constantly he seeks him without intermission or ceasing See a pattern of this Cantic 3. 1 2 3. By night on my bed I sought him saith the Church and what was the successe for the present she found him not how then did she give over no but she sought him in the streets and yet she found him not ver 2. Well she is not contented but she seekâ— him againe she askes the watchmen for him such as were in place of superintendency and Ministry such as pretended at least to have the greatest care of her she inquires of them for him saw yee him whom my soule loveth saith she but even they satisfie her not therefore she goes further waiting patiently for the Revelation of Christ and so at length she hath blessed successe she found her beloved it is not lost labour to seeke and waite for Christ constantly and perseveringly such labour in the Lord shall never be in vaine and verily they doe highly esteeme of Christ who seek him so Thirdly a true Beleiver doth not only Dem. III seeke Christ diligently and constantly but also he hath a prudentiall care in keeping him when he hath found him I held him saith the Church and would not let him goe Cant. 3. 4. she came by him hardly and therefore she will not part with him lightly it cost her hot water as I may say to get him she gat him with much hazard and danger much losse and suffering and therefore she will not leave him for the greatest advantage in the world She knowes that nothing under Heaven can countervaile or repaire the losse of him she knowes that nothing in this great and wide Universe though never so lovely and desireable can be equivalent to such a Jewell She knowes that with him is the well-spring of life and of all blessing therefore she cannot be induced or perswaded upon any tearmes to part with him Many of Christs followers forsooke him and went no more with him but will yee also forsake me saith he to his Apostles Peter answers for himselfe and the rest Lord whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life Joh. 6. 68. as if he should have said Lord if wee leave thee we leave our life and our comfort wee forsake our owne mercy it was motive enough to stay by him and to keep closse to him to consider that eternall Life and consequently the very quintessence of all happinesse was with him The Merchant that found a treasure of great price went and hid it and joyfully sold all that he had to purchase it and therefore he will not part with it for any good This Merchant-man is an Embleme or figure of a sound beleiver who when he hath found Christ will not forgoe him by any meanes no but he will say of him whom have I in Heaven but thee and on Earth there is none that I desire in comparison of thee Christ is the strength of his heart and his portion for ever Psal 73. 25 26. 'T is the voyce of the Church the Lord is my portion saith my soule not onely her tongue without but even her soule and her spirit within speakes it with unconceiveable joy and delight she was in deep affliction when she spake it Lament 3. 24. Yet the apprehension of such a portion as the Lord was solace and refreshing enough to her And David is in the same moode too the Lord is my portion and mine inheritance saith he the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage Psal 16. 5 6. He alludes to the manner of dividing the Land of Canaan to the children of Israel which was done by line O terque quaterque beati unspeakably happy are they that have such an heritage can wee thinke now that they will be such fooles as to part with it no verily they will not so dote on any thing in the world as to leave Heaven for earth infinite and eternall joyes for a short blaze or a little flash of mirth like the crackling of thornes under a pot they will not be so overseen and besotted as to part with such an heritage as Christ is rich fat alwayes fruitfull and never decaying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle saith 't is an inheritance where there is no dirt no winter or withering no decay or dying of fruites but ever green ever flourishing ever bearing infinitely profitable and delightfull to the possessors of it who can be so foolish as to part with such an inheritance as this If Naboth would not part with the heritage of his Fathers how can wee imagine that the Saints will part with theirs Naboths was his but for his life time onely but the heritage of the Saints is everlasting Naboths was subject to many hazards and casualties fire inunâ—â—ation robbery blasting wormes and utter losse as the event declared but the heritage of the Saints the portion that they have in Christ is quite above and beyond all such detriment they will not then be such fooles as to part with it Fourthly consider the principle from Dem. IV whence flowes the soules bewailing of Christs absence diligent and constant seeking of him and keeping him with much care and jealousie when she hath found him that principle is love I sought him whom my soule loveth saith the Church Cantic 3 4. Now love is the inclining or closing of the will with something that is at least apprehended to be excellent and agreeable to it selfe I say apprehended to be excellent because sometimes the object is not excellent indeed but onely fansied and conceited to be such but here the case is otherwise as I trust it shall appeare In the meane time observe the nature of the will it is elicita not coacta inclined and drawne forth not compelled and constrained not ravished as I may say or forced will should be no will if it were so the will is absolute and free it sits as Empresse in the soule commanding there in chiefe as we say no violence can be offered to it or if there be any yet it is very pleasing full of tiâ—â—â—â—ation full of tickling and delight I confesse the old saying is ducimus volentem and trahimus â—olentem we lead him that is willing and we draw him that is unwilling but when the Father is said to draw us Joh 6. 44. and Christ also is said to draw us Cantic 1. 4. we must know that here is no compulsion or coaction but it is done by the
Travailers in the Wildernesse who by surrounding themselves with a fire did thereby fray away the wilde beasts and kept them off from annoying them now such a defence will Christ be unto his Saints he will be with them in most deadly dangers When they passe through the water and when they walke through the fire Esa 43. 2. Fire and water are two most devouring elements good servants but bad masters as we say and therefore here they are put for all other perilous and dangerous kindes Christ will save and deliver his people from them all Wee reade Dan. 3. 25. that the three Children were cast into the fiery furnace But what said the Tyrant I see foure saith he and the fourth is like the Sonne of God and in all probabilitie it was so it being usuall under the old Testament for Christ upon some weightie occasions to appeare in humane shape Thus Christ will be with his people in the furnace of affliction and either he will provide that it shall not be over-heate or else he will worke a miracle to restraine the power of the flames he will both preserve them in and deliver them out of trouble he will so sanctifie affliction that it shall prove a very blessing and mercy to them Secondly Great also and precious are the promises which appertaine unto spirituall grace The Apostle saith That by them we partake of the divine or godly nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. He doth not meane it of the essence or substance of God as some of the Heathen conceited affirming man to be aurae divinae particula a little piece of the divine Spirit Thus did the Platonicks dreame and also the Manichees and Priscillianists not so I say for the essence of God is incommunicable but wee are to understand it of the graces of the Spirit whereby the image of God is stampt againe and restored in man therefore the Apostle doth not call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the essentiall nature of God but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the godly nature as if he had expressed it in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sainthood or a nature approaching to Gods resembling and like unto Gods So that Beleevers through Christ have in their soules a lively image and representation of the perfections of the vertues and of the life of God according to that of the Apostle Colos 3. 10. And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him he puts knowledge which is the incipient part of regeneration for the whole including under that both holinesse and righteousnesse And answering to this is that precious promise Esa 65. 17. where the Lord saith That he will make new heavens and a new earth This is meant of the spirituall excellency of the Church in regard both of doctrine of discipline and of life and therefore it holds forth a promise concerning the renewing of the soule by the Spirit of the Lord where doctrine is sound discipline wholesome and life holy there are new Heavens and a new earth as I may say and there the soule is become a new creature by the sanctifying Spirit of God Lastly great and precious also are the promises appertaining to eternall glory they containe in them that heavenly inheritance of the Saints in Light where they shall have blessed communion with God with Christ with the Holy Spirit with elect Angels and with one another for ever where they shall have the quintessence of all good things the sweetnesse of all Mercy and consolation where they shall have the splendour and bright rayes of everlasting honour where after this life and this life is but a bubble a smoake a wind a shadow they shall have that unutterable immortall Crowne of glory set upon their heads which Christ hath promised in a word where they shall have totum quod volunt nihil quod nolunt all that they would have and nothing that they would not have Hence it is that the Gospel which holdeth forth the promise of these things is termed glorious and the ministration thereof likewise glorious And therefore as the Apostle makes the comparison between the Law and the Gospel if the ministration of death and condemnation be glorious saith he how shall not the ministration of the Spirit and of righteousnesse be rather glorious so may I say if the glory of Christ be so splendent and shining so attractive and alluring even in the promise and expectation of it what then will it be in the full fruition and enjoyment thereof if so excellent and surpassing at a distance and through the lattice as I may say what will it be in the neerest touch and vision thereof when wee shall come our selves to participate of that glory Now wee see but in a glasse darkely saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 12. that is here wee see God but as we see our owne Image in a glasse and not the very face it selfe here wee see him by a kinde of reflection and at second hand as I may say in the Ordinances in the creatures and such like dimme representations which at the farthest are in some sense aenigmaticall full of intricacy and obscurity But then wee shall see God face to face and then we shall know him as we our selves are knowne by him that is to say perfectly I meane with such a perfection as a glorified creature is capable of Thus have I shewed unto you what excellent and precious things are contained in the Promises for our soules and for our bodies for this life and for the life to come for ever ô then how much more precious and excellent how much more to be desired and longed for is Jesus Christ by whom so manifold and unspeakeable blessings are conveyed unto us Fourthly Christ hath bestowed up-Beleevers Mot 4 precious love and precious it is because Infinite Gracious Liberall Everlasting First the love of Christ unto his Saints is infinite and unmeasurable it is beyond all imagination or conception As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you saith Christ Joh. 15. 9. Now who can understand with what love the Father hath embraced his Sonne who can dive into the bottomelesse depth of that tender affection which the infinite God beareth unto Christ no more can wee define and fully set forth what the love of Christ unto his Saints is The Apostle indeed would have the Ephesians able to comprehend with all Saints the breadth and length the depth and height of the love of God in Christ but yet for all that hee concludes that it passeth knowledge Ephes 3. 18. 19. Secondly Christs love is a gracious love That which the Lord speakes by his Prophet concerning Jerusalem may fitly be applyed to all his people When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted or troden under foot as the word signifieth in thine owne bloud I said unto thee live That is as we use to apply it spiritually when we
Father begotten yet eternall and the Holy Ghost is proceeding from them both yet eternally too for though they be one before another in order of nature yet not in order of time But now here is the Question seeing the Father is first the Sonne second and the Holy Spirit last in that naturall order why doth the Apostle in the fore-mentioned place set the Sonne first verily because he is next and immediate unto us being our Mediatour being the canalis or conduit pipe as I may say by which the love of God and the communion of the Holy-Ghost is brought and conveyed to us as the meanes is ever before the end Now the Saints being convinced and perswaded of this Truth this is the thing that makes Christ so deare and precious unto them as he is if Isaac loved Esau for his venison for a carnall respect much more have wee cause to love the Lord Jesus and highly to esteeme of him having procured for us the love of the Father a love like Jonathan's love to David passing the love of women yea a love of infinite dimensions and measures if I may so speake the breadth of it is infinite because it is without respect of persons the length also infinite because it is from everlasting to everlasting the depth infinite because it redeemes and delivers from Hell and the height likewise infinite because it lifts us up to Heaven Certainly Christ having purchased such a wonderfull love as this he must needs be precious he must needs be amiable and lovely to a beleeving soule Secondly for the pardon of sinne there is likewise an absolute necessity of Christ The bloud of Christ onely and not of Buls and Goats is availeable to take away sinnes The soule being convicted of its sinfulnesse speakes as the Prophet doth Who among us shall dwell with devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings God is devouring fire and everlasting bumings in relation to sinners his wrath is the fewell of Hell as I may say the breath of his indignation is like a river of brimstone kindling and perpetually maintaining the flames of Tophet what shall the poore sinfull soule doe now here 's nothing but menaces and threatnings terrours and amazements death and destruction and where is the remedy verily no where but in Christ alone Israel passing through the wildernesse had a cloud to cover him and defend him from the scortching Sunne-beames now what was this cloud but a type and shadow of Christ as the Apostle makes it 1 Cor. 10. 1. hee makes there the cloud and the Sea and the Manna and the water of the Rocke to be all figures and Images of Christ Christ is a sea to wash Manna to feed water to refresh and a cloud to hide the soule from the hot and burning wrath of God the fiery beames of that wrath would surely suffocate it and stifle it were not the bloud of Christ interposed and set between to veile it the bloud of Christ obnubilates and covers the soule from the fierce anger of God it is Christ onely that reconcileth us to God it is he alone that is our Advocate to plead our cause with his Father when man had sinned Justice and Mercy strove one with another seemed to be at variance Christ redintigrates them and makes them friends againe he is our blessed Umpire to set there two together againe giving satisfaction to Justice and place to mercy so honouring and dignifying both making both to rejoyce both to kisse and embrace each other God smels a sweet savâ—ur of rest in Christ onely all the hilasticall and propitiatory sacrifices of the Law did â—â—oke to him as to their end and substance of themselves they could not puâ—ge away the guilt of the least sinne the repetition of them as the Apostle teacheth showes plainely how invalid they were to expiate the crimes and offences of the soule the strictest observance of them could not make the worshipper perfect as touching cleerenesse of Conscience Heb. 9. 9. When David cryes purge me with bysope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow he alludes indeed to the Leviticall Ceremony but he aimes at the bloud of Christ onely this alone was able to purge away his foule spot his hainous sinne of murder would not out by any other washing then this In one of the old sacrifices there were two Goates appointed one to be slaine and the other to be kept alive which was called the scape-Goate now both these have an eye to Christ the slaine or sacrificed Goate was a type of his dying for sinne and the surviving or scape-goate figures his rising againe and ever living to mainetaine the worth of that oblation the Apostle saith that he ever liveth to make intercession for us and how doth he make intercession but by continuall holding forth in the presence of his Father the merit of his sufferings so that still Christ both dying and living is the fountaine of our peace and attonement with God still Christ is he and the onely he that obtaineth remission of sinnes for us Now if wee consider the many and great benefits that redound to us by the pardon of sinne we must needs conclude that Christ is very precious by whom we enjoy such a mercy When sinne is pardoned there is an end of Gods heavie wrath and displeasure Satan's Kingdome goes downe the power of our corruptions daily decaying we have peace and joy within whereas before wee had nothing but raging stormes and tempests and a very hell in our Consciences our prayers finde acceptance at the throne of Grace all the creatures are in league with us and are become our faithfull servants that which comes from them is sweet and benigne healthfull and good our blessings are blessed yea our very curses if they may be so called are likewise blessed unto us Judgements are removed every bitternesse is taken away even the sting of death is puld our Christ as a tree of most excellent vertue is cut downe and throwne into our Marah Some things may worke adveâ—sly and crosly to us but the Apostle speakes of a cooperating or working together which makes amends for all all things worke together saith he for good unto them that love God Rom. 8. 28. and they be such that have their sinnes pardoned Though some things worke untowardly and against the haire as I may say yet take them altogether and there is a blessed harmony and complyance a sweet relishablenesse and savourinesse in them one thing doth recompence and make up another the mixture of sweet and sowre through the wisdome and mighty working of God is very demulcent and wholsome full of benediction and blessednesse that even the sinnes of the Godly are an advantage to them and turne to their melioration and betternment God makes use even of them to doe his children good he brings meate out of the very eater and converts the causes of damnation into
was lawfull onely for the High-Priest to enter into it and that but once a yeare Great in this regard is our preeminence now above Gods ancient people they might not passe so much as into an earthly Sanctuary inclosed with materiall walls and coped with a roofe but wee have licence and leave to enter into a farre more holy and undefiled place Christ hath consecrated or initiated a way for us hee hath trod the path first as our fore-runner and hee hath done it by his bloud or as the Apostle speakes through the vaile that is to say his flesh he alludes to the vaile of blew and purple scarlet and fine twined linen which was to divide the holiest of all from the rest of the Tabernacle That vayle was a type of Christs flesh Now as the High-priest of old entred into the holiest by removing of the veile so Christ by the death of his body did as it were turne aside the veile and so hath entred into heaven the holy of holies there to make intercession for us Yea by the renting and tearing of that veile of his flesh upon the crosse he hath for ever opened a way for all Beleevers a new and a living way that of old is obsolete and vanished this is such as the vigour thereof shall never decay that of old being by the bloud of beasts could not give life to the comers this being by the bloud of Christ revives and raises up them that are dead in trespasses and sinnes and doth also conferre eternall life upon them O how precious beyond all thought and conceit is the bloud of Jesus Christ the bloud of a most righteous person most noble bloud the very life and heart-bloud the bloud of God justifying sanctifying redeeming bloud bloud purchasing eternall redemption for us bloud that quickeneth us and conferres both spirituall and everlasting life upon us Lastly Bloud that opens to us a never decaying way into Heaven How precious I say is this bloud of Christ and how doth it call upon us to stirre up our affections to embrace Christ to lay hold of him and to love him with a most ardent and unfained love who hath bestowed such a precious gift upon us Secondly Christ hath bestowed upon Beleevers precious Graces Grace is called by the Apostle the renewing of the Holy-Ghost and the forming of Christ in us It consisteth in the rectitude and conformitie of our will unto the will of God and to Christ the absolute patterne of all grace and holinesse the image of the invisible God the expresse character of his Fathers brightnesse the Sun of righteousnesse the morning starre most eminently and gloriously above all others chiefest of ten thousand for sweet and gracious deportment How precious are those qualities of the soule which come neare such a patterne as this which imitate resemble and take after such unmatchable beautie Now all grace is precious but the Scripture gives that Epithite especially to faith 2 Pet. 1. 1. and that for these Reasons First Because it is the roote and wombe as I may say of all grace it is the inward fountaine and principle from whence all grace flowes it is the mother grace it purgeth the conscience and purifieth the heart and so breedeth every needfull grace in us You may see this genealogie or pedigree of grace notably delineated by the Apostle 1 Tim. 1. 5. There we finde that charitie or love which is the fulfilling of the commandement of God and a chiefe grace or Christian vertue flows from a pure heart and a pure heart springs from a good conscience and a good conscience is the off-spring of faith Faith is the Genetrix and breeder of Grace as Eve was the mother of all mankinde I speake so in respect of an internall principle for if we regard externall causes the race and genealogie may be stretched farther as thus faith comes by hearing of the word of God the word of God is declared by the mouth of a Preacher and every true Preacher is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sent from heaven But I must speake ad rhombum though there be sundry externall efficients and workers of grace yet faith is the internall roote and principle of it and that is one reason why it is called precious Secondly it is precious in respect of its Author which is the Father Sonne and Spirit The Father draws us unto Christ Joh. 6. 44. And hence wee are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be taught of God and to heare and learne of him The Sonne likewise draws us draw me we will run after thee saith the Spouse Christ is both the Author and the finisher of our faith Heb. 12. 2. He casts in the first seed of it and also makes it to persevere he layes the foundation of it and brings it up to the roofe as I may say he makes us first to apprehend him and then leads us to the end of our faith which is the salvation of our soules Whence it is that he is called the Apostle and high Priest of our profession that is he is the teacher of our faith and the Captain thereof Lastly the Holy-Ghost is likewise the Author of our faith No man can say that Jesus is the Lord saith the Apostle but by the Holy-Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. And in the ninth verse of that Chapter faith is reckoned among the gifts of the Spirit Faith then must needs be very precious having God the Father God the Son and God the Holy-Ghost for the Author of it Thirdly Faith is precious in respect of the object thereof that is to say the thing upon which it leanes or rests which is God himselfe or God in Christ God is said to be in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe and not imputing their trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5. 19. Now this is the highest and most excellent object of faith Christ also as Mediatour is the object thereof David prayeth Lead me unto the rocke that is higher then I Psal 61. 2. And the rock that he speaks of is Christ he is the strong rocke on which his Church is built firmely and unmoovably Needs then must faith be precious while it leanes on such a solid and stedfast foundation Againe the promises are metonymically an object of faith because they are made unto us in Christ they are in him as adjuncts in their subject we rest upon the power and truth of Christ for the obtaining of that good which is in the promises All the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. He is mediate or in the middle between the promises and us God makes the promises and Christ is his pledge and assurance for the accomplishment of them so that faith rests on the promises of God mediante Christo through the mediation of Christ and anon you shall see what precious things those promises are in the meane while we may conclude even from them likewise that faith