Iesus Christ fast and pray and get a full tide of affections in them to carry thee to the Lord Iesus Christ that is to get more love of him more acquaintance with him more Union with him so sorrow for thy sins that thou maist be more fitted for Christ that thou maist prize Christ the more use thy duties as Noahs Dove did her Wings to carry thee to the Ark of the Lord Iesus Christ Or as it is with a poor man that is to go over a great water for a treasure on the other side though he cannot fetch the Boat he calls for it and though there be no treasure in the Boat yet he useth the Boat to carry him over to the treasure so Christ is in Heaven and thou on Earth he doth not come to thee and thou canst not go to him now call for a Boat though there is no grace no good no salvation in a pithless duty yet use it to carry thee over to the treasure the Lord Iesus Christ. When thou comest to hear say Have over Lord by this Sermon when thou comest to pray say Have over Lord by this Prayer to a Saviour c. So that it seems the whole business of our love to Christ and Evangelical Righteousness consists in some flights of fancy and imagination in admiring and valuing the person of Jesus Christ in getting an acquaintance with him and Union to him and the business of all Religion is to have over to Christ that we may love and prize his person and personal Righteousness above all things in the World It is not so much the business of Sermons to acquaint us with the nature and attributes works and providences of God and to instruct us in our duty to him and to encourage us to the practice of it by all the motives and arguments of the Gospel as to have over to Christ to acquaint us with his fulness and Righteousness and alsufficiency to save us without such a legal Righteousness of our own the design of Prayer is not so much to affect our Souls with a sense of the divine Majesty and greatness to worship and adore the great Creator of the World and to express our trust and affiance in him as to have over to Christ to fetch pardon and life and health and Righteousness from him that sorrow for sin is not so much to imbitter sin to us and to confirm and strengthen our resolutions against it as to teach us to prize and value the person of Christ more who is our Righteousness in a word the nature and design of Religion is now changed from being the homage and worship of God the certain means of pleasing him and transforming us into his nature and likeness which is the natural end of Religion into a Cock-Boat or Skuller to wast us over to Christ. Here we see the true reason why these men do so much despise morality in comparison with those Gospel duties of hearing Sermons and Prayer and Confession and Humiliation and Fasting c. Because as they handle the matter the practice of moral vertues cannot have us over to Christ cannot apply the Righteousness and fulness of Christ to us nor ravish our fancies with glorious images and Idaeas of his person and since all the duties of Religion are such pithless things which have no grace no good no salvation in them but as they have us over to Christ poor morality must needs be a worthless thing Thus I have finisht my designed task and upon a review of it it makes me amazed to think how strangely these men have transformed the Religion of our Saviour and disfigur'd the Gospel of Christ how they have undermined the fundamental design of the Gospel which is to make men good and vertuous and like to God how they have misrepresented the ends of Christ comeing into the World and abused his expiation and Sacrifice and Righteousness and Intercession to the Patronage of Vice and Wickedness how they have laid snares to betray some men to a licentious life and to entangle others in endless troubles and perplexities of mind how under a pretence of advancing the person of Christ they have in effect through ignorance and mistake and want of consideration for I am not willing to suspect any worse cause banisht his Religion out of the World I have faithfully and impartially stated the case examined their proofs from Scripture and reason and the result of all is no more but this that the only way to please God and to save our Souls is to obey the Precepts of the Gospel trusting in the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ who having perfected the work of our redemption is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him FINIS See Ch. 1. concerning the significa of the name Christ. Digr 2 Of the Excellency of Christ Iesus p. 89 〈…〉 Digr 2. p. 93. Ibid. p. 95. Ib. p. 97. P. 110. P. 112. P. 117. Digr 2. p. 119. Shepards sound Believer p. 80. * Watson's Christs Loveliness pag. 462. Watson's Christs Loveliness p. 467. Watson's Christian Character p. 60. The Spiritual Vine p. 167. Shepards sincere Convert p. 77. Watson's Christs Loveliness p. 462. I. O. Communion p. 63. * Of the Knowledge of Christ p. 19. Watson's Christs Loveliness Idem Watson Ibidem 〈◊〉 1 Watsons Christs Loveliness Idem Christs Loveliness Watson ibidem Watson's true brazen Serpent Watson's Spiritual Vine Watsons Christs Loveliness Watson Mystery the Lora Supper p. 64. Idem p. 65. Ibidem Dr. Owen's Communion with Christ Ch. 8. I. O. Excellency of Iesus Christ. Digr 2. p. 113. Ibidem p. 119. I. II. Thomas Vincent III. IV. Dr. Jacomb on Rom. 8. pag. 42. Pag. 45. Pag. 48. Pag. 49. Commun with Christ pag. 51. Ibid. p. 52. Pag. 64. Communion with Iesus Christ pag. 53. Communion p. 54. Communion with Iesus Christ. p. 55. Brooks Riches of Christ. Dr. Owen Com. 1. Dr. Owen Com. p. 60. Dr. Iacomb Rom. 8. p. 85. 2. Ibid. Communion with the Son Chap. 6. p. 182. Communion with the Son p. 178. Commun pag. 182. Pag. 184. Pag. 183. Pag. 181. Communion p. 183. Communion p. 182. Communion p. 185. Communion p. 167. Communion p. 184. * Dr. Owen's Communion p. 193. * Sound Believer p. 321. * P. 318. * P. 212. * Sound Believer p. 68. * P. 86. P. 85. P. 82. * P. 12◠P. 125. P. 141. * P. 128. P. 130. P. 152. P. 173 P. 185. * Chap. 3. * Sound Believer p. 126. * P. 133. * P. 137. * P. 138. * P. 144. * P. 145. P. 153. Sincere Convert p. 75. Ibidem P. 85. * Sound Believer p. 246. Ibidem p. 215. * Sound Believer p. 130. Dr. Iacomb Rom. 8. p. 65. * Rom. 8. p. 182. * Ibidem Shephards Saints Iewel pag. 192. Shephards sincere Convert p. 94 c. P. 167. * Ch. 4. Sect. 1. P. 186. * Ch. 4. Sect. 1. * Com. p. 158. W. B. Christs Personal excellency the object of our love p. 15. W. B. ibid. Shephards sincere Convert p. 4. ed. 1672. Pag. 84 Pag. 109. Communion p. 165. Shephards sincere Convert pag. 197. Sincere Convert pag. 170. I. O. Com. p. 63. Ibid. pag. 154. Pag. 140. Chap. 4. Sect. 2. Shephards sincere Convert pag. 173 Pag. 178.
after Christ. That is lest their minds be corrupted through Philosophical Speculations or Traditionary superstitions in worshiping Daemons and Angels c. which are inconsistent with the Gospel of Christ and owe their original only to the folly and superstition of Mankind And then he adds for in him that is in Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily so that this must refer to that compleat and perfect Revelation of the Gospel which needs not be supplyed by the Philosophy or Traditions of men And to understand the Reason of this Phrase and the force of the Apostles argument we must consider that this is an allusion to Gods dwelling in the Temple at Ierusalem by Types and figures which were the Symbols of his presence for the Tabernacle or Temple was Gods House wherein he dwelt and the mercy seat and Cherubims c. were the Emblems of Gods presence there and this Symbolical presence of God in the Temple was very agreeable to that Symbolical and Ceremonial worship which he then instituted and commanded He dwelt among them by Types and figures and fore instituted a Typical and figurative Religion and this was an imperfect and obscure Declaration of himself to the World But now God hath sent his Son to Tabernacle among us Iohn 1. 14. the Deity it self now dwells in the Temple of Christs body not by Types and figures as formerly he dwelt in the Temple at Ierusalem but by a real and immediate presence and Union and therefore those Revelations which are made by Christ are answerable to the Inhabitation of the Godhead in him contain a true and perfect Declaration of Gods will in opposition to the imperfect Rudiments and obscure Types and figures of the Law So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or bodily is opposed to figurative and Typical and this is a plain demonstration of the perfection of the Gospel Revelation that the fulness of the Deity dwelt substantially in Christ and we need not doubt but that so excellent a Prophet as he was in whom the Deity it self inhabited hath perfectly revealed Gods will to us All the figures of the Temple were accomplisht in Christ's Person he was that in truth and reality which the Temple was a figure of God dwelling among us and his Religion answers the greatness of his Person The Godhead dwelt in him bodily not by Types and figures and his Religion is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too all truth and substance The Law was but a shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ Ver. 17. his Religion is Body truth and substance So that this place is exactly parallel with Iohn 1. 14. The word was made flesh and dwelt among us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tabernacled among us herein the figure of the Tabernacle was fulfilled that God dwelt in our flesh and the Revelations he made of God's will did agree with the manner of his appearance were full of Grace and truth not a Typical and figurative but a plain and perfect Declaration of Gods will And as the Evangelist tells us That of his fulness we have all received that we are perfectly instructed by him in the will of God so our Apostle adds here and ye are compleat in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filled in him you need no other Instructor but Christ who hath revealed as much of Gods will as is necessary for us to know So that this fulness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in Christ does ultimately resolve it self into the perfection of the Gospel-Revelation for since the fulness of the Deity did inhabit in Christs Person we need not question but he was able to acquaint us with the whole mind and will of God and that he would do so The force of which Reason our Saviour himself takes notice of Iohn 3. 34 35. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God that is declareth his whole will to us for God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him It is not with him as it was with meaner Prophets who had only some particular Revelations of the Divine will but the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hands Thus the fulness of Christ you see signifies the excellency and perfection of the Gospel and in other places this fulness signifies the Church of Christ. Eph. 1. 22 23. And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the Church which is his body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Where the Church is called the fulness of Christ which makes him as it were compleat and perfect for he cannot be a perfect Head without a Body hence the Church is called Christ. 1 Cor. 12. 12. For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ that is the Christian Church as it immediately follows for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Iews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and Beza tells us that this is the the reason of that phrase which so frequently occurs in the New Testament of being in Christ that is being members of the Christian Church Now the Church is called the Fulness of Christ with respect to its extent and universality that it is not confined to any particular Nation as the Jewish Church was but takes in Iews and Gentiles Bond and Free for this I take to be the meaning of Col. 1. 19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell which words are commonly expounded to the same sense with Col. 2. 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily but if we consult the Context we shall see reason for a different sense and Beza observes that some Expositors by his fulness in this place understand the Church for Vers. 18. the Apostle tells us that He is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first-born from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell where fulness must be expounded of the Church that it pleased God to unite his Church into Christ for the Apostle assigns this as the reason of Christs being the Head of the Church And if you would know why the Church is called Fulness and all fulness said to dwell in Christ the reason follows in 20 21. And having made peace through the blood of his Cross to reconcile all things by him I say whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven And you who were sometime alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled This is that fulness that dwells in Christ that he is made the Head of the Universal Church both in Heaven and Earth that Jews and Gentiles are now united in one
it was at the Lords good pleasure whether we should have Christ or not and so it is still What then is to be done further in order to our closing with Christ by Faith for hitherto there is no foundation for our Faith why you must not catch at Christ but stay till God give Christ to you till God take you up in his arms that you may lean and rest upon the bosom of your beloved through Faith you must stay till God give you a particular call to come to Christ and whether that will be ever or never no man can tell many a wounded Sinner will be scrambling after Christ from some general reports of him such as his Gospel makes before the day and hour of Gods glorious and gracious call now for any man to receive Christ or to come to Christ before he is called is presumption I unpardonable presumption too to attempt impossibilities for no body can come till he is called no man should come unless first called and therefore no crime to stay away as it is in calling to an ordinary office so it is in our calling much more to special Grace no man takes this honour to himself but he that is called of God Hebr. 5. 4. it is great presumption to usurp the office of a Priest or Prophet or King without a lawful designation to such an office and therefore it is much greater presumption to attempt to be a good man and a good Christian without such a particular call for what hath any man to do with Christ to make himself a Son of God and Heir of Glory to take care to please God and to make himself happy but he that is called of God Well Sinner wait with patience till thou art called and so thy work is at an end for this time But how shall a poor humbled Sinner know when he is called that then he may come to Christ why you must have a care that you do not mistake the general offers of the Gospel for this special call for they are not a sufficient foundation for our Faith in comeing to Christ though they are made to the weary and the heavy laden too men cannot men will not come at such a call and indeed they have no reason to do it For Christ is not intended for all and therefore though he be offered to all in the Gospel yet it would be great presumption for every one to lay hold on him for Christ doth not immediately offer himself to all men as a Saviour whereby they may be encouraged to serve him as a King that is he does not promise Salvation and Eternal Life in the Gospel with a design that every one that will should take encouragement from these promises to obey and serve him but first as a King commanding them to cast away their Weapons and stoop under his Scepter acknowledging that if ever he save me I will bless him if he damn me his name is righteous in so dealing with me the meaning of which is that every man is invited in the Gospel to submit himself to the mercy of Christ but then Christ reserves a liberty to himself to save or damn as he pleases and this is all the encouragement the Gospel gives us These are hard terms and such as sound more like the arbitrary will of an haughty and imperious Lord than the conditions of a gracious and merciful Saviour What then must we do now why the only remedy is to venture and try God hath elected but few and Christ hath shed his blood for few and therefore we must venture and a hard venture it is where there is such great odds against us and yet our eternal happiness depends upon the success too great a stake for such a venture as many men among us do now who hearing of one good living fallen twenty of them will go and seek for it although they know only one shall have it though did they know it were irrevocably determined who should have it none of them would stir but wait till the news were brought them good God what Merchant-Adventurers are poor Sinners who after all their seeking for Christ are in such danger of missing him or as the Lepers in Samaria if we stay here we must die if we go out to the Camp of the Assyrians we may live which is the resolution of desperate men as it seems the Gospel condemns us all to be No previous disposition can give us any encouragement to come to Christ humiliation cannot do it after this we must expect a call still we are but probationers for Christ still and are in as great danger of missing him as any one of the twenty Competitors are of missing that living which only one can have and which is more wonderful assurance it self cannot do it For if you come to Christ because you have assurance that is if you come to Christ because you are sure you are already come or because you feel such and such graces and Heavenly impressions of Gods Spirit in you then you may many a day and year keep at a distance from Christ and live without Christ this is a hard saying that though we come to Christ we may keep at a distance from him nay though we come because we are sure we are come already it is time now to give over and despair of ever being sure when assurance it self is no security Nothing then but a particular call is a good reason to come to Christ when the Spirit of God makes the general call which signifies nothing particular when the Soul sees that the Lord in special means me singles out me in special to believe for otherwise the Souls of the elect will not be much moved with the call of God so long as they think that the Lord offers no more mercy to me than to any reprobate that is no more mercy than what will damn them and therefore the spirit of Christ makes the call particular I have called thee by name Isaiah 43. 1. He calleth all his Sheep by name Iohn 10. 5. not by their Christian name as he well observes for they cannot be Christians before they come to Christ and that must be after this call but as the Lord from before all Worlds wrote down their names in the Book of Life and loves them in special so in vocation the first opening of Election the Lord makes this call special and so special as if it were by name look saith the Lord Iesus how I have left thousand thousands in the World and have had greater cause so to have left thee this is free Grace indeed but behold I am come unto thee oh come thou unto me So that it is impossible for a Sinner to do any thing in order to his Union to Christ there is no foundation for our Faith in Christ but this particular call and we must wait patiently for it and be contented too if it
done what then is the difference why it is only this that the Dr. places the Righteousness of Christ in the room of our righteousness to be not only the foundation but the condition of the Covenant of Grace and then makes it an expression of our chast affections to Christ quite to thrust out our own righteousness and to allow it no place in our Religion he first makes Christ all to us more than ever Christ intended to make himself and leaves no room for any thing else and then warns us upon our vow of Chastity not to take any thing into Christs place whereas as he has ordered the matter we must take our own righteousness into Christs place or else cast it quite away for there is no other place left for it what he alledges for this I have sufficiently considered already and shall not now repeat it but is it not very strange that when our Saviour hath made our obedience the great and principal expression of our love to him these men should make such a competition between our love to Christ and our obedience should put such jealousies into peoples heads what great danger there is of their own duties and righteousness lest they should prove like foolish lovers who when they are to wooe for the Lady fall in love with the Handmaid that is only to lead them to her So men fall in love with and dote upon their own duties and rest contented with the naked performance of them that is with doing good which are only Hand-maids to lead the Soul unto the Lord Iesus Christ is not this the ready way to perswade people that our love to Christ consists in something more refined and spiritual than obedience which will quickly teach them to love Christ without obeying him and not run the hazard of doting and resting on duties No man that understands the Gospel of Christ can think that his own righteousness and obedience can merit Heaven when we have done the best we can we must acknowledge our selves to be unprofitable Servants who have done but our duty and must ascribe the praise and glory of all to the Grace of God in and through our Lord Jesus Christ who pardons our past sins and our present infirmities and bestows such great rewards on us as we could never deserve and if this will not preserve us from doting and resting on duties there is no other remedy but to let them quite alone since it is so dangerous to meddle with them and yet if we believe Mr. Shephard this will not secure us for it is one thing to trust to be saved by duties another thing to rest in duties a man trusts unto them when he is of this opinion that only good duties can save him a man rests in duties when he is of this opinion that only Christ can save him but in his practice he goes about to save himself that is does all the good he can with as much vigour and earnestness as if we were to merit Heaven by it and then thinks to make amends for this ungodly resting in duties by acknowledging when he hath done all that he is an unprofitable servant But the mystery of this will appear more in what follows Thus you see what the object of the Saints love is the very person of Christ in opposition to his benefits in opposition to self-love in opposition to duties let us now inquire Secondly How they express their love to the person of Christ and that consists in preferring Christ above all in admiring his beauty and excellencies and perfections the Soul takes a view of all that is in the World the lusts of the flesh c. and sees it all to be vanity It views also legal righteousness blamelessness before men uprightness of conversation duties upon conviction and counts them all to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. Beloved peace beloved natural relations beloved wisdom and learning beloved righteousness duties all loss compared with Christ. * They value him above all other things and persons they value him above their lives they value him above all spiritual excellencies and all other righteousness whatever * He is their joy their Crown their rejoicing their life food health strength desire righteousness salvation blessedness now who can desire more than this and yet if we examine the meaning of it it will appear to be a mistaken and useless passion such as our Saviour will not approve nor accept I have * already showed you what these men mean by the person and personal excellencies of Christ that whatever is spoken of Christ whether in respect of his Gospel and Revelations or his propitiation and Sacrifice or his mediation and intercession for us these men convert into personal Graces his personal fulness and righteousness and wisdom c. which we must immediately derive from the person of Christ and this is the person of Christ which these men so much admire and prize and value above all other things in the World a Person in whom there is all fulness righteousness life power beauty and every thing that a Sinner wants this is the person whom they prefer before all legal righteousness spiritual excellencies duties obedience before the love of God himself which is by these men accounted no better than a legal righteousness the meaning of all which is that they prefer the person of Christ which hath such a perfect righteousness for them and will save them without requiring any legal conditions of them infinitely before the Religion and Gospel of Christ before obedience to his commands before the love and fear of God so that the foundation of their love to Christ is a fond imagination that he will save them by his righteousness without any righteousness and holiness of their own this makes them so fond of the person of Christ to call him their joy and their Crown their life food health strength righteousness because they look upon him as a refuge and Sanctuary for the wicked and ungodly where the greatest the oldest the stubbornest transgressor may shelter himself from the wrath of God and I have some reason to think that Christ will not much prize and value such devoto's as these nor their obsequious flatteries or praise And yet herein the devotion of these men consists in admiring prizing valuing the person of Christ this is that * Evangelical Righteousness we must gain by duties more prizing of acquaintance with desire after loving and delighting in Union with the Lord Iesus Christ a moral man who rests in duties that is who does what God commands him and expects to be saved by Christ may grow in legal righteousness that is in true holiness and piety but this will not avail unless we grow in this Evangelical Righteousness this is the great end of duties to carry us to the Lord Iesus Christ the only Saviour hear a Sermon to carry thee to
out of the Christian Religion Our Union to Christ is perfected while we are unholy and when we are united to Christ there is less need of holiness than before for now the Merits and satisfaction of Christs death is imputed to us to remove the guilt of sin and to deliver us from the punishment of it and his actual obedience is imputed to us to make us righteous and to give us an actual right to Glory so that if men will obey Christ out of a principle of good nature and thankfulness to him they may but according to this notion there can be no necessity of it because they are delivered from the wrath of God and have a right to eternal life without it And this is a plain demonstration that these notions are so far from being an essential part of the Christian Religion that they overthrow all Religion by leaving it at every mans liberty whether he will worship and obey God or not but I have discoursed this at large already in the examination of Dr. Owens reasons for the necessity of Holiness and Obedience SECT V. That according to these Principles there is no certain way of getting into Christ or of knowing whether we are in Christ or not THus I have made good the first charge that according to this notion of our Union to Christ men may nay must be united to Christ if ever they be united while they continue in sin and this is a great reproach to the Person and Gospel of our Saviour the other thing which I charged upon this notion is a more immediate â—injury to men as exposing them to perpetual doubts and jealousies about their Salvation viz. that according to these principles no man can certainly tell how to get into Christ or know whether he be in Christ or not And if I can make this appear it will be a sufficient reason for every man to reject it who hath any care of his Salvation or any regard to the peace and quiet of his own mind First then according to these Principles there is no certain way to get into Christ Suppose a sinner who hears of those great Priviledges which are consequent upon our Union to Christ should inquire what course he should take to be united to Christ and to have a Right and Interest in all the Excellencies Preciousness Graces and Righteousness of the Lord Iesus the method prescribed in order to this is Conviction Compunction Humiliation and Faith which is the uniting Grace now I observe first that a man is passive in all this and can contribute nothing to it himself any otherwise than as he is acted by an irresistible power and it is a vain thing to give such rules and directions as no man can follow this only tells us by what methods God unites us to Christ not what we must do but what we must suffer in order to this Union A Sinner may stir up in himself some natural conviction of sin some natural fear and sorrow c. and in a sense of this may set upon the work of reformation of leaving his sins and performing duties but all this they tell us is to no purpose for unless this conviction and compunction and humiliation be wrought in us by the irresistible power of the Spirit of God which no man can possibly tell whether it be or not it is not of the right stamp and will avail us nothing So that the sinner hath nothing to do but to sit still and patiently expect till God will do all for him But secondly Suppose a man have this conviction compunction and humiliation is this a sufficient reason to lay hold on Christ by the hand of Faith by no means the end of conviction is compunction and the end of compunction is humiliation and all this carries us no nearer to Christ than quietly to lye down before God that he may do what he will with us turning the other cheek unto the Lord even smiting of us acknowledging that if the Lord show mercy it will be wonderful if not yet the Lord is Righteous and therefore we have no reason to quarrel against him for denying special mercy to those to whom he does not owe a bit of bread and now the Soul is indeed humbled because it submits to be disposed of as God pleases that is to be saved or damned so that this conviction compunction and humiliation contribute nothing to our Union with Christ but their whole vertue consists in bringing us to such a temper of mind as to be content either to have Christ or to go without him as God shall please humiliation makes the Soul in the sense of its own infinite vileness and unworthiness not to quarrel at the Lord and Devil-like grow fierce and impatient before and against the Lord in case he should never help it never pity it never succour it And now you shall see if the Lord intend good he will by this do thee good and this is all men get by humiliation that if the Lord intend to do them good this is the way in which he will do it but though they be humbled they cannot be sure whether God intend to do them good or not and therefore we are told that we are as much bound to submit to God whether he will save or damn us as we are to submit to the disposal of God as to any common mercy though you must pray for mercy it must be with submission to the good will of the Lord saying the Lords will is good whether it be to save or damn but mine is evil though it be to be saved and to have Jesus Christ nay we are much more bound to submit our selves to God whether he will save or damn us than we are to submit to him in the lesser concernments of this life For if it be pride to murmur in case the Lord deny you smaller matters the offals of this life doest thou not see that it is far greater pride for thee to sink and quarrel with him if he denies thee greater the things of another life is he bound to give thee greater who doth not owe thee the least the Lord gives you life blessed be his name but you ask for treasures of Grace and mercy now God hath given you life you would feign live for ever an unpardonable fault this thousands of pounds Christ himself and all that he is worth and the Lord seems to deny you and now you sink and grow sullen may not the Lord now say was there ever such pride and insolence as to be unwilling to be damned for ever though I dare say this is not the pride which cast the Apostate Angels out of Heaven So that though conviction and compunction and humiliation be the only way to come to Christ yet it is such a way as brings us never the nearer him when all this is done we are where we were before we were humbled