but few that Receive Christ 11 Three sorts that come not to Christ 1 Such as Receive him not as he is 2 Such as delay their coming to him 3 Such as give not that place to Christ in their hearts that is fitting for him In the Treatise of Covetousness is shewed 1 It is the Duty of all as they would obtaine eternal Life to beware of covetousness 2 The Reasons of the Doctrine 1 Its a spiritual Sin 2 It over spreads the whole man 3 It s opposite to the Nature of Godliness and Religion 4 It s the Womb and seed of all Sin 5 It s a base Sin 3 The Dangerousness of covetousness· 1 It is hardly avoided 2 It s difficultly cured 4 You shal have all things needful for this life if you wil look after Grace 5 Your Life lies in Grace not in Riches 6 There is more to be feared than to be desired in Riches 7 We should Mortifie our desires after Riches In Book 1 Of Unbelief or the want of Readiness c. is shewed 1 What Vnbelief it is that is here spoken of 2 The best way to deal with Vnbelief 3 That Vnbelief is a sin against al the Attributes of God 4 That Christ will not bear with this Sin of Vnbeleif 5 That we should be quick and reâ—yd to beleeve 6 Motives to indeavor for readiness to beleeve 7 Helps to attain readiness in Beleeving In Book 2 Of Not going to Christ c. is shewed 1 That unbelief is a great Sin and exceeding provoking unto God 2 Several arguments provoking us to beleeve the greatness of the Sin of unbelief 3 Many Objections answered 4 Several sorts of this Sin of unbeliefe 5 Means to convince us that unbelief is so great a Sin 6 Though the Sin of unbelief be very great yet it 's pardonable 7 God hath pardoned unbelief and wil pardon it A Congregational Church is a Catholick Visible Church By Samuel Stone in New-England A Treatise of Politick Powers wherein seven Questions are answered 1 Whereof Power is made and for what ordained 2 Whether Kings and Governors have an Absolute Power over the People 3 Whether Kings and Governors be subject to the Laws of God or the Laws of their Country 4. How far the People are to obey their Governors Dr. Sibbs on the Philippians Vox Pacifica or a Perswasive to Peace Dr. Prestons Saints submission and Satans Overthrow Pious Mans Practice in Parliament time Barriffs Military Discipline The Immortality of Mans Soul The Anatomist Anatomized The Bishop of Canterbury's Speech Woodwards Sacred Ballance Dr. Owen against Mr. Baxter Mr. Hookers New Books in three Volums One in Octavo and two in Quarto These Eleven New Books of Mr. Thomas Hooker made in New-England Are attested in an Epistle by Mr. Thomas Goodwin and Mr. Philip Nye To be written with the Authors Own hand None being written by himself before One Volum being a Comment upon Christ's last Prayer in the Seventeenth of John wherein is opened The Union beleevers have with God and Christ and the glorious Priviledges thereof Besides many other Gospel Truths there you have shewed 1 That the end why the Saints receive al glorious Grace is That they may be one as the Father and Christ are one 2 That God the Father loveth the Faithful as he loveth Jesus Christ 3 That our Savior desireth to have the Faithful in Heaven with himself 4 That the happiness of our being in Heaven is to see Christs Glory 5 That there is much wanting in the knowledg of Gods Love in the most able Saints 6 That the Lord Christ lends dayly direction according to the dayly need of his Servants 7 That it is the desire and endeavor of our Savior that the dearest of Gods Love which was bestowed on himself should be given to his faithful Servants 8 That our Vnion and Communion with God in Christ is the top of our happiness in Heaven The first eight Books of the Application of Redemption By the effectual Work of the Word and Spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost Sinners to God In which besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 Christ hath purchased al spiritual good for HIS 2 Christ puts al HIS into possession of al that good that he hath purchased 3 The Soul must be fitted for Christ before it can receive him And a powerful Ministry is the ordinary means to prepare the heart for Christ 4 The work of God is free And the day of Salvation is while this Life lasts and the Gospel continues 5 God cals his Elect at any Age but the most before old Age. 6 The Soul is naturally setled in a sinful security 7 The heart of a Natural man is wholly unwilling to submit to the word that would sever him from his sins 8 God the Father by a holy kind of violence plucks His out of their corruptions and draws them to beleeve in Christ The Ninth and Tenth Books of the Application of Redemption by the Effectual Work of the Word and spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost sinners to God Besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 The heart must be humble and contrite before the Lord wil dwel in it 2 Stubborn and bloody sinners may be made broken-hearted 3 There must be true sight of sin before the heart can be broken for it 4 Application of special sins by the Ministry is a means to bring men to â—ight of and sorrow for them 5 Meditation of sin a special means to break the heart 6 The same word is profitable to some not to another 7 The Lord somtimes makes the word prevaile most when its most opposed 8 Sins unrepented of makes way for piercing Terrors 9 The Truth terrible to a guilty conscience 10 Gross and scandalous sinners God usually exerciseth with heavy breakings of heart before they be brought to Christ 11 Sorrow for sin rightly set on pierceth the hearâ— of the sinner throughly 12 They whose hearts are pierced by the Word are carried with love and respect to the Ministers of it And are busie to enquire and ready to submit to the mind of God 13 Sinners in distress of conscience are ignorant what they should do 14 A contrite sinner sees a necessity of coming out of his sinful condition 15 There is a secret hope wherewith the Lord supports the hearts of contrite sinners 16 They who are truly pierced for their sins do prize and covet deliverance from their sins 17 True contrition is accompanied with confession of sin when God cals thereunto 18 The Soul that is pierced for sin is carried with a restless dislike against it Six Books more of Mr. Hookers in two Volums in Quarto are printing Twenty one several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into two Volumns Viz. 1 Scripture Light the most sure Light compared with 1. Revelations Visions 2. Natural Supernatual Dreams 3
and Earth upon the Frame or keeping it in being the Lord doth not appear more to be an almighty God in keeping Heaven and Earth in being then he doth appeare to be an Almighty God in keeping grace alive in the heart notwithstanding al the remainder of Corruption so that in this God hath Glory in another way then he hath from the Angels in heaven the power of God appeares in upholding of the Angels for if he did not uphold them they would fal into evil as Adam and the other Angels did but therein appeares Gods glorious power to uphold the Angels but the glorious power in upholding the Angels doth not so much appeare as the glorious power of God in upholding the hearts of the Saints in the midst of their corruptions this shal be a special argument that the Saints shal praise God for to al eternity when they shal look back and see what a condition they were in before their conversion yea in their conversion that though God granted them some grace yet what abundance of Corruption was in their hearts al that time and what a deal of stir they had to maintain that little grace they wil stand and admire to consider that it should be kept alive in the midst of sin that a little sparke should be kept alive in the midst of the Sea not only in the midst of the Sea but when the sea is tempestuous you yil say it is no great wonder that the fire be kept burning when the sea is calme but when al is in a storme and yet a spark of fire shal be kept alive in the midst of al the tossings of the waves you wil grant here is a mighty power now the keeping alive of grace in thy heart in the midst of so much corruption doth argue as mighty a power in God 2. The Lord doth so order it that stil his own people shal be under the burden of much coruption in this regard because that hereby the Lord draweth forth the exercise of faith in his son in which his soul takes infinite delight the soule of God takes infinite delight in beholding the working of the glorious grace of faith in Jesus Christ But you wil say wherein doth it appeare to be so glorious in regard of our corruption Thus for the Angels in heaven to believe in God that he wil be eternally good to them it is not so much as for a poor soul in the midst of al his corruptions yet to be able to Triumph in the free grace of God in Jesus Christ notwithstanding I am so vild filthy loathsome and abominable to myself and justly God and his Saints may count me a burden to them and cast me off for ever yet for al this my soul shal cling to him I wil cast my self upon him and look upon him as a gracious father a merciful God a God that loves me a God that rejoyceth in doing Good to me for the soul to exercise faith in the Grace of God in Christ it is a glorious thing only take heed you do not mistake it for presumption Object You wil say For men notwithstanding al their sin to beleeve in Gods mercy this is rather presumption then faith Answ True it is presumpion in many they mistake themselves but in others it is true faith and God delights in it and you shal know it by this it doth draw the heart to God and the soul never finds such a prevalent way to overcome those corruptions that are in it as to exercise their faith in the grace of God in Christ I beseech you mark the difference between presumption and faith in Christ presumption wil trust in Gods mercy notwithstanding their sin but that doth indeed foment their sin and makes them secure in their sin makes them the more secure in their sin but now when the soul shal by the true geminine act of faith rest in the free grace of God notwithstanding corruption if it be right such a soul feels no means in the world of greater efficacy to cure and prevail against corruption then this to trust in the free grace of God notwithstanding corruption and if thou findest it thus thou hast no cause to feare trust in Gods grace with confidence for it is that which is wel pleasing unto God and that which the Lord delights in and that which gives as much content to Gods heart as the exercise of any grace whatsoever and in that regard because the Saints shal never exercise such an act of Faith in Heaven â—s this God wil have this in this world 3. This is that that God sees doth drive his own people to him in prayer nothing drives the Saints to God with more earnestness in prayer then the feeling of the weight of Corruption upon them then they goe to God above al God never heares such strong cryes come up to heaven in regard of any affliction as this and by the way you may find by this how your hearts are when the hand of God is upon you in afflictions then you wil cry to God but I put this to you hath there not come as strong cryes to heaven upon the sence of your Corruptions as upon the sence of any Affliction whatsoever 4. The Lord hath glory in this in the exercise of the work of repentance and humility the keeping the Souls of his people in humility and the contrition of their Spirits that is exceeding pleasing to God the Lord is neer to a broken contrite heart a melting mourning spirit the Lord doth delight in the evangelical workings of repentance this pleaseth the Lord the work of humiliation mourning and sorrow for sin in an evangelical way is a grace that is acceptable to God God shal have none of that in heaven and he hath it therefore here 5. God hereby exerciseth his wisdome exceedingly in bringing light out of darkeness God doth many times turne not only the afflictions of his people to their good but he workes good many times out of sin not that hereby we should be bold and presumptuous in our sins we must take head of tempting God yet know this that God doth many times work exceeding much good unto the Saints even out of their sins by occasion of sin though their sin hath no efficacy in this but God takes occasion in this in otherwaies of his providences and workings of his grace to work good unto them 6. There is Gods justice in it also to lay a stumbling block before wicked and ungodly men for when they shal see that the godly that have the most grace they have much corruption in them stil they rejoyce perhaps in it and they little think that God aimes at the execution of his just judgment upon them that it should harden their hearts many wicked men they think their condition to be very good because they see so much corruption in the hearts of the godly and they are hardened therby but they little think
Now this I might shew you in abundance of Scriptures in the very first commission that Jesus Christ gave unto his Apostles after his Resurrection to go and Preach throughout the world he saith unto them in Mark 16.15 verse Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature he that beleeveth and is Baptized shal be saved This is cleer that Christ would have us in our first beleeving to have an aime at our own good And so we find such a kind of promise as this is in the Text In Jer. 6.16 verse Thus saith the Lord stand in the waies and see and ask for the old paths where the good way is and walk therein and ye shall find Rest for your Souls Inquire after the good waies and you shall find Rest for your Souls So that you see God propounds duties together with promises the Lord knows what is best for us and what wil work most upon us and therefore for us to think that we must have no aime at all of any good to our selves in coming to Christ and that it is no grace but self-love to come to Christ for our own good this is a temptation I speak the rather this point because I know how useful it is unto many poor Souls whom the Lord is drawing unto Jesus Christ the Lord hath taken off their Hearts from sinful self they would not enjoy themselves in the lusts of the flesh as formerly the Lord hath made them willing to deny their own opinion their own wills their own affections their former waies to deny themselves in the comforts of the things of this world so as to prize him and Christ and his waies the way of Christ more than they prize their very lives here in this world and yet for all this there comes a temptation upon them I but you seek Christ only to free you from Hell and to save you and therefore it is but self-Love it is no true Grace because that you ayme at your selves rather than Christ the Devil cannot prevaile with a Heart that is drawing to Christ thus telling of it Oh! but you prize your lusts more than Christ or you prize your ease more than Christ or you prize your estate and your liberty more than Christ or your life more than Christ if so be that the Devil shal come thus and tempt such a soul could in some measure be able to answer and to appeal unto God and say Lord thou that knowest all things knowest it is otherwise that howsoever my Heart heretofore went after my lusts after the world after my ease and liberty and I followed the common course of the world and made those things to be my greatest good and comfort yet Lord thou knowest it is otherwise with me now my Heart is set for Christ and I can say from the bottom of my Soul with that blessed martyr Lambert None but Christ none but Christ Now when the Heart is got thus farr one would think thou mightest be above the Devil and come to get assurance I saith the Devil though you be taken off thus far that you dare not commit any known sin and you seek after Christ more than your estate and your liberty yet there is one thing more that your hearts is not taken off from you do not prize Christ most of all you seek Christ to save you from Hell and bring you to Heaven that is it that you seek Christ for and therefore I know your Heart is not right all this while this is a temptation that seizeth upon many men Now I confess it is a temptation that is beyond many men they do not know what this temptation is that I prize Christ only to deliver me from Hell and bring me to Heaven this temptation is above the highest form of the course of the world then ordinary professors Now the Spirit in the Text thus answers this temptation the Soul thus answers It is true I do seek Christ to save me from Hell and bring me to Heaven the fear of the wrath of the great God under which I saw my self to be and the displeasure of God was mighty upon my Spirit the Lord hath made my Soul to be sensible of the dreadful breach that sin hath made between him and my Soul and the Lord hath caused the fear of eternity to fall upon my soul and I come to be convinced of this that such is the breach between God and my soul that there is none but Jesus Christ the Mediator of the second Covenant that is able to make up the breach and my soul makes after him as the Mediator as he is propounded in the word in the Gospel to be a Mediator between God and mankind so my soul makes after him and closeth with him and what can the Devil say to this For my heart doth close with Christ in the way that Christ is tendred unto me in the Gospel for so he is tendered God himself saith thus God so loved the world that he sent forth his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life Thus God sets forth his Son as if God should say thus Be it known unto you O poor wretched sinful creatures that are in danger of eternal perishing that I have sent forth my only begotten son into the world and tender him unto your souls to the end that your souls may not perish but have everlasting Life Thus God tenders his Son Now then when a soul shal be made sensible of the danger of eternal perishing and the Lord shall make it apeare to the soul what the excellency and the glory of eternal life is and the soul shal come to see that the being delivered from perishing and the obtaining of eternal Life is only to be had in Christ and upon this doth close with Jesus Christ and cast it self upon him and adventure it self to lay the weight of its eternal estate upon Christ the soul that doth thus receive Christ according as he is tendred in the word whatever objection may be to the contrary this is to receive Christ according as he is tendred in the word Yet further for the helping against this temptation it fals ful in this Text Come unto me and I wil give you rest Now many poor souls do come to Christ that they might have rest but then the devil puts this in Oh! but you come to Christ for your owne good Now for the helping against this temptation know 1. That the Lord at the first conversion doth ordinarily make use of the creatures self-love but it is of self-love for eternity and that is a higher degree of self-love than the most people in the world do attaine unto Some people in the world they love themselves only for this present life but when God makes a man or woman to love himself for eternity it is a good signe that the hand of God is upon the heart and
in the 24. verse O wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this body of death that is the remaining corruption that was in his heart Marke the very next words that follow I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. As if he should say the deliverance that I must have from this body of death it is from God but how through Jesus Christ our Lord The Apostle doth not only thank God for it and say al grace must come from God but he thanks God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus we must understand how grace comes unto us indeed God is the fountain of al but it must come from God through Jesus Christ our Lord as al mercies that we have for the pardon of our sins Now it is not from God immediately as the first person or as Creator of heaven and earth but it is from God through Jesus Christ So al the holiness that we have now it is from God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And then take one scripture more and then we shal come to the third particular which is the cheif we aimed at and that is in the 26. of the Acts. the latter end of 18. verse That they may receive remission of Sins and inheritance amongst them which are Sanctified by faith that is in Christ It is a speech of Christ unto Paul when he sent him to preach and tels him to what end it should he To open their eyes and turne them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Christ Multitudes of scriptures there are for this purpose CHAP. XXXVIII Sheweth how our sanctification commeth from Christ in six particulars 1. It was the end of his coming to destroy the works of the Divel 2. He is the great Ordinance appointed by God to sanctifie his people 3. His death is appointed to mortifie sin 4. By him the curse upon the heart is taken away 5. By his union with beleevers being the head of the second Covenant 6. In Christ are the strongest arguments for holiness that can be THirdly And especially we are to enquire how Christ is the rest of sanctification come to me and I wil give you rest I will give you power against your corruptions and you shall have sanctification in and by me For that 1. We are to know That a special end why Jesus Christ came into the World it was to dissolve the works of the Devil that was a special End of Christs coming into the World In 1 John 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the begining for this purpose the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin c. It is a strange scripture whosoever committeth sin is of the devil you say you defie the Devil but the holy Ghost saith if you commit sin that is walk in any way of sin For you wil say who is there that commits not sin Well but the words are thus He that committeth sin is of the Devil Therefore it is apparent there is a kind of commission of sin that is an argument they are of the Devil for they are the words of the Holy Ghost And for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil It was the end why he came into the World yea it is a special thing that Christ is anointed to by God the Father to deliver Souls from the bondage of their corruption and to work Holiness in them That you have in Isa 61. and the beginning that notable prophesie concerning Christ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me that is upon Christ for it is a prophesie of him because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives to Spiritual Captives that are under Spiritual bondage And then in verse 3. That they might be called Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord So that that is the first consideration of Christs giving the rest of sanctification that it is the end for which Christ was born and it is the end for which he was anointed by God the Father to Sanctifie the hearts of those that he shall redeem So that Christ is our Sanctification by attaining the end of his own coming into the World by fulfilling of that that God the Father hath anointed him for Secondly Christ is our Sanctification as the great ordinance that God hath set up for the Sanctifying of the hearts of his people I say Christ is set up as the great ordinance oppainted by God for this end the Lord hath set him up and filled him ful of holyness that holyness might be conveyed through him unto the souls that do belong unto him And therefore it is said in that known place As in John 1.16 Of his fullness we receive Grace for Grace Of his fulness Jesus Christ is filled ful of holiness as a cistern fild ful of precious liquor and grace must come through him unto the souls of all those that are Godly that are beleevers Faith draws grace from him grace for grace that is grace answerable to grace as print for print in a seal there is print for print in the wax look what print there is in the seal the same print is in the wax So look what grace is in Christ there is answerably in some measure the same grace in the Saints Of his fulness we receive and al the beleevers that ever were in the world have received al the grace that ever they have had from him out of his fulness and from him as the great ordinance that God hath set up for the dispensation of the graces of his spirit for the working of Sanctification in al those that shal be saved Yea Christ is such an ordinance appointed by God the father for holyness and sanctification as indeed there is so much virtue in him that the very looking upon Christ hath a power to sanctify the heart the very looking upon him As the brazen serpent in the wilderness you know was the great ordinance of God appointed for the healing of those that were stung with serpents and being the ordinance appointed for their healing those that did but look up to the brazen Serpent received virtue presently and were healed of their sting of the deadly disease that was upon them by the stinging of Serpents now this was by virtue of that ordinance Now then I reason thus if when God makes but a piece of brass an ordinance there shal be such a virtue in it that the very looking upon it shal have power to heal the body then if God shal make his own son Jesus Christ God blessed for
Pharoah did increase their bondage the Scripture tels us that the people saw that they were in an ill case so when we understand what a condition we are in under this bondage we may conclude that verily man is in an ill case by nature Secondly And a second Conclusion may be drawn hence That it is a mighty work to save a Soul it is not a slight thing for a Soul to come to be saved there must be great things done by God to save a soul Many people they confess it is true they are sinners but they cry to God to have mercy on them and so they think it is presently done but did you consider of the condition that you are in naturally and of the Righteousness of God you would then conclude it is a mighty work of God to save any soul and that you had need fal upon the seeking of your Salvation betimes And then Thirdly Hence wil follow this Conclusion also That those vain thoughts of men that they have had for pacifying their Consciences and the quieting of their hearts wil stand them in no stead As thus Many they reason thus I am not so bad as others What if you be not if you be under the Law you are cast a thousand thousand times over You wil say that you do some good thing and somtimes come to Church and pray to God but what is this to the keeping of the Law if thou beest in thy natural estate thy reasoning after this manner does argue that thou dost look after Salvation by what thou hast done and for men to say I do what I can and I am sorry with all my heart that I can do no better these are not reasonings that wil inable thee to stand with comfort before the infinite Righteous God thou must know in what state thou art in under the Law and how thou art cast by the Law these are not arguings that can bring rest to thy soul if it could Christ would never have called in this manner But you must know that such is your condition that all the Angels in Heaven and men in the world cannot give rest to your souls and if you did understand this you would thereby go away convinced of this truth wel I see that there is a burden upon me howsoever I have not been sensible of it and it is such a burden as wil press me down to eternal misery and I see now by this that I have need of a Christ Certainly if congregations were sensible of this burden of the Law Oh! How would their souls rejoyce in this and praise the Lord that their eares are blessed to hear such a sound of the Gospel as this Come to me and I wil give you Rest I appeal to you whether the opening of the Law be not of use to make you come to Christ there are a great many wanton spirits that cal those Ministers of God that seek out of Conscience to do good to Souls and to draw them out of their natural estates Legal men Legal preachers and the like I appeal to your consciences upon the knowledg of these things whether you wil not come to know the way of coming to Christ better then you did before if I should have named the name of Christ five hundred times over and over again would you have come to understand the mistery of God in Christ so much as by hearing what the difference is between the first covenant of works and being under the Law and to tel you that Christ came into the world to deliver us from this first covenant he comes and takes our Nature upon him and puts himself under the Law that he might free us from such a heavy yoak and bondage and in this blessed Scripture he calls all souls that do feel this yoak and burden to come to him that so they might have rest And thus much for this first Particular what the bondage is that the soul is under that is under the Law are you sensible of this Christ cals you perhaps some of you may say we have not been sensible of this do you begin to understand it Doth God begin to let in some light to you Do you begin to feel it somthing weighty upon your Hearts Blessed be God for it you are so much the fitter to hear of the covenant of Grace Now when you come home let the Husband say to the wife we hear of two covenants as you have it in the 4. of the Galla. 22. Here are two covenants and these two are set out in this Allegory of the bond-woman and the free-Woman now til we come to understand what the other covenant is we are under the former covenant the covenant of works this is that you should labor to understand the Husband and wife to aske one another of the difference between the two covenants ask but what the covenant of works is and upon what tearms that runs and the covenant of Grace and upon what tearms that runs and so you will come especially to understand that that follows in this text with more profit and advantage to your Souls CHAP. IX Of the Burden of Legal Performances What it is With the burdensomness thereof laid open in twelve Particulars 1. There is no inward principle of doing 2. In men that are only under the Law there 's a principle contrary to the performance thereof 3. Such are wearied with doing getting no supply of strength to perform duty 4. By their performances they stil contract more Guilt upon their Souls 5. What they do in Obedience unto the Law is only out of fear 6. And with much straitness of Spirit 7. Nothing comes of such Performances 8. They that perform Duty in a meer Legal way never attain their end which is peace with God 9. They know not whether God accepts of them or rejects them 10. They are forced unto Duties instantly presently and upon the sudden though to the hinderance of other Duties of greater concernment which God requireth of them at the same time 11. Though they go on ioyling yet know they not whether they shal bold out unto the end 12. Their Humiliation and trouble for not doing what they ought to do binders them from doing what God requires NOw there is one thing more that is as an Appendix unto the Burden of the Law flowes indeed from and is tyed unto the burden of the Law and that is the burden of Legal performances not only the burden of the Law in regard of what the Law requires the perfect obedience that the Law requires that burden comes from the Law it self but now there is a burden that many are under a very heavy and grievous burden and that is the burden of Legal performances and this is that that is to be the subject of this Chapter I intend to go no further then to speak of that burden to open it a little to you and that as I told you at the
Burden to any man or Woman that heretofore had assurance of Gods love and was able to look in Gods Face with joy to have this assurance shaken Yea Many times it makes God withdraw his countenance which made David Cry out Restore to me the Joy of thy Salvation As if he should say Lord I was wont to have joy in thy company in communion with thee but thou hast estranged thy self from my Soul O Lord restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation Now is not this a burden for thee to loose the sweetness of thy Soul in communion with God That now though it may be it is through thy weakness or what it wil be yet thou canst not look upon God with that comfort as thou would'st but the thought of God comes to be a terror upon thy spirit is not this a burden Now then is there any poor Soul that understands what these things mean What a Burden the remaining Corruption of the Heart is either in regard of the sinfulness of Nature or in regard of the stirring of Corruption or in regard of the prevailing of Corruption that now they have no Rest in their souls but are Laden with such a Burden and cry out with the Apostle Oh! Wretched Man and Woman that I am who shal deliver me let such a soul know that this text belongs to them Come unto me saith Christ and I wil give you Rest from this Burden as wel as the other Burdens and our Rest is only in Christ from this as wel as the Burden of the guilt of sin the Burden of the Law and the other burdens that have been spoken unto CHAP. XVI Why the Saints feel these things so burdensome Namely 1. Because the Life of Grace is a tender and delicate thing 2. Because Grace keeps the Soul in continual acting And why God suffers Corruption notwithstanding the burdensomness thereof to remain in the Saints Namely 1. That hereby he may shew forth his own power 2. Hereby their Faith be exercised 3. Hereby they are driven unto Prayer 4. Hereby Stirred up unto Repentance 5. Hereby make known his Wisdome 6. Hereby manifest his justice in laying a stumbling block before the wicked 7. Hereby the Saints may be induced to long more after Heaven With two Consequences issuing from hence 1. The differences between the Sins of the godly and the wicked 2. Why the Saints go on so sadly in their waies NOw it must needs be that a gracious heart must feel these things to be very burdensome First Because the life of Grace wheresoever it is is a very tender and delicate thing nothing is so delicate and tender as the life of Grace and therefore it must needs be sensible of this burden of Corruption according to what degree it doth remain in the Soul As thus you know a man or Woman the more delicate and tender they are in their flesh having had very curious bringing up or it may be their natural Spirits are very delicate more then other men some men their natural spirits are more gross and can bear burdens with less sense but now those that are more finer and delicate if you lay a burden upon them Oh! How burdensome is it unto them now Grace makes the constitution to be delicate fine and pure a pure constitution it puts the Hearts into a most pure constitution and therefore it must needs be sensible of the evil of sin according to the remainers of it Secondly Where Grace is Corruption must needs be very burdensome in this regard also because that Grace keeps the Soul in continual action and stirring now look as a man that hath a Leg that is broken if he could lie stil and never stir it would not be so grievous and burdensome to him the pain and breaking of his Leg would not be so burdensome if he could lie stil but if this man whose Leg is broken must be stirring walking and going up and down Oh! how burdensome is it that his Leg is broke So it is with the Soul it is true if the Soul might be stil a sleep and doing nothing then though there be Corruption in them it would not be so grievous I but Grace whereever it is puts the Soul unto action and therefore it is called the divine Nature because it is active it puts the Soul on to be acting for God and in the waies of life now Grace putting the Soul to be acting and Corruption that being as the breaking of the bones it must needs be very burdensome that which most hinders their activity of Grace must needs be very burdensome You had need therefore take heed what you do when temptation to sin comes take heed you do not break your bones and your Leggs Why Because when you have broken them you must be stil stirring and acting for God A poor man it is a great deal worse for him if he break his Leg then a Rich man a Rich man may sit by the fire or lie in his bed a month together but a poor man if he break his Legg he doth not know what to do he must to work perhaps he cannot have that harbor that a Rich man may have so I say those that are of sluggish spirits though Corruption prevaile it is not so grievous unto them but those that are of active spirits and have Grace and the more Grace that any man or Woman hath the more burdensome their Corruptions are because the more Grace there is in the Soul the more active it wil be for God Quest But you wil say Seeing the remaining of Corruption in the Heurts of the Saints is so burdensom why doth God so order things in his providence as his own dear Saints should be so troubled with their Corruptions while they live in this world God could deliver them from their Corruptions why wil God make them cry out O Wreched man that I am who shal deliver me from this Body of Death God could as wel perfect our Sanctification as our Justification why doth God thus order things in his providence that his own dear Saints should groan under such a burden of Corruption al their daies Answ For that breifly thus Though it is true that God could presently take all our Corruptions as soon as ever we come to Jesus Christ God could deliver us from our Corruptions but the Lord wil not he hath many holy ends why he doth suffer his own people to be under this burden while they live here in the flesh As. First That hereby he may shew forth his own power the power of Jesus Christ is exceeding magnified in this that it can uphold little sparks of Grace in the midst of an Ocean of Corruption that it can uphold poor weak Creatures under such burdens and carry them on notwithstanding and bring them to eternal Life the power and Grace of Jesus Christ and the power of God is as much manifested in this thing as it is in keeping Heaven
come and cast your souls upon me You may say Lord we that have been guilty of so many sins so many years might it not be just that God should require and say I but you shal live so many yeares to my honor live so many yeares to my service and then I wil pardon and accept of you no but saith God I wil receive you and accept of you upon your comming before ever you are able to do me any kind of service no saith God come to me and you shal have first my favour and you shal be first accepted and first pardoned and then indeed I expect service from you then I expect that you should live as the redeemed ones of the Lord and al that you shal do afterwards shal be but in way of thankfulness to me for my grace And indeed thus do beleevers live in the world though they look upon what they do in a way of duty but they do it in a way of thankfulness that is the special thing that carries them on the grace of God in his son and that is a stronger argument to al kind of duties that now God requires of them then what they had before God doth not cal upon you to suffer first and then he wil pardon your sin no but saith God I wil bestow my favour first upon you and try whither you wil suffer afterwards God wil not do as men try them whether they wil suffer and deserve their favours before they bestow them on them but saith God I wil first bestow my favours upon you and then I wil try whether you wil suffer for me and do me service And therefore the less God requires as a condition before we come to Christ the more should we be willing to do for God after we are come to Christ As a man that shall receive a poor child into his family and make him his heir the less that was procured to the favour of the man the more if the child be ingenious wil he do to him in way of thankfulness Indeed if the friends of the Child come and indent with the man and promise him a hundred pound the Child thinks he is not so beholding to his master for their was money given with him I but now if you should ly at the dore and no friend to look after you and not a rag upon you and if then he wil take you in and teach you his trade and make you the heir of al he hath Oh! now how infinitely ingaged are you to him that how my master doth al this for me and there was nothing done before to procure his love Thus Jesus Christ is a forehand with us Come to me only come to me that you might have Rest 8. Hence follows another note of very good use seeing nothing is required first but only coming to Christ here is a strong ground of assurance that those that are once in Christ shall not be cast away but shall have eternal life for there is not so great a distance between eternal life and the members of Christ as there is between one that is in his Natural estate and a member of Christ Now God hath done more for thee in bringing thee unto Christ then he shall do for thee when he brings thee unto Heaven For there is a geater distance between thee and Christ than there is between thee a Member of Christ and a glorified Saint in Heaven and if God bring thee over this great distance meerly out of free Grace and nothing required but coming that now thou art a member of Christ and therefore hast right to Heaven and thou canst challeng Heaven through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and God hath put a principle of life into thee to live unto Jesus Christ a principle of everlasting life into thee when there was no principle at all God brings thee to Jesus Christ meerly out of free Grace Now if thou comest so freely to him surely thou shalt not be shut out of Heaven and therefore it may be a mighty incouragment What if when we were enemies we be Reconciled to Christ much more now shall we be saved by his life If when I was in the Gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity God gave me mercy upon coming to his Son surely he will not cast me out of Heaven 9. Another note that we may learn from hence is this That those that are beleevers if at any time through their negligence sluggishness or fals they loose the assurance of Gods love in Christ loose their Rest in Christ here they have a direction to know what to do Look how thou did'st at first when thou attainedst first Rest in Christ it was not by any Righteousness of thine own nor by thy humiliation though that might make some way towards it So now when thou art a beleever and hast lost the assurance of Christs Love and the comfort of Rest in Christ now thou must go and take the same way again Christ cals those that are beleevers to come to him those that have lost the assurance of Faith that is the way for Rest to renew the act of thy coming to Christ just as thou did'st before Though God did humble thee yet the thing that did bring thee Rest was the coming to Jesus Christ so much more should'st thou do now being a beleever When thou hast not the Rest in Christ thou desirest thy way is to renew thy act of coming of going to Christ and so you may sooner come to have Rest that way than by thinking thus I know not whether my evidences be right or no and I had need look to them and therefore I had need to look whether my humiliation be right and my Sanctification be right or no. I say the renewing the act of thy faith in coming to Christ will bring Rest sooner and safer Rest and therefore thou shalt come to see thy Sanctification better too by renewing the act of thy Faith in coming unto Christ and thou wilt have thy Rest sooner that way it follows from hence because at first conversion there is coming Thus much for the Consequences that follow from the point of Christs requiring only to come CHAP. XXI Nine Rules to be observed in right coming to Christ 1. Rest not in outward means that lead to Christ before Christ himself be enjoyed 2. Pitch rather upon Christ himself than upon the good things of Christ 3. Come with the whole Soul 4. Keep Christ continually in thine Eye 5. Be convinced that whatsoever keeps thee from Christ comes not from God 6. Take heed and beware of al discouragements and hinderances 7. Keep the Heart stil tending to Christ 8. Give up thy self to Gods Spirit 9. Often renew the act of coming come often to Christ NOw there is only two things remaine and that is some Rules to be propounded about our coming to Christ And then some means to draw the Hearts of sinners to come
what he is it is a mighty argument to work the soul towards Christ But you wil say alas Christ is so glorious how shal we come to him his glory is enough to overwhelme us when the Angels did but appeare in some glorious manner even some of the prophets and holy men were not able to stand before them we cannot come to Christ because of his glory Therefore know in the second place That as he is so glorious in himself the lustre of heaven so he hath taken our nature upon himself he hath clothed himself with our nature and he is so united into an hypostatical union with us to be made the same person yea so to be the same person that the second person in Trinity is to be of the person that he is that the son of man should be the same person that the son of God is this is the greatest mistery in the world and it is the greatest work that ever God did abundantly greater than making heaven and earth for God to unite our natures so neere unto his son this God hath done so that Christ that calls you to come to him is not only God blessed for ever equal with the father and ful of Glory but he is your kinsman he is your neere kinsman that hath taken your flesh upon him Now had you one that were neer a kin to you that were advanced to be the Emperor of al the world and he should cal to you and say come to me would you not make towards him Jesus Christ hath your nature in heaven with him and it is in an hypostatical union united to the divine nature and the fulness of the Godhead dwels bodily in him as in Col. 2.9 Now it is he that cals you to come to him certainly there are great things in him and to be had by him as you shal see more by and by Now consider this one particular viz. who Christ is that calls to come to him and in the consideration of this there are two or three mighty strong arguments to prevail with the soul to come to Christ First in that Christ is the son of God and yet man God man so united hence the terror of the Glory of God comes to be taken away so as poor wretched flesh may be able now to converse with God being vailed with our own nature God being vailed with flesh It is true if God in his own Glory as he is in himself in the highest heavens should cal us to come to him we might be afraid least we should be overwhelmed with his glory we cannot stand before him we cannot look so much as upon the glory of the sin how shal we be able to go to the body of the glory of God Are we able to go to the body of the Sun No it would burn us up how can we be able to go to the glory of God then Now because the Lord knows that his glory is so great he hath been pleased to provide such a way to take off the terror of his greatness though we be frail flesh yet the Lord hath done that which may encourage us to come to him for he hath vailed his glory with Human Nature and therefore we may now through Christ be able to stand before and converse with the infinite glorious God This is a great mistery the greatest that God hath taken our flesh upon him and vailed his glory with our flesh that he might have his terror taken from us and we may be able to come to him here was one special end that Christ was made man that the Lord might deal with us in a more familiar way than otherwise he could Secondly In that Christ that is God-man in one person cals us to come to him hence we have this Meditation That certainly the Lord is infinitly inclined to do good unto the Children of men this is a mighty incouragement for all poor Souls to come to Christ for when thou hearest that Christ the Son of God is made man in one person by that thou may'st gather this for thy encouragement that certainly God is infinitly inclined to do good unto the Children of men God would never have wrought so strange a work as to unite our Natures into one person with his Son if he had not meant to do some infinite good unto mankind the Lord hath given a most evident demonstration of it in uniting mans Nature to his own Son As if the King should be pleased to marry his Son to one that is the nearest Kinswoman you have you would by that gather such an argument as this and all your friends would conclude surely the King doth intend much good to this family that he is strongly inclined to prefer this family So when God is pleased to marry his Son to our flesh Yea to take our Nature into a nearer union with him then the Wife is taken into the Husband we may gather this argument and conclude Surely God doth intend much good unto the Children of men and therefore come Thirdly From this consideration who Christ is God manifested in the flesh we may gather this incouragement to come to him That the Lord in uniting the divine Nature with the Human in Christ hath done already a greater work for the Children of men than the saving of their Souls comes to the saving of thy Soul is a difficult work thou thinkest thus Alas for me to come and think to be saved by Christ this is too great a thing too good to be true it is not possible that ever such a poor sinner as I am should be raised to the glory that I hear of in the word that God will raise his Saints unto thou thinkest that the Salvation of thy Soul is so great and so mighty a thing and therefore that perhaps doth somwhat discourage thee in coming but then when thou hearest what Christ is and how God hath united the divine and human Nature together in one person from thence thou mayest gather this incouragement that God hath done a greater work than to save thy Soul for so it is It is a greater work for God to unite the divine and humane Nature together in one person than to save all the Souls in the world As if Christ should say thus Oh Come to me know what I am I am the Son of the Father of the same Nature and being and I am likwise made man God the Father hath united my divine Nature to your flesh and in this he hath done a greater work than the saving of your Souls in this he hath shewed what intentions he hath for the good of mankind and in this the terror of the almighty is taken away and therefore come to me that is the first Argument come to Christ ARG. II. Secondly Come to Christ Why For Christ hath come to you do you come to him for he hath come to you that Christ might come to you he hath even come
Christ what dost thou think that mercy is worth that cost the Blood of Christ Thou thinkest thou art a great sinner and that it must be wonderful mercy that must save thy Soul It s true and it 's well thou thinkest So but now consider further sinner what dost thou think of the mercy that shall be as much worth as the Blood of the Son of God For him to be made a curse for sinners will that do it If that will do it thou mayest come to him How much dost thou think the mercy of Christs coming to take Mans Nature upon him is worth to take our sinful Nature upon him If he will do it thou mayest come to Christ Yea Further know That the Lord Jesus Christ never receives any that come to him but Beggars none but Beggars none but miserable creatures none but those that are wretched that are vile and Christ did never yet from the beginning of the world receive any man upon these tearms because he was not so vile as another man as thus here is one that is thus vile here is another that is not altogether so vile I will receive him upon this ground because he is not so vile this was never the ground but when he receives them he receives them upon free Grace and therefore it is not how vile thou art for that is the Glory of Christ to save vile creatures and he saves none but those that come as Beggars those that come and do see themselves as vile wretched worthless unworthy miserable damned dust and Ashes in themselves Only such are objects for the Heart of Christ to be set upon rather make it an argument to drive thee more to him as David did in the 25. Psalm O Lord have mercy upon me pardon my Sin for it is great So Lord I am vile I am wretched I am unworthy and therefore Lord receive me Lord therefore I come unto thee do not say as Peter once did Master depart from me I am a sinful Man No but the truth is he should rather have said thus Master Come to me or Master I come to thee because I am a sinful man So thou shouldest not say O Lord depart from me because I am a sinful creature Or Lord do thou come to me because I am a sinful wretch And know that upon thy coming to him thou wilt have wonderful welcome wonderful great entertainment above all that thy Heart can think of O the great imbracing by Jesus Christ of those Souls that come to him and this is the very Reason why poor sinners at their first conversion have their Hearts so filled with joy because at their first coming to Christ Christ doth give them such wonderful imbracements til they come to be more Strengthened and then perhaps Christ will have them live rather by Faith than by sence It is in the new Birth as in the Birth of Nature Children when they are first born they shoote up mightily take a Child that comes very little out of the Womb come to it a quarter of a Year after the Child is shot up a great deal you may see it a great deal taller and bigger every Limb increased but take it at ten years Old and it grows not so much then as at the first and the Reason is because it coming out of the worm Womb it could not subsist if Nature did not hasten to strengthen it self at first so men when they come to Christ at first they shoote up and grow to such inlargement of Spirit and they do so sensibly perceive Yea and others do so sensibly perceive a greater growth at their first coming than afterwards because when they first come Christ will Strengthen them against all discouragements Christ will use you tenderly Christ will not upbraid you for your former sins and say What! you that have lived a prophane life a prophaner of my ordinances a scorner at my waies and at my people Christ will not upbraid the Soul but he wil be render of you he will pass by your sins and heal your weakness He will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. ARG. VIII Eightly Further Consider The infinite need thy Soul hath of Jesus Christ and therefore that should drive thee to him if the other Arguments do not draw thee Oh! Let that drive thee to Jesus Christ thou art an undone creature for ever without Jesus Christ all the mercy in Heaven can do thee no good without Christ all the Ordinances can do thee no good without Christ all the duties thou performest can do thee no good without Christ for before thou comest to Jesus Christ there is no Prayer no Duties that ever thou tenderest up to God that can be accepted and this is a sad condiâ—ion that all my Duties my Prayers my services are all cast away till I come to Jesus Christ Certainly this is so for thou must know that Jesus Christ is not only the great conveyer of all good from God to us but also all that comes to us from God must go through him and therefore there is cause thou shouldest hasten to Christ and never be at quiet all thy Life til thou hast some comfortable evidence that thy Heart hath closed with Jesus Christ there is an infinite necessity because al Ordinances Duties services whatever thou dost doth thee no good til thou come to Christ ARG. IX Ninthly Yea Further Christ is such a one as all the creatures one day will see a need of him Yea all that live under the sound of the Gospel they shall see a need of him and they shal curse themselves that when they lived under the sound of the Gospel and were called to come to Jesus Christ that yet notwithstanding they would satisfie themselves in the lusts of their spirits Christ came from Heaven once to us in the daies of his flesh but know that Jesus Christ shall come again in his Glory with all his Angels all his Saints about him and then how happy will those appear that in the time of their lives when they were called by the Ministery of the Gospell did come to Jesus Christ When Christ comes thus in his Glory perhaps you would then all go to Jesus Christ no friend if you will stay till then you will heaâ— another voice from Christ he will not come to call sinners to come to him then but he will come to bid them depart from him for all that the father gives him do come to him before then ARG. X. Yea and yet further let me tel you this that while you have heard the word of God by a poor minister in the name of Christ to cal you unto him to draw you to come unto him if you shal reject this invitation and other invitations that you have by the ministers of the Gospel know that of al the sins that ever you committed in al your lives this wil prove to be the greatest that you have stood
tiresome to the flesh then any other work But now Schollars though it is tiresome to the flesh they can go on and make it easy to them why because they find sweetness in their work it is not with them as with â—ther men other men work that they may have wages afterwards but al the while they are about their work they have truths come in and heavenly notions comes in to them while they are about it and so makes the work easy unto them this is happiness of a Christian that the while he is in his work the sun of righteousness shines upon him and there is sweetness comming in unto him and herein is rest and ease in the performance of duty Tenthly and lastly When the soul comes to Christ it finds abundance of rest in holy duties because now it hath the love of God shed abroad in its heart and that makes every thing delightful to it the love of God is shed abroad in the heart you know Jacob because he loved Rachel though he was abroad in frosty nights he accounted it nothing because he loved Rachel Oh! when the love of God is shed abroad in the heart of a Christian then there is nothing that he doth but is delightful to him it makes every thing easy For that is a certain rule that love is ashamed to mention any difficulty you never hear love to complain of any thing to be heard and those that complain of holy duties to be heard certainly they want the love of God Now you have heard in these ten particulars wherein the ease and rest of spirit in performance of holy duties doth appeare there is much more to be said in the latter end of the Chapter when it is said that Christs yoke is easy and his burden light which if God give opportunity we shal come unto APPLIC I. Now from al this first here you may see the happiness of a Christian you do not think that a Cristian is happy here but he shal not have only heaven hereafter but his way to happiness is heaven here Oh how good is the way of the Gospel that gives us rest in our way to heaven such rest that al the malice in the world and of 〈◊〉 cannot disturbe the peace and rest of a Christian II. Hence we see the reason why true beleevers do persevere you hear oftentimes speaking of the doctrine of perseverance you are ready to thinke I but is it certain the soul that once comes to have true Grace shal certainly persevere yes certainly one that is once come to Christ wil not go from him again why because there is so much rest in holy duties It is true those that are drawn to holy duties they wil not abide as it is said The son abides in the house but a servant abides not alwaies in the house So such as perform duties in a legal way they wil be gone they wil not abide but now one that is come into Christ and hath a son-like disposition he continues As we say in phylosophy no violent thing or motion is perpetual and indeed those that performe duties in a legal way a hundred to one but they wil prove Apostates at last but one that performes duties in an Evangelical way wil continue and hold out unto the end III The maine use of al is to stirr up the hearts of those that are Godly to know what the Gospel means to exercise much faith in Christ that they might have much comfort in performance of duties Do not content thy self that thou doest duty but think with thy self Oh I have heard of such a way that Christians in performance of duty find a great deale of rest and ease why should not I get that way Thou hearest of it Oh! that thy soul might be unquiet til thou comest to understand the way then your duties would be more sound more spiritual more supernatural more acceptable then they are The Lord loves a cheerful giver and so he loves a cheerful server you love to heare your servants sing at their work but if you set your child or servant about a work and he goes heavily and dully about is grumbling and pineing and think you to be a hard master then he doth but a little work so they that perform duties in a legal way the truth is they perform little duty and that is not acceptable but when a soul comes to find rest in duty it makes it more spirituall more plentiful and more acceptable and those duties are very pleasing unto the Lord. CHAP. XXXVI Sheweth the Rest from the remainder of Corruption to be Sanctification and that to be a great Rest Laid open in six particulars 1. It is the right temper of the heart 2. In it the soul doth in great part attain its end 3. In it the Soul lives the life of God 4. It raiseth the soul above the region of al troubles 5. It turnes every thing to good 6. It is the beginning of Glory YOu may remember when we handled the point of the load that was upon sinners we shewed that the remainder of corruption was a great burden it was so great a load that it made the Apostle cry out Oh! wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this body of death How that was a load hath been already opened That which we have now to do is to shew what rest is to be had in Christ against this fourth burden Come to me saith Christ al you who are sensible of the corruption of your heart and find the remainder of sin that is in your heart to be a burden come to me I wil give you rest against that We are not now to speak of the rest in deliverance from the trouble of soul in the sense of the guilt of sin that was before spoke of but now we are to speak of the rest in giving power against the remainder of corruption that there is in the heart This rest is the rest of Sanctification that here we are to speak of I wil give you rest And in this point there are a great many of useful and sweet things that might require very large handling but I shal endeavor as much as I can to contract al within a few things for this rest of Sanctification There are in it these five things to be followed that ye may see cleerly the method that I shal proceed in and so go along with me First I shal shew you that Sanctification is a great rest to the soul or deliverance from corruption is a great rest to the heart of a beleever there is much rest in Sanctification Secondly That this rest it is in Christ al our Sanctification and helping against corruption is in Christ Thirdly How Christ comes to be this rest unto the Soul Fourthly Some consequences that wil follow from this consideration of Christs being the rest of Sanctification unto the heart Fiftly Conclude with exhortation to come unto
unto the soul because it is such a principle as turns every thing to Good and that must needs bring rest when God sanctifies the heart works grace in the soul it is of that excellency that it hath a virtue and efficacie in it to turne every thing to good Now that were indeed a precious stone that could turne every thing into gold that it toucheth A great deal of labor there is about the Philosophers stone that they say turneth other mettals into gold now grace in the heart turnes every thing into gold as it were ever thing into good it hath that excellency in it that whatsoever befals such a man or woman grace can turne it to the good of them Al the workes of Gods providence al things that seem to goe never so contrary unto the good of a man or woman that hath grace if such a one do but act his grace or her grace this wil turne things that seem to be most contrary to the good of them it wil turne it unto good Those things that others vex at and fret at and think themselves undone by a gracious heart one that hath grace can turne them to advantage and get good by them such a one that is in such a condition they have got such a virtue from God God hath given them such a principle within as whatsoever befals them he can by the acting of that principle turne it to Good What need then such a man or woman have any trouble in this world no trouble wil you say do not such and such things fal cross to them such and such afflictions fal as cross to such men as any others That is true things may fall as cross to them as any I but they have a principle within them that turnes al those crosses and afflictions to good that we shal speake more unto in answering to the fifth burden of outward afflictions but only to shew it now in the rest that the soul hath in sanctification because it turnes al things to good Sixthly and Lastly Sanctification is a rest to the soul because indeed it is the beginning of glory it is but the beginning of heaven and we are in heaven there is nothing but rest there is peace and rest in heaven sanctification is glorification begun and therefore rest unto the soul This now is the first particular I wil give you rest that is come to me you shal have power over your corruptions you shal have grace and holiness that shal be rest unto your souls CHAP. XXXVII Sheweth that Sanctification is only IN Christ SEcondly That this sanctification it is in Christ al the sanctification of a Christian it is in Christ there are some common gifts that God gives unto other men there are gifts of nature there are gifts of common grace gifts of the spirit of God that are beyond the gifts of nature yet they are such as are given in a common way to those that are strangers to Christ The heathen had many coÌ„mon gifts and so others now may have many common gifts but sanctification is the proper gift of Christ it is only to be had in Christ Al the strength of nature natural abilities education morality natural parts can never raise the heart to the least degree of sanctification I mean of the sanctification that is saving In a large sense it may be called a sanctification as the scripture sometime doth a setting some kind of men apart for such ends but sanctification that is true holiness that is the image of God and the beginning of glory that is only in Christ and al the strengâ—h of nature and parts can never raise the soul unto the least degree of it And that it is only in Christ I shal give you some scriptures to shew it and it wil further appeare when we come to the third thing in shewing you how it comes from Christ which is the principle That text is very ful for it which we have in 1. Cor. 1.30 if there were no other But of him are ye in Jesus Christ who of God is made unto us wisdome and righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption Christ is made unto us of God wisdome to enlighten our blindness and righteousness for our justification and sanctification and redemption that is to deliver us from al kind of evil to deliver us from the power of sin and to renew the image of God in us that is sanctification and redemption that is to deliver us from al kind of evil and to bring us to the redemption of the sons of God to the perfect liberty that is appointed to sons Christ is made to us sanctification sanctification that is not only that Christ hath merited our sanctification but in a further degree efficiently so as our sanctification is from him and it is he that workes it in us and upholds it in us the beginning and the progress of our sanctification it is from him as wel as merrited by him For we are to know that Christ hath laid down his life to merit of God the father as wel sanctification as justification or glorification Christ hath not only laid down his life for to merrit the pardon of our sins to purchase that from God to save us from hell but it was a special end of Christs laying down his life to merit our being set at liberty from the bondage of our sins our deliverance from corruption the renewing of the image of God in our soules for the present which is that indeed may cause us to prize holiness somewhat more then we have done We must not look upon holiness as a duty that we must be holy and as a necessary meanes to heaven but we must look at holines as the purchase of the blood of Christ he hath purchased holiness for al those that he hath layed down his life for And therefore as we shal see afterwards it is impossible for any to be holy but those that have part in Christ so that Christ is made sanctification by his merit and by the efficiency that is in him it is he likewise that works it in our hearts we have it not immediatly from God the father but from God the father through Christ through his son we come to have sanctification and therefore we shal see it afterwards how different our sanctification is from the image of God that there was in Adam at first and the holiness that there was in Adam Adam he had his holiness immediately from God as Creator but those that are now made holy and sanctified now they have not their holiness and sanctification immediately or as from God their Creator but they have it from Christ Christ that is the second person in trinity he it is that is made to us sanctification And then that it is in Christ appeares further in that notable place in Rom. 7. that was quoted in the former point about the load of corruption Where saint Paul cries out
Holiness NOW for the last thing that I propounded To exhort and draw beleevers to come to Christ and in this I shal endeavour to take away the many hinderances of the soul in comming to Christ for sanctification and also give some incouragements to the heart to come to Christ for sanctification You see here is the way to get power over corruption and to get grace namely to come to Christ Yea say you if I knew I were a member of Christ and had interest in Christ then I could come to Christ for power over my corruption and for grace but I am afraid I have no interest in him 1. For answer to that which is the main stop and hinderance of faith know that if thou hast but a heart to come to him for grace that is as good a signe of thy interest in Christ as any signe thou hast that is as good a signe of evidence of interest as any thou canst expect 2. You must come to him for grace and if thou hast not interest before yet thy very comming to him now for grace to help thee against corruption that very act of thine may give thee interest in Christ What is it that unites thee to Christ what is it that makes a member of Christ what is it that gives interest in Christ It is but the coming to him as you heard before in the point Quest Is you wil say If I had a right to him If thou comest now to Christ to get power over thy corruption and to get grace I say though thou hadst no interest before this very act may give thee interest in Christ and therefore be not discouraged but come to Christ 3. Wilt thou stay til thou dost find power against thy corruption before thou wilt come to him then thou wilt never have power against thy corruption for you have heard that it is Christ that is the foundation of thy sanctification And then for incouragements there are a great many excellent incouragements for poor sinners to come unto Christ First The consideration of the neere union that there is between Christ and us in regard of his very humane nature That place in Heb. 2.11 is a very notable scripture for our incouragement For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are al one for which cause he is not ashamed to cal them brethren He that sanctifieth and those that are sanctified are al one what is that That is Christ is of the same nature that thou art Christ hath taken our nature upon him and the fulness of the Godhead doth dwel bodily in him so that thou mayest goe with the more boldness He that is thy brother is not ashamed to be called thy brother and therefore do not look upon him as at such an infinite distance as thy judge but looke upon him as thy brother as one with him He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all one Thou and Christ together are one body Now what incouragement is here to expect Sanctification from Christ to overcome corruption because Christ and you are made one body of the same Nature and so neerly united and made one Secondly Consider that if Christ did love thee so dearly as to lay down his life for thee surely he wil never suffer thee to perish in thy corruptions shall Christ come down from Heaven and lay down his life for poor Souls and shall he suffer them to die under their corruptions Now if a many should be willing to lay down his life for a Child and he should come and see the Child lie in the dirt ready to be stifled in the dirt could he go by and not regard the Child This is our case Christ hath come and laid down his life for poor sinners but yet they see themselves ready to be stifled by their corruptions and they cry to him for help surely Christ wil not pass by and let thee lie in thy filthyness to be stifled in thy corruption when thou wast so dear to him as to lay down his life for thee Thirdly Another incouragement is this know that thy corruptions are the burdens of Christ as wel as thy burdens they are burdens to thy Soul and burdens to Jesus Christ and therefore he doth certainly pitty thee under them and wil help thee Fourthly If Christ had so much pitty as to heal the bodies of poor creatures here in this world so that there was no diseased body that ever come to him but he healed them surely then Christ wil heal Souls Christ hath more regard to immortal Souls then to bodies Fifthly Christ knows what it is to be tempted for Christ had no Corruption in him yet Christ knows what it is to be tempted and Christ knows by his own experience what a Burden it is to be tempted to sin and surely Christ cannot but know what a Burden it is to be overcome with sin Now Christ himself had the Burden of being tempted unto sin and Christ knows that thy Burden is greater then his burden was and that it is more to be overcome then to be tempted to sin and therefore he knows how to pitty thee Sixthly Know it is to the Honor of the Death of Christ the Resurrection of Christ and the life of Christ to help thee against thy Corruptions and quicken thee in Grace Christ accounts his resurrection and life to be honored when he sees the virtue and power of it to be in the Hearts of beleevers Wherefore then if it be to the Honor of the Death and resurrection and life of Christ it may be incouragement to thee to go to him for help against thy corruptions And this remember when thou art upon duty and begging for help against thy corruptions carry this Rule with thee I come to pray against my sins but together with my prayer let me act my Faith I come to hear the word I but together with my hearing let me act my Faith upon Christ as Mediator to help me against my corruptions I come to the Sacrament but I come to have communion with Christ to help me against my corruptions Oh! act thy Faith in the promises of the Gospel through the blessed Covenant and thou shalt find abundance of strength against thy corruption and Rest unto thy Soul CHAP. XLIII Containes the Conclusion of the former Doctrine of Sanctification with divers directions how to come to Christ for holiness I. Be sensible of the want of it II. Be not satisfied with the ordinances further then you meet with Christ III. Come not so much for comfort and peace as for holiness IV. Be sensible of new supplies V. Converse with Christ in the Gospel I Shal now only add a word or two for the concluding of this and so go on to the next rest that is here promised Come to Christ for the Rest of Sanctification for holiness for the truth is there is no true holiness but that which we have by our coming to Christ