say it is such Raiment as is only to be had and bought of this Wonderful Counsellor the Amen the Faithful and True Witness and not such White raiment as is to be bought here below by which some persons distinguish themselves from others and in which they glory as if they were because of this better then others and what this white raiment here commended to us is we may be helped to know and understand by the Holy Spirit in the Scripture of Truth namely that it is righteousness even the righteousnesses of the Saints according to what we find spoken Rev. 19. 8. It was granted unto her the Lambs Wise that she should be arrayed in fine linnen clean and white For the fine linnen is the righteousness of Saints viz. that wherewith they are cloathed and adorned And so frequently in the Holy Scriptures righteousness is compared to a Garment cloathing or covering as where Job saith I put on righteousness and it cloathed me Job 29. 14. And again let thy Priests be cloathed with righteousness Psal 132. 9. So it is said The Lord hath covered me with the robe of righteousness Isa 61. 10. And the joyning here Gold and Raiment together aptly answereth to that motive and inducement given by the Holy Ghost to perswade us to receive Wisdoms instruction viz. That with her are durable riches Gold tried in the fire and righteousness white raiment Prov. 8. 18-20 So that the White raiment here commended to us appeareth to be righteousness But this righteousness which is the White raiment is not as after may be shewn our own righteousness according to the law or any works of righteousness of ours For by the deeds of the Law can no flesh living be justified in the sight of God Rom. 3. 20. But the White raiment here spoken of is 1. The righteousness of God without the Law even that righteousness which Christ hath wrought by and compleated in himself for us and is become there-through for this is his name Jehovah our righteousness Jer 23. 6. And so Jesus Christ himself through and by means of that righteousness he hath wrought and compleated for us in himself is likened and compared to a Garment and believers are instructed to put him on as Rom. 13. 14 Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ And as many as are baptized into Christ are said to have put on Christ Gal. 3. 27. And it is both taken for granted they have put on the new man Christ and they are instructed still and further to put him on Col. 3. 10. Ephes 4. 23 24. And they that follow after righteousness are such as seek the Lord for it even the Lord of whom the righteousness of the Servants of the Lord is Isa 54. 17. And in whom it is Isa 45. 24. And who is made of God to them righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. Yea that righteousness which is come by him it is unto all that have sinned and upon all that believe as their Ornament and Raiment Rom. 3. 21-23 And in the Prophet he is oftentimes prophesied of under this Title or expression of righteousness As I bring near my righteousness it shall not be far off Isa 46. 13. And my righteousness is near and near to be revealed Isa 51. 5. 56. 1. with Rom. 3. 21 22. And Christ is and in him appeareth the righteousness of God and he is become righteousness for us 1. In taking our Nature upon him and therein being made sin and a curse for us and so by cying our death even tasting death by the Grace of God for every man and so this righteousness is without the Law without the works or Sacrifices thereof though Christ did no sin in the days of his flesh but always did those things that pleased the father and observed the Law yet that could not be righteousness for us but to the end he might prepare and become righteousness for us he must have our sins laid upon him and therefore God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us by imputing the trespasses of the World to him that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 19-21 As well as also he must dye our death according to that If righteousness come by the Law then Christ died in vain Gal. 2. 21. In which is implied that to the end he might bring in everlasting righteousness he must dye and be cut off from the Land of the living Dan. 9. 24-26 righteousness could not come by the Law namely by our keeping the Law of ten words or by any works of ours according thereto for by the Law is the knowledge of sin in all we do in our best as well as in our worst works nay righteousness could not come by Christ's keeping and observing of it though he did always keep it and never transgress it in thought word or deed for then he died without any just or sufficient cause he died in vain And again righteousness could not come by the Law of the former Priesthood or by any gifts Offerings or Sacrifices appointed by it for then Christ died in vain It was not possible the bâ—ood of Bulls and Goats could take away-sin Where ore when he cometh into the World he saith Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldest not but a body hast thou prepared me In burnt-offerings and Sacâ—ifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure then said I Lo I come to do thy will O God namely to do that which the Law could not do to take away sin and bring in righteousness Heb. 10. 4-10 To this end he was the Lamb of God who was slain for us he was delivered for our offences And it was needful that Christ should suffer for our sins being put to death in the flâ—sh that this raiment of righteousness might be prepared for us for we had sinned against God in our fiâ—st father Adam and were thereby become liable unto the judgment of God and had deserved death in an utter separation from the presence of God and God who is a God of truth and without iniquity and to whom it is impossible to lye and therefore he cannot by any means in clearing clear the guilty had said and threatned In the day thou eatest thereof in dying thou shalt dye Gen. 2. 17. And cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them namely as is explicated by the Apostle that continueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them Deut. 27. 26. Gal. 3. 10. And therefore man having sinned and thereby fallen under curse and death unless the justice of God be satisfied and his truth fulfilled there can be no righteousness for us no accepting of us no forgiveness of our sins nor mercy to be shewn to us For Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one jot or tittle of the Law shall pass till all be fulfilled Mat. 5. 17 18. Therefore to the end that Christ might
though they wash them with Nitre and take to them much Sope yet their iniquity is marked before the Lord. Jer. 2. 20-22 Isa 66. 17. Though they should wash themselves with Snow water and make themselves never so clean yet God will plunge them into the ditch again their own clothes will make them to be abhorred Their coverings will but make them more shameful Job 9. 30 31. He hath declared that our works and our righteousness shall not profit us our Webs shall not become Garments nor shall we be able to cover our selves with our own works Isa 57. 12. 59. 6. By the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God Rom. 3. 19 20. This covering will appear too narrow to wrap our selves in when the Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim Isa 28. 13-15 20 21. We cannot make our Peace with God by any Sacrifices or works of our own nor establish to our selves such a righteousness as will render us acceptable before God but those that sought after righteousness as it were by the works of the Law they attained not righteousness they obtained not what they sought after Rom. 9. 31-33 10. 2 3. 11. 7. Hence saith the Apostle We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles not so notoriously wicked as they knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ the word of faith heartily believed even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and noâ— by the works of the Law for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Gal. 2. 15 16. If righteousness could have come by the Law then Christ died in vain Gal. 2. 21. Nor can any hide their sin and shame by any outward professions and practices by their being hearers only of the word of truth and making a trade of hearing by their prophecyings in Christs name oâ— casting out Devils or doing many wonderful works in his name or by their eating and drinking in his presence and using and observing his ordinances Those that would cover themselves with those things will appear to be workers of iniquity notwithstanding such like clothings of themselves for they cover themselves with a covering but not of Gods Spirit and so even add sin to sin Mat. 7. 22-24 Luke 13. 24-27 Isa 30. 1. Oh! that we may all so consider the unprofitableness and insufficiency of all our own works of righteousness and of our coverings of our selves that we may cease from confiding and trusting in them and may seek the Lord and in him seek righteousness in whom God hath prepared it for us and for all And this leadeth us to the next thing viz. 3. This white raiment that is to be bought of this gracious and faithful Counsellor is that wherewith we may be clothed so as the shame of our nakedness may not appear We cannot cloth our selves nor cover the shame of our own nakedness as is before said But there is excellent raiment prepared for all men by him who gave himself an Offering and a Sacrifice for a sweet smelling Savour to God And so much might be typically signified by Gods covering and clothing our first parents when they had sinned and thought to have hid their shame with fig-leaves like whereto are all our coverings and hidings of our shameful nakedness Gen. 3. 7. The Lord God after he in denouncing the curse on the Serpent had promised That the seed of the woman should break the head of the Serpent And after Adam in closing therewith and belief thereof called his wives name Evah clothed the man and the woman with Coats of Skins probably with the Skins of the beasts that were offered by faith in Sacrifice to type out and point forth that our clothing and covering must be prepared and made by the Lamb of God which he prepared himself for a Burnt-Offering and by his Sacrifice who is sacrificed for us and thereby indeed is white raiment prepared for us and for all as is before shewn Gen. 3. 15-21 22. Now then in this instruction contained in the end proposed to move us to buy this White raiment viz. that thou mayst be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear is further signified unto us 1. That this raiment is proper and sufficient to cover the shame of our nakedness so as it appear not namely the righteousness which Christ hath brought in and compleated through his personal abasement and sufferings who in the virtue thereof is raised again and which he himself is become and it doth cover their shame that have it and put it on even from the face of the Lord viz. there is contained herein the forgiveness of our sins and blotting them out so as they shall no longer be remembred or retained in Heaven and giving unto and making them partakers of forgiveness by faith that believe on Christ for this is the blessedness the believers on his name do receive To Christ give all the Prophets witness as the sum and end of their Testimony that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive the forgiveness of their sins Acts. 10. 43. And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13. 39. If we in belief of his goodness and of the truth of his Testimony in reproving and discovering our vileness and sinfulness confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1. 7-9 And this forgiveness of sins as it is an imputing righteousness without works so it is expressed by covering sin even as David describeth the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Rom. 4. 6 7 8. with Psal 32. 1 2-5 To the same purpose also the Psalmist speaketh when he acknowledgeth to the praise of Gods Grace and as a ground of incouragement to desire his further mercy Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sins Psal 25. 2. And indeed the righteousness of Christ which he hath brought in and is become is to this end a compleat clothing and covering for all our shame inasmuch as there is contained therein both an acquittance and justification from the guilt of our first sin and sinfulness aswell as also plenteous redemption even the forgiveness of mens following and personal sins in which they sin after the likeness and similitude of Adams transgression yea and in him there is perfect innocency integrity immortality and eternal life which the believer is now receiving by faith and in some first-fruits of the Spirit but the adoption the redemption of the body and the Harvest of the Spirit is to
Christ for they were lifted up with high thoughts and conceits of themselves They said They were rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing they needed therefore to buy and to be clothed with this Garment that their shame might not appear namely to put on and be clothed especially and firstly with all humility of mind Acts. 20. 19. To put on humbleness of mind Col. 3. 12. And needful it is for us all to be inwardly apparalled herewith to have a low esteem of our selves of our knowledge parts gifts attainments or otherwise we shall sit loose from Christ as they We are Lords we will come no more unto thee Jer. 2. 31. Those that are puft up with their fleshly mind notwithstanding their voluntary humility do not hold the head Jesus Christ but treacherously depart from him Col. 2. 18 19. Good therefore it is for us all and especially for the Angels 1 Pet. 5. 1-5 To put on this to judge our selves unworthy Creatures less then the least of God's mercies and favours Gen. 32 10. The chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. The least of Saints Ephes 3. 8. To count that we have not yet attained neither are already perfect Philip. 3. 12 13. To say when we have done all that is commanded us we are unprofitable servants Luke 17. 9 10. To be nothing 2 Cor. 12. 11. And therefore to come to Christ as the only foundation of our faith as he died for sinners ungodly ones and enemies yea as by the Grace of God he tasted death for every man and is raised again as the reason of our hope as the beginning of our confidence To come unto and abide in him as the fountain of our light and teaching as our only Rabbi and to learn the truth as it is taught in Jesus To put on him as our righteousness to appear before God in whose righteousness is prepared for all that have sinned To feed upon him as our bread even on his flesh as given for the life of the world To have our approch to God by and through him as our only way and to come in through that low door opened for every poor sinful Creature of Mankind to be comforted in all our tribulations and sadnesses with Gods consolations even with the consolations of and in Christ and not to have some secret thing with us to comfort us Job 15. 11. with 2 Cor 1. 3-5 To have our rejoycing in Christ where all may rejoyce with us and to have no confidence in the flesh in any priviledges thereof or in any works of righteousness of our own Philip. 3. 3-8 And to think soberly of our selves yea and this humility is also to be exercised in all our words and demeanour Ephes 4. 2. And this humility is the Spirit effecting and bringing unto us that it might be put on by us in glorifying Christ and commending unto us the freeness of Gods love in him shewing that he hath prepared righteousness for us and imputeth it to every one that believeth freely without any works of ours Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law Of works Nay but by the Law of faith Rom 3. 21-28 And that he saved us from our ignorance of him and enmity unto him according to the rule of his mercy and so not by any works of righteousness of ours By Grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast It is by Grace as the motive whereby he was moved to bring salvation to us as opposed to debt he was not indebted to us for any goodness of ours or by any purpose or promise on his part necessitating him thereto but it was freely by his Grace he saved us and by Grace as the Argument and motive wherewith he prevailed with us even through the discovery of the freeness and greatness of his love as commended to us continually in this that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Ephes 2. 1-8 with Rom. 4. 4. Tit. 3. 3-5 And so what ever the believers have received it is by Grace for who maketh thee to differ and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it 1 Cor. 4. 7. And so his forgiving the sins of those that come to God by him and cleansing them from their filthiness and giving unto them a new heart and new Spirit it is not for their sakes but for his own name sake and were this known and taken notice of by them it would cause them to be ashamed and confounded and powerfully hide pride from them and cloth them with humility Ezek. 36. 21-32 And indeed nothing doth so powerfully work and tend to the humbling of us as his Grace and to this end he giveth more Grace Grace abounding our natural pollution and corruption wherefore he saith God resisteth the proud but giveth Grace to the humble Jam. 4. 5 6. yea and to the effecting this humility in us he proposeth to us and setteth before us the humility of Christ That we might learn of him who was lowly not in his outward carriage only but also in heart and in so doing we shall find rest to our Souls Mat. 11. 29. Philip. 2. 4-6 7. Zeal for God to be clad therewith as with a Cloak Isa 49. 7. This was that which this Angel and Church were much wanting in and destitute of they were Luke-warm and neither Cold nor Hot as we have seen before This was needful therefore to be bought by them in and with humility and unless that be put on this cannot be had by us for while men have high thoughts of themselves and their attainments this disposeth them to lukewarmness and hindreth them from being zealous Now that zeal that is to be bought of Christ it is principally Fervency of Spirit in selling all that we have for Christ that we may win him and be found in him as before is shewn And fervency of Spirit in seeking after the knowledg of him and promoting the things of his Kingdom contending earnestly and fervently for the faith of the common salvation and not giving place by subjection no not for an hour that the truth of the Gospel may continue with us and so highly valuing and prizing Christ and his Gospel and fervently loving him and it as not to love our lives unto the death for his sake and his Gospels but willingly to lay them down and lose them when called thereunto The zeal of Gods house did even eat up Christ and such zeal is to be bought of him as whereby we may not please our selves but deny our own wisdoms wills designs affections enterprizes yea and forsake all that we have that we may be his Disciples and follow him in the regeneration Rom. 12. 11. Luke 14. 26 27-33 And this zeal he is effecting in us especially and principally by
were not ashamed Gen. 2. 25. But Adam in listening to the temptation and lye of the Serpent was by him deceived first in the female and then in the male and eating of the forbidden fruit and therein seeking out many inventions to better his condition and to be as Gods to attain to an higher state and to have a self-sufficiency in himself sinned against God And by this one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death pâ—ssed upon all men in whom all have sinned Rom 5 12. So he brought shame upon himself and all his posterity and now he was ashamed and afraid because naked Gen. 3. 10 11. There is now a nakedness upon mankind naturally they are without and destitute of that original clothing that was upon them that righteousness and uprightness All have sinned and come short of the glory of God in which and unto which they were Created Rom. 3. 23. They are destitute of the understanding of a man as at first Created by God Every man is bruitish by his Knowledge and void of sound Wisdom Job 11. 12. Prov. 8 4 5. 30. 2 3. There is none that understandeth Jer. 10. 14. They are destitute of the righteousness in which they were Created of that love to God and one another They have lost the Image of God in which they were Created Rom 3. 9 10 11 12. Yea and they have sinned and are sinners and as they come into the World they are polluted and defiled They are conceived in sin and shapen in iniquity Psal 51. 5. Who can being a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14 4. 15. 14 25. 4. And so they are naturally inclined to all that is evil Every imagination of the thought of mans heart being only evil and that continually Out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries blasphemies an evil eye covetousness pride foolishness and these things desile the man Yea he is very abominable drinking in iniquity like water even as a thirsty man drinketh in water to cool his thirst and refresh him so man drinketh in iniquity or as a Fish continually drinketh in water Job 15. 16. Gen. 6. 5. 8. 21. Mat. 15. 19 20. Mark 7. 20-23 And when they come to act they do abominable works such as are shameful and of which they are ashamed when the eyes of their understandings are opened and they see things in their right and proper colours Psal 14. 1 2. Rom. 6. 21. Aswell as also there is the guilt of sin upon them and they are by nature obnoxious to the wrath of God and lyable to his judgment Rom. 3. 19. Ephes 2. 3 And the fruits of sin in weakness shame death c. A shameful nakedness is upon them in Soul and body from the Crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is nothing upon them but filthiness and uncleanness sinfulness and misery And this might hide pride from us and take us off from boasting in our birth and parentage or in any work of ours or in any thing natural to us and help us to cease from man for whereof is he to be accounted for we are all as an unclean thing sinful shameful Creatures And it may also cause us to admire at the riches of Gods Grace towards us who prepared for us such excellent raiment for the covering us when we were in our blood and so polluted a 〈…〉 defiled at so dear a rate and cost as by the abasement of his onely begotten Son who therefore was cut off that he might obtain justification and forgiveness and bring in everlasting righteousness Yea and they remain and continue naked and destiture of all that is good and lye open to the storms of God's anger and their nakedness is more shameful who after means is vouchsased and light extended love darknessrather then light and believe not on the name of the only begotten Son of God on such the wrath of God abideth be they never to wise rich and honourable in this world and they shall 〈◊〉 see life Joh. 3. 18 36. The Lord after he had affo 〈…〉 means to lead men to repentance looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God They are all gone aside they are together become filthy stinking and shameful there is none that doth good no not one Psal 14. 2 3. Rom. 3. 1 2 9-11 Their iniquity is greater then formerly it was and their shame more shameful in that there is lewdness found with such in their filthiness and they refuse to be washed and cleansed when God is purging them and causing the scum to swim aloft Ezek. 24. 13. Rom. 2. 4 5. Hos 11. 3-5 And this exposeth men to the wrath of God upon a new account though yet while it is called to day Jesus Christ the righteous is the propitiation and covering for such like shameful evils even for the sins of the whole world so taking away the sin of the world that judgment may not be speedily executed but that he may procure and exercise further patience and extend further means to open their eyes and to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God 1 Joh. 2. 2. Joh. â— 29. Act. 26. 18. Yea those Angels and Churches who after the tastes of the graciousness 〈◊〉 the Lord depart from him have a shameful nakedness upon them for in departing from him they depart from their raiment which will only cover the shame of their nakedness and cloth them as afterwards Hence the Apostle severely reproveth the Galatians and sheweth the greatness of their iniquity in that after they had known God or rather were known of God and were by him called into the grace of Christ for all forgiveness and righteousness That yet they should listen to those witches that came amongst them and by them be perverted to seek to be justified by the law and to perfect by the flesh what was begun in the spirit Gal. 1. 6-8 3. 1-4 4. 8. 5. 1-8 Thus also his Church in former times did shamefully herein and laid themselves naked and open to God's displeasure on this account Hence the Lord by way of complaint thus expostulateth with them O Generation see ye the word of the Lord have I been a wilderness unto Israel A land of darkness Wherefore say my people we are Lords we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing We will come no more unto thee Can a Maid forget her ornaments or a bride her attire Yet my people have forgotten me who was their clothing and ornament days without number Jer. 2. 31 32. with Isa 6â— 10. Hos 2. 2-7 Jer. 3. 20-25 Thus it was with this Angel and Church of Laodicea who treacherously departed from the Lord as a Wife from her Husband and entertained other lovers besides him and though he had stood
had nothing to give or part with that might in the least be compared unto or valued with this Gold tried in the fire and white raiment and yet they are counselled to buy and it is intimated in the counsel that such may have it and therefore it is supposed and signified that they may have it freely This provision was freely prepared as with respect to us all was of grace and not of or from any merit of ours we had deserved nothing of good from the hand of God nay we had deserved to have been utterly expelled from the favour and merciful presence of God 2 Sam. 14. 14. We were dead at Law condemned to dye and dead in sins and trespasses filthy and polluted ones and altogether unable to help our selves as water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered up again 2 Cor. 5. 14. But the God of all grace without any goodness of ours to move him thereto and contrary to our deservings so loved us as to give his Son by his grace his free love to tast death for every man Heb. 2. 9. And in him who is raised again from the dead for our justification all that have sinned and come short of the glory of God are justified freely by his grace through that redemption in Christ Jesus They are redeemed without money Isa 52. 3. Rom. 3. 23 24. And in Christ before we know it there is freely prepared the forgiveness of our personal sins in which we sin after the likeness of Adam's transgression The free gift is of many offences unto justification Rom. 5. 15 16. And a full fountain of grace and truth yea there God hath freely given to us all things Joh. 1. 14-16 1 Cor. 2. 12. Psal 68. 10. And proclamation is made and invitation given to men of this preparation freely and men are invited to come that have no money nor price no goodness nor worthiness of their own yea he that is a Thirst and whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely Isa 55. 1. Rev. 22. 18. 21. 6. Our Lord Jesus in the last day the great day of the feast of Tabernacles stood and cried even with a loud voice that all might hear If any man thirst whether out of necessity or from a former tast of his graciousness let him come unto me and drink There was that in him prepared for any Thirster that might cool his thirst refresh and comfort him And it might be freely had by any Thirster by such an one as had no gracious frames or qualifications Joh. 7. 37. And to those that receive Christ Jesus he giveth with him all things freely Rom. 8. 32. Yea he is ready to forgive and accept and love freely such as he hath been provoked with for their treacherous departing from him upon their returning again to him from whom they have revolted As he saith I will heal their backslidings I will love them freely Hos 14. 1-4 He frankly forgiveth them whose sins are many Luk. 7. 42-48 And this doth evidence that this provision may be had and is a great consolation to the poor not only to such as are naturally so but to such as are so in a spiritual consideration to such as have no goodness greeness graces who have nothing in themselves to incourage them yet such are invited and may partake of this inriching satisfying covering and adorning preparation proposed to and set before them and may therefore incourage such to come to the waters How many are there that are so poring upon their own unworthiness and nothingness as that thereby they discourage and hinder themselves and at last conclude there is no hope for them This consideration might incourage them and cause them to lift up the hands that hang down and to come to this fountain of the grace of God Joh. 4. 10. And this Instruction as thus demonstrated to wit That Christ and this provision in him may be had by such as are wretched and miserable and poor c. Yea by any sinful worthless creature of mankind while God is exercising longsuffering and vouchsafing means and striving with and calling to them may be of usefulness to us 1. To take us off from listening unto or entertaining those false witnesses of God in Christ who shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men and even in their Doctrines say Christ died not for all men nor by the grace of God tasted death for every man but only for the fewest of mankind and so by necessary consequence there is nothing prepared in Christ for the greatest part of mankind No gold no forgiveness no righteousness c. When our Saviour inveigheth against the scribes and Pharisees the first woe he denounceth upon them in the hearing of the multitudes and his disciples was because they shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men which was indeed their great evil and cause of the following evils for which they are so sharply and severely rebuked Matt. 23. 1-13 And at another time when there were gathered together an innumerable company of people insomuch that they trode one upon another He said first of all to his disciples in their hearing Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees their evil doctrine which is hypocrisie Luk. 12. 1. 2 Pet. 2. 1. Oh! Let us also beware of such doctrines as deny the grace of God in Christ to mankind as declared in the Scriptures and hold we fast those wholesome words the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine which is according to godliness As well as also it may take us off from others who though they plainly deny not that Christ died for all and is raised again or that any man may in coming to him be inriched by him yet they confess not this they speak it not out nor make it the subject matter of what they say so to exalt Christ that men might run to him but press men first to do such and such duties and then direct them to Christ when they are thus and thus qualified like those teachers to whom God said This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest even Christ as witnessed in the law and by the Prophets and this is the refreshing but they would not hear but the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept c. And hereby they caused God's people to go astray and to forget their resting place Isa 28. 12 13-16 Jer. 50. 6. Instead of directing men to Christ and calling and moving them to come to this fountain they press men to establish a righteousness to themselves and to be justified by the Law or to perfect by the flesh what was begun by the spirit like those evil workers who came amongst the Galatians chap. 3. 1-4 5. 1-4 1 Joh. 4. 3. 2. Seeing this provision may be had and had freely by such it sheweth unto us the great and admirable grace of Christ and of the Father in him
with and relinquish them and with this eye-salve in the testimony of Christ we may see Therein all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light the light doth faithfully discover them in their right and proper colours to the end we might stand up from them and might flee from our iniquities and idols Ephes 5. 11-14 And indeed the holy Spirit that breatheth in this testimony doth in and with glorifying Christ and discovering the transcendent excellency of him shew unto us also the sinfulness of sin and the emptiness of all those objects in which naturally we are seeking rest and on which we are placing our affections that we might turn from our vanities unto him who is worthy to be cleaved unto by us So when the Lord by the Prophet saith Behold they are all vanity their works are nothing their molten images are wind and confusion He then addeth Behold my Servant whom I uphold c. Isa 41. 27-29 42. 1. The holy Spirit in glorifying Christ and taking of his things and shewing unto us doth therein and therewith convince the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment and teacheth the believers all things and leadeth them into all truth Joh. 16. 8-14 In bearing witness of Christ and in his testimony the holy Spirit sheweth unto us the odiousness of our sins that we might see and behold it that we might abhort and abominate them in that God hath taken such vengeance on them in the person of his son who knew no sin Though God testified of him that he was his beloved Son in whom he was well pleased yet when but the guilt of our sin was imputed to him he spared him not but condemned our sin in his flesh It pleased the Lord to bruife him He did put him to grief Isa 61. 2. Rom. 8. 3-32 Isa 53. 10. This seen and beheld by us would help us to abhorr it and say How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom. 6. 1-3 And here may we also see the necessity of our being washed here-from in that he is become such a fountain through his blood for cleansing us Zech. 3. 1. And it was his very end in being manifest that he might take away our sins 1 Joh. 3. 5. He bare our sins in his own body on the tree not that we might live any longer thereto but that we being dead to sin might live to righteousness 1 Pet. 4. 1 2. and chap. 2. 24. And in his cross and testimony we may also see the vanity of our idols and our vileness in serving them that we might turn there-from to God to serve the living and true God 1 Thes 1. 9 10. Here we may see the brutishness of our wisdome Now is the Judgment of this world saith our Saviour Here you may take a view and have a discovery of it in that those that were Princes of the World for wisdom crucified the Lord of glory and were also before his hour was come the greatest enemies to him and thought that their taking him out of the way and killing him would much have tended to their security when as on the contrary it brought and hastened destruction upon them Joh. 12. 31. 1 Cor. 2. 8. Joh. 11. 47 48. With Matt. 21. 39-41 Joh. 7. 45-49 Here may we see the unprofitableness of our works of righteousness in that he only could and hath brought in by his death and resurrection everlasting righteousness and there was no other way for the compleating it for us for if righteousness could have come by the law or by any other way whatsoever then Christ hath died in vain Gal. 2. 21. The Holy Ghost saith our Saviour shall convince the world of righteousness namely he shall shew and evidence the unprofitableness of all our works of righteousness and of all righteousness according to the law and that righteousness could not come by the works or sacrifices thereof in that he is gone to the Father and we see him no more He cometh no more down to suffer or offer sacrifice but his sacrifice is accepted of God so as he hath set him down on his own right hand Iohn 16. 10. with Hebr. 10. 1. 2. 11. 12. and he hath prepared righteousness for all men without the law as hath been said Rom. 3. 20-22 here we may also see the vanity and helplesness of the riches of this world in that we were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold They that trust in their riches and boast themselves in the multitude of their wealth none of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a ransome for his own soul 1 Pet. 1. 19. Psal 49. 6 7. Here also we may see the emptiness and worthlesness of all the glory and honour of this world in that our Lord Jesus neither had nor would accept of it But he was rejected and despised of men a worm and no man a reproch of men and despised of the people All they that saw him laught him to scorn they did shoot out the lip they did shake the head Joh. 6. 15. Isa 53. 2-4 Psal 22. 6 7 8. Nor had he nor did he seek for the favour and friendship of this world but the world hated him because he testified of it that the works thereof were evil Joh. 7. 7. 15. 18-20 Yea in and by this one thing by this unction we may know all things that are needful to be known by us and see them in their right colours Hence the Apostle determined to know nothing in and unto all things but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. And it is needful we should know the vileness of our sins and the vanity and unprofitableness of all those objects on which naturally we are placeing our affections and in which we have been seeking rest and satisfaction to our spirits 3. It was needful for them to see themselves and to see what manner of condition they were in and what manner of persons they were And to this end that they might see this needful it was they should anoint their eyes with this Eye-salve that they might behold themselves and know what state they were in They were at present very much mistaken they thought their condition was very good and that they were so happy that they needed nothing but this was the fruit of their blindness and ignorance for had they viewed themselves in the Testimony of Jesus they might have perceived it was far otherwise with them And indeed this is generally the fruit of mens blindness they are many times pure in their own eyes who are not washed from their filthiness Prov. 30. 12 13. Such fools are men that all their own ways are clean in their own eyes Prov. 16. 2. And they who have not the love of God in them yet think that eternal life appertaineth to them Joh. 5. 39-42 It is therefore a very ignorant and false saying
life Joh. 6. 27. Riches and honour are with him yea durable riches his fruit is better then Gold yea then fine gold and therefore those that love him shall inherit substance and he will fill all their treasures Prov. 8. 18 21. He hath riches of understanding in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and they that receive and retain him their hearts are comforted with and they are made partakers of the riches of assurance of understanding Col. 2. 1 3. They are made partakers of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ which knowledge hath an excellency in it above all other knowledge it passeth all knowledge for here-through they are filled with all the fulness of God Phil. 3. 8. with Ephes 3. 10. By this knowledge their Chambers their upper and principal parts their minds understandings hearts and souls be filled with all precious and pleasant riches Prov. 24. 4. Christ is made of God to them wisdom 1 Cor. 1. 30. He hath riches of mercy Rom. 9. 23. He is rich therein Ephes 2. 4. And they are blessed with this great blessedness and inriched with these great riches who have and retain him even the weakest in the faith their sins are forgiven them for his name sake and they receive the forgiveness of them through his name 1 Joh. 2. 12. Rom. 4. 5. 7. He is rich in mercy to all that through faith in his blood call upon him they are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Rom. 10. 12. with Acts 10. 43. 13. 38 39. He hath riches of grace he is full thereof Joh. 1. 14. And of his fulness they that receive him receive and grace for grace vers 16. So as they are made sons of God by grace they obtain that favour of the Lord. Joh. 1. 12. And what admirable grace is this according to that Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us who were by nature the children of wrath even as others Ephes 2. 3. that we should be called the sons of God 1 Joh. 3. 1. This is marvelous grace and favour and because they are sons they have the spirit of grace given unto them even the spirit of God's Son whereby they cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. They have the treasures of righteousness given unto them Christ is made of God to them righteousness and they are made accepted in and cloathed upon with him Prov. 10. 2. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Ephes 1. 6. And have liberty and freedome to come with boldness to the throne of grace that they may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 16. And they are heirs together of the grace of life 1 Pet. 3. 7. He is very rich and inriching and evidenced so to be in that length of days is in his right hand God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son â—he that hath the Son hath life Prov. 3. 14-16 1 Joh. 5. 11 12. And this is so inriching that it is powerful to take off our minds from the things here below according to that set your affection on things above and not on things on the earth for ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God Moâ—tify therefore your members that are upon the earth Col. 3. 1-3 4. He hath riches of Glory God hath set a Crown of pure Gold on his head and given him glory and he shall appear in his glory and those that receive and have him are called to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ Psal 21. 2. 3-5 Col. 3. 4. Titus 2. 13. 2 Thes 2. 14. 1 Joh. 3. 2. Yea what shall we say Though they that have him are as having nothing yet in injoying him they are as possessing all things now by faith some spiritual first fruits and hereafter they shall possess and be possessed of them in a glorious injoyment and fruition of them In the fear and worship of the Lord are riches honour and life Prov. 22. 4. This is the way then for those that are wretched and poor and miserable to become truly rich in buying this gold tried in the fire for the Lamb hath worthily received riches Rev. 5. 12. And with him God freely giveth all things Rom. 8. 32. What a great incouragement then and motive to us all is this to hearken unto and come to Christ to seek him till we find him which we shall do in seeking him in his way for that good name of his is rather to be sought after and chosen then great riches and his loving kindness rather then silver and gold Prov. 22. 1. How much better is it to get Wisdom then Gold And to get understanding is rather to be chosen then choice silver Prov. 16. 16. Hence when the holy Ghost saith the fruit of wisdom is better then gold yea then much fine gold he afterwards saith Now therefore hearken unto me O ye children c. Prov. 8. 16-20-32-34 Aswell as also it is useful to admonish them that have those riches here below not to despise the poor of this world that are in Christ and walk after the spirit for they are truly rich So much the Apostle James saith to them who did despise the poor and lightly esteem them Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him Jam. 2. 5. They in having Christ Jesus have in and with him in Heaven by faith a better and an induring substance better substance then that of this world and that which is induring whereas these riches below are uncertain Heb. 10. 34. And they are quickened to a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and which sadeth not away reserved in Heaven for them who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation c. 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Yea they that have the word of reconciliation in their hearts and have it fitted to their lips how poor soever they are in this world yet they have a treasure in earthen vessels by which they are indebted to and do inrich others also Rom. 1. 14 15. 2 Cor. 4. 7. with chapt 6. 10. And this might therefore warn others and especially those that have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ not to despise these poor ones for how poor soever they are amongst men and as with respect to the riches of this world yet Christ hath loved them and washed them from their sins in his own blood and hath made them Kings and priests unto God and they shall reign on the earth Rev. 1. 5 6. 5. 9 10. Yea and the consideration hereof that those that have Christ have in and with him unsearchable riches is proper and powerful to comfort such against those occasions of sadness
While we behold this Gold this enriching Gold and see and consider how it hath been tried in the fire and how proper it is to make us truly rich and how certainly and infallibly it enricheth them that have it this is apt and powerful to draw the love and heart thereto and to cause us to covet after it As it is a powerful Cord to us naturally to draw our hearts to the riches of this world to behold and see them with our eyes As he confessed who said When I saw two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold then I coveted them and took them Josh 7. 21. 1 John 2. 15 16. So when we see in this Glass this excellent Gold the price whereof is above Rubies yea above all the riches of this world it is a forceable motive to engage our hearts to seek to be made partakers hereof If thou knewest the gift of God saith our Saviour and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink thou wouldst ask c. John 4. 10. How did the knowledge and consideration of this better and enduring substance in Heaven make the Hebrews willing in the days of their first Illumination to take joyfully the spoiling of their goods and to endure reproch and shame and to be companions of them that were shamefully intreated Heb. 10. 32-34 What blessedness did the Galatians speak of And how did they turn from idols to God And how ready would they have been if it had been possible to have plucked out their eyes and given them unto them that were instruments of preaching Christ unto them when he was evidently set forth before their eyes in the testimony of Jesus They were willing then to part with all for his sake Gal. 3. 1. 4. 13-15 And was it not the excellency of the knowledge of Christ that made the Apostle willing to suffer the loss of all things even of those things also that formerly were gainful to him and to count them but dung that he might gain him and be found in him Phil. 3. 7-9 And to this very end That a nation he knew not and nations that knew not him might run unto him he saith Behold me behold me As intimating That the seeing and beholding him is very powerful and prevalent to overcome and perswade us to close with and embrace him Isa 55. 5. 65. 1. And so the beholding and seeing this White Raiment and the excellent and useful nature and property thereof is proper and powerful to incline us to seek that we may have it that we may be clothed therewith that so the shame of our nakedness may not appear Josh 7. 21. Phil. 3. 4-9 Doubtless the beholding with the eyes of the understanding that plenteousness of Redemption in him even the forgiveness of our sins those Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge hid in him that everlasting Righteousness brought in by and treasured in him that eternal Redemption obtained by his Bloud that fulness of Grace Truth Spirit and all things pertaining to life and godliness prepared in him that Eternal Life given us in him As these things are discovered to us in the testimony and his compleat and unparallell d comeliness and amiableness by means hereof it would enamour our hearts on him and inflame us with love to him and even make us sick of Love and unsatisfied in our desires till we more know him win him and be found in him yea till we see as we are seen and know as we are known and be ever with him Cant. 5. 10-16 2. 3 5. Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun Eccles 11. 7. But how much more pleasant and alluring is it to behold this Pearl of great price this Sun of Righteousness this Robe of Salvation this excellent one who is fairer then the children of men yea who is the true God and eternal life And how powerful is the sight of him to keep us from our sins and idols 1 John 5. 20 21 So also the seeing our sins and idols as discovered in his Cross and Testimony is very powerful to move us to cast them away and part with them as hath been also in part signified before There sin is rendred most abundantly sinful and our idols most evidently unprofitable and vain Hence the Apostle saith Whosoever abideth in Christ in the sight and knowledge of him as appeareth by the opposition sinneth not Though sin be in him and moving for service yet he doth not commit it He doth not willingly yield up his mind or members to the service thereof And on the other hand Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him nor known him He hath not anointed his eyes with this Eye-salve that he might see nor seen with his eyes as thus anointed He that doth evil hath not seen God 1 John 3. 6 8. 3 John 11. He that seeth and abideth in the sight of the end wherefore he was manifested to wit to take away our sins and of his faithfulness therein for in him is no sin he that beholdeth and considereth the bitter Cup Christ drank off and the shameful cruel accursed death he died for our sins who was the Son of God to the end he might redeem us from all iniquity and what a Fountain he is become in whom is all forgiveness righteousness rest refreshing washing and cleansing eternal life c. Such an one is preserved from sowing to and siding with that sin that dwelleth in him he getteth an escape and fleeth from the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 2. 20. So much the Apostle James also signifieth when he saith Whose looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth he being not a forgetful hearer of the word but a doer of the works this man shall be blessed in his deed The man that continueth looking in this Glass this Testimony of Jesus is a doer he layeth apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness as it is discovered and made to swim aloft Jam. 1. 21-25 This truth known maketh him free from the bondage and slavery of his sins John 8. 31-33 And he is made willing by these arguments contained in the Gospel to sell and part with his iniquities and abominations Rom. 6. 1-3 And so also in beholding Christ crucified and looking upon the Cross of Christ which he hath endured and overcome and the glory which there-thorow he hath received a man may be broken off from his idols The world the wisdom righteousness riches honour glory pomp and splendour favour and friendship customs and fashions of the world is crucified unto such an one as is thus exercised through the Cross of Christ Gal. 6. 14. So as he keepeth himself from those idols 1 John 5. 20 21. Thus when the Apostles preached Christ to men and he was received and beheld in his Gospel by them they then turned to God from