ye compare these two places in the Galathians Gal. 5. 6. with Gal. 6. 15. In Jesus Christ neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing but Faith which worketh by love What is that see the fifteenth Verse of the sixth Chapter Neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision but a new Creature New Creature and Faith is all one where faith is there is a new Creature So then All believers are new born and new born of God because as ye have heard already which will save me a labour to exemplifie this It requireth a Divine power to beget a man to Christ Jam. 1. 18. Of his owne will begot he us with the Word of Truth Of his owne will begot he us To make a man partaker of godlinesse there must go Divine power as Peter saith 2 Pet. 1. 3. According to his Divine power He hath given us all things pertaining to Life and Godlinesse Such a power as went to the Regeneration requireth a greater power then Creation Creation yea a greater power then went to the Creation if a greater can be God putteth forth a further act of power in Regeneration then in Creating men and the whole World at first because there was then nothing to resist God spake the Word and there was no opposition made Let there be light and there was light Let the waters be gathered together and they were gathered together into one Channell But when God cometh here to Convert all is up in arms Corrupt nature struggleth for it selfe and the Devill likely to be thrown out of his hold maketh the best of it that he can and musters all his forces to maintain his possession here is required a greater power because of resistance which was not in the former work Would not a man say if he should go into a Potters shop or Glasse-house that a man might sooner make a thousand pots or glasses then when a pot or glasse is broken all to pieces to make it whole again That is a much greater work This is the case here In the Creation God brought all things out of nothing Here is but one single work But when he comes now to regenerate he findeth men's hearts broken to pieces and he must make them sound again That is a further work a double work He must pull down the old building and set up a new frame none of the old not a stick will serve Old things are done away all things are Cor. 2. 5. 17. become new Therefore it is that all the works of the Creation though an Almighty work is but the finger as it were of God When I consider the Heavens the work of thy fingers The works of man's Redemption and Conversion require the whole arme So speaking of God after the manner of men for to him all things are alike easie Luk. 1. 51. He hath shewed strength with his arme speaking of the work of our Redemption by Christ Who hath believed our Report To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed That which is manifest in the Gospell that telleth us of our Redemption saying It is the arm of God At the first it was but a word Let there be light and it was so The work of our Redemption cost not onely words but tears and sweat and blood and the Life of our Saviour God breathed the breath of Life into man that he might revive him and become a new Creature So that this work considered one cannot be born again of any but of God I proceed now to the Application If believers are born Vse 1 of God then it calleth upon them to be thankfull to God This presseth thankfulnesse for our new birth for their new birth They have received that from the hands of God that the rest of the World are strangers to They are better born then others that is the word the Apostle useth Acts 17. 11. We stand ingaged to the whole Trinity for this blessing Behold what manner of love the Father hath shewed unto us We owe our new birth to God the Father And to the Son too Isai 9. 6. The name of Christ is the Everlasting Father And to God the Holy Ghost Joh. 3. 5. Except we be born again of Water and of the Spirit born of the Spirit To th end we may be the more 3. Graces and priviledges that accompany new birth sensible of this inestimable blessing consider the graces and priviledges that accompany this new birth I will name but three First Is likenesse to God We are so born of God as to 1. Is likenesse to God bear his Image to be righteous as he is righteous 1 Joh. 2. ult If ye know that he is righteous ye know that every one which doth righteousnesse is born of him It is true of all the Creatures They are made of God But it is true onely of Saints They are born of God Therefore though every Creature hath something of God in him yet a Saint hath more All have the foot-steps of God but Believers have his Image They represent him as a man's son represents his father There may be the Image of a man taken in a Picture that may shew something of him and his Image in a glasse that sheweth more that representeth his motion which the other doth not But his Image in his son that is the most lively of all that representeth his disposition Such an Image of God is in every Saint it represents the quality of God and the disposition of him He is made partaker of the Divine nature Secondly There is in him a love to God and to the Saints 2. Love to God and to the Saints which is another adjunct of the new birth of which 1 Joh. 4. 7. compared with 1 Joh. 5. 1. vers Beloved Let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God Chap. 5. 1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begetteth loveth him that is begotten of him First here is love to God the Common father of all the Saints It is true in this Case Amor descendit sed non semper ascendit Love amongst men descendeth It goeth down from the Parent to the Child but it doth not alwayes ascend from the Child to the Parent But here as there is a love descending to us so from us ascending to God As the Iron that is touched with the Load-stone hath an inclination of following the Load-stone So when God hath touched the soul with Love it leaveth an instinct behind it of following after God As every one that is new born hath a love to God so hath he also to the Saints He that loveth him that begetteth loveth him also that is begotten of him Look as it is in nature Light ye know is the prime object of sight It is the principall visible object and the more of light in any thing the more visible
and Manhood make such a mixture as to produce a Third thing Here they are confuted by the right understanding of the Hypostaticall Union I will not perplex your understandings with these things onely see the care of the Church of God of old It met with all these sorts of Hereticks in four Adverbs the old Councills brought in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truly to oppose the Arians that implyeth that Christ was true God The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perfectly to oppose the Sine Naturarum convulsione Apollinarians to shew he was perfectly Man consisting of a Soul and of a Body The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Undividedly to oppose the Nestorians to shew that his Natures were not divided And then the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unmixtly to Inconfusè oppose the Eutychians who so mingled the Natures as to make a third thing out of both We now come to what remaineth in the Particulars See what they will afford us First That which concerneth the Divinity of Christ the 1. The Wisdom and the Love of God to be admired Word what hath been said of that may serve to fill us all with admiration of the love and wisdom of our God in ordering so that his own Son the Second Person in the Trinity the Word should be made flesh for our salvation God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son Here is love indeed Hardly will a man part with an onely son yet God doth He spared not his own Son but gave him to death for us all And yet haply a man may have such a son that he careth not for But what saith the voice from Heaven This is my beloved Son And yet he so loved the world as to part with his beloved Son One may have a son that he loveth and yet be displeased with him as David was with Absolom but this Son did please the Father and yet this Son is given to die O the admirable love of God shining in this that the Second Person in the Trinity is set on work to procure our Redemption Though Reason could never have found out such a way yet when God hath revealed it Reason though but shallow can see a fitnesse in it because there being a necessity that the Saviour of man should be Man and an impossibility that any but God should save him and one Person in the Trinity being to be Incarnate It suiteth to reason that the first Person in the Trinity should not be the Mediator For who should send him He is of none and therefore could not be sent There must be one sent to reconcile the Enmity and another to give gifts to friends two proceeding Persons the Son from the Father and the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son accordingly the second Person which is the Son he is sent upon the first errand to reconcile man to God and the third Person the Holy Ghost he is sent to give gifts to men so reconciled So as to Reason it is a suitable and a very great congruity That God having made all things by his Word should now repair all things by his Word That as the word of the serpent deceived man and brought him to ruine so the Word of God should restore him and bring him to happinesse That he that was the middle person in the Trinity should become the Mediator between God and man That he that was the expresse Image of the Father's person should restore the Image of God defaced in man by his sins Men may be too curious in such Quaeries but where there is a bottom in the love of God we may safely lose our selves in the admiration of the wisdome of God in the Contrivance of the work of our Redemption That for the first Secondly From what hath been said of the word flesh 2. Here is both matter of Comfort and matter of Duty here as importing the human nature and the human nature cloathed with infirmities we may gather both matter of Comfort and matter of Duty First Matter of Comfort from each of the two branches from flesh as it importeth man-hood from flesh as it importeth infirmity of man-hood The Son of God hath taken our nature upon him that may Comfort men It is matter of Rejoycing to any man when he heareth his friend is preferred What is so neer to us as our owne nature Behold our nature is preferred by Jesus Christ to a union Our nature preferr'd by Christ to union in the Godhead in the Godhead Christ sitteth in Heaven with our nature and the same flesh that we have upon us onely glorified It is that which all the World cannot give a sufficient reason of why the same word in the Hebrew Rashar should signifie both flesh and good Tydings Divinity will give you a reason though Grammar cannot Christ's taking of flesh upon him was good Tydings to all the whole World therefore no wonder if one word signifie both Aboundance of comfort may be taken from hence to poor souls when they think God hath forgotten them To consider Is it likely that Christ that is man should forget Man now He is at the right hand of the Father cloathed in that nature that we have When we are troubled to think it is impossible God and man should ever be reconciled Let us consider that God and man did meet in Christ therefore it is possible we may meet What hath been may be again The two natures met in Christ therefore God may be reconciled to man yea they therefore met that God might be reconciled to man He was made Emanuell God with us that he might bring God and us together When a man is troubled to think of the Corruptions of his nature that is so full of defilement that it cannot be sanctified let him withall think that his nature is capable of sanctification to the full Christ received human nature which was not polluted his nature is the same Therefore that nature is capable of sanctification to the uttermost Many more comforts may be raised from this Consideration That he assumed flesh with the sorrows of it and the nature of it penall infirmities The consideration of that in generall may give some comfort to men because it letteth us see that Christ is able and willing to help us because he hath taken our infirmities Both these the Apostle holdeth out Hebr. 2. ult It is said In that he himself had suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted He is therefore able because himselfe hath been tempted As a Physitian that trieth the vertue of some soveraign Composition upon his owne body he is the better able to cure another with that Receit because he himselfe hath tried it Christ hath born our infirmities therefore he knoweth better how to support us under them I but is he willing yes His willingnesse may be collected from this That he hath taken our infirmities
of the Father implieth 2. It teacheth us to set our affections upon Christ the dearnesse of affection between the Father and the Son And this teacheth us who are bound to be followers of God as dear children to set our affections upon Christ because God doth so He who is the Son of God's love should be the object of our love God hath a bosome for Christ we should have a bosome for Christ too It is said of Ignatius that after his death his body being opened the name Jesus was found written in his heart That is a fable yet hath a good morall every soul should have Jesus written in the heart because the love of the heart should be bestowed upon Christ as the noblest object and best deserving it Again ye have an expression that comes home to that in the Text Cant. 1. 13. ye shall see where the Church laid Christ A bundle of myrrhe is my well-beloved to me He shall lie all night between my breasts Here the Church maketh a room for Christ to lie in her bosome This is a most significant expression This comparing Christ to a bundle of myrrhe which is of a bitter tast but a sweet smell And so fitter to represent Christ Crucified in whose death there was a concurrence of these two bitternesse and sweetnesse Nothing so bitter in it self as the passion of Christ the token of which was the paschall Lamb which was to be eaten with bitter herbs He indured more then we can comprehend His owne soul onely could know that bitternesse As there was a great deal of bitternesse in it so a great deal of sweetnesse too as in myrrhe He offered himselfe to God a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour Ephes 5. 2. saith the Apostle Myrrhe they say is of speciall use to keep from putrefaction to dry up moist humours therefore they took myrrhe to inbalm Christ's body withall And such drieth up the superfluous humours of the soul As Physitians say That in nature a bundle of myrrhe between the breasts is Cordiall surely we have no such Cordialls as Christ in the bosome Therefore A bundle of myrrhe my beloved is to me He shall lie all night between my breasts Nothing so bitter as my sins were but the crucifying of Christ and yet nothing so sweet as that Christ was crucified for my sins to take them away Therefore let us find a bosome to lay Christ in for the time to come If we will be glad of his bosome when we die He will be content to lie in ours now if we will but receive him Certainly it concerneth us to know what we do with our affections How we bestow our love Loe here is an object to be beloved more then the wife of the bosome more then the husband of the bosome Here is the Mediator in the bosome If any thing will draw-out love from us it is the consideration of that love which he hath shewed to us Love is the Load-stone of love See how he Amor magnes amoris hath opened his bosome to us how he hath exceeded all the patterns of love We find in Scripture Rebecca loved Jacob better then Esau Therefore she put him into a way of getting the blessing And when Jacob was afraid of the event lest his father should curse him The curse be Gen. 27. 13. upon me my son saith she The Lord putteth us into a way of getting an eternall blessing from God the Father and for the procuring of this he himselfe is become a curse for us He was made sin for us and a curse that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Jacob loved Rachel better then Leah therefore was content to serve so many years For us the Lord took upon him the form of a servant and in that form served for us three and thirty years and more here in the flesh Jonathan loved David and to manifest his love he put his owne garment upon him Christ so loved us as to cloath us with his owne righteousnesse David loved Mephibosheth and therefore set him at his owne Table to eate bread continually though he were lame Christ so loveth us notwithstanding all our lamenesse and imperfections as to provide a Table for us where we shall one day sit down with Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven Beloved do you provide a room for Christ in your bosomes and he will provide a room for you in Abrahams bosome yea in his owne Thirdly This being in the Fathers bosome implieth Communication 3. It teacheth us to go to Christ for illumination of secrets Let us learn from hence to go to Christ for Illumination that he who knowes the secrets of the Father would discover them to us so farre as they are necessary for our salvation or the edification of our brethren Whither should we go but to the great Counsellour for advice The Disciples took this course Luk. 11. 1. One of the Disciples said to him Lord teach us to pray So Lord teach us to hear Lord teach us to meditate and Lord teach us to conferre to go to Christ for all teaching If any man want wisdome let him aske it of God Jam. 1. 5. Who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not we cannot be wise to Salvation unlesse Christ be made wisdome to us otherwise the Devill will be too hard for us he is so cunning and subtile as to make fools of us As soon as a subtile man will cheat a Child of what he hath so soon will the Devill cheat us There are wiâ—es of the Devill depths of Satan mysteries of Iniquity How shall we be able to shun these to avoid the danger of them if we be not instructed by Him who knoweth the secrets of the Father As there are mysteries of Iniquity so of Godlinesse too The Gospell it selfe Paul calleth it wisdome in a Mystery And that even amongst the perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6. Howbeit we speak wisdom amongst them that are perfect ver 7. We speak the wisdome of God in a mystery Which mystery wisdome in a mystery such is the Gospell So mysterious that one mystery is wrap't in another wisdome in a Mystery and that hid and that amongst the perfect How shall we come to find out this wisdome if the Lord Jesus the wisdome of God be not made wisdome to us As there are mysteries in every point of Doctrine so there are secrets in every point of Practice which without the help of Christ we cannot come to be made masters of Psal 25. 14. The secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him In every duty we can put our hands to there is a secret It is a Common thing to pray but to pray in the Holy Ghost is a great secret It is a Common thing to come to the Lords Table but to discern the Lords body that is a secret It is a Common thing to hear the word but so as it may be mixt
Christ Here is one sort of spirituall life that Christ giveth and that in abundance I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly because where God is reconciled he beareth abundance of good-will to such a soul In thy favour is life and that favour aboundeth so much as that God loveth every reconciled soul with the same love wherewith he loveth Christ himself Joh. 17. 23. That the world may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me faith Christ That sheweth abundant love All love falleth first upon Christ as the head Divine love doth and so descendeth to the skirts of his garments It falleth upon us from Christ and through Christ Secondly there is a life of Justification which standeth 2. A life of Justification in opposition to the guilt of sin and of this the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5. and telleth you what abundance of righteousnesse accompanyeth it Rom. 5. 15 17. If through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many For if by one man's offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ It is called Justification of life there vers 18. Even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men to Justification of life Thirdly There is a life of Sanctification that standeth 3. A life of Sanctification in opposition to the power of sin as that of Justification did to the guilt of sin This is likewise from Christ and of it Paul speaketh Gal. 2. latter end I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live to the Lord. I am crucified to the world notwithstanding I live yet not I but Christ that liveth in me This commeth in from Christ in great abundance Hence are those expressions 2 Cor. 8. 17. Therefore as ye abound in every thing in faith and utterance and knowledge and all diligence and your love towards us see that ye abound in this grace also Rom. 9. 8. God is able to make all grace abound towards you This is that that Christ saith That he giveth life and more aboundantly Fourthly There is a life of Consolation which standeth in opposition to the discouragements that arise both from 4. A life of Consolation the power of sin and the guilt of sin that strike the soul dead And therefore a soul that is glad is said to live Psal 69. 32. The humble shall see this and be glad and your heart shall live So you see that to be glad and to live is all one This is founded in Christ and there is abundance of this communicated to believers See that 1 Cor. 2. 15. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Here is consolation abundant consolation and both by Christ The last thing is a life of Glory which standeth in opposition 5. A life of Glory to that misery that ariseth from all the former from the wrath of God and the guilt and power of sin and the discouragements that arise from thence all these bring misery after the soul's death Now there is a life of Glory that freeth the soul from this that is hid in Christ You are dead but your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory There is a glorious life for believers but it is now hidden like the sap in the root in the winter-time It is hidden in Christ who is their glorifi'd Head already This they shall have and have it more abundantly because of that aboundant happinesse which accompanieth this life of Glory They shall be aboundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and made to drink of the rivers of thy pleasures For with thee is the fountain of life Psal 36. 8 9. When there is but a little small Brook and a whole Army commeth to drink at it they are ready to emulate one another because there is not enough to serve them all As he said Xerxes's Army drunk up whole Rivers But where there are Rivers of pleasure there is enough for all commers there needs be no emulation all shall be satisfied They shall be abundantly and Thou shalt cause them to drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures Thus ye see what strong Encouragement ariseth from hence that life is in Christ as in the Fountain So I have done with that Clause of the fourth Verse In him was life The next is And the Life was the Light of Men. Vers 5. And the Light shined in Darkness and the Darkness comprehended it not We proceed to that which concerneth the Creation of Light of Life Men in particular The life was the light of men That is as I take it The Life which was originally in the Eternall Word and conveyed to the creature according to their severall ranks and degrees was a life of Vegetation in Plants and a life of Sense in Brutes and a Life and Light of Men. It was so in the Angels as well as in Men. But the Evangelist because the Scripture was made for the use of Men and not of Angels contenteth himself onely to mention them The life was the light of men By Light I am soath to understand onely Knowledge as is Knowledge Grace and Joy some do or onely Grace as other some I rather take in both and add a third thing which is the result of both namely Joy For all these three come under the notion of Light Then make this our Observation That man was created by God at first in a state of light The life was the light of men Do but compare this place with that Joh. 8. 12. for the understanding of the phrase Then spake Jesus again to them saying I am the light of the world He that followeth me shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of life The light of life and the life of light is all one and both come from Christ without any great difficulty Next the life was the light of men And he shall have the life of light saith Christ here but that he speaketh of Conversion My Text confineth me to what was in the Creation Christ is presented to us as the Maker of all things So then Man was created by Christ at first in a state of light that is in a state of Knowledge of Holinesse and of Joy for these three things come under the notion of Light in the Scripture First Knowledge See in that 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who 1. Man created in the light of knowledge commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ This light of
chuse an instrument to work by he will commonly chuse one of the subtlest some cunning-pated man some Machiavel to be his instrument if he chuse another creature it shall be a Serpent But when God chuseth when God hath a mind to confute Balaam What creature doth he chuse An Asse the silliest of all the creatures because he would have his power to appear in the simplicity and sillinesse of the instrument That is one reason He doth it in respect to his own Glory Secondly In respect to our Necessities The truth is we 2. In respect to our Necessities were not able to bear the Ministry of Angells much lesse to hear God himself speaking to us from heaven It was the usuall preface of the Angels when they appeared to men Fear not Fear not because their very appearing was alwaies formidable to them that had Visions Ye know the story of Manoah's wife and Zachary and the Virgin Mary her self they could not bear the presence of God without horrour Therefore the Israelites said to Moses Speak thou to us and we will hear but let not God speak to us lest we die Therefore he is gratiously pleased to make choice of men to speak to us by them that are flesh and blood like our selves Let us learn not to despise this Ordinance of God to content our selves with it not to talk of voices from heaven when God hath ordained the voices of men like our selves to be the instruments of our conversion There is a voice indeed but what voice the voice of the Teacher Isa 30. 20 21. Yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy Teachers and thine ears shall hear the word behind thee saying This is the way walk in it Namely the Word from the mouth of the Teacher It is true indeed there is a motion made Luk. 16. of sending of some from the dead to teach the living but the motion was made in hell it was the motion of the Rich man in hell to desire of Lazarus that he would beg of Abraham to send some body from the dead God hath put this treasure in earthen vessells that the excellency of the power might be of him and not of us There was a Man sent from God His Calling next offereth it self That is a main thing a 2ly thing that the men of God have been carefull to make good they first-shew'd their Commission before they began their businesse for the most part Isaiah telleth you of a Coal from the Altar wherewith his lips were touched And Jeremiah telleth you how God touched him with his hand And Paul telleth you in every beginning of his Epistles Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God And so St. Luke the Evangelist telleth you John was a man sent from God Then take this Observation Such as have a Observ lawfull Calling to the Ministry are sent from God How Those that are lawfully Called are sent from God can they preach except they be sent Ye know the Gradation Rom. 10. How can they call upon him on whom they have not believed and how can they believe if they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how can they preach except they be sent The Ministers are Christ's Ambassadors We are Ambassadors of God and beseech you as sent from God Let men so account of us saith the Apostle as the stewards of God dispencers of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4. 1. Shall any man thrust himself into a Nobleman's house to be his Steward that hath not a calling to it Let no man take this honour upon him but he that is called of God Three things concurr to a lawful Calling 1. Ability 2. Inclination 3. Separation First Ability It is not every man's work to be a Witnesse 1. Ability concurrent to a lawfull Calling Un-gifted Un-sent of Christ in such a way as John the Baptist was in a way of Office He that is Un-gifted I dare be bold to say he is Un-sent 2 Tim. 2. 2. The things that thou hast heard of me amongst many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull men who shall be able to teach others also Ability fitteth men It is not enough for a man to be godly but he must be able to teach others Not that there is the same measure of ability required of all God proportioneth mens gifts and parts to the places he calleth them to Ye shall have a Skiff do as well in a River as a larger Vessell perhaps better God giveth ability sutable to the places he calleth men to when they are sent of God Secondly There must be Inclination to that above all 2. Inclination other works that must go to make a true Calling 1 Pet. 5. 2. Feed the flock of God which dependeth upon you taking the over sight thereof not of constraint but willingly There must be a willingnesse as well as skill not for filthy lucre but out of love to Christ whose sheep the Minister is sent to feed Peter lovest thou me Feed my lambs Lovest thou me Feed my sheep God is my record saith Paul how much I long after you all in the bowells of Jesus Christ And My hearts desire is that Israel might be saved Thirdly To all this there must go a Separation Act. 3. Separation 13. 2. As they ministred to the Lord and fasted the holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereto I have called them Here is a Calling but it is with a Separation which is sometimes made immediately by God himself so Paul was called from heaven by God in Christ and sometimes mediately by the ministry of men so Titus was called by Paul and others by Titus For this cause left I thee in Crete to ordain Elderse in every City as I had appointed thee Tit. 1. 5. Now that the Man in the Text John was sent of God it appeareth in all these three respects he had Ability and Willingnesse and Separation to the work His Ability and Willingnesse both appear in that expression which Christ himself giveth of him Joh. 5. 35. He was a burning and a shining light Shining in regard of his ability burning in regard of his zeal and desire to do good to the souls of men And for his Separation he had an immediate Call by God himself in an extraordinary way Luk. 3. 2. Annas and Caiphas being the high Priests the word of God came to John the son of Zachariah in the wildernesse As it was wont to do to the Prophets of old who were extraordinarily called to that service Thus ye see why a Man and in what respect he was sent of God I come now to insist upon the Duties that concern People from hence First Seek God in case you want Ministers for they 1. Seek God in the want of Ministers must be of his sending The Stars they are in Christ's
would have their voices to resound will make choice of Rocky places which send forth the best Eccho This Rock the Lord Jesus Christ is he that maketh our prayers to return with a blessing into our own bosoms You shall have many men that go to devotion and leave Christ behind them What a poor devotion is here The spirit of prayer is alwaies accompanied with Evangelicall humility with a mourning that floweth from our looking to Christ I know there is a great deal of legall sorrow in formall professors Men may go blubbering to hell without true repentance But here is a mourning that floweth from a looking up to Christ Where there is a spirit of Adoption men will speak from feeling which floweth from the apprehension of Christ and the certainty of God's grace in him Now this spirit of Adoption argueth Sonship But then commeth in the poor weak Believer and saith Object I am undone The other plead for themselves without a cause and he pleadeth as much against himself without a cause I cannot find such enlargement in prayer Surely the Spirit of Adoption is not in me if it were I should cry Abba Father with more importunity All Believers are not alike gifted there may be a gift of Answ prayer where there is not a spirit of prayer and a spirit of prayer where there are but poor gifts Haply thou canst onely chatter with Hezekiah like a Crane and Swallow yet consider whilst thou canst not speak there are two Spokes-men for thee the consideration whereof may render A Believer hath two Spokesmen to stand for him thee confident of success even in thy devotions how weak soever they be The lispings and stammerings of a child God liketh better then all the Oratory in the world The Spirit of God is in thee and the Blood of Christ is for thee The Spirit and We know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit maketh intercession in us And God knoweth the meaning of the Spirit and heareth the least whispers of his own Spirit in the soul of a poor Believer And then The Blood of Christ that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel the Blood of of Christ As Christ saith of himself it may be said of this Blood Father I know thou hearest me alwaies But I pass now from matter of Triall and I come now to matter of Exhortation All Dignity ye Use 2 know calleth for Duty Such as are partakers of this Priviledge To exhort to Duties of being the children of God they are obliged to certain Duties that flow from hence First Obedience The sons of Jonadab they were obedient 1. To Obedience to the commandment of their father Jer. 35. I set before the sons of the family of the Rechabites pots ful of wine and cups and I said unto them Drink wine But they said We must drink no wine for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father hath forbid us saying Drink no wine you nor your sons for ever Neither build houses nor sow seed nor plant ye vineyards but dwell in tents all your daies that ye may live all your daies upon the face of the earth where ye are inhabitants So we have hearkned to the voyce of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he commanded us So we drank no wine all our daies we nor our wives nor our sons nor our daughters When God hath said Drink not of the world's cup taste not of the world's dainties lest you surfeit on them it becommeth an obedint child to say My Father hath commanded me I dare not drink when he is tempted to the enjoyment of any unlawfull pleasures Mal. 3. 17. Ye read there of a son that serveth Indeed the best service God hath done him is by his sons all other services are little worth in comparison I will spare him as a man spareth his own son that serveth him The son goeth naturally and ingenuously about his father's work he doth it kindly much more kindly than a servant will that doth it onely for his wages Therefore of old they were wont to set their children to the work The chief work lay in husbandry We read of Rachel's keeping her father's sheep Gen 29. 6. and so of Jacob keeping his father in law's sheep Would we approve our selves children of God we must do the works of God Our Saviour beateth off the Pharisees from their plea upon this ground We are the children of Abraham say they If ye were saith Christ then would you do the works of Abraham Abraham believed in me No man can ever approve himself the child of God that doth not abound in the work of the Lord. The second Lesson is for Imitation Ephes 5. 1. Be ye 2. For Imitation followers of God as dear children It is naturall to children to imitate their parents look what the father doth the child is apt to learn the same If we be dear children we must be followers of God and walk in love as Christ hath loved us Blessed are the mercifull they shall be called the children of God Why Because that maketh it appear they follow God And so Be ye holy saith Peter 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation Because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy Thirdly We should learn from hence this Lesson that is 3. Learn Dependency upon God of Dependency Children hang upon their parents so should we upon God if we will carry our selves as becommeth sons This Argument Christ useth Matth. 6. 22. Take no thought saying What shall we eat and drink and be cloathed with for your heavenly Father knoweth you have need of all these things Leave the care of all these to your Father If ye were Orphans and had no father or if your father were not willing or not able to supply your wants then ye might be carefull but seeing you have an heavenly Father that knoweth all these things cast all your care upon him for He careth for you Doth not he tell us That he that provideth not for his owne family is the worst of Infidells Ye are of Gods family therefore be sure He will provide for you if ye trust Him Fourthly It teacheth us a lesson of Patience Hebr. 12. 4. It teacheth us to be patient 5. Forget not the exhortation which speaketh to you as Children My son despise not thou the Chastisements of the Lord For whom the Lord loveth He chastiseth Faint not under the correction of a Father and because it is from a Father that will lay on no more no longer than the Child standeth in need of it Herein that of our Saviour should be often in our thoughts Joh. 18. 11. The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Why every affliction that befalleth me is a Cup out of my Fathers hand and from Him I should
Promise would not have been sure no man durst have trusted himself no not in this thing We know how David and other servants of God have been seduced and fallen But take and receive Christ and he will be thy Saviour here is the way for assurance As put case you come to a beggar and say Do such a piece of service for me and thou shalt have such a reward there ye put him upon a greater difficulty than to give him so much mony So God dealeth with us Believe and thou shalt be saved Receive and thou shalt be saved Thirdly All that truly receive Christ by faith are adopted 3. By Faith we are adopted to Christ ones To as many as received him gave he power to become the sons of God Not by Creation onely as all men are nor by Profession onely as all the Members of the visible Church are nor by Deputation onely as all Magistrates are I have said Ye are gods and the sons of the most high But by Adoption that ye might receive the adoption of sons All that receive Christ are thus adopted For which ye have a clear place Gal. 3. 26 27 28 29. For ye are all the sons of God in Christ Jesus For all ye that are baptized into Christ have put on Christ There is neither Jew nor Grecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus And if ye be Christs then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs by promise It is said by the Apostle Rom. 9. speaking of the Jews that to them belonged the adoption speaking there of a Nationall adoption that belonged to the Jews the onely peculiar Nation of the world that God had then pickt out to glorifie himself among But hereupon the Jews were apt to conceive that none had right to be the sons and daughters of God but those of their Nation What was true of Nationall adoption they used to apply it to Personall and called themselves the children of God because they had Abraham to their father Now saith the holy Ghost here All without any difference that have received Christ they are sons as well as the sons of Abraham by a naturall generation because they are all of Abraham's faith and so come to be heirs of Abraham's seed He telleth them here There is neither Jew nor Greek A believing Greek is as true a child of Abraham yea of God as a believing Jew and much more than an unbelieving Jew that braggeth so much of being Abraham's seed There is neither Jew nor Greek nor bond nor free Christ findeth men in a state of bondage and leaveth them so haply in worldly respects but he maketh them free in respect of God If the Son maketh you free then are ye free indeed There is neither male nor female In some Common-wealths Females are excluded from the chief Dignity as by the Salique Law in France no Woman can inherit a Crown In all Common-wealths they are secluded from many Offices which are proper onely to men But when you come to speak of the Dignity of Adoption Females come in as well as Males Every Believer is a partaker of this high priviledge of being the child of God That is the importance of this word in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As many as received him All and every one that receiveth him become the sons of God Fourthly The Adoption of sons is a free gift As many 4. It is the free gift of God that we are adopted sons as received him to them it is given to become the sons of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He gave them power to become It 's an Ingredient into the very essence of Adoption It must be free So the civill Law defineth Adoption Gratuita est assumptio non habentis jus It is a free Assumption of a person that hath no right to an Inheritance to the partaking of that Inheritance As what right had Moses a poor Hebrew child that was thrown out in an Ark of Bulrushes ready to perish what right had he to that Estate that belonged to Pharaoh's daughter till she adopted him and gave him that So Mordechai adopted Hester There are three things that go to make up a Civill Adoption Three things go to make up Adoption and you shall find them all in this Divine Adoption First There must be an Inheritance which the party is 1. An Inheritance adopted to It is a vain thing to adopt one to nothing To take one and leave him to the wide World when he hath done Adoption supposeth an inheritance That is here even the Kingdom of Glory an Inheritance with the Saints in light Hence it is that that blessednesse which the Saints shall injoy in the state of Glory is called by the Apostle The adoption because it is that which we are adopted to And so I understand that phrase Rom. 8. 23. where Adoption is taken in that sense waiting for the Adoption We which have the first fruits of the spirit we our selves groane within our selves waiting for the Adoption That is for that glory we are adopted to for that Inheritance which God hath promised us Otherwise men which receive the first fruits of the spirit they receive Adoption in this sense But here is a further thing which they have not yet but wait for which is called Adoption even the Consummation of all their hopes the Inheritance in glory Secondly As in every adoption there must be some Inheritance 2. It must be of a party that hath no right to the Inheritance so adoption must be of a party that hath no right to that Inheritance A man is not said to adopt his owne son because nature giveth him a right to his father's estate But if he adopteth it is a stranger Moses was a stranger to Pharoahs daughter Hester though she were akin to Mordecay yet was not his naturall daughter and therefore was adopted by him We are all by nature strangers and a great deal worse enemies to God as well as strangers we have no right no shew of right to the Inheritance for we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. Thirdly It must be Gratuita Assumptio A free assumption of a person that hath no right and the having no 3. It must be of a person that hath no right right sheweth it to be free And that we are sure is to be found in this Divine Inheritance It is an act of God's free grace nothing moved him but his owne free love God loveth because he loveth and hath mercy on whom he will have mercy See this proceeding from free grace Ephes 1. 5 6. Having predestinated us to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his Will Here is the good pleasure of God's will the onely ground of our adoption Thus I have run through the four things which
be received Ephes 4. 24. Therefore as the Church is subject to Christ so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing We should choose his Yoke as well as his Crown his Spirit to guide us as well as his Blood to redeem us to be subject to him as well as to be protected by him This is the first thing included in the receiving of Christ namely a present choosing of Christ upon Conjugall tearms Secondly Trust in him for ever after as our God so saith 2. To trust in him for ever after as our God the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to trust that is Continue to believe in his name because every one that hath received him continueth to believe continueth to trust and to rely upon him and stay himself upon his God and to lean upon his Beloved as the phrase is in the Canticles As a woman that hath got an husband hath one to trust to for provision and direction and protection If David's wives be taken away he will rescue them if Ahasuerus his wife be in danger of Haman's plots her husband will relieve her The Soul before marriage to Christ was liable to all old debts the Law had a saying to her the Devill had a plea against her but now she is married all is laid upon Christ No action lies against the wife Now the soul hath an husband and accordingly she trusts in Christ and sendeth the Devill to Christ her Husband for an answer Thus you see what it Supposeth and Includeth Thirdly See what it Produceth namely Certain Effects 3. It supposeth certain Effects to witnesse the truth of the former Acts. 1. Receiving Christ produceth Love that bear witnesse to the truth of the former Acts to make it appear there were true Apprehensions in the Understanding and true Acts in the Will and they are diverse First The true receiving of Christ wheresoever it is it produceth a Prizing Love in the first place It is impossible but that the soul which hath received Christ indeed should prize him and love him because of the beauty and excellency in him 1 Joh. 4. 16. compared with vers 19. We have known and believed the love that God hath given to us Then followeth We love him because he first loved us Where there is a knowing and believing of God's love to us there will be a reciprocall love from us to God To him that believeth in Christ Christ is pretious It is not onely a love but a prising love 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you therefore which believe he is pretious They that have received Christ indeed will set a price upon him howsoever others value him Judas though he did converse with him not having received him by faith What a price setteth he upon him the price of a Slave thirty pieces of silver the very price that was to be given by a man that had bought a slave to be his servant a goodly price The Jews that bought him and Judas that sold him make no more of Christ but thus Now take the Soul which hath indeed received him and knoweth what is in him such a soul will not set Christ to sale no not upon any tearms Offer her Preferments Estates and Kingdoms and Worlds A goodly price for Christ the soul will say No he is infinitely more worth then all these To you that believe Christ is pretious because ye have received him Secondly It produceth a watchfull Fear Whensoever 2. It produceth a watchfull fear the soul receiveth Christ it will be afraid to lose him Having received a Kingdom that cannot be moved saith the Apostle Heb. 12. ult let us have grace to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear One would think all fear were now over No fear so much the more The Gospel that is the Kingdom of Heaven which is often so called in Scripture and it is a Kingdom that cannot be moved The Law that was taken away but the Gospell that cannot be moved no alteration of that We must never look for another Gospel than what is evidently laid down in Scripture A man that hath received this Gospel hath received Jesus Christ in it For this Manna commeth down in the dew of heaven Christ in the ministry of the Gospel And having received this Kingdom we shall not be moved Having received Jesus Christ let us serve him with reverence and god'y fear saith the Scripture There will be a fear where there hath been a receiving of Christ Kisse the Son Serve him with fear and rejoyce with trembling Psal 2. 11 12. I will allude to Act. 3. 11. ye read there in the foregoing Verse of a Creeple that was healed by Peter and John And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength and he stood up and praised God What doth the man mean now to leave his leaping and skipping and come and clasp about Peter and John In all likelihood because he was afraid when they were gone his lamenesse would return again to him Such a disposition there is in every soul that receiveth Christ it is sensible of its having received health and strength and comfort from him Now lest his former lamenesse should return lest the lusts of his former ignorance should again prevail and those terrours of conscience under which it lay should come again the soul is desirous to hold Christ so as never to let him go Not that a soul that hath once received Christ can lose him for ever but because though it cannot wholly lose his presence yet it may lose a great deal of its comfortable communion which it had with Christ and God in him Therefore there will be a watchfull fear lest we should lose those sweet embracements which we have had from Christ Thirdly This receiving of Christ in truth produceth a 3. It produceth a spirituall life spirituall life He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5. 12. Men are now other kind of creatures than before they have motion from another principle then they had before As where there is life the soul setteth the body a working So when the soul hath Christ it receiveth life and motion and appetite and sense and grouth from him This true receiving of Christ produceth Fourthly As there is a prising Love a watchfull Fear and 4. I◠produceth fruit to God a Spirituall life so It produceth fruit to God Every soul that hath received Christ is more or lesse a fruitfull soul and doth not render fruit to it self as formerly but to God aiming at him and his glory in what it doth And this followeth upon the former I told you It was receiving of Christ upon Conjugall tearms as a woman receiveth an husband And this you must know that Christ hath alwaies issue by his wives The Lord Jesus hath no barren Spouse Every one that receiveth Christ for an husband he hath issue by her that soul bringeth forth fruit
that thing is So Christ is the principall object of a Christians love and the more of Christ is in any person the more lovely Christ the principall object of a Christian's love that person is in a Christian's eyes The object that standeth most in the light is most seen and the Saint that hath most of Christ in him is most beloved by every one that is new-born when they come to discern that amiablenesse in him 3. The third thing that accompanieth this new-birth is 3. Victory over spirituall enemies Victory over spirituall enemies which doth exceedingly raise the priviledge of being born of God Victory over the world and victory over the devill ye have them both 1 Joh. 5. 4. Whatsoever is born of God overcommeth the world It is true Regenerate persons may get many a blow and knock from the world and many times be foiled too and from the frowns and flatteries of the world a Saint may be worsted As it is when a thief setteth upon a man in the high-way and aimeth at his purse he may stand in his own defence and haply receive some wounds or blowes but yet the thief is not able to take his purse from him Here a man commeth off a conquerour though not without blows So Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world because in the issue Grace getteth the upper-hand Though he that is born of God may be conquered yet That which is born of God cannot be conquered It is not Whosoever is born of God but Whatsoever is born of God There is an Emphasis in that As a victory over the world attendeth this new-birth so a victory over the devill too 1 Joh. 5. 18. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not He sinneth not so as to be touched by that wicked one Take them together that is He sinneth not against the holy Ghost sinneth not so as to be devillified He that is once a child of God never becomes a child of the devill That is the meaning of that That wicked one toucheth him not Not but that That wicked one the devill may annoy a Saint and foil him many times but not with that which the Schools call Tactus qualificativus such a touch as altereth the nature of a thing As for example Men that speak of the Philosopher's Stone they suppose it to have such a property in it as when it toucheth the metal it turneth it into Gold Such a property the Spirit of God hath upon the soul of man when it toucheth the soul it putteth a divine nature into it Now saith the Apostle The wicked one toucheth him not so as to alter him and to turn him into his own nature and make him as very a devill as himself which they that have sinned against the holy Ghost do Because even as very a devill as Satan is he that is once made partaker of the divine Nature cannot be touched so as to be made partaker of the diabolicall nature Secondly This may serve in the next place To undeceive 2. To undeceive carnall Professors carnall Professors that stand so much upon their faith and have no new birth to shew that say They have believed ever since they were born when as indeed no man can believe till he be born again There is an inseparable connexion between these two Faith and the New-creature the Evangelist John putteth them together To those that believe in his name who are born of God Wheresoever Christ is received by faith there he doth renew the soul as well as save it He bringeth with him plaisters that do not onely hide sin but heal it not onely cover it but cure it He bringeth with him not onely pardoning mercy but purging mercy and renewing grace And therefore it is in vain for men to call themselves believers if they be not new-born The Pleas of carnall Professors 1. They are baptized Some pleas indeed they have which I will briefly answer First They are baptized and therefore born again their baptism is the Laver of Regeneration That is all some have to shew Whether that place Tit. 3. 5. According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of the new-birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost be meant primitively of Baptism yea or no may be disputed But I wave that Secondly Those that ascribe most efficacy to Baptism they say That Infants Elect and onely they do in baptism 2. They onely that are Elected receive Regeneration in Baptism receive a Regeneration But what kind of Regeneration whether Potential Habitual or Initial they know not not such as will serve their turn when they grow up to years for then they must have an Actuall and farther Regeneration before they can be saved Peter telleth us expresly that the outward washing with water saveth none there must go a farther work to that 1 Pet. 3. 21. Wherefore the baptism that now is answering that figure which is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but a confident Demanding which a good conscience maketh to God saveth us also by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ That no man can have that is not new born There cannot be a good conscience till there be a sprinkling of the blood of Christ For we are sprinkled from an evill conscience Heb. 12. 24. Now a man that is new-born when Satan putteth in a Plea against him he can put in his Answer against Satan's Bill he is able to plead Sincerity when he is accused of Hypocrisie and to make an apology for himself against the accusations of the Law If this satisfie not consider one or two places more to shew the vanity of this plea Gal. 6. 15. In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature Baptism is what Circumcision was Baptism availeth not but a new Baptism availeth not without a new-birth creature Baptism without new-birth can bring no man to salvation One may be a kind of baptized Turk as there were circumcised Ellemits in Jerusalem that is Men circumcised in the flesh and yet Heathens in their dispositions Ezek. 18. 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions wherein ye have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel They must die unlesse there were a new spirit and a new heart within them Nothing but death without the new creature though an Israelite When men are beaten from this they fall to a second 2d Plea of carnall Professors plea and pretend to a New-birth Why Because they are not so bad as they have been some duties they neglected before but now perform them some errours they committed before but now abstain from them Therefore surely they are born of God To make Answer to this Plea we must know wheresoever Their Plea answered this new-birth