the sins of his people also upon his shoulders 1 Pet. 2.24 He hath born our sins on his own body on the crosse Hee which knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him believe it beloved those sins and corruptions that so much trouble the soules of Saints he hath borne them all himselfe hee himselfe bare our iniquities upon his own body 4 The High-priest bare the names of the children of Israel on a brest-plate of judgment for a memoriall before the Lord continually Exod. 28.29 He beares their names and judgments before the Lord c. So doth Christ our High-priest beare the names of his people yea their nature and judgments upon his heart before the Lord continually he presents them before his Father continually Now Christ may be said to beare the names of the Saints upon his heart First In his continuall presenting them to himself and Father without spot righteous in his own righteousnesse Ephes 5.25 26 27. Secondly In respect of their neernesse unto him Beloved that that comes to a mans heart comes neere him the Saints of God are as neere unto him as his own heart hee that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye he that persecutes them persecutes Christ Acts 9.4 O therefore let men take heed how they persecute Christians It were better a milstone were hanged about their necks and they cast inco the Sea then offend or persecute the Saints But the Saints whom the Lord hath or shall call are upon his heart in respect of his love unto them Beloved the elect were upon the heart of Christ from all eternity Ephes 1.4 That was the reason why he comes into the world to take your nature your sins become sin and a curse for sinners It was his love The elect of God was so upon the heart of Christ from eternity and hee will give his heart bloud before hee will lose one of them O what do your hearts say to this deer brethren and sisters is not heere comfort for your souls ô thou art perhaps affraid whether Christ loves thee this is the complaint many times of the gracious soule but know this you to whom God hath given faith in his Son thou art upon the heart of the Son in respect of means in respect of love hee loves thee more then thou canst love him for God is love John 4.26 He bears thee upon his heart poore soule and what canst thou desire more see Cant. 8.6 see what Christ sayth of his Church Chap. 4.9 6.5 Thirdly The Saints are upon the heart of Christ in respect of his remembring of them The righteous shall be had in continuall remembrance Psal 112.6 O here is comfort for the poor afflicted souls of the Saints it may be you are under affliction either externall or internal and art ready to complain as once David did as if the Lord had forgotten to be mercisull Ps 13.1 2. what ever thy condition be God hath not forgotten thee no no thou art upon his heart thou art neer and deer unto him thou art very precious unto him he hath set thee as a seale upon his heart and hee cannot forget thee Object But you will say perhaps will not God forget me when I forget him I I have a wicked deceitfull heart that gives me the slip when I come to pray and the name of the Lord is not so precious upon my heart as I wish it were many times Ans But God will not forget thee Esay 49.15 16. Can a woman forget her sucking childe from having compassion on the Sonne of her womb yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee Behold I have ingraven thee upon the palmes of my hands thy walls are continually before me c. O blessed word the Lord will not forget thou art not onely upon his heart but upon his hands also ever in his sight his eye is ever over thee for good Fourthly The Saints are upon the heart of Christ and there he will keep them Those which thou hast given me have I kept and none of them is lost c. Joh. 17.12 Ah blessed word able to bear up the spirits of the Saints to whom God hath given faith ô you poor doubting Christians who are somtimes affraid that your hearts will deceive you and perhaps are ready somtimes to complain with David I shall one day fall by the hand of Saul So thou art ready to say ô this wicked heart of mine ô this proud this stubborn heart of mine I am afraid least all is nothing and that I shall one day fall by it O beloved you to whom God hath given faith are upon the heart of Christ and if thou canst but once see thy selfe there it is enough thou needest not fear thy falling Dost think man woman that Christ hath set thee there for nothing no no he will keep thee there it is true were the power of standing or falling left to thy selfe then thou mightest well doubt but thou art kept by the power of God through faith 2 Pet. 1.5 thou art preserved at and in the heart of Christ his love is so to thee that hee will not lose thee none shall pluck thee out of his hands he loving thee once will love thee to the end however some pretend a falling away from grace after the soule comes truly to believe in the Lord Jesus but it is but a vain fancie and an imaginary conceit for it is a part of the Covenant of grace on gods part to keep thee from falling Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart away from me Fifthly The High-Priest was to beare the iniquity of the holy things in a plate of pure gold on their fore-heads before the Lord always that they might be accepted before the Lord Exod. 28.37 38. So Christ bears the iniquity of the holy things of the Saints the best Saints I mean the most holy is not able to performe any duty to God but there is a great deal of sin in it iniquity cleaves to it now beloved as Christ hath borne all the rest of the sins of the Saints so he bears all the sin all the iniquity of the holy things of the Saints O comfort for the Saints thou caust not hear noe pray without sin why Christ bears all the iniquity of thy holy things he presents thy person and prayers to God without spot Ephes 5.27 There is never a prayer put up unto God in the name of Christ in faith but Christ presents it John 16 23. Whatsoever ye shall aske the Father in my name it shall be given you see Rev 8.3 The Angel Christ Jesus stands at the Altar and having a golded censer with much insence that he might offer it or add it to the prayers of the Saints ô beloved here is a blessed word for the soules of the Saints whether particular Saints or Churches Christ adds to your
Christ but to the Saints you have heard 1 John 5.1 Every one that loves him that begate loveth him also that is begotten 2 I come to the excellent properties and effects of this love 1 With relation to Christ 2 To the Saints 1 To Christ 2 It refuses to receive satisfaction in any enjoyment beneath the Lord Jesus A soule truly enlightned in the excellency of the knowledge of God in Christ refuseth to take content and satisfaction in any thing that comes short of Christ It is true there may be many turnings and windings in the heart and the profits and pleasures of the world shall be presented as Satan presented them to Christ and duties and creatures and performances gifts c. and thus Satan can and often doth present himself like an Angell of light and that to the Saints too they that know any thing of God know it if possibly he could hee would delude and cheat a poore creature but the soul truly loving Christ will not be thus cheated and deluded by that old Serpent he must have Christ nothing lesse will satisfie him A living child may be quieted awhile with a bable a counter or ratle which is nothing but folly but in conclusion it findes by experience the emptinesse and vanity of such things then casts away all and nothing but bread will satisfie him So it may be with the soule the living Christian it may receive some content in duties and prayers for a time but in the conclusion it comes to see the emptinesse of these things and then nothing but Christ will content him When a soule truly loving Christ comes to see how he hath deluded himselfe in mistaking Christ thinking that he hath had Christ when indeed he had nothing but the externall ordinance visible forme which is indeed the shell without the kernell ô then nothing lesse then a Christ will satisfie ô give me Christ sayth the soule or else I die Christ in every ordinance it will not take ordinances and duties for Christ any more but now the soule must enjoy Christ in ordinances Christ in preaching in praying in the Supper of the Lord nothing gives content to the soule but Christ O this is the excellent quality of true spirituall love to the Lord Iesus Hence it is that the spouse in the Canticles Cap. 3.12 so earnestly seeks her beloved shee could take no rest untill shee had found him ver 4. and then shee holds him and will not let him goe This is the property of love it soars very high flies aloft like the Eagle and why because God in Christ is its object and where the dead carkesse is thither will the Eagles be gathered together Christ is the alone object of faith and love and to him all true beleevers come in him shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Esay 45.25 onely note this that the soule comes by faith to enjoy him whom the soule loves A second excellencie of love to the Lord Jesus is It is quieted and satisfied in the single enjoyment of Christ the soul that hath Christ hath enough it can say as Jacob It is enough Ioseph my son is yet alive so the believing soule whose heart is truly inflamed with love to Christ for his own excellencie it hath enough it is content now to lose all as the Apostle Paul Phil. 3.7.8 He accounts all things but losse yea dung that he may win Christ This is the excellencie of the grace of love to Christ it carries the soule above the world above creature or any thing beneath Christ it desires nothing but Christ 1 Cor. 2.1 It gloryeth and rejoyceth in nothing but Christ Gal. 6.14 and him crucified If it have the world so it is if not it is contented it is quiet in any condition if it enjoy all things I mean in the world yet Christ is the summe of all if it want all things yet in Christ it enjoyes all so the Apostle as having nothing yet possessing all things so that now the soule that believes in and loves the Lord Jesus knows how to be abased and how to abound that is it know how in that lowest condition to live satisfied upon Christ and it knows how in the highest condition to live also upon Christ it can doe all things through Christ that strengthens it Phil. 4.12 13. Doe you not see on the contrary men that have no love to the Lord Jesus how they let forth their hearts upon the creature they live upon the creature take away the world from them you take away their life but the man that loves Christ hath enough in the enjoyment of him what ever befall them in the world they can say as Christ I have meat to eate that yee know not of John 4.32 the Lord Iesus is the Saints meat and drinke they live upon him and are satisfied with him The third property of love is It slights all hardships and sufferings that it meets withall for the name and sake of Christ Nothing can quench this love many waters cannot quench it many flouds of affliction cannot quench love when others that love not the Lord Jesus but themselves and their own ease start and are affrighted at the reproach of Jesus as at some strange apparition when the soul that sees spiritually that looks not at things that are seen that is at the outside of things which carnal eys only see but at things that are not seen that is at the outside of things which carnall eyes They hence go cheerfully slighting persecutions being perswaded that nothing can make a separation betweene Christ and their souls glorying and triumphing in the crosse of Christ being not only ready to suffer reproach but death it self if the Lord call them to it for the name and sake of their beloved Thus you see the excellencie of this grace it carries the soule sweetly out to Christ it lies down in the bosome of love and there it is satiated there it is satisfied there it hath enough there it lives and there it dies yet with him it shal for ever live ô the admirable excellencie in this grace of love it makes hard things easie and bitter things sweet it lives upon that others canot see no not never shall see unlesse the Lord open their eyes it rejoyceth in that others dread it takes that for a crown that others count shame it makes their hearts to leap for joy in the beholding of those things that makes others faint and fail 2 I come to the excellencie of this grace of love in and to the Saints for that is the great thing we have now in hand the excellencie of the grace of love among Saints among brethren 1 It is of a knitting nature it knits or bindes up the soules of the Saints as one it makes them to be of one heart and of one minde What is the reason of such divisions amongst Saints but the want of love this grace of love is
against the spirit and these two are contrary each to other And thus the Lord Jesus continues opposing of sin of the Iust and corruption that is in the hearts of the Saints Quest How doth Christ oppose sin and Satan for sin is Satans work 1 John 5.8 For this cause was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the work of the Devill The work of the Devill is sin hee that committeth sin is of the Devill Ans Christ destroys sin which is the Devils work two ways 1 First Christ he destroys the guilt of it and that he did in bearing both the sin guilt and condemnation of it upon his own body 1 Pet. 2.24 Rom. 8.3 and now he comes and in the Gospel makes it known unto his people Rom. 5.11 2 Hee destroyes the power of it by his spirit by the operation of his power working reigning and ruling in the hearts of his people Rom. 6.4 Now Christ subdues this iniquity by his Kingly Office reigning in the Saints Ye are not under the law but under grace under Christ in whom was manifested the fulnesse of grace This doth Christ two ways first he comes to the soule of a poore sinner discovering his excellency the riches of his grace and so shedding abroad his love in the heart gets the soule willing to receive him out of love unto him desires to have Christ set up and his Kingdome within it selfe for Christ hath never a Kingdome in the heart of man till hee thus comes and breaks in upon the soul discovering love yet now sayth the soul let Christ be King and none but him although it is true it is by his power he breaks in upon and subdues the stout spirit of man who would not willingly submit of himselfe yet Christ makes him willing by the shedding abroad of his love in the heart Rom. 5.5 So that now the Lord Jesus with the free consent of the gracious soul sets up his kingdome in the heart so that when Christ sayth My Sou give me my heart Lord take my heart sayth the soule dwell there rule there ser up thy kingdome there so that you see Christ doth not rule as Tyrant in the souls of his people but with the free and full consent of the mind of the person in whom hee reigns for this is both the wisdome and power of Christ that hee makes his people a willing people Psal 110.3 Then secondly Christ having purged the heart of man in some measure overcomes those strong lusts and affections and makes it a meet mansion house a Temple for his holy spirit to dwell in he then sets up laws and statutes in the hearts of his children in his kingdome and there he rules opposing all other laws for there are and will be the stirring of corruption and that very strongly too Now Christ first sets up the law of faith in the hearts of his people and that in opposition of infidelity for naturally the Saints are subject to infidelity through the motions of corruptions and temptations of Satan The beleeving soule when it sees what a base nature it still carries about within it selfe being sensible of the stirring of lusts and corruptions Satan helping seriously then it is troubled O this evill nature of mine sayth the soul who shall deliver me from this body of sin Now the law of Christ is to beleeve and in this condition to live by believing and so Christ enables to put faith in exercise and to beleeve above hope almost as Abraham and so hee still quiets the soule by enabling it to believe constantly in the name of the Sonne God and that when it cannot worke for hee is the Prince of our faith the authour and finisher of it and so here is in the heart of the Christian a strong conflict between the law of faith and the law of infidelity the spirit of faith and the spirit of infidelity infidelity it comes in with a mighty commanding authority upon the soule of that Christian set on by the Devils malice and perhaps sometimes seemes almost in the eyes of reason to get the victory over faith but then Christ who maintaines his laws puts them in execution arises and rayseth up the heart above those doubtings and caries on the soul in a way of beleeving still and so quashes infidelity and treads it under fect and leaves it dead executed for present by the law of faith 2 Christ sets up the law of love in his Kingdome I mean in the heart of the Saints and that in opposition to hatred For the truth is that every soul in whom Christ reigns not doth indeed hate Christ now Christ sets up this law of love in the hearts of the Saints love to himself to his holinesse to his Gospell Ordinances Saints every thing that have the name of Christ stampt upon them it loves it for his sake and this law of love opposeth hatred for there may come sometimes hard thoughts into the souls of the Saints under afflictions and fiery tryals ready perhaps to say with David Hath the Lord forgotten to be mercifull hath he shut up his tender mercy in disple asure Now the law of love comes in and helps the soule to see that there is in Christ nothing but love to it notwithstanding the souls present apprehensions and sees all things shall worke for good to them that love the Lord and so can say with the Prophet Lord out of very love hast thou afflicted me and so the soule is knit to Christ in all conditions cannot but have high thoughts of him even then when it suffers either for him or from him For him That is for want of the enjoyment of the manifestations of his pleasing countenance and the fresh incomes of his love the kissings of his mouth Cant. 1.2 or for the bearing up of his name in a visible profession of the Gospel of Christ From him Fatherly chastisements out of love to make us partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12.10 In all these sufferings when perhaps somtimes the carnall part is ready almost to quarrell against Christ this law of love quells and subdues all brings this heart-rising in subjection and knits the soule to the Lord Jesus 2 As it causeth the soule to love the Lord Jesus so it causeth it to love all that is Christs and highly to esteem of it it opposes any other Law that may seeme to arise as sometimes perhaps through the workings of Satan with the corruptions of the Saints there may be some beginnings of slighting the Saints of entertaining hard thoughts of them but then Christ stirs up and revives this Law of love in them kills that hatred those hard thoughts that it was apt to conceive against them and so knits the soule to them by a more firme united love then ever and thus this law of love overcomes this law of hatred in a word it causeth the Saints to doe all that they doe out of love the love of
when a soule comes to this it is my duty to please God therefore hath Christ required it will it please the Lord Jesus O then I dare not but doe it come what will I cannot but doe it truly you who indeed love the Lord Jesus that Love will constrain you to please him although you displease your selves But secondly those who are taught of God will rather displease themselves then displease their brethren the Saints This is a necessary lesson a gracious soule will displease himself rather then the Saints this is a lesson that both you and I have need to learn and I doubt wee come shott in our practice of it I speak not eyther to blame or shame any of you I have more against my selfe in this particular then against you all but I speake to informe to forewarn both my self and you in this particular but to prevent any mistake or misunderstanding of what I shall speake concerning this thing I desire before I proceed to let you to know that I do not intend that you should be men-pleasers that is that ye should so please one the other as to suffer any sin in each other without reproofe or admonition in love therein you come to hate one the other Neyther be ye externally in shew only such for the Apostle reproves such speaking of the duty of servants Ephes 6.6 Not with eye service as men-pleasers but so pleasing the Saints as in that you please God 2 Thes 2.4 So speake we as not pleasing men but God See Gal. 1.10 But to proceed it is the duty of the Saints so far to please their brethren as to deny themselves as the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 10.33 Even as I please all men in all things not seeking mine own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved the Apostle seeks to please all men that hee might winne some to the Gospell which is every Saints duty much more then to please the Saints in love rather then in every thing to seek to please our selves It is this Self pleasure that is the cause of so much division amongst the Saints How hard a thing is it for one Saint to stoop to the weaknesse of another love would cause us to stoop to each other and to performe every service of love each to other Rom. 15.2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification And why vers 3. For Christ pleased not himself c. If your hearts and my heart was not so moulded into this forme of doctrine as that you could count it your joy to please you brethren that you could choose rather to please a Saint then to please your selves and so every one to have this heart of love toward each other what comfortable life of love in the Lord might the Saints live Whereas one the contrary when every one stands off to please himself men run an end to have their own minds what whisperings what bitternesse will arise even in the Saints nay how doe they come sometimes even to byte and devoure one the other as the Apostle speaks But my beloved I hope better things of you I speake not to condemne but to forewarne both my selfe and you of this great evill which too much creeps in among the Saints and to let you see a glimpse of the amiablenesse of that grace of love which is so usefull amongst the Saints 7 There is Self love naturally in every man so the Apostle fore-tels 2 Tim. 3.2 Men shall be lovers of their own selves and that Professours too and that in the last dayes See Verse 1. Now Christ who is the Saints Prophet and Teacher hee teacheth them to deny this selfe love not that a man may not love himselfe love his soule love to enjoy good Prov. 19.8 He that getteth wisdome loveth his own soule So likewise 1 Pet. 3.10 but that he should not love himselfe and himselfe onely this is sinfull love Christ Jesus never taught this love but a man may to love himselfe as that he love his brethren also nay he may so love himselfe as that he love his brethren as himselfe Rom. 13.9 Thou shalt love thy neighbour to wit thy brother as thy selfe This is the love Christ teacheth where he comes and he doth not onely teach it in word but in example also be may be said so far to deny himselfe as not to love himselfe in comparison of that love manifested to us he loved us better then he loved himselfe our life better then his own life for he gave his own life freely to purchase life for our souls here was great love John 15.13 Greater love then this hath no man that he lay down his life for his friends and we ought to be followers of Christ in this grace of love Ephes 5.1 2. Be yee followers of God as dear children and walke in love even as Christ hath loved you and given himselfe for you 8 There is selfe will also and this Christ teacheth the Saints to deny and to submit unto the will of God this Christ our pattern hath given us an example who came not to doe his own will but the will of him that sent him It is my meat and drinke to doe the will of my Father Iohn 4.34 In his prayer before his suffering Mat. 26.39 Not as I will but as thou wilt O blessed example to be imitated of all the Saints What Jesus Christ deny himselfe his own will and shall not the Saints doe it his Disciples and followers But Christ hath not onely given us his example as our pattern but he hath exhorted us thereunto also Mat. 7.21 Not he that sayth Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father c. Ephes 6.6 the Apostle exhorting servants to be obedient to their masters sayes not with eye service as men pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God This selfe will is a cause of much stirre and division in the world I had almost sayd amongst the Saints What is the cause of this warre and bloud but self will I mean next under God one will establish one Religion another will establish another Religion one will establish Episcopall another will establish Presbyterian Government or else the Kingdome must rue it being stirred up thereunto on both sides by the Clergie and is likely to bring ruine upon the Kingdome if God prevent it not in teaching those whom it concerns that they have nothing to doe in either side to compell men to any Religion that it is the will of men and never the will of Christ to give his Kingdome and Dominion minion to the will of men to the will of the Magistrate This self will is that causeth stirs and troubles in families the husband will have his mind and the wife will have her minde this causeth stirs in Churches amongst the Saints when every one will have his own mind
the great commands of the Gospel Ans 1 Love is the great command and where true faith and love is there will be the effects of it 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the commandement is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfained This is both the beginning and end the first and last in the Law of the Gospel Love first God out of love hath given us a law wee out of love yield obedience to it James calls it the royall Law Jam. 2.8 If ye fulfill the royall law according to the Scripture thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyselfe 2 Now this love is manifested 1 To Christ 2 To the Saints 1 To Christ and that first in keeping his commandements Joh. 14.23 Jesus answered and said If a man love me he will keepe my words ver 24. he that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings Love will cause those in whom it is to submit to Christ in every thing 1 John 5.3 This is the love of God that wee keep his commandements that is here in is our love to God made manifest in keeping his commandements Quest What are the commands of Christ to his children with relation to himself Ans His command is first love as you have heard 2 Obedience flowing from her this obedience is first to Gospel commands 2 In a Gospell manner 3 To Gospel ends First it must be to Gospell commands wee are to heare Christ in all things not Moses Act. 3.22 him shall you heare in all things c. believers are to receive every comand as from the hands of Christ John 15.14 Ye are my friends if you doe whatsoever I command you The first command that Christ requires of believers and that next after faith received is Baptisme Mar. 16.17 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved so likewise Mat. 28.19 Disciple Nations and baptize them this was the first thing in the commission to be submitted to and it was ever so in the Apostles practice which must be our pattern Act. 2.41 As many as gladly received the Word that is believed the truth of the Gospel and gladly received the Lord Jesus the summe and substance of the Gospel were haptized so Act. 8.12 They believed and were baptized both men and women so Act. 16. Lydia and the Goalar In a word this was the first duty that ever the Saints performed the first ordinance that ever they subscribed to after faith received in the Scripture there is neither precept nor president either to baptize before faith or after to teach faith or else after faith is received to neglect or slight baptisme it being a command of Christ love in the Saints compelling them to yield obedience to every ordinance of Christ for his own sake with an expectation of a farther discovery and manifestation of love and grace from God in his own ordinance in his own way Now I confesse there are many objections that by many are made against this truth who plead for and practice the baptizing of insants But because I have in another treatise indeavoured from the light of Scripture to cleare the truth and answer those objections I shall in this place passe them by onely by reason of our late conference I shall briefly touch upon these three Scriptures we then had in disputation The first is Act. 2.38 39. The promise is to you and to your children c. The Promise in this place was concluded upon that it was remission of sins and the gifts of the holy spirit hence was drawn this conclusion that the infants of believers found as large an interest in this promise as their parents and therefore ought to bee baptized Which I cannot but deny and assirme that the promise here was to the Iews as many as the Lord did call to their children as many as the Lord should call to the Gentiler afar off as many of them as the Lord should call There is a sound truth in the Scripture thus interpreted for God gave remission of sius his spirit all the good things of the Gospel to as many as he called both Iow and Gentile and so he will to the worlds end and indeed he never promised it to any other He that believeth on the Son hath life he that believeth not hath not life Joh. 3.31 If the promise of the Covenant of grace remission of sins and the goodthings of the Gospel had been to the Iews that beleeved and to their naturall seed it must then have been made good to them or else there was no truth in the promise but it was never made good to them for then they had not been apostated as they are to this day nay the Lord was so far from intending any such thing to the Iews that hee intended their rejection and casting off Rom. 11.15 neither was the promise to the naturall seed of the believing Gentiles but the elect of God both Iews and Gentiles obtain it Rom. 2.7 and God under the Gospel makes no difference between the seed of the believer and unbeliever with relation to their Generation but it is grace that makes the difference The second Scripture was Mar. 10.13 14. Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdome of God That which is hence inferred is that children are blessed that they are a part of the Church and therefore have a right to baptisme whereas it is very probable that those infants were brought to Christ to be cured of some diseases for the Text sayth They brought young children to him that he might touch them and he blessed them that is gave them the blessing they came for to wit health and cure and whereas Christ sayth of such is the kingdome of heaven that is of such qualified spiritually as those infants were naturally so Christ himselfe interprets it ver 15. Verily I say unto you whosoever doth not receive the Kingdome of Heaven as a little childe be shall not enter therein that is whosoever doth not receive the Kingdom of God both of grace and glory as a little childe that is humble and meek and teachable able to doe nothing himselfe but Christ is his all and in all he shall never enter therein so that Christ takes occasion from those little infants to discover a Gospel mystery a mystery indeed to naturall men Mat. 18.2 3. The third Scripture was that in 1 Cor. 7.14 The unbelieving wife is sanctified to the believing husband else were your children unclean but now are they holy Now it was first granted that the sanctification of the wife is but a civill sanctification shee is sanctified to his use that he ought not to put her away 2 This was granted also that holinesse is a fruit of sanctification then I say the fruit or effect cannot be greater then the cause the cause cannot produce a greater effect then it selfe the cause being onely a civill sanctification the holinesse of the children
must be the same so that now under the Gospel the believer may lawfully keepe the unbeliever whether husband or wife and their children whereas under the Law if a Iew marryed with an idolatrous Gentile he was to put away both wife and children Ezra 10.3 but under the Gospel there is no such thing unlesse the unbeliever will depart 2 After faith and baptisme the will and command of Christ is that his people should yield obedience to all his comands indeed he doth not onely command it but gives power there is a power goes with the commands of Christ he is the King of his people he gives laws and statutes and withall gives in abilities to doe what he commands Christ knows that without him you can doe nothing John 15.5 the will and commands of Christ is that his people should be holy is all manner of holy conversation the will of God is their sanctification 1 Thes 4.2.3 For yee know what commandements we gave you by the Lord Iesus for this is the will of God your sanctification to abstain from sin to ver 7. and the reason is rendred ver 7. For God hath not called us unto uncleanuesse but unto holinesse God hath not given his Son to redeeme men that so they might live in unclean unholy ways he doth not call them to fellowship with himselfe and one with another that so they might take their pleasures in the world in sin no no God calls his to holinesse and therefore the Apostle Peter sayth It is written be yee holy or yee shall be holy as I the Lord your God am holy 1 Pet. 1.16 And he that hath this hope purifieth himselfe even as Christ is pure 1 Iohn 3.3 And the Apostle Pauls exhortation answers this command Rom. 12.1 I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that yee present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service and be not conformable to this world but be yee transformed by the renewing of your mindes c. that is seeing God hath renewed your mindes let your bodies your externall walkings be made conformable to Iesus Christ and not to the world O beloved holinesse becomes the Saints especially holinesse becomes the houshold of Saints the Churches of Saints the Church of Saints is Gods house 1 Tim. 3.10 his dwelling place Psal 132.13 14. and holinesse becomes the Lords house for ever and it is the love of Christ that constrains the Saints thus to walk Quest But is it not the Saints duty thus to walke Ans Yea without question it is their duty Gal. 6 16. He that walketh according to this rule peace shall be upon him but they are to performe this duty of holy walking out of love therefore Christ sayth If yee love me keepe my commandemenst Iohn 14.15 none hath to doe with the commands of Christ but those that love him which love flows from faith for faith worketh by love Gal. 5.6 A second command of Christ is love the Saints which was the second thing I propounded in the manifestation of love It is first to Christ Hee that loveth not the Lord. Iesus let him be accursed ver 17. These things I command you that yee love one another And a new commandement give I unto you that you love one another as I have loved you Quest Why is it called a New commandement seeing it is not new but the same that was from the beginning Ans 1 It is New because given a new by Christ and so are all the commands of Christ given a new and are new commands given to a new people to wit believers Mose's commands were given to all the whole body of naturall Israel Christs to the whole body of spirituall Israel the Saints None else hath to doe with any law as it comes from Christ but are still under the Law as it came from Mount Sinay 2 It is new in respect of the nature of it which is double 1 as it flows from Christs love to us 2 It must be the same as Christs love was to us ever as I have loved you and as this is the speciall comand of Christ so it is the property of the Saints that the grace they receive from Christ causeth them to doe it the love of Christ constrains them Therefore the Apostle thanks God for the Colossians Col. 1.3 4. For the increase of their faith and love to all the Saints Where faith increaseth love increaseth for faith increaseth love to Christ and love to Christ increaseth love to the Saints For my more cleer proceeding in this particular I shall endevour from light and truth to discover unto you first what love is 2 the excellent properties and effects of this love 3 the manifestation of this love 1 What love is Love is an affection of the soule carried forth after and setled upon something from an apprehended worth and excellency in the thing this I conceive to be love whether it be spirituall or naturall whether set upon a good or bad object for it is not possible there should be true love but where the soul apprehends something worthy to be beloved First the understanding goes forth and takes a view of the object presented if the understanding so apprehend any worth or excellency in the object presented then the affection of love is let forth upon it and is not satisfied without the enjoyment of it Hence it comes to passe that when the understanding is truly enlightned and the judgement rightly informed the affection is carried forth and setled upon a right object but if the understanding be corrupted and blinded and the judgement misinformed the affection of love is carried forth after and set upon wrong objects When the understanding is so blinded it apprehends an excellency in the world in pleasures in sin c. for believe it it is the blindnesse of mens understanding usually that causeth men to love sinfully So on the contrary when Christ is presented to the view of the soule the understanding by the power of God is enlightned and comes to apprehend in some measure that excellent worth that is in him the affection of love goes forth after him and desire is not satisfied untill it enjoy him Thus it was with the Spouse in the Canticles chap. 5.10 My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand and hence it is her love is so drawn forth after him that shee seeks him and is never satisfied till she find him vers 6. she is sick of love after him chap. 2.5 and this love unto Christ carries forth the soule in love to the Saints for the sake of Christ where it sees the Image of Christ the same love where with the soule loves Christ it loves the Saints 1 Iohn 4.20 21. That it is the command of Christ and the property of the love of God where it is shed abroad in the heart to carry forth the soul in love not only to
that which would knit the hearts of christians one to another It was the Apostles desire and care for the Colossians that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love Col. 2.2 This knitting together of the Saints is that which makes them meet to watch over each other to build up each other it is as the joynts and sinews of the body naturall knitting each member together and so nourishing the whole body Col. 2.9 Being knit together increaseth with the increase of God this is the excellent property of love it knitts up the souls of the Saints together where it is in truth there cannot be an easie dissolving of this knot of love this was the love of David and Jonathan 1 Sam. 18.1 The soule of Ionathan was knit with the soule of David and Ionathan loved him as his own soule this is the true property of love it knits the soul to the partie beloved it is not possible if there were true love that there should be such divisions amongst the Saints if it be but a difference in opinion presently the love the fellowship is broken A second excellencie of true love is It coven a multitude of infirmities it is not easily moved it is not easily provoked it is naturally easie to be intreated it will not suddainly believe evill reports it will not suddainly have bitter envyings and evill surmisings this is the excellencie of the grace of love it will bear much and long it will not censure without wonderfull just cause 1 Cor. 13.4 5 6 7. Love suffereth long it is not easily provoked it will not starte at shadows love envyeth not anothers prosperity but rather rejoyceth in it as one member of the body rejoyceth in the prosperity of another it vaunteth not itselfe it is not puffed up love is an humble grace it maketh those in whom it is to serve each other in love to prefer each other before itselfe it seeketh not its own it seeketh not its selfe but the good of another it is not easily provoked it thinketh noill it rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth it beareth all things it believeth all things all things that it hath any ground or warrant to believe it hopeth althings that is the best of all things where there is any ground or probability of hope it endureth all things that is all things that God himself inflicts or suffers man to inflict upon him here is the excellencie of love O who would be without this grace of love nay but who can ever attain it but those whom God sheds abroad his love in their hearts by his holy Spirit how is this grace of love wanting among the Saints whence is it that there are such discords such bitter enyings such secret whisperings in a word such rents and breaches of communion and fellowship amongst Saints for slight things but the want of this grace of love truly were the love of God shed abroad in the hearts of his people more abundantly it would not be thus love is of absolute necessity for the peace and communion of Saints 3 Excellencie of love It is on everlasting grace it shall be made perfect in another world other graces fail but love never faileth 1 Cor. 13.8 Prophesies they fail and faith that shall cease but love shall abide for euer it shall be so far from ceasing that it shall after the ceasing of faith and other graces be made perfect and the Saints that love God indeed here and from that fountain of love love each other they shall then for ever live in the bosome of love their souls being satisfied in the enjoyment of him the fountain they shall be then perfectly knit together in one being filled with the enjoyment of God made perfect in love through that abundance of love it enjoyes in him The third particular propounded is the manifestation of this love how the Saints manifest this their love each to other 1 In a faithfull diligent watching over each other in love Phil. 2.4 look not every one to his own things but every one to the things one of another there should not be such a spirit amongst Christians as was in Cain who said Am I my brothers keeper no no you are keepers of each other and it is love that will make you faithfull to each others soule in this particular The second manifestation of love is in building up one the other in the most holy faith edifying one the other in love helping forward each other in the way of holinesse being compacted together in the order fellowship of the Gospel maketh increase of the body to the edifying it self in love Eph. 4.16 3 In bearing with the weaknesses of each other Col. 3.12 13. Put on as the elect of God bewels of mercie kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long suffering for bearing one another and for giving one another even as God for Christs sake forgave you Here is the manifestation of love when you are able to beare with and forbeare one another from this principle because God hath borne with you God hath forgiven you Rom. 14.1 him that is weak in the faith receive unto you 4 In restoring a falne brother with the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 If any brother be falne through weaknesse yee that are spirituall restore such a one with the spirit of weeknesse much tendernesse is to bee used towards a brother in this case the ground is we our selves the strongest of us are subject to and may fall by the like temptation if the Lord prevent it not 5 In speaking kindly to each other good words and comfortable this is the manifestation of love and truly where there is love in the heart it will appear in the countenance in the words a cheerfull and loving countenance loving words here will be words both for the Saints and to the Saints First for the Saints to go to God in prayer Ephes 1.16 for them in their vindication when any scandall is unjustly laid upon them so Ionathan for David 1 Sam. 19.4 Ionathan spake good of David and good for David 2 In speaking kindly one to another so the Apostle Paul he ever gives the Saints the title of Brethren wherefore holy Brethren pertakers of the heavenly calling and Solomon sayth That a soft answer turneth away strife 6 And lastly love is manifested incondoling each with other in afflictions the Saints are all of them members of the body of Christ 1 Cor. 12.27 and the members of the naturall body are sensible of the sufferings of each other if one member suffer all suffer with it if one member rejoyce all rejoyce with it so it is or should be in the body spirituall we should beare part of one anothers afflictions be truly sensible of the affliction of each other and so beare part with each other bee truly sensible of the comsorts of each other and so rejoice together this is the property of true love where it is I
have very briefly hinted upon some particulars much more might be said in this particular but I desire not to be tedious in this place I might branch forth in many other particular Gospel commands which would be too tedious only thus where the love of Christ is indeed shed abroad by the holy spirit there love cōstrains the soul to yeeld itself up wholly to the Lord Jesus all his comands whatsoever things are of good report whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are warranted and required in Gospel the soule that truly loves the Lord Iesus is ready in the peace and strength of Jesus to walk up unto it it will not consult with flesh and bloud it will not stand upon carnall arguments but as the Lord Jesus hath glorified mercy grace and love in doing unto the soule so it will now look what it is may conduce to the exaltation of his name then the soule that truly loves the Lord Jesus is satisfied let the name of Iesus have the glory and the soul that truly loves him hath its end and and rests satisfied Use It concernes every one to looke if Christ hath been their Prophet hath Christ given thee a heart willing to submit unto him in all things ready in his power to yeeld universall obedience to all his commands ô it neerly concerns you to try your selves and if so then whether your obedience flows from love It is possible there may be externall obedience from base and by-ends and then all is nothing Love is the fulfilling of the Law whatsoever is done in love that is from the love of Christ shed abroad in the heart is well done but all done without love is nothing preaching praying professing communicating it is all nothing without love it is one thing to preach and pray and professe it is another thing to doe it out of love to Christ then it is a fruit of faith Faith worketh by love and all works done without this are not acceptable 1 Cor. 13.1 2. Though I speak with the tongue of men and angels and have not love it is nothing it is but as a sounding brasse or tinkling eymball a man may have excellent words fine composed sentences admirable expressions all flowing from a notionall knowledge that may much affect the eares and hearts of the people and yet all be but a sound of words attained by art as a sounding brasse or a tinkling cymball which seems to make a sweet sound to the eare when there is nothing in it indeed but a composure of humane art and so being brought out of that frame there is nothing indeed worth looking after or harkning unto even so are those persons who seemingly do glorious actions and yet indeed have not the love of God in them But to proceed the third thing that Christ usually teacheth his people as to beleeve which faith you have heard produceth its effects so in the third place he teacheth them to live by faith that is to act and exercise this faith upon all occasions in all times according as they have need to make use of it and indeed this is a great Gospel mystery which the Saints are too much ignorant of It is one thing to have faith and another to live by faith it is one thing to have legs and another thing to make use of them to goe with them Quest What is it to live by faith Ans 1 It is to exercise faith that is to make use of it as need requires or 2 It is a living upon Christ in the want of all things Or 3 It is a living by believing of what the soul shall one day enjoy 1 It is to exercise faith as occasion calls for it that is to exercise it upon the object for faith hath ever an object and if it be right and true the object is Christ now it is true there is occasion for the Christian to exercise faith in every condition either Internally or Externally for the Christian hath many enemies to encounter with all the flesh and the Devill and the World all these comes in a mayn upon the soul Now faith overcomes 1 The flesh that will be ever lusting against the spirit Satan comming in working by it self will be in every action self wisdom self priding and self boasting this is contrary to the mind of the spirit and now the spirit is troubled and freed so that many times there is a hot conflict in the soule of the Saint but how comes the Christian to overcome it by cying and applying Christ it can say as Paul I haue a body of sin a proud cursed self seeking nature but thanks to God through Jesus Christ c. and there is no condemnation to them in Christ It is true I have a base nature a wicked cursed deceitfull proud self-seeking heart yet the Lord hath let forth a glimpse of his glory to my soul hee hath let mee see and hath sealed this by his spirit unto me that I am in Christ and there is no condemnation for me and so by faith seeking to Christ the soul overcomes this enemy flesh and then secondly it ever lives in believing that this fleshly corrupt part shall be every day more and more subdued and so is ever cying a crucified Christ for the killing and crucifying of this body of sin 2 The Devill hee will come in with his darts daying hard and heavy things to the charge of the soul although the Apostle faith Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth although God himself pronounce a man cleet and just yet the Devill will come in and endevour to make work in the godly justified soule O sayth the Devill thou art a vile cursed creature thou hast a base earthly carnall heart thou art able to performe no duty but it is full of sin and as good never a whit as never the better Thy services hadst thou no other sin to be accountable for are enough to condemne thee and besides all the rest of thy sins of thy basenesse in performing duty this is that is worst of all thou hast a wicked proud heart of thine owne thou art ready when ever God hath assisted thee to take the honour to thy selfe and to pride thy selfe in those weak duties thou performest What sayst thou to this Christian hast any experience of this try all in thy soule I dare say thou hast if Christ dwell there but what course will you take to over come in this combat see Ephes 6.16 There are the enemies the Saints are to encounter with they are no small no mean enemies see Verse 12. and the armour the Christians armour it s all armour of proof but above all take the sheeld of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fire darts of the wicked the Devill will come and come againe hee will have one dart and another dart now the way to overcome is
this World yet they are in Scripture called Saints that is Sanctus holy see 1 Cor. 1. called to be Saints called to be holy so Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling so that the kingdome of Christ is or should be Saints holy ones not the world for all the world are not Saints but the Kingdome of Christ are Saints called out of the World John 15.19 Ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world The Church of Christ are Saints chosen out of the World they are not of the World they are a people separated or severed out of the World so was the Church of the Iews Levit. 20.26 Ye shall be holy to me for I the Lord am holy and have severed you from other people that you should be mine And thus it is with the spirituall Israel of Christ under the Gospel of which the naturall was a type they are not of this World they are called out of this World and severed or separated from the World 2 Cor. 6.14 to the end they are to be separated from the world although the world hath gotten a forme of godlinesse See 2 Tim. 3.1 5. The Apostle speaking of the last times reckons up what courses men should take what sins they should be addicted to and yet concludes they shall have a forme of godlines but from such turne away or be ye separated So that you see the Church which is Christs Kingdome are a people called out of the world they are not of this world as he is not of this world Then certainly those are no friends to Christ that would turn the World in to a Church and so make the kingdome of Christ not a spirituall but a carnall kingdom and so make the Lord Jesus a lyer for he hath said His Kingdome is not of this world but let Christ be true and every man a lyer The Church of Christ his kingdom they are such as are in the order and fellowship of the Gospel compacted together according to the Gospel rule in order and fellowship it is in the spirituall kingdome of Christ in this case as in the body politick the whole kingdome under one governmēt is but one body politick or state so the Kingdom of Christ his church although gathered in many bodies yet it is but one body and every body hath the same power the same priviledges so that it ought to be a body compacted together under the reign and rule of one Lord lesus Ephes 4.16 and the externall way by which the Saints enter into this fellow ship it is by baptisme as you may see Acts 2.41 Then they with the godly received the word and were baptized and so added but I have spoken of this formerly and therefore I passe it here 2 As Christ hath a Kingdom and that is spirituall in relation to the matter so he sets up Laws and they are spirituall the Laws of Christ in his Kingdom is 1 The law of love 2 The law of edification 1 The law of love Gal. 5.13 14. By love serve one another for all the Law is fulfilled in one word even this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe and Jam. 2.8 It is called the royall Law of God Thou shalt love thy neighbonr as thyselfe this is the Law of the Gospel love to Christ and love to the Saints A new commandement give I unto you that yee love one another Joh. 13.34 Now this love breaks forth in causing the Saints to walke up according to every rule of the Gospel it constrains them to submit to every word to every comand of Christ it causeth the Saints to watch over each other to build up each other in the most holy faith to restore a weak brother with the spirit of meeknesse being falne Gal. 6.1 to beare one anothers burthens and so to fulfill the Law of CHRIST Thus CHRIST rules in and over his Kingdom by this law of love It is the end of the command of the Gospel love out of a pure heart and faith unfained 1 Tim. 1.5 He gives rules unto his people out of love he causeth them to obey out of love there is no condemnation in his law to his people but if they sin they have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous 1 Joh. 2.1 who is a propitiation for their sins Here is love in the King love in the subjects love in Christ commanding love in Christians obeying a Kingdom upheld and maintained by the law of love O that the God of love would increase this love more abundaritly both in your and my soul 1 Thes 3.12 The Lord make you to abound in love one towards another and to wards all men O this love is sweet amiable pleasant Psal 133.1 love to the Saints love to all men it is the way to win them to the Lord Jesus 2 Tim. 2.25 This is the main law by which Christ rules in and over his Saints his Churches his Kingdom and this is spirirituall 2 There is the law of edification 1 Cor. 14.26 Let all things be done to edifying It is the law of Christ in his Church that all things should be done to edification for the building up of the Saints in their most holy faith therefore the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.23 makes light of that which tends not to edification All things are lawfull for me but all things edifie not that is it which a Christian should looke most unto that is it that will edifie most it is the end of their compacting and building together in faith and fellowship that they might edifie each other in love Ephes 4.16 All done in the Church is for the edification of the body or should be every Ordinance that Christ hath set up in his Kingdom is for Edification Watching over each other Exhortation Admonition it is all for edification Baptisme Preaching the Supper of the Lord Communion and fellowship it is all for edification and consolation as Christ hath appointed it Act. 2.41 to 46. 1 Cor. 14.3 Church censure excommunication it is an Ordinance appointed of God for edification to bring the sinner into the sight of his sinne and that should bee the Churches end in the use of it Give him up to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the soule might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5.5 that is the end of this ordinance and should be the Churches end in the execution of it 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha let him be accursed till the Lord come so the word Maranatha implies it consists of two Syrian words Maran out Lord Atha come till our Lord come That is as I understand it till the Lord come either in a way of love convincing him by this ordinance or to judge and condemne him so that other Scripture seems to imply 1 Cor. 5.5 That his soule may be saved in the
is that he is called a Lamb slain from the beginning beloved Christ having undertaken to become a High-Priest a peace-maker between God and man nothing lesse then his bloud could doe it Heb. 9.22 Without bloud there is no remission no justification without bloud Christs dying is a Christians justification Rom. 5.9 being now justified by his bloud we shall be saved c. no purging of sin without bloud Heb. 9.14 how much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himself purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God Rev. 1.5 who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own bloud c. there is no pardon and so no peace without bloud Heb. 9.22 Thus beloved you see that all must be done by bloud and that by the bloud of Christ too the bloud of all the creatures in the world nay of all the men in the world was not able to redeem to make satisfaction for one soule nay for one sin nothing lesse then the bloud of Christ could doe it 1 Pet. 1.18 19. silver and gold could not doe it the bloud of creatures could not doe it Heb. 10.5 It is not possible that the bloud of buls and goats should take away sin Object But some may say that God had never any thing against his elect he ever loved them from eternity Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love Ephes 1.4 he chose us in him from before the foundatien of the world Ans True God ever loved his elect and ever intended mercie and love unto them yet he so loved them as with relation to the death of his Son and from everlasting determined to satisfie his justice to take away sin and work peace by the death of his Son and the truth is that God had as really an eye to the death of his Son from all eternity and saw it as actually then as if Christ had then suffered see Ephes 1.4 He chose us in him from before the foundation of the werld in him with relation to his death to his making satisfaction for sin not that God could not have made the Saints at once and have saved them presently and never have suffered them to sin but this is the way God in his wisdome appointed to manifest his mercie on the vessels of mercie and his justice on his enemies so that now beloved God having appointed this to be the means to bring sons to glory there could never have been any remission any peace but by a dying Christ therfore he is called a Lamb slain from the foundation of the World Rev. 13.8 and indeed Christ was as a lamb ever slain in Gods account and he beheld all things as present and saw both the work of creation redemption and glory of his Saints from all eternitie The second part of Christs priestly office consists in his intercession at the right hand of the glory of his Father Rom. 8.34 Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed year ather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Heb. 7.25 Hee ever liveth to make intercession Beloved this is one part of Christs Priestly office to intercede for the Saints Note beloved Christ intercedes 1 In the Saints 2 For them 1 In them Rom. 8.26 27. The Spirit it selfe to wit of Christ Gal. 4.6 Maketh intercession for us or in us according to the will of God that is God by his Spirit helpeth us to ask things according to the will of God for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit helpeth us c. 2 He maketh intercession For us also hee ever liveth to make intercession O blessed word for the Saints hee maketh intercession for every particular Saint hee maketh intercession for his Churches for us saith the Apostle and through him it is wee have accesse with boldnesse unto the Father c. Object But some may object did not Christ make satisfaction peace and reconciliation when hee dyed upon the crosse when he sayd It is finished Ans It is true that Christ in his death and resurrection finished the work of mans justification Rom. 5.9 being justified by his bloud and he made peace and reconciliation Col. 1.20 having made peace by the bloud of his crosse but wee are not to understand by Christs interceding any new act of Christ done eyther in way of satisfaction or justification neyther are wee to understand that Christ sits in Heaven pleading with the Father in words as a counfellour pleads a cause before the judge but Christ is in Heaven with the Father at his right hand that is in glory with him presenting our persons and in presenting our persens all our services in his owne person not by any new act of doing but by the worth of his merits the excellency of his person the neer relation of the Saints to himself viz. members of his body so that now God cannot look upon the Son but he must behold the Saints in him he having so neer a relation to his Father both by his personall presence and the excellent worth of his merits whose bloud spake better things then the bloud of Abel Heb. 12.24 he continually makes intercession to God for the Saints Esay 53.12 He hath poured out his soule to the death and he was numbred among the transgressors he bare the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors here you have the whol priestly office of Christ 1 Bearing sin and so working peace 2 Making intercession by that means for transgressors Use If so that Christ Jesus is to be exalted and lifted up as the alone High-Priest in the dayes of the Gospel hence will properly arise foure words of application 1 A word of Admiration 2 A word of Information 3 A word of Exhortatiō 4 A word of Consolatiō Use First a word of Admiration O what cause have the Saints to admire God who hath manifested himselfe in his Son I say to admire him 1 His Wisdom 2 His Love and his Mercie 3 His Iustice 4 His Power all manifested in his Son to and for the good of sinners whom he maketh Saints 1 How should the Saints admire his wisdom truly beloved the wisdom of God as in other things so in this particular making peace by the bloud of his Son is very admirable the wisdom of God wonderfully appeared in the whole work of God with relation to the creation Iob 37.14 15 16. Chap. 38.4 c. and this the Saints should be acquainted with that their hearts might admire him But the redemption of the Saints is much more admirable for beloved this was Gods end in making a world that he might set forth his wisdom in the redemption of the Saints Esay 40. The Lord speaking as it seems with relation to the comming of his Son a Saviour ver 11. he shall feed his flock like a sheepherd
and gather his lambs in his armes c. sayth ver 13. Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord and who was his Counsellor with whom took he counsell and who instructed him c. certainly none beloved there was none to do it for he determined his whole work both of creation and redemption before all things if there had bin any being then for any of the sons of men who could have invēted such a way such a means of recovering of reconciling fallen man truly none but the God of wisdome and therefore Christ is called in Scripture the wisdom of God Luk. 11.49 therfore also he is called the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1 21. we preach Christ the wisdom of God c. Chap. 2.7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world began Note beloved the Lord Jesus Christ the wisdome of the Father him in whom the Father manifests his wisdome was ordained before the world began Ephes 3.10 11. it is called the manifold wisdom of God Well may it be called manifold for it is infinite there is no numbering of it Ps 47.5 Great is the Lord and of great power of his understanding there is no number How should this take off from the Saints all cares and feares concerning the things of this world he who is infinite in wisdom wisdom it selfe hath taken care for thy soul for thine eternity Doubt not but rest upon him his wisdome shall be for thee hee will so order and dispose of all thy actions as shall be most advantagious for his owne honour and thy good And know this that nothing comes to passe but by his wise disposing hand of grace nay he is made unto thee that believest wisdome 1 Cor. 1.30 ô admirable mercy that the God of wisdom should not only wisely contrive a way for the reconciling of sinners to himself but should become their wisdome he is made to us wisdome admire at this all the sons and daughters of God what God himself become your wisdome then truly thy solly shall not harm thee ô thou art ready to say I am so foolish so ignorant c. ô poore soul it matters not it is mercy thou seest thy solly for the truth is thou must be a foole that thou mayst be wise 1 Cor. 3.18 4.10 that is thou must renounce all thine own wisdom as folly for it is self-wisdome that is the greatest enemy to Christ Therefore let no man deceive himself If any man amongst you seem to be wise in this world let him be a fool that he may be wise 2 What cause have the Saints to admire God in Christ for his love ô admirable love what God to give his Son to become a propitiation for the sin of sinners Is not this rich grace and mercy for God to take upon him the nature of man and the sins of men to make peace and reconciliation for men what soule can behold this love this mercy and not stand admiring in the enjoyment of it Beloved this love of God manifested unto men it is Free Full Everlasting Love it is free without desert there was nothing in man for to procure it hee hath loved thee freely poore soule Hos 14.4 I will heal their back-sliding I will love them Freely for mine anger is turned away Beloved God loved freely for he loved his before they were Ephes 1.4 he loved them freely for he loved them when they were sinners Rom. 5.8 the manifestation of it is free for it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercie Rom. 9.16 1 Cor. 1.27 he manifests it unto them when they would none of it when men had rather keep their sins then receive Christ as a Priest and an atonement so Paul Act. 9. the Lord meets him and over powers him when he was going in a way of persecution as it is in Esay 65.1 I am sought of them that asked not for mee and found of them that sought me not c. God first seeking and finding causes the creature to seek after God 2 It is full grace and love great love John 3.16 God so loved the world that hee gave his Son c. O unspeakable love that nothing lesse then the Son of God can serve for a gift and truly beloved nothing lesse could have done the deed and therefore nothing lesse could be given from a God of love who intended in his gift to doe good to man John 4.9 10. Herein is love not that we loved God but that hee loved us and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins and herein is the love of Christ manifested to become a Priest a Sacrifice to lay down his life for sinners Iohn 5.13 Greater love then this hath no man that a man lay down his life for his friends Here is great love love to be admired of al the Saints 3 This love of God manifested in the Son is everlasting love Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore in loving kindnesse have I drawn thee Harke you beloved friends God hath loved his people from everlasting and he will love them to everlasting Iohn 13.1 Having loved his own which were in the world hee loved them to the end that is for ever Hence it is that the kindnesse of God is called everlasting kindnesse Esay 54.8 In a little wrath I hid my face frone thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercie on thee c. his mercie is everlasting mercie Psal 100.5 For the Lord is good and his mercie is everlasting and his truth endureth to generation and generation His Covenant made with thee who art a believer is an everlasting covenant Esay 61.8 I will make an everlasting covenant with them saith the Lord a Covenant that shall not bee removed Esay 54.10 neither shalt thou depart out of it Jer. 32.40 and hence it is that the joy of the Saints shall be everlasting for indeed were not Gods mercies Gods Covenants c. everlasting There could he no true joy but this is that which occasions both true and everlasting joy and consolation 2 Thes 2.16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himselfe and God even our father which hath loved and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace c. Note beloved here is everlasting consolation flowing from the love of God and truly the consolation could not be everlasting were not that love communicated through grace everlasting Here is admirable mercie admirable grace free full everlasting 3 The Saints have cause to admire God in his Justice for beloved those two attributes of God are admirably exalted in this one particular giving Christ a reconciliation between God and man his love and his mercie is exalted in that he to accomplish his own end in a way of grace gives his own Son to become an offering for sin to this very end and purpose
his own way will please himself whoever be displeased O how sweetly might the Saints live if the Lord teach them to deny themselves 9 Christ teacheth to deny Self sufficiencie and selfe strength there is a naturall disposition in the creature to think that it hath power in it selfe to act to wards God and those that hold freewill make it a part of their faith that although in word they seem to deny freewill yet indeed they hold it and that the creature acts of his owne strength and may fall from grace or may stand if he will but where Christ comes in power he teaches men to deny this principle John 15.5 Without me you can do nothing and the Apostle that had experience of the workings of God consesseth it 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more then they all yet not I but the grace of God in me and Phil. 2 13. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure 10 And lastly there are self ends also and these Christ teacheth his to deny There is a naturall disposition in the creature to seeke himselfe and his own ends in every thing Phil. 2.21 For all seeke their own and not the things that are Jesus Christs therefore the Apostle exhorts the Corinthians 1 Cor. 10.24 Let no man seeke his own but seeke yee one anothers wealth Christ teacheth his in some measure to lay downe all self ends at his feet and to seeke him and his honour so that now what ever the Christian doth it is for Christ if he preach it is Christ and for Christ 2 Cor. 4.5 We preach not our felves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake All that ever the Saints doe they doe for the honour of Christ 2 Thes 1.11 and why they are not their own they are bought with a price therefore they are to glorifie God in their bodies and spirits 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Quest May not a Christian seeke himselfe in any case may he not seeke his own good Ans Is without question a man may seeke his own good but he may not seeke himselfe 1 He may not seeke himselfe alone but first the glory of God and in seeking to glorifie God he must of necessity seeke his own good for God hath so conjoyn'd his glory and the Saints good together that it is impossible to glorifie the Lord but the good of the Christian must be included in it for this is the Saints rule doe all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 this is the Saints priviledge All shall work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 There are many base and selfe ends that professors may have in their actions as those John 6. that followed Christ for the loaves more then for love to him so it is possible that men may follow Christ for outward and by-ends although I confesse I see but little ground why men shall now turn Christians for the world for they are like to enjoy least of it as the Scribe that came to Christ and would follow him whither soever he went he thought to gain somthing by Christ Mat. 8.20 but Christ tels him that he was not like to gain what he expected The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Sonne of man hath not where to rest his head and therefore he had no house of preferment for him It was a good resolution of the Scribe had his end been as good to follow Christ whither soever he went this is the noble resolution indeed of every one that rightly comes to Christ to follow him whither ever he leads him they follow him through good report and bad report through any tribulation to the Kingdome of heaven But those that come to Christ in expectation to gain the world they are likely for all that I know to misse of their ends Some come that they may get heaven and so they pray preach doe all to get heaven by it but they are like to misse of their end Mat. 7.22 Luke 13.26 Some professe that they may be counted Christians amongst others as the Scribes and Pharisees they did what they did to be seen of men Mat. 23.5 But these are not the Saints ends in their duties they seeke Jesus of Natereth a crucified Christ and his glory and therein they glory and rejoyce Gal. 6.14 Thus you see when Christ teacheth effectually he teacheth men to deny themselves and sindeed there is good reason for it that it should be so 1 There is great reason that man should deny his own righteousnesse or else he is like never to partake of Christs righteousnesse Christ will be the alone justifier or elsone justifier he will be all or none at all Gal. 2.16 21. Col. 3.11 Therefore the Apostle Paul who once had as much selfe-righteousnesse as another man he thought himselfe once alive but when Christ came he taught him to lay down all that was his own at the feet of Christ and to suffer the losse of all things that seemed gain to him before that he might win Christ Phil. 3.8 2 There is a necessity for Christians to deny sinful-selfe And that 1 As they stand in relation to Christ who is their justification for is it the naturall property of grace to subdue sin to purge forth iniquity Christ dwels in every justified believing soul and where Christ dwels there cannot be a love unto and a delight in sinne 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is borne of God he doth not sin because his seed remaineth in him that is the spirit of grace and of Christ remaineth in him that now he cannot sinne because borne of God that is as he is a man born of grace he cannot sin he cannot sinwith a minde to sin with a delight in sin therefore the Apostle Paul sayth Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God that brings salvation teacheth men to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously and godly in this present evill world it is the property of grace to teach men to deny ungodlinesse 2 There is great reason why it should be thus and that 1 With relation to the great contrariety that is between Christ and sin Christ and Satan for all sin is of the devil 1 John 3.8 Hee that committeth sin is of the devill Christ and Satan Christ and sin which is Satans work are one of the effects of his work are open adversaries each to other and sin and Satan are absolute rebels against Christ so that they cannot possible dwell together in one and the same soule that is the reason Christ in the Saints is ever weakning and subduing sin and Satan he ever teacheth the Saints to deny sin it being so contrary to his holy and pure nature they being made partakers of the same divine nature 2 Tim. 1.4 their
spirits are ever carryed forth against sin 2 The Saints cannot but deny sin as they stand related to Christ in relation to his glory Christ is holy and he will have a holy people that may be for his praise and honour 1 Pet. 2.9 But yee are a chosen generation a royall priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar people why That yee should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvelous light Christ hath made you and I holy that so we might shew forth his praise that is that so we might give occasion to praise God Are not the eyes of the world upon the Saints expecting much from them although it is true they doe not nay they cannot love holinesse yet they expect the Saints to be holy and to deny sin are they not ready to watch opportunities to scandall Saints and truth withall and would it not be a very sad and grievous thing if those that professe themselves to be for Christ should give just cause of offence would it not be very dishonourable to the name of the Gospel and profession of Christ therefore Christ teaches men and women where he comes to deny ungodlinesse and sin and to live soberly righteously and godly in this world It is his exhortation Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Let your light shine before the men of the world that they may have no cause to speak evill but rather cause to glorisie God Let your light so shine before the Saints that they may rejoyce and glorifie God A close walking with God is that which gives great cause of joy and rejoycing in each other and an occasion of praysing God one for another so the Apostle Rom. 1.8 I thank God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is spoken of through all the world How was their faith spoken of it was the fruit of their faith their obedience in walking up with God answerable to that faith they professed for by our works we manifest our faith so likewise Phil. 1.3 5. the Apostle thanks God for their constant fellowship in the Gospel from their first submitting to it This is a cause of joy But on the contrary for such as beare the name of Christians to live in and delight in sin to be vain and carnall and earthly this is a cause of sorrow and weeping amongst Saints Phil. 3.18 For many walke of whom I told you before and now tell you weeping they are enemies to the crosse of Christ they cause the crosse of Christ and the way of Christ to bee evill spoken of a cause of sadnesse indeed to the Saints 3 Reason Why Christ teacheth his to deny self wisdome self love self will and all of self is because they are to take up their crosse and to follow Christ that is they must expect reproaches afflictions tribulations for the name and sake of Christ John 16.33 In the world you shall have tribulations Now what wise man in the world can or will suffer reproch the losse of the world and the worlds reputation the losse of friends liberty ease it may be of life it selfe in a word all that is neer and deer to the carnall man what man but a foole thinks the wise men of the world is there that will lose all on such light terms as the gaining of a crucified Christ A man not taught of Jesus as the truth is in Jesus can never suffer with comfort and joy these things the Saints are like to suffer for the name of Iesus Self wisdom and self love will come in O sayth wise selse when it eyes that persecution those hardships that are like to follow those that follow Christ May I not passe by such atruth and such a practice and it be a Christian and get to heaven what need I to adventure my selfe upon such hardships when perhaps for the neglecting of such or such an opinion or practice I may attain my liberty my good reputation Is it not a sad thing that men professing Christ should thus consult with flesh and bloud the Apostle Paul did not so when hee was converted to the faith of Iesus hee consulted not with flesh and bloud Gal. 1.16 It is self wisdom and self love that sets men to consulting with flesh and bloud but flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15.50 That is a man not taught of Christ not made partaker of his divine nature and grace bearing only the image of the earthly Adam cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven When a man shall come to submit to Gospell Ordinances which are contemptible in the eyes of the world for which hee is like to suffer shame and disgrace here is need of self deniall O sayth the self denying Christian Let mee submit to Christ to every truth to every ordinance although I suffer losse in the world reproch and shame from my friends and acquaintance though I loose the love of my best friends whether father mother husband wife c. yet sayth the self denying Christian Christ hath sayd that who so loveth father mother wife or children more then me is not worthy of me and the love that CHRIST hath shed abroad in my heart by his Spirit Rom. 5.5 constraineth me to deny my selfe and follow Christ in all conditions 2 Cor. 5.14 Thus you see the self denying soul and none else is meet to be a Diseiple a follower of Christ hee is ready to take up the crosse daily and to follow him 4 Christ teacheth his to deny self sufficiency and self strength that so they may be able to hold out in the evill day when a day of adversity comes when a man is put to it eyther by his spiritual or temporal enemy Blessed are they then that trust in the Lord Psal 2.12 Men standing upon their own strength are gone Esay 40.30 The youth shall faint and be we ary the young men shall utterly fail that is those that apprehend a power in themselves to stand but Verse 31. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint If men stand upon their own strength they are like to fall Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall But they that see an insufficiency in themselves and trust upon the name of the Lord shall be as mount Sion that shall never be moved Psal 125.1 but abideth for ever Christ would have his work to be a perfect and fair work his covenant a sure covenant Esay 55.3 Therefore hee undertakes not only to bring men and women intocovenant but to keep them there Ier. 32.40 I will not turn from them they shall not depart from me sayth the Lord. But if Christ had left the power of standing to man hee might
have been as likely to fall away as Adam nay and more likely for there is a body of sin left still in the Saints matter for the Deuill to work upon but Adam was without sin therefore there is no possibility for that man to stand that stands upon his owne strength But it is in the strength of Christ the believer stands without me ye can do nothing Iohn 15.5 You cannot pray or perform any duty acceptably Rom. 8.26 much lesse stand and hold out to the end against all spirituall oppositions a Christian is to encounter withall The fifth and last reason why Christ teacheth this grace of self denyall to the Saints is that so they might live in love and peace one with another If every Saint should seeke to please himself and love himselfe and to have his own will in every thing how is it possible love and peace should be continued amongst the Saints if there should not be a bearing with and forbearing one with another if the strong should not beare the infirmities of the weak and not please themselves but God hath so tempered the body together that they should all seek the good of each other in love that there should be no Schism in the body but that the members should have the same care one of another as of themselves 1 Cor. 12.25 that every one might secke not their own but one anothers good That they might all grow up together a compleat body a holy temple in the Lord. Use 1 A word of examination and tryall hath Christ bin thy Prophet hath he taught thee this lesson of self denyall this is a very needfull use not only for carnall men but for Saints it was the exhortation of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves prove your selves know you not Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Christ is in every Saint and if there what doth he there Surely hee is not there for nought he will be ever teaching the soul hee will be there as they Prophet shewing thee the way thou shalt walk in Consider a little now I beseech thee hath Christ taught thee to deny thy owne righteousnesse canst look upon it all as filthinesse or else art thou stuffed and filled with thine own righteousnesse lifted up as high as the heavens in thine own conceit like the proud Pharisee I thank God I am not as bad as other men I pray and performe duty I have a good heart and as good a mind to God as any man If this be thy condition the Lord Iesus hath never been thy Prophet thou art yet in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity Thousayst thou art rich and wantest nothing when the truth is if the Lord open thine eyes to see it thou art poore and miserable and wretched and blind and naked Hath Christ taught thee to deny vngodlines and sin or else canst thou take pleasure in unrighteousnesse I dare say it that some there are in the world that have high thoughts of of themselves yet indeed make a mocke of sin take pleasure in unrighteousnesse if this be thy condition the Lord Christ hath never taught thy soule 2 Pet. 1.9 Christ teacheth to be holy and humble hee gives power against sin and Iust 1 Cor. 6.9.10 11. Consider you who have been taught of God hath hee taught your souls this lesson to deny your owne wisdome will end strength and all to lay down all as nothing at the feet of Jesus The Lord help you and I a little now to examine our selves how much of self yet remayns self wisdome self glorying and boasting self love self ends O how doth the Devill crowd in these things into the soules of the Saints the Lord help you and I to see it and give us power against it certainly if it be with your souls as it is with mee you have some experience of these things hardly can you performe any duty but self will present it selfe to your view in one shape or another Now where Christ teaches he ever sets the soule a work against those sins and causes the soule ever to have high thoughts of it selfe and to have high thoughts of God and of the Saints esteeming every one better then himselfe 2 Wherein you finde you come short in this duty selfe denyall looke up to the Lord for help and assistance it is the Lord that teacheth to profit therefore if you want any thing the exhortation of James is Aske of God who giveth to all men liber ally upbraydeth none Jam. 1.5 For every good gift comes down from God ver 17. Therefore have recourse to heaven make known thy condition to the Lord Jesus this thou maist doe thou oughtest to doe it thou must goe to God and tell him what thou wantest what grace thy soule needs tell him thou hast a poore-selfeseekeing-heart that will not stoppe farther then he bends it and bows it looke to him and he will help thee come unto him and he will ease thee and give thee thy hearts desire Note this one word where God hath begun this work in any measure though you find much of self and it is thy burthen yet here is a ground of comfort for such a soule it is mercy thou seest that evill of self that is in thee and that it is thy burthen The comfort is 1 that Jesus Christ hath beene thy Prophet hee hath taught thee in some measure to deny thy selfe and given thee a desire after the perfection of this grace 2 That where Jesus hath began this work he will finish it he will perfect it to the days of Christ 8 Thou mayst live upon him henceforth and expect teachings from him new manifestations new discoveries of grace and love new influences of power from himself as thou stanlest in need for his own honour the Saints good or thine own consolation Heb. 13.5 Thus much for the first which is Self-deniall 2 Where Christ becomes a Prophet hee eacheth that soule to yield universall obedince to himselfe this is an effect of the teaching of Christ Mat. 28.20 teaching them to observe and doe all things whatsoever I shall say unto you and Acts 3.22 23. A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you him shall you heare in all things c. And this obedience Christ doth not only require as he is a King but he teacheth it as he is a Prophet See Esay 54.13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children It is the covenant of grace Heb. 8.10 I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts c. Hee will make them a willing people hee will teach them to yield willing obedience he will teach them to do spirituall things with an appetite with a minde to them now this obedience flows from faith it is a fruit an effect of faith Rom. 1.5 Christ first teacheth faith and then obedience Quest What are