that is he shall open your understandings he shall enlarge your capacities and shall make you able to comprehend those Divine and heavenly Mysteries of the Kingdome of God which shall be dispenced unto you Yee have an unction from the Holy one saith the Apostle and yee know all things 1 Joh. 2. 20. The Holy one here spoken of is the whole Trinity God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost the unction is not the Spirit it selfe but a thing different from the essence and substance thereof viz. the grace of illumination and saving Knowledge wherewith the eyes of our minds being anointed as with an unction wee come to know all things not absolutely and omnisciently as God doth but to know all things that are needfull to be knowne unto salvation And hence in the 27. verse the same anoynting is said to teach us and that wee need no other teaching but that it is called eye-salve Revel 3. 18. Secondly the Spirit of Christ sanctifieth the hearts and natures of Beleevers whereby they are really changed from the filthinesse of sinne unto the purity of Gods Image that as Christ himselfe is holy so are they in some measure by an inherent holinesse their love and their hatred their joy and their sorrow all their passions and affections are not such as they were before but they are quite altred and changed new-moulded and fashioned made after Gods owne heart and conformed to his holy will This is the blessed worke of the Spirit We are sanctified through the Spirit and beleefe of the truth saith the Apostle 2 Thess 2. 13. The Spirit is principall in stamping the Image of God upon the soule the Spirit it is that doth convey the efficacie of Christs death and bloud unto us Hence it is called in Scripture wind fire water and the like First it is a winde Awake ô North and come thou South Cant. 4. 16. and that for these reasons As wind allayeth heate so the sanctifying Spirit of God asswageth hot and burning distempers in the soule it suppresses inordinate and lustfull desires moderating all our affections and keeping them in a good temper Againe as wind purges the aire and dries up superfluous moysture in the earth so the Spirit purgeth our corrupt natures and dries up the excrementious humours of sinne which are Enemies to spirituall health Also * Favâ—nius the West-wind dicâ—â—ur à savendo from cherishing of fruits and other things as the wind is a great fructifier causing the fruits of the earth to spring out so the Spirit of God makes that soule which naturally is as a barren and dry wildernesse no plants of grace growing in it but the weeds of sinne rankling every where to be a fruitfull and flourishing garden where Christ delights to walke and to take his repast beholding how his trees of Righteousnesse doe spread and blossome and beare most pleasant fruit When the wind of the Spirit doth blow upon the garden of the soule then the spices of grace flow out then Christ may come into his garden and eate his delicious fruits of union and Sanctification The soule is not now an emptie vine neither doth it beare wilde grapes it doth not beare grapes of gall and bitter clusters but fruites of Righteousnesse and holinesse most sweet and well relishing most pleasing and acceptable to Christ Againe the wind is a quickning and enlivening thing the breath of every living creature is a winde Come from the foure winds ô breath and breath upon these slaine that they may live saith the Prophet Ezek. 37. 9. Now such is the Spirit of God also it raiseth up the soule from the death of sinne and puts the life of grace into it it sets us upon our feet and makes us to walke before God in the Light and in the land of the living Lastly As the winde is not in the power of any man it bloweth where it listeth as our Saviour saith and it is impossible to hide it Prov. 27. 16. So the Spirit of regeneration is not at the arbitrement will and disposing of any creature but it is sui juris at its owne choice and disposing at its own pleasure when where and how it will breath and dispense grace Of his owne will begat he us with the word of truth saith the Apostle Jam. 1. 18. Secondly the Spirit of sanctification is also called fire in the Scriptures He shall baptize you with the Holy-Ghost and with fire Mat. 3. 11. It resembles fire in the purging property thereof as fire is a great purger attracting and drawing corrupt aires to it selfe segregating severing pure substances from drosse as wee see in the trying of gold and silver so doth the fire of the Spirit draw away from our soules all pestilent and infectious sents of sinne and by little and little purges away all the drosse of our corruptions Againe The Spirit resembles fire in the consuming property thereof fire purgeth onely when it meets with a substance that can endure it but when it lights upon combustible matter then it wasts and consumes so the fire of the Spirit doth no more then purge the hearts of the Elect yet it wasts and consumes their lusts because they be things to be wasted and abolished Lastly The Spirit of grace resembles fire in the assimilating property thereof fire turns other things that are approximate into its owne nature it makes things hot as it selfe is hot it propagates and spreads it selfe increasing its own flames by licking up and catching in other things to it selfe so the sanctifying Spirit of God doth fire our hearts and affections heating them with his own heate kindling them with his own sacred sparkes assimilating and making us like unto himselfe holy as he is holy pure as he is pure and perfect as he is perfect The soule being acted and wrought upon by the Spirit is changed into the same glory and becomes spirituall like it selfe Wee know that a paper will smell of the muske or civet that is put in it so a soule endued with the Spirit of grace cannot but become gracious it must have the same savour the same odoriserous and pleasing sent that the Spirit it selfe hath Thirdly The precious Spirit which Christ bestows upon his Saints is called water also because as water washeth away the filthinesse of the flesh so doth that Spirit the uncleannesses of the soule And againe as water hath a softning and suppling vertue with it so the gracious Spirit of Christ doth mollifie and soften hard hearts making them of impenetrable and insensible to become broken and contrite of stubborne and froward to be flexible and pliable unto Gods holy will so that though they were before like Leviathans heart as hard as a piece of the neither milstone yet now they can tremble at judgements submit to commands and be glad to close with the promises of Christ Thus you see that the Spirit which Christ bestows upon his Saints is a sanctifying a
without any Light lying under shame and dishonour under the guilt of sinne and not able to deliver it selfe this cannot but make it looke out for it selfe and seeke with great importunity for a Saviour The Dove could find no rest for the soale of her foot till she returned into the Arke It is a perfect hyeroghyphick or resemblance of a wounded Spirit as Solomon calls it when it is as the blessed Redeemer was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surrounded with sorrow and it is full of restlesse vexations fluctuating and tumbled up and downe in a whole Ocean of perplexities and feares and can see no shoare no Land no creek or haven of comfort then it must into the Arke then it uses the soliloquie of the Psalmist returne unto thy res◠ô my soule then it cries out with the blessed Martyr ô none but Christ none but Christ there 's my Arke ther 's my rest there 's my refuge there I shall find reliefe and refreshment or else no where Christ will be a calme to me after a storme he will dispell and drive away all these clouds he will hold my head above water and keep me from sinking he will be light and joy and unspeakable solace after all these distempers thus the poore afflâ—cted soule as a prisoner of hope as the Prophet speakes Zach. 9. 12. returnes unto Christ as to its strong hold The misâ—rable soule seeks for cure the whole need not the Physition saith Christ but the sick sin-sick sinners will enquire and seek after the Physition of soules The sense of misery is the primum mobile the first mover that sets us on seeking for Christ The more wee know our owne misery the more we know how to prise Christ and set a true value upon him Againe Beleevers are likewise convinced of the impotency and weaknesse of the creature in respect of any help or succour that it can afford None can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor givâ— to God a ransome for him Psal 49. 7. iâ— not redemption from temporall death much lesse from eternall Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rammes saith the Prophet or with ten thousand rivers of oyle shall I give my first borne for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule The truth is should all the Angels in Heaven and righteous men upon Earth joyne their goodnesse together and offer it up to God as a sacrifice it would not be sufficient to expiate so much as one sinne Now when the soule is sensible of this it crieth out as Peter in another case help Lord or else I perish Solomon saith that as good newes from a farre Country so is cold water to a thirsty soule Prov. 25. 25. So it is with a poore distressed soule when it seeth it selfe as it were in a farre Countrey farre from God farre from â—oy and farre from any deliverance in it selfe or in any other then if one bring him newes of a Saviour of a Redeemer this is welcome newes indeed this is as cold water to a thirsty soule An instance of this is seen in the Prodigall who when he came to himselfe that is when he saw what a wretched and helplesse creature he was he cast his thoughts upon his Fathers house he loathed any longer to feed upon the huskes and hogs meat of the world then he desires the bread of his Fathers hired servants Nothing but home will content him farewell feasting and revelling and all filthy pleasures that I have lived in I have gotten nothing by them but wounds and sorrowes and vexation of Spirit I will home to my Fathers house there is bread and durable cloathing there is whatsoever I can wish or desire here I starve and die there I shall live and sweetly enjoy my selfe here I want all things but there I shall lack nothing This is a lively pourtraiture of a thirsty and wearied soule flying unto Christ for ease and comfort This then is one reason why Christ is precious to Beleevers namely because they are in some measure convinced of their misery with him and of their owne impotency and utter inability to help themselves therefore Christ is precious unto them Secondly Beleevers are not onely Reas II convinced of their owne misery without Christ and of their impotency and inability to help themselves but also they see and apprehend an infinite treasure of good and happinesse that God hath treasured up in Christ and that to be joyned unto him is the onely way to obtaine these blessings Viz. the Fathers Love Pardon of sinne Manifestation of Gods face The love of God being infinite like himselfe cannot be conferred upon any creature for its owne sake the causa procuratrix or the procuring cause of this love must of necessity be infinitely meritorious now this is not found among the sonnes of men but onely in Christ the eternall Sonne of God onely in Christ who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-man as I may say Immanuel God with us or God in our flesh God that he might be a fit object for the infinite love of his Father and man that he might derive and bring that love to us God first loves his Sonne and then Beleivers through him It is impossible that the infinite love of the infinite God should bee drawne out but by an infinite motive and where is this motive but in the second person coe-eternall co-essentiall and co-equall with the Father were it not for his Sonne God should have no object for his love in the world Love is as fire which must have fewell to maintaine it Now let all the Creatures men and Angels be set before God yet they all with all their excellencies and lovely parts cannot deserve the least minute or tittle of his Love God loves himselfe in his Sonne and his creatures for his beloved Sonnes sake God will supply saith the Apostle all your need according to his riches in Glory by Jesus Christ Philip. 4. 9. The treasures of Gods love and riches are first in Christ and by our union with him wee come to enjoy them So Ephes 1. 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which he hath ingratiated us through that Beloved Gods love and his favour is undeserved on our parts wee finde grace in his sight through Christ Notable to this purpose is the order of the three persons which the Apostle sets Cor. the last and the last The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Ho-Ghost be with you all Amen You must know now that this is not a right naturall order for by order of nature the Father whom the Apostle cal's God in a personall sense as John 1. the word was with God that is with the Father I say by order of nature the Father is first of himselfe not begotten the Son is from the
the doer of it Genes 39. 22. because they did it by warrant and leave from him or by his dictation and Commandement Againe observe that phrase Ezek. 20. 46. drop thy word toward the South and the like speech is that of Moses my Doctrine shall droppe as the raine my words shall distill as the dew as the small raine upon the tender hearbe and as the showres upon the grasse Now from this phrase of dropping wee may draw an Argument that Christ is the head of all true Prophets and Teachers For look◠as the cloudes from whence the raine descends have not their water originally and natively in themselves but from the Sea and moistned places of the Earth exhal'd and drawne up by the heat of the Sunne so have not the Prophets a Spirit of Prophesie nor any Divine Teachers a faculty of teaching Heavenly and saving Truths of themselves but it is drawne up out of Christ as out of a full Sea of all excellent wisdome and knowledge and convayed into them by the heat and vigour not of their own Spirit but a far higher spirit then theirs viz. the Spirit of Christ Neither may other Prophets goe of their owne heads but by Commission and delegation from him And therefore they have the name of Ambassadors given them 2. Cor. 5. 20. Ambassadours for Christ Christ it is that said goe and teach all nations Christ it is that instituted the Ministry of the word Christ it is that gave some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers Ephes 4. 11. and hence are those speeches so frequent in the Old Testament heare the word of the Lord the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it the word of the Lord came unto me and the like in which places the originall for Lord is Jehovah and by Jehovah is meant the second person to wit the Lord Jesus the whole administration of things for the good of the Church being committed unto him and hither tends that remarkable passage 1 Sam. 3. 21. The Lord revealed himselfe unto Samuel in Shiloh by the Junius in Loc. word of the Lord that is by Jesus Christ who in the preceding bookes of the Scripture as Junius notes was wont to be called the Angel of the Lord and afterward as he revealed himselfe more cleerely he was called the word of the Lord. But besides the opinion of Junius another place of Scripture doth confirme this interpretation the place is Genes 19. 24. The Lord rained upon Sodome and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven From this Scripture I gather thus much that as the second person is brought forth acting by way of mediation from the first in point of Rule and Kingdome here so in that place of Samuel he is brought forth acting from him mediately in point of Prophecie although I confesse that considered according to his God-head he did both execute Judgments upon the Sodomites and reveale him-self unto Samuel immediately from himself without any such dependence or subordination Thus you see that Christ is the head and principall of all Prophets being in sundry respects the most excellent this way of all other Secondly consider Christ as a Priest and here also wee shall finde him to be most precious and excellent here is the very heart and strength of all his mediation between God and us indeed in respect of our necessity who must first know our owne misery and the remedy before we can apply the sacrifice of Christ and so be reduced to holy obedience and subjection to the Kingdome of God Prophecie hath the first place in the mediation of Christ after which followes Priesthood and last of all royalty or government But forasmuch as the priestly Office consisteth mainly in suffering of death whereunto we were obnoxious and liable for sinne and could not be delivered without it it plainely appeares that this Office hath the preheminence and upper hand and that it doth promerit as I may say and buy out the other two The Prophecie of Christ could never have opened our eyes neither could his Kingdome have ruled and swayed our hearts unlesse by his Priesthood he had dyed for us I have manifested thy name unto the men saith our Saviour which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them mee and they have kept thy word Joh. 17. 6. Here wee see are some that have the name of God that is the Salvation of God manifested unto them so that Christ becomes a Prophet to them to enlighten their eyes they be such also as are subject and obedient to the Kingdome of Christ and therefore they are said to keep Gods word but now who be these that are partakers of such graces and choyce blessings illumination and Sanctification verily they be such as God gave unto his Sonne out of the world as that Scripture speaks Now I must tell you that this gift of God is free and properly so called if wee respect the love of God and our selves that partake of it But if wee respect Christ the Mediatour so it is improperly called a gift for God gave his Elect unto Christ conditionally for a price the price of his Life-bloud and hence the Mystery of our Redemption is called a Covenant It is indeed a Covenant of Grace in respect of God who was pleased of his owne accord to find out such a remedy for miserable man and to yeild to it and also in respect of true beleevers who enjoy the benefit of but yet in respect of Christ the Mediatour it is a Covenant made upon termes and conditions to wit his passion his Righteousnesse The Priesthood then of Christ is the most noble part of all his Mediation without this his Prophecie and Kingdome could never take hold of us never doe us any good they whom God gives unto his Sonne out of the world upon Covenant upon tearmes of his suffering and dying they onely have the name of his salvation manifested unto them and they onely keepe his word all others how neere soever they may seeeme to be unto the Kingdome of God and to the marke of salvation yet they fall short of it In the Priesthood then of Christ in that especially lies the latitude and longitude the profundity and sublimity of Gods love toward us and in respect of this especially is the whole Mystery of our redemption by Christ called * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magnalia Dei the magnificent workes of God Acts 2. 11. But now further to set forth the eminency and dignity of Christs Priesthood and his exceeding preciousnesse thereby let us make a collation and comparison between him and the Leviticall Priests those of Aaron's order First of all in the Leviticall Priesthood there was a plurality of Priests as in Matth. 12. 4. it is said that it was lawfull for the Priests onely to eate of the shew-bread and in the fifth verse that the Priests in
the Father hath bestowed upon us that wee should be called the Sonnes of God Joh. 3. 1. and the Father was not alone in this Love but the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost too if the love of the Saints to Christ be so hot that many waters of affliction cannot quench it nor the flouds of persecution drowne it if it will not be scourced or exchanged for any wealth if it be strong as death and cruell as the grave urging and constraining them to lay downe life and all for him if the coales thereof be coales of fire which hath a most vehement flame as we reade Cant. 8. 6 7. What is then the love of Christ to his people who is not onely loving but love it selfe in the very abstract certainly such a love as this cannot but be very attractive and drawing very conciliating and winning it must needs like the first wheele move and turne about all our affections our desire to enjoy Christ our joy in the fruition of him our love toward him our feare to displease him our anger when he is offended our jealousie of losing him Our nature is such that wee will love where we are first loved as the heat of the Sunne-beames reflects from a wall so Christs love to us cannot but cause a reflection of ours upon him ours is but a sparke of his we love him saith the Apostle because hee loved us first 1 Ioh. 4. 19. when he reveales his love to us such a fire must needs kindle and melt our affections be they never so key-cold and frozen Secondly the beauty of Christ is likewise very attractive I doe not meane it of the aspect and face of the outward lineaments and proportion of his body although his comlinesse in that behalfe need not to be doubted of being formed in the sanctified wombe of a Virgine by the Holy-Ghost but of his spirituall beauty and gracefulnesse Now wee know that true beauty consists In fairenesse of complexion And in a just symmetry or proportion of parts Neither of these was wanting in Christ First he was of a faire and comely complexion as the Church describeth him Cant. 5. 10. My beloved is white and ruddy saith she the mixture of these two colours makes a beautifull and good complexion White and red as they shew the best temperature in man so here it may signifie in Christ his God-head and manhood God appeared in a vision all white as snow and pure as fine wooll Dan. 7. 9. And man had his name Adam from the red mould or Earth that his body was made of and Christ vouchsafed to be like unto us in this Againe the red colour may signifie the bloudy sufferings of Christ and the white his righteousnesse thereby inherent in himselfe but conveyed to all his members by Gods free imputation righteousnesse is so described by white linnen Revel 19. 8. Now this temperament and mingling of white and red after such a mysticall way in Christ denotes the surpassing beautie of Christ makes him precious to the Saints and inflames their affections to embrace him and follow him Secondly in Christ there is also a comely proportion of parts from the correspondency and agreement of parts ariseth a feature compleatly beautifull and lovely This every faithfull soule findes in Christ The Church enumerates and reckons up all his parts Cant. 5. 10. c. his head as most fine gold his lockes bushie and blacke as a Raven excellently well agreeing with a faire face his eyes as the eyes of Doves by the rivers of water washed with milke and fitly set his cheekes as a bed of spices as sweet flowers his lips like Lillies dropping sweet-smelling mirrhe his hands as gold Rings set with the Berill his belly as bright Ivorie overlaid with Saphires his legges as pillars of Marble set upon sockets of fine Gold his counteance as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars and his mouth or voyce most sweet What a pleasant harmony and specious consent of parts is here figuring unto us the supreame and absolute Government of Christ his unsearchable Councells his pure nature hating all impurity and uncleannesse his amiable and delightfull smilings upon his Saints his gracious promises and soule-saving instructions all his actions and administrations just and holy his mercies and inward affections very precious like the Saphire that glittereth with golden points the workings of his spirit in his Saints most firme and stedfast like marble pillars the whole shew and cast of his person most glorious most excellent most Majesticall and yet most delightfull like the forrest of Lebanon and the stately Cedars that grew in it so that he is altogether lovely all over from top to toe as we say desirable and the chiefest among ten thousand as much as to say matchlesse and incomparable on earth and in all the world there is not his like who is made without spot or blemish yea who is made and not made a creature and yet the mighty Creatour of all things God and man in one person wholy excellent and beautifull every part sutable a most ravishing and wooing object Thirdly Christ is attractive in his graces considered either as inherent in himselfe Or infused into Beleevers First as they be inherent in himselfe they transcend in excellency all the thought and conceit both of men and Angels they have if I may so speake a most fragrant smell and allicient quality in them compared therefore to sweet spices and ointments as myrrhe aloes frankincense spikenard and the like As these are delightfull to our senses so are the graces of Christ to a beleeving soule attracting the affections winning the love of the heart making all other things vile and base in comparison of him that the soule loathes them and spues at them as I may say when they offer to stand in competition with him It was the grace of Christ that made him so glorious as we read of Joh. 1. 14. We beheld his glory saith the Apostle as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth that is wee beheld him glorious in all perfection of grace wisdome goodnesse and Mercy It is the gemme or Diamond in a ring that makes it very precious and beautifull so it is the grace that God hath treasured up in Christ which makes him so glorious so attractive and so alluring as he is Secondly Christ is attractive in his graces bestowed upon the Saints As a Father is dignified by having a worthy sonne and a School-master by the learning and proficiency of his Scholars so is Christ by the Graces of his people A Master is honoured by his livery which his servants weare now the graces of love and humility and meeknesse and patience and the like are as I may say Christs livery by which wee are distinguished and known to be his servants and he is much honoured by those badges By this shall all men know saith Christ that you are my Disciples if you love one another Joh.
was lawfull onely for the High-Priest to enter into it and that but once a yeare Great in this regard is our preeminence now above Gods ancient people they might not passe so much as into an earthly Sanctuary inclosed with materiall walls and coped with a roofe but wee have licence and leave to enter into a farre more holy and undefiled place Christ hath consecrated or initiated a way for us hee hath trod the path first as our fore-runner and hee hath done it by his bloud or as the Apostle speakes through the vaile that is to say his flesh he alludes to the vaile of blew and purple scarlet and fine twined linen which was to divide the holiest of all from the rest of the Tabernacle That vayle was a type of Christs flesh Now as the High-priest of old entred into the holiest by removing of the veile so Christ by the death of his body did as it were turne aside the veile and so hath entred into heaven the holy of holies there to make intercession for us Yea by the renting and tearing of that veile of his flesh upon the crosse he hath for ever opened a way for all Beleevers a new and a living way that of old is obsolete and vanished this is such as the vigour thereof shall never decay that of old being by the bloud of beasts could not give life to the comers this being by the bloud of Christ revives and raises up them that are dead in trespasses and sinnes and doth also conferre eternall life upon them O how precious beyond all thought and conceit is the bloud of Jesus Christ the bloud of a most righteous person most noble bloud the very life and heart-bloud the bloud of God justifying sanctifying redeeming bloud bloud purchasing eternall redemption for us bloud that quickeneth us and conferres both spirituall and everlasting life upon us Lastly Bloud that opens to us a never decaying way into Heaven How precious I say is this bloud of Christ and how doth it call upon us to stirre up our affections to embrace Christ to lay hold of him and to love him with a most ardent and unfained love who hath bestowed such a precious gift upon us Secondly Christ hath bestowed upon Beleevers precious Graces Grace is called by the Apostle the renewing of the Holy-Ghost and the forming of Christ in us It consisteth in the rectitude and conformitie of our will unto the will of God and to Christ the absolute patterne of all grace and holinesse the image of the invisible God the expresse character of his Fathers brightnesse the Sun of righteousnesse the morning starre most eminently and gloriously above all others chiefest of ten thousand for sweet and gracious deportment How precious are those qualities of the soule which come neare such a patterne as this which imitate resemble and take after such unmatchable beautie Now all grace is precious but the Scripture gives that Epithite especially to faith 2 Pet. 1. 1. and that for these Reasons First Because it is the roote and wombe as I may say of all grace it is the inward fountaine and principle from whence all grace flowes it is the mother grace it purgeth the conscience and purifieth the heart and so breedeth every needfull grace in us You may see this genealogie or pedigree of grace notably delineated by the Apostle 1 Tim. 1. 5. There we finde that charitie or love which is the fulfilling of the commandement of God and a chiefe grace or Christian vertue flows from a pure heart and a pure heart springs from a good conscience and a good conscience is the off-spring of faith Faith is the Genetrix and breeder of Grace as Eve was the mother of all mankinde I speake so in respect of an internall principle for if we regard externall causes the race and genealogie may be stretched farther as thus faith comes by hearing of the word of God the word of God is declared by the mouth of a Preacher and every true Preacher is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sent from heaven But I must speake ad rhombum though there be sundry externall efficients and workers of grace yet faith is the internall roote and principle of it and that is one reason why it is called precious Secondly it is precious in respect of its Author which is the Father Sonne and Spirit The Father draws us unto Christ Joh. 6. 44. And hence wee are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be taught of God and to heare and learne of him The Sonne likewise draws us draw me we will run after thee saith the Spouse Christ is both the Author and the finisher of our faith Heb. 12. 2. He casts in the first seed of it and also makes it to persevere he layes the foundation of it and brings it up to the roofe as I may say he makes us first to apprehend him and then leads us to the end of our faith which is the salvation of our soules Whence it is that he is called the Apostle and high Priest of our profession that is he is the teacher of our faith and the Captain thereof Lastly the Holy-Ghost is likewise the Author of our faith No man can say that Jesus is the Lord saith the Apostle but by the Holy-Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. And in the ninth verse of that Chapter faith is reckoned among the gifts of the Spirit Faith then must needs be very precious having God the Father God the Son and God the Holy-Ghost for the Author of it Thirdly Faith is precious in respect of the object thereof that is to say the thing upon which it leanes or rests which is God himselfe or God in Christ God is said to be in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe and not imputing their trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5. 19. Now this is the highest and most excellent object of faith Christ also as Mediatour is the object thereof David prayeth Lead me unto the rocke that is higher then I Psal 61. 2. And the rock that he speaks of is Christ he is the strong rocke on which his Church is built firmely and unmoovably Needs then must faith be precious while it leanes on such a solid and stedfast foundation Againe the promises are metonymically an object of faith because they are made unto us in Christ they are in him as adjuncts in their subject we rest upon the power and truth of Christ for the obtaining of that good which is in the promises All the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. He is mediate or in the middle between the promises and us God makes the promises and Christ is his pledge and assurance for the accomplishment of them so that faith rests on the promises of God mediante Christo through the mediation of Christ and anon you shall see what precious things those promises are in the meane while we may conclude even from them likewise that faith
Travailers in the Wildernesse who by surrounding themselves with a fire did thereby fray away the wilde beasts and kept them off from annoying them now such a defence will Christ be unto his Saints he will be with them in most deadly dangers When they passe through the water and when they walke through the fire Esa 43. 2. Fire and water are two most devouring elements good servants but bad masters as we say and therefore here they are put for all other perilous and dangerous kindes Christ will save and deliver his people from them all Wee reade Dan. 3. 25. that the three Children were cast into the fiery furnace But what said the Tyrant I see foure saith he and the fourth is like the Sonne of God and in all probabilitie it was so it being usuall under the old Testament for Christ upon some weightie occasions to appeare in humane shape Thus Christ will be with his people in the furnace of affliction and either he will provide that it shall not be over-heate or else he will worke a miracle to restraine the power of the flames he will both preserve them in and deliver them out of trouble he will so sanctifie affliction that it shall prove a very blessing and mercy to them Secondly Great also and precious are the promises which appertaine unto spirituall grace The Apostle saith That by them we partake of the divine or godly nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. He doth not meane it of the essence or substance of God as some of the Heathen conceited affirming man to be aurae divinae particula a little piece of the divine Spirit Thus did the Platonicks dreame and also the Manichees and Priscillianists not so I say for the essence of God is incommunicable but wee are to understand it of the graces of the Spirit whereby the image of God is stampt againe and restored in man therefore the Apostle doth not call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the essentiall nature of God but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the godly nature as if he had expressed it in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sainthood or a nature approaching to Gods resembling and like unto Gods So that Beleevers through Christ have in their soules a lively image and representation of the perfections of the vertues and of the life of God according to that of the Apostle Colos 3. 10. And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him he puts knowledge which is the incipient part of regeneration for the whole including under that both holinesse and righteousnesse And answering to this is that precious promise Esa 65. 17. where the Lord saith That he will make new heavens and a new earth This is meant of the spirituall excellency of the Church in regard both of doctrine of discipline and of life and therefore it holds forth a promise concerning the renewing of the soule by the Spirit of the Lord where doctrine is sound discipline wholesome and life holy there are new Heavens and a new earth as I may say and there the soule is become a new creature by the sanctifying Spirit of God Lastly great and precious also are the promises appertaining to eternall glory they containe in them that heavenly inheritance of the Saints in Light where they shall have blessed communion with God with Christ with the Holy Spirit with elect Angels and with one another for ever where they shall have the quintessence of all good things the sweetnesse of all Mercy and consolation where they shall have the splendour and bright rayes of everlasting honour where after this life and this life is but a bubble a smoake a wind a shadow they shall have that unutterable immortall Crowne of glory set upon their heads which Christ hath promised in a word where they shall have totum quod volunt nihil quod nolunt all that they would have and nothing that they would not have Hence it is that the Gospel which holdeth forth the promise of these things is termed glorious and the ministration thereof likewise glorious And therefore as the Apostle makes the comparison between the Law and the Gospel if the ministration of death and condemnation be glorious saith he how shall not the ministration of the Spirit and of righteousnesse be rather glorious so may I say if the glory of Christ be so splendent and shining so attractive and alluring even in the promise and expectation of it what then will it be in the full fruition and enjoyment thereof if so excellent and surpassing at a distance and through the lattice as I may say what will it be in the neerest touch and vision thereof when wee shall come our selves to participate of that glory Now wee see but in a glasse darkely saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 12. that is here wee see God but as we see our owne Image in a glasse and not the very face it selfe here wee see him by a kinde of reflection and at second hand as I may say in the Ordinances in the creatures and such like dimme representations which at the farthest are in some sense aenigmaticall full of intricacy and obscurity But then wee shall see God face to face and then we shall know him as we our selves are knowne by him that is to say perfectly I meane with such a perfection as a glorified creature is capable of Thus have I shewed unto you what excellent and precious things are contained in the Promises for our soules and for our bodies for this life and for the life to come for ever ô then how much more precious and excellent how much more to be desired and longed for is Jesus Christ by whom so manifold and unspeakeable blessings are conveyed unto us Fourthly Christ hath bestowed up-Beleevers Mot 4 precious love and precious it is because Infinite Gracious Liberall Everlasting First the love of Christ unto his Saints is infinite and unmeasurable it is beyond all imagination or conception As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you saith Christ Joh. 15. 9. Now who can understand with what love the Father hath embraced his Sonne who can dive into the bottomelesse depth of that tender affection which the infinite God beareth unto Christ no more can wee define and fully set forth what the love of Christ unto his Saints is The Apostle indeed would have the Ephesians able to comprehend with all Saints the breadth and length the depth and height of the love of God in Christ but yet for all that hee concludes that it passeth knowledge Ephes 3. 18. 19. Secondly Christs love is a gracious love That which the Lord speakes by his Prophet concerning Jerusalem may fitly be applyed to all his people When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted or troden under foot as the word signifieth in thine owne bloud I said unto thee live That is as we use to apply it spiritually when we