unto them That they should find Him every way as courtious and as loving towards them now being risen as He was before He died And my beloved if Jesus Christ should not be as gracious and as kind after death as before then His Disciples should be losers by His death But He profest to them before He died that they should not be losers but gainers rather When our Lord Christ was upon the earth out of His love He died for us He loved us and died for us His love then cost Him much Now that He is in Heaven He dies no more He can love us at a cheaper rate And shall we think that when He was upon the earth He would lay down His life for us and now He is in Heaven He won't speak a good word for us Certainly beloved the Lord Jesus is as full of love and tender affection toward His now He is in Heaven as He was upon the earth Take grace for Love and so there is a fulness of grace in Jesus Christ That is the first Secondly Take grace for Holiness and so there is Plenitudo sanctitatis a fulness of Holiness in Jesus Christ There are Three things in the old Testament that were very Holy The Law The high Priest And the Temple As for the Ceremonial Law though it was very holy yet in regard of the Spiritual command of the Gospel and Christ the Ceremonials of the Law in the book of the Hebrews Heb. 7.16 is called the Carnal Command And as for the high Priest though he had holiness written upon his fore-head yet therein he was but a type of Christ And saith the Apostle in the book of the Hebrews The high Priest then when he offered for others sins Heb. 7.27 he offered first for his own sins But our high Priest not so And as for the Temple it was indeed very holy the Jews rested much thereupon And therefore they cryed thrice Jer. 7.4 The Temple the Temple the Temple of the Lord But now if you look into the 6. Chap. of Esay you shal find that our Lord Christ is there upon the Temple and whereas they cryed Three times for the Temple The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Three times this is ecchoed concerning Christ Holy holy holy At the first verse I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and His Train filled the Temple His Train filled the Temple Above it stood the Seraphims each had six wings with twain he covered his face with twain he covered his feet and with twain he did fly and one cryed unto another and said Holy holy holy As if he should say you that are the Jewes you cry out of the Temple The Temple the Temple the Temple But here 's holiness here 's one that is holy Holy holy holy That this is to be understood of Christ you may see plainly by comparing it with the 4. Chapter of the Revelations at the 2. verse Immediately I was in the Spirit and behold a Throne was set in Heaven and one sate on the Throne as it is said in Esay one sate on the Throne And he that sate was to look upon as a Jasper and a Sardine stone And there was a rain-bow round about the Throne And round about the Throne were four and twenty Seats and there were four and twenty Elders and four living creatures The discription of the Gospel-Church And saith he at the 8. verse The four beasts had each of them six wings about him and they were full of eyes within and they rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Mark the very same expression that you have there in Esay he doth not say thus Righteous righteous righteous Just just just But Holy holy holy Is there not then a fulness of Holiness in Jesus Christ I 'le give you but Two Demonstrations of it If there were not a fulness of Holiness in Jesus Christ how is it possible that God and man could be brought so neer together that were so far asunder Every man naturally is full of sin You say of the Begger He is full of vermine why because he goes to this door to that door and to another door and he scatters his vermine where ever he comes and the man knows it not Surely therefore the man is full of vermine And so a man naturally dropping and scattering his sins and not knowing of it it argues he is ful of sin God he is full of Holiness whose eyes cannot endure to behold iniquity yet when men are converted and drawn to God they are brought neer unto him they are the apple of His eye their names are written in the palme of his hand That is saies Luther the hand is an instrument of work and when the names of the Saints are said to be written in the palme of Gods hand it notes thus much saies he That God in all his works hath an eye to his Children God in all the works of his hands hath an eye to his Children They are the friends of God and God is their friend When a man is my friend not only his Purse is my friend or his Estate is my friend or his Tongue is my friend or his Hand is my friend but his Sword is my friend So when God is a friend to any not only his Mercy is his friend but the Sword of God is his friend the very Wrath of God is a friend to his Children Such a great friendship there is between God and his people so neer they are brought to one another Well but how are they brought thus neer They are brought neer by Jesus Christ in whom we have a Manuduction a leading by the hand saies the Apostle as the word carries it unto God the Father But now could men so full of sin and God so full of Grace and Holiness be brought so neer together by Jesus Christ if there were not an infinit fulnesse of Holiness in Jesus Christ Again If there were not this fulnesse of Holinesse in Christ how should he be anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellowes The Saints themselves are said to be full of grace Ephes 1.23 The Church called The fulnesse of Christ that filleth all in all Stephen Mary others full of the holy Ghost Surely therefore if so much of the oyntment run down upon Christs Members there must be a great anointing upon Christ himself Surely there must be an infinit holinesse in Christ that must serve us all And of his fulnesse we have All received we have All received You will say Object But if the Saints be full of grace and holinesse how is this the property of Christ Yes For though the Saints be full of grace Answ and holinesse yet their fulnesse is but a fulnesse of Sufficiency Mark whereby they are made able to this or that work whereunto they are appointed But the fulnesse of Christ is a fulnesse
upon you the more he defiles you Truly such is the earths and the world fulness as I say a dog the more it fawns upon you and falls upon you the more it defles you Oh! but the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ is a pure Fulnesse a Fulness that is full of purenesse Eightly Take al the Fulnesse of the world and though it be never so much it fals under your expectation Sink your expectation as low as you can and yet notwithstanding it wil fall below your expectation As for the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ raise and scrue up your expectation as high as you can and yet you shall find more therein then ever you expected Ninthly As for the fulnesse of the earth somtimes 't is better wanted than injoyed It may make you miserable it cannot make you happy Oh! but the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ it can never make you miserable it will certainly make you happy there is no such time wherein 't is better wanted than injoyed Tenthly As for the Fulnesse of the earth again It costs a man many times more than 't is worth it costs him his Time his precious Thoughts his Soul much is laid out for it much care to get it much fear to keep it and much grief to lose it Oh! but the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ it costs him nothing Esay 56.1 Come buy Wine and Milk without money or moneys-worth Christ gives much and takes little takes nothing it costs you nothing and having it you have all And again to name no more of these Take all the fulnesse of the Earth and though it be never so much it is not able to answer you with Love to return you Love for your Love The greaten noblest Gift of the world is Love That is alwaies unworthy of your love that cannot answer your love again If you have a full bagg If you have a full Table if you have a full House these fulnesses cannot answer you with love again but it can defile your own love Oh! but the Fulnesse of Christ it can answer you with Love for Love it gives you a better Love than you brought it Nobilitates and Meliorates and raises your own love forever Behold This is the Fulnesse this is the Fulnesse that the Saints that Beleevers do partake in that they do receive of and they may come to this Fulness of Jesus Christ and they may say Of this Fulnesse of this Fulnesse wee have all received As those wicked men they may go unto the fulnesse of the Earth and they may say indeed Of this fulnesse we have all received but as for that Fulnesse we have none of it Oh! how much better is the cōdition of a Beleever than the condition of a wicked man though he be never so great or rich You that are Beleevers you do envy at the men of the world because of their fulnesse I Pray tell me would you change your Fulnesse for theirs Would you change your Condition for theirs And you that are of the world wicked ungodly men that have but the Earths fulnesse Why do you lay out your thoughts and your time upon such a fulnesse a dropsical fulnesse a fading fulnesse a dying fulnesse a fulnesse that is mixt with a Curse a fulnesse thsat does al bemire you and dirty you pray tell me Are you able with the Dasies Tulips of the world to satisfie your better part Oh! know you not that notwithstanding all the Earths fulnesse that a wicked mans fortune I say that a wicked mans fortune it lies in a lake that burneth with fire and brimstone And when you have done all you can gathered all that ever you can together you may go unto your full purses or unto your full bags or unto your full houses or unto your full barnes and you may say of this fulnesse I have received Oh! but you cannot go unto the Fulnesse of the Lord Jesus Christ and say And of this Fulness my soul hath received Oh! fool saies our Saviour Luke 12.20 when His barnes are full this night shall thy soul be taken away from thee And when you come below in the pit where no water is then you will complain and say Oh! wretch that I was I might have had of the Fulness of Jesus Christ but I chose rather the fulness of the earth and if I had had the Fulness of Christm I had bin made for ever but I chose rather the fulnesss of the world then the Fulness of Jesus Christ and now I am lost for ever Oh! I am lost for ever I have none of the Fulness of Jesus Christ What an incouragement here is then And so I come unto the Second Use Appli 2. and I will not hold you long in it What an incouragment is here unto al men good and bad to come in unto Jesus Christ and partake of His Fulnesse I say in the Second place here is incouragement unto all you that hear the Word of the Lord this day good or bad an incouragement unto all souls good and bad to come in unto the Lord Jesus Christ and partake of His fulnesse Saies our Lord and Savior When I am lift up Joh. 12.32 I will draw all men after Me I Love is a drawing thing Love is a drawing thing it draws men and women together into one youke that lived farr asunder And what greater love than this that Jesus Christ should lay down His Life for poor sinners Wisdome wisdome is a drawing thing it drew the Queen of Sheba from farr to come unto Solomon and behold a greater than Solomon is here Riches riches Wealth wealth is a drawing thing Bounty and Liberality a drawing thing it draws the poor beggar to the rich mans dore And behold here 's Riches Oh! there 's an infinite treasury of Grace and Holinesse in Jesus Christ And here 's Liberality For there is an infinite propension and willingnesse in the Lord Jesus Christ to give out of this Fulnesse unto poor finners Oh! hath God the Father exalted Jesus Christ and shall not our hearts exalt Him Beloved let but Jesus Christ be exalted in your thoughts and in your hearts and you will stand Firm against all Temptations Firm against and Discouragements Firm against all Afflictions Firm against all Temptations If Temptations come to offer you profit and pleasure then will you make this answer No you bid me losse for there is a fulness in Jesus Christ and of His Fulness through the Lords mercy I have received Firm against all Discour agements If the Devil come and tell you Thou art now a Professor but ere long you will fall away and prove as great a scandal to Religion as ever you honored it before You will make this answer True indeed Satan I have a backsliding soul I have a backsliding heart but there is a Fulnes in Jesus Christ through the Lords mercy I have received of this Fulness an d therefore I shal
saies the Lord wilt thou now rest upon mee now I frown now I chide now I have a rod in my hand now I have a sword in my hand to kill thee as it were wilt thou now rest upon mee Well be of good comfort thou art mine for ever Man or woman go in peace good is thy faith This resting thus upon God when all meanes faile it melts Gods anger into love And besides it is that faith that is most successefull the most speeding in prayer You may look into the second of Chronicles the thirteenth Chapter and you shall find there that Abijah going to warre with Jeroboam had not more then halfe so many as Jeroboam had Abijah set the battaile in array with an Army of valiant men of warre even foure hundred thousand chosen men A great Army But Jeroboam had as many againe And Jeroboam also set the battale in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men being mighty men of valour I pray now let us consider how went the day Reade the seventeenth verse Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter so there fell down of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men Five hundred thousand chosen men slaine How came this about Reade the eighteenth verse Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time and the children of Judah prevailed because they relyed upon the Lord God of their Fathers Or as some books have it because they stayed upon the Lord God of their father The meanes was too scanty it was short they rested upon God beyond the meanes and see what great successe they had upon this they were but foure hundred thousand against either hundred thousand and they slew five hundred thousand men So successefull is this worke and this way of beleeving It is this faith that now I am speaking of beleeving when all means faile and lye dead before us that does honour God especially which doth justify the soule It is the soule-saving faith of all Pray looke into the seventh of Luke and consider it well It is said at the last verse Jesus said to the woman they Faith hath saved thee go in peace but here 's no mention at all before of her Faith There 's mention of her love in the fourty seventh verse I say unto thee her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much There 's mention before of her teares at the eight and thirty verse A woman in the City which was a sinner brought an Alabaster box of ointment and stood at his feete behind him weeping and began to wash his feete with teares and did wipe them with the haires of her head and kissed his feete and annointed them with the ointment Here 's mention of her teares here 's mention of her Liberality and Bounty and Love to Jesus Christ and yet our Lord and Saviour Christ does not say thus woman thy teares hath saved thee go in peace Woman thy Repentance and thy Humiliation hath saved thee go in peace he doth not say thy Love to me and thy Bounty to me hath saved thee go in peace woman No but our Lord and Saviour he saw a secret worke of reliance upon himselfe in this woman for she was a great sinner and he sayes unto her woman Thy Faith hath saved thee goe in Peace This is the soule-saving faith thus to beleeve when all meanes faile and seeme to lye dead before you Surely therefore to do thus must needs be exceeding pleasing to God and most acceptable And so I have done with those three Propositions Applic. and now come to the Application If these things be so Oh! what manner of Faith should we have Will ye only beleeve when meanes are strong and have life in them Ye have read of the unbeliefe of the people of Israel when they were in the wildernesse being in the wildernesse they wanted much outward provision ordinary provision and by occasion thereof they murmured full of unbelief in so much as the Lord was angry with them and slew them so that they never came into the Land of promise But I pray what was their unbelief for which God did slay them Was it this that they did not beleeve when they had meanes No but that they did not beleeve when all means failed when all outward meanes failed that is their unbeliefe Beloved we have their promises we have their Example we have more meanes of faith then they and shall not our Faith rise higher then theirs Shall not we beleeve an inch beyond the meanes You have heard the Doctrine T is the duty of all the children of Abraham to beleeve when meanes faile 't is exceeding pleasing to God and 't is most acceptable Oh! What an incouragement is here to beleeve above hope and under hope and when death sits upon the lips of the second cause and speakes nothing but terror Some there are that say they can beleeve for their bodies but they cannot trust God for their Soules when meanes faile Some say they can trust God for their Soules when meanes faile but they cannot trust God for their Bodies some say they can trust God for Themselves but they cannot trust God for their Families what shall become of my wife and children Some say they can trust God for their Families but they cannot trust God for the Church when a strome rises they cry out and say Lord carest thou not that we perish though Jesus Christ be in the ship with them We are very ready and apt to hunt after the meanes when we want them and to rest upon them when we have them And there is a great propensnesse in us to doing rather then unto beleeving before conversion and in the point of conversion Before conversion sayes the young man Mat. 1916. What shall I do that I may inherite eternall life And in the point of Conversion in the second of the Acts What shall we do to be saved And Paul himselfe Act. 9.6 Act. 6.30 Lord what wilt thou have me to do The Jaylor too What shall I do to be saved What shall I do But I pray marke the Apostles answer to the Jaylor when he cryed out and said Oh! What shall I do The Apostle does not say go fast and pray though he had need to do that but the first worke that the Apostle does put him upon is Beleeve and thou shalt be saved This is the worke And therefore Iohn 6.28 29. when some came to Christ and ask't him this question Master what shall we do that we may work the works of God sayes Christ This is the work of God that ye beleeve in him whom he hath sent And of all workings of Faith this same beleeving when all means do faile and seeme to lie dead before us is that which is most pleasing to God Oh! that we could learne Oh! that we could learne this point to beleeve when the sentence of death is past upon a
fulness we have all received Thirdly That we have all received even Grace for Grace There is a great Controversy upon the latter Clause what should be meant by those Words Even grace for grace But because the Determination thereof fals properly within the compass of the Third Proposition and will have little influence upon the first which I intend God willing to speak unto at this time therefore I pass by that Controversy and come presently unto the First Proposition which is this Doct. That there is a fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Fulness is here attributed you see unto Jesus Christ The word in the Original sometimes is taken for Abundance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psa 24.1 The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof So here it is not taken here it is too narrow for there is not only Plenitudo abundantiae but Plenitudo redundantiae not only a fulness of Abundance but a fulnesse of Redundancy an over flowing of fulness in Jesus Christ Sometimes the word is used for Fulfilling and Perfecting of a thing So Love is said to be the Fulfilling of the Law So it is not taken here for though Christ be the end of the Law yet notwithstanding the Fulness spoken here is that which we do receive and that is the Fulness of grace The word Firstly and Properly is given unto Vessels that are brim-ful of liquor and so Metaphorically appli'd here unto our Lord Jesus Christ who is brim-ful of grace in whom there is no emptyness there is no evacuity While I speak of Jesus Christ I mean Christ as Mediator as God-man There is a Fulness in Christ as God That is not the fulness so Christ is not taken here by what is said in the verse before the Text the 14 verse And the Word was made flesh And of His Fulness we have all received So that it is the Fulness of Christ as Mediator there is a Fulness of grace in Christ as Mediator I shal keep me close unto the words The Fulness is here spoken of which we are said to receive of which we receive we receive grace for grace 't is the Fulness therefore of grace that is in Christ that I am now speaking of Now the word Grace sometimes it is taken for the Love and Favour of God We are saved by Grace That is Eph. 2.5 we are saved through the Love and Mercy of God Sometimes this word in the Original is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coll. 3.16 or put for Holiness Singing with grace in your hearts that is with Holiness in your hearts And sometimes 't is used for Excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Donum quodquis gratificatur for Gifts or Ability as in Ephes 4.7 and in al these respects there is a fulness of grace in Christ First of all Take grace for Love and Bounty and Mercy and so there is Plenitudo bonitatis there is a Fulness of Love in Christ The heart and love of Christ now in Heaven is the same toward poor sinners toward His Children toward Beleevers toward Men as it was when He was upon the earth when Christ was upon the earth First There was a fulness of Pardoning Love in Him Then He would pardon men before they did come for pardon Father Luk. 23.24 saies Christ Father forgive them they know not what they do Ye count it a great act of love where the fault is great to forgive a man upon his acknowledgment of the fault Our Lord Christ did not stay for their acknowledgment but whilst they were reeking in their sins He forgives Father forgive them forgive them they know not what they do Yea if you look into the Gospel ye shall find that when men were putting forth the highest acts of fin He was putting forth the highest acts of His love When Christ was suffering for Peter Peter was denying Christ Peter denying Christ and Christ suffering for Peter When He was upon the earth He did not only pardon once but He would pardon again and again if men sinned again He would pardon again The Disciples slept and Christ Pardon'd They slept again and Christ pardon'd again they slept again and Christ pardon'd again Yea and when He had pardon'd He would not upbraid them with their former sins or with His own mercy After His Resurrection not a word to Peter of all his denial or of Christ mercy Beloved Christ is the same in Heaven He is the same in Heaven now Again when Christ was upon the Earth His first and His great care was Matt. 5.3 4. for those that were weak in grace The first Sermon that He Preached Blessed are the poor in spirit and blessed are those that mourn He doth not say blessed are those that have assurance of the love of God and blessed are those that have the sence of His Love in their hearts but blessed are the Poor and blessed are they that mourn And when any poor doubting trembling soul came unto Him He would not cast away their service because it was accompanied with infirmity but He would rather passe by their infirmity because it was accompanied with some sincerity So the Woman that came behind Him So Nicodemus And when any poor soul could not come to Christ could not come to Christ in Christs way Christ would come down to him in his way Thomas saith He Thou sayest thou wilt not beleeve unless thou thrust thy hands into My side Thomas Thou wilt not honour Me by beleeving unless thou seest Thomas Thou wilt not come up to Me in My way Well I will come down to thee in thy way Come reach hither thy fingers and thrust thy hands into My side and be not faithless but beleeving Oh! the admirable condescention of the love of Jesus Christ Beloved He is the same now in Heaven Again When He was upon the Earth He professed that His heart and His love and affections was as much if I say not more unto one Saint Rev. 22.14 Matt. 12 47.50 as unto all His kindred that are such Blessed are those that keep Thy Commandements Bebold say they Thy Mother and Thy Brother and Sister are without to speak with Thee Saies He Whosoever shall do the Will of My Father which is in Heaven the same is My Brother Sister and Mother As if He should say You count My kindred happy because they are neer unto Me but do you see one poor beleeving trembling gracious soul I tel you the soul that keeps My Commandements is as much unto Me as all My kindred that are such Here is love And I say the Lord Jesus His heart is the same still in Heaven And therefore you shall observe that when He was risen and came amongst His Disciples the dore being shut He comes into the room and He saies unto them Luke 24.36 Peace be unto you Why Peace be unto you the ordinary way and manner of Salutation As if He would say thus much
all the People of God Oh! how great are their sins when they fall The Lord was quick with many that sinned in the old Testament and will He not be quick with Professors now that know more that have more Grace more Grace Discovered now Many when they sin they excuse themselves and they say True indeed I have thus and thus sinned but David did so I have sinned I have done thus and thus but Sampson did so I have committed this or that sin but Noah did so I but we have more light we have more Grace discovered ordinarily among us now than ordinarily among them in the Old Testament We have more Grace Discovered more Abundance of Grace Communicated now And therefore as the Apostle concludes from it we ought the more Abundantly to take heed For if they escaped not without a recompence of reward that sinned against the Law of Moses What shall become of those that sin against the Word of Christ the Son of God Professors all you that are the People of God take heed how you sin take heed how you tamper with your sins Grace hath Abounded you have received much and therefore if you sin this is that that will make your sins out of measure sinful Take heed what you do But in the Third place Appli 3. If there be such an Abundance of Grace Communicated now unto all the People of God under the new Testament What a mighty Incouragement is here to all good and bad I say a mighty Incouragement to all to all those that hear me this day good and bad Bad An incouragement unto those that are Bad to those that are wicked Therefore they should come in unto Jesus Christ He will not send your souls away empty there 's a Fulnesse in Jesus Christ and those that come unto Him shall be fil'd by Him He does not only give Grace but He gives Abundance of Grace Who would not come unto Jesus Christ that he may be fil'd by Christ Mark Is there an Abundance of Grace to be had from Christ and wilt thou have none Drunkard Is there such Abundance of Grace to be had in Christ and wilt thou have none wanton Unclean heart wilt thou have none Swearer Sab-bath-breaker wilt thou have none The Lord perswade your hearts to come in unto Jesus Christ I tell you you will have more from Him then you expect The Prodigal look't but for bread at his fathers house and he met with a fatted Calfe and with a Ring and with the best Garment you shall have more than you look't for 'T is a mighty Incouragement Oh! you that never thought of returning unto Jesus Christ Come in now unto Jesus Christ that you may have Abundance of Grace from Him I have done only this Here is also incouragement unto all that are godly and therefore they should labor to be rich in Grace shall Jesus Christ do much for you and will you do little for Him shall you receive Abundance from Him and will you not do Abundance for Him Labor Oh! labor all you Servants of God to Abound in the Work of the Lord That you may be fil'd with all the Fulness of God in Christ That you may be fil'd with all the fruits of righteousness That you may be strengthened with all might in the inner-man you have received much you have had Abundance he that hath the least Grace hath Abundance if thou hast but the least Gospel-Grace thou hast Abundance Brethren Grace hath Abounded Oh! let us Aboundin Grace Aboundin Faith and Abound in Patience and Abound in Meekness Sweetness and Love towards one another and towards all the Saints You have received much can you go to Heaven with doing little God expects much from you I conclude therefore with the exhortation of the Apostle Col. 2.6 As you have received the Lord Jesus Christ walk in Him Alwaies Abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. And thus much for the First thing that is here intended SERMON V. JOHN 1.16 And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace Preached at Margrets new fishstreet Dec. 15.1645 YE heard the last day that three things were contained in this last Clause Even Grace for Grace as it stands in relation to the former part of the verse First of all It notes an Abundance of Grace Even Grace for Grace that is Abundance of Grace The Saints and People of God under the new Testament do receive Abundance of Grace from Jesus Christ Secondly It notes also thus much That all Grace is from Jesus Christ That whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ Grace for Grace saies Austin that is Grace in order to Grace God gives the former Grace saies he to prepare for the after Grace Whether the former or the latter rain whether the former or the latter Grace 't is all from Christ whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Christ This sutes with the phrase of Job still Skin for skin that is all a mans skins So 't is explain'd by the following words Skin for skin Job 2.4 even all that a man hath will he give for his life So here Of His Fulness have all we received Even Grace for Grace that is all Grace Whatsoever Grace we have we have it from Jesus Christ And this also sutes with the Scope of the place the scope of the place is to exalt Jesus Christ above them that came before Him above Moses Therefore saies he at the next verse Joh 1.17 For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Though the Law were given by Moses yet notwithstanding Grace the chief that is from Christ Now Grace The word Grace here in the 17. verse must be understood of All Crace The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth that is All Grace And this verse being brought in as a reason of the former surely therefore this must needs be the meaning also of the former That all grace is from Jesus Christ whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ This is the Argument that I intend God willing to speak unto at this time Grace Sometimes is taken for the Favour of God Somtimes it is taken for Gods Assistance Sometimes it is taken for Holiness either in the habit or in the act Sometimes it is taken for gifts Sometimes the word Grace is used for an Office in the Church Whatsoever it be which way soever you take it All Grace is from Christ whatsoever grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ This now will appear if you consider The Insufficiency of Nature And the All-sufficiency of Christ As for the Insufficiency of Nature You know what the Apostle saies 1 Cor. 3.5 Wee are not able as of our selves to think a good thought but all our sufficiency is of God
Now though the Lord does give a Christian less grace in his hand for the present yet He hath laid it up in so safe a hand that though Satan a stronger than he does come down upon him he is not able to wrest it from him or beguile him of it because 't is in the hand of Christ that is a stronger than he And Jesus Christ by a Compact with the Father from all Eternity hath engaged Himselfe to do it to give forth Grace and Assistance to all the Elect according to all their needs So that I say now all Grace is from Jesus Christ in regard of fresh assistance Therfore the Psalmist prayes thus Lord open thou my lips Psal 51.15 and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Lord though thou hast given me habitual Grace yet if I have not fresh assistance from thee for to open my lips my mouth will not shew forth thy praise Psa 119.18 And so again Lord open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law And to this purpose 't is in the 17. Psalm and the 5. verse saies David Hold up my goings in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not Mark I pray David ye know was a godly man hee had a habit of grace Now Lord saies David as for the business that is between Saul and me thou knowest I am in thy way yet Lord saies he though I be in thy way and have a habit of Grace yet if thou dost not hold up my steps if thou dost not give me fresh assistance I shall fall I shall slip Hold up my going in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not Does not the Apostle say Phil. 2 13 The Will and the Deed is from God You may observe that the Graces of Gods People they are called in the new Testament Gal. 5.22 The fruits of the Spirit They are not called the fruits of a former habit but they are called The fruits of the Spirit And indeed if all grace were not from Jesus Christ in regard of fresh assistance truly then might a man have wherein to boast as Bradwardin reasons the case For saies he though a child have his being from his father his Education from his father Learning Military skill yet notwithstanding the valour of an action being his own he hath in opposition to his father wherin to boast True I confess indeed I had my being from my father I had my Nature from my father I had my Education from my father I had this Skill from my father But the prowess and the valour and the spirit of the action is all mine own and he hath wherein to boast So if he hath the Habit only from Christ he hath wherewith to boast True I had the Habit the Grace from God I but the spirit of the action that is mine own he had wherein to boast But there is no room for boasting and therefore all Grace is from Christ in regard of fresh assistance It will be yet said Obj. But if all Grace be from Christ in regard of fresh assistance too Why is it said that we Repent and we Beleeve and we Obey for if all Grace in regard of the very work be from Christ if Jesus Christ do work al our works Why is it not rather said That Christ does Repent and Christ does Beleeve and Christ does Obey I answer No. You know the Persons that are Responsal Ans If I owe a man a Thousand pounds and have never a penny to pay it and another man he comes and lends me the money and goes along with me to the Creditor the bond is taken up and acquittance made discharge made He is not said to have paid the money but I am said to pay the money that am Responsal So now you are Responsal and therefore though ye have all strength from Christ to do it yet you are said to Repent and Beleeve and Obey The Devil is not said to commit Adultery and commit Murder yet by his instigation 't is done The Sun does work with the Tree when the Tree does bring forth fruit and yet 't is not said that the Sun brings forth an apple or brings forth fruit because the Sun does work as a universal Cause and the Tree as a particular Cause So now though Jesus Christ does work in all your workings yet He is not said to Repent or Beleeve or to Obey because He works as a universal Cause and you work as a particular Cause Only behold here the mirrour of Grace All is of Christ and yet all is Ours all is ours in Denomination and al is Christs in Operation all is ours in regard of Incouragement and all is Christs in regard of Glory al is ours in regard of Reward and all is Christs in regard of Honor. Here 's Grace here 's the mystery of Grace but still all whatsoever Grace a man hath he hath it from Jesus Christ I but Quest will you say To what end is this Doctrine opened thus largely opened and prest What good is there that does come thereby What good Answ What good would you have What good would you do Would you have the Lord Jesus Christ to become your strength The way to have Him to become your strength is to count Him so Look I pray upon the 31. Psalm the 2. and 3. verse Be thou my strong Rock for an house of defence to save me for thou art my Rock and my Fortress Be thou my Rock for thou art my Rock What kinde of Argument is this Yes 't is a good argument The way to have Christ our Rock is to account Him our Rock My very resting upon the Promise does make it mine and your very resting upon Jesus Christ doth make Him yours and what will make you rest more upon Him then to see that all is from Him Again Would you have your hearts warmed with love unto Jesus Christ indeed our whol life should be nothing else but an expression of love to Christ as Christs life and death was nothing else but an expression of love to us Now saies a gracious soul Is this true indeed that all Grace is from Christ that whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ that there is not a good thought in my heart but runs through the heart of Jesus Christ before it does come at mine what infinit cause then have I to love Jesus Christ Again Would you live in Dependance upon Christ for Grace for Truth the serious consideration of this truth will help you to it I confesse indeed will some say when I look upon my self I am a man or woman of such poor gifts or parts that I have no hope I am afraid I shall never attain to the Truth of the time but is it so that all is from Jesus Christ whatever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ Why may not I know the Truth of the time as well as another I will
Oh! therefore you servants and People of God that have gon fearing and trembling up and down drooping under many fears without assurance of Gods love in Christ if there be such a fulnesse in Christ then trust unto Him yea trust and trust perfectly to Him If Satan come and tempt you and saies thus unto you Thou art a poor unworthy creatrue and dost thou think to have mercy Answer True Satan I am so indeed most unworthy but there is a fulnesse in Jesus Christ and I will trust in Him Does Satan tempt thee and say unto thee Thou art a poor guilty creature and dost thou think to find mercy Answer True Satan I confesse I am I have committed such and such sins but there is a fulnesse in Jesus Christ and I will trust in him Say say Satan what thou wilt against me I subscribe unto it I am poor I am empty I am unworthy I am guilty but Christ is Full Christ is Full there is Fulnesse in Jesus Christ I will trust unto Him Oh! you Servants of the Lord Live much by Faith there is a Fulnesse in Christ trust unto it And that 's the second Thirdly If there be such a fulness in Christ 3. Duty Then 't is our duty to draw forth this fulness Let all men draw forth this fulness That is done these Three waies First by a serious frequent solemn consideration and eyeing of Christs fulness 2 Cor. 3.18 For beholding as in a glass saies the Apostle we are changed from glory to glory The beholding of Christs glory changes us into glory 'T is drawn forth also by our resting upon it in a time of Temptation 'T is here in regard of Christs fulness as in regard of Gods mercy or promise pray mark it My very resting upon Gods promise in the time of a Temptation does make it mine my very resting upon His mercy in a time of Temptation does make His mercy mine and my resting also or your resting upon the fulness of Christ in the time of a Temptation does make it yours 'T is drawn forth also by giving forth As now the Conduit or Cistern receives more water into it by letting out the water which it hath Possibly there may be much water in the Conduit or much water in the Cistern and the fountain may be willing to furnish it with more but 't is full already therefore now turn the cock and let that run out which it hath received already and it draws more into the Cistern So here beloved our very spending for Christ receives from Christ the way to draw out His fulness is to lay out His fulness as you do receive from Him so to comunicate to other folk this draws it out Well then A fulness ye have heard there is in Christ This fulness is to be drawn out ye hear also how it is or may be drawn out Enter therefore into your Chamber and when you are all alone seriously frequently think much of this Fulness of Jesus Christ and in the time of your Temptation then rest upon it And as it pleaseth Jesus Christ to give out any of His Fulness unto you so let it run out again upon other folk And this is the third thing Fourthly 4 Duty If there be such a fulness of grace in Christ Then let us all labour to be like unto Him full of grace as Christ full of meekness full of humility full of Love especially for there is a fulness of love in Christ And yet alas when ever was there lesse love and more strife then now when ever lesse love among Professors when ever more strife then now Give me leave a little Beloved in the Lord you see and know what great divisions there are among us great strifes All strife and envy arises from an apprehension of scantiness and narrowness in the thing desired Now then that which we do strive for either it is more of the World Or more of Christ If it be more of the World that we sirive for who shall be most Rich who shall have most Honor if it be more of the world that we strive for Why Oh! why should we strive for that which may make us worser but cannot make us better why should we strive for that when as the very striving for it will deprive us of it If it be more of Christ that we strive for mark if it be more of Jesus Christ and more of Him that we strive for There is enough in Him there is enough in Jesus Christ for to serve us al. If two or three or six or twenty men be a thirst and they go to drink out of a Bottle while one is drinking the other envies because he thinks there will not be enough for him too But if now five six twenty a hundred be a thirst and go to the River while one is drinking the other envies not Why because there is enough to serve them all Beloved if it be more of Christ that we strive for if it be more of Jesus Christ that we strive for there is a fulness in Him there is enough in Christ there is enough in Jesus Christ ye have heard to serve all our turns Oh! therefore that there may be no more striving no more enuy no more contention no more division labor let us all labor to be more and more like unto Jesus Christ He was full of grace especially He was full of love let us labor to to be like unto Him In the fift and last place The fift Duty 5 Duty If there be such a fulness in Jesus Christ Then take heed how we do any thing that may rob Christ of the glory of His fulness Let all men take heed how they do any thing that may rob Jesus Christ of the glory of His fulness As now Suppose that I think and am perswaded that Jesus Christ hath not given a sufficient rule hath not laid down a perfect a sufficient rule in the Word for the Ordering and for the Governing of the Churches and therefore I will eek out what He hath done with my own prudence This robs Him of the glory of His Prophetical fulness Or suppose I think my sins are so great they can never be pardoned so great there is no hope for mercy This robs Him of the glory of His Priestly fulness Or suppose that I stint and limit Christ unto this or that particular means of delivering of the Church I know that God is able to deliver England and to deliver the Church but if He do not take this way if He do not take this course if this means fail then we are all undone then all all is lost if this means take not This is to rob Christ of the glory of His Kingly fulness to stint Him to one means to tie Him and limit Him to one means Or suppose that I set my heart upon any Creature fulness and say as the whore said in the 7 of the Proverbs
So the Devil stands before the soul to cut off the souls birth Then also comes in the power of all Relations And the power of all Engagements And the power of all former Customs And the power of an Evil Nature Nay if you will go this way to work then farewel all Friends and farewell all your former Pleasures and farewel all Preferment Was it not a great matter for Job to be upright in the Land of Vz why Because there was much opposition in it Is it not a great matter for a little poor Barque or Vessel to live at Sea in the time of a storm for a little spark of fire to live in much water for a little light to live in a great wind You look upon such a poor gracious soul and you do not consider the wind that blows upon it the storms that beat upon it and you say 'T is not much Grace he hath or much good he does Oh! but consider if you would consider the great Opposition that the soul meets withal then you will say Oh! 't is much indeed there is Abundance of Grace there Secondly Consider the Retinue of Grace Grace hath a great Retinue Though it be very mean it hath rich Retinue If a man hath but a poor Cottage an Acre of Land an half-Acre of Land a Rood Yet if it be an Earnest of a great Inheritance 't is much Look upon the little Cottage in it self or the Rood of Land in it self 't is not much but consider it as an Earnest of a great Inheritance so 't is much Beloved whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it but as an Earnest Ye reade of the Testimony of the Spirit of the Earnest of the Spirit all the Grace that the Saints have on this side Heaven 't is all but the Earnest of what they shall have And the Apostle he blesses God for this as ye reade in the 1. of the Colossians 12. Giving thanks unto the Father which bath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Mark Here are Three things especially considerable in these words All the Children of God have an Inheritance You have but one Heir to your Estate all are not Heirs but all Gods Children have an Inheritance And the Inheritance called an Inheritance of Light It does not lie in a dark foggy and fenny and moorish place 't is a comfortable Inheritance 't is an Inheritance of light And the Apostle He does here give thanks unto God that had made them Meet to be the partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light He does not here give thanks unto God for the Inheritance but that they were meet to be partakers of the Inheritance that they had an Earnest till the Inheritance came I say all the Grace which a godly man hath on this side Heaven it is but an Earnest you look upon it as it is in it self and you say 'T is not much I but look upon it as an Earnest but as an Earnest and then you will say 'T is much indeed Oh! 't is much indeed But then Thirdly and specially Consider the Mystery of Grace Grace is a mystery Ye reade in Scripture of the mystery of iniquity and the mystery of godliness godliness is not only a mystery in the general but all the parts of godliness are mysterious there is a mystery in every part and if you would but a little consider the mystery of Grace I dare say you would lift up your hands and say then Oh! what Abundance of grace is here even in the weakest Saint For example to Instance Ye say 't is no great matter for a man or woman to tremble at the Word 'T is more then many a one does many come and fit out Sermons never tremble before the Word Well but you say 't is no great matter to tremble before the Word to tremble at the Word I but for a man to tremble at the Word and yet to count it as hony and the hony-comb to tremble at the Word yet to love it prize it then look upon it as the hony and the hony-comb this is much Now ye shall have a poor soul a poor Christian come and tremble before the Word and yet look upon the Word as the hony even as hony and the hony-combe for sweetnesse This is much Again You count it no great matter for one to love the Ordinances so to love the Ordinances above all the world as to be willing to part with all the world rather than to part with them This is a great matter But may be you will say this is no great matter Well but for a man or a woman to think so so to love the Ordinances yet notwithstanding at the same time to think that he don't Profit that he is barren and gets little or no good thereby this is much Now thus you shall have it with a poor Christian love and prize the Ordinances and would not part with the Ordinances for all the world and yet at the same time complain and say Oh! I get little good thereby Here 's a Mystery Put all together you take things asunder and therefore you think it is not much Again You think it is no great matter for a man to comfort himself in this That the Lord knows his heart I but for a man to comfort himself in that and yet say There is much hypocrisy there the same day it may be say Oh! I am an hypocrite Thus you shall have it with many a poor poor gracious drooping soul All is naught Oh! my heart it is full of hypocrisy and I am but an hypocrite and yet now let him be charg'd or accused by men of the world for such and such designes he comforts himself in this Oh! but blessed be the Lord the Lord knows my heart Put these things together Again You wil say 't is no great matter for a man To look into his own heart so to look into his own heart and so to be sencible of his sin as to think he shall perish for ever I but for the same person To professe he would not change his condition with another for all the world this is much Take many a poor drooping soul and thus it is I am afraid I shall go to Hell and perish to all eternity But now come lay his condition to a Drunkard to an Adulterer saies he I professe I would not change my condition with that man for all the world at the same time Here 's a mystery 't is strange but there 's a mystery in every piece of godliness and if you would but consider it would appear that there is much Grace in those that have the least Again You say 't is no great matter for a man To work out his salvation with fear and trembling I but for the same person To rely upon Jesus Christ only for salvation This is much Now thus it
say if you take this course you will lose all you will lose all your acquaintance lose your liberty lose your estate may be lose your life Be it so saies faith though thou losest thy friends thou shalt gaine better and though thou losest thy liberty thou shalt gaine better and though thou losest thy life it selfe thou shalt gaine a better 't is but a while neither sayes faith that thou shalt lose these things and thou shalt have them better in a better Edition When a mans eyes are open to behold the Excellencies of Christ then they are shut to outward Discouragements When a man hath beheld the Sunne in its glory his eyes dazle to the things that are below Now Faith opens a mans eyes to see the Excellencies of Jesus Christ and so the soule is carried through Difficulties and Discouragements though they be never so many Againe fourthly True saving faith it inables the soule to leave the successe and the event of all unto God himselfe Nothing strengthens the hands of Difficulties and Discouragements so much as solicitude about successe and event of things True saving faith helps a man to leave the successe to Christ it does commit the soule unto God unto Christ there is a mutuall committing between Christ and a beleever Christ commits himselfe unto a beleever and a beleever commits himselfe againe unto Christ Christ commits himselfe unto a beleever you know what is said in the Gospel John 2.24 Psal 37.5 He did not commit himselfe unto them because they did not beleeve him arguing that he did commit himselfe unto others that did beleeve him And beleever commit themselves unto Jesus Christ Commit thy way unto the Lord there is a mutuall way of committing Christ he does commit his Grace he does commit his Spirit he does commit his Truth unto a beleever a beleever commits his Estate and his Name and Himselfe againe unto Christ Christ commits his work unto a beleever and a beleever commits the successe of the work againe unto Jesus Christ Faith now leaves the event and the successe unto Jesus Christ and therefore when Difficulties and naturall Discouragements arife and say What wilt thou do now What wilt thou do now to be preserved What wilt thou do to continue now What wilt thou do to be delivered now What will become of you now Oh! Satan sayes a beleever thou hast mistaken the question My question is not What shall become of me I have left the successe of things to God but my question is What shall I do for God My question is How shall I love Jesus Christ My question is How shall I be like unto Jesus Christ My question is How shall I serve my generation and owne Jesus Christ in these times This is my question Faith true saving faith it leaves the successe and the event of things unto Christ and so thereby the soule is carried through all Difficulties and naturall Discouragements unto Jesus Christ In the fifth place True saving faith is that grace whereby the soule takes up the yoke of Christ and the burden of Christ upon his soule Christs burden does unburden all other burdens the very taking Christs burden upon a man does ease him of all other burdens This may seem strange to you that the taking of a new burden should ease one of the former if a man be carrying coales or wood the taking of a new burden would not ease him of the former but the burden of Christ Belove is of another nature Austin distinguishes them there is a burden burdening and a burden supporting he expresses it thus The feathers that a bird or a foule is cloathed with they have a weight in them the wings and feathers have a weight a pound of feathers is as heavy as a pound of lead there is a weight in those feathers yet notwithstanding they beare up the burden of the body though there be a weight in them one weight beares up another Or as 't is with your coaches the wheeles are heavy yet notwithstanding being fastened unto the coach unto the body of the coach makes the body to go away the lighter though they be heavy in themselves So now 't is here the burden of Jesus Christ it makes all other burdens to go away the lighter Faith true saving Faith it is the grace that takes up the burden of Christ upon the soule and so thereby all other burdens are made the lighter and difficulties and discouragements overcome In the sixt place True saving faith it does teach a man for to picke out the love of God from under the anger of God God never makes his Pils so bitter but he mighles some Sugar withall and true faith can find it out When as our Lord and Saviour Christ said Ioh. 2.4.5 woman what have I to do with thee mine houre is not yet come The next words that she saies is to the servants Whatsoever he bids you do that do They wanted wine she came to him for wine and he answered her so it may seem an hard answer yet saies she to the servants whatsoever he bid you do that do For our Saviour had said my houre is not yet come implying therfore that he would do it Implycation is enough for Faith for Mary's Faith Faith it acquaints a man with the wayes of God and acquaints a Soule what Gods wayes are it tels the soule that when Christ seemes to be the greatest Enemy he intends the greatest friendship He sayes faith does then intend for to raise us up when he seemes most for to cast us downe whereupon when difficulties and discouragements do arise Is this his way indeed sayes a beleeving soule why then shall I be borne down with so many discouragements though they be never so many In the seventh and last place true saving justifying faith fils the soule with Gods infinity or infinitenesse Gods way is not as your way sayes Faith nor his thoughts as your thoughts but as the Heavens are above the earth so are his thoughts beyond yours and his wayes beyond your Faith lodges this principle into the Soule that God is infinite and having laid that principle there when difficulties and discouragements do arise saying you see now into what distresse you are brought now you see there is no hope at all for you deliverance true indeed sayes the Beleever through the strength of Faith I see there is no way in any one reason but God is infinite I see many difficulties but God is infinite the soule by Faith being fild with the apprehension of Gods infinitenesse hereby is carried through all difficulties and discouragements to Jesus Christ I have not time I see to tell you how Faith workes by love which much watter cannot quench stronger then death And how Faith is strengthened with the strength of the power of God that it layes hold upon As the Ivie is strong by the strength of the oake that it graspes upon so Faith is strong
fallen upon his neck and forgiven him and showed mercy to him then he said so and not before And saies the text when his father saw him a far off Notwithstanding he had resolved to go home yet he was far off from mercy his father saw him a far off and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kis't him preventing of him by his grace this makes it more prevalent But yet you will say Object How can this be can God love sinners can God set his love upon poor sinners that are so What saies the Apostle in Rom. 4.5 Answ He justifies the ungodly not in their sins but from their sins through Christ 'T is not in Gods love as in our love you love because the thing loved is lovely but Gods love does make lovely your love finds lovely and Gods love makes lovely You love a person because of some beauty but Gods love does make beautiful You love a person because of some good you do find before you love but Gods love brings the goodness with it Gods love makes the person good that he does love His love is the original root of all our obedience and sanctification Though the Root lies under ground all the branches are beholding to it and the fruit have their sap and life from it So though Gods reconciling love lies under ground and ye see it not yet 't is the Root of all your obedience of all your sanctification Ye may observe therefore that in the Epistle to the Romans to the Galatians to the Hebrews when the Apostle would stir up the Romans Galatians Hebrews to holiness of life that he laies his Exhortation upon the Doctrine of free-grace love justification by faith alone and the sulness of Christs satisfaction for poor unworthy sinners In the book of the Romans he begins to state the Doctrine of free justification of sinners and remission by Christ alone In the book of the Galatians he begins with free-remission of sins and justification by faith alone So in the book of the Hebrews But the end and conclusion of all these Epistles to the Romans Galatians Hebrewes is Obedience Repentance and holiness of life As if this were the great Root that all our obedience did grow upon even free remission of sins and Justification by faith alone And if justificiation do go before our sanctification then of Necessity there must be an approaching of the Kingdom of Heaven to us before we do come to it Give me leave to give you Two or Three Reasons of it and so I will come to the Application First of all Reas 1 God doth so order things in the dispensations on s of his grace and administration thereof as that he may be known to be God Jehovah that all flesh may see his glory What is the glory of God His free-grace is his glory And therefore ye shall observe that when Moses begs to see Gods glory Lord saies he show me thy glory Exo. 33.18 19. The Lord made him this answer Moses would'st thou see my glory What otherwise than thou hast seen it in the Mount Moses here is my glory I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy The Lord read him a lecture of his free-grace Moses here 's my glory my free-grace is my glory And how can Gods freegrace be more seen and manifest than in such a way Causing the Kingdom of Heaven of grace and free remission to draw neer to us even before we do stir towards it Secondly Reas 2 God does so order things in the dispensations of his grace as that men may be made the most gracious The sight of Gods grace wil make a man gractions the more ye see the grace of God in Christ the more gractious ye wil be And pray mark that instance which ye have in the 7. of Luke the same that Inamed before consider it well at the 37. verse Behold a woman in the City which was a sinner it seems she was a very wicked woman a sinner when she knew that Jesus Christ sate at meat in the Pharisees house brought an Alabaster box of ointment and stood at his feet behind him weeping and began to wash his seet with teares and did wipe them with the haires of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment What 's the reason of this Saies our Saviour Christ I say unto thee at the 47. verse Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she loved much She wept much because she loved much and she loved much because much was forgiven her The Papists and those that do follow them say indeed That her forgiveness was a fruit of her love because 't is said here Her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much But good people makr it and you-will find that first of all there is forgivenss and thereupon the woman loved and her loving much was but a sign of her being much forgiven For this is sutable with the latter end of the 47. verse Her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much Much forgivenss is the ground of loving much and loving much is a fign of much forgiveness for it follows But to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little And this sutes also with the Parable that ye have before at the 41. and the 42. and the 43. verses Which is brought in upon occasion of this womans loving thus much A certain Creditor had two debtors the one ought five hundred pence and the other fifty and when they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both Tell me therefore which of them will love him most Simon answered and said I suppose that he to whom he forgave most Marke the scope of the parable and you will find it is to show That love flows from forgiveness The Papists and others that cleave to them therefore go against the scope of this Parable And now my beloved if all our love be upon forgiveness and forgiveness goes first Oh! what free-grace is here We Repent and we Weep because we love and we love because we are forgiven but forgiveness goes first Oh! what grace and love is here Paul was so taken with this that to me he seems to be more taken with it than with the vision that he had in the third Heaven saies he I knew a man whether in the body 2. Cor. 12.2 or out of the body a man saies he wrapt up into the third Heaven and heard unspeakable words which is not lawful to be uttered And this Paul speaks of but once But saies Paul I was a blasphenter 1. Tim. 1.13 I was a persecutor but I obtained mercy This story he tels three times he tels the other story but one time but this story this story of free grace how he was a blasphemer and a persecutor and how he obtain'd mercy this was never out of his mind As if he were more refresh't with the thought of
this than with the other And I pray what then Do but observe Paul who gracious he is how humble he is how thankful he is how ready to serve Christ how ready to serve the Churches for Christ how ready to suffer for Christ upon all occasions Oh! how gracious did this make him Thus 't is with a poor soul that hath tasted of the free-grace of God in Christ the heart is more taken herewithal than with the thoughts of Heaven Ah saies a poor soul I was going on in such a sinful way or I lay sleeping and snorting in my sins and I know not how before ever I was aware the Kingdom of Heaven did approach unto me and the Lord in his free-grace showed mercy to my family and to my poor soul Oh! therefore any thing for Jesus Christ Oh! I will spend and be spent Oh! any thing for Jesus Christ The sight of Gods grace does make one gracious and therefore Christ does take this way Causing the Kingdom of Heaven grace and free remission to approach first unto us before we do draw neer to it There is one Reason more I will but name it Christ does so order things in the dispensations of his grace that no flesh might glory in it selfe or in any thing that it hath or doth that no flesh might rest in any duty in any service in any suffering but only upon grace upon Christ alone Beloved we are very unwilling to come unto any duty and when we have done we are then as apt to rest upon it as ever we were unwilling to come unto it But what 's the reason that men are so apt to rest upon their duties but because there are these secret thoughts that they come to Christ before he does come to them Let the heart be possest with this truth That Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven and of free-grace does approach unto us and come neer to us before we draw neer to it And then he will not rest so much upon what he is doth or suffereth A man in this case is like unto a Silk-worme you know how 't is with that worme it makes a fine web a fine work and when it hath done it dies in it afterward it eats a hole through the work and it comes out with wings a quite other creature than it went into it So it is with a poor Christian he makes a fine work of duty and then he dies in it but through the manifestations of Gods free grace he does as it were eat a hole through all and he comes out with wings flying away from his duties not so as to neglect the performance of them but so as not to rest upon them flyes away from in regard of resting upon any duty and only upon this ground because saies he God did draw neer to me grace did draw neer to me mercy did draw neer to me before ever I drew neer to it and therefore why should I rest upon any duty performe it I will but through grace I will not rest upon it By way of Application Applic. 1 Let us I pray consider with our selves whether God hath dealt thus by our souls or no Hath the Kingdom of Heaven approch't and drawn neer unto us before we drew neer to it if not truly for ought that I know we are yet under the Law and all our mournings and walkings Heaven-ward they are but Legal If God love you indeed He shews kindness and mercy to you before you do come to him 'T is with Gods darlings as 't is with the worlds-darlings You have some men take a great deal of pains rise early and go to bed late and yet the world does not smile upon them these are the world's enemies Some take pains and grow rich thereby these are the worlds friends Others there are again that before ever they take any pains the Lord is upon them with the worlds blessings these are the worlds darlings So I say God hath his darlings and if thou art one of Gods darlings He does cause the Kingdom of Heaven Grace and Free-remission to appear and draw neer unto thy soul even before thou dost draw neer to it Hath God dealt thus by any of you Oh! contemplate consider seriously the sweetness of this grace Beloved preventing grace is sweet grace The Lord gave a Grown a Kingdom to David but the best Pearle in all the Crown that his eye was most upon was Gods preventing mercy Psa 21.3 Lord saies he thou hast prevented me with the goodness of thy blessing As if he had said thus Lord thou hast not only given me a kingdom made me a King over thy people but when I was a poor Shepheard keeping my fathers sheep thou diddest prevent me with thy love So may a poor soul say Ah Lord thou hast not only given me a kingdom but thou hast prevented me with thy love 'T is a great matter that the great God of Heaven and Earth should answer our prayers give us any mercy upon our request I but that the Lord should give us the greatest mercie before we come for it Pray good people mark it a little Ye shall observe that the greatest mercies that ye have ye have them and they are given unto you before you come for them There are some great mercies that a Christian hath as Conversion of his soul Justification Remission of sin Some lesser mercies as comfort and peace and outward plenty As for these lesser mercies God gives them when we do come for them but as for the great Mercies Remission of sin Justification of our persons Conversion of our souls God is upon us with these mercies before we come for them Oh! what grace is here Oh! what glorious rich grace is here What! shall be not stand and admire at the glory of this free grace of God in Jesus Christ You will say unto me Quest But suppose this that the Lord hath brought the Kingdom of Heaven neer to me and my family before I did come to it for I must confess that I have tasted and drunk deeply of Gods preventing love Oh! how graciously hath God dealt by our poor family wee were a poor ignorant family and the Lord shewed mercy to our family when we little thought of it to such a Child to such a Servant to such a Friend to mine own soul Indeed this is true That the Kingdom of Heaven hath approch't unto me drawn neer unto me before I drew neer to it Oh! what is my duty now that does flow from hence Let me tell you Ans 1 Duty First of all Be sooner at Heaven gate with your duties hereafter than ever you were before When as a Master comes into his servants Chamber in the morning and takes him abed if the servant have any ingenuity the servant saies this my Masters coming thus early is plainly a rebuke to my sloth and therfore God willing I will be up sooner another day So now
sins But I pray what works the heart over to this acknowledgment When David had Saul at a great advantage and spar'd him Saul breaks forth into this expression O my son David thou art more righteous than I O David thou art a righteous man but I am an unrighteous man So when the soul sees what infinite advantage the Lord hath it at and how the Lord spareth then the soul breaks forth and saies The Lord is righteous I am unrighteous I am unrighteous this works an acknowledgment Sixtly A Repenting person does not only acknowledge his sin as occasion serves but he labours to un-sin his sin and truely else it is no Repentance He does walk contrary unto himself and his former self he does labour to undo what he had done before sinfully he does labour to unsay what he had said before wickedly Before the Jaylor was converted he clap't up the Apostle into close prison and either he whipt him there or else being whipt he did not relieve him and wash his wounds But the Jaylor Repenting mark how he walks contrary to himself Repenting he opens the prison door he washes the Apostles wounds brings him into his own house sets meat before him Those Sorcerers Acts 19. repenting burnt their books which before they prized and studies much How did Manasses walk contrary to himself when he once Repented Well But what is that that will bring the soul to this disposition to walk contrary to ones former self If you look into the 116. Psalm ye shall find there how the Psalmist eats up his former words I said in my hast all men are lyers It was amiss in me I eat my words I am sorry for it what made him do it Saies he at the 3. verse The sorrows of death compassed me about and the pains of hell gate hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow Then called I upon the Name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver me at the 5. verse Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is mercisul Now having had a tast of Gods grace and God mercy now he eats his former words And so the good man Hezekiab I said saies he I am cut off from the land of the living Isa 38.11 He did eat his words I repent it was suddenly done How was he wrought off to this He had tasted of the love and grace and goodness of God and this made him do it So that now look into the bowels of Repentance and the several workings thereof and ye shall find there is no such way or means or motive to bring a soul unto Repentance as the approaching of the Kingdom of Heaven the word and work of Gods grace and love of God in Jesus Christ Would you know the Reason Briefly thus Repentance is a fruit of faith Ye have a notable expression of godly sorrow to the height in the 12. of Zachary the latter end of the 10 11 and 12. verses speaking of the Call and Conversion of the Jews They shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him the latter end of the 10. verse as one that is in bitterness for his first-born Bitterness upon bitterness and mourning And in that day at the 11. verse there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon And the land shall mourn every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart Here is great mourning and sorrow What caused this saies he at the 10. verse They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn They shall look upon me whom they have piercit This is the eye of faith and all true mourning and sorrow does come from thence All tears of Repentance flow from the eye of faith the more a man by faith is able to see a pierced Christ the more his heart is pierced for sin committed the more by faith a man is able to see a wounded Christ the more will his heart be wounded for sin committed Faith works Repentance but what worketh faith Surely the Gospel the preaching of the Gospel Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the preaching of faith He does not say by the preaching of the Gospel but by the preaching of faith The Gospel is called faith not only because 't is the Cbject of faith but that by which faith is wrought Again As Repentance is a fruit of faith So also it does flow from love Amor doloris causa Love is the cause of grief The more a man loves another or apprehends that he is loved of him the more he grieves if he hath any way injured him If you at un-awares do strike another and one tell you that he is your enemy ye grieve not ye are not troubled unless it be in regard of some mischief that may come to your self But if one tell you that he is a friend a specialfriend that grieves you So now if by my sins I have striken at God if I look upon God as an enemy I am not grieved much I am not troubled much But when I consider him as my father the best friend I have in the world and consider how by my sins I have stricken at him this makes me grieve Oh! that ever I should wound the name of him whom my soul loves She loved much saies our Saviour concerning the weeping woman she loved much for much was forgiven her He does not say she wept much for much was forgiven her there was no mention before of her love but only of her weeping and yet saies our Saviour she loved much because he would shew what it was that drew up the sluce of these tears it was her love And what causeth love Love causeth love The more a man sees and apprehends the love of Christ towards him the more his heart is drawn out in love towards Christ again And what greater act of love than this That the Kingdom of Heaven approaches that the Kingdom of Heaven should come and make it's approach to such a poor sinner as I am Surely therefore the approaching or drawing neer of the Kingdom of Heaven is the highest and greatest motive in the world unto true Repentance You will say Experience seems for to speak the contrary for arguments drawn from Hell and the wrath of God seem to be more powerful and efficacious in the working of Repentance I have will some say sometimes considered the wrath of God and let out my heart upon arguments drawn from thence and then I have bin much humbled broken been much affected yea the truth is I have been more humbled and more broken and more affected and more troubled for sin than when the Gospel the word of the Kingdom hath been preach'd and opened unto me How therefore is this true Experience seems to speak the contrary I answer Quicquid recipitur c.