comodity the things imparted in this communion any one of them nay the least of them is of more value and benefit then all the world There was more in the kisse which a Prince gave to one then in a cup of gold which he gave to another The Phylosophers hold that the lowest degree of life exceeds the highest degree of inanimate perfection A living dog is better then a dead lion a living fly doth in this overmatch all the stars The blood of Christ the righteousnesse of Christ the love of Christ the graces communicated from Christ the lowest spark of any of them doth elevate the soule and addes more perfection of good then all the good which can be drawn out of all the creatures in the world The least good in genere moris out-weighs all the good in genere fortunae and the least good in genere spiritualis or Gratiae is of more value and consequence then all other good whatsoever one pearle is better then a million of stones or a mountaine of dirt 3. For priviledge were you cloathed with all the moral abilities whereof nature is capable were you endowed with all the confluences of the earth to the utmost receptions or extensions of sensual imaginations and desires yet by none of these are you brought in a neernesse of relation to God or any jot advantaged for any spiritual interests or infranchized thereby with any soul-helping liberties still you are forreiners and strangers and stand at distance with God you cannot call God Father yet till communion with Christ be enjoyed and when this is enjoyed your priviledges immediately become wonderful Now you may look on God and say Thou art my portion Now you may go to God and say Thou art my Father Now you may behold the love of God and say this is my treasure and the Covenant of God and say this is my store-house and the providence of God and say this is my Shield Now you may look on Christ and say This is my Redeemer he is mine and I am his He lives in me and I live in him He dwells with me and I dwell with him He sups with me and I feed on him His blood is my refuge and my heart is his Mansion He doth graciously traffique in my heart by his Spirit and I can as freely traffique with heaven by his intercession 4. For pleasure One day in Gods house was more to David then a thousand elsewhere Psalme 84. 10. One dayes communion with Christ did I say one dayes nay one houres nay one minutes communion with Christ is of more true satisfaction and soul-delighting pleasures then all the bathes and rivers of Joy in the world Saint Austine delivers a high Dic animae meae salus tua ego sum Curram post istam vocom Nâ—li absconderc faciâ—m tuam moriar ut cam videam request to God O Lord say unto my soul I am thy salvation That one word O I will runne to heare it Hide not thy face from me Let me die so I may see thy favour Moses was a while with God upon the mount and what a heaven was it for him to see God and converse with him Peter was a while with Christ upon the Mount O what a â—aciety was it to him to be with his Christ in that glimpse of excellent glory and to heare that heavenly voice This is my beloved Sonne 2 Pet. 1. 19. well might Peter say it is good to be here Why Sirs who can describe unto you the sweetnesse of this communion I never Meditate but I meet with Christ what a blessed contemplation is this I never hear but I meet with Christ what a blessed hour is this I never receive of the Sacrament but I meet with Christ O what a blessed feast is this I never bow my soul in prayer but I meet with Christ when I go and heare I hear his voice when I go and pray he hears my voice O what a heaven is this I commend that speech of Nunquam abs te absque te recedo Bern. Ep. 116. Bernard if the soul can speak its of Christ I never come to thee but by thee I never come from thee without thee 5. For sufficiency shew us the Father said Philip and it sufficeth Hast thou communion with Christ it is sufficient let thy condition for other things be what it may be You know the answer of the King of France to the Herauld of him of Spaine who varnished his Master with many empty titles of being King of Naples King of the Indies c. He only proclaimed himselfe King of France as if that alone weighed down all the rest O ye beleevers there is so much in this one communion with Christ as answers to all other communions nay as infinitely overtops them One man hath communion with profits but he hath no pleasure another sucks at the flower of pleasure but he hath no profit one outward good or other is still wanting and if all were enjoyed there were not enough to satisfie the vast soul of man But communion with Christ brings sufficiency with it There is if I may so phrase it an aggregation of all good in Christ for the parts of satisfying good and likewise an intension of all good for the degrees of it There is mercy enough in Christ to pardon holinesse enough in Christ to heal peace enough in Christ to quiet joy enough in Christ to refresh dignity enough in Christ to honour wisdom enough in Christ to direct readinesse enough in Christ to help strength enough in Christ to uphold goodnesse enough in Christ to blesse thy soul happinesse enough in Christ to save and crown thy soul Let our condition be never so great it is but a hell without Christ let it be never so flat it is heaven sufficient if we enjoy Christ Who can say he wants nothing who wants Christ who can say he wants any thing who wants not a Christ 6. For duration all other communions are in hazard and receive their period The communion 'twixt man and wife hath this inscription upon it yours for life The communion 'twixt a man and his friend hath this subscription to it yours till death the communion that a man hath with the creatures hath this motto on it yours till trouble the communion that a man hath with the pleasures of sin hath this character on it yours till conscience awakes or at least till hell follows the communion that Adam had with God in Paradise had this Epitaph on it yours till temptation Either that moth of death or that wave of trouble or that flash in conscience or that decreed period to all creatures crack asunder all these communions and in a moment make their graves so that we do many times scarse taste the sweetnesse of them in fruition before we are swallowed up with bitternesse for the losse of them But the communion 'twixt Christ and the beleever is begun in mercy is
Christ alone is Portion and Lands and Houses and Father and Mother and Sister and Brother and Profit and Pleasure and Comfort and Happinesse enough to the soule that opens unto Christ 2. A whole Christ is opened unto O brrthren as Christ so every thing in and about Christ is precious His salvation is precious his doctrine is precious his way is precious his redemption is precious his righteousnesse is precious his holinesse is precious his blood is precious his will is precious His Priestly office is preeious and so is his Prophetical office and so is his Kingly office Reigning with Christ is precious and so is suffering for Christ Gaining by Christ is precious and so is losing for Christ Receiving from Christ is precious and so is doing for Christ The comforting vertue of Christ is precious and so is his mortifying vertue and so is his healing vertue and so is his guiding or leading vertue An halfe Christ was never ordained to be a Saviour the whole Lamb was a sacrifice and a whole Christ is a sinners salvation 3. The heart is opened unto Christ onely If you have a fore-door for Christ and a back-door to open unto sin you will deceive and lose your souls An heart and an heart is ever a false heart the young man in the Gospel was willing to have Christ but then he must have his possessions too Some of the Jews would have had Christ but then they must have the praise of men too O no one heaven cannot hold too Sonnes one heart can hold but one â—hrist onely or no Christ at all Christ and grace it may hold many pearls may be upon one string but Christ and sin it cannot hold light and darkness have no communion The heart of man is just fit for Christ There is so much in Christ as will take up a whole heart There is not a room or corner to be spared for any lust And in truth a whole love is little enough for Christ a whole desire a whole delight a whole hope a whole joy a whole confidence all little enough for Christ Christ can fill them all the box of oyntment was little enough for the feet of Christ c. 3. By the Consequents But these will more aptly fall in in the subsequent part of the text unto which I will refer them Vse 2. I should now proceed to an use of Exhortation to stand it out no longer but presently to open unto Christ and then to an use of Direction what course we should take so that our hearts may be opened But I will first handle the other Proposition which I mentioned at the beginning and refer these two Uses to the closure of it Rev. 3. 20. Serm. 4. Behold I stand at the doore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me YOu have heard already out of these words the gracious behaviour of Christ towards sinners and something of the dutiful behaviour of sinners towards Christ viz. that they ought to heare and open to him I now proceed to handle the indefinitenesse of personal admittance with a little relation also to Christs further insureance If any mâ—n open c. I will come in to him O Sirs read over the words again are they not like the yeare of Jubile in which any servant might if he would have his freedome when Christ was betrayed upon his speech one Disciple an answers Is it I and another Is it I But when Christ offers himself himself and salvation to us there is no cause for such a reply doth he mean me or thee or another O no herein is a haven open to any ship a Saviour ready to entertaine any sinner If any man hear my voice I will come in to him Whence observe Doct. 2. That whatsoever the former condition of any sinner hath been and whatsoever his present condition is yet if he will open unto Christ Christ will be his These Laodiceans of whom the text expressely speaks they were poor and blind and naked and wretched and miserable yet for none of these doth Christ except against them Though they had no riches of worthinesse no eyes of knowledge no garment of righteousnesse yea though they were so wretched and miserable that they had no ability to buy these but stood before his eyes as meer impotent undiscerning objects yet he calls to them and offers himself to them to all of them to every one he excepts not a man but if any man will c. In Luke 14. 21. The Master of the house said to servant go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the City and bring in hither the poore and the maimed and the halt and the blinde Here 's not a man of quality of any dignity of any self-sufficiency but a company of indigent impotent deformed wounded sinners yet thâ—se are by Christ envited and welcome Isa 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy milk and honey without money and without price There is in Christ water to cleanse milk to nourish bread to strengthen Honey to comfort a full good for a sinner all good for a sinner And the sinner is called upon to come yea the second time to come yea the third time to come And the sinner is every sinner Ho every one that thirsteth every sinner who feels his want and sees his need and desire Christ Object But what if he hath no desire nothing to lay down Sol. Why let him come and he that hath no money come Object But something else at least must be brought Sol. No buy milk and honey without mâ—ny and without price as if he should say I sell for nothing I was sold for a price but I sell my self without price Thirst and come be but willing to open to take and all is yours Paralel to this are those two other places in John 7. 37. Jesus stood and cried if any man thirst let him come to me and drink Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely For the further confirmation of this point I will demonstrate two things 1. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it is a divine truth 2. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why it is so 1. The quod sit that it is a truth Which I think will appeare if five things can be proved 1. Though the person hath been very sinful 2. Though the sinner be not able to make satisfaction 3. Though his humblings be very small 4. Though his worthinesse be none at all 5. Though holinesse be altogether wanting yet if he will open to Christ Christ will be his 1. Though the person hath been very sinful yet if he will open his heart to Christ Christ will be his Sinne may be considered two ways either
be for retribution a coming against sinners 3. Evangelical this is for vocation a coming unto sinners 4. Spiritual this is for Application a coming into sinners There is a twofold Application of Christ 1. One is Active and in this the soul comes to Christ 2. Another is passive and in this Christ comes to the soule which exactly to expresse doth exceed my capacity The Scripture calls it sometimes His apprehending of us Phil. 3. 12. If that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended â—f Christ Jesus His forming of himself in us Gâ—l 4. 19. Till Christ be formed in you His being or abiding in us Joâ— 15. 4. Abide in me and I in you His dwelling in us Eph. 3. 17. Christ dwells in your hearts by faith But because the coming in of Christ is restrained to the Metaphor of a King or Master coming in to possesse and dwell in an house or Mansion opened or yeilded up unto him I shall therefore keep close to that and for the unâ—olding of it insist a little on three particulars 1. What it is for Christ to possesse himself of the soul 2. What the properties and adjuncts of this possession are 3. The reasons why he takes possession of that soul that opens to him 1. What it is for Christ to take possession of the soul In answer to this consider certaine premises before the opening of Christs taking possession 1. God at first made man a goodly creature and righteous and as he severed Paradise for his habitation so he reserved man above all other creatures for his own possession 2. Man quickly dispossessed himself of that condition by sinne and stood now qua talis as an outlawry and rejected person 3. Christ Jesus was immediately promised as the author of life and salvation and passed under Covenant and Types and at length in the fulnesse of time was incarnated and as a Mediatour and Redeemer perfectly wrought out Reconciliation and Redemption 4. The Gospel makes publication if this and indefinitely tenders Jesus Christ to sinners and by vocation calls them to Christ and the participation of salvation by him 5. This vocation to some is ineffectual to others it is â—fficacious To them who from faith given and thereby answer or obey or accept or open to the call of Christ it is effectual 6. When this faith is wrought then immediately and â—emultaneously ensues an union 'twixt Christ and the beleever 7. Which union is a spiritual relation 'twixt Christ and a beleeving soul and a most intimate close mystical and inseparable conjunction 'twixt them Expressed in Scripture by that of Head and Member of Husband and Wife of a Foundation and Living-stone built thereupon of the Vine and Branches c. 8. In this union beleevers are by the Spirit of Christ immediately knit to him and by him to God so that in a mystical respect they become one with him and with the Father and partakes of all the good in and by Jesus Christ which flowes from him as the head from the members Christ in respect of himself is one that possesseth all good and upon this union a communication thereof doth ensue 9. The forme of this union is a mystical compaction or co-augmentation by those admirable joynts of the Spirit and Faith Eph. 4. 16. And is severally phrased in Scripture As Christ stands under the relation of a Head and we of members It is called incorporation As Christ hath the relation of a foundation and we of a building it is called an inedification As Christ stands in the relation of an husband and we of a wife it is called a disponsation and marriage As Christ stands in relation of a vine and we of branches It is called an insition or implantation As Christ stands in relation of a Lord or Master and we of an house and family It is called especially on his part An entrance possession and inhabitation These things being premised for answer to the question we must know that there is a double possession that Christ hath of souls 1. Possessio juris a possession of Right or Title by which he may lay claime unto them which he may justly do 1. Jure autoritatis for all of them are the fruit of his power the workmanship of his hand in Creation 2. Jure pretii for he hath laid down a price and hath ransomed or purchased them by his death 3. Jure donationis for all of them are given unto him for subjection and rule 2. Possessio Gratiae A possession of grace or a gracious possession in which he doth not only claime but take possession or enters a as possessor of this I am now to speak and it comprehends five things in it 1. A Sovereigne seazure when he comes in as a possessour he doth in a way of propriety set up his Title in the soul As if he should say now this soul is mine It is no longer sins no longer the worlds no longer the devils no longer it s own but mine and only mine I am the Lord and husband of it As in all contracts there results an exclusive propriety Ezek. 16. 8. When I passed by thee and looked upon thee Behold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee yea I sware unto thee and entred into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Or as Psal 132. 13. The Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation Ver. 14. This is my rest for ever here will I dwell Hence those relative and impropriating expressions as my love my dove my undefiled Cant. 5. 2. As an husband can say this woman is mine c. The wife cannot be more the husbands nor a house more the owners nor a member more the heads nor a branch more the vines then the opening soul is Christs Which is therefore said to be knit unto him Ephes 4. and to be joyned or glued unto him 1 Cor. 6. 17. and to be married unto him for an eternity Hos 2. And he is said to own us as a Master owns a servant Rom. 6. as an husband owns a wiâ—e as a Lord owns an house as the head owns the members as the Lord once owned the Temple So then Christ comes into the soule by way of possession when he doth interest himself in such a peculiar way of union and propriety that he saith this soul is mine and the soul may reciprocally answer this Christ is mine as the Church in Canticles 6. 3. 2. A distinguishing furniture when Christ takes possession of a soul there is not onely a relation of propriety but there is also a communication of quality The Spirit of Christ actuates the whole soul with grace As to make Christ in himself a Mediatour there was not only the grace of union by which he was God and man but also the grace of unction by which he was adorned and qualified to the work of Mediatour So is it
when Christ takes possession of a poor soul he doth apply himself to it not onely in a way of affection wishing well to it not only in a way of consent I do yeild my self unto it not only in a way of consent I do yeild my self unto it not only in a way of union I take this soul as mine and will own it as my own self not onely in a way of promise I will bestow some good upon it but also in a way of unction that is he doth set up himself in this his possession He doth qualifie he doth sanctifie he doth beautifie every roome of the soul with the graces of his blessed Spirit As when the Lord entred into the Temple which Solomon built he then filled the same with his glory 1 King 8. 11. So when Jesus Christ enters into a soul he fills that soul with the glory of his grace with his influence as well as with his presence When the first Adam enters into us he enters as a contagion and as death so when the second Adam enters into us he enters into us as a renovation and life Therefore is Christ said to be formed in us Gal. 4. 19. The Papist talk of the figure of Christs body sticking in the garments c. that 's a vanity but this is a truth that Christ doth forme himself in the soul of a beleever he formes himself in us by conforming us unto himself implanting in us all holy graces which 1. Alter 2. Enable 3. Dispose and incline as if he should say this heart shall love sinne no more it shall be enflamed with love to me this heart shall trust vanity no more it shall trust on me this tongue shall blaspheme no more it shall praise me this person shall be a slaye no more he shall be a servant unto me Behold O soul thou art become mine and I must now adorne thee to be a delightful Mansion for my self therefore we are said to be new creatures and his workmanship and to put on Christ Blindnesse vanity folly pride be gone come in knowledge wisdom soundnesse of judgment truth regard of me and it come in and possess the upper roome of this soul the minde Unwillingness stoutness rebellion hardness hypocrisie be gone come in plyablenesse softnesse tenderness sincerity readiness compliance with my will dependance on my self come in and possess the royal chamber of the soul the will Irregularity vileness inordinatenesse be gone Come in purity order quickness come in and possesse the lower roome of the soul the affections All ye graces of my Spirit be ye set up in the inward rooms and spread and act in the outward rooms of the life in all spiritualnesse of behavior towards God and man c. 3. A sweet gubernation for Christ possesseth the soul as a Lord possesseth his Mansion to do what he pleaseth and to rule after his own will in it and therefore he is called the Lord of his Temple And the housholder who employs and sets every servant his work having first given unto them several talents He must have and hath the command and disposal of the soul As the Centurion said to one servant go and he went do this and he did it come and he came Matth. 8. So saith Christ to the soule which he takes possession of I will have you sometimes to abound and then you must be thankful and sometimes to want and then you must be contented now I will have you to do for me with your graces or with your estates and you must then be ready to do and another time now I will have you to suffer for me in your Name in your comforts in your possessions in your liberties perhaps in your lives and you must then be willing to forsake all for me Sometimes your lusts will be commanding but do not hearken to them sometimes Satan will be tempting but do not yeild to him sometimes your carnal friends will be trying of you but do not regard them you are none of theirs nor none of your own you are my possession and therefore must be only at my disposal 4. A watchful provision when a man takes possession of house or houshold or lands he is thereupon engaged to take care and charge over all He must Till the ground and manure it and mend it and keep it in heart and he must keep and repaire the house if it be sinking and he must maintaine the servants with all necessaries of food and rayment he must look to them when they be well and when they be sick just so doth Christ when he takes possession of a soule he takes upon him the full care of that soul he will be a sufficiency unto it By preserving the graces given unto it By adding sutable degrees and helps of grace for greater and further services By repairing and recovering a fallen or sinking soul There is a rich store-house in Christ for the soul which he possesseth He will give renuing grace and justifying grace and then he will keep that grace given And he will yet adde more grace and help And if the soul be drawn aside and falls he will not lose it he will seek after it he will find it again and recover it again 5. A sure protection when one hath possession it behoves him to keep possession he is to defray all the rents or dues wherewith that possession is charged and he is to answer and take off all claimes and titles made against his right of possession Go to my Master saith the servant to my husband saith the wife So doth Jesus Christ when he enters and takes possession of the soul This soul saith Christ is mine I own it I will provide for it plead for it or against it who will or can I will answer him I will answer for it I will stand 'twixt it all pleas 'twixt it and all claims 'twixt it and all hazards I will take all upon me and as long as I am Christ and as far as my blood will go or my intercession will go or my merits can go or my Spirit can go I will maintain and defend mine own John 17. 12. Those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost John 10. 27. My sheep hear my voice c. Ver. 28. And I give unto them eternal life neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Rom. 8. 38. Neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities 〈◊〉 powers nor things present nor things to come Ver. 39. Nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died c. As if he should say come who will and do your utmost yet I will be possessour and Saviour still Satan stands out and saith this soul belongs to me I have had possession of it a long time too