evil wayes Come and close with Christ O! obey those Counsels he gives you in his Gospel Lastly Shew your high valuation of the Gospel by holding forth a Conversation sutable to it Only let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ Phil. 1. 27. As if he should say chiefly this is the main and sum of all O! live worthy of the Gospel First Then is your Conversation as becometh the Gospel when you live as becomes the grace of God discover'd in the Gospel 'T is infinite grace is revealed in it you should walk so as to honour grace you should press after more grace in your Conversations there should be grace in every step of your lives Tit. 2. 1 12. Secondly Then you live sutable to the Gospel when you live up to those great and Glorious things held out in it When the Gospel is opened there are choice Jewels brought forth to sale O most excellent things produc'd by it and you should live up sutable to these There 's the manifold Wisdom of God held forth in the Gospel Eph. 3. 10. Treasures of wonderful wisdom are opened in the Gospel O live up to these mysteries O Christians let your lives be exact for you have curious eyes to look upon you labour to hold forth much wisdom and much light in your Conversations In the Gospel is held forth the mystery of Godliness 1 Tim. 3. 16. Great is the mystery of godliness O what mysteries are here God Manifested in the flesh God and yet cloath'd in flesh Condemn'd for sin and yet justified in the Spirit seen of Angels Preached to the Geutiles the worst of Sinners in the World Now live sutable to the mysteries of Godliness Again the Gospel opens the glorious priviledges of Saints of every saved Soul O wonderful priviledges That Enemies should be reconciled and strangers made nigh that Rebels should be adopted Sons and Daughters made the Children of God by Christ Rom. 8. 16 17. O what a glorious priviledge is this Believing Souls are brought into by the Gospel to a state of Adoption Gal. 4. 6. A state of glorious liberty Eph. 5. 1. Gal. 5. 1. O live up to these glorious priviledges You are Children of the light walk as Children of the light Eph. 5. 8. The Gospel shews you the the things freely given of God the infinite love of God the wonderful Salvation-Grace of God O then you live sutable to the Gospel when you live up to those great and glorious things held forth in it Thirdly Then are your lives according to the Gospel when they are suted to the Rules of the Gospel look what the Gospel commands and requires that you do Gal. 6. 16. Math. 28. 20. Now the Gospel requires not only Bodily but Spiritual worship to worship God in the Spirit It requires not only external duties but internal holiness It calls for Obedience flowing from love and labours springing from faith well principled duties when you endeavour the greatest strickness in your lives That 's sutable to the Gospel Fourthly Then is your Conversation as becomes the Gospel when it is Subordinate to the ends of it One end of the Gospel is to exalt the praise of the glory of grace Eph. 1. 12. To make you vessels of Mercy for the glory of Mercy O Christians live so as you may most advance the glory of grace live self-denyingly and humbly exclude boasting then you live as becomes the Gospel Another great end of the Gospel is the sanctification of saved Souls to make Souls holy 2. Cor. 7. 1. Then you live as becometh the Gospel when you carry on Gospel holiness inward Holiness outward Holiness 1 Thes 4. 3. The Salvation of Souls that 's another great end of the Gospel that the Promise may be sure to all the seed 2 Thes 2. 10. That he that believes in Christ may have Everlasting Life O then live as you may be saved you must tread upon the World you have so much doted upon you must account all things loss and dung for Christ if ever you be saved O Christians labour then to hold forth a Conversation sutable to the Gospel So much for the first Inference Secondly If such great and unsearchable treasures are opened and tendered to Sinners in the Gospel O then how great is their sin that oppose and persecute the Preaching of it O this is a black sin indeed this activity comes from the Spirit of darkness O 't is a dreadful thing to oppose resist and persecute the Ministery of the Gospel For such do all they can to hinder the tenders of unsearchable Riches to the World they labour to keep the World poor to hinder the Salvation of Souls And is not this sad work Again such as oppose and persecute the Gospel are of the cursed brood and off-spring of the Pharisees who do shut up the Kingdom of God and neither enter in themselves nor suffer them that are entring to go in So do those that do oppose and persecute the Gospel and would put out the light of the Gospel they are the Children of the Devil the first-born of Hell they do their Fathers work Joh. 8. 41 44. They that hate the light are the Children of the Devil their deeds are evil Joh. 3. 20. They carry the Devils mark upon their forehead wherever they go up and down to say there goes the Devils Children there goes an Heir of Hell Again They are Soul murtherers they do hunt Souls and shed the blood of Souls Ezek. 13. 30. As well as they that hinder the Gospel of Life as they that bring in false Doctrines and feed persons with Lies and occasion death They that starve mens Souls as well as they that poyson them both are Soul murtherers They sight against Christ in Heaven They go up and down with drawn Swords pointed against Christ in Heaven O bloody wretches that have murthered Christ on Earth and now would kill him in Heaven too Acts. 9. 4. Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me O Souls 't is a fearful thing to oppose and persecute the Ministery of the Gospel for all the blood of all the Saints from the beginning of the world to this day shall be upon their heads Math. 23. 35. O 't is a sad thing to lye under the blood of one person but to have all the blood of all the Saints in the world to lye upon the head of a poor Creature O what will that Soul do That Soul will go to Hell with a vengeance and lye tumbling under the wrath of God to all Eternity Thus much of the Second Inference CHAP. XXIV Shewing the poor and lamentable State of all Christless Souls IF there are such vast and unsearchable treasures in Christ tendered to sinners in the Gospel Hence see then the poor and lamentable state of all those Souls that are without Christ O they are very beggerly Souls that are Christless Souls As they that are far from the Sun must needs be far from
is Gods high way to Mercy and Peace being under a Promise of Peace Grace and Peace are usually twins in gracious Souls 2 Pet. 1. 2. Grace can quiet you under Troubles strengthen you under Weakness guide you under Darkness cheer you under Sufferings enrich you under Losses and fill you under Wants again Gaace is the purest Treasure earthly Treasures are as those Cities Solomon gave to Hiram a mere Cabal and dirty things defiling the Souls of those that have them and use not them aright Grace is the most pleasant Treasure it doth not burthen those that have it as earthly things do with wasting Cares and tormenting Fears Further Grace is the best Treasure in that it will go with the Soul into the other World all the Riches of this World must be left behind Death puts the Owner and his Interest into a winding Sheet no man's Propriety to these out-lives himself the Grave buries all his Relation to these things but Grace never dies true Holiness goes with the Soul to glory Secondly Labour to be rich in Grace because if you have but little grace you will hardly prove the truth of grace though the least grace is grace as a drop of Watâ—r is Water yet a little grace doth not so capacitate a Soul to see it 2 Pet. 1. 9. He that wants this thriving Grace forgets that he was purged from his old Sins he cannot remember or make out his saving Change or putting off his old state little Grace is ever sceptical and subject to Doubtings Matth. 14. 31 O thou of little Faith wherefore didst thou doubt Thirdly Because little grace will hardly carry a Soul through the Temptations Duties and Sufferings of the day we live in these are some of the last times we are fall'n upon and the last times are perillous times 2 Tim. 3. 1. This is the Character of these times Abounding Iniquity and Decay of Love Matth. 24. 12. And therefore a little Grace will not carry a Soul through strong Corruptions where Sin abounds Grace must abound much more or else the Soul will loose ground Rom. 6. 1. What the Apostle speaks there of grace in God 't is as true of grace in Saints that must abound more than their Sin or else Sin will be too hard for them Judgment must be brought forth to Victory or else the bruised Reed will break Matth. 12. 20. For this end the Apostle adviseth the Ephesians in his time which were less liable to such Temptations they should put on the whole Armor of God and having done all to stand Eph. 6. 13. Fourthly Else you cannot answer the ends of grace and all the Cost of God about you the design of grace in all the means and helps to his people is to further their growth in grace and to make them abound to all well-pleasing before God Isa 5. 2. 4. Joh. 15. 2. Psal 92. 13 14. To whom much is given of them much is required Luke 12. 48. Fifthly That so you may be more like to God who is rich to all that call upon him Rom. 10. 12. He is rich in Mercy he hath abounded in the Riches of grace towards all his People Eph. 1. 7 8. Christians should be Epitomies of Christ and Resemblers of his Excellency holding forth his Vertues in the World 1 Pet. 2 9. There can be no greater glory to a Child of God in this World than to be like to Christ who is the glory of the Father but by being rich in Grace you will much manifest the Excellency of Christ in the World Sixthly By being rich in grace you will become more serviceable to God and others in your Generation you will be able to do more work for God than others Grace is a Talent and the more Talents you have the more Incomes hath God from you Matth. 25. 16 17. Rich men have larger Capacities to honour God in the World than others have they can do more and lay out more for God and be more serviceable for God than others they can feed the Hungry and cloath the Naked and take Out-casts into their houses they can do more to support the interest of God than the poor and have more Substance to honour God with so Souls rich in grace have larger Abilities to serve and honour God with the more Grace the more acceptably can they serve God Heb. 12. 28. The more spiritual Services are the more acceptable to God by Christ 1 Pet. 2. 5. For such the Father chuseth to serve him who serve him in Spirit and Truth Joh. 4. 23. Psal 45. 12. And the Daughter of Tyre shall be there with a Gift even the rich among the People shall entreat thy Favour Tyre was a rich place as well as vitious and yet there would God have a People which should honour him with their gifts and large expences for him and the richer the People the greater will their gifts be The rich or richest for 't is the superlative in the Hebrew Shall bring Gifts and entreat thy Favour noting that those who are more spiritually rich are more serviceable for and potent with God through Christ these can do more with God as Noah Daniel and Job were mentioned above others for their Potency with God Ezek. 14. 14. And Moses and Samuel Jer. 15. 1. As men who had larger faith and grace and so greater Intimacy with God than others and such as could do more O Christians labour after more grace because hereby you may become more serviceable for God and others you may more prevail with God through Christ for Mercies for the Nation and can be more helpful for others to teach counsel and comfort them and have more Gold Myrrhe and Frankincense in your Treasures to offer to and for Christ Seaventhly The more rich you are in grace the more rich you will be in glory the more grace you improve for God the more glory shall you receive from God Luke 19. 17. 19. This is the rule of the Lords Procedure in the day of Judgment he will render to every man according to his work 2 Cor. 5. 10. Though glorified Souls receive not for their grace yet they shall have according to the Measure of their graces for grace widens the Vessels of Mercy for glory The more Liquor the Vessel hath the larger it is so the more grace the larger is that Soul and the more capable to take in glory when grace shall be turn'd into glory Quest But some may say How may we get more of this spiritual Treasure Answ First Get your Hearts more engaged to it Desires are the Souls Wings that carry it over all difficulties to it 's beloved Object this is one Character the Apostle gives of rich men 1 Tim. 6. 9. They are such as will be rich They have an earnest mind an ardent Desire to be rich 't is a Will and Purpose grounded on Counsel and Consideration Christians this will much further your obtaining these riches of
thee I will rejoyce over thee I will forget the wrongs thou hast done me I will requite thy Vnkindness with Kindness and draw thee with cords of Love with cords saith one woven and spun out of my very Heart and Bowels O miserable Caitiff embrace my Counsels listen thine Ears to Heaven gate and hear the melodious Musick that is there made by refined Spirits why wilt thou rather lye with damned howling Devils than sing Hallelujah's and the Song of the Lamb with saved Souls Accept of me and unchangeable Glory unspeakable Priviledges and Rivers of Pleasures shall be thine Thus doth the Lord Jesus woo poor perishing Souls to be happy and is not this Pity indeed Fourthly His readiness to receive them when they come to him No sooner do they open the door but he comes in Rev. 3. 20. If any man open the door I will come in unto him No sooner doth the Prodigal return but his Father meets him yea runs to meet him as if he could never come soon enough at him Luke 15 20. Mercy is upon the wing when it comes to receive returning Sinners No sooner did Ephraim repent but God repented too As soon as he said Turn thou me God said He shall be turned when he cries Thou art the Lord my God presently God Answers Is he not a pleasant Child So willing is Christ to receive returning Sinners as that he promiseth he will in no wise cast them out Joh. 6. 37. Yea if they cannot come unto him he will go and fetch them and if they cannot go he will draw them Joh. 6. 44. Fifthly His great Joy when he hath obtain'd them The Father of the Prodigal keeps a Feast and makes merry when his lost Child is found Luke 15. 23 24. Psal 104. 31. The Lord shall rejoyce in his Works and this he doth when he hath finished them Heb. 4. 4. But there is nothing the Lord Jesus Christ takes more pleasure in than in the Redemption of Souls Prov. 8. 31. He delighted in the habitable parts of the Earth This you vvill find further amplified in the Parables of the lost sheep and lost piece of Silver Luke 15. from vers 4. to 11. CHAP. XII The Improvement of the Pity of Christ by way of Terrour Encouragement and Advice ARE there such deep and large Bowels of Pity in Jesus Christ not only towards his Friends but his very Enemies Then here is First Terrour to Impenitent Sinners Ah Souls hovv fearfully great is your Sin being a plain defiance to the Mercy and pity of Christ Every Transgression of yours is a kicking the very Bovvels of Mercy and a stab at the Heart of Divine Pity O! hovv vile are your Iniquities vvhilst vvithout Christ They are no less than a despising of the Riches of the Mercy and Goodness of God which would have led you to Repentance and a treasuring up of Wrath against the day of Wrath Rom. 2. 4 5. O Sinners you run on score in abusing of the highest Mercy that ever was you provoke your best Friend against you Alas Who can help you if Mercy it self becomes your Enemy The Bowels of Christ are your last Asylum if this door be shut against you Farewel Souls and can you hope that Mercy will plead for you when rejected by you or will not God hear the Complaint of despised Mercy think you Sinners the Compassion of Christ shall come forth at the last day and say I would have saved that Soul but it would not how often would I have gathered it but it resisted Mat. 23. 37. I offered to pay it's Debts and to get him an Acquittance in the Court of Heaven but he refused it I would have ransom'd him from Death to Life and adopted him to an Inheritance in Glory but he would not I would have stamp'd the divine Nature on him and brought him into the Likeness of the Lord of Glory but he would not I would have put down his Name in the book of Life and secur'd his Title to Heaven but he would not I called he would not answer I perswaded he refused I beseeched he despised I strived he resisted and now Justice into thy hands do I deliver these rebellious Souls to be dealt with according to the Threatnings of the Gospel and Severity of the Law that my Wrongs may be avenged O! what a terrible Complaint will this be Sinners tremble then at the Thoughts of your abusing divine Mâ—rcy Vse 2. Of Encouragement to dejected Souls If there be such tender pity in the Lord Jesus O then take Courage hence to hope for Mercy these Mercies of Christ are infinite boundless and bottomless O what a stock of Mercy is in him for troubled Souls to trade upon what unfathomed Deeps are there in divine Compassions enough to serve all thy Turns and Necessities have thy Sins been many The free Gift is of many Offences to Justification Rom. 5. 6. Of the Offences of many persons be they never so many or the many Offences of one person there is vertue enough in this free Gift of the Blood of Christ for the pardoning them all if such return he saith one that had love enough to give us Christ hath Bowels enough to give us pardon believing Souls shall never dye for Debt if the Bowels of Christ hath wherewithal to pay it O! what Shifts will tender Parents make to keep their indebted Children out of Prison They will beg and borrow of others pinch themselves and spare what they can rather than their Children shall be undone and surely the Mercy of Christ must needs make the most of his Blood and Obedience of his Intercession and Satisfaction for the Pardon of his People And therefore Daniel joyns Mercies and Forgiveness together Dan. 9. 9. Is thy Unworthiness great and deservest thou nothing but Wrath from God O bear up thy Sinking Spirit on the Arm of Mercy Mercy is in vain and signifies nothing if Justice only must take place hast thou abused Mercy and sinn'd away the Favour of thy God Thou hast lost his Gift but he hath not lost his giving the Child spils his Water and goes to the Well to fill his Pitcher again there is more Mercy O troubled Soul in the deep Wells of Salvation for those that seek it Obj. But I have provoked God to withhold Mercy Ans Let me tell thee O distressed Believer there are Forgivings as well as Givings in the Bowels of Christ and I know not which are greater Are thy Wants many Be of good chear Mercy hath enough to supply them all and is as free to give as able and take this for they Encouragement Mercy never gives where there are Deservings Are thy Griefs Labours Fears Troubles and Burdens great Yet comfort thy self Misery and Mercy are a Kin Mercy lives in the â—lymate of Misery and never thrives better than in Misery's Ground to do good to miserable Creatures is Meat and Drink to Mercy John 4. 32. I have Meat to eat
pardoned as well as one And if the grace of God bring salvation then all must be forgiven or none And the same blood of Christ can as well pardon all as one For if the blood of Christ be the blood of God then 't is of an infinite value and can as easily blot out every sin as one sin and as well discharge Talents as Pence Ezek. 18. 22. Larga Dei pietas veniam non dimidiabit Aut nihil aut totum dabit Thirdly This pardon of sin is procured for repenting Believers and for all of them Acts 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Acts 13. 38. chap. 26. 18. Faith is necessary to pardon because it takes off all self-righteousness and all pretences of merit Faith carries the soul off to a dependance on another for righteâ—â—sness and salvation Faith is a self-denying Grace and expects all upon the account of the Promise Believers and every Believer have their sins pardoned and shall not perish Joh. 3. 16. Now lest some should pretend to believe who indeed do not the Seripture qualifies this Faith by certain Characters 'T is also to repenting souls that pardon is assured and therefore remission of sin is joined with repentance Acts 5. 31. Luke 24. 46 47. Ezek. 18. 30. But what is this repentance Doth it consist only in an external sorrow for sin and an audible begging of mercy No no Judas and Cain were thus troubled for sin and yet never arrived to sound repentance 'T is the mourning and returning believer to whom this Promise is made and to such and to every one of these is a full pardon procured Fourthly This pardon is procured by the blood of Christ and that satisfaction made to the Father by his suffering It is an Opinion sprung up of men of corrupt minds that pardon of Sin is the procurement of Inherent grace and external Righteousness but not the product of Christ's blood suffering and satisfaction which I shall now endeavour to disprove Math. 20. 28. To give his Life a Ransome for many Heb. 9. 26. But now once in the end of the World hath he appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself chap. 9. 12. Col. 1. 14. Thus you see 't is the blood of Christ offer'd up to God that procureth peace and removeth the guilt of sin and indeed pardon of sin with respect to Gods Justice could be no otherway obtain'd For First God had past an irrevocable sentence that the Soul that sinneth should dye Gen. 2. 17. Now if this penalty was not inflicted upon Transgressing Adam how would there be a fulfilling of this threatning But some may enquire How comes Adams sin to be charg'd on his Posterity Answ Adams Transgression by the strict union there was betwixt him and all mankind he being their Head Root and Representee was most justly devolv'd on his Off-spring Rom. 5. 14 19. And therefore God would not have been true to his word had not this penalty been inflicted on the Debtor or his Surety But let God be true and every Man a lyar Secondly Fallen Man could not pay this debt and make this satisfaction for sin For the sin being of an infinite Guilt and the punishment being Death Eternal Rom. 6. 23. Man could never pay his ransom and set himself at liberty and therefore some other way must be found out which was only by the Lord Jesus God-Man whose God-head was able to support his humane Nature under suffering and render his endurings of an Infinite value Heb. 9. 14. Acts 20. 28. This is the second Fruit of Christ's Purchase the forgiveness of all the sins of penitent believers even past present and to come that nothing shall be laid to their charge Rom. 8. 1. Thirdly Acceptation of their Persons is another Fruit of Christ's purchase Eph. 1. 6. Where in he hath made us accepted in the beloved 'T is not enough to the compleating of Christs design in saving Souls that their sins be forgiven and the guilt and penalty removed and a discharge of all the Obligations to wrath by reason of sin procured All this a person may have and yet no interest in the full favour of God nor right to any saving blessing from him for 't is not sufficient to give a Man a Title to Glory that he be innocent or free from offending but he must come up to the terms of the first Covenant and do all things required of him and have a Positive as well as a Negative Righteousness There must be in order to an acceptance with God not only a not imputing of sin but a reckoning of Righteousness saith Dr. Owen he must be reputed fully Obedient also The Law requires a perfect and perpetual Obedience Gal. 3. 10. Should thy Soul be set free from all the charge of past sins yet thy defect of Righteousness would undo thee for ever They must be righteous that enter into Life Eternal Math. 25. 47. Even as Righteous as God is Righteous But this is impossible to be attain'd by lapsed man In many things we offend all Jam. 3. 2. There is none Righteous no not one Rom. 3. 10. And therefore there must be a Righteousness procured for and imputed to Believers and that is the Righteousness of Christ The Commutation of his Obedience for our Disobedience Rom. 5. 19. By the Obedience of one shall many be made Righteous This Righteousness is called a white Robe and fine Linnen Rev. 7. 9. Chap. 19. 8. The sweet smelling Garment of our Elder Brother wherein God takes infinite delight and pleasure Math. 3. 17. Isa 42. 1. The ground of all that pleasure that God taketh in his people is the Righteousness of his Son not any of their Services and duties And look what pleasure the Father takes in his Son as Mediatour the same he takes in every Soul that truly comes unto him John 17. 26. That the same love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them VSE If Believers are pardoned and accepted with God then hence it follows First That God never punishes them in wrath and displeasure All the stroaks of God on Believers are but fatherly chastisements Not Judicial acts Heb. 12. 6. He takes vengeance on their inventions but never on their persons Punishment always bears some proportion to the offence but the sufferings of Gods people are infinitely less then their deserts and therefore are the Fruit of Divine Faithfulness and Covenant Love Psal 119. 75. Psal 78. 30 to 34. Secondly God will accept of all their sincere desires and services though never so mean through Christ Isa 38. 14. Isa 63. 8. Exek 20. 40 41. Psal 51. 17. Thirdly They have access to God with boldness at all times Eph. 3. 12. chap. 2. 8. Fourthly They are entred into rest and have peace with God and with their own Consciences Math. 11. 28. Heb. 4. 9. Rom. 5. 1.
Intimacy with Jesus Christ than when he was in the barren Island of Patmos stript of the Confluence of earthly Comforts Elijah never made a better Meal than when he was driven into the Wilderness and the Angel was his Cook 1 Kin. 19. 8. Ah Believers you have never better Allowance of God than when you are cut short in outward things if you be faithful therefore you should be quiet under all Straits and Necessities in the world The day we live in is full of Tryals to many a gracious Soul the wants of many may be more than many think of and 't is now a time to expect more Maintainings from the hand of God and from the Spirit of Grace when outward things are removed when Israel was brought into the Wilderness where was no sowing nor reaping they had their Bread from Heaven and 't is God's usual way to send Meat from his own Table when the Tables of his Children are empty I mean more spiritual Communications from himself if they murmur not but patiently and quietly wait for God's Salvation Lastly Consider Believers 'T is not long you shall be in the way of Wants or Sufferings the time is hastning that will set you beyond the reach of offending Providences nothing shall offend you when you get home to your own Country O! the time is hastning when Moth and Rust cannot consume nor Thieves break thorough and steal Matth. 6. 20. And when afflictive Providences cannot injure your Treasure if the Lord be your Treasure 't is not long you will be open to the Injury of time and to those Casualties that pass upon your Comforts every day Christians brings you farther through the Briars and Thickets of this World and through the barren Wilderness that leads to your Canaan you are travelling apace towards a period of all your Tryals every new hour brings you a step nearer to the Sight and Fruition of your blessed Inheritance Christian Think every Evening now I have a day less to wade through the deep Troubles and Red-sea of this World and to be kept at such strait Allowances and Supplies in this Life O a real Faith of this how should it patient and quiet Believers under present Straits and short Allowances here O! Think upon the coming of the Lord Jam. 5. 7. Be patienâ— therefore Brethren unto the coming of the Lord behold the Husband-man waiteth for a precious Fruit of the Earth and hath long patience for it He waits a long time before Harvest comes and bears many a wet-day and shall not a Believer wait with more Quietness and hope for a far better Treasure O! Christians if you feel some Difficulties and Straits through want of Supplies Comfort Credit Strength Ease Peace Rest for a little time know Eternity is coming that will make amends for all 7 Duty Seaventhly Live upon your Treasure these unsearchable Riches in Christ for this end hath the Father provided those rich Treasures to satisfie you here and to solace you hereafter 't is laid up in Christ for you not lockt up from you Christians the Lord Jesus is a Fountain sealed to not from you there 's no Bolt between you and your Treasures you may go and fetch supply at all times of need Heb. 4. 16. It hath pleased the Father that in Christ should all Fullness dwell Col. 1. 19. For the use of Believers that he might give eternal Life to all that come to him and be the head of the Body the Fullness that filleth all in all Eph. 1. 23. This is the work he hath undertaken to do and invited all his people to come to him that they might have Life and have it more abundantly he bids them ask and ask again that their Joy might be full Joh. 16. 23 24 26. This is the Will of God that Believers should eat their own Bread with Quietness 2 Thes 3. 12. And make use of this Inheritance for all their Supply and Comfort Christians you cannot make too bold with your own Christ and all his Fullness is your Interest you may wear out your Welcome with men and beg too often at fellow-Creatures doors but you cannot ask too often of free Grace or take too much of Redemption-treasures if you be sure to refer the Measures and time to divine pleasure In all your need come to Christ for whatever you want for the Life that now is and that which is to come this answers the end of the everlasting Covenant and the Fathers placing this store in Christ and Christ's undertaking the Care Conduct and Salvation of all that come to him and this wonderfully pleaseth Christ and advanceth his mediatory Glory this also keeps up the credit and Reputation of the ways of God in the World when Strangers see Believers rich fare and what a Sufficiency is laid up in Christ for them that Christ maintains his own poor that they need not go a begging this commends that State and Government where care is taken to prevent wandring Beggers Besides otherwise the Promises are useless if you come not to Christ for all your Supplies These full Breasts will be injured if you milk them not out Promises are the Bags in which this Treasure is carried out to believers which will wax old if you use them not Christ gets nothing Christians by your Savingness this way the more he lays out upon you the more he lays up for you 8 Duty Eighthly Improve your Interest in these vast Treasures to the enriching of your own Souls are there such Riches in Christ and is this Jesus yours O then labour to be rich also There are two things which I should press you to be rich in 1. In Grace 2. In good Works First You that have Interest in these Treasures of Christ labour to be rich in Grace be not content with the Truth of Grace with little Measures of Grace but strive to abound in Grace 1 Thes 3. 12. For First Grace is the best Treasure and most rationally desirable for it's self All other created Beings are conditionally good so far as God sees them best for us and so far as they conduce to the great end of Gods Glory and our Salvation but Grace is absolutely good because 't is part of the divine Nature and Image of God 2 Pet. 1. 4. Which divine Nature he tells us ver 5. 6. Lies in Faith Vertue Knowledge Temperance Patience Godliness and Charity 'T is absolutely necessary to the glorifying of God and being glorified with God Heb. 11. 6. Without Faith 't is impossible to please God and without Holiness no man can see God Heb. 12. 14. Grace is the best Treasure because the most enduring Treasure the most potent Treasure it can procure more than all the World can Mark 9. 23. All things are possible to him that believeth Indeed created grace cannot by way of Merit or Purchase procure any thing but by way of Appropriation and Meekness it brings that which all the World cannot Grace
the Promises a Portion that will not be spent If you can say as the Martyr Mr. Saunders told his Wife when he came to the Stake he had no Portion to leave her but a Portion in the Promises and surely if you can leave your Children an Interest in Christ you leave them the best Portion But you will say How might we do this First Labour to Interest them in the Everlasting Covenant Get sound and saving Faith your selves and that will appropriate new covenant-Covenant-Mercies to your Seed I will be a God to thee and to thy Seed Gen. 17. 7. This is God's usual way to the Heirs of Promise 'T is true Gracious Persons may have Carnal Children but this is God's way Labour to have sincere Faith your selves and then you will leave Covenant-Promises for your children Secondly Get a Treasure for your Children that will not waste by your strong Cries to God for them Improve the Spirit of Grace and Supplication for them Pour out strong cries and Tears Few are like Austin's Mother who did daily pour out Tears for the Conversion of her Son 'T is impossible said Ambrose to her that a Son of so many Prayers can be lost May be you pray too coldly for them O follow God Day and Night for your Children O skrew your Supplications higher It may be you do not pray so fervently so believingly as you should for your Children Thirdly Do all you can to convince them of their undone condition without Christ Don't daub and flatter them with false Promises they must be born again or else they cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Joh. 3. 3. Fourthly Instruct them in the knowledge of Christ Be opening and commending Christ to them shew them the necessity of Faith and what the Grace of Faith is Watch over their Lives be strict and severe in reproving their Sins that they may be sound in the Faith Lastly Lead a holy Conversation before them that by your Lives you may win them to Jesus Christ O your Pride Passion Carnallity Vanity may stumble them Thus do all you can to get a Portion of upper Springs for your Children 12 Duty Lastly you that have an Interest in these rich and glorious Treasures of Christ long to be with Christ for then you shall partake of all his Riches Here you have but a little to carry you in the way you have but in part but when you come home to him then you shall have according to the measure he hath purchased for you you shall see and know as you are seen and known 1 Cor. 13. 9 10 12. In heaven there you will have a Treasure without Measure there you will see all his Riches and Glory and be glorified with his glory then you will live at the full you will live upon himself and God will be all in all to your Souls O Christians long then to be with Christ there 's your Treasure where your Lord is your Inheritance is above with the Saints in Light Christ is gone to Heaven and there are all his Riches O long then to be fit to go home to be with Christ that you may partake of all his glory And thus have I now come to the further side of this great deep I mean to the Conclusion of this Subject and O that what hath been opened of this glorious Christ may not be in vain you have heard much of this Tree of Life God knows what Fruit hath been gathered a glorious Treasure hath been presented to your View and offered to you O see what Advantage you have gained how dreadful will it be for any that have heard so much of this rich Christ to be found poor at last O it will be sad for any to dye poor in a Loadicean State Poor Blind and naked and to be cast away O Sinners consider this you that have been woo'd and invited to get this choice tryed Gold Christ hath pleaded with you to win your Hearts if possible O take heed you dye not without an Interest in Jesus Christ you will hear all those Truths brought over to you again at the Bar of Christ and all the Counsels and Helps you have had to draw your Hearts to Christ will be then as burning Fire in your Bones and as boyling Lead in your Bowels if you perish without Christ Therefore take heed take heed that this Christ become not a stumbling Stone and a Rock of offence to your Souls And such as are Believers mind your Duty which hath been opened to you and O that these Truths might be profitable to all And the Lord give a Blessing to it Amen FINIS THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. THE Occasion of this Discourse with an Introduction to the words and Explication of them and the main Truth contained in them Page 1. CHAP. II. The personal Riches of Christ opened in his divine Nature manifested in his Attributes with the wonderful advantages thereof to Believers p. 11. CHAP. III. The humane Nature of Christ distinctly considered it 's Reallity proved his Personallity or the divine and humane Nature in one person shewing what kind of Vnion it is and the glorious Consequents and Advantages thereof p. 43. CHAP. IV. Shewing what is the work of Jesus Christ as he is Mediator p. 65. Which lies 1 with respect to God the Father p. 66. 2 with respect to fallen man p. 75. CHAP. V. Wherein is opened the glorious Advocateship of Christ with the unspeakable Comforts and Advantages thereof p. 79. CHAP. VI. Shewing the Willingness of Christ that Sinners should be saved the Sin and Misery of such as refuse Christ with Reproof to several sorts of persons p. 102. CHAP. VII Shewing what Consolation flows to Believers from the Intercession of Christ p. 113. 1 To weak Believers ibid. 2 To troubled Believers in the depth of Soul-misery p. 116. 3 To Believers dejected in the sense of strong Corruptions p. 120. 4 To tempted Believers p. 122. 5 To such as are under Afflictions and Suffering in or by the world ibid. 6. To such as are Mourners for Sion p. 123. CHAP. VIII Containing a use of Exhortation to Sinners and Saints p. 128. CHAP. IX Opening somewhat of the sweet Dispositions of Christ viz. His Goodness Love and the Riches thereof as to the Kinds Fruits and Effects of it p. 137. CHAP. X. Several deductions drawn from the love of Christ p. 147. CHAP. XI The glorious Excellency of Christ's tender Pity opened and displayed in the several acts of it both to Saints and Sinners p. 153. CHAP. XII The Improvement of the pity of Christ by way of Terror Encouragement and Advice p. 165. CHAP. XIII Wherein is opened the transcendent Humility of Christ p. 170. CHAP. XIV Wherein is shewn the transcendent Meekness and Gentleness of Christ to his Enemies and to his People p. 178. CHAP. XV. Wherein is demonstrated the infinite Bounty of Christ to all his Creatures with the manner of his giving p. 188. CHAP. XVI