be fellow heirs and of the same body and pertakers of his promise in Christ When Christ is ours and we are his all the promises are ours Gal. 3.29 If Ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams Seed and Heirs according to the promise And this is a great a wonderfull an unspeakable benefit to be heir of all the promises For there are exceeding many exceeding great and exceeding precious promises in the holy Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.4 And to be an heir of all these promises is such a mercy as exceeds all expression 4. Get Christ for yours and you shall get all Spiritual Blessings for they that are Christs are blessed with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ And Spiritual Blessings are far better than all manner of Worldly Blessings 5. Get Christ for yours and you shall have the glory of Heaven and the joys of Heaven and all the felicity of Heaven for yours for ever 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life And if you get Heaven for yours you shall get greater felicity better things than ever any man saw with his eyes or heard off with his ears or can be conceived off by the heart of man 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 6. Get Christ for yours and then all good things shall be yours 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. All things are yours All are yours and ye are Christs The Apostle doubles the expression all things are yours all are yours that we may take the greater notice of the unsearchable Riches that we have in and by Christ and that we may be the better satisfied of the truth and reality of this rich inheritance that we have by our being Christs namely our having all good things 3. The suitableness of Christ to the condition wants and desires of our Souls should stir us up to seek after him Jesus Christ is every way suitable to thy Souls condition all that thy Soul wanteth all that thy Soul doth or can desire is to be had in Christ Art thou blind and ignorant dost thou want saving knowledge Jesus Christ is the light of the World Joh. 8.12 I am the light of the World He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of Life He can open blind eyes Isa 42.6 7. I will give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles to open the blind eyes Christ can help not only dim eyes that see but little but blind eyes that can see nothing at all Art thou under the sense of guilt do thy sins lye heavy upon thy Conscience because of the multitude of them or their heinous nature as being committed against much light great mercies and other aggravating circumstances Christs blood is available for taking away all thy sins though thou beest one of the greatest sinners in the whole world Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world The blood of Christ washed away Noahs Drunkenness Lots Incest Davids Murder and Adultery Peters denyal of Christ and his Perjury Pauls Blasphemies and Persecutions Dost thou feel the plague of thy heart and groan under the corruption of thy nature and find a great want of the Sanctifying grace of God Christ is made of God unto us Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Sanctification He suffered a bloody death to purchase Sanctifying grace for us Heb. 13.12 Jesus that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate Art thou held in the cords of thy sins canst thou not repent off and forsake thy sins Jesus Christ was sent to preach deliverance to the captives Luk. 4.18 And exalted to give Repentance Act. 5.31 Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of sins unto Israel And was sent to bless us in turning us from our iniquities Act. 3.26 Vnto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning you away every one from his iniquities Is thy heart dead dost thou want Spiritual Life There is Life to be had in Christ for such as have dead hearts yea for such as are dead in sins and trespasses Joh. 11.25 Jesus said unto her I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet he shall live Art thou in a lost undone condition Jesus Christ is the Saviour of lost sinners Luk. 19.10 The Son of Man is come to seek and save that which was lost Art thou in a mourning condition full of grief and sorrow either because of thy afflictions or because of thy sins Jesus Christ was sent to comfort all that mourn in Zion Isa 61.3 Not to instance in more particulars whatever it is that thou wantest there is a rich supply of all thy needs be thy needs never so many or great to be had in and by Jesus Christ Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his Riches in glory by Christ Jesus Whatsoever it is which thy Soul doth or can desire to have there is a full supply of all thy desires to be had in Christ and from Christ Psal 145.19 He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him There is so much vanity and vexation in worldly things that it is an hard matter to find any good Psal 4.6 Many say who will shew us any good But in Christ we shall find all good all that good which we want all that good which we desire to have And shall not this stir us up to seek after an interest in Christ 4. It is not only a matter of expediency or conveniency that we get an interest in Christ but it is of absolute necessity so that we are undone for ever if we do not get an interest in Christ We can't live comfortably without Christ we can't dye in peace without Christ we can't appear at the great day of judgment without Christ we can't be admitted into Heaven without Christ 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath not the Son of God hath not Life We can't have the pardon of one sin without the blood of Christ Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood is no remission And no other blood will procure remission of sins but the blood of Christ The absolute necessity of getting an interest in Christ will appear from the wofull and miserable condition of all thofe that are without Christ which shall be set forth in the next head 5. To stir us up to seek after a saving interest in Christ Let us consider the wofull and miserable condition of all such as are without Christ To this purpose weigh these following Scriptures Eph.
particular graces as a broken heart or the like It is a blessed thing to hunger and thirst after Righteousness yet we should hunger more after Christ For 1. If we get Christ we shall have all the graces of his Spirit Joh. 1.16 Out of his fullness have all we received and grace for grace 2. We can't attain to any Grace but in Christ and from Christ Isa 54.17 Their Righteousness is of me saith the Lord. 5. We should labour more to get Christ then to be freed from Satans Temptations Some persons that are under vexatious temptations all their care is to be freed from their temptations but though we may be earnest with God to remove our temptations yet we should be more earnest to get Christ than to get freedom from temptations For 1. To be tempted and to be in Christ is better than to be free from temptation and to be under the power of the strong man keeping all in peace 2. A temptation may be removed and yet a man may be under the power of Satan The irksome temptation may be changed into a more pleasing temptation which is more dangerous though less troublesome Satan may keep a man Prisoner by silken cords as well as iron chains 3. Get Christ and then Satan shall never prevail over you to destroy you by his temptations The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head 6. We should be more sollicitous to get Christ then to get some particular promise For we can have no right to any of the promises if we live without Christ Eph. 2.12 And we shall gain an interest in all the promises if we get an interest in Christ in whom all the promises are yea and Amen 7. We should be more carefull to get Christ then to get parts and gifts as memory utterance c. For 1. A man may have excellent gifts and yet be a cast away as the gift of prophesying and working miracles Mat. 7.23 24. He may have excellent gifts and yet if he have no grace he is no better in Gods account than sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal 1 Cor. 13.12 Though a man could speak and pray and preach like an Angel yet all is nothing if he be void of the grace of God 2. Though a man have never such weak gifts and parts yet if he be found in Christ he is highly accepted of God through Christ even as well as those that have greater abilities Gal. 3.28 Col. 3 11. Barbarians and Scythians were far short of the Greeks and Jews for their accomplishments yet all are alike acceptable to God in Jesus Christ Now seeing it is a work of the highest concernment to get an interest in Christ of more and greater concernment than to get Riches or to get peace or comfort c. we should mind this above all other things Having propos'd these motives I shall in the next place lay down some helps for the getting a saving interest in Christ Sect. 2. Helps to get a saving interest in Christ Here some may say we see it is a business of the greatest concernment that we have to do in this world to get an interest in Christ it is of everlasting concernment but what shall we do to get a saving interest in Christ 1. Be sensible of and lay to heart your sinfull miserable lost and undone state whilst you remain without Christ For a due sence of our sin and misery will make us hasten to Christ and cause us with all thankfulness to accept of the Salvation that he hath purchased for us Mat. 8.25 His Disciples came to him and awoke him saying Master save us we perish If we saw our selves in a perishing condition we should be as forward and as earnest to go to Christ to save us as his Disciciples were when they were in danger to be drowned To be in danger of damnation is a greater awakening to a man then to be in danger of drowning For Hell is a worse place than the Sea A man that is drowned in the Sea is quickly dead their pain is soon over but such as go to Hell are in everlasting burnings And if the Disciples hastned to Christ to save them when they were in danger to be drowned how will poor distressed sinners hasten to Christ to save them when they see themselves in danger of being damned Luk. 15.17 18 19. I perish with hunger I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants When the prodigal Son saw his sins and saw himself in a perishing condition then he hastned to his Father confesseth and bewaileth his sin judgeth himself unworthy to be owned by his Father and was willing to accept of mercy on any terms so he might be admitted into his Fathers family he was content to submit to any thing though it were to be the meanest servant in his fathers house and to do the hardest work his father had for him to do And as the sense of a perishing condition so also a due sight of our sins will make us willing to accept of mercy on any terms willing to submit to any thing so we may be delivered from eternal death Job 7.20 I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men When Job was under the sense of sin he was willing to submit to any thing that God should require of him to get his sins pardoned As it was with the Israelites when they were under the sense of their sin and felt their misery by the oppression of their enemies they were willing God should do what he would with them so that he would deliver them from the Philistines Judg. 10.15 The children of Israel said unto the Lord we have sinned do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee deliver us only we pray thee this day So it will be with us when we have a through sight of our sins we shall be glad of mercy on any terms we shall be willing that God shall do to us whatsoever seemeth good in his sight so he will deliver us from wrath to come and will not cast us into Hell for our sins Now there are but few men even of such as live under the means of grace and hear the word of God often preached to them that have a through sight and sense of their sin and misery A man may be a Church Member yea a Church Officer a Teacher of others and yet not be under an heart affecting sight and sense of his sinfull and miserable condition out of Christ Rev. 3.17 Thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked This is spoken to the Church of the Laodiceans and more particularly to the Angel of that Church that is to such
poor and the lame and the blind and the halt were called to the Marriage Supper Persons of the lowest condition such as are in by-lanes high-ways and hedges and such as are most despicable in the eye of the world the maimed and the blind are to be called and entreated with all earnestness to come to Christ Luk. 14.21 23. Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the City and bring in hither the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blind Go out into the High-ways and Hedges and compell them to come in We see here all sorts of sinners even such as are most despicable in their own eyes and the eyes of the world the poor the maimed the halt the blind sinners in all places the High-ways Hedges Streets Lanes all are called and that with such importunity as if they were compelled for this compelling is to be understood of earnest entreaties and using prevailing arguments As Luk. 24.29 3. Jesus Christ and Salvation by Christ is offered freely to the greatest and chiefest of sinners if they will accept of him and repent of their sins 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chief Prov. 28.13 Whoso confesseth und forsaketh shall find Mercy Adam all circumstances considered was one of the chiefest of sinners for he was the cause of the death of all the men that ever lived 1 Cor. 15.22 In Adam all dye He brought sin into the World and death and by his disobedience made all men sinners and corrupted all Mankind Rom. 5. By one man sin entered into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men ver 19. By one man's disobedience many were made sinners Yet Christ and Salvation by Christ was offered to Adam in that promise The Seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpent's head Gen. 3.15 It may be some are in a despairing way because they have not only been sinners themselves but they have corrupted and made others sinners and have not only made others sinners but have been the occasion of the death of many persons Though this be a wofull case yet not desperate By Adam's disobedience many were made sinners Hundreds Thousands yea all Mankind Christ only excepted And Adam was the cause of the death of Hundreds Thousands Millions of Men Women and Children yea in Adam all dye yet Salvation by Christ was offered to Adam 4. Christ Jesus with his saving benefits is offered to children and old men bond and free male and female He is willing that little Children should come unto him for Life and Salvation Mar. 10.14 Suffer the little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God The giving of the Spirit which is one of the saving benefits of Christ is promised to all sorts of persons Young and Old Male and Female Bond and Free Men-servants and Maid-servants Joel 2.28 29. I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophesie your Old Men shall dream Dreams your Young Men shall see Visions And also upon the Servants and upon the Hand-maids in those days will I pour out my Spirit By dreaming Dreams seeing Visions and Prophesying we may understand that God in the days of the Gospel would reveal his mind and will to all sorts of Persons by his Word and Spirit as he did in old times to some peculiar Persons by Dreams and Visions 5. Jesus Christ offers himself and all his saving benefits even to such as have for a long time neglected and rejected the offers of grace made to them in the Gospel and notwithstanding all former neglects and refusals if now they will come in they shall be accepted Rom. 10.21 But to Israel he saith all day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a rebellious and gain-saying people The stretching forth the hands signifie the offers of grace made in the Gospel the offer of Pardon and Salvation upon their Faith and Repentance and this offer was made and continued from time to time to a rebellious and gain-saying people To the Jews that had refused Christ and preferred a Murderer before him yea and had not only refused but killed him that came to save their lives there is a promise of forgiveness of their sins upon their Repentance Acts 3.14 19. Ye denyed the holy one and the just and desired a Murderer to be granted to you and killed the Prince of Life Repent ye and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Another instance of Christ's offering himself and his saving benefits to such as have neglected former offers of grace We have Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come into him and sup with him and he with me This is part of the Epistle sent to the Church of Laodicea where there were many luke-warm persons that deserved to be spued out of Christ's Mouth ver 15. And many self-conceited persons that thought their Estate good when they were in a most miserable condition ver 17. And notwithstanding their luke-warmness and self-conceitedness he makes a gracious offer of himself to them Behold I stand at the door and knock The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Praeter-perfect Tense which is used for the Present I have stood and I am not gone though neglected though the door be kept shut I stand there still and knock and call if any man hear my voice One paraphraseth thus on the words Siquis qualiscunque fuerit peccator hypocrita qui diu obstitit Evangelio c. What manner of man soever he hath been though he hath been a vile sinner though he hath been a hypocrite though one that hath long rejected the offers of grace in the Gospel If any man hear my voice and open the door that is accept of the offers of grace in the Gospel consent to receive me on the terms of the Gospel no former neglects or refusals of Christ shall hinder such a man's Salvation for it follows I will come into him and sup with him and he with me that is I will bestow my self and all my saving benefits upon any man that openeth unto me whosoever he be and whatsoever he hath formerly been or done against me 6. Remission of sins and Salvation are offered by Christ to backsliding revolting sinners upon their Repentance though they have beakslidden often and done very heinous things after their backsliding from God Jer. 3.1.5 22. Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me saith the Lord Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldst Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings But some may say I once had the offer of Salvation by Christ but I did not embrace it I fear now it is too late and
grace To be unprofitable under the means of grace is a very uncomfortable condition Such have cause to cry out my leanness my leanness wo unto me And especially it is matter of lamentation to be in a declining condition to decay in Grace to lose our first love and to grow weak in Faith and abate in our zeal and activity for God a decaying declining condition is a very uncomfortable condition yet there is comfort to be had in Christ for such as mourn over their unprofitableness and their decays in Grace And that on these accounts 1 The Lord Jesus is able to make the most barren Soul to become fruitfull 2 Cor. 9.8 God is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye always having all-sufficiency in all things may abound in every good work These Corinthians before God wrought upon them were very Graceless vile persons As we may see 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you That is such vile sinners as were mentioned ver 9.10 Unrighteous Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers Effeminate abusers of themselves with Mankind c. Yet he tells them that God was able not only to work Grace but to make Grace all Grace abound towards them and to cause them to abound in every good work God can make Faith to abound in the most unbelieving Soul and brokenness of heart to abound in the hardest heart of sinners and love and zeal to abound in those that are lukewarm yea he can make all Grace to abound in the Graceless The Lord maketh the dry Tree to flourish Ezek. 17.24 I the Lord have dryed up the green Tree and have made the dry Tree to flourish And he maketh a barren Womb fruitfull Psal 113.9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyfull Mother of children Now he that doth this by the barren VVomb and dry Tree can't he do the like by our barren Hearts He that maketh the dry Tree to flourish can't he make our dry hearts flourish and he that maketh the barren VVomb fruitfull can't he make our barren hearts fruitfull also And as the Lord is able to make a barren Soul become fruitfull so also to recover such as are gone back and decayed in Gracâ— Psal 23.3 He restoreth my Soul VVhen our Souls are gone back and declined he can restore them again After Jerusalem had lain wast many years God caused her wast places to be built again Isa 61.4 They shall build the old wasts and raise up the former desolations That God that did this for Zion can do as much for the Sons and Daughters of Zion namely recover them from their inward decays and desolations 2. The Lord Jesus is appointed by God to carry on and finish the work of grace as well to begin grace in our Souls Heb. 12.2 Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith and as the author and finisher of our Faith so of our other graces also Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ It is by Jesus Christ that we have the fruits of Righteousness and that we are filled with these fruits He is appointed to be as Rivers of water in a dry place Isa 32.2 A man shall be as Rivers of water in a dry place This man is none other but the man Christ Jesus as he is called 1 Tim. 2.5 who is God and Man in one person VVhat Rivers of water are to the dry ground that is Christ to our dry and barren souls The water will make the dry and barren ground fruitfull Job 38.26.27 To cause it to rain on the earth to satisfie the desolate and wast ground and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring out So doth Christ cause those that are dry and barren to bring forth the fruits of Righteousness by the dew of his grace VVater will recover those things that are withered and greatly decayed as we see in Trees of which Job speaks Job 14.8 9. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth and the stock thereof dye in the ground yet through the sent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant There is not less virtue in the grace of Christ for recovering withered and decayed Souls then there is in water to recover a withered decayed Tree Therefore when we feel our dimness and barrenness and decayed condition we should go to Christ that he would be to us as Rivers of water in a dry place that he would revive carry on and finish the work of grace in our Souls and that he would fill us with the fruits of Righteousness Isa 42.3 He shall not quench the smoking flax Ellychnium languescens fere extinctum Pisc quibus restat aliquid Pietatis sed paene extinctum calamitatibus Gro. Nutantes in Pietate confirmabit praeditos scintilla pietatis aliqua velut moribunda fovebit excitabit Jun. It refers to languishing Christians that where Grace is so declined and decayed that it is ready to dye 3. The Lord hath promised for Christ's sake to give us the dew of his Grace which shall cause us to grow in Grace Hos 14.5 I will be as the dew unto Israel and he shall grow as the Lilly Consider what condition Israel was in when God made this promise I will be as the dew unto Israel and he shall grow as the Lilly Israel was in a fallen declined backslidden condition ver 1.3 O Israel thou hast fallen by thine iniquity I will heal their back-sliding Ch. 4.16 Israel slideth back as a back-sliding heifer Ch. 8.3 Israel hath cast if the thing that is good Yea Israel was so far declined and in such a miserable condition that it is said of Israel Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Yet to this Israel that was fallen by iniquity back-slidden from God cast off that which was good destroyed themselves upon their Confession of their sin and prayer for Mercy God promiseth I will be as the dew unto Israel and he shall grow like the Lilly There are two things observable in the growth of the Lilly it groweth speedily Mat. 6.28 Consider the Lillies of the field how they grow It is Pliny's observation concerning the Lilly Lilio nihil foeâ—undius no Flower is more fruitfull than the Lilly It groweth also Gloriously Mat. 6.29 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these See another promise of giving growth in Grace Hos 14.7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return they shall revive as the Corn they shall grow as the Vine They that dwell under his shadow it may be understood either of Israel's shadow and so is a promise to the Members of the Church of Christ joyning themselves to his Church or else of the shadow of Christ As Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight So the Caldee In umbra Christi sui under the shadow of Christ and then the sense is they that betake
no A. 1. By the illumination of our minds and understandings to know Christ and the free grace of God and those things which God hath freely given us for Christs sake By the light of nature we have some notions of good and evil of the punishment due to sin and a reward of Righteousness but the knowledge of Christ and the free grace of God and the mysteries of our Salvation proceedeth only from the Spirit of God Eph. 1.17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him Matth. 16.16 17. Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God and Jesus answered and said unto him blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Flesh and Blood that is all that man can attain to by his own wisdom and understanding without the help of the Spirit of God will not bring a man to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ And as we can't attain the knowledge of Christ so neither of the free grace of God but by the Spirit of Christ 1 Cor. 2.11 12. The things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God And the like may be said of the mysteries of our Salvation we do not know the way and means by which we should get to Heaven till the Spirit of God gives us the knowledge of the mysteries of the K. of Heaven Mat. 13.11 It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them it is not given But seeing some men are enlightned by the word and Spirit of God that have no saving knowledge it will not be amiss to shew how we may know saving illumination from that illumination which is found in those that perish 1. The saving knowledge of Christ is accompanied with Faith in Christ When a man hath such a knowledge of Christ as causeth him to believe in Christ he is then made wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus Though a man have never such a great measure of knowledge of the holy Scriptures yet if he remain without Faith in Christ Jesus he is not wise unto Salvation 2. Saving knowledge causeth a man to do those things which we know to be the will of God If our knowledge be accompanied with obedience we need not doubt but it is saving knowledge for such as know and do the will of God shall be Everlastingly happy John 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Mat. 7.22 3. Saving knowledge maketh a man to be pure and peaceable and mercifull and to be easy to be entreated to do good to others and to be without partiality and hypocrisie Jam. 3.17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easy to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie 2. We may know that we have the Spirit of Christ by those convictions which the Spirit works in the Consciences of those to whom he is given I will give instance in these two convictions of sin and convictions of Righteousness Joh. 16.7 8. When he is come he will reprove or as it is in the Margent convince the world of sin and of righteousness and judgment We may know that Christ hath sent his Spirit into our hearts by the convictions of sin and of righteousness and of judgment I shall speak only to the two first Where God giveth the Spirit of Christ he convinceth of sin But seeing natural Conscience may convince of sin as well as the Spirit of Christ how may we distinguish the convictions of the Spirit from the convictions of natural Conscience A. 1. Natural Conscience may convince of sins against the Law as Unrighteousness intemperance lying uncleanness c. But the Spirit convinceth of sins against the Gospel as not believing in Christ not loving Christ c. Joh. 16.8 9. He will reprove the world of sin of sin because they believe not in me Such as have the Spirit of Christ are troubled for and mourn over their unbelief as well as their sins against the Law Mark 9.24 The Father of the child cryed out and said with tears Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief 2. The Spirit of God convinceth a man of his evil heart and evil nature as well as of his evil actions Natural Conscience may convince a man of sinfull actions but doth not shew a man the evil root whence these proceed But the Spirit of God sheweth a man the plague of his heart and teacheth him to bemoan his Original as well as his Actual sin Psal 54.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me The Spirit of God sheweth a man his sinfull corrupt and wicked heart as well as his sinful life Jer. 17.9 The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it The Spirit of God teacheth a man to bewail the body of Sin and Death as well as the acts of sin Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this Death 3. When the Spirit convinceth a man of his sins he leadeth him to Christ and teacheth him to seek remission of his sins from the blood of Christ Psal 51.7 Purge me with hyssope and I shall be clean Hyssope was dipped in the blood of the Sacrifice and sprinkled upon the persons and things that were to be cleansed a Type of our being cleansed by the Blood of Christ 'T is as if he should have said Lord apply thy Sons Blood to my Soul and then I shall be cleansed from my sins So the Apostle when distressed with the sense of sin fetcheth his Consolation from Christ Jesus Rom. 7.24 25. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this Death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. But the convictions of natural Conscience either make a man desperate as we see in Judas who hanged himself or wear off by diverting to the pleasures and businesses of the world Saul when under trouble was quieted by Musick or else Conscience is eased by the doing some good works and doth fetch its ease from Christ And as the Spirit convinceth those to whom it is given of Sin so of Righteousness also Now where the Spirit convinceth of Righteousness he doth these things 1. He shews a man the imperfection of his own Righteousness that all the works of Righteousness which ever he did or is able to do are full of imperfections and so takes him off from resting in his
how this is a ground of comfort in all Publick calamities as well as private and personal afflictions That there is nothing done in the world in any Kingdom in any City to any perticular person but by the providence of God is evident from such Scriptures as these Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Isa 45.7 I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Am. 3.6 Shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it Whatsoever evil comes upon a City or any person in the City whether Sword or Pestilence or Famine or Fire or any other evil it is the Lord that sends all those evils When any destroyers come against a Nation that lay it wast and make it desolate it is the Lord that raiseth up those wasters to destroy and furnisheth them with all their slaughter weapons and their instruments to carry on the designed destruction Isa 54.16 Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the coals in the fire and that bringeth forth all instruments for his work and I have created the waster to destroy Such calamities as seem to be carried on in a confused disorderly way are governed and over-ruled by the providence of God so that there is no damage done to any mans person or estate but by the appointment of God Nahum 1.3 The Lord hath his way in the storm and in the whirlwind That is the Lord orders all things that are done by the storm and by the whirlwind and by all other judgments that come as suddenly as violently as confusedly as the storm or the whirlwind When the Sword or Pestilence come upon any place the Lord numbers all the persons that shall be slain by the Sword and that shall dye by the Pestilence Isa 65.12 Therefore will I number you to the Sword and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter Jer. 15.2 VVhen any man suffers by Fire Hail Snow or stormy VVinds he suffers nothing but what God hath appointed him to suffer for the Fire Snow Hail stormy Winds and all other creatures fulfill Gods word they do nothing to any man but what God hath appointed them to do Psal 148.8 Fire and Hail Snow and Vapour stor my wind fulfilling his word Mich. 6.7 Hear the rod and who hath appointed it Every rod hath its whole work appointed by God The Sea seems to be a very unruly creature especially when stormy winds causeth it to rage yet the Lord ruleth the raging of the Sea and suffers it to do nothing in its greatest rage but what he pleaseth Psal 89.9 Thou rulest the raging of the Sea when the Waves thereof arise thou stillest them And he that ruleth the raging of the Sea ruleth and stilleth the tumults of the most unruly people Psal 65.7 Yea he ruleth over all persons and all actions that are done in any part of the world Psal 103.19 The Lords Throne is in the Heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all Now this is a ground of comfort to the People of God in Tumults and Insurrections and Massacres and all other National judgments that there is nothing comes to pass nothing befalls any Kingdom City or particular Person but by the providence of God Psal 97.1 2 3. The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce Clouds and Darkness are round about him Righteousnes and Judgment are the habitation of his Throne A fire goeth before him and burneth his enemies round about His Lightnings enlightned the world the earth saw it and trembled The Hills melted like Wax When we are under cloudy and dark dispensations when we meet with fiery tryals and God is burning up his enemies round about when he sendeth such judgments as make the inhabitants of the earth to tremble and the hills to melt like wax that is men of the highest degree Kings and Princes their hearts faint through fear and grief yet then we may rejoyce when we consider 't is the Lord reigneth and that all things are done by his Providence The Providence of God which ruleth and disposeth all things that are done in the world is a ground of comfort to the people of God in publick calamities on several accounts As 1. That God who ruleth and disposeth of all things by his providence is our God and our Father in Christ Psal 146.10 The Lord shall reign for ever even thy God O Zion unto all generations praise ye the Lord. This is matter of praise and joy to Zion not only that God reigneth but that he which doth and shall reign for ever is Zions God Thy God O Zion Reigneth unto all generations praise ye the Lord. The consideration of our Fathers hand in ordering all our afflictions may sweeten the bitterest cup which he at any time puts into our hands Joh. 18.11 The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it 2. Whatsoever the Lord doth is done in Righteousness when he breaks in pieces Kingdoms and Nations this is matter of comfort God will do nothing to any place or people but what is consistent with Righteousness Ps 48.10 11. Thy right hand is full of Righteousness let Mount Zion rejoyce let the daughters of Judah be glad because of thy judgments 3. The Lord who ruleth the world by his providence is a mercifull and gracious God that will compass his own people with mercy at such a time as he is distributing sorrows in great abundance to wicked men Psal 32.10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about Even when he lets his own people fall into the hands of cruel enemies such as hate them he is mindfull of his mercy towards them Psal 106.42 43 45. 4. This God who ruleth and governeth the world and disposeth all things that are done therein by his providence is a God in Covenant with us that he will never turn away from doing us good Jer. 32.40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good This was spoken to the Jews when they were under very dark providences the King of Babylons Army had Besieged Jerusalem and God told them by his Prophet that he would give Jerusalem into the King of Babylons hands ver 2 3. And besides the Sword of the enemy the City was visited with the Famine and Pestilence ver 24. Yet under these sad providences God comforts his people with his Everlasting Covenant wherein he assures them that though they were surrounded with all these evils the Sword the Famine and the Pestilence yet he would not turn away from doing them good Whatever aspect some of Gods providences may have upon the world and the Sinners in Zion yet they are all mercy and truth to the people of God even when they have the greatest appearance of severity Psal 25.10 All the
To such as are ready to give over seeking after Christ I shall give these two encouragements to continue seeking after Christ 1. If you continue seeking after Christ and do seek him with our whole hearts we shall assuredly enjoy him 1 Chron. 28.9 If thou seek him he will be found of thee Believe this promise of God that if thou dost seek him he will be found of thee and go on in the strength of this promise to seek in hope that thou shalt find the Lord. Hos 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord By knowing here is meant such a knowledge as is accompanied with the enjoyment of God as the following words imply He will come unto us Jer. 29.13 And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your hearts 2. It will not be long before you find Christ if you go on to seek him Though you do not find him for the present yet you shall find him in a little while in his own due time Cant. 3 1 4. By night on my bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth and I found him not It was but a little and I found him whom my Soul loveth Isa 54.7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee § Motives to get a saving interest in Christ Most persons that live under the Gospel make light of Christ and neglect that great Salvation which he hath purchased with his blood and prefer their worldly concernments before seeking after Christ Mat. 22.5 They made light of it and went their way one to his farm another to his Merchandize Our Lord Jesus Christ offers Salvation to lost sinners he doth as it were stretch out his hands to them and offer them his help to save their Souls but scarce any man regards the offers of grace and mercy that he makes to them Prov. 1.24 I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded This stretching forth the hand implyeth the offers of Salvation that Christ maketh in the Gospel to perishing Sinners When Peter was in a boysterous Sea and was afraid of being drowned and began to sink he cryed out to Christ Lord save me And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him Mat. 14.30 31. Christless sinners are in a more dangerous condition than Peter was they are ready to sink down into Hell sentence is passed upon them by the great God The wicked shall be turned into Hell Psal 9.17 And Christ stretcheth forth his hand and offers to save them but most men are so stupified in their sins and so busied in this present world that they regard not the offers of Salvation made to them by Jesus Christ And therefore there is need of motives to stir men up to seek after an interest in Christ and to embrace that Salvation which is offered to them by Jesus Christ 1. Motive The excellency of Christ should stir us up to get an interest in him For we covet things that are excellent and there is nothing so excellent as Jesus Christ All the excellent things in the world are but loss and dross and dung compared with Christ Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Silver and Gold Jewels and Precious Stones and whatever a man can desire are not worthy to be compared with Christ Prov. 8.11 For Wisdom is better than Rubies and all things that may be desired are not to be compared to it And as Christ is more excellent than all things so than all persons in the world The wisest the holyest the best the greatest men that ever lived are not worthy to be compared with Christ Cant. 5.10 My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among Ten Thousand White and Red well mixed make a beautiful countenance white may signifie the holiness of his Life ruddy his bloody passion His holy life and his bloody death render him amiable to his people If Ten Thousand of the most excellent persons that ever lived were set by Christ he would be the chiefest of them all Among all the Angels of Heaven and all the Kings of the Earth there are none to be compared to our Lord Jesus Christ Psal 89.6 Who in Heaven can be compared unto the Lord who among the Sons of the Mighty can be likened unto the Lord. There are all the excellencies of the Godhead in our Lord Jesus Christ Col. 2.9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily And the excellencies that are in the Godhead are unspeakable and unconceivable Seeing then there is a greater excellency in Christ than in all the whole world we should labour more to get Christ than we did to get any thing in this world 2. Get Christ for yours and you shall get unsearchable Riches For there are unsearchable Riches in Christ Eph. 3.8 That I should preach among you the unsearchable Riches of Christ The Apostle had studied preached and enjoyed Christ many years and yet could not express or understand all the Riches that were treasured up in Christ but calls his Riches unsearchable Riches By these Riches of Christ which he calls unsearchable understand those benefits we have by Christ As Vatablus and others immensa Christi benefitia the incomprehensible benefits of Christ And though we can't search out all the Riches that are in Christ and that we have by Christ though we cannot fully comprehend in this life all the benefits we have by Christ I will briefly instance in some of these unspeakable benefits which we shall get if we get an interest in Christ 1. Get Christ and you shall get into the love and favour of God Prov. 8.35 Whoso findeth me findeth Life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. And the favour of God is an unspeakable blessing better than all things in this world For a man prefers his Life above all that he hath in the world Job 2.4 All that a man hath he will give for his Life But the favour of God is better than a mans Life Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than Life 2. Get Christ and you shall get the pardon of all your sins Eph. 1.7 In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of sins according to the Riches of his grace Though we be guilty of Hundreds of Thousands of Millions of sins if we get Christ for ours his Blood will cleanse us from them all 1 Joh. 1.7 The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 3. Get Christ and you shall get an interest in all the promises 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen And it is by and through Christ that we are pertakers of the promises Eph. 3.6 That the Gentiles should
by Christ and yet to say we are justified and saved by the free grace of God and are not at all inconsistent each with other For the Scripture asserts that we are justified by the free grace of God Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption which is in Christ Jesus Yet the Scripture requireth Faith in Christ and Repentance in order to our obtaining Remission of our sins Act. 10.43 and 3.19 The Scripture asserts we are saved by grace Eph. 2.8 By grace ye are saved And yet it tells us also if we would obtain Salvation we must believe in Christ Act. 16.31 And repent of our sins and that unless we do repent we shall surely perish Luk. 13.3 5. 2. There are no terms required by way of merit for it is not possible that any man should merit eternal life If we were able to do all that is required of us we must confess our selves unprofitable Servants Luk. 17.10 When ye have done all those things which were commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do How much more must we confess our selves unprofitable servants when we come exceeding short in doing our duty The greatest Saints are so far from meriting Heaven that they are not worthy of the least of all Gods mercies Who was a greater or more eminent Saint then Jacob of whom it is said as a Prince hast thau power with God and with men and hast prevailed Gen. 32.28 Yet he confesseth himself to be unworthy of the very least of all Gods mercies I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all the truth that thou hast shewed unto thy Servant 3. It is no derogation to the free grace of God to say that God offers Christ and Salvation by Christ upon such terms as these if we will accept him for our Lord and Saviour if we will believe in him if we will forsake our sins take up our Cross and follow him For 1. God requires nothing of us in order to our being partakers of Christ and his saving benefits but what he himself will work in us and bestow on us if we seek to him He requires of all that will be saved by Christ that they believe in him but this Faith is not of our selves but is given to us by God Eph. 2.8 By grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God He requireth Repentance of all those that will be saved by Christ Luk. 13.3 But this Repentance he himself will out of his free grace give unto us if we seek to him for it Act. 5.31 and 11.18 He requireth of all that will be saved that they obey Christ Mat. 11.29 Heb. 5.9 But of his free grace he hath promised that if we will seek to him he will put his Spirit within us and cause us to walk in his ways Ezek. 36.27 37. He requireth that we take up the Cross but out of his free grace he gives us to be willing and able to suffer for Christ Phil. 1.29 He requireth of us that we endure to the end and persevere in Faith and Obedience if we would be saved Mat. 24.13 But he promiseth out of his free grace to give us perseverance by putting his fear into our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.46 He requireth nothing of us but what he himself will work in us and for us if we seek to him Isa 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us 2. These things that God requireth of us as terms on which he will give us Christ and his saving benefits are not required as was hinted before by way of merit to make us worthy of Christ but as ways and means by which the Lord conveys the saving benefits of Christ to our Souls and makes us capable of being partakers of Christ As a man that offers one an handfull of Gold to one whose hands are full of Dust on condition he will let go the Dirt that is in his hands without he let it go he can't receive the Gold Or as a man that offers a Beggar a new garment on condition he will put off his old ragged garment and put on his new one 3. Those things which I call terms of Salvation as Faith Repentance Suffering for Christ Perseverance are all of them benefits and blessings purchased by Christ as we may see if we consult these Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.1 We obtain Faith through Righteousness of God our Saviour Repentance is a gift we have by Christ Act. 5.31 And suffering grace is purchased by Christ Phil. 1.29 And perseverance Heb. 10.14 And are all given to the Elect for Christs sake with the same free and rich grace as Christ was given for us Rom. 8.32 4. The Salvation of a sinner is infinite Mercy and infinite Grace on whatever terms he is saved For the torments of Hell from which he is saved are unspeakable and eternal torments and the glory of Heaven which they shall have that are saved is unconceivable glory and that God against whom we have sinned is an infinite God and therefore it is infinite mercy and grace in him to pardon and save a sinner on whatever terms he be saved 5. Accept of Christ for your Lord and Saviour and you shall assuredly have a saving interest in him By accepting Christ I mean these two things 1. The consent of our wills to have Christ and Salvation by Christ on the terms on which God offers him to us in the Gospel 2. A relyance on Christ and trusting in Christ for all his saving benefits By our consenting to have Christ as God offers him to us and our trusting in him he becomes ours and we become his Christ is the gift of God Joh. 4.10 And what makes a gift ours but an offer on his part that hath power to dispose of the gift and acceptance on his part to whom the gift is offered on the conditions on which it is tendered to him All that receive or accept Christ on the terms on which God offers him have upon their receiving Christ this priviledge conferred upon them to be the children of God Joh. 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name As the Shechemites by consenting to the terms of Union and Commerce should have become one people with the house of Jacob and greatly enriched themselves if the sons of Jacob had dealt truly with them Gen. 34.22 23. Onely herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us to be one people if every male among us be circumoised as they are circumcised Shall not their cattel and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours Onely let us consent to them and they will dwell with us So upon our consenting to have Christ as God offers
success to such as ask wisdom of God It shall be given him What an encouragement is this to all that find any want of wisdom and knowledge to pray to God for it and to pray in Faith that we shall obtain what we pray for We have more promises to this effect Prov. 28.5 Evil men understand not judgment but they that seek the Lord understand all things Joh. 6.45 It is written in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God Isa 29.18 The eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness And let not any say I am such a sinfull creature I am afraid God will not teach and instruct me though I should pray to him For good and upright is the Lord therefore will he teach sinners in the way Psal 25.8 Neither let any say I am so blind and ignorant there is no hope that I should attain to saving knowledge For God can make the blind to see Psal 146.8 The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind 4. Converse with the Servants of Christ that have acquaintance with Christ and they will bring you acquainted with him Prov. 13.20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise The Daughters of Jerusalem that could see no greater excellency in Christ than in other things and wondered that the Spouse should be sick of love for him and give them such a charge concerning him Cant. 5.9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved O thou fairest among women what is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou dost so charge us After they had heard the Spouse discoursing concerning Christ and setting out Christs excellencies ver 10. to the 16. they were in love with him and had their hearts stirred up to seek after Christ Cha. 6.1 Whether is thy beloved gone O thou fairest among women whether is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee Second Hinderance Many men are willing to have Christ and Salvation by Christ if they might have Christ and Salvation by Christ in their own way and upon their own terms as if they might be exempted from the cross if they might have liberty to continue in their sins and the like but they stick at the terms of the Gospel on which Christ is offered to them To remove this obstacle I shall propose these following considerations to thy Soul 1. Consider who thou art that thou shouldest stand upon terms with the great God about thy Salvation Thou art a condemned creature a child of wrath a lost creature an undone creature a sinner a miserable creature a poor worm And shall a condemned creature refuse a pardon unless he may have it on his own terms Shall a child of wrath refuse reconciliation with God Shall a lost perishing creature refuse a Saviour an undone creature refuse help a great sinner refuse forgiveness of his sins a miserable creature refuse mercy unless he may have it in his own way Shall a poor worm that is not worthy of the least of all Gods mercies refuse Christ and all the benefits of Christ because he may not have them on his own terms 2. Consider what the torments of Hell are from which Christ came to save sinners they are intolerable and eternal torments And consider what the joys of Heaven are which Christ hath purchased for us they are eternal and unspeakable joys And shall we refuse to have deliverance from the torments of Hell unless we may have it in our own way and upon our own terms Shall we refuse a Kingdom the Kingdom of Heaven unless we may have it in our own way and upon our own terms Did we understand believe and consider the reality and greatness and eternity of Hells Torments and Heaven's Joys we should be willing to do any thing and suffer any thing so we might escape the Torments of Hell and obtain the Joys of Heaven when we dye VVhat the Apostle saith to the Galathians Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth The like may I say to such as stick at receiving Christ on the terms of the Gospel O foolish sinners who hath bewitched you that you should not accept of Christ and Salvation by Christ on the terms of the Gospel O foolish Sinners who hath bewitched you that you should not accept of Christ and Salvation by Christ in the terms of the Gospel How gladly would the Devils and the damned in Hell accept of Salvation on the terms of the Gospel if it were offered to them And wilt thou refuse that which a Devil would joyfully accept if it were offered to him How earnestly did the rich man beg for a drop of water to cool his tongue when he was tormented in Hell fire and if he were so earnest for a drop of water to cool his tongue how readily would he have embraced deliverance 3. Consider what great want you have of Christ to justifie sanctifie and save your Souls You have greater want of Christ than you have of Food or Rayment or any thing in this world You are in such want of Christ that you are utterly undone to all Eternity without Christ When men are in want they will comply with hard and difficult terms to have their wants supplyed Luk. 15.14 15 16. When the Prodigal Son began to be in want he was willing to submit to a very low condition to feed and look after Swine and he was willing to fare very hardly to eat husks such as were given to Hogs He would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat And these difficulties he readily complyed with as soon as he began to be in want We have been in want of Christ ever since we were born and our want of Christ is greater than our want of necessary food for the want of food only destroys the Body but for want of Christ our precious Souls perish for ever Why then do we stand upon terms with God about accepting Christ that either we must have him on our own terms or else we will not have him all We would undergo much hardship to get bread for our Bodies Lam. 5.9 We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the Wilderness And shall we not be willing to undergo greater difficulties to get Christ the bread of Life 4. If thou wilt not have Christ and Salvation by Christ in God's way and upon God's terms thou shalt never be saved by him for God will not alter the way of Life and Salvation for the saving of thy Soul Job 18.4 Shall the Earth be forsaken for thee And shall the Rock be removed out of his place God's Eternal counsels and purposes for the saving lost man are firmer than the Rock and stand faster than the Earth And therefore 't is a vain thing for thee to imagine that God should alter the way of Life and Salvation decree'd in his eternal counsels
some time vve must never expect to have any comfort of our Lives after vve have refused to die for Christ 3. If we refuse to lay down our lives for Christ he can make our lives such a burden to us that we shall count it a great mercy to be rid of them The Lord can lay such troubles upon us that we shall be burdens to our selves and long exceedingly to be in our Graves Job speaks of some men that are in such misery that they seek for Death as for hid Treasures and rejoyce exceedingly when God will take away their lives Job 3.20 21 22. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life unto the bitter in Soul which long for Death but it cometh not and dig for it more than for hid treasures which rejoyce exceedingly and are glad when they can find a grave Yea it was Job's own condition to be a burden to himself Job 7.20 Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee so as I am a burden to my self He vvas in so much misery that he prayed earnestly to God that he might die Job 6.8 9. O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for Even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let lose his hand and cut me off He vvas in such distress that Life vvas loathsome to him and if it had been lavvful he would have strangled himself Job 7.15 16. My Soul chooseth strangling and death rather than life I loath it I would not live alway And vvho can tell but God may lay as heavy affliction upon us if vve refuse to die for Christ as he did to his Servant Job who was an upright man that feared God and eschewed evil Who can tell but God may deal with us as he did with Pashur Jer. 20.4 I will make thee a terrour to thy self and to all thy Friends Now is it not better to die for Christ than to live in such misery as to be a burden to our selves and to be a terrour to our selves and all our Frinds 4. If we will not lose our lives for Christ we shall lose that which is the life of our lives yea that which is better than life What is that which is the life of our lives and which is better than our lives I answer The love and favour of God Ps 30.5 In his favour is life Ps 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life Now if we draw back from Christ in a suffering day because we are not willing to lay down our lives for him we shall lose the love and favour of God Rebeccah was so concerned for Jacob that if he miscarried in his match she thought she should be weary of her life and her life would do her no good Gen. 27.46 I am weary of my life because of the Daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a Wife of the Daughters of Heth such as these which are the Daughters of the Land what good shall my life do me If the miscarriage of a Child in a match will make us weary of our lives what will the loss of the love and favour of God which is the fountain of all mercies May not such say I am weary of my life what good will my life do me seeing God hath taken away his loving kindness from me 5. Our Lord Jesus Christ laid down his life forus 1 John 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us His Enemies could not have taken his life from him if he had not been willing of himself to lay it down and his laying down his life was upon our account and for our sakes Joh. 10.15 18. I lay down my life for the sheep No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self And what the Israelites said of David 2 Sam. 18.3 Thou art worth ten thousand of us The same may be said of Christ he is worth ten thousand of us yea more worth than all the men that ever lived more worth than all the Angels of Heaven yet he laid down his life for us And shall we that are his Servants poor worms stick at the laying down our lives for him 6. It is a blessed thing to dye for Christ Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. The dead which die in the Lord and which die for the Lord are in a most blessed condition There is a peculiar honour promised to those that suffer Martyrdom for Christ Rev. 20.4 It may be some will say I could be willing to dye for Christ so I might dye an easy death but I can't tell how to endure such tortures and pains as some have met with for Christ I can't tell how to undergo burning at a Stake or how to bear tormenting pains A. It is true that tormenting pains are hard to be born yet we must be willing to undergo any kind of tortures for Christ not only to dye but to submit to the most painfull death if God shall call us to it and to perswade us to be willing to undergo torments for Christ Let us consider 1. Our Lord Jesus did not only dye for us but he suffered a most painfull shamefull accursed Death of the Cross for us Phil. 2.8 He humbled himself and became obedient to Death even the Death of the Cross What Death is more painfull than the Death of the Cross Our Lord Jesus was in such extremity of pain when he hung upon the Cross that he was like a man that had all his Bones out of joynt his heart melted like wax that is brought to the fire his strength and the moisture of his body was dryed up like a Potsheard his tongue cleaved to his Jaws as we may see Psal 22.14 15. I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joynt my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels My strength is dryed up like a potsheard and my tongue cleaveth unto my jaws and thou hast brought me into the dust of death That this relates to Christs sufferings on the Cross is evident from the last clause his bones were out of joynt his heart melted like wax c. when when he was upon the Cross Thou hast brought me into the dust of Death And from several other passages in the Psalm which relate to Christs sufferings on the Cross As ver 1.7 8 16 17. And besides that anguish which our Lord Jesus felt upon the Cross when he was in the Garden he was in such an agony as made him sweat drops of blood Luk. 22.24 Now seeing our Lord Jesus Christ endured such torments and pains for us seeing he suffered the painfull shamefull accursed Death of the Cross for us Shall not we be willing to suffer any shamefull or painfull Death for him Seeing he bore the wrath of God for us shall not we be willing to bear the
fared deliciously every day when he was in Hell could not get one drop of Water to cool his Tongue They are dear â—â—â—ght pleasures that must be paid for in â—â—â—â—â—orments Momentaneum est quod delectal Eâ—ernum quod cruciat The pleasures of sin are gone in a moment but the pains of Hell are for Eternity 5. The pleasures of sin are such poor vain vile things that bitter and sharp afflictions are rather to be chosen than the pleasures of sin which are but for a season Moses who was a wise man preferred the afflictions of a Wilderness with the people of God before the delights and pleasures of a Kings Court when they could not be enjoyed without sin Heb. 11.25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season §. Arg. To perswade us to leave gainfull and profitable sins 1. Such gain as is gotten by sinfull and unrighteous means will prove the greatest loss in the World For it is gotten with the loss of our Souls and with the loss of the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God And what loss like the loss of our Souls and the loss of a Kingdom even the Kingdom of Heaven The gaining of the whole World will not make up this loss Mark 8.34 For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul 2. You shall gain greater and better things by forsaking your sins and leading a Godly Life than you can gain by continuance in your sins For what you gain by Unrighteousness doth you very little good but Godliness will be profitable to you for all things both in this life and in the life which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now it and that which is to come If you will leave your gainfull sins for Christ you shall in gaining Christ gain unsearchable Riches Eph. 3.8 Yea in gaining Christ you shall gain all things 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. 3. Such gain as a man gets unrighteously will profit a man nothing either in a day of wrath or in the day of death or at the day of judgment Prov. 10.2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing Though a man hath gotten a vast Estate though he hath heaped up Treasures in great abundance yet if he hath gotten them by wicked ways they will profit him nothing They will be so far from profiting him that they will hurt him exceedingly What a man gets unrighteously he leaves behind him when he dyeth but his guilt will follow him into the other World and will torment him like Fire Jam. 5.3 Your Gold and Silver is cankered and the rust of them will be a Witness against you and shall eat your Flesh as it were Fire ye have heaped Treasures together for the last days 4. Uprightness and Righteousness in our dealings is a far better way to get an Estate than Fraud and Unrighteousness For 1. Such as deal Truly and Righteously shall have God's Blessing in an abundant manner Prov. 28.20 A faithfull man shall abound with Blessings but sin and wickedness bringeth the curse of God Prov. 3.33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked Now who is in the most likely way to thrive they that have the curse or they that have the Blessing of God 2. If a man should get but a small Estate that dealeth righteously and uprightly yet a little estate gotten righteously is better and hath more comfort in it than great Revenues gotten by unrighteous ways Ps 37.16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked Prov. 16.8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right For there is more comfort in a little gotten with Gods blessing than in a great deal gotten by sinfull ways Prov. 10.22 The blessing of the Lord it maketh Rich and he addeth no sorrow with it 3. What is gotten Righteously abideth longer than what is gotten by sinfull ways Jer. 17.11 He that getteth Riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his days and at his end shall be a Fool. Prov. 28.22 He that hasteth to be Rich hath an evil Eye and considereth not that Poverty shall come upon him That is he that makes such hast to be Rich as that he will use undue courses to get Riches takes the ready way to become a Poor man But when men get Estates Righteously that is the way to have their Estates blessed to themselves Prov. 28.10 The upright shall have good things in possession And to their Posterity for many Generations Prov. 13.22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his Childrens Children and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just Sect. 4 Obeying Christ even in the most difficult Precepts of the Gospel should not make us refuse closing with Christ A 4th hinderance to our closing with Christ is unwillingness to come under his Government and yield obedience to the commands of the Gospel especially such commands as are cross to our interest and contrary to our corrupt natures and in such commands as are like the pulling out of right eyes and cutting off Right hands In such cases and in reference to such commands Many are ready to say this is an hard saying who can bear it Joh. 6.60 And say in their hearts We will not have this man to Reign over us Luk. 19.15 Now to remove this stumbling block I shall propose some arguments to perswade us to be willing to receive Christ for our Lord and to obey him in the most difficult duties that he requireth of us even such as are like the cutting off a right hand and pulling out a right eye 1. The Lord Jesus commands us to do nothing requireth nothing of us but what is for our own good Mich 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God The Lord requireth of us that we do justly that we love mercy that we walk humbly with our God and why because these things are good for us Deut. 10.12 13. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to keep the Commandements of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good Yea even such commands of Christ as seem hardest to Flesh and Blood are greatly for our good It seems a very hard matter to cut off our Right Hand or our Foot or to pluck out a Right Eye when any of these Members cause us to offend yet it is really better for us to remove the impediments of our Salvation though as dear as our Eyes as usefull and beneficial to us as our Hands and Feet and to
for there is comfort in Christ for lapsed Christians though the sins into which they have fallen be of an heinous nature and that on these grounds 1. Jesus Christ is our Advocate with the Father and pleads our cause for us that our sins may not be imputed to us but may upon our Repentance be forgiven us As Stephen interceeded for his Persecutors Act. 7.60 Lord lay not this sin to their charge So doth Christ interceed with his Father for all his Members VVhen they fall into any heinous sin Lord lay not this sin to their charge Christ's love to his Members is infinitely above Stephen's love to his Persecutors yet Stephen prayed for them when they had committed an heinous sin the shedding of blood the shedding innocent blood the blood of a Martyr of a man full of the Holy Ghost his own blood yet Stephen interceeded for them Lord lay not this sin to their charge And the love of Christ being infinitely above Stephens will not be much more interceeded for his members his Servants in their greatest falls though their sins be of an heinous nature Lord lay not this sin to their charge that our Lord Jesus doth interceed for us when we fall into sin that our sins may not be laid to our charge VVe may see 1 John 2.1 2. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not and if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous who is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole World The children of God must be very carefull they do not sin against God But suppose they do sin must they despair No if any man sin we have an advocate 't is not said we had an advocate as if he ceased to be our advocate when we fall into sin but we have an advocate with the Father and he is a powerfull and prevalent advocate Jesus Christ the Righteous whom his Father never denyed any thing in the days of his Humiliation Joh. 11.22 42. much less will he deny him any thing in the days of his exaltation and the person with whom he interceeds is the Father who is the Father of mercies a God ready to forgive waiting to be gracious who is Christ's Father and our Father And he useth a prevailing argument when he pleads for us he presents his own blood which is the propitiation for our sins And he is advocate for all that do and shall believe on him in all places and all ages of the World 1 Joh. 2.1 2. Compared with 1 Joh. 5.12 If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father These things write I unto you that believe As David interceeded with his Captains on the behalf of Absolom though an undutifull rebellious Son 2 Sam. 18.5 Deal gently for my sake with the young man even with Absolom Even so doth Christ interceed with his Father for his Rebellious and Disobedient Children deal graciously for my sake with such and such persons though they have rebelled against thee 2. The death of Christ hath obtained pardon for all our sins sins after as well as sins before Conversion great and heinous sins as well as lesser sins 1 Joh. 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Isa 53.5 He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed The two Hebrew words used by the Prophet as Rivet observes all sorts even the worst kind of sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth superbam mandati transgressionem rebellionem defectionem A proud transgressing of the law of God rebellion and revolting from God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth perversitatem malitiam a sinning out of perverseness and malice For such sins as these was Christ wounded and bruised and by his stripes we are healed and obtain pardon for our greatest offences 3. There are mercies and forgivenesses with God upon Christ's account even for such as have rebelled against him Dan. 9.9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him To rebell against the Lord is more than to sin out of infirmity it speaks willfulness in sin it is the highest degree of sin likened to the sin of Witch-craft when men have to do with the Devil 1 Sam. 15.23 Rebellion is as the sin of Witch-craft Yet there are mercies and forgivenesses with the Lord for such as have rebelled against him not only mercy and forgiveness but in the Plural number mercies and forgivenesses to signifie the abundance of mercies and pardons that are with God for such as have rebelled though they have not rebelled once or twice only but many times And therefore the Lord is styled a God of pardons who hath pardons in store for rebellious sinners upon their Repentance Ne. 9.16 17. But they and our Fathers dealt proudly and hardened their necks and refused to obey and in their rebellion appointed a Captain to return to their bondage but thou art a God ready to pardon or as 't is in the Margent a God of pardons gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindness and forsookest them not 4. The Covenant of grace which is confirmed with Christs blood admits Repentance and promiseth pardon of sin to back-sliders upon their Repentance though they have deeply and grievously revolted from the Lord. The children of Israel were grievous revolters Jer. 6.28 They are all grievous revolters yet they are called to Repentance Isa 31.6 Turn ye unto him from whom the Children of Israel have deeply revolted And have a promise of pardon upon their Repentance Jer. 3.22 Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings If any say it may be these to whom the Lord speaks here and promiseth to heal their back-slidings on their return to him had not they back-slidden so often and in such an heinous manner To which I answer that they had back-slidden often is evident from ver 1. Thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet return unto me And besides he speaks of back-slidings in the Plural number He saith not I will heal your back-sliding as if they had back-slidden but once but I will heal your back-slidings intimating that though their back-slidings were many which they themselves acknowledge Jer. 14.7 Our back-slidings are many yet upon their returning he would heal them all And that they were guilty of very great and heinous sins as well as many back-slidings to whom God makes this promise Return O back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings is evident from ver 5. Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldst 5. When the servants of Christ fall into heinous sins God will visit their Transgressions with his Rod and their sins with Stripes but for Christs sake he will not cast them out of his love nor break his
us till we are brought safe to Heaven 1 Pet. 1 5. Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation And though the Lord lets us fall for our Humiliation yet he will not suffer us to be utterly cast down Psal 37.23 24. This power of God that keeps us is able to stablish the weakest Christians against all Oppositions Rom. 16.25 To him that is of power to stablish you The Apostle speaking of such as are weak in the Faith saith Rom. 14.1 4. Him that is weak in the Faith receive you yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him to stand 2. The mercy of God preserveth us from falling away Psal 94.18 When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up and this mercy stands fast with us for ever Psal 89.28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore Isa 54.8 3. The faithfullness of God is a comfort against our fears of falling away 2 Thes 3.3 The Lord is faithfull who will stablish you and keep you from evil 5. The Lord Jesus Christ hath assured his Sheep that they shall never perish but that he will give them Eternal Life and that none shall pluck them out of his hands Joh. 10.27 28 29. Where observe that all the sheep of Christ are kept by the power of the Father and the Son to Eternal Life so that they shall never perish For our fuller satisfaction in this case let us see what are the grounds of those fears of falling away which perplex our minds and see how we are secured against all of them 1. Is it the strength of Satans Temptations The Lord hath engaged his faithfullness that he will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 2. Is it the strength of indwelling corruption The Lord hath engaged himself by promise to subdue our iniquities Mic. 7.19 3. Is it the opposition that the World maketh against us the troubles and persecutions of the world makes us fear that we shall fall away Christ hath overcome the world for us Joh. 16. ult And no men by all that they can do shall pluck any of Christs sheep out of his hands Joh. 10.27 28. 1 John 4.4 4. Are we afraid that God should leave us and that we being left of him should fall away He hath engaged himself by promise that he will never leave nor forsake us Heb. 13.5 He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 5. Are we afraid of our own treacherous backsliding hearts He hath engaged to put his fear into our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 Sect. 10. There is comfort in Christ for such whose heart is sick because there hope is deferred Solomon tells us Hope deferred makes the heart sick Prov. 13.12 And many Christians find it true by experience while hope for promised mercies and mercies begged in prayer and their hope is deferred their hearts grow sick and their spirits faint within them Psal 143.7 Hear me speedily O Lord my spirit faileth Psal 119.81 82. My soul fainteth for thy salvation Mine eyes fail for thy word saying when wilt thou comfort me Now there is comfort in Christ for such as find their hearts fainting when prayed for promised hoped for mercies are deferred And that on these grounds 1. Promised mercies shall furely be given in God's time which is the best time for all things Hab. 2.3 The vision that is the mercies promised to the prophet in a vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry And the like I may say of mercies begged in prayer they shall furely come if they be such as are according to the will of God 1 Joh. 5.14 2. Our Lord Jesus Christ intercedeth with his Father to give us all promised mercies For he is the Mediator of the New Covenant and Mediates with God on our behalf that for his sake he would give us all the blessings promised in the new Covenant He also intercedeth for us with his Father to give us all those mercies which we ask in his name agreeable to his will Heb. 7.25 And the Lord will not deny Christ any thing for which he maketh intercession 3. The longer hoped for mercies are deferred the sweeter they will be when they are given to us Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life 4. When hoped for mercies are delayed till the heart is sick and begins to faint yet it is good still to keep up our hope in God Lam. 3.18 26. Psa 119.81 For we please God when we hope in his mercy Ps 147.11 5. The main and best of hope is for things laid up in heaven for us Col. 1.5 For the hope which is laid up in heaven for you If in this life only we had hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable The best blessing which a Christian hopes for are laid up in heaven There we shall have an answer of all our prayers a fulfilling of all promises a satisfaction of all our desires when that blessed hope is accomplished it will make amends for the deferring and frustration of all other hopes Wherefore let us look after and wait patiently for that hope Tit. 2.13 1 Pet. 1.13 Sect. 11. There is comfort in Christ for such as are assaulted with horrid temptations as blasphemy self-murder c. Some Christians are assaulted with grievous temptations as blasphemous thoughts self-murder c. that they are even weary of their lives Now to such there is comfort to be had in Christ in several respects as 1. None of all the temptations of Satan can bereave a Christian of eternal life For a Christian's life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God And what is hid with Christ in God is out of the devils reach 2. Though Satan may temptthe members of Christ yet he shall be never able to overcome them but they shall overcome him and all his temptations Rev. 12.11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb Eph. 6.16 Above all things taking the shield of faith whereby ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked Col. 2.15 3. The worst of Temptations are consistent with the Fatherly love of God Our Lord Jesus Christ who was the beloved Son of God was tempted to cast himself down from a pinacle of the Temple and to fall down and worship the devil and what worse sin than to worship the devil 4. We are assured by God that if we resist the devil he will flee from us Jam. 4.7 And therefore whatsoever Temptation he assaults us withal let us resist him believing that he will flee and if he come again let us resist him again We are also assured that though the Lord suffer Satan to tempt us yet he will not suffer us to be tempted above what he will enable us to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man But God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it FINIS