vapours of sinne which pollute the soule are purged and driven away by the blasts of these windes Dan. 11. 35. Many shall fall â—o try them and to purge them and to make them white No soule is ordinarily so full of infectious savour as those that want these windes Moab hath been at ease from his youth c Esay 48. 11. And no Christians have such sweet soules as those that are frequently visited with these windes of trouble Corruption will hardly fasten where these windes do ordinarily blow Saints have foggy souls in Gospel-times 2. The winde hath a searching vertue It 's a penetrating creature If there be the least chink or cranie the winde will finde it out As the light findes out the least hole so doth the winde These spiritual windes are of a searching and discovering nature Temptations desertions outward troubles will search the very inward parts of the soul Christians have found out those defects in themselves which they could never espy till God sent these windes to blow upon them Many holes and cranies they have seen in their own spirits which they could never discerne till these windy days arose upon them He openeth their years to discipline and shews them wherein they have exceeded Job 36. 9. Transgressions excesses and spiritual defects too are found out by these winds and tempests Our Saviour layes down this useful effect of these tempestuous dayes Mat. 7. 25 27. the winds blew c. and it fell not c. Great windes do discover whether your houses be made of firme timber or of shaking rotten wood These spiritual windes are great discoverers especially if they be in extremity A sword shall pierce through thine own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be discovered The words of Simeon to the Virgin-Mary Luke 2. 35. the stony ground is not discovered till these windes arise but then 't is fully discovered Mat. 13. 20 21. No Christian knows himselfe so thoroughly as he that hath travelled thorough these gusts of trouble Peter did not know his own weaknesse till these high windes had searched him then he saw the unworthy fear and Apostasie of his own heart Mat. 26. 70 72 74. Peter did not know his own distrustfulnesse till the winde began to be boistrous then he saw he could sink as well as another man Mat. 14. 30. Saints need self-discovery under Christs Kingdome 3. The winde hath a cooling vertue When the aire is heated by the scortching beames of the Sunne the winde passeth thorough it and brings it into a coole temper againe These spiritual windes coole the soul Christians are sometimes scalding-hot in the pursuit of the world or perhaps of some sinne God stirs up these windes and cooles that heat Some sharp winde of distresse of conscience some gust of temptation some piercing blast of trouble abares those feverish heats removes that eagernesse which was before in the soul after things that cannot profit That winde of God that blew in Pauls face coold that zeal for persecution which was in his heart Acts 9. 1 3 4. 4. The wind makes men keep their garments closer about them You have heard of the fable of the Sunne and the Winde striving for the Travellers cloak the issue was the Sunne got it the more violently the Winde blew the faster he held it These spiritual Windes make the soul look better to his spiritual garments he holds all his graces faster then then at another time He keeps his faith his hope his patience his integrity tackt close about him Job never was so careful of keeping his garments as when he met with these windes Vid. Chap. 27. 1 2 3 4 5 6. As God liveth saith he who hath taken away my judgement c. All that while my breath is in me c. my righteousnesse I hold fast and will not let it go till I die I will not remove my integrity from me Souldiers never keep their armour so carefully as when they come to an encounter Christians are never so careful of their spiritual harnesse as when the windes of tribulation and temptation beat upon them And we have need to keep our garments even under the Gospel 5. The winde hath an awakening power When it lifts up its voice with violence the noise is so dreadful that sleep is taken away from those that heare it The Mariner cannot sleep when the windes are up The Ship-master wondred that Jonah could sleep when the Windes were so high and the Sea so raging Jonah 1. 6. These spiritual Windes awaken the soule out of sloath and carnal security When there is an earthquake of inward trouble in the conscience when there is a tempest of outward trouble upon the body the soul is made more watchful then ever it was if these stormes be sanctified it will be so Psal 78. 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking saith Asaph That storme of temptation which then lay upon him kept the eyes of his soul waking as well as the eyes of his body That earthquake which was at midnight when Paul and Silas sang praises to God awakened the sleepy Jaylor Act. 16. 26 27. the natural conscience is startled by such providences much more is the regenerate conscience These Windes are Gods Physick which he useth to remove spiritual security and God will make it effectual to accomplish his end Jonah slept a while but God did awake him both in his sleepy body and more sleepy soule before these windes ceased blowing Mat. 26 40 41 43. Saints under the Gospel have need of awakening The Uses of this Use 1. Expect these windy dayes Do not think that now the Gospel is come now Christs Kingdome is set up stormes are at an end God doth every day confute this folly The end of one tempest hath been the beginning of another Hitherto it hath been so and we can see nothing to make us think that it shall yet be otherwise If you beleeve not this truth you will have little benefit by the next doctrine The windes will be very high in the Church of God This is evident in Scripture however it be this is our comfort These Windes if we be godly will blow us faster to heaven and the higher the Windes are the neerer is the calme Expect outward storms Expect inward tempests Do not beleeve your selves to be past either of these Our former storms may perhaps prove calm weather if they be compared with our future tempests Preparing for them will be no prejudice if they never come When you are out of one temptation look for another before Antichrists utter down-fall Use 2. Get good provision against these windy dayes come Take to your selves the whole Armour of God that ye may stand when the Winds are at the highest Whether they be tempests without or stormes within outward blasts or inward earthquakes 'T is the Apostles counsel Eph. 6. 13 14. God that foretels evil dayes hath provided Armour of proofe against those dayes Take this
convince men that they are not evil things It was Austins Observation long since God bestowes outward things upon the worst of men that they may not be thought to be the onely good things and he bestowes them sometimes upon his own people that they may not be thought to be evil things 3. To shew his Dominion and right of disposing even these outward things Should not some godly men enjoy these outward things they would be apt to think that God did not meddle with things of this nature but now the conferring of these things upon the godly disproves that Atheism 4. To let men see even sensual men that it is not in vaine to serve God Worldly men say what profit shall we have if we pray to him Job 21. 15. Now they are not capable of understanding the inward profit of holinesse but they can understand the outward advantages God therefore will prove the profit of piety by such Arguments as they are able to understand 5. To fulfill the letter of his Promise He hath promised these outward things to godly men Psal 112. 2 3. Now men would question his faithfulnesse in keeping promise if it should not sometimes be made good in kinde 6. God makes some of his people rich to help such as are poor Wicked men generally hate the people of God for their very holinesse They are not willing to relieve them though God by his power makes them Authours of good to them Therefore that the 〈…〉 flock may have some to stand by them â—â— conscience sake God is pleased to make some of their number great that the wicked of the world may not alwaies tread them down without opposition Joseph was made great to provide for his fathers house in their povertie Gen. 50. 20. God makes some of his flock rich and great that the poor of his flock may have some to look after them for his sake This is the second Conclusion Thirdly That grace and holinesse is the best and neerest way to attaine to all outward prosperity For although God as soveraigne Lord make rich and poor whom he please yet no man can expect or hope for temporal felicitie but the man that is truly godly 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godlinesse hath the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come And Matth. 5. 5. The froward do often enjoy much of these outward things but the promise of the inheritance of them belongs onely to the meek Prov. 3. 16. Riches and honour are put into the hand of wisdome and none but wisdomes children can upon any good ground expect to inherit either of them This is the third Fourthly That the enjoyment of these outward things is no infallible evidence of a good condition 'T is possible for a man to possesse a great portion of outward happinesses and yet be unhappy in regard of his soule The purse may be full of gold and yet the heart emptie of saving grace The body may be fat and in good liking and yet the soule leane and withered A man may have great possessions in the world and yet have no interest in God Our Saviour supposeth this Matthew 16. 26. There are foure things required to make up this supposition 1 A man that gaines the whole world must enjoy all the riches honour pleasure of worldly things 2 He must have a heart capable to take delight in all these 3 He must enjoy all these from the first man to the last man from the beginning to the end of the world 4 Freedome from all vexations and troubles of Spirit This no man ever did enjoy And yet our Saviour supposeth that a man may enjoy all this and yet lose his soule That outward prosperitie cannot evidence a man to be in a state of grace appeares by these seven Arguments 1. They are bestowed upon the worst of men The Scripture tells us of many rich men very rich that lived and died wickedlie What think you of him mentioned Luke 12. 16 17 18 19 20. He was exceeding rich his treasury was too little his store-house was too small for his revenues and yet no interest in God at all that might entitle him to salvation a very foole for all his riâ—hes You reade of another in Luke 16. 19. There are all expressions of prosperity that can be imagined and yet v. 23. that very person is in Hell torments You know the story of Nabal 1 Sam. 25. 2 6. he was very wealthie and yet a sinful fool As his name is so is he Nabal is his name and follie is with him You reade of some in Job Chap. 21. 7 8 9 10. that enjoyed much prosperitie and yet desperatelie wicked reade v. 14. They say 〈…〉 from us we desire not the knowledge of 〈…〉 Sodom and Gomorrah were very rich it was a land fruitful as the Garden of God Gen. 13. 10. and yet they that possessed that fruitful land are now suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Jude 7. The Scripture is full of such examples 2. Riches and honour are but common blessings They are the good things of the Foot-stool not the good things of the Throne They are in the left hand of wisdome Prov. 3. 16. Now no common mercie can argue special love Eccles 9. 1. No man knows either love or hatred by any thing that is before him 3. Outward prosperity is very often a hindrance of salvation That of our Saviour would seriously be taken notice of 'T is easier for a camel to go thorough the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of God Mat. 19. 24. Riches too often draw the heart from God they coole zeale quench devotion We see by experience many men that were hot for Religion when they were poore are grown dead cold now they have got estates Our Saviour tells us that the deceitfulnesse of riches choaks the Word and makes the heart unfruitful Vid. Mat. 13. 22. Now that which hinders men from salvation can be no argument of a state of salvation 4. Men may transmit riches to their posterity Now that which a man may have by descent and natural generation can be no evidence of a state of grace No man is born in a state of grace Eph. 2. 2. A man must be borne againe before he can see the Kingdome of Heaven Joh. 3. 3. Many men are borne rich and honourable c. therefore none of these things can entitle a man to heaven 5. If outward prosperity were an Argument of grace then Covetousnesse would be no sinne 'T is no sinne but duty for a man to labour for and to covet evidences of grace We are commanded to do so in Scripture Make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. but covetousnesse is not a duty but a sinne a sinne of a high nature The root of all evil so the Apostle calls it 1 Tim. 6. 10. 'T is idolatrie one of the worst kinds of idolatry 6. Outward prosperity
Law do not convert yet it helps forward conversion in as much as it works that preparatory work without which conversion ordinarily is not as the needle makes way for the threed so the Law makes way for conversion The spirit of bondage makes way for the Spirit of Adoption and that is wrought by the preaching of the Law 3. The mistake of those who are against all kinde of preparations to conversion They would have mercy held out to sinners as sinners not as sinners so and so qualified Surely the Scripture hath laid down qualifications for sinners to whom the Gospel is tendred They must be humbled sinners burdened sinners c. The mercy of the Gospel is not to be prostituted to sinners as sinners but to broken-hearted sinners to heart-wounded sinners to sinners that see themselves lost in themselves to hungring and thirsting sinners The brazen Serpent was onely for such to look upon as were stung with Serpents Such as are in some measure sensible of the stinging nature of sin are to be invited to lay hold on Christ As it is an undoing to wounded sinners to keep them from Christ so 't is an undoing to such sinners as are not in some measure pressed with sinne to apply the promises of the Gospel This was prefigured in the Leper The Lâ—per must cry uncleane c. every sinner is this Leper sight of sinne must go before healing of sinne 4. Let Ministers take the same way which Christ takes for the curing of sinners Jesus Christ is both an able and faithful Physician 'T is no disparagement to use his method yea 't is the greatest wisdome to prescribe the same receits which Jesus Christ prescribes he uses to take men off from the opinion they have of their own way His manner is to let men see they are sick to convince them of sinne befoâ—◠〈◊〉 apply healing medicines All those Minisâ—â—â— that desire to have their endeavours successeful must do so likewise People must be contenteâ— to suffer their condition to be known to suffer themselves to be made sick that so they may be cured This is Christs way this is a safe way this must be our way Though such kinde of preaching put you to some present trouble yet it will be to your eternal advantage Your sores cannot be healed comfortably till you see them to be sores and festred sores You must be contented to suffer the ploughings of the Law that you may be prepared for the comforts of the Gospel You must be contented to be cast down that you may be prepared for raising up You must be contented to be led to the gates of hell that you may be brought to the Kingdome of Heaven Better a great deale to go to Heaven through Hel then to saile through an imaginary Heaven and land at the dark staires of Hell in the end Doct. 5. Those that finde themselves to be spiritually sick shall finde Jesus Christ a Physician ready to heale them No Physician was ever so ready to heale a sick brother as Jesus Christ will be to cure a sin-sick sinner We finde in the Gospel that Christ was very willing to heal those that came to him sick of bodily infirmities We do not that I remember read of any one that was sent away uncured that earnestly begg'd his help either for themselves or any of theirs The Leprous the Paralytick the Demoniack the Lame the Blinde those that were sick of Feavers those that had bloody issnes Whatever sicknesses men had they obtained favour Matth. 4. 23. Christ ever valued the soule above the body therefore he will be much more ready to heale the sicknesses thereof He healed many of the sick Publicans when they saw their diseases As Zacheus Matthew c. And he will be to the end of the world ready to afford the same mercy to any that are or shall be in their condition Three things are here to be unfolded by way of Explication 1. What it is to be spiritually sick of sinne 2. That Christ will be ready to heale such 3. What are the reasons of this readinesse 1. To be sick of sin comprehends these six particulars First A true sight of our sinful condition That man who never yet had the sight of his sinful estate was never yet truly sick of sinne the soule must be convinced that it is in a sinful estate Thus it was with the Publican Luke 18 13. He acknowledged himselfe to be a sinner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nor is all sight of sinne sufficient but that sight of sinne which is an ingredient of spiritual sicknesse must have these two properties 1. It must arise from the Word of God This was the foundation of the Apostles sight of sinne Rom. 7. 9. When the Commandment 〈…〉 sinne reâ—ived and I died Thus 〈…〉 thâ—usand Acts 2. 37. 〈…〉 â—â—â—ked in their hearts The sense of sinne did arise from â—ouâ—â— thing which was delivered to them out of the Word of God No other light besides this divine light will discover sinne so as to make the soul sick of it 2. It must extend to sinne in the root as well as to sinne in the branches I mean original birth-sinne as well as actual sinne Possibly the sight of sinne may arise first from some actual transgression So it was with those Converts Acts 2. 37. that bloody act of theirs against Jesus Christ was the first sinne they saw Actual sinnes are more obvious to the eye then original sinne This is a sinne lying under ground more remote at a greater distance from the cognizance of a sinner therefore peradventure some actual offence first is set upon the conscience but sooner or later doth this actual sin bring to the sinners conscience the sight of that sinne which is the root both of this and of all other actual sinnes namely that body of death that law of the members as the Apostle calls it Rom. 7. 23. Which continually warreth against the Law of the minde Secondly A serious apprehension of the misery and danger the soule is in by reason of sinne discovered No man is sick of sinne till he see the danger which sinne hath and which it is likely further to plunge him into Thus it was with those Converts Acts 2. 37. The question they propound What shall we do to be saved doth inply clearly enough that they looked upon themselves as men in a state of damnation in their present condition And indeed the same Word of God which discovers sinne doth discover wrath also as the wages of sinne so that the sick sinner is one that lies under the apprehension of wrath which he expects suddenly to fall upon him Thirdly Compunction and contrition is wrought in the soule by reason of sinne The heart throbs and akes by reason of that miserable state which by sinne he is brought into Thus it was with those Converts Act. 2. 37. They were pricked in their hearts their spirits were full of grief and vexation
that long sickness how unlike himself was he he had no actual repentance till Nathan came to him with a message from God and quickned him Sinne quencheth the Spirit in Godly men as the water quencheth the fire Sinne takes off the edge of the soul deads the appetite and affection to the things of God It locks up the heart that it cannot act as it was wont to do 2 Sicknesse begets torment and anguish in the body When sicknesse is in extremity in the body how doth a man cry out of paine head and heart and every part is under torment What restlesse tossings are men under when diseases are violent heare how Job complaines Chap. 30. 16 17 18 Sinne is a Creator of torment and painfulnesse in the soule Felix his sinne made him tremble Acts 24. 25. Cains sinne put his spirit into such anguish that he cries out My punishment is greater then I can beare Gen. 4. 13 14. Judas his sinne did bring such despairing torment upon his soule that he takes away his life to end his misery Matth. 27. init And even Gods own people when they fall into this spiritual disease they are pained at the very heart till by pardon and remission they have obtained a healing from God How full of paine was Davids spirit by reason of his sinne He was as a man upon the rack for a long time if he did ever recover his former serenity Vid. Psalme 6. per totum Psalme 38. per tot Many of the deare children of God do by sinne fill their hearts with such anguish that they are never without much smart to the day of their death 3 Sicknesse doth bring uncomelinesse The most beautiful body in the world if pining sicknesses continue long upon it becomes like a garment that is moth-eaten the eyes sink the colour is lost the skin is shriveld the bones stick out c. Job observes this Chap. 16. 8. Thou hast filled me with wrinkles which is a witnesse against me and my leaâ—nesse rising up in me beareth witnesse to my face Sicknesse makes streight bodies how down beautiful faces look ghastly well-coloured cheeks look pale and oftentimes the more beautiful sicknesse findes us the more uncomely doth it leave us Sicknesse turnes youth into old age vid. Lam. 3. 4. My flesh and my skin hath he made old Sickness dries up the spirits Prov. 17. 22. A merry heart doth good like a medicine a broken spirit dries up the bones Sin takes away the comelinesse of the soule The first sinful sicknesse that ever entered into the world hath turned the soules and bodies of all mankinde into deformity and uglinesse Could we see the picture of Adams soule in the state of innocency and compare it with the soules that are diseased with sinne we would wonder at the sad change Sinne is a very deformed thing it turned Angels of light into ugly devils Those who were never healed by regeneration and remission of the disease of sin what deformed souls have they they have not one spot of beauty upon them Psal 14. 3. They are altogether become stinking A dead carrion a putrefied carcasse is as beautiful and as sweet an objâ—ct as a sinfully-diseased soul Yea even Gods own children by falling into sinne though but in one or two particular acts do lose much of their beauty They do not look with that grace they did before Every act of sin casts a dark thick shadow upon the soul As deep wounds leave skars upon the body so sinful acts leave some skarres of infamy upon the soul A Saint doth not look like the same man he was before he fell into sin 4 Sicknesse brings death Dorcas was sick and died Act. 9. 37. Long sicknesses if they be not removed will bring the strongest body to the dust of death Sicknesse is indeed Anteambulo mortis the forerunner of death The sick-bed is the direct way to the dark bed the grave Sinne doth bring death to the soule One disease of sinne if it be not healed by Christs bloud will certainly bring the soule to eternal death Rom. 6. 23. it hath brought many to hell and it will certainly bring all others to the same condition that live and die in it unhealed He that dies in his sinne shall die for ever II. For the nature of this sicknesse 'T is a more dreadfull sicknesse then any other sicknesse I shall set it out in a few particulars 1. It seizeth upon the most noble part of man All other sicknesses do infest the body onely but sinne is a disease in the soul Those sicknesses are most painful and most mortal which seize upon the vitals and inward parts A disease that feeds upon the spirits doth soone drink up the natural moisture and is not so easily cured Sinne is a disease that doth immediately reach the spirits 'T is the sicknesse of the heart O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saved Jer. 4. 14. The Apostle it 's true speaks of the filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. Some sins are onely acted by the brutish fleshly and sensitive part others rest in the spirit as pride vain-glory envy c. yet notwithstanding even those filthinesses of the flesh have their chief seat and residence in the heart according to that of our Saviour Matth. 15. 19. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts c. All sinne is spiritual wickednesse in regard of the fountaine and root of it As grace is seated in the heart so also is sin Ier. 4. 18. This is thy wickednesse because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart 2. Sinne is a sicknesse which God never made All bodily diseases are the handy work of God He created Plagues Feavers Consumptions c. Amos 3. 6. But sinne is a sicknesse of which God never was the Author 'T is true God sometimes punisheth sinne by sinne not by creating sinne but by suffering a sinful creature to fill up his sinne by withdrawing denying his grace which onely can preserve from sin 3. Sinne is a sicknesse which separates between God and men No other disease can divide between God and the soule Hezekiahs plague Asa's gout Iobs sores none of all these did make any division between God and them Some sicknesses do separate between the husband and the wife the father and the childe at least in regard of actual communion though not in regard of affection but no bodily sicknesse divides between God and men But sinne doth separate between God and the soule Esay 59. 2. It makes God stand at a distance from his own children to hide his face from them and to deale with them as with enemies 4. Sinne is the cause of all other sicknesses All bodily diseases come from this disease Hast thou not procured this thy unto self Thine own doings shall correct thee c. Jer. 2. 19. A distempered soul is the true cause of a distempered body Sinne was the first
disease that ever was in the world and the cause of all that ever followed 5. Sinne is a disease that cannot be cured by any natural medicine in the world No drug in the Apothecaries shop is able to heal this disease Jer. 2. 22. Though thou wash thee with nitre and make thy self never so cleane c. There is no bodily disease but there is something in nature if it could be found out able by Gods ordinary blessing to cure it But there is nothing in nature can heal sinne There is but one medicine in all the world able to cure a diseased soul and that 's the blood of Jesus Christ 6. Sin is the most loathsom diseâ—se iâ— all the world and the most infectious The small pox the pestilence the leprosie these are delightful pleasant diseases in respect of sinne Sinne doth pollute every thing it comes neer it pollutes the conscience it pollutes the Ordinances it pollutes relations it pollutes persons it pollutes Nations If it were possible that one drop of sinne could come into heaven it would turn heaven into hell It 's compared in Scripture to all loathsome things 'T is compared to the plague of pestilence of leprosie 1 King 8. 38. The leprosie in the Law was a type of it It 's compared to poyson Psal 140. 3. To the vomit of a dog Vid. 2 Pet. 2. 22. It s called filthinesse Abomination Lewdnesse All the things that are loathsome in the world are used in Scripture to shadow out the loathsomnesse of sin There is a disease called the foul disease Sin is a fouler disease then that 7. Sinne is a propagating disease Not onely because it spreads over the whole man but because it spreads it self to posterity it descends from parents to children Some bodily diseases they say are hereditary yet not so hereditary but some children scape them But this is a sicknesse that conveys it selfe to all a mans posterity This sicknesse is interwoven in the very essence of a person which he doth together with his being communicate to all his seed As a man begets a man so doth he get a diseased man Enosh The Uses of this 1. Oh the multitude of sick persons that are in the world There is not one person living but is lesse or more troubled with this sicknesse The world is nothing but a Hospital of sick persons There is not a family in which this plague of sinne is not In many things we offend all The root of the matter is in the best of us Esay 64 6. 2. What 's the reason that there are no more cryings out of this sicknesse Sinne is a sicknesse and yet few bewaile it Other sicknesses are lamented You cannot meet in any company but you shall heare men cry out of their sicknesses One man of his Gout another of his Stone another of his Consumption c. but little spoken of sinne The reason is because sinne is a spiritual disease and so not discerned but by grace And this is indeed the dreadfulnesse of this sicknesse that it kills many before they feel it it sends men to hell before they know themselves to be sick 'T is with sinners as with the drunkard in the Proverbs Chapter 23. 35. They have stricken me and I was not sick 3. They are not your enemies that are solicitous to keep you from sinne Naturally we account them our friends which would prevent us from painful diseases and yet we naturally account them our enemies who would prevent us from falling into sin I hate him saith Ahab of Michajah 1 Kings 22. 8. A wicked man hates none so much as those that would preserve him from sinne Well whatever you think they are your best friends and that you will acknowledge another day If you should be at the door of an infected house ready to go in and one should whiâ—per you in the ear Sir the plague is in that houâ—e have a care of your self would you reproach him nay would you not thank him Why will you think them your enemies that would preserve you from sinne They know the dreadfulnesse of this sicknesse and they would preserve others from falling into it David blesses God for Abigail and gives her many thanks for her great care of him 1 Sam. 25. 32 33. God sets it down for friendship and whether you be saved or damned you will clearly see it another day 4. Watch against sinne as you watch against sicknesse How cautious are many men of their bodily health They will eat and drink nothing that may prejudice their health If they know any thing that will disturb the quiet of their bodies they will not meddle with it though their affection be never so much inclined to it And why will you not be as cautious of sinne Take heed to your selves remember swearing is a sicknesse lying is a disease pride is a sicknesse c Avoid all occasions of sinne all temptations to it Pray against it watch against it Sinne is a sicknesse will keep you out of heaven sinne is a sicknesse which will provoke God to hate you Keep sinne out of your family Let not liars swearers drunkards c. lodge a night under your roof Psal 101. 7. No sicknesse is so catching as sinne is All men have the root of it an inclination to it in their hearts Preserve your children from this sicknesse 'T is worse then the small-pox worse then the plague Other diseases will kill the bodies of your children sinne will kill both body and soule Keep watch and ward over your hearts over your families that sinne may not enter thither nor that any of yours may go where this catching sicknesse is 5. What cause have they to blesse God that are cured of this disease We are never perfectly cured of it till we come to heaven we shall have some grudgings of it while we live here But when sinne is pardoned then 't is healed Psalme 10â— 3. When grace is thoroughly wrought then is sinne healed 'T is healed as to the guilt of it that is done away 'T is healed as to the damnation of it 'T is the reigning sinne that is the damning sinne And 't is healed in part as to the pollution and filthinesse of it 'T is in a sure speedy way of healing How glad are men when they are healed of old diseases A man that hath been troubled with the Stone Gout Head-ach for many yeares how glad how thankful is he when he is recovered he will be telling every one of the man of the medicine that cured him Let them whose spiritual sicknesse God hath healed be very thankful and blesse his name David calls upon his soule to praise God for this kindnesse Psalm 103. init Though you be full of other infirmities yet be of good cheer the damning sicknesse is healed 'T is better to have a healthy soule in a crazy body then to have a found body and a diseased soule And shew your thankfulnesse for your
to them that have eyes to see him he is a very glorious person Jesus Christ hath a foure-fold excellency above other lights First They are created lights The Sun Moon and Stars the vessels of light are but creatures Gen. 1. You reade of the time and manner of their creation But Christ is an uncreated light The humanity indeed is a creature but the Divinity which doth enlighten the humanity is not a creature Athanasius calls him light of lights very God of very God He is the Father of Lights in regard of his Divinitie Secondly They are lights that cannot give 〈◊〉 Bring men that are blinde to the Sunne let it shine with his greatest splendor upon them and they will not be recovered The light of the Sun hath dazeld and helpt to put out many seeing eyes it never restored to sight one blinde eye But Jesus Christ is a light that gives sight to the blinde He is an enlightning â—ight he doth by his shining upon the soule create in the soule a faculty of seeing which it never had before 2 Cor. 4. 6. When this light shines in the heart the light of the knowledge of God is created Hence the Apostle calls Christ a light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world Joh. 1. 9. Thirdly They are lights onely to the body The soul is not better for the light of the Sun But Christ is a spiritual light he is a light to the conscience to the will to the affections to the whole inward man Fourthly They give light but in one place at once The Sunne shines but in one Hemisphaere at once 'T is night with us when 't is day with our Antipodes and when the Sunne shines there it is darknesse with us But now Jesus Christ shines as a light in all places of the world at one and the same time He can cast his beams when he pleaseth all the world over Christ shines in England and in America at one and the same moment And he hath told us of a time when he will give light to all the world This is the third inference Christs excellency 4 Behold from hence the excellency of the Gospel Jesus Christ is the light of the world as he is held out in the Gospel The Gospel is the Candlestick in which this Candle is set the Gospel is the Oâ—â— in 〈…〉 There is no other sufficient and 〈…〉 â—â—â—covery of Christ besides the Gospeâ— There are three lights which God hath â—â—â—â—â—ed to the Heathen The light of Creation Rom. 1. 19. 20. The light of righteousnesse which the Schools call Synterâ—sin The light of a natural conscience Rom. 2. 15. Now although these be true lights yet they are not sufficient lights They make a discovery of a God-head unto men Rom. 1. 19 20. They discover so much to men as to â—eave them without excuse Rom. 1. 20. but they cannot discover a Saviour to man They cannot discover a Mediator God and man in one person None of the wise Philosophers of the world that had studied the mysteries of nature and attained to very great experience in them were able to finde out reconciliation by Christ No no the Gospel is the onely ordinary way of this discovery John 5. 39. Search the Scriptures They are they which testifie of me Rom. 1. 16. 17. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ For therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith So 1 Cor. 1. 21. After that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdome knew not God It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve Now then the Gospel being the onely standing-way of discoverning Christ to men it must needs be a very excellent thing Hence it is that the Gospel is called a light as well as Christ Psal 119. 105. Thy Word is as a lamp unto my feet c. And 2 Pet. 1. 18 19 We have a more sure word of prophecy c. Herein lies the great glory and dignity of the Gospel that it is the onely mediate fixed Candlestick in and by which Jesus Christ the true light is discovered and made known This is the first Use Use 2. Exhortation It commends sour things to us 1. Blesse God for this light We have very great cause to blesse God for tho natural light that he hath set up so glorious a Torch as the Sunne is to give light to the inhabitants of the earth What cause have we then to blesse God for this spiritual light that this day-star from on high hath visited us We might have wandred in darknesse as the Heathen do if this light had not in the glorious Gospel shâ—ned amongst us Blesse God every day for this light especially you that have Christ not only a light to you but a light in you You that have this Sunne risen and shining in your hearts in and by conversion you have cause to blesse God Many shall be damned and perish that have Christ as a light to them but they shall eternally be saved that have Christ the true light shining in them How much cause had the Israelites in Goshen to blesse God that had light in their dwellings Exod. 10. 23. when there was thick darknesse in the land of Egypt much more cause have you to blesse his great Name that the Lord Christ is a burning light set up in your hearts when as abundance that live under the same light you do are still in the darknesse of an unconverted estate Ye were sometimes darknesse but now are ye light in the Lord Eph. 5. 8. This 〈…〉 loud cordial lasting everlasting praises to God and Jesus Christ that this light is made a saving light to you when it is a damning light occasionally to very many 2. When ever you see the light remember Jesus Christ When you open your eyes in the morning and behold the light of the Sunne then thinâ— of Christ the true Sunne of righteousnesse When you see the necessity of light when you see the benefit of light then think of the necessity and benefit which men receive by Jesus Christ He is far more useful then the natural light in as much as he enlightens the soule God would have us to spirituallize the whole Creation There is hardly any creature which is of special and common use but it doth or may serve as a ladder on which we may ascend into Heaven and be brought neerer to God bread water garments the raine the dew the light and a thousand other creatures do daily preach some spiritual Doctrine to us It will be happy for us if we can take out spiritual lessons from earthly things 3. Improve the light In three things 1. Be not contented that Christ is a light to you but labour that he may be a light within you Get Christ into your hearts into your consciences 'T is damnable to live in darknesse even when the light of the creatures shines Rom. 1. 20. 'T is
is called That great Shepherd First the parallel between Christ and a shepherd stands in these five particulars viz 1. A shepherd â—â—ed this stock 'T is his work to provide both pasture and water for his sheep Pastour â— Pascâ—ndâ— Ezek. 34. 2. Should not the shepherds feed the flocks A good shepherd will take care that his flock may have both grasse and water When they have eat one place bare he drives them to another when one fountaine is dry he leads them to another he had rather want bread himself then that his sheep should want provision He feeds them with his own flesh and blood John 6 5. Jesus Christ provides sufficient food and nourishment for his sheep Three things 〈…〉 1 He hath provided Ordinanâ—◠〈…〉 very Ordinance is a spiritual 〈…〉 fountaine for the feeding of Chris◠〈…〉 Psalmist speaks of this Psal 23. 2. He 〈…〉 to lie down in green pastures he leadeth me beside the still waters What are those pastures of tender grasse What are those waters of quietnesse but the Ordinances of the Gospel the fields where Christs sheep feed the rivers where they drink The variety of the Ordinances shewes the variety of â—eeding the richnesse and fulnesse of the Ordinances shewes the plentifulnesse of Christs feeding here are many pastures and every pasâ—ure so rich that it can never be eaten bare here are many streames and every streame so deep and broad that it can never be drawn dry the sheep have been eating in these pastures ever since Christ had a Church on earth and yet they are as full of grasse as ever The sheep have been drinking at these streams ever since Adam and yet they are brim full to this very day they will so continue till the sheep be above the use of them in heaven 2 He hath provided shepherdâ— to dâ—spense these Ordinances The sheep can neither feed themselves nor water themselves unlesse they have some to help them The Ministers of the Gospel do by vertue of their office open these pastures and lead the sheep into them they roll away the stone from the mouth of these Wells and draw water for them that they may drink and be satisfied The Apostle tells us that Pastouâ—s and Teachers are given of Christ for the edification of his Church Eph. 4. 11 12. This was the work of the Prophers in their 〈…〉 Apostles and Evangelists in their generaâ—on and of Pastours and Teachers the present Ministers of the Church yea we shall finde how severely Christ bath charged them under the paine of his highest displeasure to be diligent in feeding the flock See 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. and he â—ath allured them by the most glorious promises that they should be careful in this work See 1 Pet. 5. 2 4. and John 21. 15 16. And he furnisheth them with gifts and abilities for this very purpose Vid. Luke 12. 42. 3 He doth by his Spirit blesse the feeding which he hath provided He hath promised to be present with the sheep and shepherds when ever they come to feed in these pastures and drink at these waters he hath promised I say to be present to blesse their foâ—d and water for the good or their soules He promised it Mat. 28. ult and he doth to this day make it good he doth walk and he will walk in the middest of the Golden Candle sticks to bless the seeding of the sheep to the end of the world He hath purchased the Holy Ghost to be bestowed both on the sheep and shepherds for this very purpose 2 A Shepherd kâ—owes 〈◊〉 He knows the number of his sheep and he knows them particularly 〈…〉 sheep Those phrases which are 〈…〉 concerning the sheeps pâ—ssing 〈…〉 rod â— ev 27. 32. and of passing under the 〈◊〉 of him that telâ—eth them Jer. 33. 13. shew â—â—e knowledge that good Shepherds have of their flocks they know one of their own sheep though it be in the midst of a strange flock Jesus Christ knows his sheep exactly He knows his people quâ—t sint quinam sint both the 〈…〉 ticular persons John 10. 11. 〈…〉 dungeons prisons though the 〈…〉 off and the skin torne by persecution yet 〈◊〉 they are within the knowledge of Christ Consider four things First He knows them as they are given to him by the Father in his eternal Election God the Father hath given all the Elect unto Christ from eternity Iohn 17. 6. By vertue of this donation doth Christ know them He hath taken them by number from the Father and he is to surrender them by number to him againe Their names are all written from eternity in the Lambs book of life Rev. 21. 27. while this book continues they cannot wear out of the knowledge of Christ Secondly He knows them as he sees in them his own image Every sheep of Christ doth partake by grace of the image of Christ There is a conformity of likenesse between him and them His Fathers Name is written upon their foreheads Rev. 14. 1. What is this Name of God but that Divine nature which is from Christ communicated to every sheep of the fold So long as this Name abides on their foreheads and it shall abide for ever they cannot weare out of the knowledge of Christ Thirdly He knows them as he sees the sprinklings of his own blood upon them Every sheep of Christ is washed white in the Lambs blood Rev. 7. 14. They are cloathed with his righteousnesse for the justification of their persons They have his merits in which they are invested Now so long as this garment remaines 〈…〉 and it can never be worn off or â—â—ollen off Jesus Christ must needs know them Fourthly He knows them as he remembers the service they have done fox him in the world Every sheep of Christ that hath attained unto years of discretion hath with care served Christ in its generation They have often prayed to him they have often worshipped him they have to their very uttermost laid out themselves for his glory in the world c. Jesus Christ hath recorded and set down all their good actions and as long as he rememberâ— their works he cannot forget or be igâ—orant of their persons This we may gather from that which stands on record Mat. 25. 34 â—5 c. They have fed him in his hungry members they have cloâ—thed him in his naked mâ—mbers c. Christ will never forget these holy actions therefore he can never forget the persons of them by whom they were performed They have both done for him and sufâ—ered for him therefore he knows them and will know them 3. A Shepherd preserves his stâ—ck 'T is the work of â— Shepherd to defend his sheep David bazarded his own liâ—e to deâ—end his sheep from the invâ—ding â—â—on and â—â—venous bear 1. Sam. 17. 34. Shepherds watch their flocks by night as well as by day to preâ—erve thâ—m from the devâ—uring creatures So did Jacob Gen. 31. 40. So did those Shepherds to
Iohn 13. 10. he that is washed needeth not to wash save his feet He that hath the least measure of this oyntment shall as certainly finde all the effects of it as if he had the whose vessel poured upon him 5. He excels all other oyntments in the manner of composition All other oyntments are compounded and made by men they are called the oyntments of the Apothecary Eccles 10. 1. God created the materials and he it is that hath given man skil and understanding how to make use of them but the composition is made by men But this precious oyntment is not made by men but by God It is he that hath compounded this golden box of oyntment It was God that anointed Christ with the holy unction of the Spirit Psal 45. 7. and it is he that hath designed him to be oyntment unto others Yea the truth is this oyntment is God himself Though the humanity be a creature yet the Divinity is the Creator Christ is not only unguentum Dei the oyntment of God but unguentum Deus that oyntment which is God himself The Uses These I shall draw 1. From the general Doctrine 2. From the particular resemblances First In general We may take notice of 1. The excellency of Christ He is compared in Scripture to all things that are necessary and to all things that are pleasant and delightful One great piece of the study of Christians in this life is to search into the excellency of Christ To know what Christ is in himself and what he is to us comprehends a very great part of a Christians study in this life Paul desired to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. This one resemblance shews him to be a precious one he is so excellent that all the choice things in nature are made use of to shadow out his glory His Name saith the Prophet shall be called wonderful Esay 9 6. how wonderful is that Name which is comâ—â—sed of so many excellent things 2. This should draw our hearts exceedingly towards the Lord Iesus It should beget in us desire after him and delight in him Precious oyntment draw the affections of men towards them The best oyntment is but a drug to Jesus Christ If we be not enamoured with him we do despise him He that looks on him as oyntment cannot but be greatly delighted in him It follows in the text Therefore do the virgins love thee draw me we will runne after thee That man doth not value Christ as oyntment that doth not love him and desire to be drawn after him 3. The excellency of grace 'T is the graces of the Spirit in Christ that makes him compared to ointment his sweet oyntments are his meeknesse patience holinesse and the rest of those heavenly graces True grace is a choise thing the Scripâ—ure compares it to the choisest things in all the world Cant. 4 13 14. Next to God and Christ and the Spirit there 's nothing in heaven or earth comparable to Christ 4. That the grace of Christ is not a thing common to all His common graces are communicated to all his special grace is more confined His Name is oyntment The holy oyntment in the Law was poured upon none but upon consecrated things and persons Exod. 30. 2â— 24 25 30. It must not be poured on mans flâ—sh v. 32. Christ is compared here to this oyntment A select number the Elect of God onely those that are spiritual Priests these and these onely â—e made partakers of Christ and his graces Thuâ— much for the general doctrine Secondly particularly First from the fragrancy of Christ 〈◊〉 may learne four thing 1. How unsavoury they are that want Christ Wicked men have animam pro salâ— their soules keep their bodies sweet but what have they then to keep their soules sweet the holy Ghost compares men that are in the state of nature to that which is most unsavory Psal 14. 3. They are unsavory both in their persons and in services that want this oyntment A heart unanointed casts the worst smell of any corrupt thing in the world 2. Acknowledge from whence it is that all your fragrancy proceeds If there be any good smell upon your souls it is because this oyntment hath been poured forth upon you Jesus Christ mentions the sweet smell of his Spouse Cant. 4 10 11. and indeed every beleever is a sweet savour unto God The precious oyntment of the graces of Christ poured upon your head at your conversion is the onely reason of this good savour 't is great pride and ingratitude not to own it 3. This teacheth us all how to make and keep the soul sweet Satan labours to make it musty by breathing the ill ayre of sinne into it and if you would have it smell sweetly you must anoint it with this oyntment every day Drop but every day a drop of this oyntment upon it by prayer meditation or some other holy duty and it will preserved sweet notwithstanding the thick fogs of sinne and temptation Carry Christ in your bosome and you will smell very sweet in every company 4. When ever you smell any sweet savour think on Christ The best use which we can make of perfumes and oyntments is to make them remembrancers to put us in mind of him who perfumes both earth and heaven And then Secondly from the cheering vertue of this oyntment learne two things 1. Whither to go for heart reviving When you finde your spirits dull and melancholy when your hearts are tired out and your souls languish smell to this precious oyntment and it will revive you It 's Christs work to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite The smell of the oyntment either of Christs satisfaction or of his promises or of his intercession is the speediest and surest way to be rid from the power of spiritual heavinesse 2. Let them that have this oyntment maintaine spiritual cheerfulnesse God calls for spiritual gladnesse as well as spiritual sorrow Phil. 3. 1. A well grounded cheerfulnesse honours religion as much as holinesse The Scripture was written for consolation as well as for conversion John 15. 11. Rom. 15. 4. The Spirit is a comforter as well as a sanctifier John 15. 26. You that have this oyntment maintaine a holy light-heartednesse There is a vaine mirth and there is a sinful and sensual mirth avoid these but the holy mirth must be kept up It s a disparagement to the holy oyntment to see anointed ones droop in the blackest seasons And then Thirdly from the mollifying vertue of this oyntment learn two things 1. The Scripture remedy against hardnesse of heart It 's a disease the best are troubled with lesse or more chafe this suppling oyntment 〈◊〉 to it and it will grow soft This oyntment was never used aright but it did in time remove the spirituâ—l hardnesse of the soul 2. Ascribe all heart softnesse to Christ Had not this
salvation he needs not have his merits eked out with such kinde of helps as these are If Christ be all in all then these are superfluous yea the addition of these doth derogate from and destroy the fulnesse and al-sufficiency of Christ Yea Christ who is all in all to beleevers will be nothing at all to them who are not contented with him alone Christ is become of none effect to you whosoever of you are justified by the law ye are fallen from grace Gal. 5. 4. Consider this you that are self justitiaries Use 2. If Christ be all in all then is nothing any thing at all without Jesus Christ. All the world the riches pleasures honours of the world is but emptinesse without Christ Vanity of vanities all is vanity Eccles 1. 2. that man hath just nothing that hath not Christ who is all things the world is but nigrum nihil Thy wisdome thy parts thy children thy offices thy preferments thy lands and revenews all thou hast if thou want him that is all things can amount to nothing They are but cyphers without a figure O that men would consider this Use 3. What rich inheritance have all those who are truly interested in Jesus Christ Christus meus omnia They possesse him that is all in all and in possessing him they possesse all I have all things my brother saith Jacob to Esau Gen. 33. 11. he that hath him that is all in all cannot want any thing All things are yours saith the Apostle whether things present or things to come and you are Christs 1 Cor. 3. 22. A true beleever let him be never so poore outwardly is in truth the richest man in all the world he hath all in all and what can be added to all Use 4. It shews the reason why the Saints are so fearful of losing Jesus Christ They value all things at a low rate in comparison of him They would rather lose all then Christ they are contented to part with liberty estate life rather then with Christ Is there not cause for it Christ is better then all things else Riches are something liberty is something life is something but Christ is all in all There is nothing besides Jesus Christ that is good for all uses Garments are good to cover but not for food meat is good to feed but not to warme c. but Jesus Christ is good for every use for all persons for all times for all sexes for all conditions They know if they lose Christ they lose all things If a man had all his estate in one jewel you would not blame him to be very careful of keeping that Jesus Christ is their all they seek him when they are deprived of him with greatest care they keep him when they have him with the greatest diligence Cant. 3. ult I sought him I found him and would not let him go do not wonder at it for he is their all in all Use 5. That no soul esteemes Christ aright that doth not esteem him all in all To esteem any thing equal to Christ is to disesteem Christ Thou dost never truly account him any thing till thou do account him all things yea better then all things and all things as nothing in respect of him If thou canst not make up all things in Christ thou makest him but a poore Christ If thou canst not make him a friend in the want of a friend an habitation in the want of an habitation if thou canst not make him riches in poverty if there be any condition in which Christ will not suffice thee if Christ be too little to satisfie thee thou dost but undervalue him he is never truly accounted any thing till he be accounted all things Use 6. Learn hence The misery of those that want Christ He that wants Christ wants all things Lord what wilt thou give me seeing I go childlesse saith Abraham Gen. 15. 2. he had much and yet because he wanted a childe he wanted every thing The soul that wants Jesus Christ hath indeed nothing The Apostles possessed all things when they had nothing 2 Cor. 6 10. having Christ they possessed all things Those that want a saving interest in Christ possesse nothing though they seeme to have all things all they have is emptinesse yea all they have is a curse because they have not Christ O that God would convince men of this truth Use 7. It s their duty to carry their selves towards Christ as those that account him all in all How is that 1. Love him and prize him above all Thy love is better then wine Cant. 1. 2. Above wife husband children life Christ is not loved at all till he be loved above all Matthew 10 37. 2. Be contented with Jesus Christ in the want of all other things Make up all thy wants all thy losses in him Encourage thy self in Christ when thou art discouraged in all other things Rejoyce in him when all things faile vid. Hab. 3. v. 17 18. 3. Make him thy end in all Let him be all in all to thee finally Refer all to Jesus Christ as the ultimate end of all hear pray meditate do suffer for the glory of Christ The Apostle referd all to Christ as the supreme end of all that Christ may be magnified c. Phil. 1. 20. if Christ be not the Alpha and the Omega the first motive and the last end of all thou doest greatly undervalue him 4. Be sure thou go to Christ for all thou wantest If comfort if zeale if pardon if strength c. he hath it for thee and it is for his dishonour that thou shouldest go any other way 2 King 1. 3. 5. Do all in Christs name and strength Eph. 5. 20. Col. 3. 17. Use 8. How careful should men be to prove their interest in Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 13. 3. you want all if you have not an interest in him Signes of this 1. Have you his Spirit Rom. 8. 9. the effects of the spirit 2. Are ye like Christ 2 Cor. 5. 17. 3. Are ye willing to be Christs Use 9. Let the presence of Christ in others be all in all to thee Though thou be poor yet if Christ be in them though unlearned c. if thy children have Christ though they want parts beauty c. yet esteeme them COL 3. 4. When Christ our life shall appear then shall we also appeare with him in II. SERM. at Mary Wolnoth Lon. May 25. 1651. glory THe world and the things of the world are great enemies to the work of grace They do a long time hinder the first planting of it in the soule and when it is planted they do hinder the growth and progresse of it The cares of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choak the Word and it becomes unfruitful Mat. 13. 22. The Apostle knowing this doth in the beginning of this Chapter labour to raise the Colossians to the more diligent meditation and studying of heavenly things that
being above the world the work of God might prosper better in their hearts If ye be rison with Christ c. v. 1 2. This he presseth by two cogent Arguments 1. They are dead to the world v. 3. for ye are dead By faith they are partakers of Christs death and by their profession they are under an obligation of dying more and more 2. Their life is hid with Christ in God v. 3. They are appointed to a higher kinde of life then that which other men live therefore they ought to seek after those things which appertaine to this life Now lest any should object if the life thou speakest of be a hidden life what advantage will it be to be so mindful of it the Apostle answers v. 4. though it be for the present an hidden life yet it shall be revealed and that perfectly When Christ who is our life shall appear c. In which we have these two Propositions viz. 1. Jesus Christ is a beleevers life 2. That Christ who is a Beleevers life shall appear Of these in Order Doct. 1. That Jesus Christ is a Beleevers life For the understanding of this we are to know that a Beleever hath a twofold life for I shall not speak here of the life of nature which a beleever enjoys not as a beleever but as a reasonable creature Jesus Christ is a beleevers life as he lives the life of nature Act. 17. 28. in him we live move and have our being 'T is from Christ that we live the life of men But to wave that a beleever as a beleever hath a double life 1. The life of grace which he lives after he is regenerated by vertue of the Spirit of Christ living in him and uniting him to God by Faith 2. The life of glory which he shall live in heaven to all eternity after this life The soul begins this life immediately upon its departure out of the body and the body shall enter into the possession of this life immediately after the resurrection and reunion of soul and body Both these kindes of life are a Beleevers as he is a beleever and Jesus Christ is a Beleevers life in reference to both these And because both of these are included in the Text the one of them the life of grace is but the inchoation of and a preparation to the life of glory I shall speak of both of them in the handling of the Doctrine Jesus Christ is a beleevers spiritual life He is so to a beleever in these foure respects 1. He is their life originally It is Jesus Christ that works this life in their soules He is the Creator and Former of life in them The second Adam was made a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. As the father raiseth the dead and quickneth them so the Sonne quickneth whom he will Joh. 5. 21. Thy soul had never fetched out spiritual breath had not Jesus Christ breathed into it the breath of life The time cometh and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Joh. 5. 25. The Ordinances are the instrumental cause but Jesus Christ is the efficient cause of the animating of the soul by a spiritual life 2. He is their life materially He is that principle by which they live Every living Creature hath some intrinsecal principle of that life which it lives Jesus Christ is the inward principle of a beleevers life He is the soule of their soule The Apostle speaks of this Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ lives in me It is only by vertue of the soules union with Christ that it comes to live the life of grace He is the foundation or form as I may say of their life 3. He is their life conservativè He it is that doth preserve this spiritual life in their soules by continual communication of himself he maintains and upholds the life of grace from dying and perishing When they are sleepy he awakeneth them when they languish and faint he recovers them He strengthens the things which remain that are ready to die He removes those inward distempers which waste this spiritual life and be blesseth those Ordinances which feed this life When David was going down the hill and in regard of this spiritual life was almost at the dust of death so weak that he could scarce fetch his breath Jesus Christ did restore and renew him again He restoreth my soul Psal 23. 3. he cast water upon the dying plant and made it green and vigorous again Of this the Apostle Col. 3. 3. our life is hid with Christ 4. He is their life exemplariter He is the example and pattern according to which they are to live Jesus Christ is the rule according to which they are to walk he is the copy according to which they are to write One end of the incarnation and life of Jesus in the flesh was to set us an exact and perfect pattern for our imitation 1 Pet. 2. 21. And by the diligent viewing and studying of his example is our spiritual life carried on to perfection The Uses of this point are these Use 1. That all those that are without Jesus Christ are spiritually dead The Scripture accounts all unregenerate sinners as dead men They are dead in sins they are dead unto God they are dead unto grace they are as truly without spiritual life as the body is without natural life from which the soul is departed This thy brother was dead and is alive againe Luk. 15. 32. conversion is called the quickning of the dead Mat. 11. 5. because all who are unconverted are as to all spiritual considerations in a dead condition And it cannot be otherwise because they have no interest in Jesus Christ who is the Authour and principle of spiritual life The Apostle asserts this clearly Eph. 2. 1 12. he tells them at the first verse That they were dead in sins and trespasses he gives them the reason v. 12. because at that time they were without Christ And so another Apostle tells us 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Sonne hath life but he that hath not the Sonne hath not life Till Christ be formed the soul is a dead thing without either life or motion And this is a very miserable condition for a dead soule is far worse then a dead body in as much as the soul is more excellent then the body Consider a few particulars 1. Dead souls are loathsome Nothing more noisome then a dead body By this time he stinketh Joh. 11. 39. Let me bury my dead out of my sight saith Abraham even his wife Gen. 23. 4. she that was the delight of his soul while she was alive became noisom to him when she was dead The soule that is spiritually dead is very loathsome both to God and man The Scripture compares them to stinking carrion Psal 14. 3. They are altogether become
the preaching of the Gospel Thus Iesus Christ was manifested to all that received the Gospel and is still manifested The Apostle speaks of this manifestation Gal. 3. 1 O foolish Galatians c. before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been evidently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set forth crucifyed among you And of this the Apostle makes mention 1 Iohn 1. 2. The life Venit in homines was manifested we have seen it 2 Tim. 1. 10. Neither of these appearances are to be understood in this Text for it speaks of an appearance that is yet to be made Therefore 3. A glorious manifestation of Christ yet to be made at his second coming to judgement And this is that appearance of which the Apostle here Venict contra homines August speaks for then it shall be and not till then that the Saints shall appear with Christ in glory So the Apostle tells us 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth it laid up for me a Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me in that day and not to me only but to all them also that love his appearing 'T is at this day of Christs appearing that the Saints shall be perfectly glorious Having found out what is meant by Christs appearing I shall in the prosecution of the Point handle these five particulars 1. That there shall be such an appearance of Christ 2. Why Christ shall thus appear the ends of this appearance 3. After what manner Christ shall appear 4. When shall be the time of this appearance of Christ 5. Why it is deferred I. That Iesus Christ shall appear I shall evince this 1. By many expresse testimonies of Scripture There is not any Article of our Faith more clearly set down in the Book of God then this Mat. 24. 30. Then shall appear the signe of the Sonne of man in heaven and they shall see the Sonne of man coming in the clouds of heaven Act. 1. 11. This same Iesus which was taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven The Apostle Paul asserts this truth in expresse termes Heb. 9. 28. Vnto them that look for him he shall appeare the second time without sinne unto salvation 1 Iohn 3. 2. When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And as the Scripture doth expressely affirme it So 2. God hath taught his people to wait for it and to pray for it Cant. 8. 8. Come away my beloved c. Rev. 22. 20. the last prayer of the Church is for this very thing Even so come Lord Iesus And Luk. 12. 35 36. they are commanded to wait for this appearance Let your loynes be girded and your lamps burning And you your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord c. God never commanded his people to pray and wait for a fiction or dream which shal never come to passe 3. From the absurdities which would follow upon the denial of it We may say of this as the Apostle saith of the denial of the resurrection of the body 1 Cor. 15. 17 18 19. If Christ should not appear our faith would be in vaine The dead in Christ were perished and we should onely have hope in Christ in this life and of all men should be most miserable The whole comfort of a Christian turnes upon the hinge of this Doctrine of Christs appearing Ioh. 14. 18. II. The ends of Christs appearing are such as these 1. To declare that sin is abolished This is the meaning of that Heb 9. 28. 2. That he may be admired in his Saints c. This end of his coming the Apostle sets down 2 Thes 1. 10. he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that beleev One end of the second coming of Iesus Christ is to communicate his glory to his Saints that have beleeved in him He shall put his glory upon them and so shall be glorified in them Iesus Christ is glorified in his Saints now That holinesse and grace which he hath communicated to them already doth render them very glorious but at his second coming his glory will shine in them with greater splendor then now it doth He will then communicate unto them all his glory and make them glorious as he is glorious Our Saviour mentions this Iohn 14. 3. I will come again and receive you unto my self He comes to fetch all his Elect to heaven and to reveale his glory both to their soules and bodies He shall then actually put soule and body into the full possession of that glorious redemption which he hath purchased for them 'T is called the day of redemption Luke 21. 28. 3. To execute the sentence of his wrath upon all his enemies and the enemies of his people Iesus Christ hath severely threatned all wicked men that he will visibly take vengeance on them for the dishonours they have done to him and the wrongs they have done to his people And in this second manifestation of himself he will put all those threatnings into execution Of this the Apostle speaks 2 Thes 1. 7 8 9. The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God c. And of this Enoch prophecyed long ago Iude 15. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgement on all c. Wicked men are now secure they reproach God and wrong his people but Iesus Christ will one day visibly come from heaven to punish these contempts and injuries The evil Angels and sinful men shall then be publickly adjudged to suffer that torment which they have deserved 4. To put an end to his Churches sufferings Rev. 20. 10. Then shall the devil that deceived the world be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false Prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever 5. To gather together his Elect. This the Evangelist sets down Mat. 24. 30. 31. They shall see the Sonne of man coming in the clouds And he shall send his Angels and they shall gather together his Elect from the four winds c. The Elect of God are scattered up and down in the several quarters of the world scarce two or three of them are now together in one family at the same time but then they shall be collected never to part asunder to all eternity III. What manner of appearing this shall be Consider for that these four things 1. It shall be a real and corporal appearance Christ shall not appear imaginarily as some have thought nor shall he only appear according to his Divine nature but he shall appeare bodily and truly the same humane nature which was in the grave and afterwards ascended into heaven shall descend from heaven Mat. 24. 30. Then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man The humanity
life so the meat that is appointed for the natural life if compared with the meat of the Spiritual life is but a very image of meat Christs flesh is real meat 2. In respect of that typical meat which the Jews had lately spoken of v. 31. Our fathers did eat Manna in the desart c. Our Saviour tells them that that is but typical bread but his flesh is bread indeed it is the real substance of which that was but a meere type and shadow Thus for Explication The Observation is this Doct 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is really and truly the food and meat of beleevers Flesh is here put for the whole person of Christ Jesus Christ as he is held out in the Scriptures is the true real and very meat of beleeving Christians Christ as he is propounded in the Gospel dead broken crucified Christ in all his perfection compleatnesse fulnesse is meat indeed to a true beleever 'T is the very scope of this Sermon from v. 27. to v. 59. in which this truth is inculcated over and over againe and all objections answered which the carnal reason and unbeleefe of mans heart can make against it I shall in the Explication of this Doctrine open these things 1. Prove that Christ is a beleevers meat 2. Shew the Analogy between Christ and other meat 3. How this meat is eaten and received I. That Christ is the soules meat This is proved two wayes First from the types of Christ in the Old Testament The Ceremonial Law had many types of Christ Whatsoever is revealed of Christ in the New Testament was some way or other typified of him in the Ceremonial Law There are foure types which did set out Jesus Christ as the souls meat 1. The Manna in the wildernesse The History of the Manna is set down Exod. 16. the people being in some want of provision in the Wildernesse of sinne began to murmur against Moses and Aaron v. 3. God promiseth v. 4. to raine bread from heaven for them which accordingly was done v. 14 15. That this was a type of the feeding vertue of Christ is plainly discovered by our Saviour in this very Sermon v. 31 32. The Wildernesse did typifie the state of the Church in this world and the Manna was a plaine type of Christ the Churches meat 2. The Shewbread The Law and manner of the Shewbread you have at large Lev. 24. 5 6 7. 8 9. There are two things represented by this Shewbread First the multitude of the faithful presented unto God in his Church as upon a pure table continually serving him made by faith and holinesse as fine cakes and by the mediation of Christ as by incense made a sweet odour unto God Secondly the Spiritual repast which the Church hath from and before God who feedeth them with Christ the bread of life 3. The meat-offerings Concerning this Minchah or meat-offering you may reade at large Lev. 2. 1 c. These meat-offerings were of two sorts some were the meat-offerings of the Congregation some of particular persons of these latter there were several sorts mentioned in that Chapter It 's said v. 3. that Aaron and his sons shall have the remnant of the meat-offering that is all of it but that which is burned upon the Altar for a memorial v. 2. Several things were signified by the meat-offerings Being referred to Christ who by the oblation of his own body was our meat offering Psal 40. 6. Heb. 10. 5. they did shadow out our communion with Christ and participation of his death and resurrection by faith whereby he becomes unto us spiritual meat of which the whole Church are made partakers 4. The flesh of the sacrifices of the peace-offerings and others which were given to the Priests of which you read Lev. 7. 15. they were to be eaten the same day it was killed Now what was meant by the eating of the flesh of these sacrifices and of the flesh of the other sacrifices which were given to the Priests to eat vid. Lev. 10. 12 13 14. Surely Jesus Christ who by his flesh as by precious meat feedeth his people who are spirituall Priests unto everlasting life Secondly from the Sacraments of nourishment both of the Old and New Testament There were Sacraments of implantation or initiation and of growth under the Law Circumcision Passeover under the Gospel Baptisme Supper of the Lord. 1. The Sacrament of nourishment under the Old Testament was the Paschal lamb The Law and rites of this are set down Exod. 12. 3 4 5 c. What did this Paschal Lamb signifie but Jesus Christ our Passeover the Lamb of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world In this Sacrament was Jesus Christ set out as a nourisher He is that precious meat upon which all the true Israel of God feed continually who is therefore called our Passeover 1 Cor. 5. 7. 2. The Lords Supper This is the Sacrament of nourishment under the New Testament And herein clearly Christ is exhibited as our spiritual meat His flesh is the bread the wine is his blood As the body is nourished by bread and wine so is the soule by his body and blood nourished and fed to life eternal II. The Analogy between Christ and corporal meat stands in these three particulars Three great ends of meat 1. Corporal meat is for the preservation of the Susientation natural life The natural life is maintained by meat through the concurrence of Gods ordinary blessing 'T is pabulum vitae Hence bread under which all other provision is comprehended is called the staffe of life Esay 3. 1. Keep the strongest man from meat but a few dayes and the life will extinguish and go out 1 Sam. 30. 12. Jesus Christ is the maintainer and preserver of the spiritual life As he gives it at first so he upholds it 'T is by continual influences from him that the life is kept from expiring If he withdraw his influx never so little the soule is at the giving up of the Ghost even halfe dead 2. Corporal meat is for growth 'T is by meat Vegetation that the body is brought from infancy to childhood from childhood to youth from youth to a perfect man Jesus Christ is he that carries on a Christian from infancy to perfection All the soules growth and increase is from Christ So the Apostle Col. 2. 19. From him the whole body having nourishment ministred c. The branches live and increase by vertue of the sap which is derived from the root Christians grow by vertue of the sap which is to them derived from Jesus Christ Every part growes by Christ 3. Meat is a repayer of natures decayes When Reparation by some violent sicknesse the spirits are consumed the body wasted the strength lost meat fitly and seasonably taken helps through the divine blessing to recover all again 1 Sam. 30. 12. his spirit came to him againe Jesus Christ is the repairer of the soules decayes
fitly taken carries away the defilements that are contracted within the body The blood of Christ is of a cleansing nature 'T is indeed the only cleanser It doth being taken by faith carry away all the filthinesse of the inward Man All the Ceremonial purifications were types of the purifying blood of Christ Heb. 9. 13 14. There ye have the typical cleansings expounded The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne 1 John 1. 7 Christ takes away the guilt of sinne by justification and he cleanseth us from the filthinesse of sinne by sanctification You reade in Zech. 13. 1. of a fountaine opened for sinne and for uncleannesse This fountaine is nothing else but the fountain of Christs blood He that drinks daily of this blood shall be cleansed daily 3. Drink is of a reviving nature It recovers from faintings it opens the eyes helps feeblenesse of Spirit vid. Judg. 15. 18 19. Sampsâ—n being tired by that great slaughter of the Philistines found his spirits sink he prayes for drink and when he had refreshed himself with water his spirit came again and he revived Solomon Prov. 31. 6 7. prescribes strong drink to him that is ready to perish and wine to the heavy hearted that they may forget their poverty and remember their misery no more Some drink is called Aqua-vitae because of its usefulnesse and efficacy this way The blood of Jesus Christ is a reviving blood When the soul is in deliquio spirituali when it faints and dies and sinks the sprinklings of this blood will fetch it again a drop or two of this true Aqua-vitae taken down by faith will open the eyes and restore it again This effect it had on Asaph Ps 73. 26. My heart and my flesh faileth c. but thou art the stay of my heart and my portion for ever This was foretold of Christ long before his birth by that Evangelical Prophet Esay 61. 1. and chap. 57. 15. To revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones It is his blood and that alone that healeth the broken in heart 4. Drink is of a cheering nature It doth beget and continue cheerfulnesse The Psalmist tells us that wine maketh glad the heart of man Psalme 104. 15. The blood of Christ is a heart-chearing thing It 's the only foundation and the only preserver of true joy It will make the heart merry in adversity it will create laughter in heavinesse Psal 4. 6 7. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance c. Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart c. The light of Gods countenance is lifted up onely in and through Jesus Christ Christs blood is the onely medicine for spiritual Melancholy When the Church was drinking in Christs wine-cellar taking down this blood how was her heart cheared Cant. 2. 3 4. I sate down under his shadow c. The Uses of this are 1. For Information in these particulars 1. Take notice of the great mystery of a beleevers union and onenesse with Jesus Christ The Scripture sets this out as by expresse testimonies â—o by natural resemblances as of vine and branches John 15. init of head and members Eph. 1. ult Eph. 6. 30. of husband and wife Eph. 6. 32. of the foundation and superstructory stones Eph. 3. 20 21. and of meat and eaters as in the Text. As there is a union between the meat and the body of him that eats it so there is an intimate union between a beleever and Christ his spiritual meat And indeed ouâ— union with him is the foundation of our feeding on him He could not be our meat if he were not our Head by mystical uâ—im This is the foundation of this eating this makes Christ ours gives us right to eat The Apostle Col. 2. 19. makes our union with him the foundation of our receiving nourishment from him And the souls feeding on him proves the soules union with him So it follows ver 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and â— in him As the meat which we eate is turned into the substance of our body so are we turned into Christ made flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone 2. Behold here the fulnesse of Christ Whence shall we have bread in the Wildernesse to satisfie so many say the Disciples to Christ Mar. 8. 4 5. The fulnesse of Christ appears in this that he hath enough in him to feed so many and to feed every one so plentifully He hath sed his people ever since that promise Gen. 3. 15. and he will feed all his Elect to the end of the world and he will feed them all abundantly every kind of way he feeds them with grace feeds them with knowledge feeds them in respect of justification and he feeds them in respect of sanctification c. and yet is there no abatement of his fulnesse Did not the fulnesse of the Godhead dwell bodily in him Col. 2. 9. he could not feed so many so long every way without any diminution of his fulnesse the children have been eating above five thousand years and the loaf is still whole III. Behold the great love of Christ and of the Father in giving us this meat and drink Remember 't is his flesh that is our meat his blood that is our drink He could not have been our meat and drink if he had not been sacrificed the Priests were not to eat of the offerings allowed them till they were sacrificed had not Christ been sacrificed he could have been no food for us The love of Christ and of the Father appear the more in it that he should sacrifice his Sonne to be a meat offering for us and let out his blood to be a drink offering for us wonder to eternity at this love John 3. 16. the Scripture expresses the great love of God to the Israelites that he gave them Manna from heaven Psal 75. 23 24 25. How much greater love doth he expresse in giving his Sonne to the Elect to feed them That Gods onely Sonne should be torn in pieces to be meat and drink for us Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us as to feed us with the body and blood of his own Son IV. Behold here the compleatnesse of Christ The Scripture speaks much of his compleatness and perfection Look upon him in what respect under what notion you please and you will see his compleatnesse Behold him as a Saviour and so he is a compleat he saves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 7 25. he saves the soul the body from all evil unto all good and that for ever Consider him as a Physician and his compleatnesse will appeare He heales the soule the body heales in an instant heales to the bottom c. whatsoever he is compared to he is compleatly and perfectly so Behold him as a Feeder and he is compleat in that notion He is not onely meat nor onely drink but he
is both meat and drink compleat nourishment The body cannot live with meat if drink be wanting nor can it subsist by drink onely without meat Bread without drink would dry up the blood drink without meat would in a little time drown the body A mixture and fit proportion of both keeps it in health Jesus Christ is both these compleat and perfect nourishment Well may the Apostle say that Christians are compleat in him Col. 2. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is in himselfe every way compleat and those that adhere to him are perfectly compleat in him V Take notice of the truth of Christ humanity Marcion Eutiches Saturnius Maniches hold that Christ was man onely in appearance The Scripture doth both assert the God-head and Man-hood of Christ The two natures are personally united never to be separated His Name shall be called Emmanuel Mat. 1. 23. And the truth of the Man-hood is asserted in many places The Word became flesh and dwelt among us Joh. 1. 14. To us a childe is born Esay 9. 6. As other Scriptures so the Text doth clearly assert his humanity for it makes mention of his flesh and blood The God-head hath neither flesh nor blood but the Man-hood hath both He is perfect God and perfect man of a reasonable soule and humane flesh subsisting VI. How injurious are the Papists to the people of God that deny them his blood They take away from the Laity as they call them the blood of Christ in the Sacrament And by this meanes do in effect deny them nourishment As the body stands in need of meat as well as drink and of drink as well as meat so doth the soul As they wrong Christ in transgressing his institution who appointed the cup as well as the bread Matth. 26. 26 27. so they are very injurious to the Church in taking away the one half of their spiritual food Abhor their Doctrines blesse God you are freed from the sacrilegious soul-robbers They that deprive you of Christs blood depâ—ive you of life for except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you Joh. 6. 53. yea indeed he that takes away Christs blood takes away whole Christ from the soul VII The wickednesse of the Socinian doctrine that makes nothing that Christ did to be meritorious for us but onely exemplary This is a soul-damning doctrine Christ is our meat and drink He died not onely to teach us to suffer but to be meat and drink to keep us from starving yea to feed us up to eternal life VIII The miserable condition of those that want Christ Nothing can keep them from starving who either have not or will not use this meat and drink The condition of Lazarus was sad as to his outward man when he had neither meat nor drink Luke 16. Hagar and her childe were in a miserable condition when the bread was eaten and the bottle empty Gen. 21. 15 16. That condition of that desolate widow of Sarepta 1 Reg. 17. 11 12. was very sad far worse is theirs who want Christ the starving of the soul is worse then the pining of the body IX None fare so delicately as beleevers That rich glutton fared deliciously every day Luk. 16. 19. What were his delicacies to this He had the creatures to feed upon beleevers feed on God himself Nabal it s said when he had his sheep-shearers made a feast like the feast of a King 1 Sam. 25. 36. you read of Ahasureus his great feast Esth 1 4 â— You reade of Solomons daily provision 1 Reg. 4. 22 23. this was very great But the beleeving beggar hath better provision then this What is the flesh of foules to the flesh of Christ What is the blood of the grape to Christs blood This is a beleevers daily food They have not onely panem potum Domini but they have panem potum Dominum X. The folly of those that do either feed themselves or perswade others to feed upon their own works and duties The Papists set mens works and duties before themselves and others as their spiritual meat and drink They make the righteousnesse of man their meat and drink 1 This doctrine is derogatory to Christ To make any thing besides Christ the soules meat and drink is to deny him to be meat at least sufficient and perfect meat He will either be our onely food or not our food at all Christ is incapable of all other mixtures As the Apostle argues about grace and works so may we argue in this matter about Christ and works Rom. 11. 6. If by grace then it is no more of works c. If Christ be our meat and drink then are not works our meat and drink otherwise Christ is no more Christ and if works be our meat and drink then is not Christ our meat and drink otherwise works are no more works 2 This doctrine is prejudicial to the soule It is indeed a soul-starving doctrine Our works cannot feed us The Prophet tells us Esay 44. 20. that the Idolater feedeth on ashes Our best works and duties are not meat and drink but ashes 'T is as impossible that the body should live upon ashes or other such trash as that the soule should live upon its own works Our works have no nourishing vertue in them If a Sonne shall ask bread saith our Saviour of any of you that is a father will he give him a stone Luke 11. 11 12. The Papists are unnatural fathers to their children When they ask them bread they give them a stone when they ask fish they give them a serpent and when they ask an egge they give them a scorpion A mans best works are Stones Serpents Scorpions yea they are poyson to him that makes them his food You reade of a severe threatning of Rabshakeh against the people of God 2 Reg. 18. 27. He would make them eat their own dung c. The Papists put this threatning into practise upon all their followers in a spiritual sense They make them eat their own dung c. Indeed our best works and duties in the account of strict justice are no better Mal. 2. 3. I will spread dung upon your faces even the dung of your solemne feasts A person had better never do any good works then make him his spiritual meat and subsistence XI Behold here the excellency of Jesus Christ He is meat and drink He is indeed compared to all things that are excellent he doth farre excel whatsoever he is compared unto He is as far above all other meat and drink as the best meat and drink are above the coursest pulse and the muddiest water See this excellency in a few particulars 1. Christ is spiritual meat and drink All other meat and drink is onely corporeal 'T is so in its own nature and 't is so in regard of the subject it nourisheth not the soule but the body onely All their delicacies do not
feed the inward man Those that have the fattest bodies have not alwayes the fattest soules But Christ is spiritual meat and drink He feeds the soul the conscience the spiritual part His blood purgeth the conscience Heb. 9. 14. it refreshes the conscience it chears the conscience his body strengthens the soul repaires the decayes of the inward man 2. Christ is heavenly meat and drink Joh. 6. 32. My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven Other meat and drink is terrene and earthly Your bread grows out of the bowels of the earth Your wine is the blood of an earthly grape The flesh you eat is fed of the tender grasie that springs out of the earth If the earth should prove barren you would soone feele a famine The King himself is served by the field Eccles 5. 9. 'T is true the blessing comes from heaven but all the materials of meat and drink are earthly But Jesus Christ is the bread of heaven and the wine of heaven The Manna came from the clouds onely but Christ from the beatifical heaven even from the bosome of the Father 3. Christ is incorruptible meat and drink All earthly meat and drink is of a fading perishing nature The best bread grows mouldy in a little time the best flesh in time putrifies and taints the best wine growes eager and sowre in a little time and becomes unfit for the body of man The very Manna it self when it was kept till the morning of the next day contrary to Gods command bred wormes and standk Exod. 16. 20. But Jesus Christ knows no corruption His flesh blood is now as sweet and pleasant after so many Ages as it was the first houre it was eaten and drank John 6. 27. And it will be as farre from corruption at the end of the world as now it is The Manna in the golden pot corrupted not though kept for many Generations Christ is Manna in that golden-pot the humanity in the golden pot of the Divinity shall see no corruption 4. Christ is such meat and drink as preserves from death Other meat and drink cannot keep man from the grave That rich man that fared deliciously every day was not made immortal The rich man died and was buried Luke 16. 22. All that Generation that fed on Manna and drank the water out of the rock died John 6. 49. But Christ preserves the soul from Death John 6. 50. This is the bread of God that came down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die It immortalizes the soule that feeds on it He that beleeveth on me hath eternal life ver 51. And then 5. Christ is soul-satisfying meat and drink He that beleeveth on me shall never hunger and he that cometh to me shall never thirst John 6. 35. There is a hunger of desire and a hunger and thirst of total emptinesse and want He that hath this meat and drink shall never totally want him It is not so with other meat and drink A man may have his belly filled with other meat and drink and may have a good quantity before-hand and yet may at last want a morsel and die for want of a draught of water But he that once hath this spiritual meat and drink though he eat but a little shall never be utterly destitute Jehn 7. 37 38. The widows handful of meal and spoonful of oyle was never spent till God sent raine upon the earth 1 Reg. 17. 16. He that hath but a handful of Christs flesh and a spoonful of his blood shall never see want but shall have enough to satisfie him to all eternity 6. Christ is such meat and drink as gives life to the Dead Other meat and drink cannot preserve a living body from death much lesse can it give life and restore breath to a dead body Put the most delicate meat the strongest drink into the mouth of a dead man and they will not give him life if the soul be quite departed They may recover from a swoon they cannot from death But the flesh and blood of Christ quicken the dead Christ by putting his flesh and blood into the mouth of the dead soul conveys life into it His flesh and blood make the lips of the dead to speak As the Father raiseth the dead and quickneth them so the Son quickneth whom he will John 5. 21. if thou hast any spiritual life in thee thou didst receive it from the enlivening vertue of Christs flesh and blood communicated to thee by the Spirit of life 7. Christ is such meat and drink as will never surset All other meat and drink if it be taken immoderately and unseasonably tends to sicknesse and suâ—fetting The more lushious and delicate they are the sooner do they surfet the body Hence is Solomons advice Prov. 25. 16. drunkennesse and surfeting bring more to their long home then pining famine But the flesh and blood of Christ never surfet A man cannot eat and drink too much of Christ nor can they eat and drink him unseasonably There is no killing no annoying vertue in Jesus Christ this meat and drink will never clog never cloy the stomack Christ is an occasion of death to none but to those that refuse him 8. Christ is such meat and drink as is suitable for all persons at all times Other meat and drink is not fit for all persons nor for the same person in all conditions That that will nourish a man may kill a childe That that strengthens a man in health may kill him in sicknesse There is meat for strong men milk for babes c. But Jesus Christ is meat and drink for all persons for all conditions He is meat for the strong man he is milk for the babe He is proper for the healthful person and he is fit for the sickly person He is the labouring mans food and he is the sick mans diet His blood is Physical drink to him that is sick cooling drink to him that is parched with heat he is strong cordial-drink to him that faints He is a suitable nourishment 9. Jesus Christ is meat and drink that is freely bestowed He is not purchased by our money nor procured by our industry but freely communicated Other meat and drink is procured at dear rates Men must Till and Plow and Sowe their land men must breed up cattel men must plant vines dig springs and fountaines otherwise they can expect neither meat nor drink The Egyptians in a time of famine pawn'd their lands for food they gave their cattel for bread and at last sold their land out-right that they might have food Gen. 47. 15 16 17 18 19 20. But Christ is meat and drink though the most costly in himselfe yet costlesse to us Nothing is required on our part but receiving of him If any should offer money Christ would say as Peter to Simon Magus Act. 8. 20. Thy money perish with thee He that will not take this meat and drink as an
ROM 13. 14. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ VII SERM. at Mary Wolnoth Lon. Jan. 11. 1651. IN this Chapter the Apostle recommends unto Christians the practise of several excellent duties for the adorning of their holy profession in the world 1. Subjection to civil Magistracy This is urged by sundry Arguments from v. 1. to 8. 2. Vnto that heavenly and divine grace of love This is pressed by many Arguments from v. 8. to 13. 3. Vnto honesty of conversation v. 13. he would have them to abstaine from all acts of intemperance such as rioting drunkennesse c. and to walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decently and honestly 4. 'T is the putting on of Christs righteousnesse This he names to distinguish Christian graces from moral vertues unlesse Christ and his righteousnesse imputed by faith be put on that power to live holily may be derived from that fountaine a Christians holinesse shall not exceed the righteousnesse of moral Philosophers and Jewish Pharisees They did abstaine from many works of the flesh they did practice acts of temperance and other vertues but they did not draw power from this fountaine Jesus Christ being strangers to Christ and his righteousnesse al their eminent vertues gained no saving acceptance from God The Apostle therefore would have Christians not onely to walk holily but to draw all power of holy walking from Christ the root of all true holinesse v. 14. 5. Not to make any superfluous and inordinate provision for the flesh ver 14. latter end The text hath two parts 1. An Act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It 's a Metaphor borrowed from the putting on of garments used by the Apostle often In reference to the New-man Eph. 4. 24. In reference to the spiritual Armour Eph. 6. 11. In reference to acts of mercy Col. 3. 12. And here in reference to the application of Christ But Put ye on 2. The object The Lord Jesus Christ. 3. Expressions relating to one and the same person They are many times joyned together though used singly and apart often Acts 16. 31. Beleeve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved so in those Apostolical benedictions The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all We may distinguish them thus Lord is a Name of Power Jesus a Name of Grace Christ a Name of Authority The words afford a twofold lesson The one implied the other expressed Viz. 1. That Jesus Christ is a spiritual garment 2. That it 's the duty of beleevers to put on this garment Doct. 1. The Lord Jesus Christ is a spiritual garment This is necessarily implied under the metaphor of putting on This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth imply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ is the soules cloathing Christ is a Christians vestment As he is spiritual meat and drink so he is spiritual Apparrel Two things here to be opened 1. To prove that Christ is a garment 2. To shew the Analogy between Christ and other garments 1. That Christ is a garment This will appear two wayes 1. From expresse Scriptures All those texts where mention is made of the putting on of Christ are testimonies of this truth Gal. 3. 17. As many as are baptized into Christ have put on Christ That in Esay 61. 10. I will rejoyce in the Lord for he hath cloathed me with the robes of righteousnesse he hath put upon me the garments of salvation Jerom expounds it of Jesus Christ salvatorem justificatorem nostrum who covers us with his own righteousnesse as with a precious robe of salvation This is taught by our Saviour in that counsel which he gives to the naked Church of Laodicea Rev. 3. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me gold c. and white rayment that thou mayst be cloathed What are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Jesus Christ himself imputed and applied to the soule Isa 52. 2 its spoken of deliverance from Babylon and more fully of redemption by Christ 2. From typical or more mysterious Scriptures There are many of this kinde 1. Those garments of skins wherewith God cloathed our first parents after the fall You read of them Gen. 3. 21. This was not without a mystery Peter Martyr hath this note upon that place that by these garments was shadowed out the promised Messiah that blessed seed of the woman who should be sacrificed upon the crosse and cut out as it were into garments for the cloathing of Gods Elect. The like is observed by Interpreters from those kid-skins which Rebeccah put upon the hands of Jacob and upon the smooth of his neck when she sent him to his Father for the blessing Gen. 27. 16. They did decipher Christ with whom the soul being cloathed obtaines a blessing from the hands of God 2. Those garments of the High Priests God appointed in the Law that glorious garments should be made for Aaron You read of them Exod. 28. 2. What was typified by those garments They related to Christ As the High Priest did typifie Christ so the garments did set out the pure administration of Christ who offered up himself without spot Heb. 9. 14. and they did also teach the people of God that it is Jesus Christ that cloathes their soules with choice raiment that fine linnen which is the righteousnesse of Saints Rev. 19. 18. This type is more fully expounded in Zech. 3. 3 4. Those filthy garments noted Joshuab's sinnes and the sinnes of the people That rayment which was afterward put upon him did signifie Christ and his righteousnesse wherewith all spiritual Priests are gloriously decked and cloathed 3. The wedding-garment in the Gospel You read of it Matth. 22. 11 12. What is meant by this wedding garment but Jesus Christ who being apprehended and put on by faith works and creates the saving fruits of grace in the heart and in the life II. Wherein stands the Analogy There are several uses of garments in all which respects Christ is a garment to the soul 1. Garments are for the covering of the body Men use garments that the nakednesse of their bodies may not appeare to the eyes of others for this reason did our first parents few fig-leaves together to hide their nakednesse In the state of innocency when the body was without guilt nakednesse was the greatest Ornament when sinne had polluted the body then was nakedness deformity therefore man sought the best garments he could to cover that nakednesse For the same reason did God afterwards make man garments of skins to cloath him Gen. 3. 17. Jesus Christ is a covering to the soul He is the Lamb of God that did not onely redeeme us by his blood sed etiam lanis operuit saith Jerom 1. He covers the deformity of our natural filthinesse 2. He covers the uglinesse of our actual sins Psal 32. 2. 3. He covers all the spots of our holy duties The mercy-seat under the Law covered the two Tables of the Decalogue vid. Exod. 25 17 18 21. This mercy-seat did
typifie Christ who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3. 25. as the mercy-seat is Heb. 9. 5. the Cherubims covered the mercy-seat and the mercy-seat covered the Ark in which were the two Tables of the Law Jesus Christ is that covering mercy-seat that covers or plaisters over all the sinnes which beleevers commit against the Law of God Hence it is that God is said not to behold iniquity in Jacob Numb 23. 31. He doth not see it to impute it because it is hidden under the covering mercy-seat Jesus Christ 2. Garments are for Ornament They do set out the body Viro vestis magnum decus addit honesta Garments to the body are as rich hangings or costly varnish over a wall of clay they make it look better then it would do Garments do mend the crookednesse of bodies that are bowed and they do set out the perfections of beautiful bodies Jesus Christ may well be compared to a garment in this respect he puts a beauty upon the soule a rich lasting perfect beauty Therefore it is that he is compared to the wedding-garment Matth. 22. 12. and to the High Priests garments Exod. 28. 2. which were made for beauty and glory Hence it is that beleevers that are loathsom and crooked in themselves are made so excellently beautiful in Christ You read much in Solomons song of a beleevers comelinesse Vid. Chap. 4. 1 2 3 c. and againe Chap. 7. 1 2 3. 4. c. 'T is because of the beautiful dresse in which he is attired The comely garment puts comelinesse on him that weares it You read of the orient beauty and rich attire of the Kings daughter Psal 45 13 14. The Kings daughter is the real Saint the cloathing of wrought gold and the rayment of needle-work is nothing but Christ and the graces he brings with him in which the soule is invested Christ is the onely Ornament indeed He is a crown and diadem upon the head he is a jewel in the bosome he is a ring upon the finger No soul hath any true beauty though outwardly cloathed in scarlet that hath not on it this garment Christ is the soules Ornament as he is a justifier and as he is a sanctifier 1 Cor. 1. 30. He adorns us as he is our justification putting us into a state of righteousnesse And he adornes us as he is our Sanctification by communicating unto us his own comelinesse in the seeds of holinesse 3. Garments are for the defending of the body They are munimenta corporis They are as light armour upon the body In the Winter they guard the body against the nipping cold in the Summer they preserve and defend it from the parching heat Every blast would pinch the body were it not for our garments every thorn would prick every stone would bruise the foot if it were not fenced by that rayment which is upon it The garments are a little movable Garrison in which the body marches through many inconveniences which otherwise it could not do The Lord Jesus Christ is the defence of the soul he saves it from many a knock which otherwise it would get 1. He defends the soul from sinne Sinne hath not that power and dominion over a beleever that is cloathed with Christ as it hath over the soule that is uncloathed Rom. 6. 14. Sinne shall not have dominion over you Christ keeps sinne from bearing that sway in a Saint which it doth in other men It is a vanquished wounded crucified enemy 2. He defends them from the rage and fury of men Man would teare them to pieces if this garment did not interpose between their rage and the soule Of this our Saviour speaks John 16. 33. the sting cannot touch the skin till it pierce thorough the rayment The arrow cannot wound the body till it pierce through the garment Jesus Christ preserves his people from the devouring teeth of ungodly enraged men 3. He defends them from the fiery assaults and onsets of the devil Simon Simon Satan hath desired to sift thee as wheat is sifted but I have prayed for thee that thy faith may not faile Luk. 22. 32. This roaring Lion would tear them into pieces if this impenetrable garment were not betwixt his teeth and their soules These fiery darts would strike to their very hearts did not this garment dead them and beat them back againe That the devil by his malice and power doth not destroy you it is because you are cloathed with this garment Could Satan either break thorough or pluck off this garment he would as soon prevaile over you as he doth over others 4. He defends them from eternal wrath God is in himself to sinful men a consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. This fire doth not burne nay it doth not singe the beleever because he hath this garment upon him 1 Thes 1. 10. 'T is a beleevers comfort that the wrath of God must burne Jesus Christ before it can burne him The hottest flames cannot so much as touch the body till they have burnt thorough the garments The wrath of God cannot seize any more on Christ he hath laine under it once for ever and therefore it shall never seize upon the beleever that is incircled about with Christ as the body is with the garment The fire cannot devoure the man while the screen stands between him and the flame Jesus Christ is a beleevers screen which stands continually between him and the devouring flame of Gods anger 5. Garments are for the warmth of the body 'T is a great piece of the providencial care of God that garments that have no heat in them should give warmth to the body Job 37. 17. The garments receive heat from the body and then they keep the body warm Job 31. 20. if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep Jesus Christ is in this respect truly a garment to the soul he keeps the soule in a good warmth There is indeed no spiritual warmth till Christ have wrought it and when it is wrought 't is preserved by vertue of this garment The two Disciples were very chill as cold as yee till Christ wrought a holy heat in them then they began to glow yea to burne Did not our hearts burne within u◠c. Luke 24. 32 if you finde any holy heat within you you are to attribute it to this heart-warming garment as to the onely cause of it The Ordinances would never heat you if Christ did not first heat them We are by nature as cold as that childe was when his spirit was departed 2 Reg. 4. 34. And yet Jesus Christ by laying himself upon us chafes us into a lively warmth 6. Garments are used for distinction They difference one sex from another God would have the sexes distinguished visibly by their apparel Deut. 22. 5. The man shall not put on that which appertaineth to the woman c. And as they distinguish sexes so they should distinguish the conditions of men they that weare
soft rayment are in Kings Courts Matth. 11. 8. The servant and Master now cannot be distinguished by their apparel unlesse it be thus that the servant excels the Merchant and Mechanick the Prince and Pesant scarce distinguished God would have it otherwise rayment should distinguish conditions as well as sexes Christ in this regard is fitly compared to a garment He distinguishes between the beleever and the unbeleever between the regenerate and the unregenerate 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature and 2 Cor. 13. 5. know you not that Iesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates God hath made Jesus Christ to be the distinguishing character between him that shall be saved and him that shall perish The Uses of this Point I. Behold Christs excellency He is all in all He is compared to all things that are both necessary and excellent He is life he is meat and drink he is a garment Quid quaeras saith Austin See in Joh. 19. quod in illo non invenias si esuris panis est si sitis aqua si in tenebris lumen est si nudus es immortalitatis tibi vestimentum Ministers are bound upon all occasions to preach up Christ that men may see their need of him that they may be provoked into a good opinion of him He is as needful for the soul yea more needful then garments are for the body He is all good he hath all good in him and that in a transcendent manner Quicquid velle potes debes est Dominus Iesus Christus Consider how farre he excels all other garments 1. Iesus Christ is a large garment Other garments can cover but one at once One garment cannot cloath several persons no more then one morsel can feed several men But Jesus Christ is a garment of such extent and dimension that he can cover many though they be at never so great a distance Should I feare saith Bernard that Christs righteousnesse will not serve for him and me No Non est pallium breve quod duos operire non potest All the Elect of God though they live in several Nations though they be a multitude which no man can number Rev. 7. 9. yet they are all cloathed and all sufficiently cloathed with this one garment I saw saith the Evangelist a wonder in heaven a woman cloathed with the Sun Rev. 12. 1. This woman is the whole Church of God This Sunne that covers the woman is Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse as he is called Mal. 4. 1. His skirt is large enough to cover his whole Church and yet never a member can complain of want 2. Iesus Christ is a garment for every part Your material garments will not serve every part That which is proper for the head will not cover the loynes that which fits the body will not fit the feet Every part of the body hath a distinct cloathing which is onely proper for it self But now Christ is a garment that fits every part He is the Diadem or Crown upon the head he is the robe upon the body he is the shooes upon the feet Luke 15. 22. Christ is a compleat suit of apparel from head to foot the soul is perfectly cloathed 3. Iesus Christ hath the uses of all garments There is no one garment that serves for all uses to the body Some Garments are good for covering but they are not for beauty Others serve for ornament and beauty but they do not serve for defence Some garments are good in the cold but they are not so useful and fit in a time of heat Persons that are of ability have several garments for several uses because no one garment is fit for all But Jesus Christ is a garment for all uses to the soule He is for covering and for ornament and for defence as good for all uses as for any use He is a Winter-garment and he is a Summer-garment he is as good for cooling as for heating He is the travellors and he is the labourers garment and he is the souldiers garment He is light for walking thick for stormy weather He is strong for fighting and spiritual warring against Satan and his temptations Christ suits all the occasions of the soule He is wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 5. 30. 4. Jesus Christ is a garment fit for all sexes for all sizes for all conditions No one garment will fit all bodies That which is decency in one sex would be monstrousnesse on the other That garment which fits a childe would be unuseful to a grown man That which is proper for the Subject would be unsutable for the Princes weare But now Christ is as proper for one as for another He is as fit for the woman as for the man for the childe as for the father for the King as for the Subject As the Apostle saith in another case we may say in this There is neither Barbarian Scythian Jew nor Gentile male nor female bond nor free but ye are all one in Christ Col. 3. 11. God hath made Jesus Christ a fit garment for the soules of all sorts of men There is no soul too big none too little none too small none too great for Jesus Christ to array and cover 5. Jesus Christ is a durable garment All other garments are of a moldring nature The moth corrupts them old age takes away the beauty of them the strongest and finest garments turne to rags by daily use But Jesus Christ is a lasting garment the moth cannot fret it old age cannot weare it thin Christ is now as fresh as when he was first put upon Adam in Paradise When our bodily garments shall be pluckt off yea when the very garments of our bodies like the mantle of Elijah shall fall into dust then will this garment abide upon the soul as beautiful as now it is The Lord did miraculously preserve the garments of the Israelites from waxing old Deut. 8. 4. Though they were worne fourty yeares in the wildernesse yet they were not threed-bare Their bodies wasted but their garments did not waste They were as fresh when they came to Canaan as they were when they came out of Egypt Jesus Christ though he be worne every day yet he doth not wax old He is as fresh upon the soul on its dying day as upon the first moment of its regeneration 6. Jesus Christ is a free garment All that is required on mens part is to put him on He is provided without our cost without our care Though he be the most costly garment in himselfe yet he is the most cheap garment in the world Other garments cannot be had without money Christ is obtained without money without price The Scripture speaks of buying him Rev. 3. 18. this buying is free receiving The Prophets expound the phrase Esay 55. 1. Buy milk and wine without money without price Indeed this garment is so invaluably rich that all the treasure in
the world cannot purchase one inch of it He that dreames of buying Christ shall die without Christ II. Behold the sufficiency of Christ for spiritual life Two things are necessary for the bodily life food and rayment 1 Tim. 6. 8. Jesus Christ is both food and rayment He is set out as rayment in Baptisme Gal. 3. 27. and he is held out as food in the Sacrament of the Supper He is every way sufficient for all the concernments of the soule he feeds it he cloaths it and that with the best food and the best rayment with himself His flesh is meat his blood is drink his righteousnesse is cloathing substantial durable cloathing III. The misery of those that are without Christ All men are by nature strangers to Christ Eph. 2. 12. He that is without Christ is without spiritual rayment he is a naked man The Scripture calls the state of nature a state of nakednesse Ezek. 16. 4 8. and Rev. 3. 18. A naked condition is a miserable condition Nakednesse is a very comprehensive word A naked man is exposed to the scorn of every eye it s a shameful object Rev. 3. 18. A naked man is exposed to every storm every shower wets him every wind pierces him A naked man is unfit for employment he is neither fit to fight nor to labour Such as are without Christ are unspeakably miserable Their condition is full of shame their condition is full of danger they have nothing to cover them from Gods wrath from the devils rage They have nothing to warme their hearts when they are cold with feares terrors despaires and spiritual anguish A naked body amongst darâ—s and swords is not such a spectacle of compassion as a naked soule exposed to the arrows of Gods wrath They are as unfit for any work as the naked man is for labour and travel Vid. Esay 3. 6. he that is without Christ hath neither bread nor rayment IV. The misery of those that reject Christ None but mad men and barbarous men reject cloathing 'T is the character of a distracted mad-man to refuse raiment Vid. Luke 8. 27. You read a sad story of a man possessed with a Legion of devils and the text saith he wore no cloathes his madnesse is evidenced by that that he would suffer no cloathes to be put upon him for v. 35. When Christ had cured him the text saith he sate at the feet of Jesus cloathed and in his right minde 'T is a signe that that man is spiritually possessed with a Legion of devils that will not be cloathed with this spiritual garment And yet the world is full of these spiritual Bedlams They will go naked Let Ministers say what they will let the spirit of God use never so much importunity they will not be cloathed They will have none of Christ These garments are hanged out every day in the publick market yea men are intreated to take them even without money and yet they will not Is it not just that such men should be buried in hell in their own rags that will not embrace Christ that they may be cloathed with eternal salvation V. None so well arrayed as Saints Dives had purple c. Luke 16. 19. They have Christ VI. Here is comfort for poor Christians counsel for proud men you that will have the best apparel and new fashion VII When you put on your garments think of Christ A serious Christian may spirituallize every thing he useth or beholds VIII Hinder none from Christ Exod. 22. 27 28. Job 24. 7. Amos 2. 8. Doct. 2. ' Its the duty of men to put on the Lord Jesus Christ This is often recommended to us in Scripture Two things I shall briefly open 1. What it is to put on Christ How we must put him on 2. Why we must put him on 1. Christ is put on two wayes There is a double putting on of Christ 1. A putting on of Christ for justification When by faith we apply him unto our selves by faith for righteousnesse The Apostle tells us that Christ is made unto us of God justification 1 Cor. 1. 30. He is called Jehovah our righteousnesse Jer. 23 6. 'T is by his righteousnesse that the beleever is constituted righteous in foro Dei which is by an act of grace of God imputing and reckoning this perfect righteousnesse of Christ unto him as his own righteousnesse Now then doth a person put on Christ when by an act of faith he doth apply Christ and his righteousnesse unto himself for justification This was that which the Apostle desired Phil. 3. 9 That he might be found in Christ not having his own righteousnesse which is by the Law but that which is by the faith of Iesus Christ the righteousnesse of God by faith When this righteousnesse is actually applied received relied upon then is Christ put on This is one piece 2. A putting on of Christ by imitation When we imitate the gracious life of Christ This refers to Sanctification and new obedience To put on Christ is virtute Spiritus Christi undique nos munire quâ idonei ad omnes partes sanctitatis reddamur Calvin And so Erasmus In as much as ye are spiritually ingraffed into Christ hunc ipsum induite eluceat in omni vitâ quem sitis professi exprimite quem imbibistis c. Zuinglius When we apply his righteousnesse for our justification when we put on his example and expresse his vertues in a course of sanctification then and not till then do we put on Christ as the Scripture requires II. Why we must put him on There is good reason I might be large in each but I shall onely give general Reasons 1. Christ is of no effect to us if we do not put him on Garments neither warm nor cover nor defend nor adorne the body if they be not put on Christ is rendred invalid to such as do not apply him His righteousnesse will not justifie you if you do not by faith put it on as a garment His holy life will do you no good if you do not imitate it His righteousnesse will perish as to you his vertues will be lost as to you if you do not actually put on both The Apostle speaks of making Christ of no effect Gal. 5. 4. 2. If we do not put on Christ both these wayes we can have no hopes of salvation If Jesus Christ be not put on for righteousnesse there is no remission of sinne All our guilt is imputed to our selves 'T is by the imputation of his righteousnesse that our sins are covered Rom. 5. 20. And where there is no remission there can be no salvation And if we do not put on the vertues of Christ in a course of sanctification we can have no Scripture-hope of heaven The Apostle is expresse for this He that hath this hope purifieth himself as Christ is pure 1 Joh. 3. 3. Our Justification is by Christs righteousnesse and our Sanctification is an evidence of our Justification
he suffers Satan to tempt he doth not suffer them to be utterly overcome Thus he was a hiding place to Peter Luke 22. 31. Thus he was a hiding place to Saint Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7. Though he did not hide him from being buffetted yet he hid him from being vanquished by those buffettings 3 He hides their graces Their faith their hope their patience their humility c. were not Christ a hiding place to their very graces they would wither they would die they would come to nothing he hides the root of grace keeps that warme that it perish not yea he so hides it as that he makes it fructifie 4 He hides their joy their peace of conscience Our comforts have need of Christs protection as well as our graces Should not he be a hiding to our inward peace and joy the winde of terrour and temptation would soone blow them away In the world ye shall have tribulation but in me ye shall have peace John 16. 33. Our peace is built upon Christ our peace is laid up in Christ our peace is preserved and defended by Christ The Devil would soone quench our joy if Christ were not a hiding place to it Jesus Christ is in every place and in every thing a hiding place to his people 3. Why Christ is a hiding place to them There is a double ground of it Necessity Convenience I. It 's necessary that Christ should be their hiding place This necessity is grounded upon a double consideration 1. Beleevers want a hiding place They are exposed to many enemies to many dangers The world the devil the flesh are assailing pursuing making attempts upon them every day and that several wayes Luther was wont to compare the Church to a poor weak Virgin in a wilde Wildernesse where there is nothing but ravenous creatures that seek her life Our Saviours comparison is somewhat like it Lak 10. 3. Behold I send you forth as sheep among wolves Joseph is a fruitful bough The Archers have shot at him c. Gen. 49. 23 24 25. Beleevers are in this world in a strange land they are not of the world and therefore the world hates them They want a hiding place for their bodies for their soules for their graces for their comforts The chicken doth not want the wing and the nest more then they do a hiding place 2. There is none other besides Jesus Christ that can be a hiding place for them First they cannot be hiding places to themselves They are weak and foolish they expose themselves to danger they know not well how to hide themselves in Christ much more unable are they to be protectors to themselves Should Christ leave the best of us to our selves we should be our own Butchers not Protectours Secondly no other creature can protect and hide them Kings and Princes they cannot hide us Psalme 146. 3. and if they cannot inferiour men are much more unable Horses and Armies they cannot be a hiding place to us Psalme 33. 16 17. They are soon routed and scattered If they could be hiding places to our bodies yet surely to ouâ— soules they cannot Gold and Silver cannot be a hiding place to us Though men say to their wedge of Gold thou art my confidence Job 31. 24. yet will not mountains of Gold and silver be safe hiding places in the day of trouble The Holy Angels cannot be hiding places to us They are but subprotectors they do but spread Christs wings over us The truth is all creatures want hiding places for themselves The best of creatures are but as the Dyal they cast no shadow unlesse the Sunne shine upon them The best of creatures is like Jonahs Gourd the least worm eats them thorough and thorough in a short time II. There is Convenience as well as Necessity It 's very expedient that Christ should be a hiding place to beleevers First he hath all qualifications that may fit him for this work 1. He hath strength A hiding place must be locus munitissimus Paper houses will never be good hiding places Houses made of reeds or rotten timber will not be fit places for men to hide themselves in Jesus Christ is a place of strength He is the rock of ages His name is the Mighty God Esay 9. 6. 2. He hath height A hiding place must be locus excelsissimus Your low houses are soon scaled Jesus Christ is a high place he is as high as Heaven He is the Jacobs ladder that reacheth from earth to Heaven Genesiâ— 28. 12. He is too high for men too high for Devils no creature can skale these high Walls 3. He hath secret places A hiding place must be locus abditissimus The more secret the more safe Now Jesus Christ hath many secret chambers that no creatures can ever finde Caâ—â—icles 2. 14. O my Dove that art in the secret places of the staires As Christ hath hidden comforts which no man knows but he that receiveth them so he hath hidden places of secrecy which none can finde out but he that dwells in them Come my people enter into thy chambers and shut the doors upon thee Esay 26. 20. 4. Christ is faithful He that will hide others had need be very faithful A false hearted Protector is worse then an open pursuer Will the men of Keilah deliver me up saith David They will deliver thee up saith the Lord but now Christ is faithful Revelations 3. 14. He is the faithful witnesse He cannot be bribed to surrender up any creature that comes to hide himself with him Christ will die before he will betray his trust 5. Christ iâ— diligent Diligence is as necessary in those that will hide others as faithfulnesse A sleepy Guard may betray a Castle or Garison as well as a faithlesse Guard But Jesus Christ is very diligent and watchfull he hath his Intelligencers abroad yea his own eyes runne to and fro in the earth to see what contrivances are made and set on foot against those who are hid with him Psal 121. 3 4. He that keepeth Israel neither slumbreth nor sleepeth 2. Ground Christ is fit in regard of that propriety he hath in his Saints All his Relations make him a fit hiding place First He is the Captaine General of the Church The Church is compared to an Army with Banners Christ is the General of this Army Joshuah 5. 13 14. It was Christ the Angell of the Covenant whom God hath made a Leader and Commander to the people as the Prophet calls him Esay 55. 4. Who should secure the Souldiers but the General Secondly He is the Churches King Psalme 2. 6. The Kings Court is the Subjects hiding place Nebuchadnezzars dream Dan. 4. 12. shews that Kings should be shelters to their Subjects Thirdly He is the Churches shepherd John 10. 11 12. Shepherds are to secure their flocks David slew the Lion that tore the flock Fourthly He is the Churches Father Isaiah 9. 6. The Fathers house is the childes Castle The childe when
far from them wondrous confident have the Saints of God been in times of danger upon this very ground God is our refuge and strength saith the Church a present help in time of trouble therefore we will not fear though the earth be moved c. Psal 46. 1 2 3. A Saint that beleeves this may laugh at fear he may esteeme iron as straw and brasse as rotten wood as the Scripture saith of the Leviathan Job 41. 27 28. 'T is a disparagement to your hiding place that you should be afraid If Christ be able to hide you you shall not be undefended Let the world rage let devils roare let men lift up their voice let sinne be never so furious Christ is a hiding place he hides you from Gods wrath and he will hide you from mans fury Let unguarded sinners fear and tremble but let Christs hidden ones rest in setled peace in firme security Your sinking doth upbraid your hiding place with weaknesse and insufficiency 2. Acknowledge from whence all your safety and protection comes That you are hid from danger when others are exposed to danger that you are sheltred when others 〈◊〉 without shelter that your soules bodies graces comforts are secured it is not because of your own care but because Christ hides you If the Lord himself had not been on our fide now may Israel say they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us Psal 124. 1 2. If Christ did not prepare a place for the woman the Church and if he did not give her the two wings of an Eagle to carry her to her hiding place the Dragon would soon devoure both her and her childe Rev. 12. 14. Acknowledge the protection of Christ let him have the praise of all your safety The ancient Romanes used to pay tribute for shadows let Christ have praises for his shadowy protection Whosoever are the instruments he is the principal Authour of all your hiding 3. Take heed of making any other hiding places Men are very apt when danger approacheth to dig created hiding places for themselves We may reade how the Prophet reproves this practise Esay 22 9 10 11. A providential use of outward means is not onely lawful but necessary but carnal trusting to any such hiding place is sinful To trust to creatures in time of danger is very Atheistical God hath cursed such confidence Jer. 17. 5 6. But to descend to particulars There are sundry places which men create to themselves in time of danger 1 Many make great men their hiding place When troubles arise they have recourse to men that by the strength of horses and Armies they may hide them Alas what a vain confidence is this Ahaz thought to have hid himselfe under the wing of the King of Assyria but what was the event 2 Chron. 28. 20. The King of Assyria came unto him but strengthened him nâ—t The skirt of men the strength of horses is weak and very vaine Prov. 21. 31. The horse is prepared against the day of battel but safety is of the Lord. We must say as the Church Lord give us help in trouble for vaine is the help of man He that makes a chariot his hiding place shall not be hid God will drive the wheeles over their own back If men and horses could be a hiding place from men to your bodies they cannot be any competent shelters to your soules they cannot hide the inner man I shall conclude this with Psal 20. 7. Some trust in chariots c. They are brought down and fallen but we are risen and stand upright He that makes men and horses his hiding place shall bring down the fire of Gods anger upon his hiding place and upon himselfe Esay 31. 1 3. When God shall stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall down and they all shall fall together 2 Others make strong Castles and desenced Cities their hiding place When danger approaches they slie to such places and there think to be safe But alas how insecure are all these places The high walls of Jericho fell down with a shout when Jesus Christ gave commandment for their downfal Josh 6. 20. such hiding places are made of perishable materials Nineveh was a strong place but it could not secure the inhabitants thereof See how the Prophet derides their confidence Nah. 3. 12 13 14. Tyrus was very strong Ezek. 27. 11. The Gammadims were in thy Towers They were a people of Phenicia called Gammadims as if we should say viâ—i 〈◊〉 becausâ— of the grâ—â—t strength they had in their 〈◊〉 〈…〉 lacâ—rtosi saith Juniâ—s And not for all their strength they could not preserve their Towers nor their Towers them from the rage of Nebuchadnezzar Chap. 26. 7 8 9. If any defenced place could hide you yet it could but hide the outward man it could be no security to the soul either from sinne or temptations Devils can climb the highest walls brazen wals cannot keep out his temptations much lesse can they secure you from the wrath of God 3 Others make their silver and gold a hiding place The rich mans wealth is his strong City and as a high wall in his conceit Prov. 18. 11. but alas how unable are these things to secure us riches sometime lay men open to danger poverty is a better securer then riches even from bodily danger Osiander reports that in that bloody Epit. Cent. 16. l. 3. c. 69. Parisian Massacre many rich Papists were murthered for their wealth as well as protestants Though their profession made them Papists yet their wealth made them Hugonots as well as others However riches cannot secure a man from a disease nor from death Luke 16. nor from temptation nor from troubles of conscience nor from the wrath of God Prov. 11. 4. and Zephan 1. 18. Neither their silver nor gold can deliver them in the day of the Lords anger 4 Others make their outward priviledges a hiding place This the carnal Jewes did ever betake themselves to when the Prophets threatned any stormes Nothing is more frequent in Scripture then this Jer. 7. 4. The Temple of the Lord c. Mic. 3. 11. and Mat. 3. 9. Think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our Father c. But alas all this will not hide you Go to my place at Shiloh saith God Jer. 7. 12. Go to Jerusalem and see how it is there go to the seven Churches of Asia and see how it is there These priviledges are so farre from being hiding places that if he that enjoyes them be not hid savingly in Christ they will expose him to more sudden more certaine and more dreadful ruine Reade Mat. 11. 20 21 22 23 24. Ioab was slaine at the horns of the Altar Gods Temple shall not be a Sanctuary except he who is the Lord of the Temple be our hiding place Indeed whatever hiding place is made besides Christ shall not shelter
Our Saviour heares this dispute and steps in with them in his own person 'T is likely the Disciples acquainted him with it as they usually did in other cases or else by the flocking of the multitude about them he observed it or by the omniscience of his Divinity he knew it however it was the Text saith he appeared in the controversie v. 12. Note Iesus Christ will plea for them that are quarreld with for his sake The Disciples are baited by the subtle Scribes and Pharisees and see how ready Christ is to come to their rescue Christ will back all those that stand up for him Now the answer which our Saviour gives to this cavil is in the Text. They that are whole c. which is more plainly expounded in the next verse I came not c. Our Saviour tells them that he did in this action the office of a good Physician took all opportunities for the good of sinful souls q. d. If a Physician may visit infected persons c. And he doth withal secretly intimate to them their misery that while they continued in their present self-conceitednesse they could expect no benefit at all by him They that are whole need not c. They that are whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that are of ability or strength 'T is referr'd in Scripture both to the body and to the soul and it notes either truth of strength or opinion of strength that man that is either really or conceitedly strong in body is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he that is spiritually stronger conceitedly so is a whole man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here it meanes men that are opinionated and conceited of their own ability It doth secretly point out the Pharisees distemper Though they were as other men in regard of their spiritual condition yet they had good thoughts of themselves they were strong men in their own conceit Need not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies necessity and usefulnesse Rom. 12. 13. contributing to the necessities of Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 6. 8. Your heavenly Father knows what things you have need of c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies also a necessary office as Acts 6. 3. Look out among you seven men c. whom we may appoint over this businesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men that are whole as before they can make no use they have no want of a Physician A Physician 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies a healer The work of a Physician is to heale God hath given men insight into that study to prevent diseases and to cure diseases But they that â—re sick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that are evil affected 'T is referr'd both to the outward and inward man There is a sicknesse of the body and of the minde also and the phrase expresses the nature of sicknesse Health is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corporis a right temperature of body 'T is malus habitus corporis Spiritual sicknesse is malus habitus Animi When the spiritual part is dis-affected the soul is spiritually sick In this place it relates to both The words are a double Proposition in which are First the Subject this is twofold Secondly the Predicate twofold 1. That men that Need not a Physician are whole 2. That men that Do need a Physician are sick The summe of all amounts to these five Observations 1. Sinne is a spiritual sicknesse a spiritual disease 2. Jesus Christ is a Physician for the curing of this disease 3. Some sinners are spiritually sick and yet think themselves whole 4. Christ is not a Physician to those that think themselves spiritually whole 5. Those that see their spiritual sicknesse shall finde Jesus Christ ready to heale them I begin with the first viz. Doct. 1. Sinne is a spiritual sicknesse This is intimated in the text 'T is the very foundation of this defence of Christ He points out these Publicans with whom he now conversed as so many diseased men Every sinne is a spiritual disease every iniquity is a real malady Sinful men are truly sick men sin bath many names in Scripture a burden a wound darknesse bonds folly c. and here a sicknesse Two things I shall open here by way of Explication 1. Prove that sin is a sicknesse 2. Shew what kinde of sicknesse it is 1. That sinne is a sicknesse This is proved two wayes 1. From cleare testimonies of Scripture The Word of God calls it a sicknesse Esay 1. 5. The whole head is sick c. It hath relation both to Jerusalems miseries and to Jerusalems sinnes She was sick with misery and sick with sinne therefore sick with misery because sick of sinne Ezek. 34. 4. The Prophets of Israel are compared to shepherds and they are charged with this that they did not strengthen the diseased nor heale that which was sick What is meant by the sick and diseased but the sinful members of that Church whose conversion and reformation the Prophets had not endeavoured And Eccles 6. 2. Solomon calls covetousnesse an evil disease Hence also it is that sinne is called in Scripture by the name of diseases 'T is called the plague of the heart 1 King 8. 38. There are as many diseases of the soul as there are of the body Drunkennesse is a spiritual dropsie Security is a spiritual lethargy Envy is a spiritual canker Lust is a spiritual feaver Hos 7. 4. They are all adulterers as an oven heated by the Baker Apostasie and backslâ—ding is the spiritual falling-sicknesse hardnesse of heart is the spiritual stone searednesse of conscience is a spiritual Apoplexy unsettlednesse of judgement is a spiritual paâ—fiâ— pride a spiritual tumor vaine-glory a spiritual itch There is not any sicknesse of the body but there is some distemper of the soule that might be parallell'd with it and beare the name of it Hence also it is in Scripture that the pardoning of sinne is called healing Psalme 103. 3. who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases 2. From the effects of sinne Sinne doth produce all those effects upon the soule which sicknesses do upon the body 1 Sicknesse unfits the body for action Men that are active in health they are in sicknesse indisposed for any thing The Mariner cannot row the souldier cannot fight the husband-man cannot till the Merchant cannot trade It doth take a man quite off from all his labours and that both in regard of Act and in regard of Affection Eccles 12. 1. what was loved before yields no pleasure Sinne doth unfit the soule for spiritual employments it takes men off from prayer from hearing from meditation c. And the more power it hath over the soul the more is the soule indisposed for holy exercises Even Gods own children when they have fallen into some spiritual sicknesse are exceedingly indisposed to the things of God Their zeale their forwardnesse their activity is much abated David when he had fallen into
healing by being careful to prevent recidivations into sin againe Take your counsel of Christ to that man that was lately cured of his infirmity of which he had smarted thirty eight years Joh. 5. 14. Thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto thee 'T is a sleighting of your Physician and a vilifying of your disease not to be as careful as you can that you may not relapse And know this for the encreasing of your thankfulnesse that when this disease is once cured all your other diseases are cured They are cured as to the malignity as to the hurt of them They cannot destroy you though they may disquiet you The inhabitants shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Esay 3â— ult The peril and dreadfulnesse of other diseases depends upon this and when this is removed the evil of all the rest is removed also Doct. 2. That Jesus Christ is a Physician for the healing of these spiritual diseases Christ is a Physician to the body as well as to the soule He heales the wounds and sores of the outward man as well as of the inward man We reade that in the dayes of his flesh he cured immediately sometimes and sometimes by the use of meanes many bodily maladies Such as were possessed with devils Such as had the palsie Such as were leprous Such as had feavers Such as laboured under several other diseases were brought unto him and he healed them Luke 6. 17 18 19. And Mat. 8. 14 15 16. He healed many that were incurable When other Physicians had given them over they were brought to Christ and he healed them Luke 8. 43. Concerning the woman sick of a bloody issue she had spent all her living upon Physicians and could not be healed of any and yet by the touch of Christs garment her bloody issue was stanched He cured a man that had had an infirmity thirty eight years Joh. 5. 5. Yea he healed those that brought their diseases with them into the world One that was borne blinde was recovered to sight by him John 9. 6 7. The text saith he healed all manner of diseases Mat. 4. 23. And he doth still heale bodily diseases In three respects he is a Physician to the body 1. He created all those simples that are useful for cure Every herb every plant every mineral whatsoever in rerum Naturâ is Medicinal and Physical was created by the Lord Christ and whatsoever was created by him is preserved by him Genesis 2. 5. Nothing sprung up of it selfe the roots of all healing herbs were set by his hand and by his Providential care they are kept from perishing to this very day 2. He it is that gave skill and still doth give skill unto Physicians to make use of those materials All Arts and Sciences are his invention What is said of Bezaleel and Aholiab Exod. 31. 2 3 4 5 6. is as true of all other more noble Arts. Men by study could never have such insight into the secrets of nature if Jesus Christ did not instruct them He enables them to know diseases and to know what is proper and sutable for those diseases He that is the Lord of nature doth discover the secrets of nature in men when they study them He teaches them how to mingle and compound several simples together to make an apt medicine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 12. 9. Christ is the Father of all Arts and Artists If he hide skill from the Physician the Physician can never finde out the disease nor prescribe a fit medicine to remove it 3. He blesseth the applications that are made The most proper and apt medicine that ever was prescribed by man needs the blessing of Christ to make it effectual As man liveth not by bread but by the word of blessing Mat. 4. 4. So neither is man cured by Physick alone but by the benediction of Christ upon the using of Physick He suspends the operation and efficacy of Medâ—cines when he pleaseâ—h and when it is his will they are salutiferous and healing Thus is he a Physician to the outward man But his chief subject is the soul He is in an especial manner a Physician to that He doth several times in the Gospel compare himself to a Physician In this Text and in Mar. 2. 17. We have the same comparison Luke 4. 23. He was prophesied of before his incarnation as a Physician Vid Esay 61. 1. Binding up is the work of a healer Christ was sent into the world to be a binder up of the broken in heart The Prophet Malachy speaks of him as of a spiritual Physician Chap. 4. 2. The Sunne of righteousnesse shall arise with healing in his wings This is that which is held out in the Gospel in that parable of the wounded man and the Samaritan Luke 10. 30 31 c. Jesus Christ is that Samaritan who doth by that Parable preach himselfe to be the Physician of soules In the handling of this Doctrine I shall open three things 1. That Christ is a Physician 2. How Christ heales sin-sick souls 3. The excellency of Christ above other Physicians First that Christ is a spiritual Physician This is manifest 1. You may see his commission God hath authorized him with power The Prophet asserts this Esay 61. 1. He hath anointed me to binde up the broken-hearted This Prophecy is applied to Christ Luke 4. 18. God hath given Christ his Gratiam ad practicandum Those that are Physicians amongst men must receive commission to practice before they ought to use that Art The bodies of men are of that worth that in all well-ordered Kingdomes and Common-wealths none are permitted to professe the Art of Physick till they be tryed by such as have skill and enabled by publick Authority to exercise that faculty hereby professed Physicians are distinguished from illiterate and cheating Mountebanks Now God hath conferr'd on Jesus Christ under hand and seale full Authority to be a spiritual Physician to heale the souls of men And therefore it is that all are invited to come to him for cure Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me c. 2. Christ hath ability as well as authority Whatsoever is requisite for the healing of souls is to be found in Jesus Christ This the Prophet expresly affirmes Mal. 4. 2. The Sunne of righteousnesse shall arise with healing in his wings Healing is a large word The Geneva translation reades it health shall be under his wings Now there could not be health or healing under Christs wings if there were not in him whatsoever is necessary to health or spiritual healing The Apostle saith That it hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Col. 1. 19. Christ is a garden so well furnished that there is in him every root and plant that is requisite to make a spiritual medicine He hath a purging vertue a strengthning vertue a comforting vertue a cheering vertue
a quickning vertue There is that in him which is proper for all diseases The Evangelist tells us that when sick persons resorted to Christ in the days of his flesh there went vertue out of him and healed them all Luke 6. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no vertue could have gone out of him if all vertue had not been treasured up in him Christ hath eye-salve for blinde eyes mollifying grace for hard-hearts enlivening grace for dead soules humbling grace for proud minds God hath given him fulness of all things necessary for sick soules and wisdom to apply the same for the benefit of those that repair to him Secondly how Christ heales spiritual Diseases 1. He heales by justification Sinne brings guilt Lev. 5. 2 3 4 5. Rom. 3. 19. Every sinne makes the creature liable to wrath This guilt is removed by the grace of justification Jesus Christ applies his spotlesse and perfect righteousnesse to the soule and thereby actually removes the guilt of sinne and makes the sinner as pure in the sight of God as if he had never offended Of this the Apostle speaks Romans 5. 18 19. This is called in Scripture the covering of sinne Psal 32. 1 2. Blessed is the man whose unrighteousnesse is forgiven and whose sinne is covered Christ draws the vaile or garment of his own merit and obedience over the spotted soule of a sinner and thereby covers all his guilt In this respect a sinner is perfectly healed Though sinne abide in him yet the guilt is taken away so that it shall never redound upon the person for condemnation Hence it is that God is said not to behold iniquity in his people Numb 23. 21. Of this healing the Psalmist speaks Psal 103. 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases Of this healing we are to understand that in 2 Chron. 30. 20. The Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people He did not reckon nor impute the guilt of that sinne to the people 2. He heales the soule by sanctification Every sinne hath filthinesse in it as well as guilt It is of a defiling nature and leaveth defilement upon the soule of the sinner Matth. 15. 11. Hence it is that sinners are said to be filthy creatures Rev. 22. 11. and Psal 14. 3. they are altogether become filthy This is called Macula or labes peccati the spot or staine of sinne Corruption pollution c. It doth immediately follow every offence of sinne and remaines when the act of sinne is over Look as waters when they break their banks and over-flow the earth leave a filthy slime and sediment behind them so all sinful acts leave upon the soule a filthy slime of corruption This filthinesse Jesus Christ heales by Sanctification He doth by his Spirit plant the seeds of grace in the heart he doth make the soul partaker of the divine natuâ—e 2 Pet. 1. 4. He doth cause all old things to passe away and all things to become new 2 Cor. 5. â—6 He doth write his Lawes in the heart of the sinner Jer. 31. 33. He doth sprinkle cleane water upon the sinner whereby he is cleansed from all his defilements Ezek. 36. 25. And by this meanes the filthinesse of sinne is healed This Sanctâ—fication hath two parts the one is mortification whereby the body of sinne is wasted Rom 8. 13. and Col. 3. 3 5. The other is regeneration or the spiritual resurrection whereby the inward man is strengthened and renewed from day to day the one is the putting off the old man the other is the putting on the new man Now although the sinner is not healed perfectly and at once of the filthinesse of sinne by Sanctification as he is of the guilt of sinne in regard of justification because this is a real change and therefore it 's carried on successively and gradually whereas justification is onely a relative change and therefore is perfect at once yet he is in so sure and certaine a way of healing that Jesus Christ will never let him go out of his hands till he be fully cured He is perfectly healed in respect of parts already and he shall be perfectly healed in respect of degrees he shall see the day when there shall not be the least speck of sinne or filth either upon the soul or body Thirdly the excellency of this Physician above all other Physicians This appears in many respects 1. In regard of the Subject Other Physicians have to deale onely with the body All their businesse lies in the temper constitution parts of the body in preventing removing diseases that annoy the outward man Their line reacheth no farther The soule is not the object or subject of the Physicians Art But now the chief part about which Christ is employed is the soul the conscience the affections the inward man He heales the distempers of the heart which other Physicians as Physicians can neither know nor heal Vid. Esay â—1 1. 2. Jesus Christ is a Physician for all diseases There are some diseases which are opprobria medicorum no Physician in the world is able to cure them But Jesus Christ can cure all diseases all kindes of diseases and every individual disease He knows the cause of every disease and therefore he can cure all Some Physicians though they have a general skill in all diseases yet their excellency lies sometimes in one or two which they have studied more then others and about which they have been imployed more then in others As some Divines are better versed in some one or two Controversies then others so c. But Christ is as exact in all spiritual diseases as he is in any disease He is as good for the diseases in the head as for those that are in the heart and for those that are in the affections as for those that are in the head He can cure ignorance pride unbelief discontent impatience hardnesse of heart c. and he can cure one as well as another that is he can cure all Christ never yet met with a spiritual distemper which he was not able to call by its right name and to prescribe a fit medicine for It 's said of him in the Gospel That he cured all manner of diseases John 5. 4. He can cure all manner of spiritual diseases 3. Jesus Christ can give no hurtful medicine The most learned Physician in the world being he knows but in part may prescribe something which is not proper for the disease unlesse they had spectacles to see into the body they may be mistaken but Christ cannot be mistaken He never appointed any thing but what was fit yea nothing but what was best for the patients condition And indeed Christs Physick is therefore proper because he prescribes it Other Physicians appoint such receipts because they are proper but Christs receipts are proper because he prescribes them If he will use a plaister of clay and spettle it is therefore right because he will use it John 9. 6. That which
would have made a seeing man blinde if it had been done by a man will mâ—ke a blind man see when it is done by Christ 4. Jesus Christ heales speedily Other Physicians are long in healing We use to say diseases come on horsback but go away on foot No Physician can cure in a moment They must observe method A cure over-hastened may be as prejudicial to the Patient as a disease neglected But Christ can heal in an instant Many a diseased sinner who hath laboured for many yeares under many spiritual distempers have been cured by Jesus Christ in a trice of time We read in the Gospel that Christ did immediately cure some that had laboured a long time under diseases in a moment Take up thy bed and walk Vid. Mat. 8. 3. immediately his leprosie was healed Mat. 20. 34. immediately their eyes received sight Mar. 1. 31. immediately the feaver left her many instances of like nature Immediate cures are not the Acts of creatures though never so learned though never so wise Many a dead lame blinde impenitent sinner hath come sick into the Church and gone out whole When Christ pleases he can heal presently 5. Christ can blesse his Physick He can make it effectual for what he pleaseth No Physician in the world is able to do it He applies Physick but he cannot say this shall cure it He must seek a blessing from Christ The efficacy of that which other Physicians prescribe doth depend upon the sutablenesse of it and principally upon Christs blessing but the efficacy of Christs Physick depends upon his Application Christ can say peremptorily I will remove such a spiritual distemper The Leper acknowledgeth this Math. 8. 2. Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane I will saith Christ Be thou clean c. He hath all spiritual diseases at his beck The Centurion acknowledgeth it Do but speak the word and my servant shall be healed c. Mat. 8. 8. If Christ say to impenitency to unbeliefe c. Be healed they will be healed If Christ say I will by such a Sermon heale such a sinner the work will be done His Word is cure enough for any disease 6. Christ heales the poor as well as the rich Many Physicians do not care to take poor patients in hand but Jesus Christ is as willing to visit and heale the poor as well as the rich He is as ready to go to the beggar on the dunghil as to the King on the Throne Jesus Christ in the dayes of his flesh was as ready to heal the servant as the Master Luke â—8 35 36. the noble and ignoble the great and the small are all alike to him Christ looks not at outward qualities but at spiritual distempers Christ heales all freely Other Physicians take rewards 'T is their calling and they ought to live upon their calling Many of them are very exacting If they have not a daily fee they care not for visiting The Gospel speaks of one that had spent all her living on Physicians Luke 8. 43. But now Christ takes nothing from his Patients whether they be rich or poore He gives them their Physick freely Nay he gives rewards to all his Patients Other Physicians receive from their Patients but here the Patient receives from the Physician He provides meat drink attendance for all his Patients Christ is a nurse as well as a Physician You may see this in that Parable Luke 10. 34 35. Physicians are not bound to take care of their Patients in this sence but Christ doth 8. Christ offers himself Other Physicians stay till they be sent for No sick man expects a Physician till he be called he is glad if he can see him then but Christ comes without calling indeed he should never come if he did not come without a call The sick soule would die before he would send for Christ Other Physicians are intreated to come to the sick but here the sick are intreated to come to the Physician Matth. 11. 28. The work of the Ministery is to beseech sinners that they would be healed Vid. 2 Cor. 5. 20. Jesus Christ câ—me to seek and save that which was lost first to seek them then to save them 9. Christ doth not depart though he be reviled c. Other Physicians they absent themselves if they be unkindly used Who would expect a Physician should come daily to one that reproaches and reviles him yea to one that shuts the door on him when he comes much lesse to one that beats him c The sick sinner useth Christ uncivilly discourteously he frownes on him he shuts the door on him he reviles him he beates him and stones him and yet the Physician will not depart though he seem to be angry and to withdraw for a time yet returnes againe Christ will put up a thousand abuses rather then suffer one of his Elect to die in their sinnes Though Christ see that we throw his physick into his face that we teare and burn his bills in his presence that we send for Empyricks and prefer their advice before his yet he waits with patience and will not be driven away by the worst usage 10. Christ himselfe is the sick mans Physick Other Physicians do not heal their patients with their own flesh but Christ doth Other Physicians do sometimes take away the blood of their patients but Christ lets himself blood to heal his patients By his stripes we are healed Esay 53. 5. Christ makes a wound in himself to heale our wounds The Physician dies to save the patients life from the grave To him that loved us and washed away our sinnes with his blood Rev. 1. 5. Neither the guilt nor filth of one sin would have been removed if the Physicians blood had not been shed for it 11. Christ is a Chirurgion as well as a Physician 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprehends both The Uses 1. That Christ will kindly accept all endeavours of men for the healing of the spiritual distempers of their brethren He is a Physician for spiritual sores and those are most like him that desire to heale and dresse such sores as these are 2. Let men bring their souls to Christ Desperet nemo Present your selves before Christ he is a Physician yea he indeed is the onely Physician All others are meer Empiricks and Mountebanks they will cheat you they cannot heal you Those that would send you to works to duties to Angels c. they are destroyers of your souls Here is good news for a sick world that Christ is a Physician lay all your diseases before him See how men did for their bodily diseases Matth. 4. 24 do so by your spiritual diseases bring your ignorant hearts your proud hearts your impatient hearts your covetous hearts c. and lay them at Christs feet c. Here is Christs pool where he heales I shall lay down for the encouragement of sinners five Arguments against despaire of being healed viz. 1. How many Christ hath
well versed in the principles of Religion they can answer almost any question in Divinity and therefore they judge their estate to be very good I have three things to say concerning this head viz. 1. 'T is a very great mercy to have the knowledge of saving and spiritual things 'T is a happinesse to have a deep knowledge in natural things Humane knowleâ—â—◠〈…〉 could be seen iâ— far brightâ—◠〈…〉 star Knowledge never had neve◠〈◊〉 any enemy but ignorance What 〈◊〉 Solomon Eccl. 2. 13. He tells us that wisdoâ—â— excels 〈◊〉 as far as light excels darknesse But especially the knowledge of Divine things This is a rarâ— jewel indeed Knowledge is one of the excellencies of God He is a God of knowledge 1 Sam. 2. 3. Knowledge was one of the perfections of man in the state of Innocency A knowing man findes more content in knowledge even in the knowledge of natural things then ever they could finde in gold or silver or any such things You have heard of some that have cast away their outward estate that they might not be taken off from searching after knowledge But of all knowledge the knowledge of heavenly things is most excellent The price of this knowledge is better then wisdome and the merchandiâ—e of it then fine gold Prov. 3. 14 15. No outward gain in the world is comparable to the gaine of this knowledge By knowledge we come to know what is to be done what is not to be done what is to be believed what is to be rejected Hereby we are enabled to guid others to regulate our own action By knowledge the most principal and highest faculty of the soule the understanding comes to be enriched Knowledge makes a mans face to shine Many high commendations are given in Scripture to this precious pearle of knowledge To know spiritual things is a greater mercy by far then to be made Ruler over the whole world and to want knowledge He that wants knowledge is brutish he is under the curse of Nebuchadnezzar Dan 4. 16. Let a beasts heart be given him An ignorant man is more truly a beast then a man 2. It 's the duty of all that expect to be saved to labour after this knowledge God commands it often in Scripture Prov. 4. 5 6 7. Get wisdome get understanding Search the Scriptures John 5. 39. Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in you in all wisdome Col. 3. 16. An ignorant heart is a bad heart I mean a heart totally ignorant of the things of God for without knowledge the minde is not good Knowledge is as necessary unto practise as light is to action A man must know the Will of God before he can do it Ignorance is the mother of Popish Devotion but knowledge is the mother of true Devotion A Christian can do nothing acceptably without knowledge Want of knowledge is a destructive thing especially if it be where God affords the meanes of knowledge Esay 27. 11. Hos 4. 6. want of knowledge doth stir up Controversies between God and men Hos 4. 1. A man may go to hell for want of knowledge as well as for want of faith or other graces God puts such a high esteeme upon knowledge that he saith It is life eternal to know him and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 17 3. It 's the character of the worst of wicked men that they desire not the knowledge of Gods wayes Job 21. 14. Knowledge in its kind and degree is necessary to salvation as well as holinesse Why is piety in Scripture so often set out by the name of wisdom knowledge understanding but to let us see how necessary it is to the attainment of true Piety 3. It 's possible to be very knowing in spiritual things and yet to be in a sick conditiâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—sician may know the nature of all diseases and yet be sick of the worst of them A person may be well versed in the History of the Scriptures in the System of Divinity and yet for all that be in a bad condition as to his eternal state This I shall make good by these four Arguments 1. From the Apostles supposition 1 Cor. 13. 1 2. The Apostle supposeth a great measure of knowledge Very few men attain to that height of knowledge which is there supposed See the expressions To speak with the tongue of men and Angels To have the gift of prophecy which God bestowed upon many in the Primitive times to understaad all mysteries and all knowledge yet it s possible that all this may be without one spark of true grace Though a man could say all the Bible memoriter could resolve all the difficult cases in Divinity yet it s possible that such a man may be destitute of all saving grace 2. From experience There are at present there have been in former ages many knowing and learned men who had not the least measure of true holinesse Judas was without doubt a man of great knowledge We do not finde any thing in Scripture that he was inferior to any of the Apostles in notional knowledge He could for ought we find to the contrary preach as well as any of the Apostles and yet a very wicked man What need we instance in men when as the very devils are so great intelligent creatures their name carries knowledge in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gnarus peritus The devil understands Scripture as to the letter of iâ— farre more exactly then the best of men Now that which the worst of men and the worst of deâ—ils may attaine unto can be no infallible argument of a good estate We see by experience many drunkards swearers and debaucht men do in all manner of literal knowledge excel those that desire to feare God in uprightnesse The Pharisees were very knowing Rom. 2 18 19 20. 3. Natural abilities and education may help men to notional knowledge All this kind of knowledge is attained by industry and education by the concurrence of Gods ordinary blessing But now grace and holinesse is not by education or industry or from natural abilities but from the special grace of God Knowledge is but a common gift which is bestowed promiscuously upon the good and bad Now no common gift can entitle a man to Heaven 4. The Scripture doth not make knowledge simply but saving sanctified knowledge an evidence of salvation National knowledge may be without sanctifying knowledge Sanctified knowledge will evidence a mans condition to be good but notionall knowledge will not How shall a man know whether that knowledge he hath be a sanctified saving knowledge or meerly a notional knowledge I shall lay down these evidences of it and so shut up this point 1 Sanctified and saving knowledge is an humbling knowledge Meer literal knowledge swells and puffs up the heart 1 Cor. 8. 1. makes men conceited and proud and to despise others but holy knowledge makes the 〈…〉 self-denying See it in Asaph Psal 〈…〉
Sonne of righteousnesse Mal. 4. 2. All the Prophets and Apostles were but Scintillulae lucis little sparks of light meer glow-worms but Jesus Christ is an immense incomprehensible light Esay 9. 2. 3. They are lights that have some darknesse in them The clearest and brightest of the Prophets and Apostles were not without some darknesse and obscurity But Jesus Christ is light and in him there is no darknesse at all Christ is a light that hath no snuff in him He ever burns and shines brightly 4. They were lights that could not give sight They were not able to make men either see their light or follow their light They could not give eyes to the blinde but Jesus Christ is such a light as can give sight He can open the blinde eyes He can over-power the soul to follow the light 5. They were setting lights They when they had runne their course left shining they were wasting decaying lights John Baptist was a burning and shining light but now he is neither as to this world onely his example and Doctrine shines still in the Scripture But Jesus Christ is an everlasting light He hath been shining ever since that promise made to Adam Gen. 3. 15. and he shall be a light for ever and ever He is the light of grace here and he shall be the light of glory in heaven The Uses are Information Exhortation Consolation 1. Information In foure particulars First Behold the necessity of Christ He is as necessary for the soul as light is for the body Light is a very needful and pleasant thing Jesus Christ is as necessary as he is pleasant Secondly The miserable condition of such as want an interest in Christ Whether they be Nations or Persons their condition is marvellous sad They are indeed in a state of darknesse The Scripture affirmes all to be in darknesse that are without Christ Eph. 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darknesse c. Luke 1. 79. Esay 9. 2. The people that sate in darknesse have seen a great light Where this day-star did never yet shine 't is yet mid-night with that soul A dark condition is a very miserable condition The misery of it will appear in three particulars 1 A dark condition is a condition of feare Those that can be bold in the light are usually surprized with feares in darknesse A black day is a terrible day Job 3. 5. Let the blackness of the day terrifie it Those that are without Jesus Christ are subject to many terrours and fears which the children of light are delivered from The Scripture makes mention of horrible dread which the wicked are exposed unto The name of Pashur may be given to every one that is without Christ Magor Missabib Jer. 20. 3. because they are liable to such shaking pannick feares Prov. 28. 1. The â—â—cked 〈◊〉 when no man pursueth them God threatens fears to the wicked as their portion Lev. 26. 3â— I will send a faintnesse in their hearts the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them Wicked men are sometimes without actual shakings they have some kinde of Joy Peace and Security But 1 They are alwayes liable to feares They are under guilt which lays the foundation of fear 2 Their peace when it seems to be most strong and settled is presently upon the least spark of Gods anger thrown into their consciences turned into terror We have an instance of it in Belshazzar Dan. 5. 5 6. The least manifestation of Gods anger dashes all their joy and creates great trembling in their spirits The Prophet sets out this terrour by an excellent Metaphor Esay 5â— 20. The sea is sometimes so calme and smooth that you may cast a dye upon the face of it but one quarter of an houres tempest puts it into a dreadful combustion 2 A dark condition is a misguiding condition 'T is full of wandrings When men want the light of this world how do they mislead others how easily are they mislead by others He that walketh in darknesse saith our Saviour knoweth not whither he goeth John 12. 35. Those that are without Jesus Christ are in a spirituall maze or labyrinth They mislead all that follow them they are mislead by every blinde guide that goes before them Men that are without Christ are great wanderers You may easily carry them into the most dangerous wayes This is the true reason of all those sad â—andâ—ings and deviations of men from the truth of God and from the old wayes of holinesse which are at this very day Though they pretend not onely light but a greater measure of light then others have attained unto yet the truth is they want this true light this coelestial light and therefore are carried away after the shining of every ignis fatuus that Satan casts in their way They wander from verity to falshood from a seeming strictnesse to prophanenesse from one corrupt principle to another till they turn meere Skepticks meere Atheists without all Religion The Apostle calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 13. to whom if they returne not from their wandrings is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever 3 A dark condition is a condition unfit for action We call darknesse blinde mans holy-day because in darknesse a seeing man can work no more then a blinde man When that fearful darknesse was over the land of Egypt they did not stir from their seats for three dayes together Exod. 10. 23. Man goeth forth to his work and labour until the evening Psal 104. 23. When the black shadow of the night hath drawn the curtaine of nature over the world then are instruments of working laid aside Those that are without Jesus Christ are unfit for any spiritual work They can neither pray nor repent nor beleeve c. Whatever work of this nature they take in hand they spoile it utterly They mar all the work of God for want of light John 15. 5. The Apostle tells us that the natural man doth not understand the things of the Spirit neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 〈…〉 to polishâ— a jewel a◠〈…〉 as man that i◠〈…〉 is able handsomly to perfect any 〈…〉 This is the second inference the misery of men without Christ 3 The excellency of Jesus Christ Light is a very excellent and glorious creature Truly light is pleasant saith Solomon and a joyful thing it is for the eyes to see the Sun Eccl. 11. 7. Jesus Christ is an excellent and precious person He is very pleasant and desirable to those that have eyes to behold him He is all things spiritually to the soule which it wants which it can desire bread drink physick life rayment light all in all The Scripture speaks much of his glory and brightnesse No creature comparable to the light for glory God is therefore said to be cloathed with light as with a garment Psalme 104. 2. Christ is unglorious to the eyes of blinde men so the Prophets foretold Esay 53. 2 3. But
whom the birth of Christ was first preâ—ched Luke 2. 8. Jesus Christ is the desender of his sheep he preserves them carefully from them that would devoure them The Devil hath been way-laying them and attempting upon them ever since the fall of Adam and yet the eye o◠〈…〉 was so diligent and watchful 〈…〉 â—ver able to get the least lamb o◠〈…〉 shall he ever be able to gaine one o◠〈…〉 they be all folded up in heaven The sheep of Christ are all sealed in their foreheads so we reade Rev. 7. 3 4. Why are they sealed First they are sealed for distinction Secondly they are sealed for secrecy Thirdly they are sealed for security Neither men nor devils can break open this seale This similitude is used Cant. 4. 12. A garden enclosed a spring shut up a fountaine sealed under all those expressions is set out the fence which Christ makes about his sheep for their preservation Though Christ sometime suffer their bodies to be torne and devoured by men and though he suffer their soules to be assaulted yet he will not suffer their soules to be destroyed He did once lay down his life for them John 10. 11 15. and having died for them he will preserve them There is a six-fold defence which Christ sets upon every sheep for his preservation from Satan 1 His death The grave of Christ is a fold in which the sheep sleep safely his Sepâ—lcher is a hedge about the Church I mean the vertue and merit of his death Jesus Christ by his death hath overcome the Devil and all his Host Col. 2. 15. he hath taken him captive and delivered the sheep out of his hands Now so long as the death of Christ is in force and in force it shall be for ever and ever the sheep shall be defended The sea of Christs blood doth encompasse every sheep of the fold and Satan must either wade thorough or dry up 〈…〉 before he can annoy the sheep as 〈…〉 eternal salvation Roare and rage he may mine or teare in pieces he cannot the bottomlesse sea of Christs blood flows continually about them 2 His intercession The Scripture makes mention of the Advocateship of Christ for his people Heb. 7. 25. He lives for ever to make intercession therefore he is able to save 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Advocateship of Christ hath three properties First it is full Secondly 't is constant Thirdly 't is effectual This intercession is the sâ—eeps safe-guarâ— Christ must â—e outed from the work of mediation before any of his sheep can be eternally hurt and outed he cannot be for his Priest-hood is an everlasting Priest-hood Ps 110. 4. Thou art a Priest for ever c. 3 The presence of Christ We learn from Scripture that Jesus Christ is ever present with his sheep he is not one moment absent from the fold â—e by his spiritual presence lodgeth with them every night and walks with them all the day Of this presence of Christ the Holy Ghost speakâ— Rev. 14. 1. He stands on the Mount Sion he stands not in a running posture but in a watching posture The devil must drive Christ from his standing before he can snatch away any of the sheep for he stands there as a guard to them 4 The mystical union between him and the sheep The Scripture makes mention of this union John 17. 23. I in them and Thou in me Every sheep grows in the Shepherds side as a member of his body Now this union is an indissoluble union As the natural union between the Sonne and the Father can 〈…〉 so neither can the 〈…〉 Christ and the sheep 〈…〉 and mighty hedge about the sheep 〈…〉 must drag Christ to hell before he can 〈…〉 any of the sheep thither for they are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh 5 The promise of Christ Jesus Christ hath engaged his Word and this engagement is recorded in the Scriptures that the gates of Hell shal not prevaile against the Church Maâ— 16. 18. This promise is not a rash indiscreet but a deliberate sober advised promise 'T is not the promise of a fraudulâ—nt person but of a faithful Saviour for he is the Amen the faithful and tâ—ue witnesse Rev. 3. 14. This promise is the Churches safety Satan must disannul this before he can devour the sheep and disannulled it cannot be for his Word endureth for ever in heaven 6 His recommending of them to his Father Jesus Christ a little before his death made his last Will and Testament In this Testament amongst other things he did solemnly commâ—nd the tuition of his sheep to his Fathers care intreating him by all the dearnesse between them that he would preserve them from the devil and all his evil designes against them This is set down fully John 17. 11. 15. he had received them from the Father upon his recommendation v. 9. and he had kept them safe while he was with them now he intreats the Father that as he had kept them upon his recommendation so he would now likewise for his sake undertake the tuition of them v. 12. While I was in the world I kept them c. So long as Christs Testament is in force so long as God 〈…〉 of Christs bequeathment and accept of iâ— he will for ever the sheep shall be safe 4. A Shepherd gathers his sheep when they are sâ—attered When either by dogs or stormes or by their own voâ—untary wandring they have been dispersed the Shepherds work is to gather them againe Ezek 34. 12. Jesus Christ is a good Shepherd in this respect the sheep are wanton they wander and stray Christ reduceth them brings them to the fold How often doth every sheep wander so often as they wander doth Christ reduce them You know the parable Luke 15. 4 5 6 c. And he will never leave till he have gathered them into heaven where they shall scatter no more He gathers them from their first dispersion in unregeneracy when they wander upon the mounts of profanenesse and unbelief c. When they are scattered by persecution temptation c. he still gathers them He gathered them when they were scattered in Babylon in the dispersion in the Apostles dayes of which you read Acts 8. He hath Gentile sheep scattered Jewish sheep dispersed both these will he gather the Gentiles John 10. 16. the Jews 2 Chr. 16. 6 7 8 9. One end of the Ministery is to gather the scattered sheep who were never converted One end of the Minâ—stery and discipline is to gather them that wander after conversion See the office of Christ to this purpose Eph 1. 10. He is the Centre in which all things meet All are to be gathered together by him to him and in him his meaning is all the Elect are gathered to a head as the word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Christ who is the Head of the body and at theâ— day 〈…〉 he will gather them all 〈…〉 that they shall be
of the incense out of the Angels hand before God notes the complacency that God takes through Christ in the obedience of his Saints Put these together and see whether Christ do not bring forth pleasant fruit All the Vineyards in the world cannot shew such grapes for pleasantnesse as these are 2. He brings forth profitable fruit The wine that comes out of this Vine doth chear and refresh and strengthen and make glad and that not the outward man but the soule and conscience also which no other wine can do If I should go over all these fruits againe and shew you the advantage which beleevers have by them you would then say they were profitable fruits Healing fruits and strengthning fruits and quickning fruits They remove all fears they bring in all joy c. 3. He brings forth plenty of fruit I have named many but I have named but a few in respect of what I might name All the graces of his Spirit are the fruits which he brings forth saith love meeknesse perseverance c. All the promises are his fruits eternity will be too short to measure all the fruits which grow on this Vine This is the second resemblance 3. In regard of the shadow which he casts over the Church The Vine is a shadowy plant it is in regard of the 〈…〉 fittest of any plant for sâ—adowing 〈…〉 Arbors of the vine Micah 4. 4. 〈…〉 shadow to his Church The Scripture calls hiâ— a shadow Esay 32. 2. A hiding place from the winde a covert form the tempest the shadow of a great rock in a weary land the words are spoken of Christ as is clear from the first verse Behold a King shall reigne in righteousnesse he who is there called a King is afterwards called a shadow I sate under Cant 2. 3. his shadow so Jesus Christ is called the Churches onely shadow 1. He is a shadow to defend them from his Fathers wrath God is in himself a consuming fire So the Apostle Heb. 12. 29. His anger is declared against all the sinnes of men He can as well cease to be as cease to be displeased against sinne in whomsoever it is Now Jesus is the Beleevers shadow to preserve him from being burnt by his wrath Yea Christ hath by satisfying his Fathers Justice for sinne quenched this wrath as to beleevers and this satisfaction is such a thick shadow that whensoever the beleever retreats to it and sits under it the wrath of God cannot reach him to hurt him the Screen of Christs perfect satisfaction doth continually stand between God and the beleever to preserve him from the fury of Divine anger The wrath of God must kindle upon Christ before it can kindle upon the beleever and upon Christ it cannot kindle He hath once born the wrath of God and by bearing it hath for ever quenched it Since Christ hath made himselfe a sacrifice for sinne once God hath many wayes declared that he is well pleased with him Abide under his shadowy vine ye that are beleevers the wrath of God cannot come neeâ—e you 2. He is a shadow to defend them from the deâ—isâ— rage Satan is full of rage against the godly They have broke out of his prison they have renounced his service they have proclaimed perpetual war against him and his kingdom they have by the grace of conversion blotted his Name out of their hearts this fills him with rage against them He is continually way-laying them he is daily fighting with them he never ceaseth to tempt them that he may destroy them 1 Pet. 5. 8. Jesus Christ is a shadow to preserve his Church from the fury of this destroyer By his death he hath broken his head Col. 2. 15. By his intercession he doth safegard his from all the attempts he makes upon them Luke 22. 31 32. The devil must overcome Christ he must pluck off all the leaves of this Vine before he can devoure the soule of a beleever Retreat to Christ by faith when Satan hunts you and continue here and you may laugh at Satan and all his assaults 3. He is a shadow to defend them from the fury of men The world is a bitter enemy to the servants of Christ They cannot walk after the fashion of the world they cannot but reprove the wickednesse of the world both by their lives and by their speeches too as they have occasion This makes the men of the world madde against them you may see this both in the Old and in the New Testament In the Old Testament Gen. 19. 9. they were ready to tear Lot in pieces because he reproved their filthy wickednesse In the New Testamen◠〈…〉 4. because the godly cannot drink of 〈…〉 â—â—ters they do therefore do they 〈…〉 Jesus Christ is a shadow to preserve them from the worlds fury He did by his death obtaine victory as well over the world as over the devil John 16. 33. and he doth shadow his Church in the world from the rage of the world Some particular members of his Church are perhaps overcome by the world but the body of the Church can never be overcome And for the particular persons or Churches that are ruined by them their ruine tends to their own personal salvation and to the preservation of the whole body the blood of particular persons or Churches is a sanctified seed which tends to the enlargement of the Church Universal 4. In regard of the influenâ—ial Communications from him to the Branches This is that which is especially meant in this place beleevers are compared to the Branches Christ to the Vine As the Vine doth communicate sap and nourishment to the Branches so doth Christ communicate spiritual sap and nourishment to beleevers All the Churches springs are in Christ Psal 87. 7. Beleevers have nothing but what comes from him Beleevers can do nothing that is good but by assistance from him He is the strength of their strength the wisdome of their wisdome God hath put all their stock and portion into his hands They have their dependance on him they have all their supply from him This is that which is laid down ver 5. of this Chapter Without me or severed from me ye can do nothing Of this I shall speak more in the next Doctrine 3. The excellency of Christ above all other vines He hath the preheminence in these seven respects 1. Christ is a Vine immediately of Gods planting Other Vines are the plantations of men 'T is true In the Creation God did by the Word of his power without the help of any creature cause the Vine as he did all other plants to spring Gen. 2. 4 5. But since the creation of man upon the earth these plants are the work of his hands We read of a vineyard planted by Noah after the flood Gen. â—9 20. and we see that since to this day vines are still set by the hands of men But Jesus Christ â—s the meer plantation of God alone God prepared him a body
Heb. 10. â— God appointed him for the work of Redemption It could never have entred into the heart of man nor into the understanding of Angels to have planted the Son of God as a Vine for the bearing and feeding of man-kind This is that which our Saviour himself declares v. 1. of this chapter I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman This order of grace that Christ should be the head of life and salvation that the Elect should be ingraffed into him and saved by him is appointed and set by God alone He is the author of this Divine husbandry Men wonder at it the Angels of heaven do to this very day admire it and shall admire it to eternity but God himself is the onely Inventor and Author of it It is a work of Gods doing and it is and will be and ought to be marvellous in our eyes Psal 118. 23. Behold I â—ay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tried stone c. Esay 28. 16. This foundation had never been laid this Vine had never been plaâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 selfe had not done 〈…〉 dry 2. Christ is a Vine that doth 〈…〉 â—â—rish Other vines are not alwayes 〈…〉 depth of Winter they have neither leaves noâ— fruit when the vintage is over they are empty vines But Christ is a Vine that iâ— continually green the vintage is never over with this Vine he knows noâ— winter Jesuâ— Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13. 8. He keeps his vigor and freshnesse from generationâ— to generation Jesus Christ flourishes now as gloriously as ever he did since the first day he was planted and he will be as green and lively to the end of the world as now he is A few yeares put an end to the life of all other vines they have their infancy a time when they do not bear and they have their full growth a time when they are in their height and they have their old age a time when they are past fruit but Christ knows no such changes he did beare fruit the very first moment of his planting and there will never be a time when he will cease bearing It is alwayes vintage-time with Jesus Christ Never did the eye of man see him empty never shall eye see him withering He is called a tree of life Rev. 22. 12. because neither mortality nor old age shall ever betide him 3. Christ is a Vine whose fruits never abate Go to the fullest vine that ever grew upon the earth and pluck off but one cluster and there is a clusteâ— lesse if you take away but one berry there is a diminution But Jesus Christ knows no abatement All the Patriachs all the Prophetâ— all the Apostles the Saâ—nts iâ— the Olâ— Testament ever since Adam the Saints in the New Testament to this day have been feeding upon him and yet there is not one clustâ—â— lesse then there was at first He hath not lost one berry since his first plantation The reason is that which the Apostle mentions Col. 2. 9. In him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily Fulnesse is in Christ all fulnesse is in him all fulnesse is in him bodily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is personally not onely in regard of efficacy and assistance as in the Saints but in regard of hypostatical and personal union and then all this fulnesse dwells in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dwells in him inseparably dwells in him undecayingly â—ather never so much fruit from this Vine and yet he still retains his fulnesse We beheld his glory saith the Evangelist full of grace and truth John 1. 14. All the old Saints had been eating of him since Adam to that day and yet he was still full of grace and so he continues as full as if his fruit had never been touched with hands nor tasted by any of his Elect. 4. Christ is a Vine of greater extâ—â—tion then other vines Earthly vines are but of a small compasse A few yards will measure both their length and breadth but Christ is a Vine of great dimension his Branches reach all the world over He hath some Branches in all Nations under heaven Rev. 7. 9. This Vine spreads it self into all the quarters of the world Asia and Europe and Africâ— and America this Vine grows in all these parts of the world The Universal Church is the Vine-yard this Church is dispersed thoroughout all Nations and every member of this Church is an 〈…〉 Vine 5. Christ is such a Vine as 〈…〉 of his Branches Other vines are often 〈…〉 their branches even of those branches thâ—â— were truly ingraffed every child can rob â—â— of its branches But this Vine can never lose a Branch some branches there are that are seemingly ingraffed they are ingraffed onely in regard of visible profession these may be broken off and burned yea they shall be ver 6. of this Chapter But for the Branches that are really implanted they can never be taken away All the strength of men and devils is not able to divide one Branch from the Vine Every Branch of the Vine doth tend to the mystical perfection of the Vine the Saints are the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Eph. 2. ult He cannot lose one of them without empaiting himself The devil hath been plucking and hewing but he was never yet able to break off the weakest Branch 6. Christ is a Vine whose fruit seeds the soule Other vines they onely bring forth fruit for the body The outward man is cheared and nourished by the grape and by the liquor of the grape But now Christ is a Vine whose fruits are for the soule Wine for the conscience for the soule comes out of the fruit of this Vine When the heart is cold by reason of inward fears this Wine warmes it when the heart is heated by reason of violent temptations this Wine will coole it when the soule is ready to die this Wine will revive it 7. Christ is a Vine whose fruits never surfet The fruit of all material vines if it be taken immoderately breeds distempers and sicknesses Noah drunk of the Wine of his vine yard and was drunk Gen. 9. 21. many bereave themselves of their health and of their wits too by the excessive use of the fruit of the vine we have too many examples of this But the fruits of this mystical Vine have no surfetting quality A man cannot take too much of them Eat O friend drink yea drink abundantly O beloved Cant. 5. 1. The sicknesse and the death of the soule ariseth not from the immoderate using but from the refusing of the fruits of this Vine â— 8. A Vine that never costs any of his fruits He brings all his fruits to perfection The Uses of this Point 1. This may help us to understand that speech of Christ when he saith This is my body and my flesh is meat indeed c. John 6. 53 54 55. The Papists understand it in
a proper sense as if the bread were changed into the substance of his body c. They are angry with the Protestants because they will not beleeve it Amongst many reasons which overthrow that fond interpretation this and such like other figurative speeches may help us to understand that Christ sometimes calls himself the light sometimes the door and here the Vine not as if he were substantially changed into these things but to shew the spiritual resemblance which is between him and these corporal things Why there should be any more change of substance when Christ saith this is my body then when Christ saith I am the door I am the Vine I cannot see but God hath upon the blinde Papists fulfilled that threatning 2 Thes 〈…〉 â—â—dicially blinded their 〈…〉 antiscriptural opinions 〈…〉 2. See the excellency and 〈…〉 All these comparisons are but to convinc◠〈◊〉 carnal soules of Christs transcendent excellency Christ hath in a spiritual sense al the good properties of the Vine and of all the fruits of the Vine He hath all the excellencies of Wine I name foure I. Wine nourisheth It helps digestion Christ is a great nourisher the soul would decay and dwindle to nothing if Christ did not continually nourish it and feed it 2. Wine is a comforter Psal 104. 15. Jesus Christ is the great comforter of the soul When the soul droops and languisheth when it 's cast down and dejected the love and presence of Christ doth chear it again Ps 21. 6. David confesseth it in Ps 23. 3. He restoreth my soul Jesus Christ is the souls restorer 3 Wine emboldneth Being a spiritual creature it doth raise the spirits and being moderately used puts courage into the fearful Jesus Christ doth embolden the soul His presence and his grace fills the soul with a holy courage he that was fearful dares now speak for God and act for God the very tydings of Christs coming expels feare from the hearts of his people Esay 35. 3 4. There is no true valour in the soul till Christ be there All the souls confidence is built on Christ and on Christ alone We have no boldnesse in prayer no boldnesse in approaching to God in any Ordinance but is communicated by and from Jesus Christ Heb. 10 19. 4 Wine is healing Some kind of wines are prefer bed for the healing inward of distempers c. The Samaritan poured oyle and wine Luk. 10. 34. Christ is a great heales he heales broken hearts and wounded spirits and all inward distempers whatsoever There is no health in the soul till Christ be there Vnto you that fear my Name shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings Mal. 4. 2. Christ is that tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the Nations Rev. 22. 2. Christ is an excellent and precious person Never look upon the Vine never see the fruit of the Vine but meditate on Jesus Christ JOHN 15. 5. Ye are the branches XV. SERM. at Mary Wolnoth Lon. Octob. 24. 1652. I Go on to the description of beleevers in reference to Christ as it is laid down in these words Ye are the Branches The Observation will be this viz. Doct. That all true Beleevers are spiritual Branches ingraffed into Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is the royal Stock and all Beleevers are mystical Branches of this Stock The Scripture asserts this priviledge in many places Rom. 6. 5. If we have been planted together in the likenesse of his death we shall be also in the likenesse of his Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is there compared to the Root and Beleevers to the Branches or Cions that grow in this Root Erasmus therefore translates it very fitly Insititii ingraffed or implanted The Apostle sets down this mystery under another apt similitude of the foundation-stone of a house and the superstructory stones Eph. 2. 20 21. Christ is compared to the foundation and the Beleevers to stones built upon that foundation Ye are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone in 〈◊〉 the whole building fitly framed together 〈◊〉 â—nto â—â— holy Tâ—mple in the Lord. There are 〈◊〉 wayes of being Branches of Christ The one is by external profession onely In this respect all that are members of the visible Church are Branches of Christ Thus the Apostle saith that all the Gentiles when they were called into the Church by the preaching of the Gospel were graffed into Christ Rom. 11. 17. the Metaphor is often used in that Chapter This is not that ingraffing which I shall now handle For though it be an honour and priviledge to be a branch of Christ in this general way yet is it not a saving priviledge A man may be a Branch of Christ in this respect and yet at last be cut off and burned So our Saviour saith in the verse after the Text. The other way of being graffed or made a Branch of Christ is by the grace of union Thus all true Beleevers and onely true Beleevers are made Branches This is that which the Apostle elsewhere calls being members of Christ Eph. 5. 30. and dwelling in Christ John 6. 56. and putting on Christ Gal. 3. 27. That they are made Branches of Christ besides these testimonies of Scripture it will appeare from the Sacraments both of Baptisme and the Supper This is the plaine language of both the Sacraments 1. Baptisme speaks it 'T is the seal and signe of this ingraffing This is clear from two texts before cited the one Rom. 6. 5. If we have been planted together into the likenesse of his death How is that see verse before We are buried with him by Baptisme unto death The other iâ— Gal. 3. 27. As many of you as have been Baptized into Christ have put on Christ Nor as if all baptized persons were really made Branches but because this is sealed in Baptisme as the priviledge of all Beleevers They are as certainly made Branches of Christ invisibly and mystically as all that are baptized are made members of the Church visibly and externally 2. The Supper of the Lord doth also speak it Our eating and drinking of Christ Sacramentally is a seat and pledge of our being ingraffed into him spiritually This is cleare from that Text I cited before John 6. 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him We are therefore nourished by his flesh and blood because we are united to his body In the handling of this Doctrine two things are to be opened by way of Explication 1. How we are made Branches of Christ 2. What benefit we have by being so For the first How men are made Branches of Christ There are three things which concur to this work of the souls ingraffing into Christ The Word of God The Spirit of God Justifying Faith 1. The Word of God The Word preached is the ordinary and common mediate instrument whereby this great
When Jesus Christ comes to the soul he brings joy to the soule Esay 9. 3. They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest and as mon rejoyce when they divide the spoile When the Eunuch had his soul bedewed with this raine He went on his way rejaycing Acts 8. 39. The ground of his rejoycing you may see v. 32 33 35. Philip had acquainted him with Christ and Christ upon Philips preaching had rained down a soaking shower upon his soule that created a holy gladnesse in his heart Christ is the onely cheerer of the heart He can remove spiritual melancholy he can take off spiritual heaviness and put unspeakable joy into the soule 'T is true many of the members of Christ want spiritual joy This ariseth either from the restraining of this raine or from their not discerning of this raine When ever the distressed soul shall come to the feeling of these showers it will rejoyce and be no more sad The Doctrine of Christ is a cheering Doctrine The whole Doctrine is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Doctrine of good tidings All the Ordinances of Christ are cheering Ordinances I will make them joyful in my house of prayer God hath planted Jesus Christ as a root of joy to his people As he is a plant of salvation so he is a plant of consolation no joy is either real or lasting which is not bottomed upon Jesus Christ That soul that hath received this raine into his heart shall have some joy here and he shall have everlasting full soul-satisfying joy in Christ and with Christ and from Christ in the other world This is the second Christ is like raine in respect of usefulnesse 3. Christ is like the raine if we consider the manner of its descending There is a great similitude between the manner of Christs descension upon the soule and the descension of the rain upon the earth I shal instance in seven particulars First The raine comes down successively and gradually now a little and then a little The raine doth not fall down all at once but it comes now a shower and then a shower as the earth stands in need of it God pierces now one cloud and then another in a pleasant succession Jesus Christ comes now a little and then a little as the condition of the soule requires A drop in one Ordinance and a drop in another Ordinance A shower falls in this Sermon and a shower at another Sermon This is that which the Prophet mentions Esay 28. 10. Precept must be upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little Now one comforting influence comes down and then another now one quickning impulsion then another now one promise is rained down then another 1 Jesus Christ would have his people in a constant dependance on himself 2 He would have them wait constantly upon every Ordinance 3 He would not have them surfet either upon his Doctrines or comforts therefore he observes a succession in his distillations of good things upon them 4 He would have every Doctrine and every comfort soak into their hearts Luke 9. 44. 5 Christ would have nothing lost which he is pleased to bestow 6 Christ would endear every drop of his grace to his people 7 The soules of his people are like narrow mouth'd vessels they cannot receive much at once without spilling 8 We are such bad husbands that Christ dares not trust us with much at once For these and such like reasons doth he cause all he gives to distill in a way of succession Jesus Christ doth in a way of wisdome parcel out all the good which he raines down upon the souls of his people Secondly The rain comes down irresistibly When God doth by his Word of command speak to the cloud to distil its moisture upon the earth it is not in the power of all the creatures in heaven and earth to hinder its falling down As the clouds cannot open their own veines till God give the word no more can they â—â—â—â—ch themselves when God sets them a bleeding Jesus Christ comes down upon the hearts of men with an irresistible power and efficacy whether we understand it of his Doctrine or of his Scepter or of the influences of his Spirit he doth descend with a forcible and mighty power His Word is called a powerful Word Heb. 4. 12. The Word of the Lord is quick and powerful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His Scepter is called a Scepter of strength Psal 110. 2. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Sion His Spirit is a Spirit of might and it s said to work mightily in the hearts of his people Col. 1. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let Pelagians and Arminians talk what their wilde fancy dictates of the resâ—stibility of grace the Scripture mentions no such thing the raine will come down whether men will or no and let the earth be never so hard it will soak into it When Christ by his Word and Spirit descends it is with a mighty power that the soul is not able to resist it I shall shew the power of Christs Word Spirit and Scepter in three great works Conviction Conversion Consolation To speak particularly to these 1. For Conviction When Christ comes down with an intention thoroughly to convince the conscience of sinne and righteousnesse the soul though it may stand out for a time yet it is through the mighty smitings of Christs Word and Spirit so powerfully over-ruled that it cannot but yield we have an instance of this in Paul Act. 9. 6. Jesus Christ doth with such an invincible evidence come upon his conscience that though he was in a violent motion carried on in a contrary course yet he yields up himselfe as a prisoner into his hands crying out Lord what wilt thou have me do He hath no strength to stand out any longer nay not so much as to dispute it with Christ Of this convincing power the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. Jesus Christ when he comes down with a purpose to bridle the conscience doth deal so effectually that the proudest sinner is brought upon his knees and made to passe sentence against himself Yea with such a mighty power doth he come down upon the soule that even those who are not savingly brought in have their mouths stopped and are unable to say any thing for themselves Thus it was with those that brought the woman taken in the act of Adultery to Christ John 8. 9. They were so mightily convicted by the Word and Spirit of Christ that they were not able to abide in his presence but shrunk away one by one as men self-condemned Thus it was when Christ descended in the word of Stephen Acts 6. 10. Though they would not yield yet they were so powerfully convinced that they could not resist the Spirit by which he spake Christ doth so demonstratively smite the conscience that carnal reasoning hath no door of evasion Of this powerful
At another time the raine falls plentifully when no shower is expected Jesus Christ comes down upon the soules of his people many times when they look for no influences from him the Church observes this Cant. 6. 11 12. I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded Or ever I was aware my soul made me like the chariots of Aminadab Here a shower fell upon her head when she did not look for it The soul sometimes comes to an Ordinance ful of misgiving thoughts expecting no good and before it depart it 's wet from top to toe with the distillations of Christs Spirit The Church found it so when she had the least reason that could be to expect it Cant. 5. 5. She might have expected to have found flames of brimstone in regard of her dealings with Christ and behold she findes the droppings of sweet-smelling myrrh Sometimes in the night-watches Christ raines upon the soule when it never expects any such thing David made his bed to swim Psalme 6. 6. he could not have watered his couch with his teares if Christ had not first watered his heart with his grace Sometimes the soule comes to the Throne of grace parched with hardnesse perhaps as dry as the rock in the Wildernesse and Christ suddenly sends down a shower that it goes savourâ—y weeping from his presence Did not our hearts burne within us while he talked with us by the way Luke 24. 32. Jesus Christ did desâ—end suddenly upon them while they were in conference with him Sometimes a servant of God takes the book of God into his hand when his soul is dry and withered and before he hath read half a Chapter he findes the clouds melting and his soul bedewed with a shower of grace never did a shower comedown so suddenly as the grace of Christ hath sometimes comedown upon the soul Fifthly The raine comes down not for its own benefit but for the benefit of the earth What advantage hath the cloud by all the moisture that drops down from it It empties it selfe that it may enrich the ground Jesus Christ doth by his Word and Spirit and Scepter descend for the benefit of men His Doctrine the influences of his Grace are for the enriching of his Elect. Christ came down at first in his incarnation for our sakes 2 Cor. 8. 9. and all his other descensions are for our good For the filling of our empty soules for the quickning of our dead souls for the comforting of our straitned and distressed souls it is that Christ comes still down into the world His preaching his knocking his striving is onely and meerly for our benefit What profit is it to God that thou are righteous Job 22. 3. Christ hath no more advantage by all the drops he sends down upon thy soule then the clouds have for all the showers they let fall upon the earth Sixthly The rain comes down variously sometimes after a more stormy manner sometimes after a milder manner Christ comes down somtimes by promises comforts enlargments in a way of mildness sometimes he descends in a way of severity by rebukes threatnings The Church hath as much need of stormy showers as milder showers of cold raine as of warmer drops Christs more angry drops are as useful for his people as his more pleasant drops His chiding and frowning distillations make his comforting droppings more sweet His milder showers comfort us but his stormy showers try us more If Christ should not rebuke us as well as comfort us he would indeed lose us The great raine of his anger keeps us from stragling when â—he small raine of his love occasions us to wander Seventhly The raine comes down plentifully Not a drop or two but whole showers Though it come not down all at once yet as much comes down as is useful for the earth Jesus Christ comes down plentifully he doth not scant the soul he doth not give one comfort but many comforts Eat O friends drink abundantly Cant. 5. 1. He hath enough in him to give The soul wants more then a little He is not niggardly but bountiful therefore he gives plentifully and then as the raine falls down in many places at once so doth Christ All the earth for many miles together is sometimes rained upon at oâ—e and the same time the rain waters many fields at once Jesus Christ comes down abundantly he can if he please water many soules yea many Congregations at once So many Churches so many Fleeces so many Congregations so many Pastures Christ can rain upon this Congregation and he can water other Congregations at the same time Jesus Christ if â—e pleaseâ—â— an send down such a shower as shall water every Congregation yea every soul in the world aâ— one and the same time As the drops of a shower cannot be numbred no more can the drops which fall from Jesus Christ upon his Church If we receive not plentifully from Christ 't is because we ask not plentifully For the third particular Quae disproportio And here I shall shew the excellency of Christ above all material raine in six particulars 1. Christ comes down from the highest heavens The raine descends from the visible heavens Philosophers divide the aire into three Regions the highest the middle and the lowest Region Now they all hold that the raine descends onely from the middle Region there it is generated and from thence it descends upon the earth But now Jesus Christ comes down from the invisible Heavens There he sits at the right hand of God Acts 5. 31. and from thence doth every drop which distills upon the hearts of men descend This is that which Peter tells the Jewes Act 2. 33. Being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which now ye see and hear All the good of his Word of his Scepter of his Spirit comes down from the Heaven of heavens There the royal throne is and from thence doth the raine fall You must look above the highest Region of the aire yea above the highest star in the firmament if you expect any drop from Jesus Christ 2. The raine that descends upon the earth doth first ascend from the earth A cloud which is the womb of the raine is a cold and moist vapour exhaled by the heat of the Sunne out of the earth or waters into the middle Region of the aire where it is by the cold condensed and there hangeth till by the heat it be dissolved into a shower So that the showers which do drop upon the earth are first drawn out of the earth Psal 135. 7. But now all the drops which distil from Christ are generated in heaven Jesus Christ is not beholden to the earth to furnish him What ever he distils either in his Word or by his Spirit is originally in and from himself
of the Israelites out of Egypt into Canaan which place was assigned unto them by lot as we reade in the book of Joshuah Then were the Jews in a more conspicuous manner formed into one Polity or Common-wealth and from that time the separation began That which made this separation was the Ceremonial worship which God established in that Church or Nation according to which they and their posterity were to worship God This separation continued from that time untill the death and resurrection of Christ During all this long tract of time there was a manifest separation between the Jew and the Gentile But now Christ hath as a corner stone made a firme union between these two so that the Jew and Gentile are brought together under the same worship This is done by the abolition of the Ceremonial Law Christ hath taken down this wall of separation and so made both one Church The Apostle treats largely of this in Eph. 2. 13 14 15 16. He is our peace who hath made both one and broken down the middle wall of partition between us c. The Jew and the Gentile are now made one house by the death of Christ 2 In reference to the spiritual union of beleeleevers one with another We reade often in Scripture of spiritual fellowship and communion between beleevers The Apostle Phil. 2. 1. speaks of the fellowship of the Spirit and Phil. 1. 5. He makes mention of their fellowship in the Gospel So 1 John 1. 7. saith the Apostle If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another This spiritual communion or fellowship doth consist First In mutual affection one to another One Saint loves another though they have never seen the faces one of another Secondly In participation of the same graces and priviledges They are all like one another They partake of the same gifts of the same Graces the same Reconciliation the same Adoption the same Sanctification the same Salvation that belongs to one belongs to them al. This is that which the Apostle mentions Eph. 4. 4 5 6. From hence it is that the Scripture calls the salvation of the Elect Common-salvation Jude 3. because it's common to all the Elect. The same graces which are wrought in one Saint are wrought in another though perhaps different in degree Thirdly In the performing of mutual offices one to another They pray one for another they give thanks for the good of one another they grieve for one anothers evils they beare one anothers burthens they rejoyce in one anothers comforts they supply one anothers wants both outward and inward as far as they are able The Apostle speaks of these mutual offices which beleevers by vertue of that fellowship which is between them owe one to another in that 1 Cor. 12. 26 Now it is in and through Christ that union and communion of Saints one with another is made Our communion with Christ is the foundation of our mutual communion which we have one with another John 17. 23. I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one 'T is this uniting corner stone that brings every particular stone of the building into one For our mutual union one with another is in him who is the head of the union The Apostle speaks fully to thâ—s in Eph. 1. 10. That he might gather together in him all things both which are in heaven and which are in earth The Greek word is very significant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to gather to a head All the Saints of God that are were or shall be both those that are gloriously triumphing in heaven and those that are yet militant on earth are gathered together to a head in Jesus Christ Membership with him is the foundation of mutual membership which we have one with another This is the second 3. In regard of Direction The corner stone is that which gives the builders direction how to lay and place all the other stones If the several stones of the wall be not laid level to the corner stone the whole building is spoiled He that would build right must have his eye to the corner stone Jesus Christ is a beleevers Direction and Rule in all spiritual things that which is not done by Christs Command or example or by some direction from him is not wel done Learne of me saith our Saviour for I am lowly and meek-hearted and ye shall finde rest to your souls Mat. 11. 29. Jesus Christ is the beleevers pattern His Word and his example we must have an eye continually upon if we would not miscarry He that saith he abideth in Christ he ought so to walk as he walked 1 John 2. 6. Lay all things level to Christ and then act vigorously I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you John 13. 15. Nothing will either be lasting or comfortable which doth not runne parallel with the line of Christ 4. In regard of Beauty Skilful builders place the strongest stones in the corner because of bearing and the fairest stones because of beauty If the corner stones be graceful the whole building is the more comely Psal 144. 12. More Art is bestowed on the corner stone then on any other part of the building Iesus Christ is the beauty of the spiritual building If this one stone were taken away the whole building would be an uncomely heap One Christ hath more bâ—auty in him then ten thousand Sainâ—s Psalm 45. 2. Thou art fairer then the children of men The fairest Saint is but an Ethiopian if compared with Christ He is in respect of his beauty compared to the Lily and Rose which are the most beautiful of all flowers Cant. 2. 1. The blinde world looked upon him as deformed Esay 53. 2. There is no forme nor comelinesse in him but those that know him admire his beauty Look upon him in his Divine Nature and so he is more beautiful then the Sunne Look upon him as man and so he is exceeding beautiful No doubt but his body for the outward feature of it was very comely 'T is a Rule which Divines have That which God doth immediately he doth most exactly And for his soule that had more grace in it then is in all the sons of men laid together His soul was unsoyl'd by sinne and it was richly furnished with all grace God shewed more of his Art and skill in Iesus Christ then upon all the stones of the building besides The beautiful Angels are black if compared with Christ This is the first particular 2. For the second Christ differs from all other corner stones in five respects 1. He is a living stone The corner stones of all material buildings are inanimate But Christ hath life in him 1 Pet. 1. 4. He hath life in himself and he communicates life unto the whole building From him all the stones of the spiritual house are called lively stones ver 5. Ye also
hath taken up a prejudice though they be never so deserving Ahabs prejudice against the Prophets of the Lord would not suffer him to heare them 1 Kings 22. 8. 1 PET. 2. 6. XXII SERM. at Mary Wolnoth Lon. Febr. 20. 1652. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Precious I Proceed to the Uses which are 1. Information 2. Examination 3. Exhortation 1. For Information This teacheth a twofold lesson 1. The exceeding great glory of the Church of Christ. The Scripture tells us that the Church of God is a glorious body Though the Church taken in its more large acception as it contains all visible professors be in many respects lesse glorious because o◠the mixture that is in it it being a field wherein is both wheat and tares Mat. 13. 24 25. Mat. 3. 13. Mat. 13. 48. a barn floore wherein is both good corn and chaff a net in which are fishes good and bad yet the Church of God more strictly taken for the number of them that are effectually called the invisible Church is a very glorious society The Apostle calls it a glorious Church Eph. 5. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It 's glorious as in regard of the holinesse of the members so chiefly in regard of Christ the glorious foundation A house whose corners are laid with precious stones and whose superstructory stones are all lively stones must needs be glorious Never such a building in the world as the Church of God is See how the Evangelical Prophet describes it Esay 54. 11. O you afflicted tossed with tempests and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay thy foundation with Saphires c. 'T is much like that description which is made of it Rev. 21. 10 11 12 c. Every thing which is in the Church makes for the glory of it Glorious in its members who are cloathed with the glory of God glorious in regard of the worship which is there used and of the Ordinances there dispensed in regard of the Doctrine there there maintained Calvin I remember understands by those precious stones mentioned Esay 54. 11 12. The variety of the gifts and graces of God to his people Paul understands by the same precious stones the doctrine taught in the Church 1 Cor. 3. 11. The Church is glorious both in respect of the doctrine and of the various gifts and graces of God dispensed amongst the members of it But the great glory of all lies in the foundation-stone Jesus Christ That must needs be a precious building which hath its foundation on such a precious stone as Jesus Christ is who it as far above all precious stones and a great deale more then they are above common stones For the setting out of this consider how Christ excels all other precious stones 1. He excels them in largenesse Other precious stones are but of a small dimension and of a very little weight You may put many of the largest that ever were seen into a small Cabinet but Jesus Christ is very great As God he is infinite without dimension filling heaven and earth with his presence See how the Prophet speaks of the infiniteness and incomprehensiblenesse of Christ in regard of his divine nature Esay 40. 12 13. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out the heaven with a span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountaines in scales and the hills in a ballance That all this is spoken of Christ appeares from verse 11. where he is prophecied of as the Shepherd of his flock 2. He excels them in duration Other pearles and precious stones are of a perishing nature they may be defaced broken dissolved they may lose their beauty There 's a day coming when they shall be melted away into nothing Cleopatra dissolved a pearle of very great worth by the Art of Chymistry and drank it at one draught to her Antonius But Jesus Christ is a durable precious stone Neither time nor eternity will be able to dissolve this stone His beauty cannot be lost or dimished He never will have any flaw or crack or spot in him in the eyes of those that are able to judge aright of him His brightnesse is an unfading brightnesse The heavens and the earth fade and wax old like a garment but Jesus Christ is still the same and his years have no end Heb. 1. 11 12. And 3. He excels them in the multiplicity and perfection of his properties There is not any precious stone that hath all excellencies and vertues in it Some excel in one property some are excellent for another vertue Whether their medicinal vertues be considered or their other excellencies as their colour their forme their roundnesse c. One excels most in this kinde another in that But the vertues and excellencies of all pearls and precious stones meet in Christ Whatsoever perfection is to be found in any created stone the same is to be found in Christ The properties of the Saphire the Diamond the Chrysolite the Sardonix the Amethist and of all other stones meet in Christ alone And then they are all in him in a farre more transcendent manner then they are in any of these His brightnesse is above the brightnesse of the Diamond his whitenesse far exceeds the whitenesse of the Pearl The medicinal and physical properties that are in Christ are far more excellent then those that are in other precious stones Some Pearls they say do strengthen the heart others clear the sight others remove the vertigo or dizzinesse of the head and many other useful properties are recorded by learned men but none of them are so excellent in any of these kindes as Christ is for he removes and heales the distempers of the soule and minde as well as of the body he cures the spiritual eye-sight Rev. 3. 18. He cures the troubles of the conscience which no other precious stone can do being never so artificially used He being rightly applyed and taken cures the soul of sinne removes guilt which none other precious stone can do The neck-lace of pearle cannot cure the wounds of conscience the girdle of diamonds cannot remove tremblings from the spirit the costly jewel in the bosome cannot quiet the heart throbbing for sin or Gods departure all this Christ can do And 4. He excels them in this that he hath no hurtful qualities Other precious stones have a killing quality powder of diamonds they say is poysonful put in the bowels or throat takes away life presently But Jesus Christ hath no destructive quality He is occasion of hurt to none but to him that refuseth him Put all these together and it will appeare that the Church of God which is erected upon and united unto such a precious foundation must needs be a glorious Church 2. The great riches of true beleevers A member of Christ how poore soever he is in regard of outward riches yet he is the richest man in
It makes Christ damnation to a person That of our Saviour is a dreadful Text Mat. 21. 44. To turne salvation into damnation will be a double damnation better to have been damned without a Christ then to be damned with a Christ better a thousand times to have been destroyed without a Redeemer then to be destroyed by a Redeemer better to die without a Saviour then to die by a Saviour What should be done that we may stumble no more 1. Get a clear knowledge of Christ 2. Be acquainted with those that embrace him 3. Be truly offended at sin 4. Pray that God would root out of your hearts all occasions of offence 5. Remember what Christ hath done for you and what he is still a doing for you His doctrines his offices his government All that at which offence is taken is for your benefit and salvation 6. To take offence at Christ is to stumble at Gods wisdom mercy goodnesse in giving Christ and in fitting Christ MAL. 4. 2. The Sunne of righteousnesse shall arise XXV SERM. at Mary Wolnoth Lon. April 10. 1653. with healing in his wings THe Prophet Malachy hath in this book many contests with the Jewes for several impieties which raged amongst them At the thirteenth verse of the former Chapter he contends with them for their Atheisme and blaspheming of the providence of God Your words have been stout against the Lord and ye have said it is in vaine to serve the Lord. They that work wickednesse are set up and they that tempt God are delivered Amongst other answers which the Prophet gives to this blasphemous charge he tells them there was a day coming when Gods dealings shall be manifest that they themselves should discerne a clear difference betwen them that served God and them that served him not ver 18. This difference which should be made between the godly and the wicked is amplified in the first verses of this Chapter for Behold the day cometh c. His dealing with the wicked and disobedient is set down fully ver 1. The day of the Lord cometh that shall burne as an oven This day though it be particularly meant of the day of Christs first coming as is cleare by the context ver 5. which is by our Saviour himself interpreted of John Baptist his forerunner Matth. 11. 14. yet as some good inteâ—preters think it may have a further reference namely to the day of his second coming when all this shall be fully accomplished His dealing with the godly is set down verse 2. 3. In which are two things 1. The greaâ— happinesse which the godly should enjoy in thesâ— own persons verse 2. 2. The conquest they shall obtaine over the wicked verse 3. Ye shall tread down the wicked c. In the happinesse which is promised to the persons of the godly as it is set down in this Verse we have these three things observable 1. A description of their persons unto them that fear my Name This is an ordinary and usual description whereby the people of Goâ— are distinguishâ—d from all others Mal. 3. 16. Eccl. 8. 12. Isa 50. â—â— 2. The authour of their happinesse The Sunne of righteousnesse 3. The nature of their happinesse This is set down two ways 1. Generally he shall arise upon you 2 Particularly This is let down three ways Tâ—ere are three great blessings which they should enjoy by the rising of this Sun upon them 1. Spiritual healing 2. Spiritual freedome Ye shall go forth 3. Spiritual increase Ye shall grow up as calves of the shall I shall wave the description which is here made of the persons of godly men And proceed to the Authour of their happinesse which is said to be The Sunne of righterusnesse for it is to open this expression that I have now chosen this text in the handling of which I shall have occasion to open the particular benefits which should accrew to the godly healing freedome growth The Sunne of righteousnesse The Sunne is used in Scripture in a double sense 1. Properly For that creature which God hath set in the heavens and called by that name Psal 136. 8. 2. Metaphorically or improperly and so it 's used for several things which carry some similitude to the natural Sunne And thus it s used several wayes First for Gods special favour Psal 84. 11. The Lord God is a Sunne and shield Secondly for comfort Job 30. 28. I went mourning without the Sunne that is without comfort Thirdly for prosperity and settled peace Esay 60. â—0 Thy Sun shall no more go down neither shall thy Moon withdraw it self Fourthly for eminency and height of condition and state Rev. 16. 8. The fourth Angel poured out his vial upon the Sunne which Mr. Mede makes to be the Germane Empire the Papal Sunne of the heaven Fifthly for Christ himself So 't is used in this text he that is called the Messenger of the Covenant chap. 3. 1. is here called the Sunne of righteousnesse The Observation is this Doct. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the Sun of righteousnesse Zacharias the father of John Baptist gives him a name parallel to this Luke 1. 78. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The day-spring from on high hath visited us In the handling of this Doctrine I shall by way of Explication open these three things 1. In what respects Christ is called the Sunne 2. Why he is called the Sunne of righteousnesse 3. How he doth excell the natural Sunne 1. For the first Christ may be compared to the natural Sun in three respects 1. In respect of his own person The natural Sun hath a shadow of two excellencies which are in the person of Christ As 1 His glory and Majesty Of all the visible works which God hath made there is not any so glorious as the Sunne it 's full of splend or and glory The Sunne is Anima munds the very soul of the world The brightnesse of the Sunne is so transcendent that the weak eye of man is dazzled with the beholding of it See how David describes this creature Psal 19. 5. He is as a bridegroom coming out of his Chamber Never was any bridegroome no not the greatest Prince in the world in such attire on his wedding day as the Sunne is every morning at his coming out of his Chamber So glorious is the Sunne that he draws all the eyes of men to look upon him at his appearing The Lord Jesus Christ is a glorious person The Sunne is but blacknesse if it be compared with Jesus Christ His face is ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne when it is cloathed in its best apparel He is the bright shining of his Fathers glory and the expresse image of his person Heb 1. 3. When he was transfigured upon the mountaine in the sight of his Disciples the text saith His face did shine as the Sâ—nne and his rayment as white as the light Matth. 17. 2. Could we but see the face of Christ as it is
now shining at the right hand of God we should say the Sun were but like sackcloth in comparison of it how much more bright is he in his Godhead this is so glorious that no man can see it and live The face of Jesus Christ is that which makes and constitutes the very glory of heaven And then 2. His omniscience The Sunne in the firmament travels up and down and beholds every part of the world David saith there is nothing hid from the heat of it Psalm 19. 6. Jesus Christ as he is the Sonne of God is perfectly omniscient The Apostle speaks of his omniscience Heb. 4. 13. There is no creature that is not manifest in his sight c. Yea he sees every thing not by moving up and down as the Sunne doth but by one fixed and constant view There can be no fence made to keep out the sight of his eye he doth simul semel together and at once behold all creatures with all their motions thoughts and imaginations This is the first II. In respect of his effects and workings upon his people There is a great resemblance between the Suns effects upon the creatures and Christs effects upon his people I shall instance in eight particulars 1. The Sunne hath an enlightning vertue The Sunne is the great luminary which God hath appointed and made to carry the light abroad to the inhabitants of the earth The presence of the Sunne makes day The Sunne is the great torch of heaven by which men and other creatures see what to do and where to go Gen. 1. 14 16. By his light we see it and all other things Jesus Christ hath an enlightning power and doth actually enlighten the hearts of men The soul is by nature in darknesse and never sees till Christ beame down his light upon it All men by nature in regard of spiritual light are as that blinde man was John 9. 1. without any spiritual sight They see neither sinnes blacknesse nor their own misery by reason of sinne They see not Christs beauty not graces excellency till their eyes are opened They have thick skales upon their eyes as Paul had before his conversion Act. 9. 18. Therefore they are called darknesse and their state a state of darknesse Eph. 5. 8. Now Christ gives them light When he riseth upon them savingly then and not till then do they see their condition and the way out of it Eph. 5. 14 As the Sun is speculum munds the worlds looking glasse so is Christ speculum Animae the souls looking glasse All spiritual light which is given to the soul is in and thorough Jesus Christ So the Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 4. 6. The Gospel is the vehiculum lucis the great chariot that carries this light abroad but the fountaine of it is this bright Sunne of righteousnesse Jesus Christ Spiritual illumination is Christs work This is that which the Evangelist saith John 1. 9. John Baptist carried the â—orch but Christ himself was the light Till this Sun be up the soul lies in grosse darknesse but when it appeares then light comes Presently Esay 60. 1. When the glory of the Lord is risen upon the soule then is darknesse expell'd and the soul shines forth The heart that is as dark as any dungeon when the beames of this Sunne are darted down into it is as light as a Paradise Christ turnes Egypt into Goshen And then 2. The Sunne hath a warming vertue Though it be not formally hot yet it is hot in its effect Psal 19. 6. The beames of the Sunne warme the earth and the ayre the bodies of the rational and irrational creatures Experience teacheth that the Sunne hath a heating power the light and motion of it causes heat The Lord Jesus Christ hath a warning vertue in him The heart that is as cold as yee is heated and warmed by the influences of his Spirit into a good temper The luke-warme heart when Christ shines upon it is set into a burning heat The beames which are cast from Christ in his Ordinances put the cold soul into a spiritual sweat We have an instance of this in the two Disciples Luke 24. 32. They were in a freezing temper till Christ overtook them but when they had continued a while in that spiritual sun-shine their hearts were put into a violent flame Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way The forerunner of Christ tells the Jews that he that came after him did baptize men with the holy Ghost and with fire Matth. 3. 11. Christ can kindle the sparks of grace which seeme to be as dead and put them into a burning flame Many a Saint hath come to the Ordinances with his heart like the cold earth and before he hath departed Christ hath sent him away like a burning lamp the cold water hath been put into a vehement boyling that the heart hath runne over again eructâ—vit cor meum Psal 45. 1. Peter grew cold at the high Priests fire when the beames of Christ were withdrawn but when Christ shone upon him his cold heart was heated when Elisha had lien a while upon the Shunamites dead childe his flesh waxed warme 2 King 4. 24. Though a soule be as cold as death if Jesus Christ do but once stretch himself upon it it waxes warme And then 3. The Sunne hath a comforting vertue The Sunne is in Scripture put for comfort Job 30. 28. To walk without the Sunne is to walk without comfort and Solomon tells us that it 's a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the Sun Eccles 11. 7. Weak and sickly persons when they are brought into the Sunshine finde their spirits cheered by it The Lord Jesus Christ hath a heart-comforting vertue He is the first inlet of comfort into the soul He is the preserver of joy in the soule and he it is that restores joy unto the soul after dejections and droopings of heart Noah was herein a figure of Christ see what his father Prophecies of him Gen. 5. â—9 Jesus Christ is the true Noah the great comforter of his people in all the griefs and sorrows of this world Christ is the foundation of all true comfort to thy soule Tolle Christum tolle solâ—â—â—um that reconciâ—iation which he hath made between God and man is the very basis of all consolation Whatsoever in God in the Scriptures yeilds any comfort to the soul is so onâ—y in and through Christ that comfort which is not built upon Christ is bastard comfort which will end in terrour The Spirit of God is called the comforter John 15. 20. his office is immediately to cheer the soul How doth he comfort but even by making application to the soul of a sinner of that which is merited for him All the arguments whereby the spirit comforts the heart are drawn from Christ he seales up to the soul that Christ is his and so fills it with comfort And then 4. The Sune hath a
the Gospel The Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the glorious Gospel or the Gospel of glory 1 Tim. 1. 11. The Gospel is exceeding full of glory there 's nothing in it but that which is very glorious This is enough to proclaim the glory of it because in it the Lord Jesus Christ is discovered the Gospel is the Orbe in which the Sunne of righteousnesse shineth it is the Chariot in which Christ rides It is the Golden vessel which carries this glorious light about the world The Gospel is the true Bethshemesh or house of the Sunne it is called the Word of Christ Col. 3. 16. Because by this Word Jesus Christ is discovered and manifested to the world David doth admire the heavens for this that in them God hath set a Tabernacle for the Sunne Psal 19. 4. The Gospel is that glorious Tabernacle which God hath set and established for this great Sunne of righteousnesse Where the Gospel is not Christ is not known remove the Gospel and Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse is totally removed 2. The exceeding great glory of heaven The Scripture makes mention of heaven as of a glorious place Amongst other things this shewes the glory of it that this Sunne of righteousnesse shines in it Rev. 21. 23. and 22. 3 This will further appear if we consider how far Christs shining in heaven dazzels his shining here on earth I will instance in these three particulars 1. In heaven Christ shines upon the soul immediately There is nothing to interpose between Christ and the soul his shinings in this life are immediate through the Ordinances We see his beames in this life through the thick glasse of Ordinances the Churh tells us the manner of his shining in this life Cant. 2. 9. We have his beames here only by reflection but in heaven they are immediately darted down upon the soul There is no Temple in heaven Rev. 21. 22. Christ himselfe is the Temple Now if the mediate beamings of Christ upon the soul he so glorious What abundant glory will there be in his immediate shinings 2. In heaven he shines with his full strength upon the soul All have here on earth but small beames of this Sunne A beam in one Ordinance and a beam in another here a little and there a little as we are able to bear it the eye of the soul while it is unglorified is not able without dazling to look upon Jesus Christ shining in his full strength Thou shalt see my back parts but my face cannot be seen Exod. 33. 22 23. but in heaven the soul shall be able to take a full view of Christs face 1 Cor. 12. 12. All that ever we have seen of Christ in this world will be but darknesse in respect of that full sight of his glory we shall have in heaven 3. In heaven Christ shines without intermission The soul here doth often lose the sight of Christs face every day is not a Sunne-shine day There are some dark and gloomy dayes even to them that have the greatest interest in Christ Esay 50. 10. but in heaven the Sunne is alwayes up There are no clouds to Eclipse the light of Christs face in that region There 's no night in heaven Rev. 27. 25. That which causes the soul here to lose the sight of Christ shall not be in heaven No sinne enters into that holy place if the immediate perfect uninterrupted shining of Christ can make a place glorious heaven is a most glorious place 3. The miserable condition of those that have no interest in Jesus Christ The Scripture makes it the top of all misery to be without Christ Eph. 2. 12. This text beares witnesse to it How uncomfortable would the world be if there were no Sunne If God had not made the Sunne the world would have been but an uncomfortable prison What a muse and astonishment are men put into when the Sunne is Eclipsed but for a few houres How doleful is their condition upon whom the Sunne of righteousnesse hath never risen They have neither spiritual light nor spiritual warmth nor spiritual healing nor spiritual softnesse that are without Christ They want both the righteousnesse of justification and of sanctification that have not a saving interest in this Sunne of righteousnesse There are no people upon the earth that stand in more need both of your compassions and prayers then those that want Jesus Christ And they are so much the more miserable because they want eyes to see their misery 4. That there is no righteousnesse either of justification or sanctification without Christ he is called the Sunne of righteousnesse in both these respects and therefore till he arise upon the soule it hath no righteousnesse in either of these respects 1. For the righteousnesse of justification The Papists they teach and maintain that a person must have in himself inherent righteousnesse to justifie him before Gods tribunall They say that Christs righteousnesse is not the proper cause of justification but that whereby God is pleased to accept of the habits of righteousnesse in us placing the matter of justification either in something habitually inherent in us or flowing from us This Doctrine doth devest Jesus Christ of this name which God hath here given him He is called the Lord our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. If he be our righteousnesse then we are not our own righteousnesse I would not be found saith a good Divine in the righteousnesse of the best prayers I ever made at the day of judgement To take off men from this Popish doctrine I shall lay down these Arguments against it 1. The righteousnesse of God and the righteousnesse of man are opposed in Scripture as things inconsistent in the matter of justification Phil. 3. 9. To mingle these two together were to wear a garment of linnen and woolen which God forbade in his Law He that submits to the one cannot submit to the other So the Apostle teacheth us expresly Rom. 10. 3. he that trusts to the righteousnesse of man cannot trust to the righteous of God Our righteousnesse is that which we do in obedience to the Law but Christs righteousnesse is that by which we are reckoned righteous in the sight of God 2. If righteousnesse be by workes then it is not of free grace but of due debt This is the Apostles argument Rom. 11. 6. The Papists answer this by understanding by works there the works of nature and unregeneracy only and not of works flowing from faith But this is a meer falshood for the Apostle proves Rom. 4. 2. that works flowing from faith cannot justifie before God Abraham was regenerate Abrahams works were works flowing from faith yet were not those works his righteousnesse but Christ apprehended by faith 3. That righteousnesse by which and for which a person is justified must exactly answer Gods justice It must be so every way perfect that justice it self can require no more but the best of our works are imperfect and
3. and yet it was but 〈◊〉 〈…〉 at three hundred Romane pence v. 5. but 〈◊〉 is oyntment of invaluable worth All the â—â—ld and silver on earth all the pearles and diamonds in the world are not worth the least drop of this oyntment He that hath it would not part with one drop of it for ten thousand rivers of oyle he that wants it cannot purchase it for all the riches of the world one drop of this oyntment is worth a sea of other oyntments 2. He excels all other oyntments in duration The vertue of other oyntments may be lost Take the most fragrant oyntment in the world keep it with never so much care yet it will corrupt in time Other casual accidents may fall out which may corrupt it You know what Solomen saith Eccles 10. 1. Dead flies cause the oyntment of the Apothecary to send 〈…〉 savour The best oyntment 〈…〉 compounded by the art of man may lose its 〈◊〉 and be offensive but Jesus Christ is incorruptible oyntment he can never lose his savour no time can putrifie him no accident can corrupt him This oyntment hath continued ever since the promise made to Adam Gen. 3. 15. yet the vertue of it in every respect is as precious as it was the very first day his Name is as glorious as fragrant as beautiful as shining now as it was when the Alaâ—aster box was at first poured forth The Psalmist spâ—â—ks of this very expressely Psal 72. 17. His Name shall endure for ever his Name shall be conâ—â—nued as long as the Sunne and daily shall he be pâ—aised all Nations shall call him blessed 3. He excels all other oyntments in his fulness Other oyntment is of a waiting nature take but one dram of oyntment out of the largest vessel and there is an abatement take but one drop out of a river of oyntment and there is a drop less but this oyntment doth not grow lesse by spending Christ hath anointed thousands of his Elect in all the ages that are past and yet the vessel is as full as if one drop had not been taken out of it This Olive tree hath been emptying it self for many ages into the golden bowle and yet it continues running with as full a stream as it did the very first day 4. He excels all other oyntments in vertue and operation this may be branched out into six particulars 1 He anoints the soul as well as the body Other oyntments are poured only upon the outward man the soul the conscience is not the better for the multitude of oyntments that are poured upon the body the face of a person may shine with oyntment and yet his soul be black and filthy but this oyntment reacheth to the conscience and inward man Yea this oyntment is principally for the inward man the heart is the chief place on which this oyntment is poured 1 John 2. 27. the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you Other oyntments are outward oyntments that abide upon us but this is an inward oyntment which abideth in us 'T is unctio spiritualis 2. This oyntment hath the good properties of all oyntments Some oyntments are fragrant to the smell but they are not healing others are healing but they are not sweet No one kinde of oyntment hath all excellercies in it but now in Jesus Christ all excellencies meet together the good properties of every oyntment do all center in Christ he is equally excellent every way You cannot say in what respect Christ is best he is so excellent every way 3. This oyntment doth charge the very naâ—ure of the person upon whom it s poured Other oyntments cannot change a person from what he is They cannot make a sinner a Saint they cannot alter the nature of a person But Jesus Christ changeth the nature of persons If this oyntment be poured upon the head of a sinner he is presently turned into a Saint if it fall upon a dead man he becomes a living man if a drop of this oyntment fall upon a weed it is presently turned into a flower When this oyntment was poured forth on Soul he became a Paul from a Persecutor of the Gospel he was changed into a preacher of the Gospel This oyntment turnes a filthy Sepulchre into a curious garden 〈…〉 an into a Nazarite as white aâ— show 4. This oyntment upon whomsoever it is poured doth abide upon him for ever A person may be anointed with material oyntment and in a short time lose all the sent and savour of it as if he had never been anointed but whosoever hath been once anointed with this oyntment will smell of it as long as he lives If Jesus Christ do but drop one drop of this oyntment upon the soul of an infant he carries the savour of it with him to his grave 1 John 2. 27. The unction which ye have received of him abideth in you The scent of this oyntment may be very weak in the children of God but it can never quite be lost David once by his sinne had brought such an ill savour upon his soule that the smell of the holy oyntment was almost quite lost My wounds stink and are corrupt through my foolishnesse Psal 38. 5. yet after a while his old savour did return againe the fragrancy of his oyment did ovecome the ill savour of his sinne The soul and body may be separated but Christ and the soul cannot be separated 5. This oyntment hath a present efficacy upon the soul The effects which are wrought by other oyntments are not so suddenly done Oyntment heales but not in a moment oyntment makes the face smooth and cleare but it must have some convenient time the Virgins which were to stand before the Persian King must be anointed six moneths before their beauty was perfect Est. 2. 12. hard swellings are mollified by oyntment but not at one dressing What ever operation the best oyntment hath it requires a convenient time to accomplâ—sh it But whatever iâ— done upon the soul by this oyntment is done in a moment â—â— sooner is this oyntment dropt upon the soul but the spots are done away it cures the most festred sore with once dressing Assoon as ever the Application is made the effect follows One moment is as good as an age for this oyntment 6. The smallest quantity of this oyntment is as effectual as the greatest quantity A little of other oyntment doth little or no good A drop will not cure a wound a small quantity will not perfume a great roome a drop or two will not supple a hard tumour But now one drop of this spiritual oyntment is as effectual for the maine work as a whole ocean One drop of Christ softens the heart one graine of this oyntment perfumes the soul There is infinite vertue in every drop of Christ He that is made partaker of any part of Christ hath the merit and vertue of whole Christ As our Saviour tels Peter in another case
for all his members and from him it is communicated to them according to their necessity As we receive out of his fulnesse grace for grace so we receive out of his fulnesse consolation for consolation that is one drop one streame after another in a sweet succession He that hath purchased our comfort keeps our comfort and doth seasonably administer to us according to the exigences of our souls 3. For the third That he is the consolation of Israel onely As he alone is the consolation of his people so is he the consolation of his people alone None but beleevers have a ground of actual comfort in Christ This may be evinced by a threefold Argument 1. The Scripture makes consolation to be the priviledge onely of such Esay 40. 1. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith their God The Ministers of Christ in the holding out of comfort are confined and determined onely to the people of God The whole current of Scripture runs this way Esay 65. 13 14. Consolation is proper onely to them that are sanctified by grace 2. None but they have any actual interest either in Christs merit or intercession or any of his benefits None but the beleever can say Christ died for me none but the beleever can say Christ intercedes for me both his satisfaction and intercession are confined to them John 17. 9. 19. 'T is true the Elect that are unconverted have benefit in Christs Mediatorship by vertue of which they shall in time be brought in to God but as to actual Application none but the true Israelite hath interest Christ is actually the portion of none but the beleever 3. Jesus Christ is terror to all unbeleevers not in himself but because they reject him He that is the salvation of the beleever is accidentally the damâ—aâ—ion of the unbeleever because he refuseth him John 3. 18. It will be the greatest condemnation of the wicked another day that there was a Christ and they would none of him he is to the unbeleever a stone of stumbling and rock of offeâ—ce 1 Pet. 2 8. They stumble upon him to their own ruine That is a considerable passage which you have in this song ver 34. This childe is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel Christ that is set for the rising of the true Israel of God is set also for the falling of the carnal Israelites the condemnation of the unbeleever would have been more easie if Christ had never been Thus much for Explication The Uses of this are Information Exhortation Consolation 1. For Information It teacheth us a fourfold lesson 1. That the state of a beleever is not a â—bsâ—â—â—late estate It is the designe of Satan and his instruments to cast what odâ—um and infaâ—y they can upon the wayes and children of God Amongst many other unworthy reports they raise this that they are uncomâ—ortable and sorrowful ways The devil bears men in hand that if they once become holy they must for ever bid farewell to all joy and pleasure and by this meanes many are affrighted from the wayes of God How false and scandalous thâ—s is the Word of God and the experiences of godly men abundantly shew Her wayes saith the holy Ghost are wayes of pleasanâ—nesse and all her paths are peace Prov. 3. 17. And saith the text Christ came for the consolation of Israel Beleevers through their own carelesnesse do many times droop and go heavâ—â—y but they are never without a ground of true comfort Their consolation is a hidden conâ—â—lation which the eyes of carnal men cannot see and therefore they think they are without it God hath made as full and large provision for the beleevers comfort as for his duty and let Satan out of the envy of his heart suggest what he will to the contrary if there be any consolation in Christ the beleever shall have his poâ—tion of comfort Their present mourning and sorrow doth but make way for the filling of their hearts with a greater measure of comfort Matth. 5. 4. Psal 9â— 11. â— That spiritual consolation is not to be tendred promiscuously unto all Precepts belong to all but promises are appropriated onely to godly mâ—n Men are apt to quarrel with the Ministers of Christ because they do not poure out the comforts of the Gospel upon them They think that they have as great an interest in the consolations of the Gospel as the best of men This Text shews the contrary God hath by positive command bound up his Ministers and they cannot without going beyond their commission tender any of the comforts of the Gospel to such as are unconverted Esay 40. 1. Christ came to be the consolation of none but beleevers Penitential mourning must go before Evangelical comfort This order is observed by the Father in Christs commission Esay 61. 1 2 3. and this method is observed in Christs Ministration Matth. 1â— 28. 'T is as high a breach of duty in a Minister to tender consolation to an unbeleever as to preach terror to a true beleever A man must be a true Israelite before he can look on Christ as his consolation And then 3. Why the beleever is so overwhelmed with sorrow when Christ is withdrawn That Christ doth sometimes absent himself in his gracious presence from his people few of the people of God but are able â—o say by their own experience that upon such withdrawments the soul is exceedingly troubled â—â—ripture examples do fully prove Cauâ— 5 4. the troubling of our bowels notes more then 〈◊〉 â—ouble it was so great that her soul faâ—â—d and sunk within her ver 6. Egressa est anima mâ—â— she was without her soul while she was without her Saviour Thus it was with David Psalme 30. 7. The world wonders at such dejection but there is no cause of wondering for the withdrawment of Christ is the withdrawment of all comfort He is the comfort of their souls and of all other comforts which they enjoy Every thing looks black when Christ is removed That which Judaâ— said to Joseph concerning the affection of his Father to Benjamin Gen. 44. 30. Is much more true of the beleevers affection to Christ his life and all the comforts of his life are bound up in the enjoyment of Christ Their health is turned into sicknesse their riches into poverty their comforts into discomfort when Christ is withdrawn no wonder if their faces look pale and their countenance fall The Disciples were much oppressed with soâ—row when Christ told them of the losse of his bodily presence John 16. 6. Ioseph and Mary had the sorrow of a travelling woman upon them when they had lost Christ but for a little time Luke 2. 48. How much more cause of sorrow is there when Christs spiritual presence is taken away How did Mary weep when she missed the body of Christ in the Sepulchre Ioh. 20. 13. It was a ground of comfort to her all beleevers though she knew it not that Christ
making a promise This is the second 3. 'T is an undecent thing 'T is a very uncomely thing that God should be hurryed by his creatures to make good his promises before his own time The undecency of it will appear these wayes As. 1. God is our Superiour He is our King he is our Master he is our Father he is the supreme Lord as far above the bighest of us as the Creator is above the creature 'T is not good manners to be too hasty with a Superiour Woman saith our Saviour to the Virgin What have I to do with thee my houre is not yet come Joh. 2. 3. It is unsutable to the highnesse of the God of glory to stoop so low as to observe the time of the best of creatures Great men will not be hastened by their servants its incongruous that the great and mighty God should have his time appointed him by the works of his own hands The great God is willing to be petitioned by the meanest but he will not be determined by the greatest of his creatures Greatnesse will not be uncivilly hurryed by meannesse Luther having once been too bold with God bout a businesse which he thought necessary telling God it must be dâ—â—ne thought he heard this answer Martine admodum sapis sed ego non sum Deus sequax It is not meet that God should either take counsel or be importunately hurried by his servants 2. God is a free agent in whatever he doth or promises All his promises are gracious and all his gracious promises are free Nothing bâ—t his meer will caused him to make any promise They are called promises of grace not only because they conteine gracious things but because they are the effects of free-grace Now it is not meet that a free agent should be determined either for matter or time When we do with impatience over-eagerly put God on to fulfil what he hath promised we do forger that he doth all things according to the counsel of his own Will which is affirmed by the Apostle Ephes 1. 11. It 's not equal to determine a free agent 3. God hath waited patiently and doth still wait patiently on us Before our conversion he waited long stretching out his hands with unwearied patience while we did oppose him Since our conversion he waits still Cant. 5. 2. Rev. 3. 20. He waits for our rising after falls for our obedience to duties commanded 'T is the most incongruous thing in the world that a patient waiting God should be impatiently hastened This is the first 2. For those who never look after the promises of God Many men are so negligent and careless that they never take any thought about the promises of God they neither pray for them nor wait for them Iâ— God will give them a â—eing they can be contented if he never fulfil them they can bear it I would have such Christians consider these four things 1. This is a great sleighting of the promises and of the good which is centained in them The Apostle Rom. 2. 4. speaks of some who despise the riches of Gods goodnesse He that never looks after the promise is guilty of this sinne He scornes the love of God the Father the maker of the promise the blood of God the Sonne the purchaser of the promise the grace of God the holy Ghost the applyer of the promise God complaines of his people that they accounted the great things of his Law as strange things Hos 8. 12. He that never looks after the fulfilling of the promises of God accounts the Gospel and the great things thereof mean things 2. It renders the promise lesse comfortable when it is fulfilled The souls consolation in receiving the good of the promise is according to the souls expectation in waiting for the promise The Prophet mentions this Esay 25. 9. He that exerciseth most saith and hope in waiting for a promise shall finde most joy in gathering the promise We know how it befel that incredulous Lord who would not beleeve the promise of plenty which God made by his Prophet 2 Kings 7. 1â— He saw iâ— with his eyes but did not eat of it He that mindes not the good which God hath promised robs his soul of half of that joy which he might have from the promise The promise will neither be so fat nor so sweet as it would have been if the heart can be more confident in expecting it 3. This makes the promise wholly uncomfortable till the accompâ—â—shment of it The very blossâ—ms of Gods promises yield some comfort to the soul God hath for this end revealed his promises that the souls of his people might have some refâ—eshment by them before they be brought forth The thoughts that such a good shall certainly be ours beare halfe as â—uch comfort as if it were already ours We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God saith the Apostle Rom. 5. 2. The present hope of future glorification is not without some joy Good in reversion yields much joy in possession The promise made to Christ that his body should not see corruption was a foundation of present comfort Psalme 16. 9 10. the hope of the bodies resurrection makes a childe of God die with comfort All Gods promises lay a foundation of present comfort But he that never looks after the promise what joy can he have from the promise 'T is the souls beleeving and studying of the promise that draws comfort out of the promise He that mindes not what God hath promised hath as little present joy from the promise as if it were not at all 4. The neglecting of the promises is a real slighting of the Precepts The same God which hath made the promise hath commanded the soul to wait for the promise and no man can dis-regard the promise but he doth thereby make himself guilty of disobeying the Precept This is the second use of the point 3. For Exhortation Let all that professe themselves to be of Simeons religion waite as he did for the accomplishment of the promises of God God hath made many promises which are of general concernment to the Church of God the promise of calling the Jews of ruining Antichrist of Establishing the mountaine of the Lords house upon the top of the mountaines of settling unity and uniformity of worship in his Church God hath made many promises of particular good things to beleevers the takâ—ng away the stony heart the giving of them victory over their spiritual enemies c. be intreated to expect the fulfilling of all these I shall in this Use 1. Urge the duty by some Motives 2. Propound some rules to direct us in the manner of our waiting 3. Answer some objections which the soule makes against waiting 1. For Motives Consider 1. That all the promises which God hath made shall have their certaine accomplishment in their time The Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 1. 20. That all the promises of God in Christ Jesus are Yea
and truth is iniquity purged is onely to be understood as a qualification of the person that is purged not of the meritorious cause of purging away sinne which the Scripture doth ever ascribe to the alsufficient sacrifice of Christ who is the onely propitiation for sinne 1 John 2. 2. 2. From the legal purifications Many washings did God appoint in the Law for the purifying of those that were legally uncleane There were two great wayes of ceremonial purification The blood of the sacrifices which were offered to God this was to be sprinkled by the Priests round about the Altar so we read Lev. 1. 5 11. And the water of separation of which we read Numb 19. init where you may see how it was to be made and how used Now what was typified by both these but this spiritual purgation of Christâ— blood The Apostle doth clearly and expressâ—ly unfold this to us in Heb. 9. 15 14. The Gospel-mystery of all the Levitical washings did amâ—unt to this that the blood of Christ did meritoâ—iously purge away sin 3. From the baptismal washing God hath appointed Baptisme as the seal of his Covenant under the Gospel Water is the outward element to be used in the administration of this Ordinance What is the meaning of this but that by the application of Christs blood sinne is purgâ—e away from the soul Therefore is Baptismâ— called the washing away of sinne Acts 22. 16. because by the outward washing of the body wiâ—h water is the inward washing of the soul from sin shadowed out This is the first particular 2. For the second Why his blood is compared to a fountaine It 's called a fountain in five respects 1. To shew the fulnesse of his merit Fountains are full of water there is an abundance a redundancy of merit in Jesus Christ The Prophet would dâ—stinguish the Gospel washings from the legal Those lavers were not fountains but vessels but Christs blood â—hich is the spiritual laver is an abounding fountain the spiritual washing is a rich and plentâ—â—ul â—ashing The Scripture doth mention â—â—e merit of Christ sometimes by fulness as John 1. 14. sometimes by the terme of abundance as Rom. 5. 17. The grace of Christ is every way proportionable to the necessity of the soul The soul may wash it selfe all over in the blood of Christ 2. To shew the lastingnesse of his grace The blood of Christ doth indure for ever Streams dry up vessels may be emptied but fountains have a spring in themselves and can never be emptied Christs blood hath been running for many ages and yet it runs in as plentiful streams as if it had been but newly opened It 's an ever flowing fountain 3. To shew the purity of it Streames are sometimes muddy and dirty but the fountain is clear There is not the least mixture of any defilement in the blood of Christ It 's compared to chrystal for the clearnesse of it Rev. 22. 1. The blood of Christ washes away defilement but it selfe is not capable of contracting any defilement 4. To shew the freshnesse and lively efficacy of it Streams may lose their vertue and efficacy sometimes water that is sweet in the fountaine is bitter in the streames especially if those streames be any great distance from the fountain The neerer the streames are to the fountain the more vertue they have in them and the fountaine it self hath most vertue of all Christs blood is full of efficacy and spiritual vigour It hath not lost it cannot lose that livelinesse and operativenesse which it once had Thus I have shewed you why it 's called a fountaine Before I leave this let me shew you how this fountaine excels all other fountaines 5. To shew the freenesse of it 1 This fountaine doth heal all manner of distâ—mpers Other fountaines though they may be of great use for some distempers yet they are not useful for all Yea the best of them are destructive in some cases but this fountaine is as good for every spiritual disease as it is for any It 's set down indefinitely in the text for sin and for uncleannesse that is for all sinne and for all uncleannesse The pool of Bethesda of which we read John 5. 4. did shadow out this that cured all diseases after the moving of it Christs blood is the true pool of Bethesda which heals all manner of spiritual sores and diseases 2 One drop of this fountain is as effiâ—acious as the whole fountaine In other fountains though every drop be of the same nature yet it is not of the same vertue but here every drop is of the same vertue with the whole One drop of Christs blood applâ—ed by faith will purge away sinne and uncleannesse as well as the whole fountain The same infinite merit that is in all is in every part 3 This fountain pâ—rgeth the soul in a moment of whatsoeâ—er filthinesse â—â— upon it Things that are very filthy must lye a long time sâ—aking in other fountaines before they can be made cleane They must be washed againe and again before they be made white but this fountaine purgâ—th immâ—dâ—ately One minute is as good as a thousand yeers as to the main principal work Let a leper â—â—ep into this fountain and he doth in one moment become a Nazarite as white as snow Naaman must dip sevâ—n times in â—ordan or ever he could be cured of his Leprosie 2 Kings â— 14. If a soule do but dip once in this fountain he is presently cured 4 That soul that is once made clean in this fountain is never filthy again Other fountaines cannot give any such power to them that wash in them as to be preservd from future defilements but this fountaine doth Not as if a soul should never defile it selfe at all after its cleansing for we do gather new filth every day and have need of new washings but as to the principal cleansing the soul is made cleane for ever It can never again return to that extremity of filthinesse under which it was The old blacknesse of unregeneracy can never return Every elect person shall be once born againe but when he is once regenerated he is regenerated for ever The foreskin can never overgrow 〈◊〉 soul againe as it did before Thus much for the 〈◊〉 pâ—rticular For the third How or in what respects 〈◊〉 â—â—eanseth away the uncleannesse of the 〈◊〉 â—his he doth in two respects 1. His blood cleanseth the soul from the guilt of â—â—nne Sinne doth lay a person under guilt Oâ— this â—â—â—eannesse of guilt the Scripture speaks Lev. 5. 2. From this uncleannesse Christs blood cleanseth as it is our justification for his blood â—â— the meritorious cause of our justification The Prophet speaks of this Esay 53. 4 5. God doth for the obedience and sufferings of Christ acquit the soul from sin and pronounceth it guilâ—â—â—se and innocent Hence it is that Christ is called our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. The Apostle speaks of this fully Rom. 3. 24
fountain of his blood as a laver for sin When thy heart hath any good thoughts of sin remember this way of expiation and it will appear very hainous 2. Behold the dignity and merit of Christs blood The Scripture calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1. 19. precious blood It 's precious blood in regard of the dignity of his person it is the blood of God himself that is of that person who is true and very God Acts 20. 28. And its precious in regard of the vertue and effect of it By this blood God and man are reconciled By this blood the Church of God is Redeemed And by this blood sin is expiated and perfectly done away Consider these three things 1 The multitude of sinners that are cleansed by Christ An innumerable company all the Elect of God in all ages 2 The multitude of sinnes in every person not one but many every sinner is full of sores not one free part either of soul or body 3 The perfection of the cure Every sinner is as perfectly healed as if he had never been wounded He is said to cleanse from all sinne in 1 Joh. 1. 7. He is said to take away the sinnes of the world He is said for ever to perfect them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. All these expressions shew the compleatnesse of the sinners cleansing Were not his blood of infinite value it could never have wrought such an effect The blood of all the men in the world could not expiate one sin â—ut the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth multitudes of sinners from millions of sins and every one of them mortal 3. Behold the exceeding greatnesse of the love both of God the Father and of Christ to man-kind The Evangelist admires it John 3. 16. It is admired by the Saints in heaven Rev. 5. 9 10. and it may well be admired by the Saints on earth That God should let out the blood of his own Son to make a spiritual fountain for us to wash in This argues not onely exâ—ctnesse of justice but abundance of love It will appear to be love indeed if we consider what Christ must endure before he could expiate sinne He must drink up the deep fountaine of his Fathers wrath before he could be a fountaine for us to wash in He shall drink of the brook in the way saith the Prophet of Christ Psal 110. 7. This brook is the wrath of God it was a large brook and a deep brook the streames of it were very fierce and very muddy This brook Christ did not onely saile over or swim thorough but he drank it up even the thickest dregs of it That God should cause his Sonne and that the Son should be willing to drink up such a brook of wrath that he might become a fountain to wash away our sin this argues love unspeakable and stupendious in both towards elect men 4. The Church of God shall never want sufficient means for spiritual purification Here is a fountaine opened and being once opened it shall never be shut again and as it shall never be shut so it can never be drawn dry The streams of it shall perpetually flow out in the Gospel whilest the Church hath need of washing Other fountains may faile through continuance of drought but this fountaine can never faile God promises to his Church perpetual springs Esay 5â— 1â— Thâ—â— shalt be as a watered garden and like aspring of water whose waters faile not This continuance of the fountaine is intimated in the circumstance of time mentioned in the text in that day The whole time of the Churches pilgrimage in this life is comprehended under that expression The fountaine stands open and runnes all the day long in a full and plentiful streame It is the Churches misery that she contracts defilement continually but it is her comfort that the purifying fountaine doth and shall run continually 5. How inexâ—â—sable those are that die in their filthinesse under the Gospel Those who live and die with their filthinesse upon them where the Gospel is not shall be without excuse at the day of judgement because God made them at first cleane and they did wilfully defile themselves Mans first â—â—â—â—ling in the mire of sin was his own voluntary act he can blame none but himself therefore none of mans defiled posterity can be acquitted but of all men those that live under the Gospel shall be without excuse For to them a fountain is set wide open and they are dayly invited to wash themselves therein their sinne iâ— double They do not onely sinne in pollâ—ting themselves but they sin in keeping the pollution upon them They are filthy noâ— because they want water but because they want a heart to make use of water The â—â—reames of Christs blood runne by their doors and therefore if their guilt abide nothing can be pleaded by way of excuse They were told of their 〈◊〉 they were invited to wash they saw others by washing were cleansed therefore their guilt remaineth If Nâ—â—â—â— after the Propheâ— directed him to wash in Jordan had returned without washing who would have pitied him if he had died a leper Those that are brought to this spiritual Jordan if they will not wash 't is pity but their sinful leproâ—ie should remaine upon them They do shut that fountain against themselves that God hath graciously opened Thus much for the first Use of Information 2. For Exhortation It commends several duties which we should carefully practise As 1. Take heed of despising this fountaine The Prophet foretelling of Christ did long since by way of complaint speak of the despising and rejecting of him Isa 53. 3. We have cause to joyne with him in the same complaint the fountaine of Christs blood is exceedingly despised 1. The Iews they keep open the typical fountain 2. The Papists despise this fountaine in that Heb. 10. 14 they make other expiatory fountaines They instead of going to the fountaine of Christs blood 1. They go to the Masse which they call a propitiatory sacrifice And 2. To the merit of their own works thinking thereby to expiate sinne purchase the favour of God Jesus Christ may complaine against the Papists as God doth against his people of old because of their apostasie Jer. 2. 13. My people have commited two evils they have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and have hewen them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water The Scripture makes not good works but Christs blood our ransome and propitiation Tit. 3. 4 5 6. Our good works are so farre from cleansing us from the guilt of sinne that they themselves have need of cleansing Domine lava lachrymas meas was the prayer of that father and it must be our prayer Doth not the Scripture attribute filthinesse to the best of our works Esay 64. 6. All our righteousnesses are as filthy râ—gs Thy repentance thy prayers thy duties must be sprinkled in this fountain else God will loath
healing vertue this is in the text There would be no health amongst men or any other living creatures if there were no Sunne The world would be a Hospital if the Sunne were not First the Sunne dries up cold moistures exhales vapours which would infect the bodies of men and other creatures Secondly the Sunne helps on the growth and vegetation of all healing plants and in both these respects hath healing in his wings The Lord Jesus Christ hath a healing vertue he heals both as medicine and Physician His blood is the Physick that heals and he himself is the Physician that applies it to the soul The Scripture speaks of Christ as a healer Esay 61. 1. He heals the soul of the guilt of sinne by the grace of justification and he heales it of the filthinesse of sin by the grace of sanctification The Prophet Esay speaks of this chap. 53. 5. By his stripes we are healed If Christ do but lay his hands upon the diseased soul it is cured whatsoever infirmitie be upon it The very border of his garment if it be but touched with a hand of faith cures all the bloody issues of the soul You have a rare cure done by the touch of Christs garment Mat. 9. 20. There are thousands of soules in heaven that have found perfect cure of strange diseases under the wings of Christ And then 5. The Sun hath a melting and softning vertue Though it patch and harden the clay yet it softens the wax the hot beames of the Sunne melt the yee and mollifie the ground when it 's frozen into hardnesse The Sunne when it was up melted the Manna Exod. 16. 21. The Lord Jesus Christ hath a melting and softning vertue if he do but send down one hot gleam upon the soul it 's dissolved and melted like wax We have an example of Christs softning vertue in Peter Luke 22 61 62. his heart was grown as hard as yee by his threefold denial of Christ and yet one beame from the eye of Christ thawed this yee into teares The Lord turned and looked upon Peter and he went out and wept bitterly Christs eyes are like a flame of fire Rev. 1. 14. These heavenly beames of Christ are able to turne the flint-stone into springs of water Those three thousand mentioned Acts 2 37. were as hard as marbles for they had their hands in the blood of Christ v. 36. yet when Christ did shine upon them in the minstery of Peter they are so soft that any frame may be put upon them Men and brethren what shall we do The Jaylor a rough hardned sinner that drew blood from the backs of the Apostles yet when Jesus Christ did but spread his hot wings upon him even at midnight how is he softned Acts 16. 29. 30. he that was lately like a stone is now like wax any impression may be put upon him There is not the most stiff necked sinner in this or any other Congregation but if Christ put out his power he can distil him into tears of repentance And then 6. The Sunne hath a vegetative vertue It doth bring on the growth of plants and flowers and all vegetables The Sunne darws the sap from the root into the branches and makes it thâ—ust out into buds blossomes and fruit and when the fruit is knit it ripens it and brings it on to perfection This is mentioned Deut. 33. 14. To this Bildad alludes Job 8. 16 He is green before the Sunne and his branch shooteth forth in his garden Though the soyle be never so good and the husbandry never so exact yet without the Sunne nothing comes to perfection the fruitfulnesse of the earth is to be ascribed to the Sun more then to the Earth or Tillage Jesus Christ hath a vegetating vertue he brings on the spiritual growth of every grace in the soul did not this Sunne send down his beams the spiritual plantation would come to nothing The Scripture attributes all Christian growth to Christ he is the root which feeds grace All supplie comes from him God hath stor'd all our nourishment in Christ from him to be communicated as we stand in need The Apostle sets this out in two texts Col. 2. 19. Ephes 4. 16. And the Prophet in the text makes it one effect of Christs rising upon the Saints They shall grow up as the calves of the stall You may thank Jesus Christ for the thriving of your graces as well as for the planting of your graces John 15. 5. And then 7. The Sunne hath a purifying vertue When your garments are mouldy you hang them out in the Sunne when your roomes are musty you set open the windows to let in the Sunne that they may be sweeten'd Jesus Christ hath a purifying vertue he makes the heart sweet and he keeps it sweet See how this Prophet describes him Chap. 3. 2 3. he is like a refiners fire and like fullers sope c. When the heart hath gathered any defilement when it growes mouldy and musty there 's no way to get the ill favour out but to bring it under the shine of Jesus Christ And then 8. The Sunne hath an elevating vertue By the heat and power of the Sunne are many things exhaled and lifted up from the earth which otherwise would lie there many meteors and impressions there are in the aire which are exhaled from the earth by the power of the Sunne Jesus Christ hath an elevating vertue he it is that doth exhale and lift up the earthly hearts of men to heavenly things and heavenly meditations The heart of man naturally is so deep buried in the earth that if Christ did not by his heat which he sends down in his ordinances lift it up it would never have one thought of heaven he hath an attractive power to draw up the hearts of men to himselfe John 12. 32. It is from Jesus Christ that ever you had one serious thought of heaven or heavenly things The Apostle applies our spiritual raisednesse to Christ Col. 3. 1 2. It is from Christ as the merit of it and it is from him as the worker of it in us the power of our spiritual resurrection at first is from Christ and the power of Christ is that that helps us to raise our selves higher from day to day did not Christ send down his exhaling power we should lie like stones and never ascend he descends and then we ascend III. Christ is called the Sunne to shew the cleernesse of the Gospel worship in respect of the legal dispensation God used towards the Fathers This is Calvins Note upon the text God did never shine so clearly to the sonnes of men in the person of Christ The Ceremonial Law with all the appendixes thereof was but dark Gospel worship is clear The Apostle compares the Law to a shadow Heb. 10. 1. that was but Moon light or star light Gospel worship is Sun-light 2 Cor. 3. 10. The Patriarchs saw Christ and hoped in him and were
25 26. He is the lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world 2. His blood cleanseth the soul from the filthinesse of sin Sinne is a filthy thing in it self and it doth bring filthinesse upon the soul This filthinesse is removed by the sprinklings of Christs blood in the work of sanctification He doth by his blood purge the conscience from all dead works that it may serve the living God We are said to be sanctified in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1. 2. He is as well the meritorious cause of our Sanctification as of our justification Every drop and dram of grace cost his heart blood Had not God poured forth upon us the blood of his Son our black and polluted souls had never been made white We owe our holinesse to Christ as well as our righteousnesse This is the third 4. For the fourth That onely penitent sinners are purged in this fountaine This is cleare by comparing this Text wiâ—h v. 10. of the former Chapter There the prophet decribes the quality of the persons they are such as look on Christ whom they have pierced and such as mouâ—ne for him The fountaine of Christs blood is a sealed fountâ—ine to all impenitent sinners but to them that mourne and are in bitternesse for sin it 's a fountaine opened Consider 1. Impenitent sinners will not prize it A man must both see and bewaile his uncleannesse before he can value the healing fountain Christ never comes with acceptation till the soul see his need of him When the Apostle saw that the Jews began to be in sadnesse then he shews them the fountaine Acts 2. 37 38. An impenitent sinner will care no more for the grace of Christ in the Gospel then an innocent man will for a pardon When the Scripture holds out Christ it doth usually mention something of this nature Esay 55. 1. and Matth. 11. 28. No man will greatly prize either ease or rest but he that feels his load heavy 2. Impenitent sinners will abuse and sleight it A harned sinner will as much despire a Christ as a full stomack dainty meat This is the fourth 5. For the fifth Why Christ is called a fountaine opened He is called so in three respects 1. To shew how willing he is that sinners should make use of him He is not a sealed fountaine but a fountaine opened Jesus Christ is marvellous ready and desirous that polluted soules would make use of his blood All the invitations which he uses in the Gospel shew his readinesse Rev. 22. 17. He hath for this purpose appointed the Ministery of the Gospel that solemn invitation might therein be made to defiled souls that they would wash and be cleane All the complaints which he makes of sinners remisnesse and backwardnesse in coming to him are a proof of his readinesse Take but two places for this the one is John 5. 40. The other is in Luke 13. 24. With how much sadness of heart doth Jesus Christ utter those words How often would I have gathered thy children as a â—hen gathered her chickens and ye would not He that commands his doors always to be kept open doth declare his minde to be that all that want succour should turne in for relief Christ keeps open house for all penitent sinners 2. To shew the cleernesse of the Gospel revelation above the Legal Non dubito saith Calvin c. I do not doubt but by this word he notes the difference between the Law and the Gospel Christ was a fountain for sinne and for uncleannesse under the Law but he was a sealed fountaine he was a typified fountaine shadowed out under the blood of bulls and goats and other legal purifications but now he is a fountaine opened he is clearly and fully discovered without shadows or types or any such thing The fountaine was then covered over with the leaves of many veiles and shadows but now all those are taken away and the blood of Christ appears plainly the stone that formerly lay upon the mouth of the fountaine is now removed the streams run so clear that all that read the Gospel may perfectly see it And then 3. To shew the readinesse and easinesse of accâ—sse which is afforded to Christ The Apostle in Rom. 5. 2. makes mention of the accesse which the beleever hath to the grace of Christ Men pretend many difficulties and obstructions There is a lion in the â—ay saith the sluggard a lion in the streets Prov. 26 13. Who shall roll us away the stone say the women Mark 16. 3. the same thoughts have men generally in their hearts concerning their coming to Christ When they are invited to wash in this fountaine they presently reply who shall roll away the stone who shall unlock the fountaine for us This objection is fully answered the fountaine is unlockt already the way is plaine all impediments are taken out of the way when the soul is willing to come all the straits and hindrances are in your own hearts do but coâ—quer your own unwillingness and the passage is easie the fountaine is not sealed but open The Uses are for Information Exhortation Consolation 1. For Information This doctrine may teach us these profitable lessons viz. 1. Beâ—old the hainous and abominable filthinesse of sinne The Scripture sets out sinne as a very filthy thing It s compared to such things as are of a polluting nature To the â—kum of a boiling pot Ezek. 24. 6. To the filthinesse of a removed woman Ezek. 36. 17. to mire to the vomit of a dog 2 Pet. 2. 22. To the plague of pestilence and the plague of leprosie 1 Kings 8. 38. Sinne is often called a spot Deut. 32. 5. 'T is a spot exceeding black and exceeding broad and very deep Many things shew the filthinesse of sinne The waters of the deluge in the old world the flames of fire and brimstone sent down upon Sodom and Gomorrah But above all this shews it to be a filthy thing that it could not be washed away without the blood of Christ That 's a foul stain which cannoâ— be taken away without the shedding of mans blood The stain of that sin of covenant-breaking with the Gibeonites was very hainous that could not be done away without the blood of all Sauls house 2 Sam. 21. 1 2 6. Sinne is such a black spot that it could never have been done away without the blood of Christ The Son of God must open a fountaine of blood in his own heart to expiate sinne or it could never have been expiated The blood of bulls and goats could not do it Heb. 9. 12. The garment wâ—s too foule to be cleansed by any such thing Oh that sinners would lay this to heart thy lying thy bloody oathes which thou lookest upon as things so mean thy cheating and defrauding thy over-reaching and false dealing thy covetousnesse the guilt and filthinesse of the least of thy sins could never have been taken away if Jesus Christ had not opened the